So, I've been in a lot of other people's Etsy Treasuries, but I never made one myself.
I've started to, but it takes forever to find 16 "just right" items; requiring hours of searching in some cases.....
So finally today I broke down and did it; just to say I have. It did take forever to find just the right things and copy and paste all those dang URLs and notify all the shop owners...... ugh.
And I didn't even include one of my own items; as most people do.
So here it is. I don't think this is front page material; but that wasn't my goal. Let me know what you think - here or on Etsy. :)
Old Country Store Theme Treasury
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Autumn Table
The vast majority of my china is blue and white, red and white, violet, and Homer Lauglin pinky, rosy florals; pink depression glass, anything turquoise; etc. etc.
However I have a few pieces that I drag out this time of year for their autumn theme; along with other elements of "rustic-y-ness" for setting a lovely seasonal table.
Like this very old creamer. I love old, stained pieces; plain white, with good lines, and lots of "crazing". (Crazing is all those little spider web like cracks on old china.)
I bought this, thought it matches nothing else I have, because of it's unusual shape, color, and the cornucopia design. I just love it. I wish there was a whole set.....
My mom got this - it, too is unusual, with it's orange and purple poppy motif. Purple is one of my favorite autumn colors.
These Homer Laughlin pieces date to the early 1930s.
I love mismatched old silver. I use it all the time. It's so "shabby chic". I love to use the pieces with grapes and berries in the fall.
However I have a few pieces that I drag out this time of year for their autumn theme; along with other elements of "rustic-y-ness" for setting a lovely seasonal table.
Like this very old creamer. I love old, stained pieces; plain white, with good lines, and lots of "crazing". (Crazing is all those little spider web like cracks on old china.)
I bought this, thought it matches nothing else I have, because of it's unusual shape, color, and the cornucopia design. I just love it. I wish there was a whole set.....
My mom got this - it, too is unusual, with it's orange and purple poppy motif. Purple is one of my favorite autumn colors.
These Homer Laughlin pieces date to the early 1930s.
I love mismatched old silver. I use it all the time. It's so "shabby chic". I love to use the pieces with grapes and berries in the fall.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Mad Men
So I've been hearing all kinds of buzz about the show "Mad Men" from vintage sellers/buyers; "Mad Men" is a regular tag and title used on etsy for 60's items; etc.
But I had never seen the show; so I got season One from Netflix.
And - sorry, "Mad Men" fans - I was most certainly unimpressed.
Yes, the costumes are fantastic. I appreciate that aspect - 1960s fashion is very misunderstood and under appreciated by some who associate the 1960s only with "hippie" and "mod"; and don't take into consideration the classics like the "wiggle" dress, sheath dresses, etc. The 60's had a LOT of timeless styles to offer the fashion world. And these are showcased in Mad Men.
But I could not get past the charaters; or the plot. Especially the leading male role, Don Draper, who comes across as a good looking, alcoholic, chain smoking, womanizing, aloof person who is habitually unfaithful to his perfectly lovely wife. Ik.
And the fact that the leading female office role seems to be intent on completely undermining a new office girl's purity and scruples. Gag.
The men are all rude and disrespectful of the women in the office, and everywhere else; and I simply cannot detect a solid plot beyond the routine rudeness to women, and talking about advertisements.
Ok, by the third episode, some of the screwed-up home life of these people started to emerge as well. Yay.
All while looking amazing in spot-on 60's costume; I'll give it that.
Maybe it's just my wholesome, country, church going, "respect ladies and treat them like princesses" upbringing getting the better of me.
But Season One Dick One was enough Mad Men for me.
Can anyone tell me if it gets better? If it improves, maybe I'll try watching some more.
But I had never seen the show; so I got season One from Netflix.
And - sorry, "Mad Men" fans - I was most certainly unimpressed.
Yes, the costumes are fantastic. I appreciate that aspect - 1960s fashion is very misunderstood and under appreciated by some who associate the 1960s only with "hippie" and "mod"; and don't take into consideration the classics like the "wiggle" dress, sheath dresses, etc. The 60's had a LOT of timeless styles to offer the fashion world. And these are showcased in Mad Men.
But I could not get past the charaters; or the plot. Especially the leading male role, Don Draper, who comes across as a good looking, alcoholic, chain smoking, womanizing, aloof person who is habitually unfaithful to his perfectly lovely wife. Ik.
And the fact that the leading female office role seems to be intent on completely undermining a new office girl's purity and scruples. Gag.
