Sunday, June 22, 2008

New Old Stuff

It seems everyone likes to have updated photos of the shop and the "new" old stuff we have found so enjoy the following! Almost all the pieces came in Thursday night/Friday morning.

A cast iron fireplace screen of a man seated with his dog while a woman draws water into a pitcher from a fountain with an urn full of flowers on top, I love the ribbon detail all around the scene.
A vintage French Provincial pink velvet settee, brought in Thursday night, sold Saturday morning.
See companion sofa below!
A fantastic old cabinet in original, faded butter yellow paint. This would be great in a dining room or living area. You could cut out the shelves and put your TV inside!
Great old iron full size bed with brass ball finials, several old chairs with original paint, vintage curvy, beveled edge mirror, old primitive bench
piles of quilts perfect for the porch or for making pillows, great prices on these!
A tufted love seat in an ivory linen, wonderful size for smaller rooms, a French inspired 4 foot tall birdcage, 100% cotton pillows with red stripes and floral
The French Provincial pink velvet sofa, pitcher and bowl set with darling pink and yellow flowers
You could easily seat 6-7 people on this couch! Love the rattan inserts.

Cottage dresser in old, faded grey-blue paint (bits of aqua peeking through) a vintage concrete garden fountain

A vintage chair with tufted back and arms, vintage iron work pieces, cafe table with cast iron base and faux marble top, great for outside or in!
Old wicker with make-do linen cushion cover, more cotton pillows with tie-ons.
The wicker again, tiered wire stand with votive cups, the perfect centerpiece for outdoor entertaining as it does double duty as a serving piece too, put bread sticks in the "crow's nest" top and fill the bottom with buns for burgers and brats, with napkins, condiments, etc. When the meal is over put a couple of potted plants on the tiers, lights the candles and voila!, your guests will "ooh & ahh" at you just like at the fireworks.
Another faded quilt used as a tablecloth on our red/white/blue table, 4 cottage style chairs
Cafe glass holder (great for waffle cones too!), a pile of napkins with a pastoral embroidery, new French styled cutting boards, great wedding gift (attention chefs: one for vegetables and a separate for onions)
The red, white & blue table set with vintage metal trays that feature an anchor in the middle, wavy salad or cheese plates, red embroidered napkins, starfish place card holders, boxed sets of tea towels, a perfect gift for the hostess
A Kramer Brothers Campagna urn on plinth, a vintage wicker table (this is one to buy and have forever...so many uses, you will never tire of it), an insulated metal tea storage box, the birdcage
Another cottage style dresser in "as found" paint, great curvy little legs and bowed front
A chandelier repurposed into a tabletop candelabra, awesome patina!

A fabulous tiered plant stand with aqua paint showing through the grey. These are lots of fun especially around the holidays: pumpkins and gourds, pine and Santas, etc.





Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day to my dad and all fathers!

My dad at age 4 on the front porch of his grandparent's home
Summerfield, Ohio
1945
When I was young, you helped me grow
And taught me all I had to know
Of love and trust and faith and hope
And everything it takes to cope.
You may have thought I didn't hear
Or maybe that you weren't quite clear
But all the things you taught to me
Were heeded very carefully,
And now I want to thank you for
your love, your care, and so much more!
Happy Father's Day Dad!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Corn-gratulations on your new crib!

I was flipping through the pages of Cottage Living magazine today and came to a layout of a circa-1860 farmhouse in LaFox, Illinois (about 40 miles west of Chicago). Of course it is beautiful, a brick walkway to a screened in porch welcome guests into the Civil War-era home that sits on three acres. Out the back of the house is a flagstone pathway leading to a circular garden with four Adirondack chairs placed around a gurgling fountain. And Ohhh the outbuildings!! What I would give for outbuildings! Even if they were empty (and you all know I would fill them up in a minute flat!) there is something enchanting out them. I love it when they look nestled in to blooming masses of peonies or one corner is peeking out from under a tangle of fragrant climbing heirloom roses. But one more flip of the page and I found this wonderful secret spot...I LOVE this!
The caption reads "The roof blew this corncrib (a classic Midwestern structure made for storing field corn), but Donna reimagined it as a sturdy form for growing her favorite flowering clematis vines." Wouldn't you love to sit out there in the evening and watch a storm moving in across the cornfield? Or how about an intimate al fresco dinner for two with all the candles burning in that funky chandelier? Then, of course, you would linger into the night and watch for shooting stars. A wonderful reminder to not run out, tear down the old and build the latest "new and improved" version. This version looks pretty darn near perfect to me.