Saturday, April 30, 2011

New Dry Sink

Well here is the picture of the new dry sink that we acquired. This one is from the 1870's. The back is all rough hewn. Just added it to our store today...I will not part with my late 1700 one that is in our house. Nope.


Oh yeah, we brought in this antique boot jack prim tool box too. Wouldn't this look great as a small side table near a chair. It has a small side cubby where you could set your favorite glass into. I actually have one similar to this that I do at home. Great way to go GREEN and recycle!



Plus I forgot about this early 1900 document desk. I wonder who used this back then? The patina on this piece is just gorgeous...I wanted to keep this one at the house...but Bob wanted me to give something else up....sometimes I just have to pass on things.


This is the desk opened. See the ink stain in the second cubby from the left...all original...and all for sale.

One more thing. I want to thank everyone for their wonderful suggestions regarding the paint selection. It was nice reading how everyone's taste in color are. I promise to post before and after pics when we start.

Take care, Janice

PS. We have almost reached our 50 mark. I cannot wait to draw names for my secret giveaway. Please tell your friends... Thank you everyone!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Choices Choices Choices

I have been really planning this bedroom redo, because I know once it is done...well I for one do not want to makes changes for awhile again...and it will be time for another room to fix up. You see we have a very old, never been updated house in which we really only have updated one room entirely. All of the other rooms are filled with prims, but we would really like to redo the walls, ceiling and floors for each....and as they say one room at a time. With starting the business (the antique store) we focused all of our savings to getting that started. Now that the store is doing good..its time to focus on the house again.

Back to the bedroom, I love looking at magazines. They not only tell me what the trends are in antiques, but I look through the pages for inspiration. It is also relaxing. Some of my favorites are Early Homes, Romantic Homes, A Simpler Time and Country Sampler.

Below are a few pages I have picked out as possible choices for bedroom wall colors.


I am partial to an off white or cream as you can bring in other colors with your decorating.
Like the picture on the right with the quilt as a color back drop.

But this green is really growing on me.

Or a green color that is in my vintage hooked rug that I have been saving.
What do you think?


Then I would like to get a textured rug..like the ones pictured above. These rugs remind me of the ones my gramma H. had in her farmhouse. 

Then I like this black shelf....that I know Bob could make for me.


But then, I also want to keep this vignette that is already in my bedroom, along with my early dresser.

You see what I am dealing with.
Choices, choices and more choices.

Take care everyone
Janice






Thursday, April 28, 2011

Nature by the Water

Living near a river and marsh vs living inland, we see quite the different animals and reptiles. Not a huge fan of snakes, but we have had our share...none poisonous though. This morning, I thought that I would share some pictures of some of these wonderful creatures that Bob and I get to see living here by the water.


From top to bottom- Great Blue Heron, Swan,
Muskrats, and a Canvasback Duck.

An Egret, Red Head Duck, Cormorant, and an Eagle.
Yes, we do have a few pairs of eagles.

In the winter it was pretty neat seeing these mighty birds sitting on an ice berg out on the river looking for fish. We even have a young eagle who does not yet have his/ hers white feathers yet...which by the way takes about five years.

Woodchuck, Wood duck, Box Turtle, and King Snake

On Saturday morning I heard a rustling of leaves just outside my back window. When I looked out, there was a woodchuck. I decided to watch him for a bit, until he crawled under the fence on to his next adventure. This little guy even came up on my back porch with my cat looking at him through the glass door. I guess he figured the cat could not get him with the door in the way. LOL

Each year we have a pair of wood ducks nest in one of our large oak trees. They have really beautiful teal colored feathers on their back...this picture does not do them justice. Yes, these ducks truly do live in trees.

Every late June, early July we have a few female box turtles make their way out of the water to lay their eggs in our lawn. They dig up the grass, lay their eggs and cover the dirt back up...all in one night! It's pretty neat to see the baby turtles..but we are not home enough to see them all of the time hatch out.

One year, my neighbor found a king snake in her yard. These snakes get quite huge, but are non poisonous, and they actually feed on garter snakes...which we have quite a lot of those.


We have much more wildlife...will save for another day.
Take care
Janice


Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Real McCoys

Now that I have your attention...I'm not really going to talk about the McCoys. What I am going to talk about is those famous guys from Iowa. If you watch the History Channel on Monday nights, then you will know that I am talking about Mike and Frank from the American Pickers show.

About three weeks ago now, we were told that Mike and Frank would be picking in Michigan in our neck of the woods as their producer had emailed our local Chamber of Commerce asking them to contact the antique stores in town if we knew of any picking spots.

