Reflection Friday ~ Remembering Lauren Bacall

I have a thing for film noir, and Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart never disappoint! If you don't know how to whistle, consider this fine bone china whistle from Cottage Violet's.

R.I.P  Lauren Bacall 1924-2014 You were definitely one of kind!

With fond memories, Theresa

Reflection Friday - Real Friends Share Tea

Always bring me tea in your finest English china cup and saucer. The  feel of the tea cup  makes me feel better!

Having wonderful time, wish you were here, Theresa

For Love of Linens

I am in the midst of a linen bombshell. A whole trunk of linens exploded all over the  living room floor. Well, to be honest it looks like they exploded, but I put them there, yes, I did it.

What was I thinking? I knew this was going to be a huge task. A big wooden trunk of linens left over from the 1980's antique store called Manya's. My mom and I had a room there called , Marie Therese'.

Do you remember the 80's? Everything collectible for your hearth and home was selling like wildfire. The internet was in it's toddler years, so everyone travelled to the antique shops and sidewalk sales. H Street had a big following from L.A. and all points west.

We couldn't keep linens on hand, so I searched high and low, and gathered a great huge  amount. Sadly, we had to give up our room and I put the linens in a wooden trunk. I'd earn the trunk painting crafts for my sister-in-laws craft fair business (craft fairs were big then too).

So here I am, washing, and soon to be ironing. Then the picture taking and listing begin.

Tally Ho, onward and upward! Cottage Violet's will soon have linens added to the linen category as well as the crocheted dish cloths and potholders.

Having lovely time, wish you were (to help), Theresa

P.S. I use the term "linens" loosely as most of these linens are cotton.......

Reflection Friday ~ Occupational Hazards

One wonders if this was a happy quote or unhappy quote. What do you think?  Perhaps it is a matter of fact statement about the rigors of childbearing. What were you thinking Queen Victoria? Inquiring minds want to know.

Having wonderful time, wish you were here, Theresa

Strawberry Yogurt PIe ~ Simply No Guilt

Sometimes I want something sweet, even though I have given up sugar for the time being. It's hard to wade through summer's celebrations without indulging once in awhile. It's nice that carb cravings subside when sugar is forsaken, I like that part. But, the soul thirsts for a treat and tells the mind, "Get me something now or regret it".

This Strawberry Yogurt Pie doesn't qualify for the Atkins type lo carb. However, it helps me navigate through the dessert grenades lobbed my way.

It's simple. I crumble 2 sugar free cookies in a dish. (The dish I used was a flat rimmed soup bowl from my everyday dinnerware). I used cookies from this recipe .Thank you, All Day I Dream About Food, an excellent lo carb blog. You can use any sugar free cookie, store bought work well also. You'll notice I have a cookie for myself, as a reward for being such a good wife!

 

 

 In a medium bowl I mix a container of 80 calorie strawberry yogurt and approximately 1/3 container of Sugar Free Cool Whip. I fold it over and over to get out any lumps from the greek yogurt I prefer.

 

 

Then I spoon the yogurt mixture over the cookie crumbs. I slice a strawberry  and put it on top, and sprinkle the strawberry with a little splenda. I refrigerate the pie for a few hours, it holds up nicely.

It makes 4 servings of yummy pie at 140 sugar free calories per serving.

 

 

The only problem is my husband can't wait and eats two servings, then wants mine. Life is not perfect, but it is good, really good. This yogurt pie is good too, really good!

 

Having Wonderful Time, Wish You Were Here,  Theresa



Defend Our Independence

Have A Beautiful 4th of July,
May You Have Jesus in Your Heart,
And His Name On Your Lips,

Theresa

A Little Crochet With Your Tea

Sometimes Monday is just the perfect day to put the kettle on, and get out your favorite teapot.

Get out a pretty little trivet to set the teapot on. I hand crochet ours at Cottage Violet's.

















Choose your loveliest teacup. This Hammersley Clover Trio ranks high on my list. Remember you are treating yourself.
















You must have a coaster to set your teacup on. I love little crocheted heart coasters. They make me very happy.












Now get out your knitting or crochet bag and settle in for a day of pure enjoyment.

