Cool Hand Luke

Pretty cool, huh? Another fab piece from the DC Big Flea several weekends ago. Once again, however, completely out of my price range... I don't even remember how much this was:) But I do have the vendor's card. hmmmm.... A Christmas present perhaps?

Belgian Delights

While in DC buying treasures for the shop, I spotted this amazing Belgian breakfront. What's interesting about this piece is that it's a salesman's sample. Measuring in at a little over 2 feet tall, this is a petite beauty!
I thought this demure c. 1940s lady was interesting and wanted to share her with you - Unfortunately, she was out of my price range (retailing at $950). If you're interested in learning more about the breakfront, just leave a comment on this post and I'll pass along the vendor's information.

Beautiful Birthdays

I promised pictures of my sister's fabulous birthday fete ... And here they are! I just love the wonderful Department 56 hat - What a great centerpiece! All the dainty accessories are antique and/or vintage- including the tiny drink umbrellas. The sparkly chocolates are from Fresh Market - one of the best places for fine candies and unusual party foods.

Tracy Porter served as my inspiration for the party favors - We made tinseled utensils:) Using my collection of bits and bobbles we made whimsical spoons. Millinery flowers, rhinestones, charms, old watch parts, and ribbon are just a few of the beauties we used in our art work. My 2 sisters and I each made 3 spoons while my mom was satisfied with one of her fabulous one of a kind creations - The gold toned single pictured spoon is hers. My sister Shannon, the birthday girl, made spoons in the following themes: Halloween, Blue Cameo, and Little Birdies. Angela, the oldest of the 3, focused on Victorian Beach, Christmas, and Violets. My personal creations included Spooky, Spring, and Antique Circus.

I encourage you all to create memories with your loved ones... Making beautiful lovelies is a perfect way to grow closer as friends. When displayed, each piece reminds us of the time we shared with our family and pals.

The Precious Commodity of Time

Greetings to Blog Land!

For all you regular readers, please forgive me for my lack of posts- I've been busy trying to find wonderful, curious objects for Flotsam and Jetsam, my small antiques business. The trip to DC was successful and many treasures were uncovered!

But like this little girl resting with the bunnies, I too am in need of a respite. I am traveling to SC to help my father recover from open heart surgery. With that said, posts will continue to be postponed this week. I will return to NC (and my beautful MAC mini) on Friday evening... Sometime after that I promise to bring you beauties and stories that are sure to tickle your fancy. Until then, I wish you luck discovering wonderful finds and bountiful blessings.

Busy Little Bee

Ah ... Work, work, work to be done. I have been a busy little bee lately. But productivity is a positive thing ... And I have a buying trip to DC coming up that I'm really looking forward to. With that said, posts will be a little infrequent over the next week or so. I have a fabulous birthday party to host for my sister, Shannon this weekend (don't worry- I'll take pictures!). Then I leave on Wed for a spending (whoops- buying) spree for you and me! Whopee!
I'll be sure to make it up to you readers with lots of eye candy once I return home.
For now, enjoy this little picture of a boy who has his own work to do!

Tiny Things

Yes, it's tiny things that make my heart go pitter patter. As you can see from today's vignette, smalls are certainly a personal passion!

A most unusual piece is this vintage button jar which has a thimble holder (inside the stump), a pincusion (on top of the tree), and a place for buttons (inside the container). What a delightful treasure!

Peeking from behind the jar is Little Miss Petunia, a "Made in Japan" large frozen charlotte. She has her original clothing and accessories, including a little floral blanket. I can just hear your sighs of "awww, how cute"!

Also included in this scene are a few of my Water Babies books. I love the illustrations in these editions and think the bindings are quite lovely.

On top of Water Babies is another beauty. The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, a Beatrix Potter classic, is a favorite of mine. If you remember the story, you'll recall how Mrs. Tiggy Winkle loved to wash clothes for the other animals... I am particularly fond of this tale because it reminds me of my mother who also loves to wash and iron ... Personally, I find this hobby particularly odd but to each his own!

