Sophie is our newest lab mascot at Mermaid Cottages and she wants in on the fun, too!
We're rebranding one of our larger cottages and we need your help to give her a new name!
Vintage 1940s Cottage Home-Newly Restored and Updated!
New Deck and Deck Furniture
New Curtains
New Nautical Theme
New Local Art
Fresh Paint In/Out
New Hardwood Floors
1.5 Blocks to the beach
Pet Friendly!
Send Sophie your suggestions for a new name by 9 AM Thursday, March 31!
Your can post your suggestions on our FACEBOOK pages, TWEET them to @mermaidcottages or email them to diane@mermaidcottages.com!
Sophie says she'll grin even bigger if you send her more suggestions than Danny!
One of our magnificent mermaid manors is getting re-branded. She's getting, fluffed, styled, coiffed, beautified and her debut is coming soon.
We asked various arbiters of good taste, "What makes a great beauty memorable?"
How can we make an already remarkable home be even more inviting?
One of the style icons we queried was our own Mermaid Mascot, Danny.
You see, when it comes to admiring something beautiful or enjoying something sinfully delicious,
Danny's our Go-To guy. So, we asked him. "Danny. What's one feature that makes a great beauty truly memorable?"
In true Danny style he just plopped down, let out a "I'm in heaven" yawn and wafted off into doggy dreamland on these beautiful hardwood floors.
What makes a great beauty memorable? Our cottage re-do will soon debut her new hardwoods. There's a clue to her identity hidden in this blog. Be sure to read our weekend blogs for Mermaid Cottages and Beach Bum Biscuits, our FACEBOOK pages and our TWEETS for more clues to her identity. Then, be thinking about what we should re-name her. Your winning recommendation could score you our Mermaid Magnificent Must-haves!
One of our extraordinary vacation homes is going through a complete makeover and we want you to give it a new name!
Make sure you LIKE Beach Bum Biscuits on FACEBOOK and FOLLOW our blogs for clues and important information about how you can enter our NAME THAT COTTAGE Contest!
A You Tube video of Denver, the Guiltiest Dog in America, made the rounds this week and even landed Denver a guest spot on ABC's Good Morning America, too.
Like everyone else we got tickled at Denver's walk of shame after her owner discovered she had devoured a bag of cat treats while he was away.
We were tickled that someone else has a lab like our Danny. Danny is one of our Mermaid Cottages mascots and frequently models for our photo shoots. He truly is a beautiful soul and very loving, but he's had a few guilty episodes of his own.
To date and over the years, Danny has snarfed down cupcakes, a sour cream peach pound cake, bags of confectioners sugar, an Easter Coconut Cake decorated with Peeps, flour, and a few bags of Paula Deen's Cheese Biscuit Mix! He's even had to make a couple trips to the vet to have his stomach examined for various combinations of non-doggy friendly "treats" he confiscated without permission.
He's a cool customer. Usually, so long as a food item is at least 12 inches from the edge of the counter we consider it a "Danny Free Zone". But, if we're off by a couple of inches or if it's something truly too good to pass up like cakes and Peeps, Danny will find a way. Initially, he seems aloof and totally not interested, but turn your back for just a moment and it's carpe diem!
Maybe Denver will visit us some day and teach Danny the walk of shame. Until then, we have to stay one or two steps ahead of him!
If you've got photos or videos of your pets antics, please post them on our FACEBOOK page and your pet could be our Beach Bum Biscuits pet of the day!
Does your pet demonstrate its ability to parent and give care?
In our Mermaid family we have Moxie, a West Highland Terrier. She's never had puppies, but she's always been a terrific mom! She's 11 years old and she still has the very first toy we gave her, a stuffed duck. She has mothered and protected that little duck from the other dogs and we can often find her napping with it. She even mothers our Dachshund, Barney, and he's older than her!
We also saw this great story about another Westie, four year old Winston, on peoplepets.com. When his human family set up a birdbath and added some toy ducks, Winston immediately assumed guard duty. He dutifully watches over and protects his duckies!
Some of the best life lessons we learn about love and care come from our pets! If you pet has a great knack for TLC, be sure to let us know and post it on our FACEBOOK!
Your pet could be our Beach Bum Biscuit Pet of the Day!
You know how sometimes you can keep your obsessions in check so long as you don't get too much sensory overload at one time?
Take a look at this fabulous Etsy Shop and you'll see I just may need a Friend-tervention!
DOGS!
The BEACH!
FLOWERS!
I'm in danger!
PETETTE is a fantastic Etsy Shop I discovered today and I love how you can really brighten up any room by adding just the right pop of color. Just in time for Spring, too.
