Vintage awesomeness for gifts all year round!

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/don’t-give-them-plastic-40-vintage-gift-ideas-for-people-who-are-sick-of-crap

The most wonderful time of the year

Happy Holidays!  I realize it is a bit early - but I wanted to give you a heads up on my space at It's Bazaar in Purcellville.  

And to tell you the best part of all of this - is that my husband Bob took his morning to help me move all of the boxes, and other goodies into my space.  It gets even better - he also helped me set it all up.  He put together both of the trees, and hung ALL of the ornaments.  He put together the display for the candles and potpourri below, and then took all of the boxes back out to my truck when he had to leave.  What a great guy!  Yes - I remind myself of that every day.  I do know how fortunate I am.

A display of my yummy smelling Holiday Joy Potpourri.  Also some fabulous smelling candles from Amy and Kathy at Herbal Star Candles.

  A rack of toys - perfect for Stocking Stuffers!

The smaller tree filled with Vintage ornaments, a vintage greenware ceramic Christmas tree, and two fabulous light filled bottles with a winter scene on them. 

This little tableau will have some snow for a base tomorrow.  The greenware tree on the left is HUGE and very cool - it has snow tipped branches.  The little white tree sits on a star base, the 'log' house and tree are a vintage commercially made item - but it rocks! 

 The tall tree - filled with all of my handmade ornaments.  At the base of the tree are some lit glass block 'packages'. - They are stunning.  These and the bottle lights are made by Millie Gallahan and her sister.  So pretty...

And the overall view of my 'Christmas Corner'.  On the wall - some of my 'Glittery Goodness'  Christmas Wreaths - I didn't realize I only had this many - time to make more of these!
Also in my space - but not pictured - I have at least 8 of those wonderful glass platters that are vintage and Made in USA - they include trees, Santa's face, wreaths, candles and more.


I hope you have a chance to stop by and start your shopping for the holidays!

November

November is my most special month.  I have always loved Thanksgiving, and it was made even more special when my own little Butterball (Ginna) was born on that day (25th) in 1993, and again 2 years later when Callie was born on the 26th, a dear friend Carter on the 27th.  Then Bob and I were married and son Nathan's birthday is the 9th, grandkids Nick, the 19th, and Savannah, the 20th.  Makes for a very busy - but celebration filled month!

 My sideboard in the living room dressed for early November.  Just wait until the turkeys come out in a week or two.  The two pieces of stemware were purchased at a Pfaltzgraff sample sale when the company was still deeply entrenched in Pennsylvania. The lights on the side board once belonged to my Mom.  They were on her piano for years.  When she sold the piano to my cousins, the lights got packed away.  Some how the glass hurricanes disappeared.  I was fortunate to purchase a pair (matching the originals) enough years ago at a glass company in Star City, WV.

My pilgrims!  Love them!  They are Gurley candles from the 1950s.  Tiny turkey on the left is a Wade figurine from Red Rose Tea, the one in the middle???, and a little Shaker carrier from the Waterford Fair - from when I was juried in years ago.  The little marbled pink squirrel is from the Chicago World's Fair 1933, and is made of rubber with a painted surface.

 My tray that takes center stage is a 3 section antique box bought at an antique show when I was busy on that circuit.  It holds all of the tiny things I love with out having things look too cluttered.  The first section holds some antique marbles, a vintage flocked moose, some acorns, glazed greenware ears of corn, a hand carved mouse.

 Middle section  has some great artsy clothespins, a thimble with a hedgehog on it, handmade cinnamon pumpkin, a glittered acorn, a sweet pine cone, a pine cone weight from a cuckoo clock, a cute handmade chipmunk.

The end section has a bottle brush squirrel, a horse chestnut, another cinnamon pumpkin and glittered acorn, a huge hand turned acorn - with my favorite color as an accent! 

One of the finest forms in nature - the pine cone.  A vintage hand cut squirrel.  I think Fall brings out the best in natures 'ornaments'.  I love the way the side board looks lit up with the tiny candles. I hope you have enjoyed another of my collections!  Liz

Handmade Holidays

Join me and all of the other handmade, vintage and indie sellers out there - and take the pledge!

Waste not Want not Simple Sundays making an eco friendly hand scrubber

While I am waiting on some stuff out in the kitchen to dry - I thought I would pass along one of my 'thrifty tips'.  Why am I thrifty?  I'm not sure - but perhaps it is because I am reincarnated from someone who lived through the depression ;)  
I have a soap saver from the 1930s hanging in my bathroom.  It 'fits in' quite well because my house is from 1909.  Whenever bits of soap get too small to wash our hands with - they go into the soap saver.    

When the soap saver is full, I bring it into the kitchen and fill my 'hand scrubber'.  My hand scrubber is made from an empty mesh fruit/vegetable bag. 
How do I make one of these?  Easy!  Take a mesh bag and turn the side with the metal clip to the inside.  

   Fill with a bar of soap - or in my case - the scraps of soap.  

Twist the open end tightly against the soap, and then turn the open end of the bag over the soap filled section.  

Do this back and forth until you have just enough of the bag left to tie it closed.

 I twist each side a bit - which leaves me with 'tails' to tie closed.  And here it is - ready to scrub your hands clean from the garden, painting, whatever dirt you get yourself in to!

Here is my soap saver, all scrubbed up and ready to be put to work once more!

St. Mary's Church Bazaar

It's almost here....     said with joy and anticipation  :))  It's that most wonderful time of the year...
        
