These Are The Good Old Days!

We went for a vacation to Doc Holiday cottage recently with some of our family members. Before everyone arrived I walked through to take some updated pictures since I recently fluffed the cottage with new pillows, etc. My eye landed on this window art by the late Leonard Miller that designer Jane Coslick commissioned as a gift to us when we completed work on our first Tybee cottage, Coral Cottage.

The sentiment on the window speaks of special places. Special moments in time. As I studied it I realized that our family was getting ready to create some special moments together and now, weeks later, they are cherished memories. 

Our family has been going to Tybee Island (Savannah, Georgia's beach) for four generations! We have a rogue's gallery of pictures at Doc Holiday cottage. There are photos of our grandparents...

Husband's grandparents on top right and my grandmother on bottom right with me and my sisters.

Photos of my husband and I as children with our parents...

Top row: My parents, me and my mom, me with my two sisters

Bottom picture: My husband, about 1 year old, with his parents by the pier

Then there are wonderful pictures of our family--our four kids and their beautiful families.

There's even a picture of our very first stay at Doc Holiday in which some of the grandchildren were packed up and excited for a day on the beach! We stopped for a quick photo to commemorate the occasion...

There are more grandchildren now--even one more to come in September. The oldest boy in the photo above just got his driver's license! Time certainly doesn't stand still! Those were the good old days--but these are the good old days too.

Tybee vacation 2019

Our family takes sandcastle building very seriously.

This is a reminder to all of us--especially to me.... Make great memories with your loved ones! Make them as often as possible. Plan for them in the future. One day they will be treasures that we can enjoy whenever we want just by remembering.

This photo of us with Jordan, Sarah, and grand puppy, Rafael  was taken at The Sassy Seagull, our other cottage that is just down the street from Doc Holiday.

Ready to make your own magical "good old days"? Need a place to make them happen? There are still a few summer weeks left for rentals at our cottages, Doc Holiday and Sassy Seagull. You can find available weeks here:

Doc Holiday cottage information available at  https://www.tybeecottages.com/booking/doc-holiday-cottage-at-304-second-avenue/1008-76786

Sassy Seagull cottage information available at

https://www.tybeecottages.com/booking/sassy-seagull-at-809-second-avenue/1008-133756

Doc Holiday Is Stylin' In Cottage Style Magazine!

Today I got an exciting text message from Jane Coslick, a designer and historical preservationist who collaborated with me to restore Doc Holiday, our family's cottage at Tybee Island....

The exciting news was that Doc Holiday is one of the cottages featured in Cottage Style magazine's Fall/Winter 2018 issue! 

This is the cover of the magazine (not our cottage)

The photoshoot took place over three years ago and I had begun to wonder if the pictures would ever make it to publication. And finally they did!

When I heard the news I asked my husband to stop at Publix on his way home and pick up a copy for me. I hardly dared believe it was true until I saw for myself...

And then there it was...

There are several other pages in the feature that I'm not showing but I couldn't be happier with the beautiful layout and the wonderful article that accompanied it!  Lots of talented people were involved to make it all happen.

I know I come across as kinda starry-eyed and not exactly chill. But y'all. I can't help myself. I'm excited! We had the A Team working on this project and I love it when a plan comes together!

Doc Holiday Meets Erin From House of Turquoise!

This summer one of my favorite bloggers, Erin Moser, who writes the wildly popular 

House of Turquoise blog paid a call on our little Tybee cottage, Doc Holiday!

Erin and I are both big fans of the color turquoise and all of its variations so, with that in common plus a shared love for vintage things and old cottages, Erin and I had a great 

visit!  Lots of picture-taking ensued!

I'm excited to announce that today Doc Holiday is being featured by

House of Turquoise!  Erin has posted a bunch of those gorgeous pictures she took during her visit and you can click here to see them!

If you are dropping by as a visitor, I hope you will explore the archives.  My very first post was written on the day we moved Doc Holiday, our Tybee beach cottage, from it's original location to it's new lot down the street!

There are lots of before and after pictures and many in-betweens showing you stuff like how we got from here...

to here...

and ending up here...

