Pink Friday.......and my little guys

Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor is just one of the boutiques participating in Make Mine Pink's Friday Shopping Event. This week's theme is "Getting Organized" and Cozy Cottage has many items to help you do just that. The pretty box on the left is just one example of what we have to offer. Be sure to find a comfy seat and shop online at our Friday Shopping Event this Fri., Aug. 28th.

Now for my little guys.......first, here is my little grandson, Brayden Kai.......I can't believe he is already two months old!!! He is the spitting image of his daddy, but I am beginning to see a little bit of his mommy creep in to his sweet little face too. Lucky me, he is here to visit for a couple of days with his big sister Bailey who is the apple of Grammy's eye!












And I haven't said much about Beau lately......my other little guy. He is doing fine, going to doggie daycare now on the days I teach and making new friends.



Thank you for stopping by My Cozy Cottage World.......Beau, Kai and I hope you have a wonderful week!

"Tea for Two and Two for Tea"

Hello everyone.....it's that time again.....Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink! This week's theme is "Tea for Two and Two for Tea". Please drop by Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor as well as the other beautiful boutiques participating this Pink Friday. Hope to see you there!

Pink Friday is "English Cottage Style"

Photo courtesy of www.freefoto.com


This Friday, July 17th, Make Mine Pink presents "An English Cottage". If English cottage style decor is your passion this is the time to indulge as Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink gather to present a lovely array of English cottage style decor!



English cottage style decor has become a favorite because of the feeling of welcoming and warmth it lends to a home. A pretty bit of clutter atop a well-worn antique table that has been passed down through generations (or has at least been made to look that way) may be combined with comfy, overstuffed sofas and chairs covered in softly muted floral fabrics. Scatter lacy doilies here and there and a room just calls out for you to relax. A hallmark of English cottage style is color: all the colors of nature are perfect for this decor. Beautiful pinks, pale greens and shades of white might be used in one room; and yet another room may be lovely done in geranium red, deep green, violet, golden grain, and earthy brown. Even the colors of autumn are perfect for English cottage style: brown, yellow, rust, orange and green. That is the real beauty of English cottage style - using the colors YOU are comfortable with and that make YOU comfortable!



Once you have chosen a color palette, it is time to select furnishings. Because English cottage style evokes an antiqued, aged, and cozy feeling furnishings should have an aged patina. The overall effect should be that furnishings have been acquired over time, such as those passed down from generation to generation. Seating should be soft and comfortable - overstuffed chairs are perfect and if they are a little too worn, slipcovers are perfect for English cottage decor. If you are on a budget, you might look for furnishings in fleamarkets, thrift stores or at tag sales. Bookshelves, wingback chairs, roll-arm sofas, wicker furniture, framed mirrors, pine or dark wooden tables, wooden plate racks, buffets or sideboards, and hutches are just a few furnishings that are appropriate for English cottage style decor. Look for pieces that can be used for something other than their original purpose such as an old flat top trunk used as a coffee table. And don't forget the golden rule of English cottage style - every piece of furniture must be decorated!



Cover small tables with vintage doilies or cloths. Crochet lace doilies are perfect for the back and/or arms of a chair. Consider a tea tray with an assortment of pretty objects atop a coffee table. A bookshelf could hold a few antique books along with pretty knicknacks passed down from your grandparents and great-grandparents. Other items to look for when decorating your English cottage home are vintage china and glassware, silver or pewter pieces, porcelain figurines, vintage musical instruments, vintage paintings or postcards, vintage photographs in pretty frames, old clocks, fresh or dried flowers, lots and lots of pretty pillows on sofas and chairs, needlepoint wallhangings, and homemade candles and soaps.



Lighting should be soft and subtle. Table and floor lamps and candles are perfect, but overhead and recessed lighting should be avoided. A pretty chandelier is always welcomed but only small bulbs should be used or better yet, a candle chandelier. Light filtering through lacy sheers at the windows is lovely and in winter a heavy drape may be added to lend warmth to a room.



Finishing touches might include old quilts and soft handwoven rugs over a wooden floor.......and remember English cottage style is always a work in progress, never a finished product!

Pink Friday - July 10th

Please join Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and other participating boutiques as we celebrate "Summer Porch and Garden" this Pink Friday.

