Town Wide Tag Sale Day One

Good evening!  WOW!  Long day.  What incredible Autumn weather we are having for this tag sale.  The only thing we might find to complain about was the heavy morning dew, but who could complain about that?

  

Jennifer - smiling as usual!  

How fabulous is it, to have a friend lend you their front yard for a huge sale like this, and help me out to boot?  Pinch me!

 Jewelry off to the left, a great buffet and castle painting on the right.

 The fun table - full of vintage style toys - these are available everyday ay Everyday Elegance, 600 Main Street, Purcellville,VA. 

 A great work table of Jennifer's - filled with lots of my vintage kitchen smalls.

 A beautiful farm table of Jennifer's - with hours and hours worth of my Mom's knitting.  All of the proceeds of the knitted goods will go to Saint Mary's Church in York, PA.

 Two adorable blue and white pieces - a chest of drawers and a dresser with a mirror.

 The Man Cave area.  A cool whirligig and Red Eye sign, club chair, deer head with hoof hooks, English riding saddle, and light up fireplace logs (my fav)!

 The 'Primitive' section - a popcorn popper, wood fruit crate, a great 1930s side table, 2 sweet hand painted chairs, milk cooler (you remember - when the milkman delivered milk to your front porch?!), a cute, primitive kid's table, and lots of spindles, and bobbins from a textile mill.

The cozy Christmas area - a few chairs, a Victorian love seat, oriental runner - and of course - some Christmas decorations!
It was a busy, but fun day.  We had lots of happy customers, kids and adults alike.  

 All closed up for the evening!  We covered everything tonight - so less morning dew to deal with tomorrow.  If you get a chance - stop by and say HI tomorrow.  

We would love to see you at "The Best Tag Sale in Town".  

Our sign claims it, and our customers confirmed it!

The Bluemont Fair and a Bee

Bob and I went out to the Bluemont Fair this past Sunday to enjoy some time together, shop a little, and eat some great barbeque.
Shopping included:
Handmade goods - however - at 50 neither of us needs anything...
rummaging through the Antiques area - much smaller than when I did the fair 15+ years ago,
into the E.E.Lake General Store for Baked Goods - Bob always needs baked goods...
trying to buy some Local Honey - fail - too many people taste testing
the Plant Shed - hey I need new Lavender Plants!
and the Round Hill United Methodist Church for lunch.

What we found:  Bob picked up these two Almanacs for $5.00 each - one is from 1935, the other from 1942.  How cool is that?

 OKAY - I was really good and didn't look at any jewelry - until I saw the $1.00 basket.  I found a stunner buckle with rhinestones and pearls, a red, white and blue arrow pin, a leaf and pearl choker, and two pieces I will take apart for my making my new line of bracelets 'Betty Ann's Jewel Box Bracelets'.


Lunch from RHUMC was delicious as usual - North Carolina (my Fav) barbeque on a bun, coleslaw, baked beans, and apple crisp, and a water.  This is where the Bee comes in...  I was enjoying the apple crisp when this little fellow flies up and says"I wants me some!"  I shoo him away - and in the shooing - the air current knocks him right down into the syrupy morass.  
UGH!  There are only a VERY few bugs I kill - these little guys are not on the list!  I fish him out, put him into one of the other compartments on my 'dish' and put a little water on him, trying not to drown the little guy.  His antennae curl up, his legs curl up, Bob says "He's dead".  I think maybe he is just trying to recover...and hope.  We gather our trash, I close the bee up safely in a napkin and we go back to the truck.  I leave him laying on the napkin, on the seat, in the sun.  Bob says "He's dead".  On our drive home - Bob says  many times "He's dead".  
We drive to Purcellville to see if anything is happening with my new intsallation of vintage jewelry at It's Bazaar.  Back at the truck, Mr. Bee is still curled up and still.  Bob says "He's dead".  I keep hoping...  We discuss what we are going to do the rest of the day, if we are eating dinner (ok - if I am eating dinner - and what I am making for Bob).  
As we pull up into the drive, I look down and what do I see?  Mr. Bee - moving. :)  I exclaim "He's alive"!  Bob is amazed.  Mr Bee is shaking his wings dry, stumbling around a little and getting his bearings.  I am happy.  I wrap him up in the napkin, carry him to the garden and weight down the napkin so he can hide underneath and recover.  My little victory :))  

