All Is Not Lost :-)

A couple of weeks ago we had that awful arctic freeze here that us southerners are just not used to!!! Right about that time we had this bed of Paper whites that was just about to bloom in the backyard of the Cottage...

This week we are back to our normal January weather...highs in the low 70's...now that's more like it...and aren't this Paperwhites just gorgeous????

We also have declared the Christmas season over at the Cottage. Marci and I have packed away all the remaining Christmas pretties and have done a little re-arranging. We needed a new jewelry display and came up with this....

We brought one of our shabby doors in, Marci bent some spoons and we attached them along with some old knobs to the door to hang our necklaces on. It is such a cute addition to our front room.

We are starting to plan our February Antiques on the Lawn Show...stay tuned...details to come later!!!!

Let's Play

Here we go again!!! Marci and I will head north to Dallas Market for a few days. We have made a list of cool, cottage pretties to look for. Soooo....we decided to have the 2nd

"Let's Play While

The Girls Are Away"

Sale

Christmas items are already 50 % off and starting Tuesday, January 12th there will be many more items that will be on sale. We hope you will swing by, grab some coffee and a cookie, walk the store several times...in order to see everything :-) ...and enjoy the warmth of the Cottage.

Many Blessings to you,

Mandy

Burrrr!!!

Well...today is the day..we are expecting 30 mile an hour gust and the Arctic Blast is going to hit us this afternoon. The Cottage has been winterfied by my hubby, bless him!!! The temperature is not to get above freezing for 3 days...Now, I know what some of you northern chicks are thinking...PANSY, WIMP.... whatever...when you live somewhere that you have to keep your toes manicured year round because you might have a couple of cute flip flop days, well this is just major for us.

Unfortunately, we have something beautiful happening in the backyard of the Cottage and this just might do it in!!!

I believe these are Paper Whites...but PLEASE correct me if I am wrong. This little flowerbed in the back yard...well let's just say that my youngest son thought it was a bed of weeds and had been running the lawn tractor through it once a week!!! Once the grass stopped growing so ferociously then we noticed something fighting it's way out of the ground. It was bulbs!!!! Needless to say, Marci and I quickly found one of our shabby bed frames and put it together right in the middle of the bed of flowers...Don't you just love this??? I also took my big helper mowing son over and showed him that these were NOT weeds. He looked at me and said "Oh, my bad" :-)

Well, Marci and I head out next week to market. We will be searching high and low for Valentine, Spring and Summer pretties. We are planning a big 50% off sale while we are gone so head on over to the cottage and see what you just CAN. NOT. live without!!!

Bundling up for the cold,

Mandy

Bone Chillin'

I looovvveee the Cottage. It is so quaint and precious. It has a wonderful spirit and feeling when you walk in the door....but when it has been 30*-40* at night the cottage becomes a meat freezer. The little house has no insulation... it's just the way it was built in 1930. I opened the Cottage this morning...we have been closed from Christmas Eve until today. So, there has not been any human body in the cottage to conduct any heat for over a week. Here is what the thermostat read this morning at about 9:45 am.

Yes...you are reading that right!!! 44* yes 44*. Now, we have a wonderful old wall heater that runs on propane that is mounted on the wall right by the check out counter and let me tell you...it can produce some heat. Within about 1 hour I had the Cottage pretty toasty.

So I am telling you this to show you what my sweet sister gave me for Christmas. While she was at my house for Thanksgiving we came to the Cottage for a little private shopping spree. She had a blast and I ended up having to send a box of stuff the next week. Anyway...It was bone chillin cold that day and she could not believe how cold the Cottage was. She said she knew immediately what she was going to get me for Christmas....

I. LOVE. IT. It is wonderful. It is lined with that furry lambs wool looking stuff and of course the monogram is PERFECT!!!! She is and has always been the MOST thoughtful person I know and what is great about that is she is MY sister!!! I was so thankful to have my coat this morning!!!

So do not hesitate to come by the Cottage...even right at 10am when we open...The heater, guaranteed, will be blowing!!

We are taking our Christmas trees down now. Most all of our Christmas ornaments and decorations are 50 % off for a limited time...You MUST hurry over and check it out!!

Happy New Year!!!

Mandy