Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that you all enjoy a relaxing day surrounded by family and friends!

They finally arrived!

I came home today to find boxes on my front porch - one of the perks of retail - it's like Christmas all year! I was so excited to open the boxes and find that the ABC Scripture Cards I ordered had arrived!  I'm thrilled to carry these in my shop!

The boxed set comes with the 26 cards (5x7), an easel and a magnet.  There are so many ways to use these scripture cards with your children.  You can use the magnet and put a new card on the fridge each day or each week.  You can use the easel and place the cards in your children's rooms or homework area. Or you can spell out your children's names - I've even seen family names and initials framed.  The cards are so pretty and look great hanging - like from jute with small clothes pins.

I think it is so important for children to learn scripture and this set makes it an easy task for parents!

If you don't live in the DFW Texas area you can check out this website for more information on retailers in your area.  If you are in the DFW Texas area you can find us at:

Southern Charm Cottage

6454 Cross Timbers

Flower Mound, TX 75022

Hours:  Thur/Fri 5:30-8:30 & Sat 11:00-7:00

To sand & wax or...Not to sand & wax

That is a question that I get asked a lot!  And truthfully, it's a question I ask myself often after I have painted a piece of furniture.  For me, the decision is based on the piece itself and the overall look I want to achieve. And for me the question is not wax or no wax?...the question is clear wax or dark wax?

I was working on some old doors today and had a perfect opportunity to show you the huge difference that sanding followed by dark wax can make.  The paint color used is Florence by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I will note that dark wax over this color creates a pretty drastic color change - not the case for all colors.  I should also note that if you want to avoid a drastic color change you can first wax with clear wax and then come back over with dark wax.

Not only does the color change but the door with dark wax looks aged, shows the wood grain and imperfections more, and just overall has a bit more character.  I realize this is not the look that everyone is after.

Here are my completed doors.  Pretty neat to find two doors that match!

Sorry to be MIA!

Hi friends!  Gosh it's been too long!  The kids are back in school already and the days are beginning to get a little shorter, signaling the onset of Fall.  I've been crazy busy, but we are sure loving our time at the shop! If you are new here or haven't visited in a while, I opened a little shop in April and run it with the constant help of my mom.  We have some amazing customers that come to see us often and our business has grown each month.  We feel very blessed to be doing what we love!

I have painted many pieces of furniture and completed many projects that have gone un-photographed.  I do a pretty good job of keeping friends updated on Instagram - you can follow me at sacullum.

Here are a few recent photos of the shop:

A new adventure in decorating - a chicken coop!

I love all things decorating...love helping friends decorate a new space or re-do an old one, love looking at magazines and watching shows about decorating, love looking through bolts of fabrics (whether I need any or not) love shopping for home things for me or for others...I love all things decorating.  

The shop has allowed me to help some wonderful clients decorate even if it's simply through selling them a new lamp or frame.  But the shop has also led me to a first...helping to decorate a chicken coop!  Yep, chickens and fancy coops are all the rage.  Have you noticed the growing trend?  There was even a Coop Tour in Dallas this May!

Take a look at these great coop photos from our new clients and friends!

This "The Egg Plant" fence wood sign was our Coop-Warming gift to them!

Farm Fresh sign purchased from our shop.

Vintage ladder purchased from our shop.

Small rooster plaque & rustic lantern purchased from our shop.

Dusting Pan purchased from our shop.

Idea to use chicken feeder to hang curtains from our shop.

I never knew my decorating opportunities would lead me here, but it sure has been fun!

A bed, a bed turned bench and a cow

So, all of my recent posts seem to be this way - random and quick tidbits. Perhaps it's because I've been using Instagram a lot and I'm getting used to quick, on-the-fly photo posting - follow me at sacullum.

I mentioned recently that I planned to add more hydrangeas to our backyard. We actually added an entire landscape bed along a portion of the back of the house.

There are two Japanese Maples, six Azaelas and five hydrangeas (two varieties). I can't wait to watch the hydrangeas grow and see what color they will be! The color you purchase is not necessarily the color you end up with once planted.

Next, I just finished this headboard/footboard bench.  I found it already assembled so I just finished it off with paint and dressing.  I think it's pretty darn cute!

And last, I traveled to visit my best friend north of Austin.  I made a few shopping stops along the way - in search of treasures for my clients of course - but alas, found something that I just had to keep.  The cow picture and the corbel are both new additions to the large space above our kitchen cabinets.  LOVE!

A few new things around the house and travels

Hi friends!  Hope your summer is off to a great start - I love summer and longer days so I'm in my zone!  I wanted to share a few new (small) things around the house.

We had this transom-style window installed in our kitchen leading to the laundry room.  It's a very high space and it just begged for something to be added.  I had some metal corner brackets there and then more recently some old wooden corbels.  I found this great antique window that was the perfect size and had it installed.  Love it!

Then I got some new pillow shams for the guest bedroom.  These are from the Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic collection at Target.  I love the ruffle look and also love how just adding new shams can make you fall in love with your bedding all over again.

And I recently got this darling milk window/sign and hung it in my laundry room. My sweet mom got to an Estate Sale early and waited to be one of the first 20 allowed in because I had spotted this window/sign in the preview photos and loved it.  Yep, she's awesome like that!

