02.28.10
All new at Cottage
Just in at Cottage…
Paddywax candles.
Journey of the Bee Collection
This collection was created as a tribute to the bee. A matte black glass is adorned with a gold bee, then hand poured with a high-quality beeswax blend.
01.10.10
He’s arrived!
Arthur Anderson Ville born 27th December at 6.30pm, weighing 6lb 12 oz (the smallest of all three) with a fine head of hair and the longest fingers. He’s a sleeper and already fits right in with the rest of us. The labor was quick and easy and thanks in part to the wonderful midwifery center at Bryn Mawr Birthing Center and the lovely women there who helped deliver the little doll.
Although this wasn’t the home birth that I would have chosen, it was the next best thing and a lovely experience., drug free and relatively pain free thanks to the fact that I was relaxed, I could eat and drink and get in and out of the hot tub too with little medical intervention.
Artie has already been to the store to work with me and slept for the whole time! I hope he is going to be as easy as Rufus was when he first came to the store. I’m tired but so happy that I can come back to work with my little boy and not have to leave him with anyone else.
I am also excited about the New Year, a new inventory and hopefully more prosperous year ahead for all of us. Cottage made it through 2009 and now looks forward to the fun times ahead in Emmaus for 2010. We have the Snowblast Festival in February, run by the Emmaus Arts Commission and then Valentines Day too, plus I will be visiting the New York Gift Show at the end of this month to buy lots more goodies for the store.
11.10.09
October 09 Newsletter
October 2009
It has been such a busy year that I am only just sitting down to write the latest newsletter, just a few months later than planned…
As I write, there are people over on the Triangle enjoying this Fall weather; I wonder if this lovely sunshine will stay with us. It’s something that John and I particularly enjoy about Pennsylvania – we just don’t have the changing of seasons in England that happen here and it’s something we’ve grown to love.
It’s been a challenging year for COTTAGE but I am really looking forward to Christmas and the New Year. I’m still loving Emmaus and COTTAGE, especially all the friends that I’ve met over the last year. I simply love my little haven from the outside world. I come in every morning to open up and breathe in all the lovely scents, take a second to rearrange the store and then sit down in my rocking chair to relax. Having Jeanie, Rufus and Steph, our foster daughter, to look after as well as another little one on the way, makes those peaceful moments all the more relaxing. (Yes, we’re expecting another baby, due in January! That may explain why this newsletter is a little tardy.)
I’ve also spent the last month or so planning and updating COTTAGE online. It won’t ever replace the store but I figured that I have so many cool and unique things in stock at the moment that it makes sense to share them with all my friends in the UK and with those who can’t get into the store on a regular basis. Most things that you can find at COTTAGE can now be bought online and either picked up for free or shipped to an address of your choice. Check it out at www.cottageonmainstreet.com and let me know what you think. I update it every day with new things that come in so be sure to bookmark it.
We have all manner of new goodies in stock at the moment, from handmade tutu’s for your little princess, a new soap range featuring all organic ingredients, fair trade toys and handmade mice, scarves for grown ups that were featured in InStyle magazine, pear candles in lots of different colors and lots of gift baskets for every price range. I’ve also chosen lots of goodies that are unique and lovely but also cost less than $20.
Put November 20th in your diary too: it’s our annual English Christmas at COTTAGE event. There will be sherry, English Christmas crackers, free gifts, lots of food tasting, free gift wrapping and we will stay open late from 6ppm to 9.30pm. So come in and share a glass of sherry with John and I and pick up a great selection of gifts for everyone.
All of our new jewelry will have arrived by then too. I have chosen a lot of local PA artists this holiday season and COTTAGE will be the only place that you’ll be able to find these unique pieces. Many feature vintage watch pieces or depression glass or semi-precious stones in an unusual setting. They are all gift wrapped in our signature COTTAGE blue and tied with a bow for a perfect gift.
We also have stocking stuffers from $5, Anne Taintor coin purses, Paddywax candles in a travel size in yummy smells like cinnamon and nutmeg, Positively Green notebooks, Stonewall kitchen mini jams and mustards, L’epi de Provence shea butter soap, slate wine tags and the funniest cards to be found anywhere locally.
Most of all COTTAGE is still your place to pop in, share a coffee with me, tell me how your day is going and see how the baby bump is progressing. Now we just have to choose a name that John and I both agree on: all suggestions welcomed!
It’s in times like these that we all make a difference by shopping locally. I know that I am making that extra effort, so pop into downtown Emmaus, especially now we have so many new stores like Conversational Threads and Kim’s Kountry Kreations to visit as well as COTTAGE. And if you can’t or live to far away remember you can now buy what you want from the website too. Check it out at www.cottageonmainstreet.com.
Much love,
Em and family x
10.21.09
Cottage website
New things are now added almost daily…even hourly when my energy is up! Just added a cottage calendar for all Emmaus events, let me know if you want me to add anything at all, even better it tells me and you what the weather will be like on that day so it’s handy for that.
10.15.09
Rain!
Rain go away, you are frightening all my customers away…
At least the day has been fairly productive, lots of new jewelry in and marked up ready to leave to new homes. Some made from vintage depression glass or vintage beads, lots of colorful beads and all unique to the area.
Now I just need it to stop raining so you can all come visit.
10.14.09
What a wonderful fall day
No work at Cottage for me today, Jill is helping out today so I ca spend some time with the children and take our increasingly sluggish dog for a walk. I haven’t been as good this pregnancy with taking him out for walks, he still chases the cats around the house and the deer around the yard but he is looking a little portly at the moment. It is the perfect day for a walk up South Mountain before it gets too chilly. The trail leads from the back of our house and so it’s just a hop, skip and jump to the forest.
I miss the store when I’m not there though. It’s always when something fun arrives and I know a big parcel will turn up today from Magenta. Even after two years, it’s still hard to get out of my mindset that everything I’ve ordered is for me..well the dog and cat jars may never make it out of the box onto the shelves but everything else is ready for Christmas gifts and for the website.
I am just dithering about when to put out Christmas, it always seems so early but it’s my favorite season and I love decorating and choosing new things for the store. I just hope baby number three doesn’t arrive before I have a chance to get it all ready. Though John tells me he has to come this tax year so I had better get everything ready!
Gosh
Well I finally worked out how to add this blog to my new online store, now just have to work hard to keep it updated and interesting before the next little baby arrives
10.13.09
Cottage Blog info
Hello everyone,
I wanted somewhere to share what happens in Cottage, my lovely store in Emmaus, PA and my life in general.
My name is Emma and I own a shop in Emmaus, PA. I’m also the mother of two children with another one on the way, as well as a lovely foster daughter too. So it’s all go…
I bought Cottage almost two years ago and so far am weathering the storm, it’s amazingly fun but also a steep learning curve. Trying to translate London bred tastes to a small store on a cute Main st in rural Pennsylvania was a little tough, lets just say my expensive tastes are often tempered by my friends here, who don’t believe in spending $20 a soap.
