Forget~Me~Nots

There is a darling shop in Carmel, California called Forget-Me-Nots. As you walk into Jordan Plaza, you will be greeted with gorgeous potted boxwood topiaries, lavender and these fabulous blue Mop Top Hydrangeas. You can click on any photo to enlarge it.
Come on in ~ the door is open!
Forget-Me-Nots has one of a kind furniture and accessories for the home and garden.
Love this white iron bench, chair and table.
When in Carmel, one must have a chandelier made out of shells!

Handmade linen bolsters, antique wicker and equestrian pictures make for a cozy room.
The shop has an assortment of pillows and sachets that are handmade by a local artist. On the shelf to the left are pretty red English transferware dishes.
Now wouldn't you just love this set? Check out the little pillow on the left with the cherries and little bird Redwork! It almost came home with me....
Lovely and warm antique furniture - love that sideboard and the beautiful blue transferware! Check out that checked chair in the corner!!
Now this is just too pretty to curl up on, but I am in love with the toile fabrics. I can think of many of you blogging friends (Penny and Manuela) who would have loved this as much as me!
A view from the second story.
The little dog is peeking through the lavender! A local artist paints these sweet pictures of dogs - too cute!
Great Toleware chandy!

Beautiful French linens - some monogrammed - make up this inviting bed! Upstairs you will find a vast assortment of the most beautiful antique European linens - anything from Redwork, Battenburg to monogrammed towels, pillowcases and sheets.

Thanks for shopping with me, now let me introduce you to the owner of this amazing shop...
Shirley Jensen. Shirley has had several shops in Carmel over the past 25 years. Forget-Me-Nots was previously on Delores Street for 8 years and then moved to the current location 8 years ago. I asked Shirley to describe her shop and she said, "We have antiques for the home and garden and Classic European and English interior decor with a casual flair."

Forget-Me-Nots is located on
6th and Mission Streets (tucked back into Jordan Plaza)
P.O. Box 7318
Carmel, CA. 93921

Now what beats shopping?

A rest at the beach!

Ta-ta for now!

Note: For those of you who asked, I have decided to keep the antique print for now, however I may decide to part with it. This past week I have been swamped with orders for pennants and have not been able to visit my blog friends like I should be doing. Just know that I wish all of you a wonderful week and think of all of you each day! ((hugs))

Great Scots Almighty!

Well by now, I suppose you have figured out that I have a soft spot in my heart for my beloved Scotty, Mr. Doogiedog, as well as Scotty Dog collectibles. I recently took down all of my cottage pictures and added some of my vintage Scotty Dog pictures to a wall in our family room (next...a new paint color --- oh honey!!). Now Lisa will notice that bottom right "Listen" picture that she gave to me. It is by the artist Morgan Dennis. Thank you again, Lisa, I just adore this picture! I found the perfect frame for it, too!
There are several artists who did wonderful illustrations of not only Scotties, but other dogs as well. Morgan Dennis (he also did the Black and White Scotch Whiskey illustrations), Marguerite Kirmse, Grace Drayton and Lucy Dawson..just to name a few. You can find these prints on eBay or in antique stores. If lucky enough, you will find one at a flea market. My friend Wave came across an etching at a flea market that was by Marguerite Kirmse. It was only 35.00 - and is valued at over 800.00! Needless to say, her heart nearly lept out of her chest when she found that precious jewel!!
In the meantime, happy trails to you and may they be fun, safe and enjoyable. Till next time...ta ta!

Addendum....check out this quilt giveaway here....so cute!!

Ahh...What To Do!?

Have you ever bought something and then had a hard time deciding if you should sell it or not? This is my dilemma. Here is a Victorian Religious Motto that is so sweet and I grabbed it yesterday at an Estate Sale. It wasn't inexpensive and by no stretch of the phrase "a good buy." I love the old frame, the verse and most of all the bird and red berries.
So I ask you, should I keep it or sell it? Is that your final answer?

Stylin' - Vintage Style

The other day my sweet friend, Wave, came over to take pictures of some of my Syroco pieces that I have. The top right piece with the two dogs and the middle wheaten scotty are other friend's pieces. Wave writes articles for Great Scots magazine and she is doing a piece on vintage Syroco scotty dog pieces. Wave, being the oh-so-generous soul that she is, gave me the pipe holder and pipe (no, I don't use it - yackgh!) and the piece that says "Let In The Cat." I love them!

Wave has a real flair for putting displays together and you should see her amazing home! She should be celebrated in a magazine - it is that amazing! OMG amazing!! I could literally spend an entire day just walking through and looking at her home and garden. The outside of her home is an English Tudor and as you enter, it feels as though you are entering an English Cottage. I won't say to much more other than her collections of scotty things is vast and just wonderful. You can see some of collections in my Garden Club luncheon post.

