Cottage Caboodle in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T19:54:00.001-06:00

Wishing a wonderful Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Folk Festival Weekend!

2011-10-31T17:53:00.001-05:00

Yes,our annual Folk Festival is coming up this weekend. Come experience one of our eclectic parades (Saturday) and a full weekend of fine folk music.

Here's the schedule:

Nov. 2 (Wed.) - Queens' Contest at The Aud 6:30pm

Nov. 3-5 (Thurs.-Sat.) - various acts at various clubs around town

Nov. 4 (Fri.) - Barefoot Ball at Basin Park Hotel Ballroom 7pm-10:30pm with Big Smith (tickets $10 advance / $15 @ door)

Nov. 5 (Sat.) - Demonstrating artists & Student art show in Basin Park & Craft Fair at Pine Mountain Village
11am-12pm Still On The Hill performs at Basin Park Bandshell
12pm-2pm Songwriters Contest at Basin Park Bandshell
2pm-3pm Folk Festival Parade
3pm-4pm Still On The Hill performs at Basin Park Bandshell
7pm-10:30pm Concert at The Aud with winner of Songwriters Contest, 3 Penny Acre with special guests Still On The Hill, and Split Lip Rayfield (tickets $15)

And as an added benefit, our colors are still gorgeous! Come experience a weekend of music and fun in the most beautiful village in the Ozarks. And while you're at it, drop into Cottage Caboodle and say hello!

Let there be light...

2011-10-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

Wow. We just got a truckload of beautiful lamps. Take a peak at just a small sampling of what's in-store:

Doing the happy dance...

2011-10-16T11:42:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful War Eagle weekend this is! The weather couldn't be better, town is packed, and it's so good to see old friends and make new ones. The trees are slowly starting to turn to their beautiful fall colors -- a freeze predicted for later this week will probably speed the process. Fall in the Ozarks is truly magnificent, and everyone in town seems to be under its spell. If you're thinking about visiting Eureka Springs, now is definitely the time!

Fall arrives in Eureka Springs...

2011-09-18T12:41:00.014-05:00

The long hot spell has been broken at last, and a chill is in the air. Time to start getting out a jacket or two...time to gather kindling for the fireplace...time to start thinking about holiday decor and gift ideas.

New French milk soaps (left) and English soaps (in basket) with the most gorgeous scents.

French trays, new fleur de lys wall art, new signs.

Burlap pillows with an array of phrases and sayings.

Beautiful iridescent fish ornaments.

The cutest little dog ornaments, crowned and glittered.

Beautiful new cameo necklace and Stella & Joan purse, perfect for the holidays.

Calling all anglophiles...

2011-09-01T10:15:00.000-05:00

Yes, if you're an unabashed anglophile like me, you'll love this framed Union Jack print and Union Jack pillows. Hail Britannia!

The large pillows are a whopping 30" wide ($128); the smaller ones are 19" wide ($45.) And the print is a mere $145.

New stuff!

2011-08-25T16:55:00.042-05:00

Well, it looks like it's been months and months since I last posted. Life just got in the way, I guess. However, we have tons of new merchandise in the store, so here's a sampling.

These are our new Stella & Joan bags, all with beautiful linings and many handy pockets, made from vintage and new fabrics with vintage pins and/or buttons. They are a "must see."

New additions to our wine section. A French "riddling rack" for your wine bottles and hors d'oeuvres plates that match our wine coasters.

Love these new chandeliers! Square, round or mini, they all have such style.

And a bunch of new lamps. (Love this silver teapot lamp with the boho shade!)

I looked forever before I finally found these battery operated tapers. They even have a waxy finish. You can burn them all evening with no fear of fire or flame. Perfect for the holidays.

Beautiful newsprint and graphic print paper lanterns.

Now what family can resist this melamine dinnerware with a French flair? Great style that is....unbreakable!

Words to live by! These message signs are going fast...

Natural pillows, in burlap and linen, with appliques of flowers....or crosses....or the Union Jack.

Or if you're in the mood for a riot of color, fabulous boho pillows in round, rectangular or bolster.

Candles, pillows, plaques and small purses with vintage Arkansas prints.

Just a few of our new aprons (the last two have terry cloth toweling as skirts, because who doesn't wipe their hands on their apron?)

And finally, we now carry a line of Cottage Caboodle shower gel, body butter, body lotion and hand sanitizer. The scents are sensational: green tea and apricot chamomile.

This is just a small peak at what's in store right now. Stop by and take a look!

NEW! Cottage Pets

2011-05-22T11:27:00.000-05:00

Because our customers are such animal lovers, we've opened a new "Cottage Pets" section, with dog and cat collars, leashes, treats, dog bowls, treat containers, and signs. Take a peak!

Dog collars in four sizes

Kitty collars in two sizes

And more signs are on their way. Stop in and check them out!

Rooms of the week - Lonny Magazine

2011-03-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

I'm sure that by now you've checked out Lonny Magazine, but if not, head immediately to www.lonnymag.com!

Here's just a taste:

Lonny stands for London/New York and has a decidedly Euro/urban attitude, hipper than most print publications still out there.

So what do you think? Will online mags replace print?

Rooms of the week...

2011-03-06T17:01:00.000-06:00

This week, I'm into celebrity homes. A few of my faves:

This is Lindsey Buckingham's living room. I love the boho vibe and mixed art, the unmatched lamps and the color palette.

