MY KITCHEN ISLAND

My Kitchen Island

I found this picture of my kitchen island. I stenciled a white picket fence with a gate on it and then added things like the pink watering can and the yellow flower pots.  I added a hand painted sign to the gate that says The Flores'.  The handle on the gate looked so real that our tiny June Bug would try to grab it and open the gate.  

It no longer looks like this but I wanted to share the photo anyway. We are a military family and therefore we are always on the ready to move on.  In order to clean things up a little I repainted the island a solid color. Most folks prefer a more modern clean look and I thought it would be best. I miss my beautiful fence and one day I may have to repaint one for myself. That is when I know I am staying put for a time. 

Hugs, Beverly 

Tea Cottage Pretties

2008 A PINK CHRISTMAS TREE

A Pink Christmas Tree

I am so tickle because I finally found a beautiful pink Christmas Tree.   I decorated it with pink ornaments and added a pretty Shabby Chic tree skirt by Rachel Ashwell.  I also placed my hand painted boxes around the tree.  I painted each box and then painted pretty roses on them.  My girls and I are really loving my PINK tree.  

Dreaming of a pink Christmas,

Beverly

Tea Cottage Pretties

BEAUTIFUL LIMOGES ITEMS

This is some of my favorite Limoges pieces. There are three oval brooches and one skinny bar brooch. There is a set of earrings that match the top brooch. Lastly, there is a very rare watch fob that has three porcelain pieces dangling from it. Each piece is hand painted and dates around the turn of the century.

MUSINGS - HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving

During this time of the year we should all give thanks for our many blessings. My 6 year old, June Bug asked me the other day what I was thankful for? She said that she was thankful for her Mommy (that would be me) and for Sweetie (my Mother, her Grandmother). Then she went on to tell me that she was thankful for Sweetie because Sweetie had made me and without Sweetie there wouldn't be a me. How sweet of my June Bug and how thoughtful.

So I thought of all the things that I am thankful for and I came up with this. I am thankful to be here and to be with my family. I am thankful for all the people in my life, those here and those who have been. I am thankful for my home, where I feel safe, happy and secure. I am thankful for the health of my family and myself. Lastly, I am thankful for the time that I have to spend with my family.

As I give thanks this year I am cognisant of the economic hardships that face many Americans this year. I know that many people have lost their jobs. Many families have lost their homes and had to walk away. I know that people are hungry and desperate. I pray for all of those who are experiencing hard times. It is my greatest hope that we will be able to mend our damaged economy and put people back to work. I hope and pray that everyone will have a home inwhich to live and feel safe and secure. I pray that every hungry person will have food to eat. I pray that we all can find things to be thankful for this year.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone

PICTURE - AND HE SHINES

I just love how the sun is in the background

on this recent picture of my hubby - Eric.

POEM - AND IF I SHOULD CRY

And if I should cry
Please hold my hand
When my eyes are dry
I will smile again



And if I should laugh
Please laugh with me
On my behalf
You soon will see



That I am human
And therefore I feel
So if you can
Don’t ask me to conceal


My heart from you
My one so true
Then Love me too
As I do you

By Beverly 2008

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

June Bug's as Jiggly Puff a Pokemon

and she danced.....

 

Tiffany all dressed up for Halloween

Masquerade Ball

How Lovely....

PRETTY TEAPOTS AND A POEM

Being a collector of porcelain it makes sense that of course I would collect TEAPOTS. I love them and I have many of them in all shapes sizes and styles. One day I was talking with my husband and we were discussing something he had bought and never used. With all the love and tenderness that he could find in him he looked at me and said - "Sweetheart we have been married for 13 years and how many teapots do we own." I told him to many to count and then he asked me "how many cups of tea have I had?" So for my husband I wrote a poem about a cup of tea or maybe two, maybe three.