A welcoming porch and garden can create a friendly entryway to your home; and with the right accessories, a porch and garden can even become an extension of your home. No matter what your summer days hold, a porch and garden can provide the ideal setting for friends and family, and can even become a private retreat. I hope you find something special this Pink Friday that will help you design your summer porch and garden.

Favorite Finds at Cozy Cottage this week

Cozy Cottage is participating in Make Mine Pink's Pink Friday and this week's theme is "Favorite Finds". I looked around the shop yesterday and found several of my favorite items that I hadn't listed on the Cozy Cottage website before and decided they would be perfect for the "Favorite Finds" theme. I hope you will drop by Pink Friday at Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and take a look.....remember Pink Friday means FREE SHIPPING at Cozy Cottage!

Join us for Pink Friday this week......

Please join Cozy Cottage this week for shopping with a twist on Friday June 12, 2009 as Make Mine Pink presents "Along the Garden Path."

Delights and pleasures that make your heart beat a little faster await you along the garden path. Sights and sounds and smells that excite your senses and inspire your imagination. Perhaps it's the purple cone flowers, multicolored morning glories, fragrant angel trumpets, or the lordly foxglove, all grown from seed and tended with love, that line the path and remind you to dream. Or the delicate shadow of a Victoria trellis supporting a new vine that takes you on a new flight of fancy. In the early morning hours, or when the sun begins to set, a verdigris candle holder or metal scroll work lantern might illuminate the garden pathway. But it's the vintage metal buckets painted with floral designs and planted with overflowing flowers, that seem to light the way. Along the garden path, a cherub garden sculpture, or a vintage cherub planter might welcome you to this less-traveled road. Ceramic plaques engraved with thoughts and sayings to brighten the day remind you of the peace you find when you walk here, and invite you to linger a while. Garden mushrooms greet you, as does the sparrow-song sung by tiny birds that have stopped to rest on bird-feeders shaped like perfectly opened petals and delicately formed tea cups. A garden tea party...a hand painted table brought outdoors just for the occasion. Sparkling candy lights make this a fairy-tale place in the midst of an enchanted path. A Victorian cake stand filled with roses and sweets takes center stage, the vintage china tea cups and plates are set. In the shade, you can remove the sun hat that was created just for you, in a design that makes you smile whenever you catch a glimpse of it. The garden scenery is reflected in a beautiful handmade cushion, stitched from fabric alive with pink blossoms, then placed on a nearby garden chair. A decorative vintage birdcage hangs from a weather hook. On the table lies a gardening book filled with inspiration and ideas to share. Later, you'll remember absent friends and lovingly write to them on note cards reminiscent of a favorite rose garden. But for right now, you'll celebrate with those who are here, and share the treasures you've found along the garden path.

Joyce Lucas, FounderMake Mine Pink


Photo Contribution 1: Treasured Heirlooms Photo Contribution 2: Caroline Alexander

Pink Friday at Cozy Cottage and Make Mine Pink

Please join Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and the other participating Make Mine Pink members as we celebrate "Something Old, Something New - A perfect time for a summer wedding!"

Wouldn't this vintage maxi dress be perfect for a summer wedding?

Pink Friday is "Beautiful Blues"

Blue is calming and serene. It's a coastal color, often used in bedrooms and rooms of relaxation. From delicate pastel to a deep, emboldened navy, adding blues to your décor can evoke a tranquil yet often vibrant mood. Beautiful blues surround us, and remind us we are home. Make your home a cozy retreat with beautiful items from Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor!

Cozy Cottage offers free shipping on items in the Pink Friday category....this is the time to load your shopping cart at Cozy Cottage!

You may also enjoy the items in our Little Pink Boutique.

Please join Cozy Cottage and other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink as we celebrate "Beautiful Blues" on Friday, May 8th.

Pink Friday - Romantic Delights

~Romantic Delights~

Please join Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and other participating boutiques when

Make Mine Pink presents "Romantic Delights"

this Friday, May 1st on Pink Friday.

Mother's Day is just around the corner, May 10th, so this is your chance to find

the perfect gift inside the lovely boutiques at Make Mine Pink!

Remember, Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor offers

FREE SHIPPING

on all items listed in the Pink Friday category.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Debbie @ Cozy Cottage

Pink Friday is "For the Birds"

Please join Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink as we celebrate the birds of Spring this Pink Friday.

