Sunday, December 23, 2012

Photos of Christmas Past

A great perk of the Christmas season? Visiting my mom's house and seeing these gems still adorning her Christmas tree. Nothing like a full denim jump suit and a disgruntled Santa, and then a trio of matching chaps in turtle necks and plaid!



Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Broken Hearts

Hearts were broken across the world on Friday, 12/14/12, when a young gunman entered the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT killing 20 students and six adults. I can only imagine the fear and terror that these children and teachers must have felt during this horrible ordeal. It is heart-wrenching for the American public, and absolutely life-changing for the families and friends involved.

It's hard to write about the events of that day without getting emotional, but I found an article on FoxNews.com that brought a smile back to my weeping heart:

Gene Rosen, who lived near the school, found six children who escaped from a classroom of massacre at the end of his driveway on the morning of the tragedy. You can read more about the nurturing and caring actions he took by clicking HERE. People like Mr. Rosen truly restore my faith in humanity.

I came across this beautiful quote on facebook this week that seemed appropriate for all of those affected by this awful crime:


Friday, December 7, 2012

More Christmas Love


I just had to share this today. Jimmy Fallon + Christmas + Mariah Carey = Perfection! 

This song has been on my iPod for as long as I've had an iPod and I NEVER skip it. Even when it's the middle of summer, I let it play. It's possibly one of the best Christmas songs out there. And then to throw in Jimmy Fallon, The Roots and some cute little kids? I love it.

PS- keep an eye on the little fella on the left in the sock monkey hat. Too funny!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Christmas Preview from the Hill Family!

Merry {early} Christmas from the Hill Family - Mindy, Bubba and Harper!

A special thanks to my mom who was kind enough to snap a few {or 50} photos of us tonight, and to my sister who was patient enough to be the treat holder/dog wrangler.




Cuteness x2!

I recently found out that my sister-in-law will be making me an aunt again in the next couple of months. But this time, it's a LITTLE bit different. This time, I'll be an aunt times two, she's having TWINS!!!

Already a mother to two adorable blond babies, she's given our family two times as much joy this holiday season. I haven't been able to help myself from browsing Pinterest and Etsy daily for any and everything twin related.

Here is a little sample of the cuteness I found:

By klzart - Twinzees

By shopantsypants - for two little studs!

By myplaceintheworld - Lovely Wall Art

By Creative Cupcakes and More - Two Peas in a Pod Cupcakes

By Katiedidesigns - Baby Shower for Twins Invitation

Adorable newborn photo shoot ideas - found on Pinterest

Great idea for a Twin Baby Shower - Noah's Ark, Two by Two!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

'Tis the Season!

Did everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving and get their fill of turkey? It is finally that time of year again in Southern Maryland. The temperatures begin to drop, the leave start to fall, and the radio stations blast Christmas tunes around the clock. Ah yes, the holiday season is upon us! I even took it upon myself to spruce our little blog here up for the occasion.

In case you're having trouble getting in the Christmas spirit, check out a few pictures I've taken in the recent years during the holidays:

Point Breeze Cottage in lights - 2010

All Saint Episcopal Church, Avenue, MD - 2009

PBC pier - 2011


Little Red School House at the museum down the street - 2009

My in-laws and their hunting dog, Jasper, for their 2011 Xmas card.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Point Breeze finds a home in Manhattan, NY

Back in May we posted about a unique set of furniture that we found in our local Habitat for Humanity store here in Lexington Park, MD. After a couple coats of Aubusson Blue Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and a smooth coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax they were ready for their close ups.


Both pieces sparked quite a bit of interest on our Etsy Site, but some customers seemed turned off by the high shipping prices. Solid wood made it the 1970's is not exactly light, and with pieces this size, they are nearly impossible to ship for a low rate.  We considered pulling the pieces off of Etsy and trying to sell them in the local area exclusively, but with 900+ page views for both the buffet and china cabinet and dozens of inquires, we thought, let's leave them posted until the listing expires. If we still haven't found buyers at that point, we'll pull them off.

And then I met another Mindy. A conversation came through on Etsy from a woman named Mindy in Manhattan, NY who was interested in purchasing the china cabinet. It's not every day I meet someone who shares my name, so I was pretty excited and thought, maybe this is a sign, maybe she is meant to purchase this set. And after many conversations and tons of research trying to figure out how in the world we would ship such a large item to Manhattan for a reasonable price, we finally came to an agreement.

You see, Mindy was actually interested in the pieces for her daughter, Dalia. A sweet newlywed, Dalia was looking for a couple of unique pieces to furnish she and her new husbands apartment. When we work on pieces, we always try to imagine what type of person it will sell to. And after being in contact so closely with this family, I knew we had to make it work. I offered to drive halfway and meet Dalia with the China Cabinet. As bad as she wanted both pieces to complete the set, the buffet's dimensions just would not fit in her apartment. We settled on a date and location, packed up the cabinet as securely as possible on the back of Bubba's truck and hit the road.