Wave has asked me if I would write an article on vintage kitsch scotty things and so she put these two grouping of my things together. The large black scotty is a carnival piece of Wave's and is actually old chalkware. I have a few of the chalkware heads and she used one of them at the top of the picture and then hung a plaid ribbon from it.
Above, the large scotty is an old boot scraper. The old metal firetruck has a scotty riding in the back. The brush and holder is from eBay. You can find all kinds of Syroco pieces on eBay, too.
This is Maude and Dughall. They were having fun as we tinkered around.
Now if you ever feel like this....you need a shopping break!

Have a great weekend, do something fun and be safe!

If y'all are staying at home and cleaning house, I am adding so boogey woogey music to get ya going and so ya can get your "groove on!"

Friends, Fleas and Junk Yard Dogs!

This past Sunday was the Flea Market in our state capital, Sacramento. Prior to this day, Miss Michelle (I'm A Little Tea Pot blog) had purchased some vintage crochet potholders from me. We got to chatting via emails and come to find out, she and the wonderful Miss Linda (Somewhere In Time blog) were planning a trip to SAC Flea, too! What a wonderful day it was and meeting Michelle and Linda was just so much fun!!! They are both very sweet and fun ladies (yes you are!!) and Michelle and I were cell phoning (is that a word) each other during the morning about great finds. Mostly they had their eyes out for Scotty do-dads.

My sweet friend, Wave (who has the most wonderful collections and home) joined my husband and I on our quest for good finds. She brought her darling Scotty Dog Maude along and she and Duhgall hung out and shopped with us.

L to R: Wave (Maude is at the end of the leash), Me (I'm the giant), Michelle and Linda.

The flea is a good one, however I found that a lot of the prices were pretty close to retail prices.

The junk yard dogs....Duhgall (left) and Maude (rt). They are actually half brother and sister...same Dad, just different Mother. They got a lot of attention that day from other shoppers and were well behaved.

"Hey Duhgall," whispers Maude, "that poodle looks pretty stoned there...it just has a blank look on its face and isn't moving......Duhgall....Duhgall!....look! I am talking to you!!"

"Hey! Dude! Aren't you hearin' me, Duhgall?" says a frustrated Maude. "Maude," Duhgall professes, "I heard you, but my dogs are barking and I just want to lay down!"

Lil' Tulips and Meet Patricia!

Something sweet about Tulips ~ a reminder that springtime is here. As a kid I had a rabbit by the name of Tulip, too. Loved her tulip shaped ears! I bought this old soap holder from T-Party and just love it!
Teeny tiny vintage metal children's dishes with all things sweet ~ little birds, tulips and windmills.
Vintage graphics are by far the most adorable. This is a wonderful piece with a fun and very Mary Engelbreit looking pattern on it.
Now did you see that really cute red and white pot holder underneath the metal dishes? My sweet friend, Patricia, mailed that to me last week. She knows I love red and white in my kitchen and just blessed me with sweet goodness! I first met Patricia several years back - well sort of met her - you see she sells the prettiest linens on eBay under the name of From The Treasure Box. Some of you may already know her, however if you don't then you will want to mosey over and give a howdy-do to her on her NEW blog - Vintage Linen Treasures. She and her husband moved back to Texas recently from Southern California. Patricia is a sweet woman who takes loving care of her wonderful family and has superb items for sale on eBay. ~~ Happy new week to all of you sweet friends! Later I will share with you who I met this weekend! Naw, not the incredibly handsome Tom Selleck (ohhowIwish) but two very wonderful blog friends!!

ta ta for now!

Little Mayberry

Where's Dughall?

"Momma," says Doogs, how come San Francisco has so many people? Can we go someplace that is less crowded, flat and quaint?" "Why yes, little wee one, but it is a little drive up a very twisty Highway 1....but sit tight and we will be there soon."

"We have to drive past beautiful sandy beaches and see the birds flying in the sky first." "But momma," exclaims Doogs, "I just want to chase those birds first!"
"But being as I cannot get out to run on the beach, at least you will take me to your favorite little town." ------ "Ok, little wee one....we are here....little Mayberry....also known as Pescadero, California."
I want to share with you my favorite little town that I would love to live in someday. Not a fancy town, just a little town with homes dating back to the 19th Century. Quaint and sweet and with a flag pole in the middle of the main street - the only street with any shopping on it, too.

