To hang Christmas stockings from, or dress up a fireplace, nothing is more traditionally and nostalgically appealing as the mantel. We have some lovely mantels at the Cottage, and plenty of inspiration to get you started! Use a mantle to spruce up an existing fireplace, or create an eye-catching decor centerpiece even if you have no fireplace… […]
White, the color of purity… we go to great lengths to keep linens and towels as white as can be. White is also associated with trust, as in nurse uniforms and bandages… It is also a cool, crisp, elegant color, a la James Bond in a white tux. “She has skin like alabaster, or porcelain,” descriptive words used […]
As is today, early bird cages were built to house, display, keep birds safe from predators and prevent their escape. They were were simple handmade enclosures of wood, rope, woven reeds or bamboo. In northern Chihuahua, Mexico, Paquime Indians bred scarlet Macaws and housed them in elaborate adobe aviaries. Once upon a time tiny cages […]
The mannequin as a design element is very popular. We’ve seen them draped in vintage clothing, adorned with jewelry; even used as a canvas of sorts for whimsical and unique art work. Once only used for creating garments and displaying fashion, dress forms have donned a […]
The swallow, which always returns to its birthplace to rebuild its nest, is now most famous for the celebration of its return to the mission in San Juan Capistrano, CA. But it has another and much more romantic history… The poignant love story and theme of the movie Cold Mountain was the harrowing return journey […]
Adorning ourselves with jewelry is as old as mankind, with every variety of style, method and material. In ancient times jewelry production was spread across all of Mesopotamia – from Assyria to the Babylonian cities of Nineveh, Ur and Sumer. Materials not common to the area; jasper, onyx, lapis lazuli, sardonyx, agate and silver, were imported […]
No concrete evidence exists as to where and when soap as we know it was first made or used. One account has it originating in Mt. Sapo, where remains of ash and animal sacrifices washed into the river and women noticed their clothes washed up cleaner wherever these substances accumulated. Soap-like material as well as […]
There’s nothing quite like living on the ocean, combing the beach for shells, being lulled to sleep by the pounding surf…We can’t all live in those magical locales but we can bring that soothing beachy feel into our homes! At the Cottage we’re so fond of all things nautical we have a room dedicated to […]
Valentine’s Day is said to originate in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, an annual fertility celebration on February 15. The Pope recast the pagan festival as a Christian feast day sometime in AD 496, declaring February 14 to be St. Valentine’s Day. Our modern day of love probably got its name from ancient Rome as well. Emperor Claudius II […]
Red is traditionally the color of Love and Passion. Red can stimulate one’s appetite, which is why it’s often used in restaurants. In some Eastern cultures such as China red is the color for good luck. Although many Chinese brides now wear white, it is the traditional color for weddings. In Indian culture it symbolizes purity […]