One of our vendors (pictured below) had actually emailed the producer telling him about his carving by an early chainsaw artist Gypsy Jack who had appeared on the Johnny Carson show. Plus he told the producer that Bob and I had some very unusual old carnival items...and that was one of the items on Mike and Frank's list.

Unfortunately, the president of our Chamber of Commerce was in Florida at the time of the original email, and when she finally returned home to let us know that they were coming, the producer of the show had already lined up a couple of picks in the area, so we were out of luck....

We had found out on a April 9th, that Mike and Frank had actually been at a pick about three miles from our house...they were that close...and we did not even get a glance of them...can you believe it!

All day Saturday, I kept looking out our store window, because our store is on the main road, just hoping to get a glimpse of that famous white Antique Archeology Mercedes Van...with no luck. I was bummed. I watch these guys faithfully.

We even knew that they made a trip up to Port Huron as they were invited up there by a locally known stained glass artist who had made them a stained glass window. (this is why they made the trip up to our neck of the woods in the first place) The party at the stained glass store was by invitation only...darn...my invitation must have got lost.

Did I say that I did not even get to see their van...I was disappointed. I wished that our Chamber president had not even told us to begin with...cause she just got our hopes up...

Oh well, one consolation was that our local paper did an article on our vendor who tried to get Mike and Frank into his barn and into our store...so at least we got some free advertising out of the whole thing.

So thank you Mike and Frank...for the free advertising...and I will be watching that episode of your pick on Marsh Rd.,even though I know you don't mention the actual roads you travel on...and if you show a stained glass window...I can say, I know where you got that from too!

                         

Have a great day everyone!
Janice
          

Monday, April 25, 2011

Hat Pins

As some of you already know, our antique club meets once a month to talk, eat and learn new things about the antique business. Last week at our meeting we had a guest speaker who has been a collector of hat pins for over 40 years.

When we first found out our speaker would be a hat pin collector, I will be honest, I was not to thrilled about it. However, let me tell you this. After listening to Carol speak, I am going to start a small collection for my bedroom...even though Bob says "No your not," LOL

Hat pins originated in the Edwardian Era. (1901- 1910) This is the period were women wore huge fashionable hats, and sometimes it took 3 to 6 hat pins to hold one hat in place. REALLY.

Some of these hat pins were actually considered a lethal weapon as they could measure up to 18 inches in length. In some countries a woman could be jailed for having a hat pin concealed in a bag and not holding their hat.

The lighting was not the best that night. Above are mourning hat pins. Women had to wear black clothing for a whole year when a family member passed on. Thus the need for these black pins. These that Carol had were simply gorgeous.

The pin holders themselves were used to sharpen the hat pins, and they too are pieces of art!



Charles Horner was the "Tiffany" of hat pin makers. Being a silversmith by trade, his hat pins were the most sought after. Today there are still some of his pins on the market and also displayed in museums across the country.



Now with the Suffragette movement, hat pins became smaller in length. Fearing that the Suffragette's would use hat pins as weapons, they were made to be trimmed down to 9 inches and they also had to tone down their hats to be legal. Thus the Suffragette's began wearing hat pins with an angel or a herald holding a trumpet. Plus the colors were a combination of purple, white and green. These tricolors were later changed to purple, white and gold; or even gold alone.



Unfortunately like most all antiques, there are fakes abound out there. Carol told us to look for any type of soldering underneath...even though it is quite possible a hat pin had to be repaired, she suggested to stay away from these as these a usually made by soldering an antique button to a metal rod. Also, every hat pin would have a bead soldered right under the jewel. Be vary cautious about buying online for hat pins, especially when they do not show a picture of the underside of the pin or one seller has many for sale...these should be a red flag to any buyer.



Owning a hat pin that is made out of ivory is not illegal, as these were made before the laws changed.



Most hat pin holders are very decorative. This one is made from silver with tiny holes and is a British made one. This picture does not do it justice.



Carol's most expensive hat pin was a Charles Horner which cost her $1500.00 which remains in her private collection....

I don't see me buying any thousand dollar hat pins in the near future, but I think a few will end up in my new bedroom redo. In fact, our antique club will be having a antique store jaunt soon, and I think that will be one of my items on the list....shhhh.....don't tell Bob.

Remember, we only need 17 more followers for my secret giveaway...so please tell all of your friends about my blog. Until next time, take care everyone. Janice
                                     

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Monday Montage

I know that I usually post the Monday Montage later in the evening,
but with Easter being today, and since I am the hostess...I decided to add this post early. 

Since today is Easter Sunday, the montage will be all about Easter vignettes.

