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.

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!

Our latest displays:

Yesterday and today we decorated, displayed, re-did the windows to make room for our newest finds. It was so much fun and the time went so fast. Creating new displays is one of the most fun things about working in our store. Customers love to see our latest vignettes (and so do I).

Nothing like redoing displays in the shop to get your mojo going. We had so much fun! It's loads of work but so worth it.

Mixing twigs with dried hydrangeas makes a wonderful statement. I watched Debbi, our decorator extraordinaire, work her magic on the arrangement. She's amazing!

Below, 19th Century Linen pillow mixed with an antique bedroom wuite and White Ironstone Staffordshire china

We'll be revamping the whole store: Rehanging chandeliers, adding and moving paintings, pictures and more!

One of my favorite chests is the one below with the large English Blue Willow platter in the drawer. This is a wonderful chest of drawers, turn-of-the-century 1900 with the most wonderful patina - once again, aged to perfection!

Come visit us and check out the entire store. We're painting the cottage in our back garden area and will be decorating and furnishing it later this week.

Our store is still going strong!

Well, July 31st came and went and we're still in our store! It's interesting the way things work out and life's path presents opportunities. Our building didn't get leased so the property owner was willing to work out a shorter lease and we're willing to go for it. For me to have some time off, we're forming a co-op. This all came about after we made our announcement that we were closing. “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans” - John Lennon

So please come by and see us. You won't see me as much but it will be the same Cottage Antiques. We have a couple of other creative women who will be joining us, too, with their one-of-kind creations made from vintage salvage items.

I can't wait until fall - it's going to be so much fun at Cottage Antiques!

Saying goodbye to our cat Sunshine

I'm sad to say we lost our 20 year old cat, Sunshine, today. We knew it was coming but you're never ready. (Photo: Sunshine's on the left next to Sweetpea.)
Nearly ten years ago, I got a call from someone telling me there was a Burmese cat in Northern California who needed a home. This cat had been used for breeding for over ten years and the last year she had been kept in a 12" x 12" cage in a garage full of Mastiff dogs in the high desert. Bob and I drove over five hours each way to get her. We had just finally adopted a new kitten, Sweetpea, after our cat Chauncey passed away who we'd had for 19 years. When we brought Sunshine into our home, I swear she thought she was Sweetpea's mama. They were inseparable.

So today it's hard to say goodbye, she was so special. We were lucky to have her in our lives as long as we did. And, yes, she lived up to her name; she was a ray of sunshine and what a character!

So now rest in peace, our sweet, beautiful girl. We'll miss you.