The T-Cozy

Cottage Number Two

We’ve owned our very own house on Martha’s Vineyard for three months and now, we’re ready to relax at last. Feathering our new MV nest has kept us quite busy. Although it has been loads of work and somewhat of a challenge to furnish a house on an island, for me, it has truly been a dream come true and a labor of love.

This tiny painting of our new home is by my sweet daughter, Hannah, who gave it to me for my recent birthday. Isn't it adorable?

We furnished our island getaway at breakneck speed so that we can enjoy it with family and friends this summer, as well as rent it out a bit to recoup expenses. The challenge that I relished the most was working with a shoestring budget. Between flea markets, tag sales, Craigslist, thrift shops and more, I found lots of things I love at amazing prices.

I promise to post more frequently and share our new summer cottage with you over the next few months. Perhaps you’ll feel that you’ve come along and taken a little vacation, too! And if you’d like a sneak peek, check out my Instagram feed and search for #mvcottageofmydreams which is the dedicated hashtag I created for the house.

Susan
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Brimfield Inspiration

On Wednesday, I tagged along with a friend to the Brimfield Antique Show. So many wonderful things to see! I was awestruck by the selection and sheer quantity of vintage items on display.

There was one thing I loved the most, shown below. Too bad it was a bit out of my price range!

We walked the fields for six hours and saw perhaps a quarter of the entire show. I returned home happy, with sore feet and a couple of lovely vintage items for our Vineyard cottage. 

Susan
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Postcard Pursuits

I am having the best time feathering our new nest on Martha’s Vineyard! Although it can be a bit daunting furnishing a vacation house from top to bottom, I am relishing every moment of it. The biggest challenge, aside from decorating on a shoestring budget, is the logistics of getting everything to a house located on an island that is reached via steamship. Through a variety of means (renting a van, hiring a moving company, and more), we have been able to get most of the large furnishings there in record time. Why the hurry? Because we want to be able to enjoy it with family and friends this summer. And eventually, we will rent it out during the high season in summers to come.

For the next few weeks until we return to MV, I am focusing on finding small home decor pieces. I’ve been attending estate sales like a madwomen, and last Sunday, we went to the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market. In a couple of weeks, I will make a pilgrimage to Brimfield with a friend to see what I can find there. In the meantime, I am working on budget-friendly wall decor projects.

When we moved into our 1925 cottage in Norwalk three years ago, I noticed a small casement window leaning against the wall in the basement. Original to the house, it is no longer needed, so I planned to replace the panes of glass with mirror. However, when I came across my collection of vintage Martha’s Vineyard postcards recently, I decided on another use for the window.

John sanded, scraped and cleaned away all of the window’s loose paint. I then adhered six of my favorite cards to the back of the glass using Zots which are small, flat adhesive dots. Easiest project ever!

A neighbor of mine kindly gave me a couple of 1950s floral lithographs in curvy wooden frames. Unfortunately, the prints had seen better days, so I took the pictures apart and painted the frames white to match the window. I enlarged two more vintage postcards on a color copier and placed them under glass in the refurbished frames.

Below are the finished projects on the wall of our MV abode. Cottagey and fun — I love the postcards’ bright colors and kitschy images.

These projects were super easy. And best of all, they were virtually free. I love free!

Susan
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Happy Earth Day 2017!

Reduce, reuse, recycle, reclaim, repurpose, and more... Let’s all love our Mother Earth and treat her with the respect and kindness she (and all of her creatures) deserves.

Susan
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The T-Cozy is Ten Years Old... This Calls for a Giveaway!

How time flies. This month, I’m celebrating the T-Cozy’s 10th blogiversary! From whimsical craft projects to charming antiques, from storage hints to seasonal decorating ideas, my hope is that this blog has provided you with innovative ideas to make your home a fun, cheerful place. I’ve loved sharing my flea market finds and treasured collections with you over the years. 

Speaking of vintage treasures, this altered art world globe, decoupaged with charming illustrations from a 1940s primer, is up for grabs. Made by yours truly, the paper ephemera features images of friendly children, houses, picket fences and all the activity that goes on in a neighborhood. 

For a chance to win my upcycled globe, on Instagram, “like” this photo, then post a picture of your all-time favorite vintage find on your IG feed and make sure to tag @tpartyantiques. If you’re not on Instagram, you can leave a comment on this post about your favorite find instead. The lucky winner will be notified Monday evening, April 3. 

Thank you to those who have come along on my blogging journey over the last decade!

Susan
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Dreams Really Do Come True

Over the years, I have enjoyed sharing numerous family vacations with you as we traveled across the U.S., Canada and Europe. You may have noticed that we return to one place in particular every year without fail — our beloved Martha’s Vineyard.