Easter Blessing to everyone
Enjoy!


Our Father Prayer sampler from the 1940's, and just in front of the sampler an 1800's flax winder.


A big plant of yellow daisies with green centers.






Red tulips and greens inside a brown & white crock.


The two purple bunnies are for Michael and Mikayla.
This cute pillow came from Judy at the Spice Cupboard.
Judy was nice enough to let me order this pillow through the mail.
She has a great store and you can check out her blog



Bob started hiding eggs for the grandchildren to find later.
Since they get enough chocolate from the Easter Bunny,
we hide eggs for them with money inside.
Too wet for outside today, thus an indoor egg hunt!


My prim bunny.


Another egg tucked in after I took the first picture.
These wonderful cards were an added bonus from Judy. They are so fun!


Happy Easter!!!

Take care, Janice




Thursday, April 21, 2011

Birthday Wishes

Well everyone, tomorrow is my daughter's birthday. Michele will be 30 and over the hill now. LOL
I am going to embarrass her now and show everyone a picture of her when she was 7 years old. My son was 4 at the time.
                                             

Now I am feeling old...

We took her out for steak dinner...yum!

Seriously, I have to say my little girl has grown up to be a beautiful woman.

                                                 
Michele with my grandson Michael     

Happy birthday Michele. I love you so much and am very proud of YOU!! 

Oops...time to go watch Idol...

Take care everyone
Janice

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Easter Pie

Well, yesterday I was complaining about the snow and we had freezing rain this morning, but one of my blogging friends in Michigan ( Lisa from the Moonlit Stitch ) http://themoonlitstitch.blogspot.com
is bracing for about a nine inches of snow. Check out Lisa's blog; she has some wonderful bunnies and is working on a witchipoo doll. I know everyone here in Michigan is tired of the snow. Even another blogging friend Earlene commented on my blog stating that she got four inches of snow the other day...but it melted all away now. 

Now with Easter fast approaching, I am sure everyone who will be planning meals for this wonderful Spring Holiday has already made out their grocery lists and making sure everything is purchased for Sunday. Easter is the time that I have my entire family over...mom, brother/ SIL, sister/ BIL, my own children and grandchildren. Since my dad passed away, us siblings decided to each take a major holiday and cook the entire meal so that my mom would not have to do it anymore....but mom still makes the rolls and broccoli rice cheese casserole....no one can make those as good as mom...and we even have the recipes. LOL

For dessert this year, I have decided to make a strawberry pie. Now this strawberry pie comes from a pretty famous restaurant here in Michigan and in other states. Someone that I know worked at one of their franchises a long, long time ago, and the owner gave her the recipe. Without getting this person in trouble, they serve a pretty big double decker hamburger...

Here is the recipe for this chubby little pie....
   

1 qt strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tbs cornstarch
One 9 inch pie shell baked
Whipped topping of your choice
(we prefer Ready Whip)

Place half of the whole berries in a baked pie shell. Mash remaining berries until juice flows freely in a bowl. Add sugar mixed with the cornstarch. Mix well. Place this mixture into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook slowly stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Spoon over uncooked berries in the pie shell. Chill thoroughly a few hours or overnight. Serve with your favorite whipped topping. 

This is such an easy pie recipe and may become one of your family's favorite too. Enjoy!

Prim blessings to all.
Janice

Monday, April 18, 2011

Spring Snowshowers??

First my sympathy goes out to everyone whose loved ones may have been taken this past weekend to those terrible tornadoes throughout the South. Also, my thoughts and prayers go out to all of my blogging friends who may have been affected or know someone who was. I have family in Georgia, and I was glad to know that nothing happened to them....you always think things are bad for you until you hear about a much more horrible event that happened to someone else.

With that said,  I truly believe up here in the North Mother Nature decided to take a hiatus. We had 2 more inches of snow today....HEY Mother Nature...WAKE UP...

I realized that when I posted my Monday Montage last night that I forgot about my other coffee collection. I also collect glass coffee jars.

Right now this collection consists of Beechnut, Maxwell House, Boscul, Defiance, Chase & Sanborn, and the large Redbird is a syrup, but I loved the graphics on it. Mixed in for now, I also have a few granite berry buckets and a large mug.

Now since Easter is right around the corner, I decided to show off some of my bunnies in my house.

This cute little guy popped out of the grass in between some sugary Easter eggs.


This prim bunny decided to hop onto my late 1800 cabinet. LOL


This little guy is my granddaughter's favorite one to play with all year round.
I tucked him away in this basket until her next visit this weekend.
 I also have a small collection of insulators as you can see from these last two pics.