Michelle Smith ( of fashion house Milly) has a similarly eclectic living room. Love the large painting, the funky 60's light fixture and the beautiful carved fireplace.

I adore Ellen Pompeo's kitchen! Check out the huge black and white photo, open shelving, and stainless steel cabinets.

This is Ralph Lauren's dining room in his Manhattan pied-a-terre. It's subtly stylish...except for the light fixtures, which are to die for.

And finally, this is my idea of a closet. (It's bigger than my first apartment.) Designer Nanette Lepore is the lucky owner of this beauty.

All photos courtesy of Elle Decor.

Mardi Gras!

2011-03-05T18:54:00.000-06:00

Today our little village had its best ever Mardi Gras parade. I only got to see a little of it, but from all reports it was fantabulous.

However, friends and neighbors stopped in to show us their get-ups, which was even better than seeing the parade!

You can see part of our award-winning window in this shot. (Yes, we won first place in the Mardi Gras window decorating contest. Woo hoo.)

Rooms of the week...

2011-02-24T12:16:00.001-06:00

This is the first of a weekly series, highlighting the standout rooms I find as I troll the net. First are a couple of hallway treatments. Halls are typically the red-headed stepchild of decorating, but they can be dramatic and glamourous with a little effort.

How fabulous is this! Black horizontal stripes on the walls, black and white striped rug, turquoise chandelier with black and white striped lampshades. Perfect!

(Country Living)

A much simpler hallway approach. I love the mannequin!

(Country Living)

Check out the scale of this room's design elements. Extra large lantern, large accessories on top of the armoire, small table accessories.

(House Beautiful)

Love the use of vintage suitcases to store toys in a child's bedroom. (Also love the feedsack bedding.)

(Country Living)

Several elements I love: the classic skirted dressing table, the collection of white mirrors, cushy ottoman.

(Country Living)

This British colonial style is right up my alley. Note the different lampshades used throughout and the decidedly non-matchy-matchy chairs.

(House Beautiful)

Adore the flags and nautical pillow.

(House Beautiful)

Very cosy living room. Note the art above the windows.

(Esquire)

For happy homemakers...

2011-02-14T18:57:00.000-06:00

...I just finished unpacking and putting out 50 new aprons in 20 styles (some old favorites, some brand new.) If you're in need of an apron...or 3 or 4...you know where to come!

As we dig out of our record snowfall...

2011-02-10T16:09:00.000-06:00

...it's supposed to get up into the 60's this weekend, just in time for Valentine's Day!

We have tons of new merchandise in, so come in and find just the right thing for your Valentine(s). Yes, we'll actually be open this weekend for the first time in a few weeks. (Note to universe: we've had enough snow. Please.)

Luxury soaps are always a nice Valentine's gift.

So is jewelry! We have many new bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

Lots of new bird-related items.

Beautiful framed 3-D Paris prints.

Black and white wall art, including New York subway and Paris metro banners.

A funky selection of heads and hands.

New horses on canvas. Beautiful!

And a new selection of cows.

And a retro selection of owl prints, plates and bowls.

This would be the perfect time to visit Eureka Springs. Many hotels and restaurants are reopening this weekend, there will be lots of live music, and of course shopping, shopping, shopping. Come on over!

Happy holidays!

2010-12-23T11:30:00.000-06:00

We wish you all a wonderful holiday. May Santa bring you everything you wished for!

Thanksgiving reflections

2010-11-24T17:23:00.001-06:00

I realize I've been remiss and haven't posted since July...but we've been very busy! (Poor excuse, I know, but it's all I've got.) And this will be just a short post, but I remembered today that it has been exactly three years since we first visited Eureka Springs and decided we had to stay! Shortly thereafter, we bought a building, settled in and began to put together Cottage Caboodle. Three years later, and you know what? We love Eureka Springs even more now than we did then. We've had a blast.

This year at Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that we found this beautiful town and I'm thankful for our fabulous, wonderful, superb customers who have made living here and running a store so enjoyable and rewarding. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you have a lot to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Big News!!

2010-07-17T15:30:00.001-05:00

Things have been buzzing at Cottage Caboodle this week! Thanks to the genius of Heather and John Snow, designers extraordinaire, our store has been transformed! This clever local duo helped us make Cottage Caboodle more glamourous and exciting, and in the process more easily navigated and explored. Take a peek:

Better yet, come in and see our transformation for yourself !

These new brooms sweep clean

2010-07-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

Just in! A big shipment of Sweep Dreams broom assortments. These beautifully crafted brooms are made by hand in the lush forests of Thailand of 100% renewable sorghum and bamboo and colored with non-toxic dyes in a gorgeous array of colors.

Take a look at how they are made:

Now really, don't you need a turquoise or hot pink broom?

Blog love

2010-06-20T13:40:00.000-05:00

With the dearth of decent decorating magazines on the market, I rely on design blogs for inspiration and entertainment, skimming about a hundred or so each week. I just discovered three new-to-me blogs that really speak to my aesthetic. Each features glorious photography, interesting commentary, and just the style I love. Check them out:

The first is The New Victorian Ruralist, a blog by the owners of Finderskeepers Market in Kentucky:

The next is these roving eyes, a visual feast written/curated by clever Canadian chap Jason Hudson. (He also writes these roving ears which, as is probably obvious, is a music blog. Also pretty interesting.)

And last though certainly not least is myleshenryblog. I don't know where Myles finds his gorgeous images, but I could look at them for hours:

(Note: we carry the phrenology hand shown above. Cool. Call me if you want one.)