Have a cup of tea with me

Well maybe two, maybe three

Time will wash away our worry

So there's no need for us to hurry

Have a cup of tea with me

Well maybe two, maybe three

If you'll let me hold your hand

You will see I am your friend

Have a cup of tea with me

Well maybe two, maybe three

When tomorrow comes a new

I will be here waitng for you

ENYA

If you can, listen to an album or at least a song
 by Enya.

She sings beautifully and she is worth the listen.

I recommend Sheppard's Moon it is outstanding.

CHOCOLATE ROSES

Chocolate Pot

A New Addition To My Collection

The Victorians would place bits of chocolate in these Chocolate Pots and add hot water (some time later milk or a milk/water mix was used) and stir. These hot chocolate drinks would be used to give to children in the mornings and/or with breakfast. This would help warm them up and was a nice treat.

You can recognize the chocolate pot as it is usually quite tall and the spout is near the top. The reason for the placement of the spout is to insure that the chocolate becomes well mixed while pouring.


Maybe we should all try a bit of chocolate just the way it was made over a 100 years ago. How delightful.

MUSINGS - FUNNY CHILDREN CHANGING TV

OR IS IT TV CHANGING CHILDREN?

I have a theory about the size of families and how many children people have. I grew up in the 1960s and back then families had 3,4 or more children. You may be able to remember the TV with the knobs that you had to actually turn. Each child would at some point be the Chanel Changer. That is they would change the Chanel on the TV for their parents (in my case for my Dad). As one grew to old to do the Chanel Changing the next in line would inherit the job. This went on until - WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW THEY INVENTED THE REMOTE CONTROL. Suddenly families became smaller and had less children and in some cases couples decided against having children at all. So with the need for Chanel Changers gone so were all the large families. Even knowing that correlation is certainly not causation it is at the very least an interesting thought in which to ponder.

THE GIVING TREE

Everyone should read this book at least once in the their life

- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

And if you are so inclined read his other books and poems

I recommend Where the Sidewalk Ends

a collection of many of his poems and drawings.

LIMOGES CRACKER JAR

Beautiful hand painted Limoges Cracker Jar.

Limoges Cracker Jar - this was used to hold crackers or biscuits.

It is smaller than a cookie jar and could be used when serving tea.

A SAYING BY FRANZ SHUBERT

No one feels another's grief,

no one understands another's joy.

People imagine they can reach one another.

In reality they only pass each other by.

MUSINGS - I MET A GENTLEMAN THIS EVENING

I was out and about this evening and I met an older gentleman. He was dressed very well in a jacket and slacks. He carried himself well with dignity and grace. I happen to ask him how he was doing this evening and we talked for a few moments. He had made a trip here from a town about 1 1/2 hours away. He said he came here to shop. I asked if he was traveling alone, I was thinking that it was getting dark and kind of late? He said yes my wife died several years ago. He wanted to say something else but he stop as he became kind of choked up. I stop and I almost wanted to cry. I couldn't even say anything to him. It occurred to me that in much the same way he had made the trip to our town today he had traveled through life and here he was alone. As the day slowly turns to evening and then to night, so does our life. I told him to enjoy his shopping and to have a safe trip home. He thanked me and I walked away but not without being touched in some way by him. So I shed a tear for him and for all the lonely people in the world..........

MUSINGS - STANDING STILL

As the wife of an American Soldier, many times I have found myself alone. Away from the one I love for many months at a time. My saving grace is that I have our children to care for and they keep me busy. Yet, every minute of every day I am very cognisant of the fact that I am here and he is there. I asked him once, "whatever shall I do while your away"? In reply he said well you just stand here and wait. So this is essentially what I do. Don't feel sorry for me because this is the sacrifice we choose to make. I am proud of my husband and his sacrifice and his dedication to the mission and to our country. I pray that by the grace of God he will return safely to me. In the mean time, I stand still and wait always..............

BEAUTIFUL BOWLS

This is 2 of my Limoges Bowls. They are both hand painted and oh so beautiful. They are large approx. 10" in diameter. Just lovely bowls to have in my collection.

