The T-Cozy

Turn Your Vision of a Dream Studio Space into a Reality

Hot off the press! A best-of compilation of articles and creative inspiration from Studios magazine, Inside the Creative Studio is chock full of innovative ideas to help you create your own one-of-a-kind artistic environment. Experts show you how to repurpose furniture, integrate recyclables, and showcase vintage items to establish a space with purpose and personality. Artists and crafters of all types share their stories, tips, and creative spaces. From spacious oases to cute and compact retreats, each studio offers countless ideas.

I am thrilled to be included in this fabulous book! You'll find my piece, titled "Organizing with Vintage Collectibles," on page 80.

You can special order Inside the Creative Studio, by Cate Coulacos Prato, at your local bookstore, or online here.

Susan

Some Favorites from My Etsy Shop

Now that the holiday shopping season is officially upon us, I'd like to share a few favorites from my Etsy shop.

Isn't this primitive child's doll dresser a charmer? I'll bet it was made for a little girl by her dad, or someone else who loved her a whole lot. How do I know? Because they added a carved heart on the back. How sweet is that?

What a cutie! This little vase is shaped like a watering can. Made by Shawnee Pottery in the 1940s as part of their miniature vase series, these hard-to-find smaller pieces are highly collectible.

Here is a puppy that needs a new home. But this rustic old doorstop doesn't have to be relegated to the floor. It's perfect to display on a shelf, too. 

Check out those baby blue eyes and the matching bow on its collar. Simply adorable.

I think this fluted pottery vase is in the most sublime shade of aqua. LOVE IT.

Called 'Kant Slip' Spiral Tidy Fasteners, the little push pins shown below were used to hold crochet doilies in place on the arms and backs of sofas and chairs. As stated on the package, they are guaranteed to keep tidies straight and smooth. I never knew doilies were called "tidies." Did you? What a hoot!

These are just a few of the oldies but goodies gracing the shelves of my Etsy shop. Aren't they fun? Lately, I've been hitting the road and searching far and wide to find items that are brimming with vintage goodness. And there's lots more that I'll share with you soon.

Happy shopping!

Susan

Home for Thanksgiving

Yay! Our nest is a little less empty now that Hannah and Jacob are home from college for Thanksgiving.

I am so happy to have them home again. And I am so very thankful for these two terrific kids. They have grown into amazing young adults who make me and John proud each and every day. 

Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

Susan

Susie's New Stove

I recently acquired the dearest Little Golden Book ever!

You'd never know it by the amount of cooking I do today, but when I was a little girl, one of my favorite pastimes was pretending to cook on my toy stove. This book, titled Susie's New Stove, is a nostalgic look back at those days.

Even though this first edition book was printed before my time in 1950, its charming illustrations by Corinne Malvern take me right back to the mid-1960s, when I was called "Susie."

I've never seen a Golden Book that features an actual toy available for purchase in the story. However, in this book, Susie cooks on a "Little Chef" made by Tacoma Metal Products. It is similar to the toy I have listed in my Etsy shop. But Susie's stove is electric, has a plug and can really cook food.

Inside, the author, Annie North Bedford, includes a page on cooking safety along with easy little recipes for things like cocoa, scrambled egg, frozen vegetables, boiled frankfurter, canned soup and more.

Sometimes Susie gets creative in her toy kitchen with her brother Mike. Or she invites her friend Carol over for a culinary play date.

So sweet! This vintage book has truly captured my heart. 

Susan

Cute as a Button

This week, I sold my last vintage salt shaker and matching button bouquet. It has been a while since I've gotten crafty, so I brought out my button stash yesterday and made this . . .

Isn't it the sweetest? I love this old Nippon shaker with its tiny cottage and muted colors. 

I filled it with 13 of my handmade button blossoms to match.

This cute-as-a-button item is now listed in my Etsy shop. Plus, to get ready for the holiday rush, I've recently added all sorts of new listings. I'll share some of those vintage goodies with you next week.

Until then, have a wonderful weekend!

Susan

All Around My Studio

Always in a state of flux — that's the best way to describe my studio. With the perpetual need to find ways to store supplies and the many items for sale in my Etsy shop, I often tweak and rearrange to keep the space fresh, and most important, to keep it fun.

For your viewing pleasure, some scenes from my studio . . .

My studio is near and dear to my heart, and spending time here makes me happy every day. When time permits, I'll be shooting more pictures for a long overdue update of the photos on my web site's Studio page. I'll share more views from my studio soon.

Susan

Retail Inspiration on Rittenhouse Square

Every so often, I come across a retail store that is ultra-inspiring. And the Anthropologie store I visited while in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago is just that.

I'm usually a "mom & pop" shop advocate. However, I can't help but admire how this chain of stores adapts so beautifully to different, unique locations. Anthropologie is know to seek out unusual buildings, and none is more lovely than their flagship store on Rittenhouse Square, a lively upscale neighborhood right in the heart of Philly.

This ornate building, a Beaux Arts mansion, was once the Drexel family home. How often do you see carved ceilings and a stunning stained glass rotunda inside a retail store!

With three large floors, this Anthro location is chock full of inspiration. Check out the awesome room, below.

This room's majestic ceiling, at least twenty feet high, is covered in painted "ancestor" portraits. How cool is that?

What I love most is how Anthro's visual specialists incorporate salvaged materials and vintage objects into their displays, like the old skyway cable car, above.

Here is some more retail inspiration . . .

Even though this is a retail shop, I didn't feel compelled to purchase anything. Filled with so many creative ideas for the home, just walking around and soaking in the inspiring displays was enough for me. 

If you ever find yourself in Philadelphia, make sure to stop by Rittenhouse Square's Anthropologie, located at 1801 Walnut Street.

Susan

My Three Hoosiers, Revisited

Today I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest blogger on the Etsy Vintage Team's blog. They gave me free rein, so I chose to write about Hoosier cabinets, their history, and the trio I've owned.

Remember the two I used to have that sold in my shop/tea room?

And then there is my treasured oak model in our kitchen at home. It's the one I will never sell. Ever!

If you can, hop on over to read my post at the EVT blog here.

And while you're cyber-hopping, I was mentioned on a "Scoop.it" blog called whats cool on etsy this week. Nina, from Norway, is its talented curator. Very inspiring!

Susan

Gearing Up for the Holidays at T-Party

Before you know it, the holidays will be here. I like to be prepared, so over the last few days, I've listed these items in my Etsy shop that are perfect for the vintage Christmas gift enthusiast. 

I'll be adding new listings daily, so when the holiday rush truly arrives, I'll be ready!

Susan

A New Spot to Curl Up with a Good Book

At last, the waiting is over! The last piece of our family room furniture puzzle has finally arrived.

Our newest edition is Pottery Barn's sea grass wing-back armchair. It's the perfect place to curl up with a good book.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, for our family room redo, we did one-stop-shopping at Pottery Barn. To lessen the cost burden, we amassed several PB gift cards obtained from points earned though our Citicard. Those gift cards paid for our leather ottoman and throw pillows. Then, we ordered the sofa using a Pottery Barn credit card which offers 10% back. The points from the sofa completely paid for this new chair!

I've really enjoyed revamping our long-neglected family room. And there is still more to show you, but that will have to wait a couple of weeks. We have another new purchase in our family room that our kids don't know about. So I will share the rest of the room after they are home for Thanksgiving. I don't want to ruin the surprise!

Susan