These boys certainly inspire me to do more with my blog. (We'll see how that works out.) And speaking of inspiration, I'm going to Dallas in a few days for market...and hopefully lots of new ideas and interesting merchandise. Check back later!

Get the look: blue and white

2010-06-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

Blue-and-white is one of the most timeless decorating schemes ever. It just never goes out of style. And touches of blue-and-white can be added to the most modern to the most traditional of rooms.

It even looks good in rustic settings, as shown above.

(All photos courtesy of House Beautiful.)

And guess what? Cottage Caboodle has all the blue-and-white accessories that you love:

Stop by and start or supplement your own blue-and-white collection.

Blues Festival!

2010-06-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

The annual Eureka Springs Blues Festival started last night, and there are scads of people in town. Every bar and restaurant in town has blues bands playing, and the streets are alive with music. We went to the New Delhi tonight to hear Charles Woods with G Funk the Tree Trunk...fabulous! Here's the thing: we can walk less than a block in any direction from our place and hear world class music. Does it get any better than this? I think not.

Anyway, there's still two more days of great music, so get here if you can! Here's a link to the event: http://www.eurekaspringsblues.com/

Springtime in Eureka Springs

2010-05-09T15:14:00.002-05:00

I was finally able to fill my outdoor pots with beautiful spring flowers. Next will be arranging some large hanging baskets in front of the store. Spring is so gorgeous up here!

Lots going on around town. The May Festival of the Arts is in full swing. If you are thinking of visiting Eureka Springs, now is the time! For a full list of events, visit http://www.mayfestivalofthearts.com/. Two things in particular promise to be fabulous. One is the Grand Illumination, May 13-16, when Eureka Springs will be aglow with thousands of paper lanterns. The other is the annual White Street Walk, when artists along White Street open their homes and studios (and lawns) to the public to exhibit and sell their artwork. This event is always very festive, with food and drink and entertainment, giving both locals and tourists a chance to meet and greet their favorite artists.

On another note, take a peek at some of our new merchandise! These exquisite soaps are beautifully made and smell divine:

Ta Da! The basement is now open!

2010-04-18T15:30:00.001-05:00

Finally. (Actually, it's been open a few weeks now, but I'm just getting around to announcing it.) I've been working on getting the basement open for business for over a year now, so it's a relief to have it done. Scratch! One more thing off the to-do list. 412 things to go.

The basement was one of the things that sold us on buying this building. It's still in its almost original state, with rough stone walls and hand-hewn rafters. (Originally, in 1893, it was a swimming pool, now long covered by concrete.) Another interesting tidbit is that it was originally the first floor, fronting "Mud Street," which was everything its name implies. At some point early on, the city filled in the muddy street, making all the first floors along this stretch of Main Street into basements. (A tour of a small portion of "underground Eureka" has just started. If you want to know more, check out this site.)

Rob took over half of the basement for his workshop, leaving me the rest to open as retail. So let's take a tour!

Follow me around the corner to the stairs...

Yes, they're a little steep, but come on down.

A little art as you reach the bottom step...

And we're finally downstairs. Behind the art is what was a window when this was the first floor. It's now filled with stones and rubble, which we handily disguised with plants and chicken wire.

Overhead, you can see the original hand-hewn rafters, complete with ax marks.

A little closer view of some of our merchandise.

More lamps!

Beautifully woven new throws.

And all our seasonal merchandise -- Christmas, fall, 4th of July, Easter, etc. -- available year round.

Thanks for touring with us. Come on by and see it in person!

Lots and lots...

2010-04-16T13:01:00.000-05:00

...of new lighting and other fun new merchandise! Dozens of new lamps have found their way to the store and wow, are they cute.

Love the burlap and linen shades.

Beautiful glass lamp...and check out the new santos!

Note the bling (cubic zirconia, doncha know) on the red shade!

This shade is stunning -- translucent with metal cutouts of trees and birds.

Our jewelry section has expanded again, with lots of unique pendants, necklaces and earrings.

A new selection of Felicity Glass with new color stories.

Sweet little bird shadowbox with nest and eggs.

Barnwood cross with turquoise and silver accents.

Random notes

2010-04-05T15:56:00.000-05:00

Sometimes items come along that surpass all expectations. These items were our best sellers by far last month; in fact, we've sold more of these than anything else in the past year.

First, our fabulous cows. I may just leave them in the window for months!

Second, these wonderful box signs of various sizes and with various sayings and verses.

This last photo is for Katie ;-)

Carry on...

Happy Easter, peeps!

2010-04-04T14:36:00.000-05:00

It's a gorgeous Easter Sunday in Eureka Springs! Sun is shining, birds are singing, breeze is blowing, people are sitting outside and enjoying the music at the New Delhi across the street. Spring is definitely here. Finally.

Hope you have a glorious day!

Happy anniversary to us!

2010-03-28T13:29:00.000-05:00

Yes, we've been open one year today. A huge thanks to all our customers for making this last year so wonderful.

What a nice surprise

2010-03-04T23:22:00.000-06:00

A week or so ago, a lovely girl stopped by the shop, we chatted for a bit, and she took a few photos. This morning, I discovered that she has a blog (Thoughts and Things) and had written a wonderful entry on Cottage Caboodle and a few other interesting shops in town. I love what she had to say about our store! She also had several other posts about Eureka Springs and its fabulous offerings, including some really nice photos around town. Made my day.