LIMOGES COFFEE CARAFE

Limoges Coffee Carafe

Can you help me identify this piece of hand painted Limoges? 

I believe this to be a Coffee Carafe although I can not be sure. I have never seen one a in any of the Limoges books I have. The spout of course tells me that it is for coffee but the top is more like you find on a carafe.

I thought about maybe a large syrup but this is really more of the size of a chocolate or coffee pot.  

 If anyone knows more about this type of piece please leave a comment to let me know. 

More Limoges to come, 

Beverly

Tea Cottage Pretties

MAYO DISH

This usually called a mayo dish. It can be used for sauces. There is a top dish that holds the sauce and then an under plate to sit it on. This one is hand painted in lovely soft pinks and blues. It is so beautiful.

SWEET TREATS

These look good enough to eat BUT they are meant to last a lifetime. These are Faux Deserts. They are absolutely gorgeous and just think zero calories.

BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUE LIMOGES PORCELAIN WITH HAND PAINTED BIRDS

Beautiful Antique Limoges Porcelain

With Hand Painted Birds

This is a beautiful piece of Limoges, hand painted with delicate pink roses and sweet birds.  This piece is called a NAPPY.  A nappy can be used to serve slices of lemons or other things.  This is a larger nappy so it can also be used to serve candies, cookies and just about anything you may like.  

This is such a precious piece and I know I will enjoy it for many years to come. 

Till next time,

Beverly

Tea Cottage Pretties

PICTURES OF ME

Here is a picture of me kind of making a silly face.















Here I am just smiling















Dreaming about my husband?















I emailed these pictures to my husband and he emailed me back. He told me that I was sooooooooo beautiful and that he was lucky to have me. What a nice thing to say. He is a sweetie.

LOVELY

A Beautiful Limoges Tray

This is a beautiful Limoges tray that I have hanging on the wall in my bathroom.  I love the pink roses and the blues in it. It just makes me smile to see it. Even the Limoges tray can be used as wall art.

I love the antique hand painted Limoges the best.  Each piece is a precious work of art from days gone by.  I especially love pink roses and blue accents. I have quite a few pieces in my collection and I hope to share more pieces soon. 

Till next time, 

Beverly

Tea Cottage Pretties

A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO SIT

This is one of those old vanity chairs. When I found it, it was silver and somewhat in need of some TLC. I cleaned it and painted it white. I covered the seat with some beautiful fabric and trimmed it with trim from a vintage bedspread. It became a beautiful place to sit.

MY LEMONS

These are some of my Lemons from my tree. I planted the tree about 3 years ago and this was the first year I have let it make fruit. It made some really good lemons. I will be leaving this home next summer so the next batch will go to the new home owners. I hope they will enjoy them.

MUSINGS - HEY HEY PAULA

MY BEST FRIEND

I think everyone has or at least should have a best friend. The kind of friend that you keep forever. The kind that it doesn't matter if you speak to them everyday or not. The one you can call up at any time and start right where you left off. Your best friend for life. Well I have one and her name is Paula. I wanted to mention her here in my blog since this is a blog about me and well she is part of me. Love you Paula.

MISSING MY HUSBAND

Missing My Husband

This is my husband Eric. He is serving in the US Army and currently in another country. He is the most wonderful man I have ever known. He is a very honorable man, full of grace and dignity. He is a wonderful husband and Dad. He is caring and kind. I am lucky to have him in my life.

Missing my Eric,

Beverly

Tea Cottage Pretties

WOODEN SCREEN DOOR?

This was a hard picture to take. It is my entryway and I have divided the entryway from the living area using 2 wooden screen doors that I painted pink and added lace curtains to. There is a glass knob on one side and I added brackets on the bottom so it would stand up. I also added a small berry wreath and some other pretties to the doors. I can move these around and display them in different ways. They make a great room divider.

