Beekeeper's Cottage is all decked out for the holidays!!!!

We have just put all the finishing touches in the store for the Holidays. We have had so much fun! We have some amazing garlands and ornaments and the store has never looked better! We even repainted the upstairs to get ready for all of our guests! We are keeping the store overflowing with wonderful holiday gift ideas and are working on loading Santa's Sleigh! I will post more pictures as soon as we catch our breath and show you many wonderful decorating ideas throughout the store and in our own homes.

True Friendship!

Nancy and I wish to extend heartfelt thanks to Jennifer Carter-Wharton whose artistic photographs of our shop were used in the October 2009 issue of Romantic Homes Magazine. She's simply a life-saver! Here's what happened.....

Nancy and I found out in April that our shop would be featured in an upcoming issue of Romantic Homes Magazine. Need I say we shouted for joy? We did that and more! We excitedly began staging the Cottage. Pictures were the next logical step.... and yet Nancy and I knew we lacked the expertise to capture the beauty and uniqueness of our shop. We needed help!! My friend Jennifer volunteered. With her quiet confidence and creative flare she calmly snapped fabulous photographs of our Cottage and taught me a thing or two about picture-taking!! Many of those pictures can be seen in the October issue of Romantic Homes Magazine. We are thankful for her time, guidance and talent. A special thanks to Sarah Elkalban who assisted with staging as we prepared each shot:)

Jennifer Carter-Wharton makes her home in the greater metropolitan area of Washington DC. She is an artist and writer who embraces the whimsical things in life. Whether with the lens of a camera or the tip of a pen, she searches for the beauty in all that she sees and feels. Jennifer is currently looking for a literary agent to represent her children's book, "What the Wind Whispered".

Beekeeper's Cottage is featured in the October issue of "Romantic Homes" magazine! It is available on newstands nationwide and of course we have copies in the store!

New Camera!

Oooh-la-la! Nancy and I are so excited! We recently purchased a Nikon d60! It's taking fabulous pictures:) Our website and blog is going to be chock-full of the most incredible snaps ever! Be on the look out for these crisp pics!

Stock Cupboard Rehab

My kitchen cupboards just don't go with the home that I've gone about creating these many years. Replacing them isn't in the budget right now. Solution? I'm painting! I admit, it's taken a few layers and time to achieve this look, but I'm thrilled with the end result! A bit of paint, sandpaper and stain created a finish that, to me, is ageless and homey. Glass knobs will add just the right finishing touch!

Gardening by the Pot or by the Yard


It's that time of year again! The sunshine and spring showers bring forth a festival of color. Whether you have established flower beds or maintain a flurry of pots, what fun it is to be surrounded by things in bloom! Roses are my favorite! What are yours?

A vintage Inspired Bathroom Remodel


This week I started to remodel two of my bathrooms. Were they awful to begin with? Not really. They just lacked the architectural details and Vintage feel that our store and design service is known for. They were like so many new homes (and not so new) Builder Bland. Yesterday was gut day! Out went the floor, the toilets, the vanities, sinks and faucets.....It was a very messy day. They also laid the new tile and cut the hole for the new medecine cabinet. I am doing these bathrooms on a tight budget...$3,500 for both including labor and materials. I plan on sharing my progress and giving you all some inspiration for a Vintage Inspired bathroom of your own! When the vanity tops were ripped out, I put them on craigslist for sale and sold the double vanity one with the faucets for $50, my builder bland items were someone else's treasure! I would suggest if you are remodeling to see what might be salvaged and either sell it or donate it to charity.