I Saw A Ship A-Sailing

If you have ever been to my shop, you may have noticed that I seldom put red in my decor there.  This is on purpose and serves to give the interior of my shop a sense of serenity and calm that flows well.  Red is an attention grabber, flashy and full of excitement.  I love red, but just find it a little bit too jarring for my distressed shabby vintage interior.  But blue...oh how I have come to adore bits of blue intermingled with well worn patina and dreamy, chippy white paint surfaces!  Ever notice how a combination of blue and white is so soothing to the eyes?  My clipper ship logo is a prominent theme in my decor.  

Over the winter, I have plans to make some changes to my shop.  One, is the addition of a more healthy offering to my current sugar laden "candy buffet."  Namely, home made granola!  The kind of snack that will actually provide sustenance to the hikers, bikers, or sailors that may find their way to my shop in the summer months.  I have been experimenting with the ingredients and may have hit upon a tasty combination that is also rather healthy.  In addition to the old fashioned oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, and dates, I am using fresh coconut that I open, drain and grate myself.  The mix gets sweetened with  pure maple syrup and dark chocolate chips.

So what does this have to do with the color of red in my shop you ask?  Well, it's because of  something that caught my eye -- a clipper ship fabric in red!  It adds such a festive touch to to the tops of the canning jars filled with my new granola mix.

Tied with simple red seam binding, I couldn't resist going overboard with this flashy deep hue.

So that's the story of my former aversion to red at frenchmans bay tea co. and how it may end up finding it's way into my shop palette after all.

I saw a ship a-sailing,

A-sailing on the sea;

And oh, it was all laden

With pretty things for thee!

                                                                                                         ~Mother Goose

A Few Offerings and Sights at Frenchmans Bay Tea Co.

Vintage brooches fashioned into jewelry.  

A set of hand cast concrete wing tiles.  

Garden Glass made from vintage glass.  Like jewelry for your garden.  Created by Alyson, website found here.

A trunk full of vintage goodies with the resident crow standing guard.

Unique brooches...yes we have lots of bling here!

A sampling of our hand thrown raku pottery.  More can be found at Birch Moon Boutique in Bar Harbor.

And for your shopping pleasure we also serve freshly brewed coffee and tea, sweet treats, ice cream and ice cold sodas in glass bottles.  The glass bottles will help ensure there will always be plentiful supplies of sea glass for future generations.

We open our doors on weekends each Friday-Sunday from 1:00-7:00 p.m.  After all, we need the rest of the week to explore and enjoy the beautiful summers here in Downeast Maine.

Ahhhhh Summertime!

Thought I would finally get around to showing a peek of the exterior of our shop.  We converted this tiny shed, complete with chandelier, into a mini showroom for our raku pottery.  

I only wish I had the 'before' shots to show you.  Think dirty, dark and dingy and crammed to the gills with junk and you have conjured up the image.  Nothing a little paint and elbow grease can't improve upon though. 

Can you hear the relaxing sound of this vintage fish fountain I found at a local antique mall for a mere $26?! I know -- and it actually works too!

Oh and then there are the tiny white roses that are blooming right now. . .

 planted right inside a huge vintage wrought iron birdcage!

The cage is wrapped in tiny white Christmas lights, of course.

 I took this shot a couple days ago as evening was approaching.

In the background to the right of the shed is the location of the cemetery that we are restoring.  I should take you along the path to it in a future post.  It continues to fascinate us and hold our attention so I must make a point to share it with you sometime too!  

Asleep In The Snow

A blanket of snow seems to make everything a little more quieter.  A little more peaceful.  

A little more reverent.  

Winter changes delicate flowers into wispy trails that continue to adorn in a harsh landscape.     

My new shop sign receives the first of its many exposures to the natural elements of our climate.  

From the shop there is a path that leads into an old forgotten cemetery that we are in the process of restoring.

An angel sleeps.  

A mother with her babes.  

Their names may forever remain unknown, or some day we just may get lucky and figure it all out.

But for now, may they rest in peace knowing they will be remembered by those who find their way here to visit in the many years to come.