Molly Susan Strong

Friday, October 29, 2010

Christmas before Halloween - Sneak Peek

Life of a retailer! 
I thought I gave that up years ago
 as relented to alpaca sweaters in June! 
Here is a little peek at
It is so very holiday goodness!
Architectural pieces

A French Provincial Bar 
A Perfect Server
  A bedroom set...warm and creamy with sparkle to boot.

Oh the sparkles!
 Hand painted and sparkled cup cake boxes
 New Christmas sign!
 Handmade votive
Christmas and Holiday signs
 Sayings make the perfect gift...
I love Winnie the Pooh...thoughtful and fun.
 "CHARM"-ing word necklaces, dictionary words with definitions.
Oh and I made the hanger from an old dry sink harp

 Ohhhhhh the signs....the signs, the signs!
 Little mini for the tree, or a gift or a bottle!
And some vintage toys...
I love the pull toys, old tin Raggedy Ann kitchen set
 and my fav game of Tiddely winks
and pick up sticks from the 30's.

So you see,
Alas...with three little shops to supply
and special orders,
AND THE SIGNS 
I have tendinitis.  

Usually my shoulder gives out...
now it is my shoulder and elbow! 
Yep...tennis elbow,
 or should I say...
painting,
distressing
and waxing
elbow!

But it is cute, no?
Elbow be dam#ed...
I have  gifts suitable for everyone!

So come see me at our
OPEN HOUSE
HOLIDAY
 FIRST DIBS
SHOPPING PARTY
Nov. 4
6 - 9 p.m.

Sparkles, decor and gifts galore.

I need to rest!
Molly


Friday, October 22, 2010

A Peek into my REAL life...

My official uniform.
Come on...Isn't it pretty?
This is what I wear to do
my best work.
It generates creative energy...
brings about great works...

I was having a pretty serious conversation
 with my 16 year old the other morning. 
She stopped, looked at me and said,
"Really Mom?"

I was like, "What?"

She pointed at me.

Huh????
(long pause)

What?

The rest was unspoken.

Could it be the stains,
tears,
 missing buttons
that had her in awe?

No.

How could she take me seriously like this,
 she explained.

WHAT?

Now I have been known,
well...no one sees me I dare hope,
to work in my nightie.

I paint,
sand in the garage,
drive to school with a trench coat over it,
clean the house,
and run my business in it.
Now I manage to keep this private,
well, it used to be private.

Wrong you say?

Don't argue with an artist(said with flare)!

Tattered...torn

Adorned with paint...wax...
whatever else I get into to...


It is what it is. 
I love it...the softest of cotton knits,
 lovely

It even looks good with any shoe choice
and a hoodie makes it work year round.

It is me. 

I wake and am OFFFFFF...
weilding brushes, sanders and creating.
Why ruin yet another pair of jeans or sweatsirt?

Oh and my office...ahhh, island.

My dining room table....
ahh, breeding ground of custom cut stencils...

Baskets o' wood ready for
some inspirational words...
in my dining roon corner.

Me, my life and my things of beauty.

I love it.

Tell me your secrets...
(Yes, my working peers owe me for telling you  my secret...
I may be known for a story or two while working with my girls!
They made me promise to tell.)

Molly

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Holiday La la land

We just completed October sale at

and it was so great to see
so many friends and fabulous customers...
my most grateful thanks
for all your support.

I am deep into my new items for the holidays...
 my brain won't
stop
and I am thinking and rethinking my strategies....
color
sparkles
 sayings for signs...

This week is finely time for
CREATING!!!

So off to my
office(ahaha)
and
into my
uniform
(more to come on that
and you do not want to miss it)

Molly

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Things that make me happy...

I have been thinking about
what makes us all feel like
 home is
HOME
  (My new love is this antique European trunk!)
Yes, of course, our families, pets...
 but for me
it is the little things that
"I like". 

Things I had to have
that I have found
 in all kinds of places...
fancy smancy shops,
resale shops,
vintage shops,
Mom's living room or
even the garbage picking find.

It is this accumulation
of these things,
over time,
placed just so 
that define "home" for me.

Some of these things I move about,
 creating new vignettes
to please my eye that day...
that season.
Sometimes I stow them away
and then months
or even years later
I bring them back out with
new
lusty gusto!

One day this "thing"
may be a side table,
next a bathroom storage unit
and the next a
"canvas" for new art.

It is what
creates
the look I love...

time worn,
 patinas rich,
funky,
classic,
strange or new.
  This eclectic combination of
well loved items,
 touched and retouched...
moved about and
arranged and rearranged.

So
here
are just a few
of those things...

I adore this china pattern...Calico Burleigh Staffaordshire from England.

 Over my kitchen window...
 More in my china closet with a bee hive of course!  Oh and tassels...
 A ceramic pumpkin no one else would like but
 I love the turquoise leaf!
 A cow tag I managed to wrangle from my friend Gail
with my home address numbers from my childhood.
A French locus for good luck from my Mom
with lavendar grown in my back yard.

A bee in my powder room, or two!

I love this drawer from my hubby when we were first married,
 old books from family and this LOVERLY lady strolling.


This scale...turquoise again!

My headless angel...loooong story but important to me,
my mercury glass hive and birdies!

This drives my husband crazy...
two light swiches and I choose a candle chandelier!

My husbands Grandmother's little European print
she always had in her foyer...now I do!

 A garbage find mirror!
This cabinet I have had for 20 plus years...
I never tire of it. 
Even the silly Halloween kitty likes it.

A cast iron pumkin on the stoop.

My copper window boxes with
mini boxwoods and pansies...ohhh, LOVE!

A mug from my sis with a nod
to my love of blue and white Calico dishes,
a voodoo doll given to me by a dear friend and
MY BRUSHES,
ALWAYS MY DEAR BRUSHES!!!


Tell me about
one thing you love
that makess you feel just
so
in your own home...

Molly

I haven't even started in on
 the little furniture pieces
collected over my 24 years of marriage! 
Another time...


Sunday, October 3, 2010

PLEASE VOTE!!

News from THE COTTAGE GALS

Friday, October 1

We've Been Nominated!

The Cottage has been nominated for
Loudoun County Small Business of the Year Award!
We are so tickled to have just found out on our 5th Anniversary!
But we need your help -
please vote for us on
 go to
Events
 and look for
small business awards
and VOTE for
The Cottage!

Thanks for your help and we hope to see you  soon.

Linda and Ann
(Molly too!)

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