Monday Markdowns for Memorial Day!

So we can all enjoy a nice long Memorial Day weekend, I’m starting Monday Markdowns a little early. And with a fun twist! Pick your own markdown! Take 20% off your purchase at The Pink Rose Cottage! Enter coupon code “MemorialDay09” at the checkout to receive your discount. (Valid though Memorial Day. Offer not good on prior purchases.)

Hope you all have a fun and safe holiday!

And thank you to all our brave veterans!! We will never forget your service for us!

Love to Iron!

Polly from Count Your Blessings has a post on laundry sprinklers. And such a good idea to use a sprinkler to water plants. But my sprinklers are strictly for ironing. And I love to iron! When I iron vintage tablecloths, I use a mangle. It is by far the best way to press vintage linens. It’s fast and easy, and for me, relaxing!

The wonderful ladies at The Vintage Tablecloth Lovers Club introduced me to the art of mangling. Denise from Vintage Gardens and Patrice from A Sentimental Journey both TLC members, are proud mangle owners. They can attest to how wonderful they are! By far the best way to iron an Irish Linen Damask cloth is with a hot, hot mangle. It just makes the design pop from the fabric.

My Horton mangle is from the 1930’s and –knock wood- still going strong! I thought I’d have a hard time finding a working mangle. But early in the saleing season a few years back I easily found one. And the best part, it was half price! All of $2.50! My husband and his friend cleaned it up, changed the cord, and tested it out. I was good to go!! Lovin it ever since!

Monday Markdowns and more…

Oh I use to dread Monday’s! I hated the weekend ending and having to go off to school or work! But now that I work at home, I really look forward to them. As I get older, I find that I really enjoy a routine and a plan. Especially after a nice weekend!

And we did have a nice weekend. We visited my husband’s mother. She misses the kids and really had a good time catching up with everyone. On the way home we stopped at the outlet shops. Of course, I wasn’t going to buy anything. But the deals were too good to ignore. And nothing thrills me like a bargain!

I wanted to pass on the thrill of a deal to my friends and customers at The Pink Rose Cottage. So I’ve added a new category Monday Markdowns. Every Monday I’ll pick a few items and reduce them up to 50%! But only on Monday’s! When Monday is over, so is bargain pricing. You’ll never know what I’ll pick to feature, but you know it will be a wonderful item at a great value!



It’s still nice and cool here. Maybe a little too cool as we had a frost last night and are expecting another tonight. But my lilacs are still gorgeous! And oh the sweet scent! The flowers in the center are called President Grevy and they look almost blue. The others are from a bush that was here when we bought the house. A beautiful deep purple color. I have the bouquet on one of my favorite Wilendur’s, the wildflower pattern. I say “one of my favorites” about every Wilendur I talk about, don’t I?? LOL!

Remember my post from last week, Accidental Collection? Well, Melissa from Piney Rose posted her darling miniature chair collection. Go over and check it out. Her little outdoor patio chairs are just the sweetest!!



Speaking of chairs, I wanted to share this enchanting cozy cottage chair wall art I recently listed on ebay. The pictures just don’t do it justice. It’s so cottage sweet! Perfect for an enclosed cottage patio for sure! I’d love to find it a good home as I am so very tempted to keep it!

Today is laundry day, so I better get to it! The weather is beautiful and I just love to hang the clothes to dry. They smell so good that way, especially the sheets! Plus I'm soaking and sunning some vintage linens. Something else that thrills me!! Hope everyone is doing something that gives them a little thrill!! Have a great Monday!

It’s Friday Flea Market and I’m SEW excited!

Please stop by The Pink Rose Cottage for today’s Friday Flea Market. I've added a few fun vintage sewing items. And while you’re browsing, I'd love for your to visit the*cozy*cottage.

Don’t forget to visit all the wonderful sellers at Friday Flea Market!

An accidental collection

I love to go saleing – garage sales, estate sales, rummage sales. I just love ‘em all! I love to dig though piles, boxes or just peruse the tables. I pick up a lot of little treasures. While putting away my finds I see a trend. I have a collection of teacups! I didn’t set out to collect them as I did with vintage tablecloths and vintage powder compact. But sure enough, over the years I’ve amassed a nice collection. I see these beautiful teacups, so dainty and elegant, I just can’t pass them by. They are a wonderful little cozy cottage extra!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to purchase quite a few teacups. Very pretty ones! As much as I want to, I just can’t keep them all. So I’ve added them to The Pink Rose Cottage for someone else to enjoy. Check out Tea Time. You just might find a treasure you love!

I wonder when I’ll see my next trend toward an accidental collection. What will it be? Buttons? Tarnished silver? I don’t know…but I’m sure I’m on my way! How about you? What’s your accidental collection?

Happy Mothers Day!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!

A stroll through the cozy cottage garden…..

I swear we just survived the longest winter ever and it’s a joy to walk the yard and see what has come to life!


These primrose were here when we bought the house almost 19 years ago. I just love their bright fuchsia color with the sunny yellow centers.

Once again, my gardens are covered with forget-me-nots. Fortunately I love it! Sometimes I’m lucky to get blue with a touch of pink flowers. This year I got blue speckled with white. So sweet!

Looks like the beginnings of a birds nest blew into my bleeding hearts. I hope the birds were able to make a new home!

My fence that my husband and I (yes me!!) built to hide my compost pile.

Early spring, during a bad storm we lost a huge maple tree. With it gone, I’m hoping the grass will become thicker and my dogwood will fill in.

Every year when the kids were little, we’d drive up to the Lilac Farm in Cambridge Springs and they would pick out a lilac for me for Mothers Day. This is my favorite. It’s pink!


One year on the trip my little guy got very car sick and lost it as soon as the car door open. The owners of the Lilac Farm, a very sweet older couple, came running over to help. Turns out the woman use to be a nurse. She cleaned my son up and sat him down until he felt better. When we were leaving the husband brought over three little potted lilacs and gave one to each of my kids. He said they were a mystery variety. So we went home and planted these little things never thinking they survive. Well they are now tall and gorgeous just like my kids. All three plants turned out to be a soft purple old fashion lilac that smells just divine!

Last but not least, is this gorgeous magenta lilac. We call it Grandma’s lilac because my husband took a cutting from his mom’s huge old bush. It’s beautiful and smells wonderful! I can’t wait for all these lilacs to be in full bloom!

It’s FRIDAY FLEA MARKET time again! And it’s May 1st

And were celebrating at The Pink Rose Cottage with 10% off your entire order today! Enter coupon code MayDay09 at the checkout.

Have a beautiful day!