Sunday, January 30, 2011

Creating a Little Romance


Romance is in the air ...
I am starting to plan for a
romantic evening for two ~ well actually three,
because you know Bentley will be with us!

I am on my way to visit these Monday parties

Bentley ~ would you like to think about giving Thelma a little
Valentine's Day gift? What about heart shaped
lettuce leaves?

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo


Friday, January 28, 2011

Random Favorites


Pinks and soft pastels just have a way ...



of evoking thoughts of spring!!



Just what we need on these ...



cold gray days!

Have a happy Saturday everyone!!

I am joining:
and

Bentley ~ Momma will be working on Saturday,
but Daddy will be home to play with you!!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo








Thursday, January 27, 2011

Do You Ever ...??


Do you ever miss someone you have lost?
Sometimes I miss my Daddy so much.
He's been gone for over six months now ...
but there are times when I hear a song
or I read something
or someone mentions something that
reminds me of him.

Most of the time I am strong ...
but there are times when
I am not.

Has this happened to you?

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Vintage and Sweet


Thrift and antique shop finds ~
so sweet and inexpensive ...



They make me feel like buying a farmhouse!

I am joining

Bentley ~ would you like to live on a farm?
You would ~ but a farm with no chickens!
We'll have to discuss that later.

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

I Have the January Blues


I am tired of wearing heavy sweaters and a
down filled jacket.

I have the January blues and I am longing for spring.
I am going to make myself a cup of tea
and dream about sunny skies and warm days.

Care to join me?

Come sit in my lap Bentley and lets look at gardening catalogs.

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Reds in the Kitchen



So what do you think?



Should I keep the touches of red in the kitchen?
Would it be better with them ~
or boring without?

Taking votes from you Boring to Better Party goers!
and ...
What about it you Rednesday Party goers?

What's that Bentley ~you think it's okay to keep the fake chickens
but no real ones in the garden. Thanks for your
opinion Bentley!!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Monday, January 24, 2011

Shopping the Cottage ~ Blue and White


As many of you know, I have started a few big re~decorating
projects at the cottage.
I am painting
Installing some new architectural elements
Searching for new fabrics and more.
It all gets a bit pricey ~ so I shop the cottage.
Since I love blue and white, I'm pulling out tea pots,
tea cups, lamps and more to re~arrange
and have some fun creating new vignettes.



Blue and white always looks so clean and fresh!



I am using what I have to be as nifty and thrifty as possible.
After I finish the latest "honey do list", I think I'll relax
with a cup of tea and...




Pay a visit to these fun Tuesday Parties:
Tea Cup Tuesday
and

What's that Bentley? Writing your autobiography was exhausting
and you need a tummy rub??
For you Bentley ~anything!!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Sunday, January 23, 2011

A Bentley Autobiography


Hi ~ I am Bentley of Ash Tree Cottage.
I have a very busy life here at the cottage and I will
tell you a little bit about me.

I like to drive ~ but I don't have my license
yet!!!



I look handsome in my Mardi Gras beads and my
Momma's gumbo is really good!




I like to ride in my Momma's bicycle basket. I pretend that
I am Toto and she pretends that she is Dorothy!



I don't like baths !!!
Be sure to let my Momma know this and
maybe she won't make me take them anymore.



Momma bought me this "Mini Me". I like to make
Mini Me bark and I put him on my Mamma's tummy
while she is doing her abs workout on her exercise mat.
Ha ha ~ it makes her giggle when I do it while she's trying
to do her yoga workout too ~ especially during
downward dog!!!



I like to help my Momma garden. Sometimes
I run off with one of the flowers she is trying
to plant. I don't know why she doesn't like
me to do that ~ do you???



I found my pink hairbrush ~ this is not good!!
Maybe I will bury it in the garden when Momma is not looking!

That's all for now. Momma told me to
mention Thelma the chicken but I won't do it
because I don't like her.
I do like her eggs though!!

I have a crush on Lucy ~ you can visit her at
Don't spread this around though because I also
have a crush on Krumpet!

Love and puppy dog kisses,
Bentley

And The Winner IS!!!


The winner of the Ramsign contest is:

My blogging buddy, barn chick pal and fellow interior designer and
Yorkie owner ~
Send me your address Karen so that the Ramsign folks can create
your special sign. You will need to choose a style etc.

Congratulations Karen!!!

I thought about having Bentley pull a name out of a hat
like my good friend Robin's (That Decorating Tennis Girl)
husband aka Mr Tennis did for her last contest.
I had to resort to the Random Generator because Bentley kept chewing
up the entries.

Thank you to everyone who entered.

Bentley ~ Momma is writing your biography now. Shall we leave out the
part about you chewing up the prize participant's entries??

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Shopping The Cottage


I am doing quite a bit of re~decorating in my cottage.
Before I run out and spend lots of money,
I always "shop the cottage" .



I pull out things tucked away in hutches and cupboards
and use them in new ways.



I incorporate family heirlooms with new things
so that even though the cottage seems
fresh and new, there are old precious treasures
that make it feel like home!

I am joining
and

If you have not entered my Ramsign give~away you still have time.
The winner will be announced on Sunday January 23rd.

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

My Antique Doll



My Mother-in-Law sent me this doll several years ago.



Isn't she sweet?

I am joining Suzanne for Vintage Thingie Thursday

Bentley, did you have fun doing a couple of guest blogger gigs for me?
What's that ~ You need 2 treaties now??

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Bentley Says ~ Don't Forget Momma's Give~Away!


There is still time to enter my Momma's give~away
for the enamel sign!
Let her know if you want a chance to win if
you have not already entered!

Hey Momma ~ I think I like this guest blogger gig!!