Dalia and her new hubby found their way to our meeting spot and after some wiggling and jiggling, we finally go the cabinet loaded into their vehicle. She had also asked if we could bring another piece from our shop with us, that way if they could fit it in their car, they could purchase it too. And sure enough, we got it to fit. So not only did our beloved blue China Cabinet find a new home in Manhattan, but our funky Spanish-Inspired table/cabinet (at right) did too!

Dalia and Mindy were such great customers, if only everyone I dealt with on Etsy was so kind and appreciative. Their cooperation and determination helped make this sale a fun one and we were so happy to see two of our favorite pieces go to such a great home. Dalia was even kind enough to send us some photos of how great both of the pieces look in her new apartment. Best of luck to you and your husband, Dalia, we wish you many years of happiness and love!

Check out the pictures from Dalia's apartment - I think Point Breeze style looks pretty good in Manhattan, don't you?





Thursday, November 8, 2012

Political Analogy

I know the election is over, but I had to share one of the best analogies I've seen during the 2012 campaign. A friend of mine posted this on Facebook, and it's too good not to post.

For anyone struggling (like me) to really grasp some of the financial issues and tax problems in this country, this puts it into pretty simple terms for you:


How our tax system works;
 
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.
 
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
 
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh would pay $7. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18.. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
 
So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said,'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. 'Drinks for the ten now cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers?
 
How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
 
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings) The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings) The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings) The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings) The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 ( 22% savings) The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings)
 
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
 
I only got a dollar out of the $20, declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, but he got $10! Yeah, that's right, exclaimed the fifth man. I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more Than I That's true! shouted the seventh man. Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks! Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor! The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
 
The next night the tenth man (the richest) didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
 
And that, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
-David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.Professor of Economics University of Georgia
 

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Election Day!

It is finally here, Election Day 2012. Mitt Romney vs. the incumbent Barack Obama. If the two candidates took the amount of money they both raised and spent on their campaigns, they'd be able to make a nice little dent in the ever-growing debt our country is in. But that is a whole other rant...

Despite the sad state our country is in, especially financially, I am proud to be an American. The issues and rights we fight for are things that other countries could only dream about. It is easy to lose sight of all the wonderful things America provides to us: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. 

Because we live in a Democratic country, all American citizens are given the right to vote. Our voices can be heard. In my opinion, and take that for what you will, if you don't vote, than you don't have a right to complain about our country and it's current state of affairs. You are doing a disservice to your fellow countrymen who harbor the same beliefs as you by not voting. Though it's a little late now, I just want Americans to do their homework, know what THEY believe in and vote for the appropriate candidate who represents your beliefs most closely. 

Is that too much to ask? Maybe...I'm truly hoping Americans prove me wrong today and restore my faith in our countries intelligence, but I'm not holding my breath. In the meantime, I'll just remind myself that I am thankful to be an American woman and that I have the right to vote today!

Are you wearing your red, white, and/or blue today? I am! ;) Happy Election Day, everybody!



P.S. - just for giggles, I stopped at WaWa to get gas this morning (11/16/12) and snapped a picture of the gas prices...I wonder where they will be in another 4 years?


Monday, November 5, 2012

Beautiful Mornings

When you walk outside at O'Dark Thirty in the morning with the cold breeze shooting off the Potomac River freezing you to death, it's makes it really easy to complain and grumble about where you live. It happens to me every year as we transition from Fall to Winter, I find myself complaining about how cold it is, how high our electric bill is, and how miserable I am walking out to my car every morning.

But then there are days where I walk outside to some of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen, and I remember, "oh yeah, THIS is why I love it here!" Today, I am so thankful for the beautiful place I call home, Coltons Point. You bless me with gorgeous views and scenery year round and for that, I thank you!










Sunday, November 4, 2012

Playing Dress Up

Pinterest has introduced me to many crafts, projects and ideas that seem so obvious, but that I've never considered or thought about. And as Halloween rolled around this year, I couldn't help but notice all of the costume ideas that seemed so easy and fun.

Bubba and I like to think outside of the box when it comes to Halloween and our costumes and this year was no different. We actually didn't even attend a Halloween party, but a surprise birthday party that doubled as a costume party. Since it happened to be the weekend after Halloween, it fit.

We narrowed our costume options down to Mary Poppins and Bert (as we saw on Keiko Lynn.com), Katniss and Peeta from one of my favorite trilogy of books,The Hunger Games, and Flo from the Progressive commercials and Mayhem from the All State commercials. But, we finally agreed on Forrest and Jenny from Forrest Gump.