Easter blessings to you and your family from my Cozy Cottage family!

Pink Friday, a New Recipe, and a GiveAway!

Pink Friday

Please join Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor along with the other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink as we celebrate...........

Marie Antoinette

What a trendy theme it seems to be!

Marie Antoinette was young, tall, blonde and beautiful and she set fashion trends through France and Europe. Her flip remark, "Let them eat cake" (attributed to her, but never confirmed) was the spark that ignited the French Revolution.

Today, we simply cannot get enough of "Marie".
She became Queen of France while still a teen. Her excessive fashions for high headdresses, plumes and voluminous dresses were subject to public
comment, admiration and ridicule.

To escape the formalities, boredom, and royal obligations of court, Marie-Antoinette created a private realm of pleasure for herself and her friends at the Petit Trianon, a small retreat palace on the grounds of Versailles, and Hameau, where she planted the first Anglo-Chinese garden; collected all species of antique roses; and revolutionized architecture and gardening trends.

So why do we love Marie Antoinette today? All her extravagance, her life of excess, her hairstyles that were larger than life, her reported love of pastries and champagne (some truth and some fiction as Marie was a teetotaler) all create for us a time and place

where a young girl can be Queen.
(--Director of Community Relations @MakeMinePink.com~Designer @ CestChouetteHome.com)

Make your home a castle or a cozy retreat with beautiful items from
Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor!

Free shipping
on items in the Pink Friday category....
this is the time to load your shopping cart
at Cozy Cottage!

You may also enjoy the items in our
Little Pink Boutique

Now for a recipe decadent enough for the pickiest of queens!

This recipe was a favorite at my coffee house, "Great Expectations". Although we closed the shop a few years ago I still have former customers who comment on this delicious treat!

Mocha Chocolata

Ingredients: Chocolate ice cream, espresso coffee (prepared), Torani chocolate syrup, Torani French Vanilla syrup, 1/2 cup Half&Half, whipped topping, Hershey's chocolate syrup, chocolate sprinkles.

In a tall soda glass place two large scoops of chocolate ice cream. Pour one or two shots of freshly made hot espresso coffee over the ice cream (depending on how much of the coffee flavor you like). Pour the Half&Half over this. Then pour two shots of Torani Chocolate syrup and one shot of Torani French Vanilla syrup over the top. Top with whipped topping and garnish with chocolate sprinkles.

Serve with a long sundae spoon and enjoy!

We also called this the PMS Special for obvious reasons! :)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

And now for the giveaway...............drumroll please!

The first person who leaves a comment on this post telling which song
the title of my recipe comes from will win a special little something
from Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor!
(Check back in a few days to see who the lucky winner is.)

Pink Friday and a recipe for you.....

"Easter Memories"......this week's Pink Friday suggests all the fun times of Easters past, present and future. We all have wonderful childhood memories of Easter egg hunts with our friends and Easter dinners where all the relatives show up and wonderful desserts are served. But now we are all grown up and it is our turn to make the memories that our families will enjoy in the future. Please join Cozy Cottage and the other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink tomorrow as we celebrate Easter Memories......grab your little (or not so little) pink Easter basket and fill it up with beautiful memories for you and your family!

And here is a new recipe for you to enjoy!

Calico Cheese Dip

*This recipe comes from a friend at work, Mrs. Mary Walla.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Italian Salad Dressing mix, prepared as directed
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2.25 oz can chopped or sliced black olives
4.25 oz. can chopped green chilies
Chopped green onion and tomato, as desired.

Preparation: Mix all ingredients together, cover and let the flavors blend in the refrigerator for a few hours. Serve with toasted bagel chips or your favorite chips or crackers.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Debbie

One of a Kind Treasures on Pink Friday

One of a Kind Treasures

You aren't like anyone else so why
should your home decor be like everyone else's?
Shop our Pink Friday category to find
one-of-a-kind treasures for your cozy cottage.

Free shipping
on items in the Pink Friday and Friday FleaMarket categories....
this is the time to load your shopping cart
at Cozy Cottage!

You may also enjoy the items in our
Little Pink Boutique
Click Here

Be sure to visit all the other participating boutiques at
Make Mine Pink's Pink Friday event!

