Sunday, November 27, 2011

Just a few treasures found...


even though I am trying hard not to go shopping and just clean out my storage...

I find it hard to ignore a garage sale sign...

you can't tell..but the filigree around the lampshade of this lamp is green metal...( the green I LOVE!!!)....
so of course I couldn't resist it...(and the price...yee ha!)

and the leather hat box with the cool fabric lining...oh...you don't want to know what a wonderful price it was!!!

the inside of this hat box is gorgeous!!!

and the vintage pottery I couldn't pass up...

and there might be a piece or two that won't leave home...


but sometimes a girl just has to shop...just a little...

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend...
I will need to buckle down and study this week...
this is dead week...and by the end of it ...that might be a perfect description :)...
2 papers due, an oral presentation...a spanish "prequiz" to get ready for the final...
and then the first week of December...finals!!!!
and right after finals? an estate sale!!!
ohhh....
one week at a time...
wish me luck :)

Friday, November 25, 2011

SHOP SMALL BUSINESSES TOMORROW, SATURDAY!

Keep your favorite small businesses in business...shop them tomorrow, shop local...and keep your favorites open for a long, long, time!
Some of my destinations tomorrow-
1. A great children's book store, A Childrens Place- in the Beaumont Village on NE FREMONT
2. Rerun- a great resale consignment shop on NE Fremont (NE 12th and Fremont)
3. Patti Smith- a consignment shop on NE 42nd street just north of Fremont
4. My absolute favorite place, Bella Flora, also in Beaumont Village on NE Fremont and 44th.

and of course, STARS ANTIQUE MALL....I will be there for a while in the afternoon...
support your local favorites tomorrow and buy local for Christmas...

happy hunting!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

time for some thanks...


Time for some thanks...
my family...



I will be relaxing a bit this weekend...

I will probably look for some fun finds...

along with finals and final papers due and oral spanish presentations...

I am thankful for some "time" to relax with family and friends...

this greeting card I found last week...I bought it when I was 18 and thought my life would look like this...

Instead it is a bit crazy...and I am a city girl!



and I thank you all for reading my blog and for being my friends and family...
Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

new versus old...glitter and gold is wonderful...oh...the holidays!

yep...most folk think that new is ok in a vintage store...so long as it isn't too much. I, by the way, am just not sure. I love glitter and gold and silver and "pretties" and have been known to fall for new as well as old...
I just love love Christmas in all it glory.
thanks for your input....it was interesting getting different opinions...

Monday, November 21, 2011

Need your opinion...should new Christmas items be...

should new Christmas items be in an antique mall???


I am having a really hard time with this. Do you think new Christmas items belong in antique malls mixed with the old Christmas stuff?
I know that some of us do some mixed media "art"...obvious created items that have been made using some old items....



but the purist in me comes out when I see dollar store stuff embellished...



am I wrong? Is it weird to see those items in antique stores? Or am I just being crotchity?



I do a bit of my own tags and plaques and things...embellished items...
mostly paper goods embellished with old stamps and glitter...really OBVIOUSLY not old...
but dollar store stuff with added glitter and ribbon?
am I wrong in not liking that?

Would REALLY REALLY like thoughts on this...



Please...let me know what you think????

Saturday, November 19, 2011

thank you thank you thank you

Thank you all for coming to our family holiday show- I had my best family show ever...and since we have never "done" a Friday night before we didn't know what to expect...and so so many of you came...what fun it was. You all made me feel like an artist when you scooped up my home made items...thank you! Makes me want to "play " more in my studio!
again...thank you...you are the best!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

hee hee ...I am featured on the STARS blog...check out the picture of us!

yep, crazy...they featured us on the STARS blog...I dug up a vintage picture of John and I ...24 years ago...
check it out! (kinda funny!)
thanks STARS folk for featuring me!
starsantiqueblog.com

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

some pretties for the show Friday night 6-8


these are boxes of mini ornaments...

I have a bunch of vintage tablecloths all ready for entertaining...

this is our 6th annual sale...one time I didn't make my button ornaments...and people were mad at me...



hope you can come...it is Friday night from 6-8 and Saturday from 9am-2pm...
THE ADDRESS IS 2334 NE 48th, 97213 just off Sandy blvd in Portland
this is a tiny sampling of some of my things...plus there will be fused glass created by Bill...fab jewelry from Doris...textile art from jeanne and beautiful cards created by Marsha!
have a great day!

