I Have a Terrible Cold, But I am Dreaming of Spring

I have been surrounded by friends and co~workers who have succumbed to colds 

and the flu.  I was quite smug thinking that I was able to ward off those nasty germs.

Silly me!

 I was up in the wee hours of the morning, coughing, sneezing and feeling very

miserable.  Could not sleep.  Bentley and I moved into the office and I turned

on my Mac for some surfing around the net.  Decided to browse through some of

my old photos and pulled up some I took last spring and summer.  So I made a

mosaic and am looking at it for some virtual spring therapy.

I feel better already ~ really I do (cough, sneeze)!

Mosaic Monday

Mod Mix Monday

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Dear little Bentley stays right by my side.  He won't stay in bed if I 

get up in the middle of the night.  He's the best medicine I could ask for.

Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Ooh La La For The Cottage

It seems we are all adding a bit of ooh la la to our cottages!

Me too ~ time to add a bit of Paris and pull out the college French books!!

I am joining ~

Making the World Cuter Monday

Mosaic Monday

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Ooh Bentley ~ mon toutou!

Mon petit chien!

Mama should take you to Paris!!

~ Oui, Oui!

Au Revoir Mes Amis,

Suzanne et Bentley

xxoo

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

The House in the Roses for

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.

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:

Cielo

Mary

Sally

and

Susan

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

My Cottage Pantry

Today I am giving you a tour of my cottage pantry. It is located on the back porch off of my kitchen. It's a lovely light filled place where I store staples for cooking, marketing bags and more. Here is a basket filled with milk bottles that will be returned to our local Boise Co-Op for fresh milk. I am in love with this new local dairy that sells it's delicious milk and cream in bottles!

My husband built these shelves for me. I store can goods, my slow cooker, vintage cake pans and more.

On the top shelf are baskets filled with vintage thermoses, lunch boxes, a vintage bread box with an old style popcorn maker on top. I'm just not a microwave girl.

There are marketing bags ...

And a French market basket too. I am in walking distance to the Co-Op and this basket makes it easy and fun to collect my fresh veggies and milk.

More baskets ~ always useful. My three tiered hanging copper basket. It is filled with artificial fruit and veggies that once belonged to my Mom. Because she gave them to me I just can't part with them, so I show them off for fun in the corner of the porch.

Here's my vintage Skotch Cooler. It's so decorative and fun to use for picnics.

And finally ~ my little sewing cabinet where I store a stash of fat quarters for quilting. That's my tour for today. Tomorrow I will show you the other side of the back porch where the laundry is located. Until then, please go visit our lovely friend Cielo. She has a charming cottage to show you at The House in the Roses for her Show Off Your Cottage Monday.

Yes Bentley, I know we keep your bag of crunchies out on the back porch. We showed it on a Pink Saturday post remember??

Love,

Susan and Bentley

xxoo

Tour 2 ~ Cottages of the North End

Grab a thermos of tea or coffee and come take a morning walk with me and Bentley too and we will show off just a few of the charming cottages in our neighborhood. First stop above is Amy's Garden. Amy is an Engineering Professor at BSU, but she also has quite the green thumb. She owns two cottages, side by side and uses one for visiting profs, friends and relatives. The entire front yard is full of veggies, herbs and wild flowers. In the back are her four chickens, Thelma, Louise, Florence and Beatrice. Next stop ... Bentley's place of birth!

Here is the cute little cape cod cottage where you were born Bentley. It's just on the next block. His birth mother Miss Lady lives there. His birth daddy, Mr Rags, comes to visit, but he lives in another house. Bentley, we don't need to check back at Amy's, the chickens are out back ...

This cottage below belongs to Inger. It is super tiny, about 600 square feet. It was originally built as a "sample house" to show off the architect's plans. Inger is a talented artist with such charming vision. Her little cat is watching us ~ especially watching Bentley!!

Inger added this little potting shed on the side. Isn't it the cutest???

Here's a fine example of Queen Anne style.

Picket fences are everywhere. Traditional white pickets, square pickets, iron ones too!

Porches are hugely popular in the North End. They are a must!!!

Porch swings are seen everywhere ...

Bungalow styles are popular too.

Cottage gardens are popular ....

And hula hoops too!!

Bentley and I are headed home. Here is our little cottage back behind our own picket fence ...

Thanks for taking a morning walk with us. Get a refill of coffee or tea and stop by to visit Cielo at her House in the Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Monday!!

Yes Bentley, you were born in that sweet cottage just one block away!!

Love,

Susan and Bentley

xxoo