(Thanks, Kelsey!)

More cows...more fun

2010-02-28T11:38:00.001-06:00

Last year I was obsessed with birds. This year it appears to be cows. More cute cow paintings have just come in!

Some other cool things that have just arrived:

Carved St. Francis statues

St. Thomas statue

French mailbox!

Large world map wall clock

Stay tuned for more great merchandise. More things coming in every day!

How did it get to be February 21 already?

2010-02-21T12:03:00.002-06:00

So much for my resolution to blog more! However, I'm managing to work on most of my other resolutions, so I guess it's not too bad. Anyway, it's pouring rain in Eureka Springs today and I'm sitting in the store listening to Rachel Field sing at the New Delhi across the street. Joy! And since it's slow, I'm finally going to post some pics of new merchandise and newly-arranged shop. (I'm still working on opening up the basement; it should be finished next month. Hallelujah.)

French feedsack bags and pillows

New colorful tea towels and an expanded apron section

Maps of Europe, Italy and France with barnwood frames

If I didn't have cows hanging in my dining room, I'd have these skeletal charts!

Love these phrenology and palmistry items!

New assortment of spiffy canes.

Birds, birds, and more birds. Still.

Anyone for a spot of tea?

Our expanded hardware section -- more knobs, more hooks, vintage mailboxes.

Silver and mercury glass.

Doggie section. Rob made the adorable bed.

Lots more in the spiritual section...

Darling little crystal magnifying glasses. Perfect for discreetly reading the fine print.

Expanded jewelry section...lots of beautiful new things.

Rings made in Peru, Africa and India......and finally, more saints bracelets

Funky and/or sparkly earrings

Beautiful fused glass servingware, magnets, jewelry and more from Felicity Glass, made right up the road in Lampe, Missouri.

And there's much more new merchandise on the way. Come visit and take a peek!

Snow day

2010-01-03T08:14:00.002-06:00

Overnight, this little mountain town was blanketed in snow...again. It's after 8 am and there has been little to no traffic down Main Street. Just a glimpse of downtown Eureka Springs in its beautiful pristine state:

(What you can't see in this last pic is the six or seven deer running through the woods.)

I don't think I'll be opening the store today! ;-)

Shop resolutions, 2010

2010-01-02T12:01:00.002-06:00

It's a new year already, and I can hardly believe it. Time just flew by last year as we were busily planning/designing/opening/running our store. And what a great ride it has been! Despite my trepidation, I've found that being a retailer is fun and rewarding, that my customers are my greatest inspiration, that getting to be creative again is a great rush, and that living above the shop in downtown Eureka Springs is simply wonderful. It's all good.

So how did we end up doing this? It was a circuitous route, believe me. A few years ago, we decided we were tired of Dallas and wanted to do something different with our lives. I had always dreamed of having a small inn or boutique hotel, so I began researching appropriate properties for sale throughout the U.S. After I had determined several that we wanted to look at, we set out on a road trip to look them over. Our first stop? Eureka Springs. I hadn't been here since I was a child, and I was enchanted all over again. What a charming and magical place it is!

We found a property that seemed perfect and made an offer that was accepted. A few months went by, the entire project was planned, designed and budgeted, and we were so excited to start. Then one hour before closing on the property, it all fell apart. Can't go into the details, but let's just say all was not what was represented. We sadly returned to Dallas.

However, we couldn't get Eureka Springs out of our minds. We kept returning week after week and looking at everything that was for sale, hoping we could somehow make our dream work. Nada. Then we saw our current building. It wasn't suitable as an inn, but we sure did like it. Right downtown, huge, great living quarters, a large basement perfect for Rob's workshop. But what would we do with it? The owners told us we should open a shop. Now, I had been in and around the retail world for decades (advertising and marketing shopping centers and urban areas) and never considered being a shop owner. But the idea slowly grew on me, we bought the building, I started reading blogs by small shop owners and noting how creative an outlet retailing can be, and after several months of gutting and rebuilding, the shop was born. And thank goodness for that.

These nine months of being open have taught me a lot, thus I can make more educated resolutions for the new year:

Open up the basement. (Rob took half the basement for his workshop, and the rest has been just used for storage so far.) The space is rather charming, with stone walls and thick rafters, and will be a great backdrop for art and seasonal goods, as well as sale items.
Stock more handcrafted items, especially those made in the Ozarks.
Keep track of my amazing customers more diligently.
Continue to find original and unique vendors and suppliers.
Get our online sales going. (I've been putting this one off, but it's time to bite the bullet.)
Market Eureka Springs as well as Cottage Caboodle. (PR, PR, PR. The name of the game.)
Blog more often!

I wish all of you the happiest of new years!

Happy holidays to all

2009-12-23T18:32:00.000-06:00

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Random rambles

2009-12-14T17:52:00.000-06:00

We have gone to winter hours much earlier than anticipated, I must admit. After a few weeks of virtually no customers from Tuesday through Thursday, we will now be open only Fridays through Mondays until March. At least that's what we're thinking at the moment. Since this whole venture is a Grand Experiment, things could change.

Anyway, since now I only work 2 days a week and Rob works the other 2 days, that leaves me with TIME! Time to knock a few things off my giant to-do list. Today I managed to do one thing. (I made a cushion cover for a darling dog bed that Rob made.) Now only 412 projects to go! I spent the rest of my day reading design blogs. I already follow dozens and have now found dozens more. And many interesting store sites, including this one: http://www.corsetlacedmannequins.co.uk/

If you love mannequins as much as I do, check out this site immediately. I want them all. Every one.

