This isn’t the first time we’ve had these candles – some of you may remember the hobnail glass (double below) and gift boxed candles (below) from last year?  The smell haunted my brain and my candle ran out so you KNOW I had to reorder.

AMBERGRIS GIFT BOX CANDLE
Made from 100% vegetable wax and sporting natural cotton wicks these bad boys are hand poured in the USA and have an approximate burn time of 40 hours.

AMBERGRIS HOBNAIL CANDLE
This one’s also all natural and has an approximate burn time of 80 hours – you’ll enjoy this beaut for a loooooong time.  Bonus – when you’re done with the candle keep the pretty hobnail glass holder and use it as a vase!

AMBERGRIS SOLID PERFUME
I loved the smell of my candle so much I wanted to wear it around, thus our new additions of Bubble Bath and Solid Parfume!  My new fav is the solid perfume because I can slather it on all day long.  Consisting of a blend of beeswax, jojoba oil, essential and/or fragrance oils, and vitamin E this product not only smells really pretty but it’s great for super rough dry skin – think elbows and knees.

AMBERGRIS VEGETABLE BASED BUBBLE BATH
12.7 ounces of loveliness comes in each pretty little glass bottle.  PS. The glass makes it nice and classy for gifting.  Plus, this stuff is all natural – I can even pronounce all of the ingredients:  coconut derived soap, aloe leaf juice, calendula petals, cucumber fruit extract, chamomile extract.

1.  Sferra Brushed Cotton Throws
I’ve wanted one of these throws since we started carrying them (hint, hint Westin).  First thing you need to know – they are incredibly soft, people usually don’t believe they are 100% cotton after feeling them (why would I lie about this people?).  Second thing – they are machine WASHABLE!  (I said that last phrase like Oprah in my head).  Machine washable is really important to me because I’m a wee bit messy.  Every night I wrap myself up in a comfy throw and I eat treats (who doesn’t) and inevitably I get stuff all over my blanket.  Third – 9 different colours  to choose from so I’m reasonably confident we’ll have a colour that will match what your mom’s got going on at home.  Final point – I really like the mini chevron pattern and the natural twisted fringe, they’ll add texture and warmth (literally and figuratively) to her space.

2. Candles
Yes, they smell as pretty as they look.  We’ve got two great lines of scented candles happening these days.  Paddywax and Lucia.  Both lines are soy based and hand poured in North America.

3. Cottage Industry Gift Card!
Some people think gift cards are a cop out.  However, take a minute and think about your mom.  Does she like shopping?  Well then you’re basically gifting her a guilt free shopping spree.  For a mom who likes shopping, the only time a gift card isn’t a good present is when you get it for a wonky store she doesn’t like.   We don’t fit that category – she likes this store.

4. Design Books
I love my child, he’s totally awesome…but if he gave me a quite afternoon in our sun porch with a good design book to peruse I’d be super pumped.

5. A Good Night’s Sleep
We carry several lines of luxury bedding including:  John Robshaw, Pine Cone Hill, Dwell Studio and Jonathan Adler.  Admittedly, this one goes in the splurge category.  However, if you’re like me, you’ve probably caused her some sleepless nights so you kind of owe her.  PS.  Bedding is part of our Clean Sweep Sale which is happening this Friday and Saturday (aka the 2 days before Mother’s Day).  Dwell Studio’s Chinoiserie Duvet Set and Draper Sheet Set are our bestsellers. 

5. J Devlin Glass Picture Frames
The quintessential mom gift.  Go for the gold and get a photo of yourself in that frame.  My fav is the greek key pattern, see below.  I can’t even handle the kid in the middle, what a guy!  Also, these frames are part of the Clean Sweep Sale *wink, wink*

6. A Glass of Wine
Because at some point you’ve probably driven her to drink.  We’ve got the glasses, you get the wine.  La Rochere has been in business since 1745 so it’s safe to say these glasses are classic.  And they’re made in France so you know they’re fancy.  Ooooh, la, la!
7. A Lori Joy Smith Painting
Beyond cute.  Her paintings are one of a kind, just like mom.  Lori Joy Smith is a local artist, children’s illustrator and all around lovely human being.  Check out her blog, it’ll melt your heart.