And what a cheap costume it was too. My Jenny costume consisted of a vintage dress and funky-furry coat from the thrift shop, lots of 70's style jewelry compliments of my flower-child sister, a brown belt from my closet, a center part in my hair and a lot of heavy eye make-up. Bubba's costume was only a pair of khaki's and old grey sneakers from his wardrobe, a vintage short sleeved, button up, blue shirt from the thrift shop and a surprisingly nice (and extremely fitted) khaki dress jacket, also from the thrift shop, and a fresh hair cut.

The only thing I wish we'd had was a box of chocolates! Anyone out there dress up as something unique this year for Halloween? We'd love to hear about it, just leave us a comment.

Oh and just for kicks, can you guess who we were for Halloween two years ago? Here is a hint..."Ohhhhh, Al!"

Friday, November 2, 2012

A Thankful November

Even though we should be thankful for our blessings all 365 days of the year, November is typically the time of year where we voice our said thanks. And it's no different at PBC! My friends and family on both Facebook and Instagram all seem to be doing a daily post of what they are thankful for, and it inspired me to do the same.

Working for a Government Contractor, I have a compressed work schedule (CWS) where I work 9 hours a day and have off every other Friday. As I sit here, on my Friday off, blogging away with my 8 month old beagle puppy curled up next to me, head in my lap, I'm realizing how thankful I am for her.


Say hello to Harper Hill, my sweet baby girl! I am so thankful for Harper; She came into my life exactly when I needed her. Struggling through anxiety and panic attacks in the middle of February 2012, I was unsure of everything around me. Then, on February 27th, my in-laws called to say that one of their hunting dogs gave birth to a litter of puppies. Never having actually seen a new born puppy, I agreed to go visit with the new mom and her babies.


I couldn't believe how tiny they were! We went to visit and play with the pups a couple times a week and I became awfully attached to the runt of the litter, who was all black with a itsy-bitsy white triangle on her neck. The older they got, and the more my father-in-law talked about finding homes for them, the more I thought...maybe we should take her home?

It's nearly impossible for me to make a decision, but with the encouragement of my husband, Bubba, we decided to make her a part of our family. We named her Harper, picked her up at 7 weeks, and the rest is history.

She is hyper. She is small. And she is Love. She was exactly what I needed to get through my hard times, and truly believe she was and is the best therapy of all. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures of little Miss Harper, who I am forever thankful for!

 

 
 
 


A New Approach for PBC

I have decided to give this blog a new spin. Originally created as a blog to accompany our Etsy shop, I thought it would be neat to make Point Breeze Cottage a legit blog where I will feature beautiful works, kind thoughts and all things Southern Maryland. You will still be able to access OUR beautiful works and Etsy shop by clicking on the "Esty Shop" tab, along with ideas, thoughts, and examples of things that I find inspirational and beautiful.


Monday, September 10, 2012

Back to Life

Looking at the primer still stuck on the back of my hands this morning, I thought I'd bring our poor, neglected, little blog back to life. Between family visits, vacations, softball tournaments, bouts of (non-life threatening) illness, and a little thing called our day jobs, it's been nearly impossible to keep up with the blog.

I do love our blog though. It gives me the chance to show you our latest projects as well as the story behind each one. And yes, there is always story to accompany every item. That is what gives our merchandise that little something extra. We visualize the person we believe would want to purchase each product, and try to imagine what their life is like, where they would use each piece, and how it would complete their home.

We are currently working a a couple of new pieces since the insane humidity has finally broken, and I can't wait to share them with you. Check back soon for updates! (I promise we won't wait so long to post again!)


Monday, August 20, 2012

Sunset of Summer Sale!

It's Monday again, and that means back to work. But we hope that everyone had a fun and eventful weekend! While out and about this weekend, Marci and I realized that Summer will soon be coming to an end. Although fall doesn't make it's grand entrance until the latter end of September, the stores are certainly pushing it a little early this year with all of their back to school sales.

In honor of our beloved Summer months, we're offering 15% off all of our "Summer Themed" products at Point Breeze Cottage. Each product will be noted with a special SALE title, or you can check them out right here!

Adorable Child's Rattan Chair - now only $27.20!

Blue Glass Vase - now only $10.62!

Beautiful Crystal Decanter - now only $14.00!

Flower Cash Box - now only $12.75!

Japanese Plates - now only $25.50!

Pink Vine Glass - now only $5.95!

Groovy Glass - now only $5.95!

Blue Cream and Sugar - now only $13.60!

Butterfly Pyrex - now only $12.75!

Store 'n Serve - now only $17!

Tropical Chair - now only $28.05

Bakery Bliss - now only $27.62!











 
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