MUSINGS - OH BY THE WAY - HOW WE MET

The date was April 6, 1995. We were cooking out on a beautiful afternoon. Paula and I are best friends and have been for many years. I had recently met a young lady by the name of Tracey. She was not a very feminine person and not really my type of friend but she could be fun at times. She called and ask if I would go to a party with her. I told her I didn’t really want to go but she was welcome to come by and eat with us. I had on occasion been seeing a guy by the name of Mark. We were suppose to go out later and I told her I just wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. So she came by and the three of us ate.

As luck would have it Mark called to say that he would not be able to meet with me after all. Well that left me open for the evening. Tracey ask me again to go to this party and I said OK. Tracey explained that she had met this guy named Mike through a personal ad that she had placed. He had invited her to a party and ask if maybe she had a friend to meet his friend. You know how that goes. The old By The Way bit. Well I told her I hated BTW’s and I thought I should not go. She was persistent and I finally agreed to go.

I drove my car so that I could leave when I wanted to and she would not have to worry about me. She had told me that his name was Eric. Nice name I thought…. We arrived and we entered a room with NOTHING but guys in it. We were introduced to everyone and there did not seem to be an Eric in the crowd. So I said out loud “so who is Eric?” This very attractive guy across the room raised his hand and waved at me. I was immediately taken by him. He had dark hair and big beautiful brown eyes. The kind of eyes that seems as if they can look all the way through you. He seemed kind but very manly at the same time. He was quite tall and very handsome. His laugh was quite infectious and everyone there wanted his attention. You know sometimes you see someone and they just do it for you. Well he did, he was so handsome.

The night went on and I just could not seem to get a chance to talk to him. Then finally about 3 hours later things started winding down. A lot of the party goers left and all that remained were Tracey and I, and Mike and Eric. So I finally was able to talk with him. Then much to my surprise he kissed me, just like that. The odd thing was I so wanted him to kiss me and I so didn't mind. This would not have been a normal reaction for me. If some guy I hardly knew tried to kiss me I would have stopped him dead in his tracks. When he kissed me he touched my face and I thought I might melt and all I wanted to do was touch him back. Yet, I didn't because I thought it would seem to forward. In that moment when he kissed me I knew I wanted to know all there was to know about him. With that kiss we found each other and we have been together ever since.

Oh BTW Tracey and Mike never ever saw each other again. So Eric and I met because an acquaintance of mine placed a personal add (which she paid for) and his friend answered it. It is at the very least an interesting chain of events and somehow it seems fate had stepped in and brought us to each other.

I love you very much my sweet Prince.....

MUSINGS - MY FAMILY

This post is dedicated to my family. I wanted to give a shout out to my sister Patti and her family. Also, my brother Jeff and his family and my brother Paul. Most importantly I wanted to mention my Mom - Shelby. She is one of my best friends. To Pamela we miss you. To Aunt Peggie, Aunt Lucille, Uncle Lacy and Uncle Robert, we miss you all. I especially miss my Grandmother. I also am very lucky to have a beautiful Mother in law - Irene. Here's to all of you. Love, Beverly

PRECIOUS MEMORIES IN A CHEST

I found this chest at a local antique shop. However, it was a little rough around the edges.. I brought it home and cleaned it and primed and painted it. It already had all the wood work on it. I painted the inside a pale pink and then I covered the top with Shabby Chic (R) fabric. I trimmed it with some old trim from a bedspread and it now servers as my photo and memory storage chest. It holds many precious memories.

FOR THAT EXTRA SPARKLE

I love vintage chandeliers and this is one that I had to do just a tiny bit of work on. I painted it white and added lots of crystals and it hangs in the quest room now. It is a really pretty way to dress up a room. It also adds that extra sparkle. How romantic it is.......

ANTIQUE ROSES WINDOW

Here is an old window that I painted and hung in my downstairs bathroom. I left all the hardware on it and simply painted it blue then I use enamel paints and painted roses and blue ribbons on the glass.