  I've restored three old beach cottages with the help of Jane Coslick, a designer who specializes in historical preservation.  I didn't want to forget what an amazing experience I was having--or what the paint colors were--or where I bought the various items for the house--or how I diy-ed some of the furnishings and so on!  This blog shares that process and the ongoing journey of making a house a home.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll come back again!

It's A Cover-up!

Is there anything at your house that sort of grates on your nerves every time you walk past it?  Something that bugs you because it is an eyesore or needs a change?  Well that's how I felt about this water heater.  And I decided it needed to be covered up before Doc Holiday made its debut on the Holiday Tour of Homes at Tybee.

It wouldn't be so bad to have an exposed water heater except that this room opens up to to other parts of the house and it is in the path to the back door.  I don't like looking down the hall and seeing this...

It was supposed to be concealed in a closet in the original plan but somehow we ran out of space.  What are you gonna do in this situation?  You need to have hot water.

I've been thinking about how to solve the problem for a while and thought maybe I could buy a curtain rod that would bend to go around the water heater.  I was googling around to see if such a product exists and I came across this bendable shower curtain rod that you can bend to any configuration.  I ordered it right away.  Yaaay!

The shower curtain rod is a track that comes with hooks to hang the shower curtain. 

 I wanted a solid white shower curtain so it would blend into the background.  I found this white one with little ruffles and thought it would be perfect.  Once it arrived I saw that the fabric was very see-through (boo) but we solved the problem by using a white fabric (not plastic) liner.

I called on my go-to handy ladies at Tybee Girl Helpers to install everything.  Heather and Patricia took on what turned out to be a two-woman job and worked their magic.

And then...oh happy day!

At last things are covered up and pretty.

Sooo much better!

 
All weekend I felt a little smile cross my face whenever I walked into this room.  The saying is that "if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  Well, Mama is happy :)

Have you ever had to come up with an unusual solution to solve a decorating dilemma?

Colorful, Christmas-y Cottage Tour!

What a great day Saturday was!  Tybee Island put on one of it's most glorious winter days--think sunny with a high of 80 degrees!  It was downright balmy in December and a perfect day for Jane Coslick's 2nd Annual Holiday Tour of Homes featuring ten beach cottages.

I went down a few days early to try to make things "party perfect" by putting out some Christmas-y touches using beachy colors and mostly things I already had.   

Doc Holiday was Stop #1 on the map. 

  When guests stepped onto the front porch there were brightly colored furnishings and a cheery poinsettia to greet them.

Just inside the front door they were greeted by Rudolph, my ceramic deer head.  After putting his antlers made of twigs into the head, I decided he needed some additional fluffing sooo...I bought some colorful jingle bells and tied them on with ribbon.  I also found a small piece of slate at Michael's and had a little phrase painted on by Patricia from Tybee Girl Helpers--is there anything she can't do?

A couple of grocery store bouquets helped to brighten up several spots in the house. Some shells and ornaments were displayed in a shell-shaped dish on the coffee table.

My daughter Kristen and her little girls decorated the tree while I set the table for Christmas breakfast.  Henry put some sand in the bottom of a pretty jar wrapped with rope and added a candle and some shells for a simple centerpiece that is appropriate year-round.

 


 Kristen made cookies and we set out goodies for Santa in the kitchen.
 

It was a fun day with all of the tour patrons commenting on the pretty things they had seen and taking pictures for ideas to use at their own homes.  Next year I hope to be one of the patrons myself!  I ho-ho-hope you'll plan to come and join me!


For some more fun and easy Christmas ideas, click over to Home Stories A to Z where I shared my jingle bell reindeer idea :)

Loading up the Sleigh for the Holiday Tour of Homes!

 I'm off to Tybee Island for the 2nd Annual Jane Coslick Holiday Tour of Homes which will be held this Saturday, December 7th!  Last year's tour was a big hit with locals and out-of-towners alike who were delighted by the creativity of talented designer Jane Coslick.   The Coral Cottage was on tour last year and this year Doc Holiday will be one of the 
ten cottages featured!  

Jane and I have been working to fluff up the front porch at Doc Holiday in preparation for the big day!  Here's a little taste of what's been happening...more later.