8. Tag‘s 2 Piece Glass Candle Holders
These are pretty much a safe bet for any mom.  You can style them to fit any decor and change them up for every season.  Your only limit is your imagination.  I posted a few ideas below but the possibilities are near endless: sea glass, lemons, greenery (which I did at Christmas, it was awesome), your Nanny’s button collection (which is what is currently happening in mine), the list goes on.

9. Surprise Grab Bag!
Hedge your bets and get mom  a little of this and a little of that.  We have so many cute little gifties under $10.  Clockwise from top right Faux Bois soap dish $10, variety of shells and candle holders $3.50 to $10, Set of 50 Shell Cocktail Picks $3.50 (I know right, another amazing deal), Set of 12 Coasters available in lots of different styles reg $8.95, currently on sale for $5.35 buuuuuut if you wait till the clean sweep sale next weekend you can pick them up for $2.25, Swedish Dream soaps, ermahgerd – they smell amazing and I’m sure the sea salt and seaweed are good for your skin, $7.50.

10. A hug.
Awwwww.  This is probably what she wants most, sorry we can’t help you with this one.

Our journey started the morning of Sunday, January 27th at the stylish, newly renovated Charlottetown airport. We were finally leaving on a jet plane…er, dash 8, for NEW YORK!!!

A hop, skip and a jump later we ended up here. YAY!!!  I, Jennifer, had never been to New York and was so super pumped about everything from the yellow taxi cabs to the buildings that were taller than 5 stories (can you tell I’m from a small town?).

By the time we made it to our hotel and checked in it was too late to go to the show.  No worries, we took the opportunity to wonder around the city.  It was totally awesome!  We stopped by Jonathan Adler‘s flagship store in Soho – it’s literally a design playground, maybe a bit smaller than I expected but bursting at the seams with serious style and fun.  Sidenote, the staff are absolutely fabulous!  We’re really digging his nautical pieces – I absolutely covet the majestic C Jere Sailboat which spans just under 4 feet from tip to tip.  Then we hopped on down to Dwell Studio‘s store.  Soo pretty!

After the shops closed we ended up at Eataly, which Mario Batali describes as the “ultimate destination for food lovers to shop and taste and savor”, so you know it’s legit.  All you foodies out there would go nuts for this place.  It’s part fancy Italian market, part culinary education center and hosts a plethora of amazing little eateries.  There was a 45 minute wait for a table so we strolled the market and tried some charcuterie and prosecco at the standing table eatery in the heart of the market.  Also, no big deal but RC from season 25 of Survivor took this picture of us!  PS.  Can you believe we’re already past season 25 of Survivor?  I remember watching the first season of the show so this makes me feel old but that’s a story for another day.  In other news, I’m proud to report to fellow Islanders they were SOLD OUT of PEI mussles and look who else was representing our little isle!

Alright, it’s the next morning, the time has finally arrived, we’re heading to the show!  We stopped along the way to pick up coffee and who did we spy?  Thomas Paul!  I guess it’s totally normal to see a top notch designer (or any other famous people) in a coffee shop when you’re in New York.  I don’t have a picture of this because I was too nervous and I also felt it would be rude to approach someone before they’ve had their first coffee of the day.  So on to the show.  It’s held at two locations the Javits Center, which looks like an amazing modern crystal castle, and Pier 94, which looks like any other building down on the pier.  I’m not a professional blogger yet so I forgot to take a majestic picture of the Javits Center, you’ll just have to google it.  I was blown away by the amount of stuff at the show.  The Javits Center has 675,000 square feet of floor space which houses over 2,800 exhibitors when the Gift Show comes to town.  Seriously, there were like 5 rows devoted entirely to Hanukkah decorations.  I like Hanukkah as much as the next person but that’s A LOT of decorations.  I’m kind of mad at my photography skills here.  I was distracted by how awesome everything was and I neglected to take some good overall shots.  So you’ll just have to settle for some other pictures.  Authentic Models had these miniature hot air balloons on display, I thought they were neat but Nancy…not so much.  Jonathan Adler’s booth was banging, it was probably 3 times bigger than his store.  I love his horn sculptures (top right of the photo).  Fishs Eddy had an awesome display featuring Chalie Harper inspired dishes.  I feel this post is approaching epic length so I’m going to stop here with the photos.  Fingers crossed, by the time you read this there will be a photo album on Facebook with lots of other photos (unless my procrastination starts actin’ up again).