Pescadero is between Half Moon Bay (Miss Esther's old stomping grounds) and Santa Cruz - right off of gorgeous Highway 1. Just inland a few miles from a pretty beach sits this small farming community of about 2000 which is nestled in a little valley with small rolling hills on each side. There is one grocery store, some great little shops featuring works of local artists, a tavern, a church, a cemetary on a hill and an adorable little antique store. The day we were there I met a lovely lady (and I cannot find the slip of paper I wrote her name on - darn it!) but this charming woman was featured in last November's Country Home Magazine. She and her husband, and lets not forget her Wheaten Terrier, live in the most adorable house in town. She shared with me what a wonderful experience and honor it was to have been in CH, however she said that the outside of her home had not been printed in the article. So, unbeknownst to her, after we left the shop and with little treasures in tow, we drove up the street and took pictures of her precious home. Of course, I would LOVE to live there!!!!! The air is fresh and the garden is full of beautiful flowers and plants - and let's not forget the white picket fence!

Check out her Wheaten dog XING sign! Of course, ours would have to be a Scotty dog XING sign. However, I'd hang both!
Sweet manicured boxwood hedges, lavender and a gravel driveway....
...pristine white gazebos, archetectural pieces in the garden and a lush manicured lawn.

A wide angle view of this amazing home. It has a country farmhouse feel to it with the large porch, garden room and black shutters. Of course, the red door just evokes an Americana feel. Can you just see 4th of July buntings along the porch? I can....and I can see myself sitting in my rocking chair, watching our grandchildren play with lots of Scotty Dogs in the yard whilst sipping on sweet tea. At least that would be an ideal dream! If only this house would ever come up for sale, however a lovely lady lives there now and she loves, loves, loves her sweet home - and I can see why!! If you have the November 2007 Country Home magazine, the article of her home will be in there. Now if only I can find what I did with my issue!

Happy Weekend dear friends!

Note: 4-18-08 - I am amazed over the fact that the owner of this home has a daughter who left a comment this evening. Please read the comment at 7 PM. This is Ann's home!! Thank you so very much for leaving a comment! I am thrilled and am still searching for my issue of CH magazine! Tell your mother hello!!!

Momma Always Said, "Don't Play With Matches!"

Ok, after reading Miss Esther's mishap and fire blunder, I decided to come forward and come clean with my idiotic - and I mean IDIOTIC - incident that happened to me last week.

I had showered, put my robe on, came downstairs for round two on my morning java and decided to light a candle. So here I am, standing in front of the stove and on my tile floor, wet hair wrapped in a towel, and butt naked under my robe. (eeeee-gads!) My son had just left for school and I was home alone, well Doogs and Kitty were here. I picked up my candle, struck a match and lit the wick. Ahh....nothing is better than a fresh smelling candle to make the house smell wonderful. The cheap-O matches sometimes spark a bit and, of course, it sparked good that time around. So I reached over and sat the candle-in-the-jar on top of my stove. Then I smelled something burning - and it did not smell like my "Fresh Rain" candle. I quickly surveyed the room...nothing. Then I looked down at my robe - now keep in mind that I did not have my glasses on and what I was looking at was vvvvvveeeeeeerrrrrryyyyy blurrrrrrry - but there were flames. Bright orange, like the photo above. OMGAWD!!!!!! All I could say was, "oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God!!!!!!!!!" My former fire training kicked in and I shed the robe into a pile and threw a bowl of dirty sink water on the robe. OMG OMG OMG!!!! Spffffffffff..........smolder.......oh, ouch.....I feel a sunburn! Thank God I reacted quick - and without my second cup of coffee, too! And I also thank God I hadn't opened my blinds in my bay window that is in our kitchen. It is like a fish bowl having them opened. Now wouldn't that have been a site - me running around in my birthday suit and acting like a crazy woman! I am thankful that I only got a very small burn on my stomach. Good ol' adrenaline - makes us kick in our fight or flight mode - and the OH Shit factor!

Note to self: Buy the propane lighters at the grocery store and ditch the matches. And if my fireman son is reading this, your momma did good!

Colorful English Buntings - aka: Flag Pennants

Ready for some spring color? Besides planting our favorite annuals, you can also add some color with these English style buntings - or pennants as we Americans call them.

The above one is made out of remnants of vintage tablecloth fabric. Sweet cherries, raspberries, red roses, geraniums and fruits are just perfect for summer. The back is red and white polka dot fabric.

Lots of colorful vintage inspired and a Mary Engelbreit fabric on this one. On the back are yellow, blue, red and green polka dot fabrics...just flip it around for an all together different look.
Cheerful colors.
Now for the pink and shabby chic gals, here is a pink one with lots of scattered pink roses ~ very feminine. This one has sold, however I will be making more similar to it.
Not only are these great in a garden, at a tag sale, or for that special celebration, but you can display these inside over a mantel, on a wall or over a window. (note: just don't hang them over an infant or small child's bed or over an open flame.) Lots of fun and just cottage-E sweet!

For sale now in my ETSY shop.