new at STARS ANTIQUE MALL...

I re-did my space at STARS ANTIQUE MALL...
and I brought in some of the vintage garden items...since spring has seemed to arrive in Portland...
vintage platters...glass...pottery...fills my huge cabinet shelves...
and these vintage chicken feeders? I had to buy them for my booth...
and vintage cameras...I just can't get enough of them...
and silly little animals...how can a girl resist that dogs' face?
but mostly...it is the vintage garden, plants, and cement that make me smile...
my new obsession...well loved huge paintbrushes??? Not sure why...but I LOVE THEM!
hope you all are having a great week-end!

the "c" word...and she is only in her 40's...my dear friend...

when people move in and out of our lives, we are so very fortunate when we find a girlfriend that can make you laugh...and make you cry...
and when they move away...and you lose touch...it doesn't mean that they mean less to you, only that lives are busy and we sometimes barely have time to keep in touch with those we live close to...
but when a friend's husband calls...and tells your husband that his wife found out last Friday that she has breast cancer...it brings back all of the moments that you were together...and especially the way she could make anyone feel like they were the most important person on the planet.
that is my friend Jana.
we have lost touch, but I have never forgotten.
my blog entries are usually filled with sunny moments...my store...my family...but tonight I ask for prayers for my dear friend Jana, her husband, and her two boys.
and I will be getting back in touch...to reach out...
life...sometimes sunny, sometimes not.

the junkin' Gods were very very good to me...

It is like the skies opened up...and the finds were everywhere for me this last week...
but if you are a dealer/store owner/collector...you know this does not happen often...
books from the late 1800's just don't appear out of no where...
but last week...I think all of the hibernation of the winter is gone...
and for a few wonderful days...
spring was here in Portland...
the wicker appeared via my parents...(the have been hunting and gathering for me...)
and the skies were blue...
and my luck held...literally all week-end...
and this is just some of the small items...I bought 5 vintage dressers...vintage tables...
a collection of ancient, well used paintbrushes...
metal garden chairs...( you know, the fab kind...and a PAIR of them...)
and wood boxes...they make great shadow boxes, storage...and just look cool by themselves...
sorry for all the "bragging"...but I am still in shock that I got so lucky...it has just seemed like such a lllllloooooonnnnggggg winter...and I have been feelin' a little overworked...and when I find some good finds...
it just gives me that mood boost that a store owner needs so desperately, especially in these recession times...
these cement stepping stones made me smile, for the whole hour that I owned them...they were scooped up almost the minute we displayed them on the ground in front of the store...
thanks for letting me brag...and almost all of these items have made it to the store...I am still debating about the doll, Pendleton blanket and pillow... and encyclopedias...they are still at home...
I will picture furniture soon!

to the store...I think so...maybe not...

I am pretty sure that these little glass flowers will make it to the store...
as will this mirror...unless my family talks me out of it...I really want to hang family photos where this is...
and this Victorian cross? I just can't decide...
and when I bought this miniature vintage chandelier it was in pieces...and it has been in the basement for a year, at least...
and I did intend to sell it...but my hubby had it fixed for Valentine's Day...so now it hangs in my bedroom...but I really did buy it to sell...so...??? just not sure now...
I have bought lots of vintage items for the store that we are bringing in this weekend...hope you can stop by...I will post more pics, soon!

a bit more personal...

I started another blog today, todayspersonalbits.blogspot.com, cuz it was a resolution this year to journal a bit more (oops...it did take until Feb.13th for this New Years resolution to kick in...).
this blog will stay the same, mostly about the store and the vintage finds and creations that we make...
and the personal one will be more about dreams, hopes, moods...life in general...
I have loved being in blogland and sharing my store and life with you...but the new, personal blog will be a bit more about...well, life away from the store...
cuz I think that life should be about more than work...and I have so loved sharing my life with you all, and I love all the comments that I get...
so I look forward to you visiting my new blog, too...and hope that you enjoy it.
have a great, great weekend...and HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY to you all!

4 shabby French chairs...do I keep them?

my husband said they looked like the TV show " BONES"- bare skeletons ...
but I fell in love with them...the hazards of having a store is sometimes you don't want to sell things...
and there were 4 of them...with tiny white rosettes...
I put them out in front of the store today...and I could almost hear the brakes...she had to have them...
and now they are gone...
(they were in front of my store for about 10 minutes...)
one of my favorite customers was driving by...and she knows the drill...if you don't buy them when you see them...they will be gone...
I am a bit sad...

why I hate / love Anthropologie...

ok...I went to Anthropologie yesterday with my son...and they obviously had just received new display fixtures...that also had a price tag on them. Mind you, I usually go to Anthropologie for ideas...brainstorming new window displays, ideas I can steal, etc.
But yesterday was the worst outing, EVER...why you ask?
there was this piece of furniture...about 10 feet long... very old, pine...very skinny, table/counter that was solid on one side, open shelving on the other. (also drawers with ancient bin pulls...)
It was the perfect counter height. It was just...well...perfect...
now all I can think about(yep...ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT!) is how I can find $6400 to buy it. (did I mention that it would be perfect for the store?)
I hate Anthropologie...

new bits and baubles...around the store...

I can't get enough luggage...
is it garden time yet?
I need a cup of tea, now...
I am just drawn to fun vintage glass...no matter the color or the age...
oh gads...can a person have too much glass? (it's so sparkly...)
vintage cards...I am often asked for cards and now I have a rack of them!
an antique velvet photo album...sooooo perty...(pretty...)
oh no, more luggage...
I seem to have a jewelry box disease ( or they are having babies like the luggage...)
a bit of kitchen doodads...
and finally- what was I thinking??????? everytime I look at this poor thing...he scares me! I might just be giving him away...teeth and all? Maybe he should be a giveaway prize???

thank you all that made my SUPER BOWL SUNDAY SALE a huge success!!! It was a crazy and fun day...
have a great week!