The last picture is of my new wagon.

I filled it with some silk Spring flowers that I had stashed in the house.

Unfortunately these past two weekends, I have not been able to do any crafting. The store has been busy and Bob needed me there...which is a good thing. With Easter being this weekend, I am having dinner with my family at my house, so no crafting again. I'm getting withdrawals...been drawing many new things up, just waiting to get my fingers into some wool and fabric.   

Well, my stove is calling me..fish and mac & cheese tonight.

Take care everyone.
Janice

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Monday Montage

Well here it is...time for another Monday Montage.
This weeks topic is coffee. Even though I myself do not drink coffee..except for the occasional Starbucks Mocha cold coffee, I am an avid fan of collecting old coffee cans. But first, I have a few pics from our store.

An old enamel cup with a granite coffee strainer on the left and a granite tea strainer on the right.


A vintage enamel coffee pitcher with a restaurant ware coffee mug. Even though these items are from different era's, I thought the colors went together nicely. I placed both on a vintage rose flowered doily.


Someone took an old coffee grinder and made it into a lamp.


Some vintage kitchen tins...with of course a coffee one.


I simply love the color combinations of the old red and blue. Don't these look nice together?


My antique coffee grinder and one coffee tin sitting on top of my pot belly hoosier cabinet.

And last, but not least, my coffee collection. These pics were taken at Christmas with my garland.
I made fabric Christmas cookies and attached to the garland.
There were stars and trees and some that looked like they had a cherry in the middle. 




There were bells cookies and green ones with a Christmas tree in the middle.
 Some were twisted the wrong way I'm afraid.

I am always looking for more to add to add to my collection...
Isn't collecting fun!

Now remember everyone. Once I reach 50 followers, I will draw names for my secret giveaway.
Please tell everyone you know who likes, primitives, antiques, crafts and just listening to me talk about my life's journey to join my blog.


Saturday, April 16, 2011

A Few Cubbies

While in our store today, I was looking at a couple of cubbies and just wanted to share these pics with you. The first one reminded me of the old wood spice apothecary that my gramma B had in her farm kitchen.

Being Polish, my gramma always made many homemade cakes and cookies, in addition to paczki's, kolachi's, and chrusciki's (angel wings). She would open up her cubbies and spoon out just enough of the spices that she needed.

But my favorite baked good was grammas homemade little donuts. She would make the dough and fry them in her iron skillet. Then she would hand my sister and I each a paper bag...one filled with cinnamon & sugar and the other plain sugar. It was our job to shake the freshly fried donuts that she would put in our bags...oh I can just remember the wonderful smell of these tiny little donuts...and they were small enough that eating more than one, you did not think of the calories...but heck we did not know what that word meant back then. LOL
We were in donut heaven! 

This particular spice rack is for sale in our store

One of the cubbies reads ALLSPICE

Another Bk Powder (Baking Powder)

Unfortunately, the other cubbies have been worn down and are no longer readable, but I can just imagine someone else's gramma using this spice rack to make her grandchildren some wonderful goodies!

The other cubby in our store right now is more functional. Each of the drawers are deep and I can think of a million things I could put in them...my floss, ribbon, rusty bells & pins....hmmm...maybe I can sneak this into the car before Bob sees me. LOL


Another vendor added this to his booth this morning...so what do you think? Should this come home with me?

Take care, Janice


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Pickin Day

Hi everyone,
Well we finally made it to the store tonight to take pictures of our pickin' day. Unfortunately, two of our items already sold, so I was unable to take a picture...good for us...but now I cannot show you the one vintage plant stand and really neat prim green 12 cubby box. However, here are some of the ones we put in the store the other day.

1940's chair

  Vintage Plant Stand

Top of Plant Stand
(Sold tonight 20 minutes after Bob posted pictures to Facebook)


Early1970 Ship Model with 2 Vintage Marine Boat Hall Lamps


Vintage Glass Bookcase
 (the shelves were still wrapped up in original packing)
 Never used

Vintage Oars
Pair of Brown Wicker Chairs in Turquoise Leather
Wapole Island Duck Decoy sitting on a Nail Keg
Vintage Fan on floor


Antique Red Riverside Cartage Detroit Michigan Red Crate
with Rope Handles
Bob spotted this one behind a bunch of other trunks.
He saw a bit of the old red and dug his way to this beauty.


Small Green Drop Leaf Table
Duck Decoy


Vintage China Cabinet


And finally a few more pictures

Going home tonight a freighter passing our dock.


This was the Algoma Guardian

This is one of the reasons we love living here by the water.
In our house full of Prims!