For instance, the Union Jack and wasp-waisted beauties above can be ordered on the site. OMG.

Luckily, these two vintage numbers above have sold, or I'd be sorely tempted to sell a kidney to finance one. I've looked and looked for vintage mannequins for a few years now, and so far I've not found any I could afford. And yes, I've seen tutorials on making cool decoupaged mannequins out of duct tape and baling wire, but I'm just not certain they'd look like much if I tried that approach. For now, I'll have to make do with the new ones I have in the store.

But I still want one like this:

Black Friday

2009-11-27T11:11:00.000-06:00

You know, I've always hated the term "Black Friday." It sounds so....well, ominous. Like a horror movie. I'd prefer calling it something boring or obvious like "The Friday After Thanksgiving" or even something honest like "The Day People Get Up at 4 a.m. to Shop for Things They Could Get Any Other Day Without the Crowds and Fuss."

But I digress.

Here it is, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and our little town is filling up with people ready to do their Christmas shopping at unique little shops rather than Big Box stores or malls. Very smart.

And we're ready for them. Ready to offer some special and different and unusual and charming gifts....and spread a little joy and fun.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T09:00:00.002-06:00

Woo hoo

2009-10-25T15:19:00.001-05:00

Our beautiful fall colors have certainly brought people to Eureka Springs in droves. What a wonderful week it has been!

Meanwhile, we're continuing to get in gorgeous new merchandise. A quick peek at a few things:

Opera score pillows.

Keep Calm and Carry On pillows

(the recession mantra)

Curly vine cross.

Tall glasses with cross relief.

Shoe hooks...and arm hooks.

My favorite: a bottle tree chandelier.

Hanging bottle tree.

Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors.

Bronze feather trees.

Teapot and teacup ornaments.

Color me awed

2009-10-21T18:57:00.001-05:00

Wow. Last year was our first autumn in Eureka Springs...and I swear it wasn't as awesome as this. My husband Rob shot these in the past week. It just gets more gorgeous every day.

This last shot is the view from our balcony (the Basin Park Hotel is at the top.)

Fall is in full swing

2009-10-07T13:34:00.002-05:00

If you're thinking about coming to Eureka Springs to see our beautiful fall color, now is the time! Beautiful orange, red and yellow foliage everywhere...and it will only get better in the next few weeks. Come visit!

Biker Bonanza

2009-09-26T16:29:00.005-05:00

There are a jillion bikers in town this weekend, thanks to the Bikes, Blues & BBQ event in Fayetteville. And the best thing? My favorite biker / blogger / customer Denise from OKC popped in yesterday to say hello and do a little shopping. Check out her blog (Bella Dreams) for lots of fabulosity and inspiration!

How Now Multicolored Cows

2009-09-23T12:19:00.010-05:00

Now in-store... Cows! And more cows. And an occasional pig. Love these. (In fact, I now have some of these cows in my dining room.)

Eureka scores

2009-08-29T13:52:00.002-05:00

American Style Magazine named Eureka Springs one of the nation's Top 25 Arts Destinations among cities below 100,000, including Santa Fe, Taos, Key West, Aspen and Carmel. Read all about it here.

(We're just slightly below the 100,000 pop. limit: at last count, we're at around 2200. Take that, Santa Fe.)

New finds

2009-08-14T15:50:00.011-05:00

Ooh la la. These 36" wide Eiffel Tower blinds just came in today and it's all I can do not to haul a few of them upstairs to use in our apartment. But I'm going to try to use some restraint. ($48 ea)

These 3x5 bamboo rugs are also quite fabulous, I think. ($48)

This new piggy pot rack (only $72) matches our piggy cookbook holders (below.)

And you know no post of mine is complete without something bird related. Below, behold these darling little 8" egg wreaths (or they can also be used as candle wreaths.) Only 8 bucks.

We're a winner!

2009-08-07T15:11:00.003-05:00

That's me, hamming it up in front of our winning window display. Yes, we won Eureka Springs' first monthly window decor contest. Woo hoo. (Note that the window is bird related. Of course.)

I had read something about the contest, but really hadn't paid much attention. So...last week I took a day off to try to shake off a nasty sinus infection. There I was, slouched in front of the TV in my nightgown, and Rob calls upstairs to tell me to get dressed and come right down. "Trust me," he said. "You'll like this." Oy. I threw on some clothes, didn't brush my hair or put on makeup, and crawled downstairs to meet two lovely women from the Downtown Business Network who awarded me the prize. "And now we're going to take your picture for the newspaper," they said. Ummm, no you're not, I thought. They kindly let Rob take the photo later when I looked a little less disheveled.

All very nice, you know, except the article in the paper said I "gushed" over the prize. Honestly, I was too sick to gush, but whatever. Now I have to figure out how to win this thing every month.

More, more, more...

2009-08-07T14:23:00.020-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted -- just so busy this summer -- but wanted to share some more of our new merchandise. More birds, more pigs, new glassware, new wire baskets, new clocks, new soap....well, see for yourself:

Be sure to check back in the next few weeks for more new merch. I'm expecting some fabulous cow paintings, as well as some wonderful saints statuary and saints jewelry!

More new merch!

2009-06-23T14:34:00.009-05:00

New things keep rolling in. For example, below, another style of card/photo holder (perched below a lovely wall rack featuring gilded birds...of course.)

