27.12.10

Hidden Treasures: Exploring with Cottage Antiques

discoversd
Hidden Treasures: Exploring with Cottage Antiques
 Hidden Treasures: Exploring with Cottage Antiques
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Posted On : 12/8/2010 by Francesca Amiker
DiscoverSD sat down with Cordelia Mendoza, owner of Cottage Antiques off Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach, to discuss the trends of antiquing and her tips for those who want to experience this antiquing art for themselves. Read more

26.12.10

After Christmas Sale!


Christmas may be over but the savings have just begun!

* All Christmas items - 50% * Furniture 15% *
* Jewelry 20% * Everything else 25% off! *

Sale continues until New Years!

Cottage Antiques
4873 Newport Avenue
San Diego, CA 92107
619.222.1967


16.12.10

A beautiful home in Las Vegas, dressed for the holidays

I was fortunate to have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner in this home a few years ago. Bob, myself and my mom were invited with my sister, Cathy to Steve and Lisa Miller's beautiful home in a charming neighborhood in Las Vegas, Rancho De Monaco. In 1963, a total of 27 homes were built in this subdivision, including Steve and Lisa's, which sits on a quarter-acre lot. It's a Cape Cod style home the Miller's purchased from the previous owner/builder, Joan Harris, the landscape architect for the original Caesars Palace.

I love the urns bursting with poinsettias - nice touch! This is their Christmas 2010 photo.

4.12.10

Our windows won an award again this year - a pleasant surprise!

I'm lucky to have so many talented people around me that contribute to our shop. Debbi, who is a decorator extraordinaire! She makes our store look good. We all contribute but I love the way she puts things together. I've learned a lot from her.
Here's a peak at some of our decorations for the holidays. The Christmas decorations and ornaments are selling fast - very early this year, for some reason (which we're very happy about). Thank you Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association


Come by and visit Cottage Antiques!



28.11.10

A sad time for our family at the loss of our sister


My sister, Cathy, has written on our family blog about our sister Sally, who passed away recently. Please click on the photo to go to the blog


           Cathy, Cordelia, Sally on the right

24.11.10

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours

Be with your friends and family, eat, drink, smile, laugh and be thankful for how fortunate we all are.

Our Thanksgiving place setting:
I love to set a pretty table using fine linens, antique silver flatware, napkin rings, chargers and fresh cut flowers from our garden. For a centerpiece this Thanksgiving I used gourds and small white pumpkins. The entire tablescape was variations of creamy whites, vintage silver and crystal.

Chateau de Fleurs Vintage Marketplace next week:

Chateau de Fleurs coming up Friday & Saturday, December 3rd & 4th:

Today a friend sent me a photo of my booth at Chateau de Fleurs' last marketplace. Their Christmas show is coming up on December 3 & 4, 2010. Don't miss this sale - their vendors are awesome. I can't wait to visit them. I'll be shopping (not selling this time) - so looking forward to seeing everyone and their treasures. The timing's perfect for Christmas shopping. This marketplace has great deals so the shopping will be good. Christie and Rita do an amazing job organizing this event and hand-picking wonderful vendors. Check it out - you'll be glad you did.
See you there!

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14.11.10

The My contribution to the Big Book of Social Media: Case Studies, Stories, Perspectives

by Cordelia Mendoza

A few months ago, I was asked to be a contributing author of a book on social media. Knowing Bob Fine, the author, who is always inventive and innovative, I was intrigued. After getting an understanding of what he wanted to do, I was in. It was to be a compilation of social media practitioners from leading brands and small businesses, technology innovators and cutting-edge startups. 

What a project it has been for Fine. Getting all of the contributors to submit their drafts on time, then editing and more editing. He was on the fast track getting it published by deadline and he did it!

I am flattered to be included in the book. Since it's not common for people in the antiques industry to use new media, Fine wanted a perspective from a retailer aggressively using social media tools. My chapter is titled "Something Old, Something New".
Not Business. Not Marketing. This is an IDEA book.

It is now in book stores and on Amazon.