                                                    Saint Mary's Church Bazaar 
                                                        309 South George Street
                                                                     York, PA
                                                  Saturday 11/12/11  8 am - 5 pm
                                                    Sunday 11/13/11  8 am - 1 pm
                                                         

Here are the crafty ladies that are in charge of making wreaths, arrangements, ornaments, painting and decorating all sorts of holiday items; knitting baby blankets, scarves, hats, mittens and more; making jewelry, gift tags, and I could go on - if I remembered everything they make - the list is only limited by your imagination!!

Front to Back - Ginny (my Mom), Joan (Aunt), Ann, June, Ann (cousin)

L to R - Dolores, Virginia (daughter), Jane, Lin, Dale

My daughter Virginia and I love helping out every year.  If we are lucky, when she has off in the summer we will have had the chance to come up and make Christmas 'stuff' when the ladies get together on Thursdays.  We did get one chance this year.  Otherwise, we come up on the Friday before the Bazaar to help them finish pricing and setting up.  Saturday and Sunday we put our business acumen to work and sell, sell, sell.  Then it is all organizing and tearing down - all to be put back in the Craft Room for refurbishing or tearing apart to create something new.  This is one talented group of ladies.  And they are so much fun to spend time with!

Just one shot of the Attic Treasures area.  This area includes all kinds of goodies from the Saint Mary's Thrift Shop.  They bring in household items, jewelry, and lots of Christmas goodies.  One of my favorite ladies in this department is Millie - she is on the left.

This is the Book Nook - boxes and boxes of all kinds of books.  They are all wonderfully organized thanks to the hard working ladies who work in this area.

This is the Crafts area again - showing some of the hand embroidered linens and knitted items.

The front side of the Crafts area showcasing lit glass blocks decorated like packages, and decorated, lit Christmas trees.  Lovely!

The Silent Auction  -  they auctioned off this furnished doll house last year, as well as a quilt that you can see two photos down - it is on the left of the photo.

The Baked Goods area.  Always hard to resist - so why bother!  The ladies bake, bake and bake some more.  I always buy at least one pie and one cake to bring home to my husband Bob.  Delicious.    (The rest we eat there ;] )

On the left - just past the Baked Goods area is the Homemade Candy Table.  YUM!  Behind the Candy Table is the quilt that was auctioned off.  Beyond the Candy Table is the Secret Santa kid's shopping area where they have nice, affordable gifts for kids to buy.

On the far, upper right are round tables set for lunch/dinner.  The ladies in charge of the lunch counter usually have homemade Chicken Corn Soup, as well as Hot Dogs, Hamburg Barbeque, Egg Salad Sandwiches, and other goodies.

There is also a room that has pre-made Gingerbread Houses with all kinds of icing and candy to decorate them.  Fun for the kiddies - but fun for the aspiring adult architects too!!!  

And to finish it off - of course there are Christmas Carols playing, Santa usually makes an appearance, and last year there was this really big Elf that showed up.  I think she'll be there this year too!!


This is a fun bazaar with amazing items to take home at bargain prices - and you are helping a good cause to boot.  All of the money goes to help the church with their various outreach programs and more.


Hope to see you there!!

Why The 3/50 Project broke up with American Express

Why The 3/50 Project broke up with American Express

Click on the link and have an interesting read.  The 3/50 Project is a great Indie Biz promoter.  Their 'motto' is "Saving the Brick and Mortars our Nation is built on".   If you are an Independent business you should consider joining up.  It is a Win Win situation!

Winter Magic

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!  Sorry it's been a bit - I guess I needed a break.  

Since my last post I have:

visited my Mom on her birthday

painted some tin tiles

did some house cleaning

laundered my linen living room curtains, and kitchen curtains

rehung the kitchen curtains

hung some 'winter' drapes in the living room

hand washed some vintage wool sweaters that I had listed on Etsy

priced a ton of hand knit scarves, and other knitted items

displayed them up at It's Bazaar

cut hydrangeas off of one of my bushes because it was going to snow

played in the snow

I know...... SNOW!!!amazing huh?

The hydrangeas have gotten some beautiful color from the cool nights we've had - but I knew they wouldn't last through the predicted snow that we were going to have this past Saturday.  I picked enough to fill this antique wicker hanging basket.

Here's my antique sideboard with my Halloween display.

On the left - a stoneware squirrel feasting from an antique tart pan filled with tiny cinnamon hearts and pumpkins

On the right 2 Gurley items - a hollow wax pumpkin - I've never seen one of these before, a Gurley witch candle, and a new - but too cute crepe paper, accordion pleated pumpkin.

                                  A Henn Workshops pumpkin basket with a cloth black cat.

A Halloween from long ago "Little Rascals" style.  Ginna is 'Darla', with our former neighbors, the Knisley boys - Dylan is 'Spanky', Hunter 'Alfafa'.  They won an award at the Michael's Shopping Center in Leesburg for best costumes!

                                Another wonky cat - I believe made by Ann Vaughn, who use to have a business called Christmas Creations, and now co-owns The Cottage in Leesburg.

                                         A hand made wool mat with some scary pumpkins.

                                        Two more 'gourd' baskets by the Henn Workshops.  

                              The larger is a mustard color, the smallest is a dark mossy green.

Sally the snake.  Made by a WVU Math professor who was also a blacksmith as a hobby.  I watched him fashion her from a piece of rebar.  She has been with me since 1985.  He was demonstrating his craft at Friendship Hill - the residence of Albert Gallatin.  http://www.nps.gov/frhi/index.htm  I had to take her home with me - she had such a cute face - and I am not a snake person!

                                       So here is my total vignette, my tribute to Halloween!

                                                                 Cali says BOO!