Another new chandelier, below, with a sheer organza shade and acrylic crystals, affordably priced at $89.99.

Speaking of chandeliers, check out the tin plaques with various chandelier prints, below.

New sparkly frames:

And a two-sided wall clock with an antique map background:

Finally, French postcard linen pillows:

Au revoir for today, my friends.

Birds, birds, birds. . .

2009-06-21T17:44:00.010-05:00

It would appear that I'm obsessed with birds this season. I seem to always be unpacking bird nests, eggs, bird prints, bird canvases, bird houses, bird coasters and bird memo boards.

Take a look:
Darling coasters painted with birds and nests. ($10)

Metal birdhouse candleholders. ($24)

Bird prints on canvas. ($16)

Bird prints on tin. ($16)

The memo board above is particularly cute -- it's padded with silky damask and includes a bird's nest with egg push pins. ($60)

And this card/photo holder is also pretty darn cute. It comes with "aged" clothes pins and old photos (not shown.) ($48)

And summer rolls in...

2009-06-12T12:30:00.012-05:00

It may not officially be summer yet, but it sure feels like it ... and we're all decked out for the 4th!

In addition to our Americana offerings, we've gotten in all sorts of wonderful new merchandise:

Crowns, crowns and more crowns! The new issue of House Beautiful has an article on the "crown phenomenon." We're on top of the trend, with crown hooks, candle holders, boxes and statues.

Beautiful etched glass martini sets.

Every home needs a place to hang your hat ... even if it's a shoe! Just a sampling of the many wall hangers and hooks we have in right now. Love the painted bird hanger (we also have it with a red bird.)

Assorted sizes of globes on mahogany stands.

Cloches in various sizes, alongside a new collection of pewter trophies!

Naked ladies to open your bottles. Too cute.

AND ... we received a large shipment of new chandeliers. Stop by and take a look!

Officially Open

2009-05-01T18:14:00.002-05:00

Woo hoo. We had our big ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration last night ... and it was wonderful! We had a great turnout, received lots of flowers and plants from our friends and neighbors, and met new friends. I'll try to get photos of the shindig from the Chamber so you can see some of the big event.

We have the very best neighbors we could possibly have. They all helped us with the opening, so a huge thanks to Kathryn from Kathryn's next door, to Lorrie and Sunday from the Pizza Bar, and John from the New Delhi across the street. Great folks all.

Have I mentioned I love this town? I do.

Trot out the dancing girls. . .

2009-04-24T11:54:00.006-05:00

Yes, it's finally happening. Our "grand" grand opening is next Thursday, April 30 from 5 to 7 pm. If you happen to be in town, stop by!

In other news, the weather here went from cold and drizzly winter-type weather to hot and steamy summer-type weather overnight. Couldn't we just have a day or two of spring-like weather? Evidently not.

A little more in-store eye candy

2009-04-19T12:36:00.010-05:00

We've had a wonderful weekend! It rained a bit, but we still had lots of traffic, and lots of customers that want to be able to shop our website. Unfortunately, we won't have an online store for awhile . . . but in the meantime, if you see anything you like on our website or our blog, give us a call. We're happy to ship!

Our chandeliers have been quite popular. Here's a glimpse of the ones we have left:

And just look at "the girls" that came in:

These gorgeous angels have movable arms and detachable wings (for those less than angelic days) ... and sell for only $142 each.

How about these to-die-for carved mirrors?

Lots of new items will come in soon, so be sure to check back in.

Life is good

2009-04-16T16:29:00.005-05:00

It's so wonderful to be open. We're having such a good time meeting all our customers, whether they're from around here or halfway around the world. Everyone seems to really enjoy the store and our merchandise mix.

Zeke also seems to be having a good time...and has calmed down considerably. (Note the toile kerchief. It's an attempt to soften his image. And it matches the drapes.)

Spring is finally starting to hit the Ozarks, and the scene from our door is of bustling traffic, including our beautiful carriages. I love hearing the gentle "clip clop" of the horses. Just one more thing to love about this wonderful town.

Just a glimpse or two...

2009-03-31T17:16:00.014-05:00

...of the store. We're still flying under the radar, as we still have a few details to finish before we're "done." (Will we ever really be done?) For instance, Rob's finishing up the front doorway surround, and I'm waiting to find plants for our big urns outside. (It's still too cold to plant anything.) And then there's the whole basement to price and open!

Arggh. That sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Oh, well. I just need to have the main floor finished by this weekend's shindig. It's Diversity Weekend in Eureka Springs, and the girls next door at Pizza Bar are hosting a party Friday night. They've been so wonderful about steering customers our way, and they promise to steer their whole party over here Friday night.

Anyway, I promised a glimpse of the store, so...

Above: as you enter the store

Above: the ubiquitous rabbit section (it IS almost Easter, after all)

Above: our counter...built out of old doors, of course

Above: our counter top, made of old French doors from a house we renovated in Dallas, filled with old photos, then coated with Envirotex to seal it all up

Above: the "deer" section, with lovely serving pieces, magnifying glasses, letter openers, bottle openers, etc. with silver deer heads...

Above: our spiritual section, filled with crosses and crowns of all shapes, sizes and materials

Above: the white shabby chic section, centered around an old Amish cart

There are a few more photos on our website: www.cottagecaboodle.com

Sssssh!

2009-03-28T14:33:00.005-05:00

We opened our doors today for the first time...but it's a very quiet opening to work out the kinks and figure out all our new equipment (POS system, credit card machine, check machine, etc.)

