"PINK FRIDAY" is just around the corner!

Join us tomorrow, Friday, May 30th, for the premier of Make Mine Pink's "PINK FRIDAY" shopping event. The theme this week is "Springtime in Paris".....now how much fun will THAT be!!! Hope to "see" you out shopping at our springtime event!

Memorial Day 2008

Thank you to all of our troops present and past
who make America the Land of the Free!

Show and Tell Monday

This was a fun little project! I found the box when I was thrifting in Oklahoma City a few weeks ago. It was already painted and crackled but had a business logo on all four sides. So, I found some pretty paper with roses and a vintage look and made a border for the outside edge of the box. Then I trimmed it with lots of buttons from my button box. It measures about 7x12 inches......what would you use this for? You can see that Beau also gave it his "sniff of approval" when I finished.

Pink Friday - "Springtime in Paris" shopping event

I will be participating in a fun new event sponsored by Make Mine Pink. Beginning next Friday, May 30th, we are having a Pink Friday shopping event and the opening theme is "Springtime in Paris"! Now what could be more fun than adding a little bit of Paris to your lifestyle? Click here to learn more about the "Springtime in Paris" event and how you can get in on the fun.

Meantime, here's a sneak preview of a few of the items I will be offering next Friday, May 30th, in the "Springtime in Paris" event. I have a special category set up on my website just for "Springtime in Paris" so just click on that category when you shop next Friday and you can see these items and maybe more in my special sale. Best of all, my items really do come from Paris.....I live in Paris, Arkansas!

Leaving the nest.........

Last Friday (May 16th) was a busy day on the back porch of Cozy Cottage. When I first arrived I took a picture inside the next and all three babies were snuggled in tightly. Shortly afterward I heard a lot of chirping going on and looked outside to see that one of the babies was outside the next perching on the brass display rack where Mama Bird had so stylishly built her nest.

Before long two little birds were perched on the rack side by side. It didn't take long for one of them to find his way to the deck and had the misfortune of slipping between two of the boards where he was chirping loudly from down below! Papa Bird finally discovered his plight and talked and talked until baby finally came out and scurried to the tall grass around a nearby tree.

Before long baby #2 was on the deck and made it uneventfully to the yard where Mama Bird herded him to the safety of the brush-lined back yard. In spite of the fact that Papa Bird did his best to talk baby #3 out of the nest it took all afternoon, about 4-5 hours, before the last baby finally made an appearance. That is my favorite picture of all of them.....she made it safely with the rest of her family only a few minutes before we had a very unusual visitor.

A great big redtail hawk stopped by the backyard of the cottage and landed right in the middle of the yard. I probably wouldn't have noticed him except a flock of starlings was dive-bombing him very loudly to which his response was something like....."Ummm, what are you silly little birds doing???" I got within about 50 feet of him with my camera before he flew away.....he was really beautiful and majestic in his departure.

Show and Tell Monday

This week I've been working on new signs for my cottage shop. I had the hanging sign handpainted by an artist named Othelia Vacura, who has an online shop called Old Czech Country Antiques & Primitives. I asked her to copy my shop logo as closely as possible and I think she did a great job.



Next I got some black outdoor acrylic paint and painted the street number for my cottage shop so it is visible from the street now. I found the cute little wooden butterfly cutouts at Walmart and thought they would add a little touch of whimsy and charm.



Last of all I went to VistaPrint and designed a door sign for the storm door at the shop and I just love it! Sorry my photo skills aren't the best and don't show it off too well but it's nice and was very inexpensive.

I've also been busy with the spray paint again this week. Here is a lovely old wicker rocker....it is huge!....that I bought at a yardsale last summer. It was black when I got it but I thought white would look nice and bright for summer...what do you think?

While I was at it I got my French tea/flower cart out of the garage and gave it a new coat of white paint. Then it got a place of honor on the front porch of the cottage.....I'll be a little sorry to see it leave when someone else decides they want it for their cozy cottage.

And the winner is.............

Carol of Clutter Bug Studio (and maker of Oooh!Fudge). I used a random number generator to choose a number between 1 and 17 (the number of comments posted) and it chose #3. Since Carol was the third person to comment on this post she wins the mini memory/vision board. Congratulations Carol!

Carol, please PM me on Make Mine Pink so I'll have your address.

Le Atelier - Show and Tell Monday

It's Show and Tell Monday again at Make Mine Pink and here's what I've created over the past week~

Almost finished now.....just need to add a few final touches! I've been working madly to get my studio completed at Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and here it is.....it's small by some standards, but I'm proud to finally have my own creative corner of the world!

Baby cardinals

I went back to the cottage today and got pictures of the entire cardinal family.....Mama and Papa are being very good parents and staying close by. I really got in trouble for peeking in the nest.....Papa scolded me the whole time!

Spring Giveaway

It's time for another giveaway here at Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor! Post your comment below this post and you will be entered to win the beautiful memory board pictured above. It features ivory satin brocade fabric, pink satin ribbon, and a silk rose with pearl center. This memory board is the perfect size to set on a stand on your desktop to hold business cards, small photos, or other ephemera of your choosing. Winner will be chosen in a random drawing on Monday, May 12th.

New family in residence at Cozy Cottage

Last weekend when we were working on my studio, my daughter Ashley and I discovered that a pair of cardinals had built a nest in the branches of a display rack I had set on the back porch last winter. Inside were three tiny speckled eggs which the mama cardinal tended very diligently. Yesterday I discovered that the eggs had hatched and inside the nest were three very naked baby cardinals. Aren't they the ugliest little things? It is hard to imagine that over the next few months they will become beautiful scarlet cardinals. Their nest is right outside one of my studio windows so I'll try to take photos of their progress and you can watch them grow with me.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

This week's recipe is a quick and easy dessert.....I learned how to make this from Mrs. Betty Throckmorten, school cafeteria cook at Samnorwood High School (Texas) in the late 1990s. Anyone reading this who knows Betty or Samnorwood HS please be sure to leave a comment,

SCHOOL LUNCH PEACH COBBLER

1 large can sliced cling peaches with syrup
3/4 c. flour
1 cup white or brown sugar
margarine

Spray 8x11 glass baking pan with non-stick spray. Pour peaches and syrup into prepared pan. Sprinkle flour over top, then sprinkle sugar over top. Dot margarine over top (I like to use lots of margarine). Bake at 350* for about 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned.