"All The Old Familiar Places"

The old Frank Sinatra standard goes like this,

"I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places,

That this heart of mine embraces,

All day through",

In that small cafe, the park across the way,

The children's carousel, the chestnut tree,

The wishing well."

Lyrics by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal

I was thinking about all the "old familiar places" we visit in this remarkable kingdom called the internet. I was led kicking and screaming to Facebook, and now I seldom miss a day of catching up with old new friends. I visit several on-line stores, and keep up with several amazing blogs. I am always in awe of the talent, and creativity I find in the souls of my friends. I find pure delight in the way they express their art through so many varied mediums.

I had been missing one particular artist for a long while. I only know her as "The Muse", but she has the gift of bringing out the "child's play" in all who venture into her domain. She has word games and amusing challenges on one blog, and varied works of prose on another. She lives in the shadow of her name, and for reasons known only to herself prefers a certain measure of anonymity. Well, Miss Muse (as I prefer to call her) is back! Hurrah! I am having a lovely time feeding bits of silly rhyme (in my preferred style: the quatrain) to her comments section. I hope you will take the time to visit her blog: A Diva's Hammer, Wielded by the Muse. Remember to bring along your inner child, all ready for an interesting excursion into the mind of the Muse.

I must add a warning: Child's play is addictive, and can lead to copious amounts of creativity and freedom from care. So, enter at your own risk!

Happy Late New Year and May It Be Everything You Want A Grand Year To Be!!!

And please stop by Cottage Violets and have a look around!

Blessings, Theresa

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

A Tomato By Any Other Name Would Look As Sweet

Summer is well-spent, and autumn is well on its way. Cottage Violet's has some special news for you! We have a whole new batch of ripe tomatoes for sale! It matters not that they are pink, plush, shabby, chic and cottage suitable. Tomatoes they are, and tomatoes they will remain, lol. These tomatoes were lovingly tended and brought to fruition by Andie Bee of Brown Bee Designs. They are made of lovely, tea dyed fabric, hand-sewn, and buttons and french wired leaves attached for a lovely beefsteak tomato look. They are large and luscious. They will fit into any Pink Posh Shabby Chic Cottage decor. In fact, my favorite idea for these tomatoes is a large crystal bowl on the sideboard, filled with tomatoes, and a display of collectible salt shakers with ribbon and button collars. So don't let the weather get you down, treat yourself to a Pretty Pink Pincushion to remind you of warmer days. I know they will warm your heart, as they did mine. So stop by Cottage Violets , and check them out. Plus, there are more to come in the days following.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, And Pink girls know Beauty!

I look at this beautiful handwork and it reminds me of a Bible verse that I have adopted as my own. Here's to all the Maker Gal's I have the pleasure of knowing or will meet in the future:

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

I Thessalonians 4: 11, 12

Blessings, Theresa

Leaves Do Not Fall With Regard To Time

I am taking my cue from Autumn this year. Autumn let's the winds swirl at their leisure. She doesn't hasten the changing of the colors of the leaves. Autumn never pulls the leaves from the trees in uniform formation. The leaves swirl with the wind, and detach themselves from the trees in a rhythm known only to themselves. The winds may blow up a storm, but Autumn sits patiently. She has her allotted time to perform the task at hand. So she sits, and watches the changing of the colors, the beauty of the moment, and doesn't interfere much. Autumn is free to enjoy the labor of the harvesters. Autumn provides beautiful settings and lovely full moons. She silently judges the costumes, as trick or treaters make their way from house to house walking briskly in the chill of early evening. She casts a long shadow for a short time. Autumn is thankful and has a holiday to prove that she is. Even when thunder rolls and lightning strikes the darkened skies, Autumn smiles and settles in for the show. She knows this storm too will pass, and the air will be clean, and the earth will send a fragrance only Autumn can provide. I hope you will take a moment to enjoy the earth the way our Autumn does.

Here are some cup and saucer sets from (my favorite English china company) Hammersley. So dainty in person, light and lovely. Such a beautiful ring when tapped lightly! They are in Miss Violet's Tea Cupboard on Cottage Violet's if you're interested.

I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places,

Theresa @ Cottage Violets

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.... Psalm 24:1

Why English Fine Bone China???

I love English china. So, I went back through the archives to find this post and put it out there again. First posted in February of 2008, it still is timely today. I love English china!!!!! Enjoy!!!

Why English Fine Bone China, you might ask. There is nothing as lovely as English china. With outsourcing the way it is, English china has become the new collectible of the 21st century. The patterns are works of art. The beautiful ring when tapped lightly with the finger. The exquisite colors. The light and ethereal quality of the china. Lately our cozy cottages are all about staging. Some are minimalists, some are plain old pack rats, lol. A beautiful tray on the coffee table with that beautiful piece of Hammersley fine bone china, a doily, a tussie mussie, or small basket of flowers. It is all about elegance. It is all about a gentler life. The patterns lend themselves to still life. Once you become accustomed to the touch and feel of fine bone china you won't be satisfied with any old substitute. Yes, you may use your fine bone china, but due to the collectibility of the china I would suggest enjoying it as art, as arrangement, as still life. And don't forget to have fun with your English China. Set the stage in your home for the genteel life, the cozy life, the life that English china speaks to. From candle snuffers to tennis sets, to strawberry baskets, to syrup pitchers, to sugar sifters, let English china sweep into your life with all the grace and beauty of another era. You will be glad you did.

To err is human, to have fine English china: divine, lol. Sorry it was so long between blog posts, life kind of got in my way for a moment.

Kind Regards, Theresa @ Cottage Violets

Be It Ever So Humble

Do you remember this song?

"To thee I'll return, overburdened with care;

The heart's dearest solace will smile on me there;

No more from that cottage again will I roam;

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!

There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home"

John Howard Payne (1791-1852)

We of the Cottage I-business variety try to make our sites a place of refuge, of solace. I know that I would like to think of my little Cottage Violets as more than a hard cold cash kind of affair. We have a need to nurture, to spend ourselves so to speak. I like to add little extras to packages in the hopes of making someone's day. I often pray and ask God, "What can I do to brighten this person's day. This person who took the time to visit my site, and purchase from me." We try to give our customers some eye candy, a veritable feast for the eyes. If they can glean some ideas for decorating, laugh at my silly item comments, or just leave satisfied, I have done my job. Maybe that doesn't make me much of a business woman, (I have never been accused of being much of a business woman, lol) but I can't seem to help the way I am wired. I see potential in almost every site I visit. I get excited for my blog sister's and fellow shopkeepers talents. It is like being in a giant museum of the arts. We fit together. I am cozy, you are elegant. I love English china, you have a French sensibility.

I am an e-commerce youngster, and I still skip from shop to shop, pressing my nose against the windows. I am always amazed as I surf from blog to blog at the spirit of my sister bloggers. Some make treasures from trash, some elevate treasure to a place among the crown jewels. You never know what is on the next page. Blogging is like a big mystery novel with twists and turns on every page. The mystery starts to build as you fit the pieces together, and then voila, you have an intricate collage where everyone has motive and opportunity, everyone is a piece of the puzzle. Perhaps, blogs are more like the movie serials at the Saturday matinees. You always leave wanting more and knowing next week there will be a new episode.

I salute you Sister I-Store owners and Sister Bloggers. Be it ever so humble there's no place like home. You are my home, and Cottage Violets, your home.

Oh, and lest I forget:

"Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it." Psalm 127:1

Warmest Regards, Theresa @ Cottage Violets (of course)

Living in the Land of Gracious Dreams

I was thinking about "Gracious Living" today. I looked up the word gracious, and was happily surprised by the definition. The first definition of gracious was "godly". Now I will admit it said obsolete in italics, but if we endeavor to give it back that meaning, I am sure we can. In fact, I would venture to say we must. I mean it was the number one definition after all! Godly was followed by pleasing, acceptable, marked by kindness and courtesy, graceful, urbane, merciful and compassionate. The word gracious keeps fine company. Then I asked my online Webster for the definition of "dreams". I really liked definition number four: a strongly desired goal or purpose. So I put them together, and thanked God my ancestors endured such hardship so I could, "Live in the Land of Gracious Dreams." I have heard many of your stories, and I know that you, too, are happy for the "Land of Gracious Dreams". Following you will find some china that survived harrowing journey's to come to rest in the "Land of Gracious Dreams". Please enjoy!!! I would love to hear why you love "The Land of Gracious Dreams". Memorial day is coming upon us quickly. A time to remember those who went before. A time to be thankful....

Greater love hath no man than this...........................

If you are happy and you know it clap your hands!!!!!

Blessings, Theresa

Do Not Rob the Little Violet

The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily

do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm,

If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose,

Spring would lose its loveliness.

Therese of Lisieux

I have a certain fondness for violets. Violet's mean faithful in the language of flowers. A cottage epitomizes a certain cozy, warm, way of living or life. At Cottage Violet's we try to live up to our name and evoke feelings of warmth and comfort when you walk through our webby doors. We faithfully bring you lovely china, tchotchkes, and crafts that would fit into any cozy cottage. Here is a little assortment of violet quotes and violet pieces to show you what we mean. I have chosen to showcase Hammersley Victorian Violets china today.

***Please, have a hankie at the ready. We wouldn't want someone to catch you with drool on your screen.

Stars will blossom in the darkness, Violets bloom beneath the snow.

Julia C. Dorr (from "For A Silver Wedding)

Winds wanders, and dews drip earthward; Rains fall, suns rise and set;

Earth whirls, and all but to prosper A poor little violet.
James Russell Lowell (from "The Changeling")

The violets prattle and titter, And gaze on the stars high above.

Heinrich Heine (from "Book of Songs")



Cold blows the wind against the hill, And cold upon the plain;

I sit me by the bank, until The violets come again.
Richard Garnett (from "Violets")

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And last, but not least, we can thank our dearly beloved Mark Twain for this closing quote:

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"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."

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If someone has wronged you, please, forgive them today and let the fragrance of your love and forgiveness be shed abroad. It will come back to you in ways you never even imagined. Our Holy Saviour said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." If He can forgive the cruelty he suffered, I can forgive the petty little complaints I have nurtured and grown.

Have a beautiful blessed day,

Theresa @ Cottage Violet's