Today is blue Monday at Cottage Country Style. The two blue ceramic dolls I made for my mother in 1980, tea pot is from a flea, the little girl is a Maude Humphrey and my two little birds have been with me forever. That's all I have in blue.

We had a wonderfully warm day here in CA today 82deg. so my husband and I had tea and cookies out in our patio. It was so nice to get out after all the rain we had just about a week or so ago. Birds were bathing in the fountain, had to keep our eyes on our cats cause they were keeping their eyes on the birds, whew! but all went well. Last summer we didn't have cats but now we do, two kitties. They enjoy the outdoors but know their home is inside and I like it this way, they can be in or out and they don't run away or get lost, they stay in the yard or the patio. Enjoy your evening my dear friends. Hugs, Lu

Today being Saturday, couldn't make up my mind about going out to a few garage sales, but decided I would for a little while. Didn't really find much except for this little beauty. Don't know what I will use it for yet but had to have it, isn't it cute?
It could be used for sugar, but already have a pink glass sugar bowl with lid, candy perhaps? Hmmm! this will take some thinking but meanwhile will enjoy it sitting on the counter and looking so pretty, of course it wasn't this clean when I bought it. Have a wonderful weekend...Lu

Since I love pink so much I like to collect pink plates with roses among other things, of course. Antique shops have a good supply of them. I use them for different things, to put jewelry or keys on them, some are for eating, for pretty soaps in the bathrooms and so on. It's so much fun to spend the day in antique shops or thrift shops too just looking around looking for that special item to take home. It's so exciting when you spot something you like, if it's at a distance it seems like forever that you don't get to it, whew! I made it, what a relief, right? It's happened to me more than once. If you are planning on a day out there, don't forget to take a snack cause you will get hungry and thirsty too. I eat as I go, can't stop have to get to the next store and the next. Enjoy the day, Lu

New Curtains

It's amazing how a new curtain can change a bathroom. Next to my studio we have a half bath, it's only mine. I was a bit tired of the curtain that was up, so the other morning while enjoying a cup of hot coco, I began to think about changing it, did not have a color in mind for this curtain just so it looked a bit victorian. Ok, got dressed and off I went to the fabric store, row by row I went, knowing that when I saw it would know this is the one and that's exactly how it was. Would you believe the last row of fabric, the last bolt...there it was. I got so excited and bought what was left, which was five yds. have enough for a long valance to go over my mirror closet door adjacent to the bath and my studio, plus made another curtain to another half bath we have. Decorated it with items we already had around the house, things look different when you move them from one room to another, didn't spend any money except for the curtain fabric. Hugs, Lu

Old Venice Manhattan Beach, CA

Well thought I would post a couple of pictures of our daughters restaurant. These pictures were taken before they opened for lunch. They have Greek/Italian Cuisine.
Before my husband had his stroke, we would always go for Valentine's Night. Julie our daughter would decorate so beautifully for the occasion and it was so romantic. Now it's difficult to take him out but we go whenever we can like today, it was a special day, my birthday, and we enjoyed the day at the beach.

My Birthday Today...January 13

Today is my birthday and my husband Rick and I are going to our daughters restaurant, Old Venice in Manhattan Beach for lunch. Later just the two of us will enjoy a cupcake each here in our living room. (pink cupcakes, of course)I just love pink and my eyes just go to anything and everything pink.

It's been so cold here in CA and the fog came in the other morning so my son took this picture from an upstairs window, now this doesn't seem like CA...we are used to sunshine most of the year. I like to bake in the mornings to enjoy fresh baked goods for breakfast so I made this raisin/cranberry bread and it made the kitchen so warm and cozy plus it smelled like a bakery here, of course I could have used a larger plate, oh well...my husband likes this bread, so I made it just for him.

I think I was born in the wrong era, would of loved to wear all the fashions they had then and gone to the balls to meet handsome young men. Of course I would of lived in a castle with a heavenly bedroom all designed in pink and gold...and my jewelry, oh well you can just imagine decorative boxes just bursting with diamonds and rubies. A girl can dream, right? That's me wearing the pink dress, do you want to be the other gal?

I was looking out this window in the morning and spotted this tom cat sitting out there waiting for food, just had to take a picture of him. He comes and waits for food, of course I cannot touch him, he is feral and afraid of everything. I only put the dish out for him and close the door. He is a beautiful cat.

Ivory Love Whispers Romance

A lovely ivory keepsake box that I felt looked romantic so called it Ivory Love. Cabbage roses in soft pink and champagne color with a beautiful hand painted china salt shaker right in the middle in sage green with pink roses. So perfect for your romantic cottage decor. Lunamia, my etsy shop.

