The Studio Is Coming Along

Slowly but surely the new decorating studio is coming together.

Steve painted the antique rope bed Dover White. We hoisted the fabric rack onto the floor and put as many bolts of fabrics that will fit on a side! 

We laid down the two big sea grass rugs and hung the enamel lamps from the ceiling. There is much more to set up for show and tell, but, I need to go and set the guest room up pretty darn quick. Company is coming!

Stay tuned for further additions to the decorating studio. We will be open by appointment only. Please e-mail me at shop@anchorcottage.net and set up a time to see this work in progress! I have a ton of new rug swatches coming and the wallpaper and fabric samples are overflowing the little studio! Time to put a lamp order in, along with lamp shades and finials. This is going to be fun!!

Water Feature In The Holler

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Summertime summertime, thinking about going for a swim. 

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We are having several strikes against us, this year, as far as going to the beach! One is wearing a mask at the beach! It is going to be crowded and tight, let's hope the flies don't bite. 

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They are closing the road to the water access for repair from June thru August! Which means that the other access is going to be crowded! With the high water it is hard to find a place to land in the sand! Bring me my walking shoes! 

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Or, bring me a stock tank! Eight feet round and two feet deep. I think I can manage to float on my back in the middle of the little pool, looking up at the sky! 

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An outdoor shower and a little pool and I can be self-quarantined, down in the Holler, for the rest of the summer! 

What do you think?

Company Is Coming And I'm Not Ready!

Allium Giganteum! Weeding already! I'll get on it! 

Lushness in the Holler. All the greens as far as I can see!

The sea grass rug looks pretty darn good on the painted floor. Glad I went for the tropical green color. 

Vintage, wrapped reed table and chairs for sale. $160 for all five pieces. Small chip in glass table top and some reed has come undone. Box cushions in great shape. Perfect game table for your cottage porch this summer. 

The show room is coming together. I need to sell some bits and pieces to make room for all the swatches! 

This is the storage room where I have been pulling all of my decorating accessories from. 

In real life this is the guest room. One more weekend to work on emptying this space and absorbing the stuff into the studio without making the studio look like a storage bin. So far I took out the 9 x 13 sea grass rug and pad, the box spring and mattress for the antique bed and a french, fruit wood table. I have set them up in the show room and so far so good. 

It took me a better part of last week to take apart this collection of books spanning 54 years of collecting. I vacuumed each and every book. It was a dusty mess!

When I was young my mother and grandmother would take me to the antique shops all around Oakland county. I would buy the old books with my babysitting monies. This was back in 1965 through 1970. I now have a collection of books 100 years old and more! I have read them all, more than once!

I will keep you posted on these ongoing projects, down here in the Holler! Message me if you are interested in the table and chairs.

It Caught My Eye!

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When will we be able to dress up and play lady? I love the casual/feminine feel of this skirt and blouse combination. Looks soft and comfortable. 

maryamrasoli

This is a darling little bag to wear on your wrist. I still have not had a chance to wear the wardrobe I bought for April in Florida. When on lock down I at least put earrings and a watch on. This stay at home memorandum is hard on your style!

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I like these layers in this bed room. Looks very comfortable. Cotton rag rug, windowpane checked bed skirt, East Indian coverlet, woven wood shades, and the open print pillows on the bed make this a very peaceful room to sleep in. 

Chinoiserie Chic

What caught my eye, in this powder room, is the "Raccoon Fur" paint on the mirror and counter edged in gold leaf. I painted a few small pieces in this paint color a couple of years ago, for the store, and am still having customers call and ask, "what was that grey paint color you used?"  

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Freesia, Tulips and Hydrangeas arranged, in this canning jar, is a sweet simplicity. 

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I want to start painting lamp shades! Where is Liz Saile when you need her? She could paint this in a heart beat, it is so her style. 

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So we have been talking "stock tub pool". Can I paint it white with this quirky design? I would like just a little lap pool in my garden that I can float in on a summers day.

Not much to blog about when isolated in the Holler for seventy three days in a row. I could put my two cents in about racial inequality. I am not sure I care for the term "privileged white" as an excuse for having better treatment because we are not of color. I have felt the slight from folks that felt they were better than me all my life. I relate to black feelings because of that slight. To be not respected because of your ethnicity, to be categorized as a distinct social being of race, color and minority is a heavy load to carry. If we could see that we are the same, biologically, then could we relate a little bit nicer?

There, I said it, what I really feel about the meanness of "slight". It is rude and impolite. Please consider each human on the planet as a gift from God, and treat them as you would your children. With love and not blatant disregard for the persons feelings. 

Love,
Mary Ann