A Touch O' Whimsy comes to Cozy Cottage - Pink Friday!

Once in a while, it's fun to take a detour from the normal "a place for everything and everything in its place" ritual and include some whimsical touches in our daily routines – celebrate your whimsical side and surround yourself with things that make you smile! This week at Make Mine Pink we celebrate "A Touch O' Whimsy". I hope you will drop by and visit Cozy Cottage as well as other participating boutiques for this special event. Free shipping on items in the Pink Friday category

at Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor

....this is the time to load your shopping cart !

You may also enjoy the items in my
Little Pink Boutique

Wishing you a cozy and wonderful weekend!

~Debbie~

Linens and Lace at Cozy Cottage - Pink Friday

Fine linens and lace passed down through generations.....what stories they could tell if they could only speak! When I go to an estate sale or auction I can never pass up the chance to bid on a stack of old linens. I try to imagine who might have used them and why they are being discarded. Is no loving family member left to be their caretaker? Or have they just gone out of style with the latest generation?

This week at Make Mine Pink our Pink Friday theme is "Linens and Lace". I can't wait to see what everyone has to offer........I am using several of my vintage linens to create something special, but you have to wait until Friday to see it on my website!

Vintage linens can be used in your home in many ways.......they add that special touch of coziness that makes your house your home. I love to layer my linens by placing a pretty cloth over a table, then accenting items on top by placing coordinating crochet doilies underneath each item. Drape a pretty crochet cloth over a lampshade to diffuse the light and create a soft glow. If you sew, you can create many lovely items from vintage linens and lace........pillow covers, handbags, bedskirts, curtains.... just to name a few.

I would love to hear how you use vintage linens to decorate your home!

~French Farmhouse~

I hope you are enjoying the month of February and had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Here at Cozy Cottage we have been busy getting ready for Spring and Easter. Before long we will have more wonderful products to offer in both of those categories.

As for right now, I just added several new products in the Pink Friday category. This week's theme at Make Mine Pink is "French Farmhouse".....one of my personal favorite decorating styles!

Here is a sneak peek at a few of the items we are offering:


I hope you can take a few minutes to stop by Cozy Cottage and the other Make Mine Pink boutiques that are participating in Pink Friday this week. You may also enjoy shopping Friday FleaMarket as well.

Have a wonderful week!
Debbie

Pink Friday ~ Shades of Rose

It's Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink again and Cozy Cottage has several new items for this week's theme........Shades of Rose. Come visit and enjoy our new look as well as the pretty items we are offering this week. Be sure to also visit the other participating Make Mine Boutiques, and have a wonderful weekend!

It's Pink Friday again.........

~Winter Whites~

Friday, January 30th

Please join Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink this week as we celebrate ~Winter Whites~.

My personal favorite color scheme is white on white so I can't wait to see what everyone has to offer this week!

Remember, everything in the Pink Friday and Friday FleaMarket categories

at Cozy Cottage is free shipping within the continental United States.

Happy shopping!

Debbie

~Pink Friday is Romantic Roses~

It's Pink Friday again for Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and the other participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink! This week's theme is everyone's favorite - Romantic Roses - and what better way to bring in the new year than with beautiful roses?

Pssst guys - this is a great chance to shop for your Valentine sweetie!

Happy Shopping!

Debbie

Pink Friday - Jan. 16th - Something's brewing at Cozy Cottage

This Pink Friday, January 16th, Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor will be premiering Cozy Cottage Coffee. Our special blends will be available in 2 oz sample packs, as well as 8 oz and 16 oz bags and customers will have the option of choosing whole bean or ground-to-order flavors. We will also be offering coffee mugs, coffee accessories and gift packs in the near future. Cozy Cottage invites you to stop by and see our newest product and the delicious coffee flavors selected to tantalize your taste buds!

Looking for a bargain? Visit Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor at Friday FleaMarket to see all of the items that I've placed in the fleamarket this week....and all
of my Friday FleaMarket items are FREE SHIPPING!

Be sure to also visit all of the other participating shops at Make Mine Pink as they showcase their newest products. This week's theme is "In with the new" and with all of the talented artists at Make Mine Pink you are sure to find the best of the best when you shop this week!