Show and Tell Monday - It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

Here are a couple of the Christmas items I've been working on.......it won't be long until they will be on my website in the Holiday Cottage and Handcrafted Holiday Cottage categories.....

Pink Friday - "Coming up roses....."

Please join Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor, and other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink as we celebrate the rose. Pink Friday this week is all about roses and you are bound to find something there that will make everything in your life "just rosey"!

Let them eat cake! I've been tagged........

.....by Lilli Blue's Vintage Rescues! She was so sweet to select my blog as one of the recipients of the Marie Antoinette Award. Here are the rules:

1. Please put the logo on your blog

2. Link it to the person from whom you received the award

3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs

4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog

5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

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And here are the seven blogs I would like to pass this award on to:

1. Francie of The Scented Cottage........everything Francie does smells heavenly!

2. Jenn of Thrift Shop Romantic.......her blog is the full of fun stuff!

3. Andrea of Faded Plains.....I always find THE BEST STUFF in her boutique!

4. Tracey at Notes from a Cottage Industry.......her blog is always fun to visit!

5. Susan of The Dutch Rose.....she is a fountain of information and always has interesting blog posts!

6. Janet of Janet's Creative Pillows........take a trip to Janet's boutique....she has some really creative ideas for pillows!

7. And last, but certainly not least.....Mo of Mo's Cottage ......I like to visit her blog and travel vicariously through her posts!

Show and Tell Monday ~ Ta-Da!

A couple of weeks ago I shared the story of the Christmas ornament wreath I was working on. Well, here it is, all finished and ready to hang in the cottage shop for some lucky customer. It is very fragile and I won't even attempt shipping it, but maybe if I made more of these in the future I will be able to make them more durable for shipping.

Pink Friday, October 17th

Cozy Cottage is participating in Make Mine Pink's Pink Friday this week. The theme is "In the Hope Chest" which promises to be full of surprises. Just think of all the goodies that could be placed in a hope chest! Be sure to visit Cozy Cottage and the other participating MMP boutiques to see what we have to offer for your hope chest. Remember, this is also a FRIDAY event although sometimes you can peak in a little early and grab some goodies when no one is looking!

We have also joined the Friday Flea Market blog group which promises to be a fun adventure. Just click on their icon on the right side of my blog to visit Cozy Cottage and all the other participating shops. But remember.....it is FRIDAY Flea Market so you can't visit til then!

Be sure to set aside some time on Friday to do some serious shopping......and have a wonderful weekend!

The dreaded "C" word........

Clutter....who doesn't have some? Well, I was reading my new Romantic Country magazine this morning and I see that Rachel Ashwell (Shabby Chic) is going for a new uncluttered style now. Then I was checking blogs and the Online Handyman has a great article on "de-cluttering".....hmmm, is someone trying to tell me something??? If you are also a clutterbug like me then click on the link to Scott's blog (below) and read how to get started uncluttering your home.

“Who Else Wants to Rid Their Home of Unwanted CLUTTER Forever?”

Show and Tell Monday

I'm trying my hand at making a glass Christmas ornament wreath and I can certainly see why these are pricey.....a lot of time goes into making one! (Not to mention burned fingers from the glue gun...ouch!) Here's a picture of my attempt....I still have some embellishing to do but you see the direction I'm going with it. This one is way too fragile to consider mailing so I will sell it from the brick and mortar Cozy Cottage. I made this one on a wreath form but I am going to try my next one on a heavy cardboard form and see how that works. One thing I know for sure.....this is not going to be my creative niche....I'll leave that to the experts!

My New Vintage Bedroom

Some of you may remember my post awhile back where I said I was going to redecorate my bedroom. Well, if you do, nothing you are about to see goes along with the French theme I had planned! I found a bedspread that I just fell in love with and it led me in a completely different direction.....something I call New Vintage. See what you think...... I just love my new pillows! The one in the center was made by Andrea of Faded Plains using vintage barkcloth fabric and an feather pillow insert. On each side are my gorgeous tuffets made by Sharon the Tuffet Queen at C'est Chouette.









I had new "cushy" carpet put in so that gave me a reason to move everything out of the bedroom and get rid of a lot of the clutter.














