Giveaway Day! And a Tour of “The Cottage”…

I’ve been inspired by my recent blog victory, and am hoping to make someone’s day even one tenth as much as mine was made.

This great postcard was snatched up on my recent trip (dresser victory) to the aptly named Country-by-the-Sea in Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey. The postcards were apparently used by the Avon Inn back in the day to “gently remind” boarders that their day ended at noon. Period. All that’s missing from this message is, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” :-)

It’s actually in good, unused condition and nice quality (as postcards go) – the text is screened on, and the colors are still really vivid. The maker, William Allen & Company, is apparently a stationer still in business in Brooklyn. I’ve already framed one for “The Green Room” where my new yard sale lamp is. And I think the postcard would be the perfect addition for your guest room, too (to make sure no one overstays their welcome!). So…

I bought three more to share with you. The first two people to post a comment here will get one (I have to reward loyalty :-), then one additional person will be picked at random to win a third. You’ll have until end of day Tuesday, July 15 to enter to win. Simply post a comment and I’ll draw one additional winner and post their name the morning of July 16.

I mentioned Country-by-the-Sea briefly in my post about the dresser I bought, but the little shop has quite a few little gems tucked behind its walls so I wanted to give you a little peek inside. You just have to pay attention when you’re there, because most of the furniture for sale is used to display other stuff – sometimes a LOT of stuff – so you need to bring your A- game to the table (and chair, dresser, buffet, etc., as it were).

Here’s some great finds currently available...

This oak dresser is in fantastic shape and priced at $275. It’s been there since the early summer which is hard for me to believe.

I loved this little music (record, maybe? It's not super old) cabinet. At $135 I think the inside could be tweaked a bit to hide away a stereo, stash magazines, or serve as a little bar.

This secretary is overall in good condition, but priced at $400 is one of the more expensive items in the store.

However, if you believe its alleged provenance, $400 would be a good deal!


This buffet (from the 20s?) I think is the true diamond in the rough, and if I had space for it I’d have strapped it to my back and walked home if necessary. Its condition actually photographed a bit better than it is; the wood (particularly the top) needs refinishing, but the wood grain on the doors is so nice I’m not sure if I could paint over it (but that’s certainly an option). The drawers and doors are in perfect working order, and the hardware (to my admittedly pretty untrained eye) is original. At $165, I can’t believe it’s still there.

I really loved this crystal light fixture ($110) but I’m not sure the man of the house would share my enthusiasm. Now that I’m looking at this picture, I spy an old turquoise metal (doll’s?) highchair perched above. How did I miss that?! See what I mean about having to pay attention here?

The “non-furniture” items in the store are organized so nicely by the ladies who run the place, you kind of want to scoop up entire vignettes:

Finally, the sort of “cornerstone” of this crafty Co-Op is the tea room. It takes up the majority of the space, which you can’t tell from this photo because I had to shoot around the ladies-who-lunch who were scarfing down finger sammies in the foreground.


I hope you enjoyed the tour. And good luck with the postcard contest!