And what a day for a quiet opening it was. First sleet, then rain, then a blizzard of snow! Nevertheless, we've had quite a few customers and many wonderful comments on the store.

I had to laugh as I was hanging the "spring" banner in the window this morning as snow was blowing across the sidewalk.

We're still plugging away!

2008-11-22T17:37:00.027-06:00

Wow. Where has the time gone? It's been 2 months since I've posted, and...we're still not open! But we've made major progress. Let's see....we've re-wired, re-plumbed, built a bathroom, finished out the store's office (which Rob will inhabit), hung hundreds of doors and windows on the ceiling, torn down the old and built a new balcony and railings, and much more that I probably can't recall at the moment.

EXTERIOR

The original wood balcony and railings were rather rotten and unstable, so we ripped them all down and started over. We were going to redo them in wood, but then decided that iron would be more indestructible. Here's a visual:

For awhile, the building truly looked like Dogpatch. Witness:

But now it's finally almost done! We just have to get our awning built, the new lighting installed and the sign hung. Hallelujah! Here's the sign that will eventually hang over the door:

INTERIOR

It seems like we've been hanging doors on the ceiling forever. We had no idea how time consuming this particular idea would be. But the end is in sight -- they should all be up in a few days.

After we'd installed a few dozen doors, it became obvious that the weight of them all was not structurally ideal, to say the least. So....we had to add a giant beam the entire length of the store and install several posts. We used barnwood again....and a few trees for good measure.

As for the in-store bathroom, it turns out its floor was completely rotted. It's a miracle some poor soul hadn't fallen through to the basement. So, we completely ripped it out and rebuilt it, walls and all. During and after:

THIS AND THAT

So what have I been doing in my spare time? Making all kinds of goodies for the store.

I've been doing a lot with feathers. ;-)

More stuff:

That's all for today, folks. Onward and upward!

Big damn bands and the great depression

2008-09-20T19:43:00.003-05:00

As the financial sky is falling…and I'm reading online how some people are already hoarding food and gasoline and such for the next great depression…our little tourist town seems to be bustling with traffic this weekend. It's a good thing, as Martha says.

Of course, my view of the traffic in town this weekend is strictly as a casual observer. Perhaps our tourists are not buying anything, just soaking up the atmosphere. With my store not open, I have no sales information. (sob)

I'll update you, dear readers, about WHY we haven't opened yet in a future post. This, that and the other have conspired to delay things considerably. Just in time for the great depression. What wonderful timing we have! More later on that...

In other brighter news, the welder was here all day, actually until after 8 p.m.…on a Saturday, no less…shoring up our new steel deck structure. Now it won't budge…or rot…for the next couple of hundred years.

I went to Harrison, Arkansas today and made a haul. My intention was to just hit Home Depot and get a light fixture for the new bathroom and head home, but I made a stop at my favorite little spot (and no, I'm not going to tell you where it is!!) and found some luscious sconces, bunches of lampshades that I'm going to re-cover and tart up, and a couple of very tall silvery lamps. Yum.

And last but not least, I love this town! We walked up the hill to Basin Park last night to hear Rev. Payton's Big Damn Band, followed by Trout Fishing in America. What a fabulous concert. Things like this are why we moved here, and we haven't been disappointed.

Life goes on.

Dear deer

2008-08-10T14:36:00.007-05:00

I hit a deer yesterday.

I was on my way to Rogers in the rain and fog, and a young deer (I know he was young because he was spotted) dashed out in front of me. Thwack. I stopped as soon as I could, and there was no sign of the deer and no damage to my car....so I think I just grazed him. Maybe.

Anyway, I am now initiated into the "I hit a deer" club of Northwest Arkansas. Deer are everywhere. They are in the woods. They are downtown behind our shop. They graze in people's yards. It was just a matter of time before my car met one up close and personal.

Speaking of deer, just look what came in this week! Wonderful deer items -- even more beautiful in person than the pictures show:

More later!

Blah

2008-08-02T17:41:00.011-05:00

Things are just not progressing as fast as I'd like. But then I've never been known to have any patience whatsoever. We did get the sconces up and most of the barnwood. And Jeff is building out the window display.

After much discussion, I think we've decided to do away with any institutional overhead lighting and just use chandeliers. I ordered a bunch a few days ago, and we're planning on converting old chandeliers into colorful works of art. So no chicken lights. Maybe.

Merchandise continues to pour in. And it's everywhere: in the basement, in closets on the first floor, and in our apartment. Witness half our bedroom:

I went to the annual Eureka Springs "Yards and Yards of Yard Sales" on Friday and picked up a few cool things. We actually got up and out at 7 A.M. (unheard of for me, but I guess I'd better get used to it.) Candlesticks, bookends, books, and this:

It has finally gotten HOT here and I'm not liking it. More later!

Progress report

2008-07-24T17:19:00.001-05:00

Things are humming along! The wall panelling is up and painted:

Now it just needs its barnwood trim. Speaking of barnwood, here's my assistant Amber scraping and cleaning our huge delivery today:

Note that the specks in the photo are dust particles flying through the air. (Amber hates this particular task.)

Jeff, our carpenter, is finishing up the display window, putting in old hardwood flooring. (It will be scraped and painted.) The ubiquitous barnwood will line the window frames and back the display unit.

And finally, the merchandise is pouring in! Boxes and boxes and boxes...