This morning I have been loading my "sleigh" with all kinds of goodies to deck the halls (and the other rooms) at Doc Holiday for Christmas.  (Can you tell I've been listening to 
Pandora Radio?)  

 If you need some relaxing Tybee Time (who doesn't at this busy time of the year?) then come on over and enjoy the tour this Saturday December 7th from 10 to 3.  

The weather is forecast to be warm and sunny this weekend and it will be loads of fun!  FYI the proceeds from ticket sales will go to benefit the Humane Society for Greater Savannah. 

Here are some locations that will be selling tickets:    

Savannah Humane Society Thrift Shop, 7215 Sallie Mood Dr., Savannah; 

Seaside Sisters, 1207 U.S. Hwy. 80, Tybee Island; and 

Tybean Art and Coffee Bar, Tybee Oaks Shopping Center, 1213 US Highway 80 East. (912) 786-0786 

Hope to see you at Doc Holiday this weekend! 

"Sign" Me Up For Some Beach Therapy!

Leonard Miller has been at it again!  Remember me telling you about the local Savannah artist who is known at Tybee for his wonderful name signs for the cottages?  

Source: Jane Coslick

Well he has been busy at Doc Holiday Cottage! 

 When most people hear the name of the cottage they think of the movie by that name or the Wild West character.  But actually  I named the cottage in honor of my hard-working husband with a wink towards his profession--he is a doctor that needs a holiday:) 

When it was time to plan the name sign, it seemed most appropriate to carry out that same theme.  I googled all the cliches having to do with healthcare and made a list of favorites.  Then Jane Coslick, my go-to designer when it comes to beach cottages, and I met to brainstorm.

She suggested the sign resemble a prescription pad.  Love!

So I drew a rough draft...

And here we have it!

Source: Jane Coslick

Leonard has worked his magic again...

Source: Patricia McCoury

  

 I guess you could say we've hung out our shingle!

We're open for business!  "Sign" me up!

By the way,  if you need some beach therapy our little cottage is for rent.  Here's a link to our reservations!

  

We Have A Plan!

It's time to landscape the yard at Doc Holiday cottage and thankfully I have a brother, Bill Griffin, a landscape architect in Savannah, who can help.  He and his crew from Griffin Landscape Design and Contracting did an amazing job at The Coral Cottage and it made a huge difference!  You can see the Before and Afters here.

Recently while I was at Doc Holiday Bill came by to measure the yard and begin working on a plan.  We talked over my wish list...

•  Plant material that was drought resistant

•  A privacy hedge on each side of the house to screen us from the park and the next door neighbor--something tall, thick, and fast-growing

• Oleanders--they are so beachy and have a long-lasting blooming season.

•  A brick patio

• Paver walkway to the back door

•  Bill's suggestion--make a place to hide the trashcans when they are not curbside for pick up.

This is the proposed plan Bill sent me....

The front of the house is facing left.

After looking up a few of the suggested plants to see what they look like and getting some questions answered...

We Have A Plan!!!

Yes Sir, That's My Baby!

Did I ever show you pictures of the exterior of Doc Holiday?  I don't think I did yet and I am so pleased with the result!

If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, my very first post showed our little old cottage that started it's life in the 1930's down the street at another location...

It's owners wanted to tear it down so they could build a lovely new house but the historical society at Tybee Island persuaded them to wait--to give them time to find somebody who would move the house to another location... 

 That somebody was us!  Me and my husband Henry!  We bought the cottage for a dollar!

We raised the cottage so it would be above the flood elevation...

Some very skilled carpenters and other trades applied themselves to fully restoring our 

little cottage inside and out...

Then voila!  Here is Doc Holiday today!

After all this effort and attention, it's almost like my baby!  And like any proud mama I have lots of pictures to show my baby off.  Please bear with me!

  The main part of the house is painted a Martha Stewart Living color called Hummingbird Blue 

MSL 135.  The shutters are Behr Citron 400B-4.  And the front door is Sherwin-Williams 

Coral Reef SW 6606.

Like the colors?  I wanted it to feel like a beach cottage with bright colors that are so perfect on coastal properties.  I'm thankful that I had a great color guru, designer Jane Coslick, 

to help me choose.

Next up--the landscaping!