 A cup of tea, a ball of yarn, a quiet spot, aaaaahhhh,  that's the thing that dreams are made of....

Having lovely time, wish you were, Theresa

Reflection Friday ~ Life in Wonderland

 

Sadly, March Hare skipped her deportment lessons.

 

 

Having lovely time, wish you were here! Theresa

My Ivy League Pick

We're not talking prestigious schools here! We're talking china. English Ivy fine bone China! Ha....
If you haven't noticed Cottage Violet's loves English china. All sorts of patterns and companies call our name. They say choose me, choose me.
Well, I have chosen. This is my favorite ivy pattern of all time.
It's Colclough's English Ivy Leaf pattern. A lovely leaf pattern on a creamy white background. It is versatile and the best mix n' match pattern I think I've ever seen.
We have 6 trio's available. Mixed with six set's of your own china and that's twelve eye catching tea time favorites.
Here's the eye candy now:

http://www.cottageviolets.com/item_49/Colclough-English-Ivy-Leaf-Trio.htm

Beautiful, wish you were here, Theresa



 

Tennis Or Strawberries Anyone?

Hammersley Chrysanthemum Pattern

The excitement begins! Wimbledon, that mother of all tennis tournaments, starts today. The crowds gather, the grass is green, and copious amounts of strawberries and cream will be consumed.

Last year 55,000 pounds of strawberries were eaten. I suppose that means tennis isn't the only sport at Wimbledon. The British aren't so crass as to sponsor strawberry eating contests, but someone is doing a lot of strawberry eating over there.

It was a lot more elegant in the "good old days". The strawberries were served in a strawberry basket complete with sugar and creamer in the side pockets. Lovely dresses, and large luscious hats made a colorful display in that parcel of time.



Hammersley Morgan's Rose Pattern

In an amazing little side note, I looked up Strawberry Festivals in California. I counted seven in California on the first google search page. California is also famous for the crimson treat.

Cottage Violet's has searched high and low for strawberry baskets. We have five Hammersley fine bone china strawberry baskets in stock. These vintage baskets are in excellent vintage condition.




Here's the best part! In honor of Wimbledon they are all on SALE. They are all marked down from $129.00 to $89.00. That's a $40.00 savings. If you are a dealer interested in the whole lot for your shop please contact me for wholesale pricing. The sale lasts thru July 6, 2014, the last day of Wimbledon 2014.



Hammersley Strawberry Ripe Pattern

Here's a link to the official Wimbledon website: www.wimbledon.com . And a little article I wrote on Squidoo: http://www.squidoo.com/strawberries-and-wimbledon that will explain the strawberry connection in further detail.










Here are two more of those lovely fine china baskets! I can't wait for you to see them.

Hammersley Strawberry Ripe (different from other pattern)

Hammersley's Simple Elegant Creamy Whitw with Gold Trim

 

 

 

I love serving you, Theresa

 

Reflection Friday ~ Unfading Beauty

 

Have a lovely weekend! Take a little time to pause and reflect, it's free.......

 

Having a lovely time, wish you were here, Theresa

Button Button I Have The Buttons

I have an age old love for buttons. This love affair has been a constant in my life for decades.

My husband is aware of this affair. I am sure he is okay with it, unless and until it reaches hoarder status.

So I've come up with a good plan. I am selling button jars on Cottage Violets. I am calling them "Not Your NaNa's Button Jar"!

I found some lovely single serving glass milk jugs. I gathered up some crisp white tulle rounds, Velcro strips, grosgrain ribbon, and bakers twine. I made some cute little tags, added a button and voila' : "Not Your NaNa's Button Jar". For the buttons, I chose the Button Galore buttons. I measured out 4 ounces each, which is approximately 175 buttons.
At last I can have my buttons and sell them too! They sure look cute sitting around the craft room. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Can you resist buttons? If so let me know how!

Here they are sitting in their sweet little crate waiting for a new home.

I will leave you with heart full of buttons Cynthia Houot, the Rose Queen , Miss Angelheart from Angel Heart Designs custom made for me. They are ceramic, and I use them on special projects when I am not just sitting and staring at their beauty.

