Let's Start the New Year Off With a Bang!

First off....I have to give a huge "Thank You" to my friend Teresa at Splendid Sass, for awarding me with the Blog on Fire award!! How fun!! I'm so very appreciative and will tell you at the end of this post who the 5 bloggers are that I'm passing it on to!

For now....sit back and enjoy a quick re-cap of 2011 for Mulberry Heights Antiques!!! The fact that we've been open for 12 years today is unbelievable to me!! Oh, how we've grown! And it's only because of you, our loyal friends and customers!!! Happy New Year!!!

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We started out the year in 2011 with many of Emily Ozier's paintings....this one in particular is special to me because it is of a Low Country Home in Louisianna which is where my daughter and her husband are now living!

I will always dream of living on "land" or having a "farm" so of course, I loved this Red Barn painting!

Anything Emily does with a church or a town scene is incredible!!

It was fun to be included in Birmingham Home and Garden's Magazine with the Top 10 Trendsetters and Tastemakers!

It was also fun to start advertising with our very own Alabama Magazine!! What a great publication!!

And we certainly have LOVED carrying Caroline Rheel's beautiful pieces of pottery...poetry in motion is what I like to call them!!! We are sad to see her moving away...but Forever grateful that we were allowed the opportunity to carry her art!

Of course, we never tire of Victoria magazine!! Having our creamware featured in a past issue was fun!

But having some of our brown and white transferware on the cover this year was TONS of fun!!!

We also began creating and producing our very own ads this year thanks to Ellen Hill, our newest addition to Mulberry Heights Antiques! With her vibrant personality and endless energy Ellen has been a joy to have in the shop! She certainly makes my life easier and we are now introducing design services through Ellen Hill Interiors/Mulberry Heights Antiques!

As usual, we had to participate in Market Day! It's probably the hardest event we do all year but I know it's worth it!! Take a look at the ads and the shoppers! I just wish it wasn't in July!! It's so HOT!!!! and it's all outside!!

Now we get to the "heart" of the matter! ME!!! 

Seriously, though....I've always wanted some "old" shutters to be able to use in the shop....

and just look at what I found! We have loved them! 

We use them to hang our sconces on, etc...!!!

And then there is our Creamware that we tried to really focus on this past year!

With it's clean lines and timeless appeal you can't help but fall in love with it like we did!!!

I just have to make myself not keep it all!!

All of a sudden it was the end of summer and time for our first Sip and See that combined two of our artists that we carry! Wow!! It was a HUGE HIT!!!

Between Emily's paintings.....

And Caroline's beautiful pottery...

And Alison Thomas' flowers...that added that "extra" touch....

We had ourselves a Party!!!!

Just look at Alison't fabulous floral arrangements!!

So unique and so special!

No detail is left out!!

And then of course we had to "hold our own" so we made our very own Mulberry Heights Antiques water bottles to hand out!!! They were a huge hit!!!

As were the Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt!! yummy!!

If I do say so myself...we out did ourselves on the food for this event!!!

                             The Girls at Mulberry.....Sip and See 2011

We wasted no time moving right along!

We were privileged to be a part of the Birmingham Home and Garden's Inspiration Home 2011!

We loved every minute of it but we especially loved getting to work with Tracery Interiors and getting to know Doug and Paige and everyone on their design team! Thank you for letting Mulberry Heights be a part of such a wonderful event in Birmingham!

Then, in late  OCTOBER...it was time to start decorating the shop for Christmas! It was fun, though!!

I loved everything we carried this year for Christmas!!

And then I blinked!!! And it was time for our Christmas Open House with Emily!!! she brought cards....

And paintings galore!!!!

The hit of the show was most DEFINITELY this Hunt Scene!! It's as if it has been taken straight from the mind of Ralph Lauren himself!!! Of course I'm measuring each space in my own house to see if there is any chance of it working!!! Oh My...It's Phenomenal!!!

As if we didn't have enough to offer in the way of "Christmas Wish Lists!" We also had all of this fabulous jewelry!! I can only imagine the smiles of the wives that received either an Emyo painting or a Sennod piece of jewelry or a Leather Strap bracelet! I'm so thankful for the ones I've already heard from!!!

It makes it ALL worthwhile to know that you are a part of someone else's joy!!!

So, we at Mulberry Heights Antiques wish you a Very Happy New Year 2012!!!! And...to top it off...take a look at the new Southern Lady magazine that just hit the stands! We made it on their "must see" list for Birmingham, Alabama!!! How About That!!!! 

Thank you again, Teresa! You have truly been a huge part of my blogging experience and a wonderful source of advice and inspiration! I wish I could pass this award BACK to you! But, for now...I'm sending it to the other people that have also helped me along the way is some form or fashion! I don't take any of your comments, advice or well wishes lightly! In fact....they make it all worth while!!! Happy New Year 2012 to all of my blogging friends, my customers and my family! I appreciate you very much!

Now...for the 5 facts about me that you may or may not know!!

1- I started my first blog it doesnt fall far from the tree  when my daughter and her husband had to move away....I thought it would be a good way to stay in touch, express my thoughts and sometimes desires, share cooking tips, etc...Little did I know they would be gone this long or that I would get to have them home at least once a month! God is good!

2- I attended a different school every year until I reached 7th grade! I don't say that as a bad thing...it's just a fact! I remember it being fun and always an adventure! My parents moved us from Memphis to Denver and then to California due to my dad's medical training and Naval experience. I think it's helped me adapt to a lot of different situations over the years! We landed in Birmingham, AL and will forever stay!!

3- I have two grown and married children and absolutely adore their spouses! I also have the cutest almost  18 year old son ( in 16 days he will turn 18! ) that will graduate from high school this spring...and will then attend Auburn University!! I hope I can handle being an empty nester...I'm beginning to have HUGE doubts about it! He is a wonderful child! as are my other children! I'm just being emotional right now!

4- I have the most wonderful granddaughter that will turn 5 in March! Where has the time gone? I hope that when Miller graduates I will not only be able to travel more and go on buying trips galore but that I will also get to spend more time with Layton!

5- I love the beach more than anything! Well...not more than God...my Saviour! and not more than my precious husband!! But gosh...I love the beach! I hope that Jim and I can both enjoy our beach house a lot more in the next few years once we truly are empty nesters!

I know those facts were pretty random! But that's what makes life interesting, isn't it?

Thanks again to the bloggers that I am passing the Blog on Fire Award to!

Cote de Texas
belles & bows

Adirondack Baker
Conspicuous Style
Under Spanish Moss