A GENTLEMAN'S WARDOBE NO MORE

Here is a beautiful old Gentleman's Wardrobe that I found some time ago. I painted it white and trimmed it with rose ribbon. It holds a lot of my table linens in the drawers and my girls school things in the closet side. On the front of it hangs a pretty little lace dress that both of my girls wore on their first birthday. I have kept quite a few of their things and I display some of them. Also, on the knobs I have hung ornaments I made out of old wooden spools with pink thread. I love how they turned out and what a neat way to display my beautiful spools of thread.

TABLESCAPE

Here is a recent tablescape I did. I change this table top around from time to time. I have it done in all Bavaria porcelain with pink and pink roses. The trees you see where made by me.

PIXIE CUTIE PIE

Here's a real cutie pie. She is one of those vintage pixie dolls that you made usually from a kit. This one is very large measuring about 22 long. I gave her new hair and the pink bottle bush tree. Other than that she was in great shape. I also have a smaller one that is pink. They really are very sweet.

BEAUTIFUL BERRIES

As much as I love Limoges Porcelain I also love other hard paste porcelains. This Berry Set is absolutely fabulous and is a Bavarian set. It features beautiful pink Roses and pink boarders. It is all hand painted to match and is from the early 1900s. It is also an affordable option when buying antique porcelain and I can use it without feeling to worried that it might get broken. I have displayed it here with some beaded strawberries in the master bowl. One of my cats thought there was real food in the bowl and tried to eat a berry.

VINTAGE TRAIN CASES NO LONGER JUST FOR TRAVEL

I like to paint vintage suitcases/train cases and here is one that I did in pink. It turned out so well that I had to keep it for myself. I painted it my favorite pink and added pink Roses. It is lovely and makes a great basket in the bath for quest towels and etc.

COFFEE ANYONE

Here is a very pretty Limoges Coffee set with tray. It has beautiful Roses painted on it. This is sitting on my antique fireplace mantel at this time. It is very pretty to look at and I always wonder where my antiques might have been at one time. Most of the Limoges I collect is around 100 years old or more. I think of the Victorian ladies that painted them and enjoyed them and I smile.

ANGEL BABIES

Here are 2 very cute Angels I made. I was in one of my favorite shops and I found these pink tiny bust that reminded me of Angels or Cherubs. I picked them up for just a couple of dollars. I brought them home and looked at them and realized they could be used to make tassels. Well the tassel idea grew and they became tassel dolls. They are all dressed up in tulle and I gave them all sorts of beads. They now happily hang in my entryway. They are lovely little Angel Babies.

THE CUPBOARD

Well it really isn't the cupboard but it is my breadbox. This was just and ordinary wood breadbox and I painted it white with blue stripes and added ROSES (of course). I also gave it a vintage styled glass knob and a bow. If you look on top of my breadbox you can see my cupcake toppers I have collected and a pink bird I painted. Along with a kitchen timer (I also painted) and a tea strainer. The breadbox is great because it sits right on my counter and making a sandwich is never any trouble at all.

A VERY SWEET VINTAGE LEFTON FIGURINE

A Very Sweet Vintage Lefton Figurine

(updated 2/2014)

This is the most adorable little figurine.  It is one of those great fine bone china LEFTON items.  I found it at an antique store that I visit every once in awhile.  I have never seen one like this so I had to have it and so I do.  However, I first saw it about 2 years before I bought it. Every time I would go there I would look at it and I even found myself looking for one online.  I never saw one on eBay or anywhere else for that matter.  Then one day while in the store I fell completely in love with it again and I bought it.  It is so beautiful and dainty, only about 2" tall.  The birds are fabulous and so are all the flowers and basket.  I think it is the sweetest thing.

I have never regretted buying it.   It is one of my favorite things.  To this day I have never found another one like.  

Note:  This post was updated 2/2014.
I added new photos of the figurine.  
Below is the original photo on this post. 