 

 

Button up your overcoat
When the wind is free
Oh, take good care of yourself
You belong to me
Boop-boop-a-doop

 

(Brown, DeSylva, Henderson)

Having lovely time, wish you were here, Theresa

I ♥♥♥♥ My Cottage Violets

I really do love my Cottage Violet's. I hope you love my shop too. Cottage Violet's has received a little makeover  huge makeover. Catherine at Avalon Rose did an awesome job and has a wealth of knowledge to impart.
I love Cottage Violet's so much I am adding handcrafted crocheted heart coasters to the website.
 Click on the picture to see them at Cottage Violets . After you check out the coasters, click the home button at the top of the page and watch the slideshow on the home page.
I hope you like Cottage Violet's new look. I am adding new products daily and I will be having a grand re-opening as soon as I get the shop adequately stocked. Plus, we'll have a sale and other surprises.
Here's a picture of the lavender heart coasters, too. I'm adding lots and lots of handmade items.

 



I couldn't resist using this picture of an Aynsley Wild Violets cachepot with handmade dishcloths setting next to it, all available at Cottage Violets. Oooooh, good times are ahead aren't they!

 

"We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory" Bern Williams

Have a Blessed Day filled with thoughts of Violets, Theresa





"Dear Old Dad" Revisited

I wanted to revisit a blog post I wrote about my father. I wrote this in 2009 and it still rings true today. Sadly, I lost my father in 2013 after some harrowing times. 

 

Happy Father's Day in heaven Dad where I'm sure you are celebrating with our Heavenly Father!

 

 

Sometimes words escape me, even me! What word do I use to describe my dad? I suppose I will use the first one that comes to my mind: GENEROUS. He was the fix-it man who everyone always came to when they needed help. He worked for P.G.&E. (gas and electric company) for 42 years, and no surprise here, he was the shop steward........ We always took in the cousins who had gone astray in the big city (we lived in a small town of 7,000). The big city was Bakersfield, California, lol.
 Dad loves fishing, and never missed an opening day of the season until recently. He taught us to fish in the streams that run the Sierra Nevadas. I remember walking along the beautiful banks of those creeks. Dad would whisper,"Now don't let the fish see your shadow." He showed us how to fill our creels with moist grass, how to angle in little pools made by the beaver dams, and how to keep quiet, and enjoy our surroundings.
He would take us on walks and make up fabulous stories about the Smith family, the only remaining family of the Donner Party. He would pause by a rock and say, "This is where the Smiths buried the baby during that cold, cold winter. He'd have us in laughter and tears during those nature walks, filling us with imaginary tales of poverty, love, and survival during pioneer times.
 He let us each bring a friend for our two week vacation, and sometimes the cousins would come up to spend some time with us.
 Dad would always build an outhouse with the help of the boys. He would find three pines in close proximity, dig a deep hole, position the throne, and put up a rope and canvas covering with a flap opening. We always had the best camp on the mountain, we thought.
He was a true environmentalist. He taught us to leave nature as we had found it.
 This was before the days of modern convenience, unless you were rich. But we were rich, if not monetarily. He was barbecue king, and carpenter extraordinaire. When mom and dad bought their first house I was seven and my big brother was nine. Mom was pregnant with our soon to be little brother. Dad made my older brother and I headboards with our names on them. To make planter boxes for the front of the house, Dad would go out and pick up the cement that the cement trucks dropped when they stopped on the side of the road with their funnel trucks. He would mix up the cement, and fashioned lovely planters with native rock.
 See how long this post is, and I haven't even touched the surface of my father. Father, if you read this please know, "I love you".
 Of course, papa isn't perfect, and we had our differences. But, I wouldn't trade my dad for any other dad in the whole wide world. So sure was I of his power, that at six years old I told a friend whom I was arguing with that my dad would turn off her electricity and gas if she didn't be nice. I think I got in trouble over that one, lol.
Please let me know how your dad's shaped your world.
By the way, my father will be 79 years old this year. He works at the church we attend, and waters the grounds most everyday. He still fishes, and carpenters. He is still a handy man and loving father. My hat is off to you pops. I hope I can retain the same spirit you have when I reach that age....

A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1

Happy Father's Day to Father's Everywhere,
Theresa