And then I'll leave you with this amazing photo that I took in Waxahachie, TX on Sunday:

Ramblings

Hi friends.  I don't have anything super great to share, but I wanted to catch up so here goes my rambling post...

First, I have to share my new favorite song - Boys From The South by Pistol Annies.

Next, I'm still giddy over my hydrangeas.  They bring me so much joy that I've decided to plant more!

Just love the hint of pink!

And last but certainly not least, I'm completely loving my shop!  Mom and I enjoy changing things up and bringing in new pieces.  This week we brought in this awesome hutch - I just love that it is almost the same in width & height - also love the beach/cottage vibe!  We already have some "regulars" and we love our customers!

A gorgeous dresser and more hydrangeas!

Hi friends.  Hope y'all had a great weekend!  We woke up to much lower humidity and it was so nice!  I had some time to paint today and finished this great 6-drawer dresser.  I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Coco and Antoinette.

I also just have to share new photos of my hydrangeas.  I planted these last summer and I don't have much of a green thumb so I'm thrilled that they are doing well!

FARM BABY

So, one of my favorite new arrivals at the shop is our Farm Baby tees for infants!  I think they are darling and I've been looking for the perfect model to share them with y'all.  Well, Miss Kendall came by tonight and she was perfect indeed...

Come see us if you are local - we are open Thur 5:30-8:30, Fri 5:30-8:30 and Sat 11:00-7:00 - 6454 Cross Timbers, Flower Mound, TX.

Are you throwing that away?

I took Riley for a walk after dark last night and noticed a great baker's rack out at the curb with my neighbor's trash.  I couldn't see very well, but could tell it had wicker-type shelves that were ruined.  That was okay because I didn't care about the shelves anyway -  I wanted to disassemble it.  So I felt where the shelves attached and knew I could get it apart.  It is nice, heavy duty metal y'all - check out it's second life:

The back piece will soon hold a flowering vine.

The side pieces add interest to my hydrangea section.

A great cabinet and hydrangeas

Hi friends.  Hope you are enjoying a great weekend!  Our weather is amazing today - which, for me, means a mix of painting and yard work.

I painted this wonderful cabinet this morning.  I really love this piece and haven't seen one quite like it before.  It's old and I'm not positive what it would have been used for.  It could have been used for filing or perhaps used in the dining area for silverware and table linens?  Please share if you know the answer!  

I love the height, the legs and of course the details of this piece (it even has the little backplate in tact)!

Next, I just have to share that I'm giddy about my hydrangeas because they are about to bloom!  You may remember that I planted three hydrangea bushes last summer.  Check out this post from last May to see the size of the bushes then.  Here is a photo taken this morning - they are growing and they are full of soon-to-be gorgeous hydrangeas!

I'll share more photos when they are in full bloom!

Antique Alley Finds - A Closer Look

Hi friends.  In my last post, I shared a photo of our loaded down truck after shopping Antique Alley on Sunday.  Several friends wanted a better look at our finds so I took pictures of my two favorites.

Adorable potting bench - hard to let this one go...

And this A-M-A-Z-I-N-G one-of-a-kind floor lamp!  Made from an old metal Ballingers Cafeteria sign - how cool is that?!

For all you locals, both items will be available at the shop this weekend. Address is 6454 Cross Timbers, Flower Mound, TX and hours are Thur & Fri 5:30-8:30, Sat 11-7:00.

Junkin Trip - Antique Alley

Yesterday, mom and I made our 3rd trip to the Cleburne, TX area for Antique Alley.  Antique Alley is held every April & September.  It is advertised as 37 miles of sales stretching from Maypearl to Cleburne.  

We always start in Maypearl.  There are not many sales on the east side of 35W but there is one vendor in Maypearl that we love to shop every time.  From Grandview to Cleburne (west side of 35W) the sales are steady along the 2-lane road.  There are two main areas that have many vendors - Faith Meadows and Whipp Farm.

Take a look at our haul!

Ready for our 2nd Weekend at the Shop!

Hi friends.  We had a great opening weekend at the shop!  That gorgeous tall, red cabinet that you could see in the photos in my last post went to a new home.  We really enjoy seeing who is taking our treasures home - that is one element that you typically miss out on when you are a vendor in an Antique Mall.  We may even have a bulletin board in the shop that says "from our cottage to yours" and share customer photos!

Here is a photo of the outside of the shop:

We are stocked and ready for Round 2 - come see us!

Today is the day!

Today is the day...that mom and I open the doors on our very own shop!!!  I signed the lease exactly one month ago and we have been working like crazy to get it all ready.  We are so excited and feel so blessed!  I wish you all lived close by so you could come and visit Southern Charm Cottage the shop.

The shop is located at 6454 Cross Timbers in Flower Mound.  It's in an old and charming center that is anchored by a very popular Mexican restaurant.  We will be open Thur & Fri nights from 5:30-8:30 and will make those 45 minute waits for a table more enjoyable.  We will also be open on Saturdays from 11:00-7:00.  We will start each weekend with the inventory on the floor and will not restock during the weekend.  Each weekend will bring new treasures - so it's more of an "event".

I'll share some photos for now and will be sure to update you on our opening weekend: