"Opening" statement

Something rather curious happens in the cottage on a regular basis. It doesn't bother me. It's not a bad thing. It just gives me cause for wonder. It doesn't just happen on my watch. It happens when Linda's here. And apparently it happens a whole lot when Amy is here. As a matter of fact she's the one who initially brought it to my attention. I'm so easygoing I probably wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't had my awareness raised about it. You're wondering now what it is, aren't you?

Well, I'll tell you. Some of our customers open the refrigerator door when they're in the shop. Some even open it more than once during a visit. As if the contents inside may have changed. Maybe they think there is something wonderful for sale inside it? Maybe they think we live here in this sweet little shop and are trying to confirm this? Maybe they're hungry and just feel at home? Maybe they're just "openers".

You know what I mean by "openers"? The folks who look in your medicine chest when they use your powder room. They're not bad people;they're just curious. Heck, I've done it before. Sometimes it just automatically happens. Your hand just goes there before your head has a chance to process it. Right? You "openers" know what I'm talking about. I'm not a full time "opener". But I can stake claim on opening a few doors in my day. How 'bout you?

Sometimes my "opening behavior" has evoked guilt. Like snooping might feel. But I really do think "opening" is much less calculated, almost absent minded, like an automatic human response, similar to sneezing. What do you think?

Anyway, hope your weekend is as beautiful as the weather we've been blessed with today!
-Ann

It's all good.

As I sit writing this post on this beautiful Monday I am filled with all the good feelings a day like this one brings to mind. And as I consider my blessings in this often complicated and challenging world we live in, I know how fortunate I am. I hope you will spend a moment today to take time to just stop whatever it is you have to do and take in the beauty that is all around you and think about all the things in your life that you have to be thankful for. Life is so good, my friends.
Hope your week goes well.
Ann

Fortify yourself

See these and other delights newly listed on our on line store.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful weekend full of what you need to help you regenerate and prepare yourself for next week.

It seems this is the time of year where everything happens at once. So, eat your vitamins and drink your orange juice. You're gonna need it.

Thanks for visiting!
Here comes my UPS man.
Take care,
Ann

A little eye candy just for you

Verrry interesting

For those of you who, like me, are bird enthusiasts, I'm happy to report that our little friend just made his way out the back door of the shop and into the familiar bliss of the outside world. For days he's been patiently flying back and forth from one sunlit window to the next gently trying to find his way back to his sweet world outside. I resorted to calmly talking to him and trying to gently flush him out, then doing my rendition of "bird talk", turning the lights out so the sunny glow outside the door would be more obvious, trying to throw a bluebird sampler over him (irony), prayer and then finally threatening to get the broom. The latter is what did it, prayer, that is, not the broom threat. I should have done that first.

You should've seen the looks on customer's faces as they'd come in to the shop. Not noticing their arrival, I'd be inside a ficus tree making soft requests to my little friend (who no one else could see) to "come on out little buddy, it's okay. I won't hurt you.")(Think of Artie Johnson from "Laugh In").

Imagine my embarrassment when they looked at me kind of oddly after I explained I was trying to flush out a bird. They'd quickly rush out of the shop looking behind them every few steps. (No. The crazy lady is not following you.) "Really, there's a bird in here! Honest.

While I was out in the back yard saying farewell to my friend and watching him take pleasure in his newfound freedom from the cottage I took a few pics. He's actually on the iron bed. See him?

A bird not in the hand . . .

A little bird visited the cottage today. The poor little sweet thing was so confused by all the shiny baubles and what nots in the shop he had a really hard time finding his way to the door. As of this writing I am taking a break from flushing him out. I'm sorry to say I'm not the bird whisperer I thought myself to be. While poking around the shop I snapped a few pics to share with you. . .

How's it going?

Just checking in with our readers to see how your week has been . . . If you've had a rough one, we've got just the thing for you. Check out the big girl panties on our shop. Put those on and you're ready to tackle even the most arduous task. Today the laundry, tomorrow . . . the world.

Have a great weekend!
-Ann

What's in store for you?

We'll post more photos soon!
Happy Monday,
Linda and Ann

store update...

We just added lots of new things to the site...

Click here to visit the online shop and see the new selections.

Last call

We're getting ready to post new items on our on line shop. If you're interested in any of the vintage items currently posted on our site, please order them now! Thanks to all of you who have visited and shopped with us.

I haven't forgotten my promise to post photos from the cottage. Stay tuned. It's in the works. . .

Hope your week is going well and you're settling in to the back to school routine. Stop by and say hello if you're in town.

-Ann and Linda

Online Store...live!

Our new online store is open for business! We're so excited to share a little bit of our brick and mortar shop with all of you.

If you have any questions, give us a call at 703.443.0058.

Happy shopping!

p.s. If you still see the announcement page instead of the new site when you visit http://www.cottageatleesburg.com , hit ctrl+refresh!