The first time I visited MV was almost 32 years ago in the early days of dating John. He had a long history with this idyllic spot, the proof being the 8mm home movies his parents took of him as a baby there. It didn’t take long before I fell in love with both John and the island, and we soon started talking about how wonderful it would be to have a place of our own there someday. We married, had kids, and continued our annual pilgrimage. For fun, we’d peruse real estate listings and wonder if we would ever be able to afford anything. With two children to raise, house prices were always out of our reach. However, once our youngest graduated college in 2015, we became determined to finally make that vacation home a reality.

And now, I am thrilled to announce that after a long search, our dream of owning a house on Martha’s Vineyard has finally come true! We closed on this lovely little cottage two weeks ago and are so very happy and excited. We look forward to spending time there with family and friends this summer. But first, lots of work ahead to furnish it from top to bottom. I will surely relish every moment of it...

Susan
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Sew Sweet! Vintage Toy Sewing Machines

Although I never had one as a child, I’ve definitely made up for lost time when it comes to vintage toy sewing machines. These adorable relics are my Etsy shop’s best sellers. I have sold over 50 and sent them to all four corners of the globe! 

Aren’t they adorable? My personal collection consist of three that I keep on display in my studio. They are KAYanEE Sew Master machines manufactured in Germany post WWII by the KAYanEE Impex Corporation of New York, N.Y. 

Embellished with flower decals, they can be quite hard to find. However, those decals definitely elevate their cuteness factor.

Below is a small sampling of ones that have found new homes over the years.

Have you always wanted one of these charmers? If so, you’re in luck; I have a few for sale in my shop. The Pièce De Résistance is this one below made by Elm City Toy Products of West Haven, CT. 

Called Little Lady, this toy sewing machine sports dark pink paint and is sprinkled with tiny cream, yellow and black flowers decals. You can find it in my shop here.

I think these two KAYanEE models are super sweet, especially because of their blue color and floral decals. The one above can be found in my shop here.

The KAYanEE shown above resides in a wooden base with finger joints at the corners. It’s available for sale here.

This last one is a Junior Model toy sewing machine that was manufactured by Gateway Engineering Company of Chicago IL. Although it has been well-loved, is sports a couple of special features. The wooden base is not a standard and must have been added by a handy father long ago. It also has a miniature red tomato pin cushion glued to the back right corner. Sew sweet!

Susan
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Elevating the Classic Composition Book

A while back, I came across a charming cotton textile made in Japan by Yugyoku. Created by Kokka, it has a whimsical pattern of flowers, circles and well-dressed chicks. Isn’t it adorable?  

Since I sold several of my handmade composition book covers at West Elm’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop, I figured it was time to finally put this fabric to good use and make a few more.

How I love my new Janome sewing machine! It makes any project a breeze.

I had just enough fabric to make three covers.

Just for fun, I added a rickrack bookmark embellished with vintage buttons at the end. 

Sewing composition book covers like these are super simple. I watched a tutorial by the Craft Genie to learn how. But if you’re not into sewing and are pining away for one, you can purchase one of my creations in my Etsy shop here.

Susan
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Pretty Pictures

In case you didn't know . . . I adore photography. Always have, always will. How nice that I get to share my favorite pics with you right here on The T-Cozy. Lucky me!

Here are some new shots for your viewing pleasure.

Our cottage looks extra cozy when covered in a blanket of snow.

Step inside. Want a cup of tea?

Our kitchen is bright and sunny. And just beyond it is my sweet little studio, also known as My Happy Place.

I can’t help but smile when I’m in here.

It has space for all of my crazy collections.

Needless to say, I have a weakness for things made from wood that are shaped like teapots.

My desk is chock full of vintage eye candy. This is where I work on listings for my Etsy shop.

I’ve spent this week listing valentines from the 1930s. Adorable.

My latest acquisition — three metal trays in the perfect shade of aqua. One is already in use as a message board in my kitchen. The other two are in my shop and come with four handmade button magnets.

It’s hard to believe that my 10-year blogiversary is this March. Wow! How did that happen? Whether you are a new reader, or one that has been with me for the long haul, my hope is that The T-Cozy has been a respite for you, a place to relax during your busy day and enjoy my quirky brand of home decor with a vintage twist. 

I am ever grateful to you for being here. It has been an honor to provide you with decorating inspiration and to share my love of photography with you. Have you enjoyed what you’ve seen and read here? I do hope so.

Susan
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All the Best to You in 2017!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Ours was chock full of fun with family and friends. One more day to chill, and then it’s back to business as usual...

May your 2017 be filled with peace, good health, and much happiness!

Susan
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