Remember the good old days when all we had to worry about was how many frogs we had to kiss before we found our prince?
Now, we have to worry about the potty mouths of our pets!
Dr. Oz says puckering up for our pooches can actually make us sick! He says little puppy kisses can be fine, but we have to remember that most of our dogs are scavengers and let's face it...they're not always too particular about what they put in their mouths!
Toxocara, Salmonella, Guardia, Hookworm, Tapeworm, and many others can be found in the mouths of our pets. And, Dr. Oz adds that some of our pets' bad behaviors we ignore could be the cause of household illnesses. If your pet, especially cats, go outside and walk through yucky stuff and then hop up on your counter tops they are contaminating places where you prepare food. If you allow your pets to sleep in your bed you have to realize what's been in their mouths and on their paws is now where you sleep!
What can you do? Be sure to always wash your hands after handling any animal, don't let them rummage in garbage or raw meat, wipe/clean their paws when they come in from outside, keep pets off surfaces where you prepare food and always maintain a healthy pet with regular visits to the vet!
For more information about Dr Oz's recommendations go to www.peoplepets.com!
Ya'll know we love our Mary Kay Andrews and the roars of laughter and adventure she brings to our Mermaid family!
Recently, she shared with us a fan letter she received from Canada. Of course we were excited, too, because we get to meet her wonderful fans who come to Tybee just to stay in her beautiful Breeze Inn beach home.
When she showed us the email she was beaming about the wonderful sentiments of the writer, Christine Pharand. Mary Kay Andrews was beaming and proud. We were intrigued!
We say this with love. Christine is a Border and Customs Officer with the Canada Border Services Agency. And she's a K-9 Officer. The only thing we love more than our Mary Kay Andrews is a good, old fashioned scandal! Having both in one was even better!
Had our Mary Kay Andrews somehow crossed the border into Canada while on one of her junking forays? We've all been in danger before when Mary Kay has seen something interesting at an estate sale or junk pile and we happened to walk in between her and a treasured discovery. Had she maybe run a covert operation across international lines just to pull something from a trash pile? Had the Canadian Border Patrol posted a capture order for our truant Mary Kay?
Well, as it turns out Christine really is a fan! In addition to her search and rescue work that takes her and her K-9 team around the world, Christine also comes to Savannah to work with rescue training! Christine and her rescue dogs, Boomer and Ranger, were in Savannah this weekend and made the trek over to Tybee to meet Mary Kay during her book signing and reading at Seaside Sisters' Grand Re-Opening!
Take a look at these magnificent search and rescue dogs and the great fun everyone had meeting them with Christine.
Well, it was just another adventurous day in the life of our favorite low country author, Mary Kay Andrews!
Don't worry Mary Kay. If you do ever get picked up because of your wander lust you can count on us to show up during visiting hours. What? You don't really think we'd pool our monies to bail you out, do you?
A stay at Mermaid Cottages is just as much a treat for your pets as it is for you! Tybee is a wonderful place to walk and wander and discover and enjoy...especially with your pet!
One of the best ways to teach your dog proper etquette is to always carry treats to reinforce good behavior. In addition to "Atta Boy" or "Good Girl" a tasty treat helps your dog pick up good habits.
May we suggest our all natural Beach Bum Biscuits? Each Mermaid Cottage that is pet friendly is stocked with a supply of Beach Bum Biscuits as well as a complimentary pet tag while you're here.
We're sure your furiend will enjoy our tasty treats so much you'll want to pick up a bag to take home. Today's a fantastic time to do that because they're available at SeaSide Sisters on Tybee! They're having their Grand Re-Opening all day today, so be sure to go by and pick up all things Mermaid, including Beach Bum Biscuits!
Your dog will thank you and you'll be glad you did!
This largest and tallest galloping hound combines power and swiftness with keen eyesight. Easy-going and quiet, these dogs create a very strong bond with their human families. Though not normally aggressive around other domestic dogs, they are natural hunters and may course another dog. This is not a fighting or territorial behavior.
They are very affectionate to children and seem to know they need to be gentle, despite their great size. They also seem to be able to sense ill will or danger towards their human family which makes them excellent guardians, but not necessarily good guard dogs.
Tale a look at this wonderful Animal Discovery Channel video and you'll see how magnificent these dogs really are!
We're celebrating Irish Heritage this week, but we celebrate our pet friends every day! Be sure to share your photos of your pets enjoying Tybee Island and Mermaid Cottages!
Although it's commonly believed they hail from County Kerry in Ireland, the Kerry Blue Terrier actually originated in Tipperary!