Monday, November 14, 2011

This Friday night and Saturday holiday sale

this next weekend will be our family holiday sale held annually at my sisters house in NE Portland
My brother in law is a fused glass artist, his sister Jeanne does textile art, friend Doris creates jewelry, creative paper card artist Marcia will be there, and me.
What will I have?
Vintage Christmas. I have saved my prettiest ornaments and trees for this sale plus other holiday treasures as well.
I also have been creating a few mixed media wall hangings, vintage button ornaments, and other treasures from old holiday bits and baubles.
It is a really low key sale. Friday night there will be wine, no extra charge for Friday night. In fact, no charge at all. Just come by and say hi even :)
I guarantee you will be able to find some fun and unique holiday gifts here. Most of these items are all one of a kind.

And just a little FYI...I will be doing a really fun estate sale the beginning of December (right after finals) that will be fun and unique as well...

have a great day!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

driving at night when your windshield wipers stop working on the freeway...

yep- last night I was on I-205, 10 pm, raining cats and dogs, and my wipers stop wiping...


I don't recommend it...

still alive...but still amazed at that...

wowza...
what a week-end...

hope yours was great!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

When you are lucky...you are lucky...Paris architecture books from 1864!

What a funny day...didn't get anything done I had planned to do...
but was on my way back from a quick run to the store and I stopped at my favorite resale shop...


and scored this album...with lovelies on every page...

front and back...

but that cover...with the birds...the picture doesn't do it justice...
so then I got a phone call from STARS ANTIQUE MALL that I had sold a cupboard...
so I filled up my car and headed to STARS...


of course, I had to stop at a moving sale...
and even though I really wanted the baby grand piano,
I settled for 4 very large volumes of 1860's French architecture...

so...
I think tonight I will grab a soft blanket,
settle in to the couch...

and drool over the fabulous 1864 French books that I bought today...

indeed I am a lucky girl...
the books will probably get sold on EBAY...
but they will be a delightful read for this rainy evening...

have a great night!

Being brave...lessons I have learned from college part 1

1), no matter what Cosmo says, you can't do it all.
2). its much harder to do homework when you are 52.
3). I had no idea how we were raising our beef, chicken, pork and farmed fish...I might be a vegetarian forever.
4). the Occupy people have been there too long. It has become a joke downtown now, rather than a statement.
5). Portland State University has some of the best and smartest professors.
6). My business doesn't run itself.
7). Grocery shopping is very important.
8). Money doesn't buy your happiness, but it sure helps the day to day facts of life.
9). Meeting new people is fun. (from the 18 year olds I have met, to the 40 ish ladies...LOVE YOU ALL...
10). I have wonderful family and friends. (the real ones, the ones that "get" me even when I do crazy things!)

I am so very grateful to those of you that have cut me some slack...especially my family, cuz I have only grocery shopped about 4 times since school started, barely get the laundry in the wash (and you have put it in the dryer and folded, and put away), and have finally vacuumed the large hoards of dust bunnies. And thank God some of you had us over for dinner, the only "real" meals my hubby has had since September! (oh...he gets his wings after living with me this term!)
And to my friends that have understood that I am overwhelmed (oh so very), and supported me all the way, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have really needed those hugs and words of encouragement, and understanding...and although I have enjoyed it most of the time, this has been the hardest, longest 7 weeks of my life. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I have 4 weeks more and I am done. Pretty sure I really am done, that I won't be going back. But I will make that decision in December, after a week or two of break time. With 2 big papers that will be due the first week of December ( and a 20 minute presentation in front of the whole class), an Algebra final, and an oral Spanish final, these promise to be 4 very busy weeks.

I am participating in our family Christmas craft sale , as I have in the past. It is next weekend.
I will post more details on that later today or tomorrow.

I hope all of you are having a great fall. Our Portland weather has been fabulous, in my opinion. I love the cold sunny days, and have even enjoyed the storms we have had.
And I hope you are being brave. Trying something new. Even if it is hard.
Cuz...its worth it.
Just to say you did...
it.
hope you all have a great weekend!

Monday, November 7, 2011

just for fun...playing in the studio...

just playing with my stamps between homework assignments...I am so behind- don't even have Christmas out yet...



And I usually do Christmas early in the mall...


but I am really, really late this year...having a hard time getting in to the spirit...

thought maybe some stamping and glitter might get me moving...


soon...really soon...