Following The Sun

Here, on the Leelanau Peninsula, we are an agrarian society.

Which allows us to witness first hand the change in the land as the sun moves south and sets lower on the Lake Michigan horizon. 

We have been watching the harvest of the land starting with the rhubarb/asparagus crops into strawberry/raspberry and onto cherries. With other delicacies that grow in this special climate. Leeks, Morals and Apricots. Autumn is extra special because we see the apples on the trees turning color with the Sumac along side the roads. A warm, deep red, the color of grapes waiting to be picked. I feel that living on this land, surrounded by water, and ruled by the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon, that we are much more aware of our roots as foragers. Fishing in our protected bays, the Perch tasting like fresh air. The road I live on winds west to east with a farmer on every corner. So we see, first hand, what an agricultural gem we occupy. It is with these thoughts that I set the table at the shop.

Loving the warm Autumn sunshine. 

Making Michigan Memories by Mary Ann Kaylor Griffiths

http://batteredandbrewed.com/wine-down-wednesday-vineyard-spotlight/making-michigan-memories

Looking for a fun, Leelanau Peninsula, itinerary? Clink on the link and follow what this Batteredandbrewed writer did during her weekend up north! 

A MayKay vacay!

Classic Green With Brown

And North

Classic green and brown caught my eye on pinterest this week. 

TheFullerView

It is an interesting color way that can take you to a new level of styling based on the deep greens and warm browns.

 

Hooked on Houses

The combination creates a rich, and comfortable palate to decorate with. Anything added is a bonus, ceramic oxblood lamps and oriental runner plus dog! 

Penny Ball

The green in this vignette helps to draw the eye around and see the other colors featured. Mixing the blue into the brown, green and oxblood red gives a sense of cozy! 

countryliving.com

A pale green paint and natural wood furnishings create a very congenial feel, understated and comfortable

. 

Samantha Hammack

Punched with black and white the rich green and dark brown become sophisticated bed mates!

 

theglampad.com

Bamboo green and brown brings the south into your room. Think of the color of Bamboo fronds in your southern garden landscape. 

I pin the visuals off of pinterest almost everyday and then when I am looking for some material to write about I go into my file and am always delighted to find a thread of pins that relate to each other. In this case, with out thinking, I pinned the green and brown color palate!  

Thursday morning musings!

My Arms Are Tired!

Seven new lamps arrived, double boxed, weighed a ton! Popped the boxes open and it was like I was hatching eggs! After I cleaned all the packaging off and set them on the table I knew I had some winners! The tallest ones, in the background, are 36" tall. Perfect for 17' ceilings in a large living room on the lake. The  blue and white lamps, with the crystal bases are stunning. The colorful ginger jars are perfect for fish camp. 

Monday was pillow making day! Sewed six of these babies and brought them into the shop so I could finish them up. I need to stitch them close. Fun brights for this time of year to pop your porch or guest room. Sometimes just a new pillow and lamp are all you need to freshen your space. 

I promised I would show you and here they are! Pillow shams made from Liberty Of London cotton voile. This set, paired with Pine Cone Hill pillow shams, are so sharp for a masculine bed. I know who should have these! 

Who doesn't love pink and green with a dab of orange? The little Princess Charlotte is, all over the English press, wearing Liberty Of London cotton voile, smocked dresses. So charming. 

This is me, poppy red, navy linen on pure white bedding. I have nightshirts coming in the spring. The fabric is soft and light, perfect for sleeping. 

Have I mentioned the colors? The dye lots are vibrant. The pattern, printed so distinctly, is like a stain glass window full of light. Unpacking lamps, breaking down boxes, cutting fabric for pillows, stuffing and plumping shams has my, finger, wrists and shoulders aching this morning.

All in a shop owner's day of work!

Jamming At The Shop

I love taking pictures of the stock in the shop! 

When I review the photos it is through the eyes of my customers, what are they seeing? Anchor pillow, sold!

The word "color" in all it's glory is the thought that comes to mind first! There are a lot of shoppers that gravitate toward neutrals and I see them head straight toward the item that they can wrap their head around! 

As I cull through the photos, that I just took Friday morning, quite a few of the items have sold before I could post you this visual of the inventory crammed into this very tight floor space. 

I notice, as I go through the pictures, that Anchor Cottage is heavy into textiles. 

As the shop being so small it is possible to get wiped out in a weekend! This throw, sold!

Putting together a harvest themed table for August. 

It's the little things that make the store unique. 

Chocolate tapers on an aqua blue table with fuschia place mats. 

Darling Fox pillows for the porch swing. 

Bamm! The color fairy strikes again. 

A child's desk full of hand knitted hats. 

Chinoiserie at it's best. 

Cool indoor/outdoor rug, sold!

Fun activities happening on every side of the Leelanau Peninsula. 

Hostess gifts, to go, in a basket with a pretty bow. 

Tony Seagull and her friend flew in from Texas for a visit. 

Wait until you see the Liberty Of London pillow shams that came in late yesterday. They are beautiful and I will post a photo, for you to see, in the next couple of days. 

A little color goes a long way!

 "We Be Jamming" to Will Hoge "Small Town Dreams" and "The Wreckage" cds, that are for sale, here, in Anchor Cottage. Getting really good feed back on the music. We turn it up and the customers start humming and then they want to know, who is this dude!
Have a happy day!

A Summertime Cottage

Serena & Lily

Summertime on Lake Michigan, where you squeeze into a tiny little cottage with old time vibes. Opening the windows and letting the fresh air blow through has you yearning to freshen up by painting the knotty cedar paneling and wallpapering the corner built-in. 

theneotrad.com

Bring a crayon box of beautiful bedding to create cheer and happy in your surroundings. Add posies, of all shapes and colors, in vases on your mantel and the table in the eat in kitchen. 

simply-beautiful-world.tumblr.com

Blue skies, white clouds, blue water, white caps, white sandy beaches and blue awning stripe beach towels. Fresh and pretty!

mixandchic.com

Cozy nooks and crannies to while away the hours reading an old favorite or taking time to paint a watercolor picture. 

Completely Coastal

What more do you need, for a month, on the lake? 

Blessed By The License Plate Fellas!

Two fish from Warren Michigan.

There are quite a few out-of-state resorters, in our peninsula, that own a cottage in Michigan. So it is fun to own a dual plate state of Michigan to hang on your wall. 

The brothers are focused fishermen. They come up north from Warren and stay at the cabin in Honor and throw out their lines. 

On the way north they stop and sell their license plate art to just a select few of us. 

Bears, turtles, lighthouses, fish and the State of Michigan are some of their creations. 

A favorite piece is the lighthouse, when the porch light is on, the "lens" of the lighthouse lights up because of the reflective paint used on the plate. 

Type in "license plates" in the search box and it will take you to June 27, 2012, so you can see more of the license plate art over the years. 

The fellas! Dick and Mike Gothe. Dick hunts down all the cool plates including the ones made at the prison! Mike is the creator of the art, hand cut and designed. Together they bring the license plate art up north two or three times a season. Their delivery is always anticipated by my customers that have collected the pieces over the years.

Fun stuff!