Home Decor: Etsy Fall Decor

Despite the humidity lingering in the air here in Southern Maryland, everyone seems to be ramping up for the Autumn season. My mom, sister, and I all run an Etsy store called, none other than, Point Breeze Cottage, where we sell vintage items, and  re-imagined and re-fabulous furniture; And right now we have several different items for sale that will add a touch of vintage-fall to your home decor.

Use the discount code: PBCBLOG for 20% off any item of your choice!

Amber Flower Candy Dish and Serving Plate

Vintage Pyrex Town and Country Pattern Casserole Serving Dish

Vintage Child's Chair - perfect photography prop!

Set of Four Iced Tea Glasses - Yellow and White

Rustic, Vintage Child's rocking chair - another great photography prop!

Head over to our Etsy shop for more great deals and unique items! And don't forget to use the coupon code!

A PBC Personal Project

The winter months are always the slowest for my mom, sister, and myself when it comes to working on our Point Breeze Cottage projects that we sell on Etsy. The majority of our inventory comes from Yard and Estate Sales, which tend to be strictly spring and summer-time events. So during the winter months we either work on pieces we've collected and haven't begun yet, or research for new ideas for the coming year.

This past summer we stockpiled a surprising amount of French Provincial furniture. This style is GREAT for re-purposing since it has a classic and solid look and tends to be very durable. In fact, you can check out some of the French Provincial pieces we've sold in the past by clicking HERE!

With the unusually warm weather we've been having, my mom, Donna, decided that she wanted to get back in the shed and try to work on some of our remaining pieces. I happen to live in a 1929 cottage (hence the name Point Breeze Cottage) that only has half of a closet; And I consider it half a closet because it's so poorly designed you really can't fit much of anything in it. So for me, storage is a HUGE deal. My husband and I have been trying to finish decorating our bedroom for probably a year now (if not more) and were constantly coming up short. Now matter how good it looked, it was never complete because there wasn't enough room for all of our clothes, shoes, grooming products, pictures, etc. Until now.

I decided to dip into our PBC inventory and have my talented mother restore a piece that fit exactly right for my own room. She was itching to start working on something and I happened to need some extra storage, so she got right to work. Here is the piece I picked out. A very old and DIRTY French Provincial chest of drawers:

The more she and I cleaned out the piece, the more we realized it was in rough shape. It was probably used in a child's room for many years before we found it, but all of the drawers worked, the hardware was intact (we had already removed it before we took these pics), and it was the exact size I needed. So we were determined to make it work.

I helped my mom clean the chest and get it ready for restoration and then I let her take over. She is just SO MUCH BETTER and painting and distressing than I am. She says it comes with practice, but I think she's just got mad skills! Anyway, we decided on a lovely light grey color for the base and then a hint of silver along the time and on the hardware. I think it is absolutely perfect and is neutral enough to put in any room in my house if I ever need to move it. Check out her awesome work!

I love the color combination of the grey and silver!

Fits perfectly in the space I was working with.

 

Hardware looking as good as new.

Thanks again, Momma! It looks great and it's so helpful to have the extra storage in our bedroom now.

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?

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!

Distressed Chalkboard - Photography Prop

I don't have a lot of time to blog today, but how cute is this picture?! Sorry, my puppy is not for sale, but the vintage mirror/frame turned chalkboard sure is! Created by our very own designer Donna, she took an old mirror/frame and painted the inside with chalkboard paint, and the frame with a custom creamy white paint and a light overcoat of brown for the perfectly distressed look. This piece would be a perfect prop for a photographer taking family, children's or even engagement photos!

Visit our Etsy site today to purchase this adorable piece. Before purchasing, send us a Convo and tell us that you read all about this piece here on our blog and receive an extra $5 off!!!

Oh, What's in a Name?!

For today's "Tuesday Tip", I'm actually going to tell you about some tips I read about recently while contemplating a color update to the kitchen at Point Breeze Cottage. But first, I thought I'd tell you about the name of our shop and the REAL Point Breeze Cottage.

As you've more than likely figured out, the name of our small business and Etsy shop is Point Breeze Cottage, or PBC for short. And if you are a close friend or family member you probably know why that is the name of our shop and the inspiration behind it. But for the rest of you, I'll fill you in. In January of 2009 my boyfriend (who consequently is now my husband) and I began renting a quaint little cottage in Colton's Point, Maryland. Though it had been remodeled on the inside in recent years, the outside desired more than a little curb appeal. But we didn't care. It sits peacefully overlooking the Potomac River on Point Breeze Rd. And the road certainly lives up to it's name. The cool, river breeze is absolutely heavenly in the mornings and evenings.