The men are all rude and disrespectful of the women in the office, and everywhere else; and I simply cannot detect a solid plot beyond the routine rudeness to women, and talking about advertisements.
Ok, by the third episode, some of the screwed-up home life of these people started to emerge as well. Yay.
All while looking amazing in spot-on 60's costume; I'll give it that.
Maybe it's just my wholesome, country, church going, "respect ladies and treat them like princesses" upbringing getting the better of me.
But Season One Dick One was enough Mad Men for me.
Can anyone tell me if it gets better? If it improves, maybe I'll try watching some more.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
I just have a few hats......
This was what the guest room bed looked like as I sorted through my hats before moving into my new shop location. This does not include a couple that were packed away still....
And I bought more since this photo was taken. Several more. Okay, eight more.
Anyway.... this is what my shop spot looked like after everything was cleaned, and the clothes racks painted and moved in, and all the other "prop" stuff, and some of the shabby cottage style furnishings....
And -
Yesterday was move in day and I didn't take photos of the final shop look..... this week I will post some.
Come and see me sometime if you find yourself in North Carolina/Virginia.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Coming SOON!!
So the saga of my "shop of my own" dream continues...
The first try at getting a room, or a booth, in one of the local shops fell through, for mostly financial reasons - my little business cannot support a whole building, even if it is growing little by little. And because their whole vast antique business is closing, and I'd be the only one in the place, with no one to share rent with, all the bills would be my responsibility.
But there is more than one shop in my little historic home town in rural North Carolina.
So I took my dream and went to my friend who owns the other shop in town... a huge, 2-story brick building built in 1837.
The whole building is painted pink.
Anyway, the owner and I have a long history together; I manage her horse farm, I used to help her clean her monster of a house that sits right next door to the store:
I look after the house and her cats when she is out of town; which is almost 3/4 of the year.
When her donkeys escape from her horse farm I fetch them back .... grrrrrr.
I still occasionally work part time in her antique shop, which is inside the pink building. And I have occasionally consigned some pieces with her and sold them; including a few vintage dresses and hats a few years ago, before I got married.
So we were discussing the closing antique shop down the street one day, and I told her how I had inquired about renting a spot/booth/room/whatever
and how I simply could not do it, at present.
"Well.... I wish you would have said something to me," she says.
Long story short: after several discussions with her, and discussions with my husband, of course - I have agreed to re-vamp her entire store, and work free of charge for a certain amount of hours a week, in exchange for one room sized spot in the upstairs loft of her store, in which to set up my own shop.
While I am extremely excited about this, I am also completely overwhelmed...... there is so much stuff, so much cleaning and re-arranging to be done, and every time I go in there to work, my brain is all scrambled and I don't know where to begin.
Here is what my loft shop area looked like before I began:
Ugh! Look at all the stuff!! Much of it is out-of-style gothic Victorian stuff that she simply cannot sell. And Christmas mess.
So I worked for a whole afternoon and this was the final result on MY side of the loft:
The floor is nasty under the old rug I removed; that is for sure. A good mopping or two.... or three..... even four..... will reveal the varnished floor boards.
The lattice will be covered up with plain white fabric sheet "drapes" courtesy of my Mom.
The dresser and vanity you see will remain and be used as prop pieces; as well as the white iron scrolled room screen, the white wicker rocker, and the wrought iron Victorian "ice cream" set.
My husband is building me several heavy duty dress racks, and "cubby" shelves for display.
For starters.
So I have been working like MAD to finish my projects stashed in the barn (my footstools), and digging out all of my stash I have stashed over the years for future selling purposes.
Sewing, painting, fixing, drilling, packing, polishing, gluing, cleaning, dusting, buying........ whew.
I didn't know there would be so much to DO. I haven't even gotten around to creating my inventory control/tagging system yet.
Let alone planning the Christmas Gala/Open House/Trunk Show/Grand Opening I am planning for Early December.
And buying a sign with my shop name; and advertising, and fliers, etc. etc......
It's going to be really cool. I am hoping that this works and that I can expand in a year. Maybe use the other half of the loft as well.
Fingers crossed.
The first try at getting a room, or a booth, in one of the local shops fell through, for mostly financial reasons - my little business cannot support a whole building, even if it is growing little by little. And because their whole vast antique business is closing, and I'd be the only one in the place, with no one to share rent with, all the bills would be my responsibility.
But there is more than one shop in my little historic home town in rural North Carolina.
So I took my dream and went to my friend who owns the other shop in town... a huge, 2-story brick building built in 1837.
