Ironstone And Old Lace

Here is just a quick post showing how a stained linen should not be passed over at a yard sale or flea market.

Here is an antique linen table runner trimmed in lace. I actually bought it for a quarter back in the fall for use in my Halloween decorating. I wanted something that was stained and ripped to add a creepy touch to my dining table. After Halloween I packed it away. As I was sorting through junk in the basement the other day I noticed the beauty of the lace embroidery, so I brought it right up to my kitchen and used it with my ironstone. Folding it over and putting something on top hides the really noticeable places and adds a delicate touch to the shelf and I love pairing lace with ironstone.

Have a great weekend. I'm off to look for more lace!

Valentine's Day!

Although the new antiques booth has been keeping me busy,  I did manage to do some Valentine decorating this week around the house. Somehow I was able put together something that has turned out nice despite not feeling well and being short on time. As usual, I started with my mantel:

Years ago I bought these little handmade Valentine ornies from my talented friend, Beth Hodson. They are so sweet!  I tied them all along my snowy pine and red berries garland. I added lots of vintage lace, red beads, a red heart garland and some glittered cardboard cutouts.

 I also threw together something for my table and the ledge behind the table, incorporating the "use what you have" strategy. For my centerpiece I used my feather tree in a tarnished urn. It was still out as part of my winter decor, so I just took off the snowy ornaments and changed it up a bit. It is now decorated with vintage valentines tucked here and there, along with red beads and vintage tinsel.

The old Hershey's box was a gift from my husband from this past summer when he went to the flea market by himself because I was directing a summer musical. He is such a great picker!

At Christmas I used wine glasses filled with glittered snow and figurines to make mini-snow scenes. For Valentine's Day I filled them with candy hearts and vintage valentines.

Truffle candles like the ones for sale in my booth smell just like chocolate

Find of the week... antique Meakin ironstone tea pot for $10!

Pretty vintage linen with roses

Sweet little lovey-doveys from Goodwill

A bottle of our homemade blackberry wine from 2007.

 

My great-grandparents on their wedding day...plus one of their friends photobombing in the background... One day I will photoshop him out of the picture but its kind of funny!

My Valentine and I, 12 years ago.

Have a wonderful Valentines Day!

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http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

 

Our Grand Opening!

What a way to start off 2012! I have been blessed with a new job, and my husband and I have finally decided to peddle our junk and open a booth at The Catlettsburg Antique Mall in Catlettsburg, KY!  Our house has been getting more and more jam-packed with our finds, and we have run out of storage space. We had to make a decision to either stop buying or get rid of our hoard (neither of which are logical choices for junkaholics) so opening a booth was the perfect solution. It gives us a chance to go treasure hunting for neat junk and enjoy it for a while, and then move it on out to make way for more new-old junk if we choose. It also gives me a chance to decorate our space with all kinds of lovely and unique things which is so much fun!  It just so happened that we were in the right place at the right time when we heard that a booth was coming open. Since it was the first time this particular antiques store had had an open booth in over 10 years, we didn't hesitate. We have waited to break the news about our new venture because we wanted to get the booth all set up before sharing our news.

  Some views of the store...

So far our experience has been wonderful.  Its always nice to sell things before you even get them unpacked! The other vendors are knowledgeable and supportive and we absolutely love having a booth among such avid collectors. The "mall" is actually one large room stocked from wall to wall with anything and everything antiques, vintage, or primitive, and now I have added quite a bit of shabby chic and cottage style as well!

We have visited the Catlettsburg Antique Mall many times over the years, but it wasn't until we tried to set up our booth and get some work done that we realized how busy it actually can get. And its no wonder with all of the variety at the store. There really is something for everyone!

Junkaholics Unanimous at The Catlettsburg Antique Mall

 If you are looking for fabby-shabby, then head on over to our booth (#9)! Here is how we left it as of Sunday afternoon. We have learned very quickly that things don't stay the way they are arranged.  For the most part, that is a very good thing, since it usually means items have sold. I left at 3:00 to go get something to eat, and when I came back at 5:00, I realized something big was missing from one of my vignettes. I started searching all around the booth. I checked tickets and it had sold while I was gone for lunch. Can't complain about that I guess!

 

I really played up Valentine's Day since we are having a storewide sale next weekend. My husband decoupaged vintage sheet music on a little side table and I have to say I have had hard time parting with it. All of the furniture items are finds that we shabbied up ourselves.

I propped this antique photograph against a wonderful old heart shaped bottle. I imagine this handsome fellow was surely someone's valentine long ago (and those chocolate truffle candles smell good enough to eat).

We stacked this gorgeous side table on top of an antique dresser and crammed the shelves full of romantic-inspired nostalgia. If there was any doubt as to whether I had actually set up this display, the mini-pumpkin in the tarnished urn should be proof! I would use white pumpkins in my decorating all year if they would last.

I particularly love this painting of a young boy. It seems that paintings of females are always much easier to find. I also had to buy the groom doll at an estate sale as soon as I saw him. I am sure some lonley little bride doll will be happy when someone brings him home to her!

Resin booties...sold! Time to make a new cloche display...

My followers will probably recognize some items like this candle pedestal
from my previous blogs. If I have used something
several times but it doesn't have any real sentimental value, I can let it go more easily for someone else to enjoy.

The robin's egg blue chest in the back was our favorite weekend project (see previous post for before pics).We'll be using a lot more of this color in our makeovers in the future.

The pearls on my little Valentine tree are actually individual necklaces that are for sale. I came up with the idea out of necessity since I didn't really have a place to put all of my pearl necklaces. I love it so much that I am not sure I can sell all of the necklaces now, since I am thinking of how they would look next year on my vintage Christmas tree...
Okay, so maybe letting go of my junk is going to take some getting used to!

  Several of my handmade gifts are also in our booth, such as this little garden plaque, ballet slipper ornament, and the vintage valentine ornament tree below.

 I hope you have enjoyed this grand opening tour. If there is something you are interested in, shipping options are available. If you are a local resident, stop in next weekend for the Valentine's Day open house and receive 10% off!

http://www.antiquemalls.com/stores/11380.aspx

                                                                  Have a great weekend!

Party Time with:
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
http://etsycottagestyle.blogspot.com/
http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/2012/02/knick-of-time-tuesday-20-vintage-style.html
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/2012/02/102nd-table-top-tuesday-mother-nature.html