Hugs, Beverly

Tea Cottage Pretties

A VERY PINK WREATH

Here is a beautiful wreath I made from a wire hanger and pink tulle. I added pretty pink ornaments and a beautiful fabric bow and even a bird. I hung it lovingly on an old birdcage stand that I also painted pink. I made this for Christmas but I ended up leaving it up all year long. I just couldn't put it away.

IT WARMS THE HEART

Here is an old stove I found and surprisingly it was complete with the wick and everything. However, I did not want to use it for heat so I simply cleaned it up and painted it my favorite pink and sat it in my Living Room. I figured it could warm the heart now instead of the hearth.

MY NEW LIMOGES BERRY SET

Here is my latest Limoges find. It is a lovely set with a large master berry bowl and 5 smaller matching berry bowls. This set is hand painted with small pink and burgandy roses. The bowl actually sits on 3 golden feet. I am very happy to add this beautiful set to my collection.

A SET OF SEWING DRAWERS

Sewing Drawers 

I love to recycle and make something wonderful out of something that most might throw out. So here is my latest Recycle and Reuse Project.

Here is a wonderful set of vintage sewing machine drawers. I found these recently and they were in need of some TLC. They were brown and had gotten wet at some point so the laminates were coming off. I glued the laminates back on and then sanded and painted it. I added a thick batting and fabric to the top so that you can use it for a pin cushion. I then painted pink roses on the sides and painted the knobs blue and then added pink bows. I love how it turned out. Now I am not sure if I want to keep it or sell it? I have a booth that I sell some of my things in and it would probably sell pretty fast.

Oh the pretty Cider Pitcher is one of my Limoges pieces. It sits on my dinning table with flowers in it. It is stunningly beautiful.

Loving my new drawers,
Beverly

Tea Cottage Pretties

VINTAGE LIGHTING

This is a stunning lamp that I found for only $22.00 at an Antique Shop. I Love it so very much. Can you believe none of the crystals were missing? It works perfectly although I always tell folks to have the wiring checked on these vintage lamps. What a great lamp.

FRENCH PROVINCIAL FURNITURE MAKES GREAT COTTAGE FURNITURE

This is Tiffany's Chest. I managed to get her a dresser and this chest for a nice price. It is the French Provincial Style that was once popular. When I found the set it was very dirty and needed a lot of TLC. I carefully cleaned, sanded, primed and painted it a beautiful fresh white. It turned out to be very beautiful furniture for her. She loves it very much.

MY COLLEGE FRIENDS

This post is dedicated to my college friends. I graduated from Fayetteville State University - A Constituent Institution of the University of North Carolina (UNC). I have a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and graduated in 1996. I have two minors - Sociology and Criminal Justice. I graduated with a 4.0 GPA and many awards. My friends and I supported each other and we were the best of the best. We worked hard and played even harder. I miss them all. They say your best friends are those you have in college. I believe this is true. My friends were (in no particular order) Ricky Bland, Glenna Duren, Zak Balado, Joe Toby, Fonville Day, and so many more. Here's to all my friends wherever you are. I miss you all. Love, Beverly

JUNE BUG'S CHEST

This is a beautiful vintage chest of drawers that I found at my favorite thrift shop for about $30.00. I painted it a fresh white and then painted roses on it. I painted it for my June Bug and she just loves it.

LIMOGES HAND PAINTED BROOCHES

 

This is my Limoges hand painted brooches with flowers on them. I love Roses and most of these have Roses on them. I made a backboard for them and then placed them in a beautiful frame. I can easily remove them to wear them and then place them back. They make a lovely display.

BROOCHES AND BUTTON STUDS

 

These are some antique porcelain brooches and button studs. They are Limoges and are all hand painted. I only have 2 portrait brooches but I do love them. The rest are button studs. All pieces are from the late 1800s - early 1900s. I love to collect these and I made these ribbons to display them on.

THE FRONT OF OUR HOME

This is the front of our home. I love white iron garden furniture and I have a few pieces placed around the yard.