Love and kisses,
Bentley

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Puppy Love


Momma is busy re-decorating
So I am the host blogger

How am I doing Momma?

Love,
Bentley
Big doggie kisses

A New Year and A Bad Pun


Yesterday this blog was "teetering" on the brink of
destruction!

I have decided to stick around for a while
but I'll warn you ...

I am blazing my own trail
I don't care if I never reach 1,000 followers
I play music because I love it

If you choose to visit ...
I promise to entertain and not mimic
I promise to never ask you to vote for me to be on some television show
I promise there will be corny jokes and bad puns
I promise there will be lousy photos ~ more often than not
I promise that Thelma will lay an egg from time to time
and I will too

And most importantly ...
Bentley will still be my sidekick!

Right Bentley?

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo




Sunday, January 16, 2011

It's A Sign! and A Give~Away!



When I moved into my cottage, I gave it a name immediately ~
just like the cottages in England are named. Of course I had
to have a sign ~ so I painted this one above and it has
been hanging proudly on our front porch for many years.

Now I am offering a fabulous give~away so that you too can
have a sign for your cottage!



The Ramsign Company of Denmark ~ makers of very charming
enamel signs ... is giving away one of their creations to
You!!!



All you have to do is:
become a follower if you are not already a
follower of Ash Tree Cottage.
Or ...
Not ~ Don't feel obliged to be a follower!




Leave us a very charming comment!
Or Not!

And ...
I will name a winner next Sunday, January 23rd.




How easy is that???



I am still oohing and aahing over these sweet signs!
Now ~ please also visit the very talented Cielo at
Show Off Your Cottage Monday!

I know, I know Bentley ~ I sound like a presenter
at the Golden Globes!!
But you must admit ~ this is a great give~away ...
and the first of many during this
Blogversary!!!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

PS: Bloggers who are critical of the way that I operate this contest or who leave nasty comments on another post of mine will be eliminated. We all left high school long ago.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

You've Got a Friend in Me


Next Tuesday, January 18th, it will be one year since I started blogging.
It's been a wonderful year. I have met so many talented people.
I have made many friends.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!
You have brightened my days and
filled my soul with so many happy moments.

Starting next Tuesday I will start some giveaways to show
you all how much you mean to me!!

So for this post I am Showing and Telling, getting some
and talking about A Few of My Favorite Things.

It's been a great year hasn't it Bentley?

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Take Good Care of Yourself


Be good to yourself!
Eat your oatmeal ...
plenty of fruits and veggies too!



Take good care or yourself
because
Bentley and I love you!!!

Right Bentley???
Woof Woof!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Little Red Hen


We are just crazy for chickens around here!
And ...
Crazy about Rednesday!!!

Hey Bentley ~ say woof to Thelma

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo


Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Lovin' Lavender!


Brrr ~ it's cold outside so ...
I'm warm and cozy inside having dreams of spring!



I'm dreaming of white wicker, warm sunny days in the garden
and ...



Lilacs!

While I snuggle under my quilt with Bentley,
I am going to visit

Bentley ~ I hear Thelma next door. Maybe she left you
another egg!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Monday, January 10, 2011

Thelma's Gifts to Bentley


It's been a few months since Amy put some barriers up to keep Thelma the Chicken
from coming over to visit us. Since then Thelma has molted and has since
re-grown all of her feathers and is back in the coop with her sister hens.
But there has been a very mysterious event happening every day!

One evening a few weeks ago, Bentley was out in our back yard.
He refused to come in when I called him. I went out to see what he was
doing and I found him eating ...
an egg ~ shell and all!
I thought that was strange, but it didn't make him sick so I thought maybe
a cat went into the hen house next store and stole an egg and left
it in our yard.
But ...
It keeps happening almost every day. One pale blue egg left in our
yard for Bentley to find!!!




Of the four chickens who live next door, Thelma is the only one
who lays pale blue eggs!
Maybe she is pushing them through the slats in the fence as a
little gift for Bentley!
A daily free range farm fresh egg for Bentley.
Is it love???

Bentley just thinks they are yummy!!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo


Sunday, January 9, 2011

Bye Bye Blues


This is the first opportunity I have had to redecorate my cottage in several years
and I have decided to start in the kitchen since it is the heart of our home.
So ... bye bye blues.

When I moved into the cottage many years ago, I was really
into country. Now I am into more of a farmhouse fresh look for the
kitchen. The cabinets are getting a new coat of white paint and I am white
washing the beams and repainting the old hutch.

I will show you more soon. Until then I am joining:
and
for a Monday that is Metamorphosis, Mosaic, Blue and a Big Show Off!!


Don't worry Bentley ~ Momma will still be cooking during the big re-do!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo


Friday, January 7, 2011

Cottage Design Part 1 ~ Architectural Elements


As I have mentioned recently, I am planning some
major redecorating projects in my cottage this year.
My husband is a contractor, so I am going through photos
of his work to get ideas of what sort of architectural elements
I want to add to our cottage.



This ceiling has beams and bead board. Would be cute in the
kitchen ~ don't you think?



Love the idea of bookcases on either side of a fireplace.
I think I would like a bit deeper mantel though.



Here's a close up of the shadow boxing.



Love this look! Charming for a cottage.



I like this too ~ though it's a bit more formal.



Columns add interest



As do arched hallways.



Architectural elements can add so much charm to a cottage ...
and they can be functional too like this back hall storage center.
I am gathering ideas for my own projects. I have lots of ideas. Once I settle
on the trim work, I will decide on color. Stay tuned!

I am joining Show and Tell Friday at Cindy's

Bentley ~ go tell your Daddy that he has a lot of work to
do in our cottage!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

PS: David ~ I gave you a plug so does that give me some advantage?









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