After moving in and putting our own touches on the house, I began to realize how truly inspiring the spot was. I found myself yearning to lounge on the porch for hours, sit on the pier and stare out at the water, and there is nothing quite like watching the sunrise over a hot cup of coffee before work. Everything about this place inspired the small creative spark inside me. I even began writing a blog to document our life on Point Breeze Road. You'll have to forgive me though, as I've pretty much neglected it as of late.

About 2 months after Bubba and I were married, we received a phone call from our landlord. It was unusual, since we knew we'd paid our rent and weren't having any other problems, but then she shocked us both. She asked us if we'd be interested in buying the house we were living in. She was so pleased with us as tenants and wanted to offer it to us first before she sold it to anyone else. Jaws gaping wide, we told her we were flattered and would love to talk to her more about price, etc. as soon as possible. Upon coming to a fair agreement, we signed on the dotted line and the little cottage on Point Breeze Road was officially ours! I'll be posting more about this process in the future, there are far too many exciting details to outline here...

I've been watching my mother repurpose and reuse items to decorate her home for years, and after a particularly unpleasant day at work, I told her I needed a change, an outlet. She told me if I was serious about it that she would help me in anyway she could. I showed her how to use Etsy and we both decided, "We can do this." We started out with old pieces from home, items from the thrift shop, and yard sale finds. Once we had a couple of pieces finished, we were ready to post and sell, but under what name? What else, but the place that inspired me the most, my beloved home; Point Breeze Cottage.

So, that brings me to the "Tuesday's Tip" portion of this post. I found this adorable color scheme for a kitchen on Pinterest, and it just so happens that the layout of the kitchen in this picture looks exactly like my kitchen.

I took it as a sign and am hoping to update my large kitchen this fall to reflect the bold color palette. Are you thinking about giving your home a breath of fresh air, or a fresh coat of paint? Check out HGTV's "Color Palette's Made Easy" tutorial for some beautiful inspiration!

We Love: Keepin' It Local!

Photo from Keepin It Local FB page.

Growing up in the 7^th District of St. Mary’s County I was always familiar with the old Morganza Post Office. It was right down the street from my high school, and every time I passed it I thought, what a cool, old building, but I bet it’s a mess in there. Given the capital, my mother would have snatched that place up in a heartbeat and flipped it. But since that wasn’t an option we just admired it from a distance hoping that no one tore it down. Then one day we noticed that it had sold and someone had started to renovate it. Though mildly jealous, we were happy to see the old place was being given a face lift.

And what a face lift it received, it is absolutely adorable now with blue paint, white and red trim and metal roofing. Curiosity piqued; we researched the local papers and online articles to see just what was going in the building. Keepin’ It Local: A Maker’s Market is the name of the store/market that calls this beautiful old building home. They are filled with products that are locally MADE, GROWN or FOUND. Brilliant!

Photo from Keepin' It Local FB page.

One Saturday after a particularly hot and unsuccessful morning of yard saling, we made our way through Morganza and decided to check out the new Market. Upon pulling into the parking lot I couldn’t help but notice the adorable hanging signs telling visitors what the fresh produce available that day is. We walked in the door and it was exactly how I’d imagined it: Hardwood floors, an open layout for displaying their goods, a separate section for the produce as well as an upstairs and down stairs filled with local finds and artisan products. I even had a mild “freak-out” moment when I saw the CD’s being sold at the counter with a co-worker’s song as the headlining track! Make sure you check her out, HERE.

Here at Point Breeze Cottage, we LOVE the idea of selling locally and keeping capital within the community. Plus it’s pretty cool to see all of the talent and creativity in your own backyard! It’s safe to say that we’ll be frequent customers of Keepin’ It Local.

The Pups of PBC

Instead of our regular “Tuesday Tips” post, I thought it was only appropriate to recognize two special ladies involved in PBC. They are both going “under the laser” this morning, so I thought I’d give them a little spotlight. Meet Harper Hill and Hillee Morris, our PBC mascots and models!



Hillee (left) and Harper (right) enjoying a trip to Rita's. Don't worry, we gave them their own Puppy Ice Cream.

 

Harper and Hillee were born on February 27, 2012 to proud parents Jasper and Lady Belle.



Close up of the lovely Lady Belle.



Bubba and Jasper.



 

Hunting dogs belonging to my in-law’s, Jasper and Belle had a lovely litter of four spunky pups, two boys and two girls. Knowing that he couldn’t keep all four for hunting dogs, my father-in-law started spreading the word that some of them would be looking for loving homes.

Since I’d never seen a newborn puppy before, I made a trip to the farm on the blustery February day and I couldn’t believe my eyes; they were so small! After that first day, I kept making excuses to drive by the farm to visit and play with them, and got particularly attached to this little lady. She was so much smaller than the other three and had a unique white diamond marking on the back of her neck, but that wasn’t the only thing that made her stand out. She was determined! While the others pushed her out of the way at feeding time, she never let that discourage her, squirming her way in between them. And as soon as they were able to start squeaking and barking, you better believe she was the most vocal. I’ve never considered myself a dog person, but this little girl stole my heart. The thought of her going away from the farm to another family made me sick, so Bubba and I decided that we’d make her one of us.

 

Num, pine cone! -Harper

 

And then there is Miss Hillee. Yes, you have to include the Miss. She is certainly a regale beagle! Hillee, obviously the other girl in the litter, was destined to be my parents pet. My dad had been talking about getting a dog for some time, but he wasn’t 100% sure it was something he was ready for. But after a couple of visits to play with them, he just couldn’t say no to their precious little faces. The more time we spent with the puppies, the more we knew Hillee was the one for him. She’d play with the other, but easily drift off to sleep while they still played. She lingered with her mother once feeding time was over, looking for one more sip, and she had the most pleasant disposition, cuddling with anyone who held her. Low-maintenance and full of love, Hillee was the girl for my parents.

  

Young Miss Hillee, so sweet and pretty!

The fact that we’ve been able to keep the sisters close to each other and give them regular play dates has been great! They may rip, run, and play fight non-stop when they’re together, but I think having each other is comforting for them as well. While they lose their “womanhood” today, I wanted to recognize them on here just because they’re so cute and they bring so much happiness to our team!

Here are a couple shots of the girls modeling our products. Funny, both of these pieces sold really quickly...maybe we should include them in every photo shoot?!

Harper modeling with the retro cabinet that was sold to a newlywed couple in Manhattan.

Hillee modeling with a vintage, pink washtub from the 1940's.

Going Hand in Hand...

I apologize for the lack of bloggage, but things have been pretty busy lately. Not that I'm making excuses...ok, yes I am, but at least it's true!

Anyway, we have a lot of exciting new posts coming your way in the VERY near future. Trust me, you won't want to miss them, whether you live in Morganza or Manhattan! In the mean time, I wanted to leave you with a quote I found on Pinterest that I think all artisans, bloggers, and people in general should live by. It's something that we here at PBC have to remind ourselves of daily, as we all work full time jobs while working towards the goal of having our own dream shop!



You can purchase a sign with this quote on it at an adorable little etsy shop called LUCIUSart.

 

Refinished French Provincial

Monday's Featured Product

Seaside Cottage chest of drawers

The girls and I were heading out to yard sales a couple of months ago, "keep your eyes open for any French provincial furniture" I reminded them. We had received lots of positive feedback on the French provincial chest of drawers  that we painted in true PBC style and named the Seaside Cottage chest of drawers. (See photo at right)

Before we started PBC it seems French Provincial furniture was plentiful at yard sales, estate sales, and thrift shops. This year we hadn't found any except the one chest of drawers. Weeks went by and we were not finding any good pieces. Then one Saturday afternoon as Marci was taking a walk around her neighborhood she came across a yard sale we hadn't even known about. The family was beginning to pack it up as Marci's eyes skimmed the few remaining items strewn about the driveway. And there it was, one lonely little French provincial night stand / end table, and since the man was ready to call it a day he made Marci an offer she couldn't refuse. It was sturdy and well built but drab and boring with worn faded yellowy cream paint and Marci knew what potential it had.

So, with some ASCP in Graphite, some of our own mix of chalk paint in pink, and a little AS Clear Wax to top it off, we gave an old drab nightstand some punch and pizazz. This color scheme would be great in a little girls room, a pre-teens room, or even a young lady heading off to college would enjoy the updated look as well. The ample storage for personal items and books and the spacious surface for a lamp, alarm clock, and cell phone charger make this a great piece for the dorm as well.

We really hope you like the gray and pink, slightly distressed look as much as we do, it's a fun, versatile piece!