30.10.10

A treehouse in Manhattan

by Cordelia Mendoza



Here's a great story I couldn't resist sharing. A real treehouse in a historical Manhattan neighborhood, in the heart of New York City! This family has built a pretty amazing hideout for their three daughters in the middle of their backyard behind their 1860s home.
Here's the full article.

7.10.10

A sneak preview of our displays for this weekend's Halloween & Fall Open House

We've been decorating and primping for our Open House this Saturday.
Here's a sneak peak! Our talented Martha designed some great banners for the store and they're all available for purchase.

My favorite pumpkins . . . white, white and more white!


Debbi did a beautiful display on the harvest table, mixing everything she could get her hands on - it all magically comes together.


The dolls are marionets that were used to entertain the troops during WWII USO 


We have vintage Jack O'lanterns - they're so fun

Happy Fall,  y'all!
Come by and say hi!

5.10.10

Remnants of the Past was wow, wow, WOW!!!

by Cordelia Mendoza
Our booth. Had to get that Ocean Beach sign in there, a bit of the beach in the country
What a show! Remnants of the Past is an amazing show. From the people that came ot the show, our fellow dealers, the staff, the kind owners of this fabulous property, talking with Rachel Ashwell, all of it was so special. The day flew by, it was so busy with customers for hours and hours, the line coming in didn't stop. I've never seen anything like it before and we've been involved in a lot of shows.
Here's a peak at our booth. We were running out of merchandise after a couple of hours.
Pammy, with Up in the Attic, was our neighbor at Remnants, a jewelry dealer, was kind enough to let me share some of her photos.

Erika and Sandy from the Tattered House in Roseville had this amazing harvest table from West Virginia - just loved it. I shot a photo of it when they were setting up before it got covered with their fabulous merchandise. These girls rock it!

Deb Bob from Retreat Style had outstanding merchandise:
This is another amazing display - they came all the way from Washington:

A shot of the hills in the background - perfect weather!


Here's Carol, the fabulous pumpkin booth - her pumpkins are like nothing I've ever seen before - they have inspirational sayings on them, nothing to do with Halloween.




Rachel Ashwell and me - she's so genuine; I always enjoy seeing her.

Huge iron chandelier embellished with twigs and glass jars - beyond whimsical!

The barn was the perfect setting for all of the creative antiquers showing their wares

More clever displays . . .
We'll  be back on April 30th - don't miss this show, it's like none other.

24.9.10

Remnants of the Past Show October 2nd

We're proud to be invited to showcase Cottage Antiques at Remnants of the Past in Nipomo, CA for their show on Saturday October 2nd. 
It's on the Central Coast of California, a vintage and antique show by Judy Watkins. Judy's special guest for this show is Rachel Ashwell, who will be across from my tent, at the entrance to the barn. Pre-buy her latest book here.
So, if you want to have a great roadtrip up the 101, along the coast north of Santa Barbara, south of San Luis Obispo, come up and see what treasures are in store for you. There will be some incredible antique dealers there - I can't wait and am proud to be a part of it!

10.9.10

1958 Ad with our location

We just brought in some old paper items and in the lot was a 1958 Padres game program. Inside the program is an ad for Universal Boot Shop. I have been told that the storefront we occupy used to be Universal Boot Shop. That's why we have such great windows for display, a beautiful stone floor foyer and wood floors throughout the interior.  (I circled our location!)

29.8.10

Chateau de Fleurs Studio & Vintage Marketplace

Save the date! We'll be participating in this marketplace. We're so looking forward to it. Come on out and meet Christie and Rita and their 15 hand-picked vendors from all over California. If you haven't been to Chateau de Fleurs before, you don't wat to miss it.

26.8.10

A new cottage

It's official - the new cottage is finished! It's built, freshly painted and ready to be dolled up. We'll cottage it up in a big way. The windows and the front door are all vintage. The windows on either side of the front door date to 1910, the door and inside windows are 1920s.
We had the cottage built after selling our old one from the back garden area of the store because we thought we were closing our store. When things changed, I missed the cottage so we had another one built. It's a couple of feet taller and a little bigger inside, too.  All the more room to display our cottage finds!



I'll post photos every day as the cottage transforms. We can't wait to start working on it!