Slipper in Aqua

This is a very small and sweet acrylic slipper which I call a Cinderella Slipper, only measures 4½". I decorated it all in aqua, this color is so popular right now and goes beautifully with pink. It will fit in any decor. Slipper is at my etsy shop lunamia.

Maria Antoinette Pin Cushion

I tried to come up with a pin cushion that Marie would approve of and hopefully she would of liked this one, hope you also like it.

Today Sunday went to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with my granddaughter Kimmie, as always
we had a most enjoyable time. I always take a nice lunch for us so we won't have to buy anything...we try to go every month. It's every second Sunday of the month and only about 20 minutes if that from my home.
It was a beautiful day about 82 deg. with a slight breeze, just perfect. We both came home with a few treasures.

For My Lunamia etsy Shop

Been busy getting ready for a boutique and did not have time to post what I have been making lately.

Gather Wild Flowers, Drink Moonlight, Thank the Stars, Remember to Dream, To Laugh, To Sing and Most of all Pretend you Have Wings.. and Use Them.......Laurel Burch...

Laurel Burch was an awesome artist whom I had the pleasure of meeting at an art show in Westwood, CA back in the 80's. Have followed her work through out the years.
Dec. 31, 1945 - Sept. 13, 2009

I enjoy making many things and one of them is decals on china. I did the rose decals on the first picture and fired them in my kiln, except for the plate. At one time was selling my china in shops but no longer do. I even added the decals to the candle. The second picture I just had to share is of a lovely tea set that my dear mother gave me back in the early 60's and it has a very special place in my heart. Of course mom is no longer here with me but have many wonderful memories of our times together and very often enjoying tea. She loved having tea in the afternoon.

I had not been posting due to the fact that I just got over the shingles, not a happy experience. Before the shingles we took a little trip up north to Los Olivos, in one of their many shops I saw little blue birds like these that I just loved. Well I have a girl friend who does lovely work in ceramics and I asked her to please make me the little blue birds and she did in different sizes, now have them everywhere in my garden. Here are just a few of them. Look at the cute chubby one in the back.

Avon Country Garden

A vintage Avon jar which I have decorated
in pink. A sweet pink glittered bird
sits in its nest on top.

Vintage pink lace, silk roses, ribbon,
a large rose, beads and more.

This is Miss Kitty on her way to shopping.
She is made of muslin with painted face,
paws and shoes...17" long.
Enjoyed making her.
Was delivered to a boutique today.
Sold :)

Sunset at the Beach

I just love the sunsets at the beach. This is Manhattan Beach, CA my daughter has a restaurant here, Old Venice, with Greek and Italian Cuisine. Grandson took this picture and is the chef at the restaurant.
It's perfect right now to be at the beach, we had 102 deg. today inland. Wish I was there right now since it's still very hot here.

Lemons

These beautiful flowers were given to me by my son. Florist called them Lemonade.
Aren't they gorgeous? We had a huge lemon tree taken down because of the roots going
everywhere and shortly thereafter the florist came with these flowers.
Very thoughtful gift, thank you dear son.

I have made many dolls in the past years and just had to make a few ceramic dolls. I took a class to make this sweet ballerina dressed in pink. Made several other dolls and other ballerinas also.
I remember giving my mother a ballerina dressed in blue, that was her favorite color and added a music box to it, oh my did she ever treasure that doll. Have now been making soft little dolls about 9" in size, they certainly have been fun to make and also making soft cat dolls.

"A successful marriage is about falling in love many times...
always with the same person"

~A life with love will have no
thorns but a life without love
will have no roses~

Happy Fathers Day to my dear Daddy, he is no
longer with me but I was the luckiest girl in
the world to have had him as my dad.
I learned so much from him, he was kind and
never would hurt anyone. As a young boy he
raised beautiful pigeons and he always had a
love for cats, guess that's why I love cats too.
Love you Daddy.

We have seen the musical Cats four times and enjoyed it every time, it was marvelous. I feed feral cats and the behavior is just like the cats in the musical. They hide and pop out when you are not expecting them. I made these two cats to remind us of the play.

You know they say that in the garden we don’t count the hours, how true!
We get many birds here in our fountain. It's soothing and peaceful to sit and relax
in our private oasis, watch the birds and listen to the sounds of the water.

We are so fortunate to have nice weather here in So. California, especially cause it's good for working out in the garden. I like the tropical look and that is what I have in my patio. Here is a picture of my oasis.
When I am working outside I just seem to forget about everything else, especially when it's early in the morning when all is so quiet and you can only hear the chirping of the birds.