The whole building is painted pink.
Anyway, the owner and I have a long history together; I manage her horse farm, I used to help her clean her monster of a house that sits right next door to the store:
I look after the house and her cats when she is out of town; which is almost 3/4 of the year.
When her donkeys escape from her horse farm I fetch them back .... grrrrrr.
I still occasionally work part time in her antique shop, which is inside the pink building. And I have occasionally consigned some pieces with her and sold them; including a few vintage dresses and hats a few years ago, before I got married.
So we were discussing the closing antique shop down the street one day, and I told her how I had inquired about renting a spot/booth/room/whatever
and how I simply could not do it, at present.
"Well.... I wish you would have said something to me," she says.
Long story short: after several discussions with her, and discussions with my husband, of course - I have agreed to re-vamp her entire store, and work free of charge for a certain amount of hours a week, in exchange for one room sized spot in the upstairs loft of her store, in which to set up my own shop.
While I am extremely excited about this, I am also completely overwhelmed...... there is so much stuff, so much cleaning and re-arranging to be done, and every time I go in there to work, my brain is all scrambled and I don't know where to begin.
Here is what my loft shop area looked like before I began:
Ugh! Look at all the stuff!! Much of it is out-of-style gothic Victorian stuff that she simply cannot sell. And Christmas mess.
So I worked for a whole afternoon and this was the final result on MY side of the loft:
The floor is nasty under the old rug I removed; that is for sure. A good mopping or two.... or three..... even four..... will reveal the varnished floor boards.
The lattice will be covered up with plain white fabric sheet "drapes" courtesy of my Mom.
The dresser and vanity you see will remain and be used as prop pieces; as well as the white iron scrolled room screen, the white wicker rocker, and the wrought iron Victorian "ice cream" set.
My husband is building me several heavy duty dress racks, and "cubby" shelves for display.
For starters.
So I have been working like MAD to finish my projects stashed in the barn (my footstools), and digging out all of my stash I have stashed over the years for future selling purposes.
Sewing, painting, fixing, drilling, packing, polishing, gluing, cleaning, dusting, buying........ whew.
I didn't know there would be so much to DO. I haven't even gotten around to creating my inventory control/tagging system yet.
Let alone planning the Christmas Gala/Open House/Trunk Show/Grand Opening I am planning for Early December.
And buying a sign with my shop name; and advertising, and fliers, etc. etc......
It's going to be really cool. I am hoping that this works and that I can expand in a year. Maybe use the other half of the loft as well.
Fingers crossed.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Cottage Footstools
The following are a few transformation projects I have been up to in the past few days.
The first one was a 1950s maple end table with a magazine rack that I found in one of our barns when I cleaned it out:
The yellow one was a crusty thing that was in the house when my husband moved in here 6 months before we got married. It had a yukky brown vinyl cushion on the top, and was full of upholstery tack holes.
I always start by painting the bottom and legs of a piece.
Finally, the little white one - my mom bought it an an auction years ago; it had a cane bottom. The bottom fell apart, and it got stashed in my parent's barn; where I plucked it up this weekend, and painted it white. Then I picked out three coordinating scraps of fabric from the tubs of fabrics I inherited from my Grandmother; cut them into 2-inch strips, and wove the "shabby", scrappy bottom you see here. I also distressed the frame with sandpaper and a rag.
I LOVE the result. It would be so perfect in a baby's room.
The yellow one is the only one I plan on keeping; the other two will be for sale in my new vintage shop; when I get it open. :)
I love re-furbishing stuff!
The first one was a 1950s maple end table with a magazine rack that I found in one of our barns when I cleaned it out:
The yellow one was a crusty thing that was in the house when my husband moved in here 6 months before we got married. It had a yukky brown vinyl cushion on the top, and was full of upholstery tack holes.
I always start by painting the bottom and legs of a piece.
Finally, the little white one - my mom bought it an an auction years ago; it had a cane bottom. The bottom fell apart, and it got stashed in my parent's barn; where I plucked it up this weekend, and painted it white. Then I picked out three coordinating scraps of fabric from the tubs of fabrics I inherited from my Grandmother; cut them into 2-inch strips, and wove the "shabby", scrappy bottom you see here. I also distressed the frame with sandpaper and a rag.
I LOVE the result. It would be so perfect in a baby's room.
The yellow one is the only one I plan on keeping; the other two will be for sale in my new vintage shop; when I get it open. :)
I love re-furbishing stuff!
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