I brought the faux fireplace home from the cottage shop and put it in the little alcove in my bedroom which adds a little coziness for those winter nights that will soon be here. That gave me a chance to display the pretty McCoy flower vases on the mantel. I also brought the vintage guardian angel picture home from Cozy Cottage (sorry for the glare...I'll try to get a better picture later). If you look closely you will see some of the pretty glittered flowers that Francie of The Scented Cottage creates, and the lovely tussie that I purchased from Carrie of Noelle Garrett Designs. Last but not least are my "new" curtains. I bought them from a friend locally who is one of the most creative people I know.....she tea-dyed the sheer embroidered under panels which adds a nice vintage touch. This is my new girlie den and I just love it!

SHOW AND TELL MONDAY

This week's show and tell is an entertainment center I just transformed from an ugly duckling into a beautiful entertainment center that I'm using at Cozy Cottage. I purchased it at a very good price at a local thrift store and after a coat of white spray paint I tugged it into the house where I brushed on two coats of my favorite Antique White satin latex paint.

I also added the pretty little crown on the top. In went the tv and satellite box and a few "for sale" items were added for decor and "ta-da"!

PS: Bet you can't see that I live on a country road!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

This week's recipe is brought about by some research I did on an item I just listed on my website. I had fun learning about "Rumtopf" and thought I would share the recipe here with my blog-readers. I found the recipe below at the My Recipes blog. Enjoy!

Rumtopf (Rom Pot)

Rumtopf, the German delicious fruit preserve. Traditionally part of German Christmas celebrations. The fruity liqueur can be drunk in glasses, and the fruit and liqueur are excellent over vanilla ice cream. It is traditional to begin with the first fruit of the summer season (typically strawberries).

However, fresh fruit and certain berries are available all year in supermarkets. Do not use blackberries or blueberries. They can be bitter and discolor the other fruits and berries. Watermelon can make the mixture watery. Rhubarb can make the mixture sour. Bananas are too mushy. Citrus fruits are too acidic. The fruit should be ripe, but not overripe. Look at it, look at the berries! Remove any damaged parts and pit or core it before measuring. Cut larger fruits into smaller chunks.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 large jar with a lid
* 5 kg (5000 g) fresh fruits and berries
* 3 l (3000 ml) granulated sugar
* 75 cl (750 ml) rom

METHOD:
1. For instance, start with the strawberries, weigh them.
2. Cover with half as much sugar
3. Allow to sit for an hour.
4. Pour in enough rum to cover the fruit.
5. As space allows and as different fruits and berries come into season, add more fruits, berries, sugar and rum in the appropriate proportions, as described.
6. When ready, allow the entire mixture to sit for some days.
7. Then stir the fruit and berries gently.
8. Cover the jar with a clean film and a lid.
9. Store in a cool place away from heat and sunlight for at least 4 weeks (or 2-3 months).

If the fruit develops any mould - THROW IT OUT ! To prevent spoilage, you can keep the mixture acidic with lemon juice or ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder).

Pink Friday, October 3rd

Please join Cozy Cottage and other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink as we celebrate "Office Chic" this Friday. As you can see, I have "pinked up" my own office this year and I get compliments on it almost every day.



"~Create a space of your very own~

When you look around your office, what do you see? Most office furniture is drab utilitarian, designed for function, but not beauty. The good news is, with a little imagination and the right props, you can create a chic office space that can be more than just an office, it can be respite just for you. It's all in the accessories. Add a chandelier, a floral display, pretty fabric organizers, chic storage boxes stacked in the corner, perhaps even a pretty, slip covered chair and ottoman. Awaken your senses - listen to the rustle of silk curtains blowing in the breeze, feel the smoothness of a hand painted desk, smell the scent of a flickering candle, gaze upon a basket of colorful ribbons while doing the most tedious of tasks. Make your office so much more than just an office. Let it be your sanctuary, your inspirational spot to create, a quiet place to write a letter to a friend, a place to get lost in a Victorian novel, a place to listen to music or maybe just a place to feed your soul." -- Joyce Lucas, Founder of Make Mine Pink