"I am excessively fond of a cottage. If I had any money to spare, I would build one myself!"

     I used to work in a British tea room in California where I grew up. It was a lot of fun and had such a beautiful atmosphere. When we (my Mom, sister and I) discovered the little beehive cottages tucked away in a magic pocket in downtown Pasadena, we were completely enthralled but didn't realize what a huge impact it would have on our life. For one, it introduced me to, and made me fall in love with quite a bit of British style. I don't mean to be an anglophile and I don't try to know everything about the British Isles. I just cannot help being deeply attracted to British culture, style and people. It's wonderful fun to me.

If you go to this page

 http://www.rosetreecottage.com/Story.html  and scroll down, you'll see a picture of the original cottages where we went for tea every Saturday afternoon when we were finished with our house cleaning chores. Happy memories and YUMMY tea and scones!

Well, one day when we were there, my Mom bought the most adorable tea pot in the style of a thatched cottage. I've been fascinated with it for probably twenty or so years now. I've hinted for ages to Tom that I'd love to collect them and wished that I had even one to call my own. What I wound up with was the card* that you see above to sigh over. Well, we can't have everything in this life.

As I mentioned in my last post, Tom bought me a gift certificate to the local Antiques center. Just look what I found on sale, buried in one of the stalls!

I'm still in learning mode. This style of tea pot is called "cottage ware" and this one comes from the Keele St. potteries in Staffordshire, England. Cottage Ware started being produced somewhere in the 1940s. The real point is that I love it!

     One of my very favorite things in this world are fabrics and china. I love pattern and color! (Does anyone else collect paint chips? Yum!) I can't wait to share more with you on that score and wait till you see what else I got with my gift card at the Antiques Center.

By the way, Freckles, our gracious old lady bunny has accepted baby Flopsy as her own. Wee baby bun is so happy to have a "family" again.

     So, with everything light and bright here, I have to move along and put those boxes of christmas things in the attic now.


With happiness,


Katy Noelle


P.S. Here is a link to Rose Tree Cottage! I love you Edmund and Mary - you'll never know how much you've meant in my life.


*Patti's Dresser. Photography Charlie Colmer