Be sure to check back this week for posts on new items at Gresham. There are 2 new dealers who have fascinating merchandise. I'll be sure to take some pictures for all you antiquers out there!

Emails For Ephemera Compilation

I haven't received emails from the following bloggers:

Lola Enchanted
Scrowscrowl
Melissa (Melissa Rambles On)
3rd Eye Muse
Mary (Across the Pond)
Wanderlust and Pixie Dust
Beth Leintz (Sugar Pink Moon)
Sherri (Tied up in Ribbons)
Bethany

I'll be sending out the email compilation tonight - There are some really great images so be looking out for it!

A Little Bit of This and That

Hope you all had a fabulous 4th! It's back to work today for me- I'm getting that compilation of ephemera ready for you readers out there. I have tried to find images that are at least 100 years old so there will be no copyright issues. From the research I've done, as long as it's 95 plus years old and/or I'm not selling the images, it's totally legit. If you do decide to reproduce these images and sell them in some format, I leave that up to your own discretion.

Speaking of ephemera, there's a blog I must mention- The Graphics Fairy. Find her at www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com. She posts one fabulous image per day for free! Her archive is a great resource for those crafty individuals out there. I encourage you to visit Karen's site regularly for her wonderful images!

Today I thought I would share some views of my front foyer. I don't remember where I read this FANTASTIC idea, but I give great credit to it's creator. I lined the stairs with some of my favorite antique and vintage books. They look great! It's a wonderful way to decorate your banister and give a fresh look to your home. I'm a bibliophile so this idea is especially enchanting to me.

I also wanted to show the vignette I have alongside the book banisters. While working at Sparrows, I learned the importance of visual display. These yellow flower branches are perfect for creating a sophisticated yet cheery look. The large glass bottle was a gift from my Dad. I love this container and encourage you to find one for your floral arrangements. The painting to the left of the flowers is a favorite of mine. Purchased on time from Sparrows, it has certainly been a wise investment. The ducks and geese are wonderfully executed and the background is a peaceful representation of an idyllic countryside.

Other mementos, including vintage photos and old shoe forms, are scattered along the table top. Also arranged here are a few of my antique diaries. I started collecting these while employed at Osiris Books, and I've been fascinated ever since. These written time capsules are truly a treasure. I don't personally know any of the individuals whose diaries I own. But I do know little special tidbits about their lives - So, in some way, I know them more intimately than some of their friends may... Now isn't that an interesting thought indeed?

Have a splendid weekend and be sure to find a little "flotsam and jetsam" for your own home!

Quick Note

Just wanted to let the ladies and gents who did remember to include their email address along with their comment that I have not forgotten you! I have only contacted those who did not leave a email address. . . Thanks for bringing that to my attention Erin:)

Happy July 4th!

Hi Fellow Antiquers!
Just a little tantalizing taste of my booth redo at SuzAnna's Antiques of Raleigh, NC. I'm so excited about the way this design turned out:). I just love the dress form in her Napoleon costume hat and 1945 Jersey Shore Banner (both of which were EXTREMELY hard for me to part with... But, you can't keep everything!).

For all of you bloggers who left a comment on or before July 1st, your gift is coming soon! I've contacted everyone (except 2 bloggers who I couldn't connect to their profile). I did forget to send my email address along with my email so here's where you can send your info: sweettea16@hotmail.com

The two individuals I could not contact were: Sherri from "Tied Up in Ribbons" and Bethany? If ya'll could send your info to the aforementioned email, that would be great!

I've decided the gift is going to be a 10 piece compilation of copyright free ephemera (pre 1908) from my personal collection. My husband is going to help me scan and make a grouping of them to send in an email format (I just love my techy hubby!)...

Hope you all have a great Fourth of July!



The photograph is from http://shop.missmary.com/index.php. Visit Miss Mary's site for some great clipart and digital craft projects!