With a soft, wavy coat and not undercoat, the Kerry Blue has fine textured, almost human like hair. It's low or no shedding makes it a terrier-ific family pet and remarkably it has little or no scent. Some even say Kerry Blue's have a pleasant scent which means no doggy odors here!
These loyal, affectionate giants are gentle with children, but they also get used alot as Police Dogs in Ireland. They're excellent herders, strong and fast!
Here's a super You Tube video of a Kerry Blue Terrier Champion!
It's Tybee Irish Heritage Celebration time, so ya'll come on down! Be sure to send us photos of your pets enjoying Tybee Island and Mermaid Cottages and your pet could be the Beach Bum Biscuit Eater of the Day!
We're celebrating Irish Heritage with five of the top Irish Pet Breeds! How about these Soft Coated Wheaton Terriers! This loving, active Irish breed has very little shedding so they make outstanding pets for anyone with allergies and their easy going demeanor makes them a great choice as therapy dogs. There are four coat varieties: Traditional Irish, Heavy Irish, English and American. They're hypoallergenic, low maintenance, love people, smart and easy to train. Just brush them once a day and their hair is more like human hair; it just keeps growing and is easy to maintain. They're great watch dogs, meaning they're great with children, but non-aggressive, so not so well suited as a guard dog.
Take a look at this sweet You Tube video by zwubby222 and all the shades of love that Soft Coated Wheatons come in!
Join us for the Tybee Irish Heritage Celebration Parade this weekend and follow our BLOG and on FACEBOOK. Post your photos of your pets enjoying Tybee Island and Mermaid Cottages and your pet could be our Beach Bum Biscuits Eater of the Day!
Even though the original Irish Setters were bred and trained as setting or hunting dogs, these modern day setters are now in more beneficial use as therapy dogs.
Patients enjoy stroking the silky manes of these magnificent dogs and Irish Setters have even found great success in the READ Programs. This is where Irish Setters are used as therapy dogs in schools and students are allowed to read to the dogs. A real people dog, an Irish Setter Therapy Dog will lie down and relax while a student reads to it. It doesn't correct or interrupt the student, so it helps the student to get past the anxieties of reading in front of others.
Their pleasant demeanor makes them great family pets, but they are not aggressive enough to be considered a guard dog. We say Irish Setters are great therapy for everyone!
We found this fantastic video of Irish Setters by our friends at Animal Planet!
We're celebrating Irish Heritages in preparation for St. Patrick's Day, but we enjoy celebrating your pets every day! Post photos of your pet enjoying visits to Tybee Island and Mermaid Cottages on our FACEBOOK page and your pet could be our Beach Bum Biscuits Eater of the Day!
It's time for Mud Bug Pies and Hurricane Drinks and cutting up like a Dirt Road Sport!
It's MARDI GRAS TYBEE!
And, dont't you even think about not bringing your pets! Mermaid Cottages still has pet friendly cottages available this weekend! Go to mermaidcottages.com and book it!
Will you have fun this weekend?
Does a cat have a climbing gear?
Laissez Ruler Les Bon Temps, Ya'll
Let the good times roll!
For the complete list of all the Mardi Gras Tybee Parties, Parades, Balls, Zydeco and Fun
The party folks at TybeeFest Productions kick off Carnival Season with Mardi Gras Tybee!
March 4 & 5
Break out your purple, gold and green party frocks and join in on the fun!
Tybee will be the place to be for the Masquerade Ball, Parade and Street Party with live entertainment and there are several other parties around the island, so loads of fun will be had by all!
For a complete list of Mardi Gras Tybee activities go to
Ahoy, Pups! Dog Days on Tybee just got even better! Announcing the newest dog friendly cottage in the Mermaid Cottages Collection: CRABBY JO'S!
Located just one house back from the south beach on 18th lane, this newly refurbished cottage is your perfect paradise to get Tybee-ized!
With wrap around porches and sweeping views of the south end, the ocean breezes will always welcome you at Crabby Jo's! The yard is not fenced in, but you'll find quiet Tybee streets that beckon you to dog stroll and wander!
This circa 1930 vintage hideaway sleeps six comfortably, so it's a special home for families or a cozy cottage getaway for a couple. Loaded with all the Mermaid Cottages brand standards, you can enjoy WiFi and all the modern conveniences or turn the world off and just lose yourself in beach walking, beach combing, ecology discoveries and some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets Tybee has to offer.
It's also stocked with our famous Beach Bum Biscuits and our extraordinary Morning Bliss coffee service. You'll find the art of slowing down has never been easier.