Ten Good Reasons

I am sorry it has been so long... I have been so busy juggling:

1. getting furniture sanded and painted and ready to sell at Everyday Elegance
2. doing the Lucketts Spring Market at The Old Lucketts Antique Store in Lucketts, VA
3. doing the White Elephant Sale at Everyday Elegance in Purcellville, VA
4. all the packing, unpacking and repacking that goes will all of the above
5. entirely reworking the bigger room in my shop by moving the display/checkout counters - to create an honest to goodness shipping area
6. clearing out the front of the shop - to be able to move furniture in and out of the double doors - so I can have a dry place to sand, clean and paint these items
7. getting enough shallow shelving to accomodate all of the 'smalls' I sell on Etsy
8. unpacking, cleaning and displaying all of those 'smalls' on said shelves
9. getting all of the seasonal items packed in boxes and into the little storage room
10. expanding the capabilites of the smaller room (formerly occupied by Moonshine Essentials) by putting up two 5' + clothing rods with shelves above to accomodate all of our vintage clothing, and arranging said clothing - now to be used by both me and V La Mode (formerly M.E.)

We have just finished #10 - and will be going back out to continue working on that room a bit.

I am so excited - I really was beginning to wonder if all of my plans that I had for this space would come to fruition this summer. We are getting so close to this becoming reality at this point I can hardly believe it!

SOOOOOO... Party with me!

CelebraTe ~~~~~ WOOT! ~~~~~ YipPEe! ~~~~ WooHoo! ~~~~

Pictures of the before, during and after will follow in the next post.

Day Two of the Transformation

Two days - two people and a dog - I would have never thought it possible. The transformation in the barn at Really Great Finds is complete! Of course I could add more - and will - but this is a great start!After the paint dried...We starting moving in furniture.

Our rescue dog Cali helped out both days. When she wasn't following us back and forth and up and down the stairs, she cuddled up on her bed by the heater.

TA DA!

A little further along - with a dining table and chairs, little red, kitchen cupboard, end table, and a large wood framed vintage mirror.

A corner of the room with a closer look at a great 1950s mod pink and grey tea or coffee set.

The cutest red hutch! Perfect in a cozy kitchen, dining room, or even the family room!

Cozy corner with some of my hand painted signs, a 1930s green painted one drawer table and more.

A beautiful silhouette of a bed with coordinating nightstand - vintage 1960s Ethan Allen.

My handmade 100% cotton cloths paired with yummy soaps - private labeled for me by Dick and Julie at The Parsonage.

So there it is - Fresh, bright and pretty - just in time for Spring - a breath of fresh air and new beginnings!

'A Wintry Mix' Open House

Hello! We are inviting you to come to our 8th Annual Winter/Valentine's Day Open House.

Where: Bittersweet Design Studio and Moonshine Essentials

Paeonian Springs, VA

When: Friday, January 30th from 12 noon to 5pm and

Saturday, January 31st from 12 noon to 5pm - Notice - per special request we will open at 11am today!

Refreshments: Of course! We made peppermint crunch clusters and sand tarts - a rolled sugar cookie. We will also have hot tea to drink.

Our focus for this open house is a 'wintry mix'. Coined by Virginia - an homage to her Pop who is a weatherholic; to the weather - you never know what it may bring this time of year; and also to the items we like to focus on at this open house - a blend of winter items - the blues and whites of snowmen and snowflakes, and the reds and pinks of hearts and all those things that say love.

We always have a great time at these events and we hope to see you here - either Friday or Saturday! Love and Kisses! xo Elizabeth and Virginia