Then this happened.  Coffee with the Novos!  It started with a book signing.  Then they were doing a draw to win a coffee break with the Novogratz.  I put my card in and then just to improve the chances I snuck Nancy’s card in.  Guess who won – Nancy Lopes!  The other buyers and designers were totally jealous.  We were whisked to a staff lounge secret location and sat and chatted with them for half an hour or so.  They were super nice and just as fun and fresh as their design.  It was definitely the highlight of the trip.  Bob commented that I smiled a lot – why wouldn’t I?!?  Getting paid to go to New York City to shop and then winning a coffee break with the Novos.  Sometimes life can be so awesome.  For those of you who don’t know us, I’m on the far right and Nancy is beside me.

This is all well and good you’re thinking to yourself, but what’s in it for me?  Good question, and here’s the answer.  For those who enjoy our M. Sasek “This is” book series you’ll be really excited (I am!) to learn that “This is” calendars are also a thing, and we’re totally getting them!  Look for them in the fall.  Next up are Brahms Mount blankets.  I LOVE these cotton throws and you will too.  “These are what you find at the end of the rainbow” a real quote from the Brahms Mount website.  Yes, they are that magical.  The size of the herringbone, the weight of the cotton and hand twisted and tied fringes make these throws winners in my book.  Then we ordered some Paddywax candles, which are in store right meow!  They smell great, come in pretty containers, are soy based and made in the states.  Too bad scratch and sniff computer screen haven’t been invented yet (let me know if I’m wrong here).  On to Swedish Dream’s Sea Salt soap.  We liked the packaging, and I hear it’s amazing soap so I’m looking forward to this.  Capping things off are the driftwood wall decorations.  Not the best picture to entice you but I swear they’re really nice.  However we’re dealing with a dreaded never ending back order issue here so I have no idea when they’ll arrive.

Wow, once I got going I really rambled on there, eh?  Good night New York, we love you!

PHOTO 2
Dresser and tablecloth (which our talented client has repurposed as to cover that sweet white wicker chair) from Cottage Industry

PHOTO 3
Dresser from Cottage Industry

PHOTO 4
Dining table and bench from Cottage Industry

PHOTO 5
Sofa, ottoman, arm chair, recliner, side table and bolster pillow from Cottage Industry

PHOTO 6
Recliner, bolster pillow, sofa and ottoman from Cottage Industry

PHOTO 7
Arm chairs from Cottage Industry

PHOTO 8
Bench from Cottage Industry

Super exciting news friends – we’re hosting another FASHIONABLE ROOM GIVEAWAY!!!!  We had so much fun with it last year, we decided it was a must for 2013.  A few things have changed so please have a quick read of the rules below.  Then start planning, staging and snaping pics!

Rules:

1. Contest opens February 1st and ends February 28th.

2. You can submit up to 3 entries.  An entry consists of a unique photo of a fashionable room in your home.   Send your photo(s) via email to nancy@cottage-industry.ca.

3. Your photo(s) must feature an item from Cottage Industry.

3. You must allow us to share your photo(s) on various websites including our blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages.  We will not post your name with your photo.

5. The winner will be determined by Facebook “Likes”.  The photo with the most likes wins!

Any questions?  Shoot us an email nancy@cottage-industry.ca

Frasier Fir Holiday Candle $38.00

Frasier Fir Pinecone Candle $30.00

Frasier Fir Pinecone Diffuser $60.00

Frasier Fir Poured Tin Candle $18.50

Frasier Fir Air Freshener $3.75

Frasier Fir Potpourri $32.00

Frasier Fir Poured Candle $28.00

Frasier Fir Reed Diffuser

Frasier Fir Votive $12.50

Frasier Fir Votive Set $18.00

Unscented Replacement Diffuser Reeds $6.00

Frasier Fir Diffuser Oil Refill $30.00

Frasier Fir Refresher Oil $19.00

Lion Toss Cushions from Dwell Studio, Red & White Surveyor’s Lamp from Authentic Models, Vintage Oars from Authentic Models