Sneak preview

2008-07-20T17:06:00.001-05:00

I've been on an ordering binge, making sure I have all the core elements before we open. Let's see, I ordered several pieces of gorgeous whitewashed furniture (chests, sideboards and shelves), lots of white linens, glass knobs, vintage laundry accessories, silver deer accessories, unusual vintage cards, and tons of blue-and-white, which I've previewed below:

Plus, we've ordered all our barnwood and are having several display tables made. There's a wonderful place here that carries a plethora of old wood, plus the owners build really wonderful furniture out of their better stock. I bought one table from them months ago, and now I've commissioned them to make the rest of the tables for our store.

The wall panelling is going up this week, so we'll finally be able to see what the store will look like. Woo hoo! It's really coming along.

Chicken lights

2008-07-15T15:40:00.002-05:00

So I'm wandering around Home Depot looking for very simple stainless pendant lights for the store when I come upon these "brooder" lights. (Brooder lights are used to heat henhouses...I think.) If I thread them with the same heavy chain I'm using to hang the doors from the ceiling, I think they'll look cool. Plus, they have matching smaller clamp lights for highlighting other areas of the store. Perfect!

But my workers think I'm nuts. They finally bought into the concept of doors on the ceiling, but they think chicken lights are nuts?! I don't quite see the problem. I think they'll just have to see it to get it. Or perhaps these lights will look stupid and I'll get something else. At 12 bucks apiece though, you gotta admit it's a pretty appealing lighting solution.

And...ta da...the doors are done. We decided heavy chains and hooks will indeed do the trick for hanging them. Since we have to sand the floors and that will make a LOT of dust, we'll probably hang the doors last. That's too bad, because I just can't wait to see how they look!

Oh no!!!

2008-07-14T19:24:00.001-05:00

We had a minor disaster today .... although it didn't seem so minor at the time. We decided that we wanted to change the location of the cash stand, which involved cutting a hole in one of the walls. Now mind you, this is a stone building and the walls are 2 feet thick...and stone. But we found a portion of a wall that obviously had once been open and was merely boards and sheetrock, so we went into destructo mode and hacked into it. It happened to contain plumbing from a previous bathroom, but no problem! We'd been told that the plumbing shut-off for the whole building was upstairs.

Au contraire! We cut the last pipe and water started gushing everywhere ... including through the floor where the toilet had been ... which happened to be over where my merchandise is being stored in the basement. EEK!!! Lots of cussing and running and mopping ensued.

In the end, it wasn't as bad as it seemed. We were able to rescue most of the merch. But the adrenaline rush just about did us in.

Hard at work

2008-07-09T14:52:00.003-05:00

This is the store in all its gutted glory. The original store space had pegboard on all the walls, old carpet on the floor, and popcorn ceilings. We immediately ripped out most of the pegboard and the carpet, but the lovely popcorn ceiling finish was a dilemma. Having just dealt with that issue at our house in Dallas, we knew that we had to come up with an inventive solution to cover it rather than scraping it off. (It's a nasty job, believe me.) We toyed with doing tin ceiling tiles (too expensive) and slatted wood (expensive and time consuming), but our final decision was to put old doors on the ceiling. So....we painted the popcorn dark brown so it would recede into nothingness, and bought 57 doors of varying sizes and degrees of disintegration.

Note that I just mentioned "time consuming" in eliminating another ceiling treatment. It turns out that getting the doors suitably aged but not filthy and falling apart is a very very labor intensive operation. First we blew the initial dirt off with an air hose, then went over them all with steel wool, then vacuumed the dust off. That process worked on a few of the doors. The others had to be stripped, sanded and painted, then we'll apply a crackle medium. After that, we paint again and clear coat with a sealer.

We're still debating how to attach the doors. I initially imagined chains holding the doors about 8" from the ceiling, with lights hanging down through the areas where glass or screen had been. However, there's some concern about stability, so it's back to the drawing board.

So much for the doors. We're going to put whitewashed barnwood on the walls and paint the wood floors in a large checkerboard pattern.

Welcome to Cottage Caboodle

2008-07-08T17:49:00.001-05:00

Hello all! This marks the first entry in Cottage Caboodle: The Blog, which will be all about cottage style and all about Cottage Caboodle: The Store. The store is under construction as we speak, and will open in a few months. I'm shooting for September, so cross your fingers, please. It is located at 11 North Main Street in beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas in a wonderful old building we bought a few months ago.

The building has a rather colorful past. Built around 1885, the charming stone basement originally housed a swimming pool, the first floor was a saloon, and the top floor hosted...ahem...a brothel.

But we've cleaned up the old girl's act, and now half the basement is my husband's workshop, where he'll build wonderful goodies for the store; the first floor and the other half of the basement will be Cottage Caboodle; and we are living "above the shop" on the second floor. We moved from Dallas about a month ago and have finally fine-tuned the apartment to my satisfaction ... and now we're working on the store. In the meantime, I'll keep you updated on the store's progress as the days and weeks go by until our grand opening. And once we open, I'll fill you in on what's going on in the store, in Eureka Springs, and in the cottage world.

Cottage Caboodle will feature new and vintage accents and accessories, furniture and fittings, fashion and finds, all chosen to enhance the cottage lifestyle. What is cottage style? Warm, cosy, homey. Sometimes a little shabby and worn. Sometimes new but reminiscent of vintage. Lovely smells and tastes, gentle textures and serene surroundings. A tad funky but always tasteful.

Stay tuned!