Susan Wallace Barnes

Available May 2011 @ Anchor Cottage

Decorating On A Budget

Found this tattered flag of the Seal of Florida at Florida Victorian Architectural Antiques. Found the frame at St Vincent's thrift shop. Put both together and made affordable wall art for Blue Bell Cottage.

FVAA also had this 1972 insurance company map of the Abbott Trac. It depicts 21 Mulberry in the time of Chief Oceola. Frame, St Vincent's. Put both together they make a handsome pair on the dinning room wall.

Need a third piece.

Mariska Meijers

I can't get over how much I love the colors of Mariska Meijers from Amsterdam. These platters are hand made in Scandinavia out of Birch wood. They will be available spring 2011 @ Anchor Cottage.

Renningers Antiques Extravaganza

I have to laugh!! Steve and I were so over whelmed by approx 1000 dealers on 117 acres that we forgot to take photos! But I did buy some beautiful blue pottery.

Working Like Dogs...

Steve has been down on all fours laying black & white tiles in the kitchen @ Blue Bell Cottage. 

I have been down on all fours paving the back yard @ Blue Bell Cottage.

We have physically work so hard this week that we decided to take a day off and treat ourselves down at the Renningers Antiques Extravaganza in Mt. Dora Florida.


  

I Love Emma Bridgewater



Who wants which pieces? Let me know so I can include them in my order!



Mix these flower mugs with the red star pattern:)

Weddings are romantic.

 April 1st Anchor Cottage will reopen for the season and can not wait to open her packages.

Cometh The Prince of Salvage

Master Mark Shuttleworth, proprietor of Florida Victorian Architectural Antiques, is the prince of salvage.

As you step into his studio don't bang your shin on the claw foot tub while your mouth hangs open looking at all the inventory!

Architecural salvage comes in many forms; from fireplace mantles and stair balusters to what was left in the building that no one else wanted.

In Mark's studio part of his shop, he displays all the bits and pieces of his finds. In the bowels of his building are miles of Heart Pine flooring, countless doors, humongous columns and what ever strikes his fancy.

Wood interior & exterior doors from the turn of the last century.

This lighting fixture is as tall as I am.

Mark brought in Laurie Miller to restore the terracotta  & horsehair column caps off a 19 ft column.

A door within a door within a gate.

Gale is the elusive elf that brings you your total spent!! You can find more about Florida Victorian Architectural Antiques @ http://www.floridavictorian.com/.

Side Adventure Leads to New Adventure

On my way to visit my brother in NE Jacksonville I pass this building glimpsed through viaducts of highways that criss-cross each other.

What caught my eye was the wink of Neo-Classic pedimented porticos supported by colossal Doric columns squeezed between I-95 and I-10 freeways.

The highways are literally 200ft from the second story windows.

She is Public School # 4, also known as Annie Lytle Public School. She was started in 1891 and was rebuilt in red brick in 1917. Abandoned and condemned in 1971 the school has been vandalized for years.

Side Adventure

On my way to find Public School #4, hidden beneath I-95 and I-10 in Jacksonville FL, I stumbled across this interesting building.

On closer inspection it seemed to be refurbished out of unique salvaged finds.

So with no further hesitation we pulled around back and low and behold more salvaged stuff!

As we walked toward the door, Dorothy greeted us and took us through her building. She said that her husband is a licensed salvager and used bits and pieces to create this building.

Through this door is so much more! Broken marble used on the floors, copper flashing hand hammered doors! Bits and pieces of time gone past attached and placed on every vacant wall and ceiling space exposed. All this on the way to Public School #4. Instead of a building ready for death by salvage it was a house emblished by a "licensed salvager".

Global Activity

I recently purchased trays and stationary for retail at Anchor Cottage. I love her colorful work.
http://iusedtobesnowwhitebutidrifted.blogspot.com/

Little Dogs, Big Cat

Watch out, Little doggies! Mosaic Works,http://artandyoga.blogspot.com/
is a new blog spot that I follow.  Can't wait to see what these two create. Love their spirit.

Dat'l-Do-It

I made my way down to DeLand to visit Florida Victorian Architectural Antiques and look what I bought! 8ft 9", hand wrought, anchor fence. Coming home on top of the Suburban.

Annechovie: TANK YOU

Thank you Annechovie, I love all of your work and can't wait to order the needlepoint for this season at Anchor Cottage. You rock!

Annechovie: TANK YOU: "Love Where You Live Anchor Cottage Professor's Wife Wishing True Brooch the Subject My Cup of Te Renee Finberg Tells All Belc..."

Almost Half Way There

Coming around the corner of the dining room with the trim work. Nice job on the trim.

Now we need to get around the corner of the back yard. Hey, there's our kitchen sink! Why have an eighty pound wheelbarrow for such a small yard? I can only wheel 12 bricks at a time, it's so heavy!!

Lovely Finds For Anchor Cottage

Jane Churchill Limited Romany Rose printed in England 2003. There are several places that I can find large fabric swatches from the english fabric houses to bring into the shop.

This press glass vase is one of a pair, perfect for floral arrangments.

Love this english rose bowl and this english fabric swatch together. It's going to be hard to bring this little beauty into the shop! 

Making Progress @ Blue Bell Cottage

I've hung my hat & Steve's hats & the dog leashes by the back door. My seashells are in the mudding pan, we'll see how long that lasts!

Albert brought 2 different kinds of grapefruits from his yard.

Bought an old school chalkboard for the kitchen wall. The floor will be black and white 12" tiles and the counter top, Steve made, is on the front of House Beautiful Dec/Jan issue! He made modifications and used maple from Hoot's Holler for the counter top. To be installed soon.

Ms Treeline Gallery Says....

Here in Northern Michigan, surrounded by the Great Lakes, the landscape is moist in the spring. Making the contrast of the colors come alive with every drop of garden dew.

The artist, Kathleen Kalinowski, has truly captured spring in the Leelanau Peninsula. You can see more of her work @ http://www.anartistsmark.blogspot.com/ or http://www.treeline-gallery.com/.

Downed Navy Aircraft

I wanted to show the carcasses of these airplanes and the interesting patina time has left on them.

The wing span must have been quite wide as they have the wings folded in half on top of the body of the plane.

This one is tethered to the grown.

Seems sad to see them behind the fence or maybe it's just the color, so grey.

Looks like enough room to create a small Florida get-a-way! "Aero Plane Landing" Needs red Geraniums!