Nautical Wall Hooks

Cast iron, wicker and wood accents

Lost & Found Wall Tiles from Cedar Mountain House

Campaign Floor Lamp from Authentic Models, Vintage Inspired Wall Map from Authentic Models, Ossington Coffee Table from Gus Modern, Richmond Sofa from Gus Modern, Antique Silver Pendant Lights from Four Hands

Embroidered Toss Pillows from Dwell Studio, Chevron and Blocks in Citrine and Ash

Top to Bottom:
John Robshaw – Bombay Standard Shams
John Robshaw – Bombay Queen Duvet Cover
Loop Organic – White Sheet Set

Top to Bottom:
John Robshaw – Lapis Standard Sham
John Robshaw – Kochi Vista Euro Sham
John Robshaw – Bergamot 20″ Pillow
John Robshaw – Lapis Queen Reversible Quilt
Loop Organic – White Sheet Set

Top to Bottom:
John Robshaw – Rabari Standard Sham
John Robshaw – Gujar Euro Sham
John Robshaw – Paro Brinjal 20″ Pillow
John Robshaw – Jajam Brinjal Bolster
John Robshaw - Rabari Queen Duvet Cover
Sferra – Mushroom Throw

Top to Bottom:
John Robshaw – Gujar Euro Sham
John Robshaw – Paro Brinjal 20″ Pillow
John Robshaw – Jajam Brinjal Bolster

Top to Bottom:
John Robshaw – Rabari Standard Sham
John Robshaw – Hedge Standard Quilted Sham
John Robshaw – Hedge Queen Reversible Quilt
Loop Organic – White Sheet Set

Top to Bottom:
Loop Organic – White Sheet Set
John Robshaw – Thistle Standard Quilted Sham
John Robshaw – Thistle Queen Quilt

Top to Bottom:
Loop Organic – White Sheet Set
John Robshaw – Gent’s Stripe Standard Sham in Moss
John Robshaw – Sap Bolster
John Robshaw – Gent’s Stripe Queen Duvet Cover in Moss

Top to Bottom:
John Robshaw – Hedge Standard Quilted Shams
Loop Organic – White Sheet Set
John Robshaw – Eldgerberry Standard Sham
John Robshaw – Elderberry Queen Duvet Cover
John Robshaw – Hedge Queen Quilt

Top to Bottom:
Hot House Floral Decorative 26″ Pillows
Interlaken Juniper Matelasse Standard Shams
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Links Key Lime Double Boudoir Pillow
Uma Resist Lime Reversible Quilt

Top to Bottom:
Briar Crewel Decorative 26″ Pillow
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Interlaken Juniper Matelasse Standard Shams
Briar Crewel Double Boudoir Pillow
Interlaken Ink Matelasse Coverlet
Interlaken Juniper Matalesse Coverlet

Top to Bottom:
Happy Poppies Decorative 26″ Pillows
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Links Indigo Double Boudoir Pillow
Pom Pom Grass Green Throw Blanket (Karma Living)
Interlaken Ink Matelasse Coverlet

Top to Bottom:
Scramble Aqua Matelasse Euro Sham
Sabrina Standard Sham
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Sabrina Duvet Cover
Scramble Aqua Matelasse Coverlet

Top to Bottom:
Uma Resist Peony Quilted Standard Sham
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Edelweiss Crewel Aqua Standard Sham
Links Key Lime Double Boudoir Pillow
Uma Resist Peony Reversible Quilt
Edelweiss Crewel Aqua Duvet Cover

Top to Bottom:
Interlaken Ink Matelasse Euro Sham
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Cotton Twill Oatmeal Sham
Twig Pillow (Loop Organic)
Interlaken Ink Matelasse Coverlet
Cotton Twill Oatmeal/Ink Blanket

Top to Bottom:
Interlaken Ink Matelasse Euro Sham
Bluemarine Ticking Blanket Standard Sham
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Moby Bolster Pillow (Thomas Paul)
Interlaken Ink Matelasse Coverlet
Bluemarine Ticking Blanket

Top to Bottom:
Twiggie Quilted Standard Sham
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Diamond Grass Green Matelasse Standard Sham
Twiggie Reversible Quilt
Diamond Grass Green Matelasse Coverlet

Top to Bottom:
Cabana Stripe Standard Sham
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
Edelweiss Crewel Aqua Standard Sham
Cabana Stripe Duvet Cover
Edelweiss Crewel Aqua Duvet Cover