Fabulous Finds From the Weekend

Do you ever think to yourself - Where did the week go?  Last week I spent a two days working in the shop in preparation for a Mother's Day weekend show with two other remarkable ladies, Karen and Laurie.  Karen's specialty is primitives, wicker and Swedish design - her offerings are amazing.  Laurie creates the most unique potted containers using primitive and antique vessels - gorgeous.

I also spent time designing our post card for the mailing that will go out later this week and tags for the finds for the show, it's a fun process.

French Vintage Readers - Purchase Here

Yes, these are vintage readers from France in creamy white with just the right amount of rhinestones at the corners with two different magnifiers and the best part -  they are from France.  Fun, romantic and useful - it doesn't get any better than that!  Don't need readers.  Look how fabulous they look just tucked into a display...sitting on top of a vintage guide book of Paris....ooh la la.

I also spent time packaging jewelry and vintage goodies to be shipped within the US, but also to Australia and Finland.  I love to package my offerings in a special way using lovely tissue papers, ribbon, and then tucking in a truffle, a saint charm, holy card or other vintage goodie to surprise the recipient.

Jeanne de Arc Living

Vintage Rosary from Italy - Purchase Here

Of course, I have to squeeze in a photo shoot for the week's fabulous finds and get them up online for you to browse each week.  It's alot of fun setting up the shot and then working to get a good pic for the blog.

I also squeeze in a bit of time searching for the goods...it's something I enjoy and it gets me out and about in this beautiful Spring weather we are having.  Special requests are always welcome from those that collect things that aren't readily available in their city.  Let me know what you collect and I will add it to my list of items that I look for.

Vintage Silver Creamer and Sugar - Purchase Here

The weekend was spent at the farm in the country...it was sublime...the birds were singing and the honeybees were buzzing around the blossoms on the fruit trees.  I cleaned out a flower bed, planted three white peonies and prepared the bed for annuals to be planted in the upcoming weekend.

Potatoes, red and white onion sets and sweet peas were planted in the vegetable garden.  A strawberry patch was planted at my Dad's house in his garden.  We tucked 125 strawberry plants into the bed on Saturday morning with my Dad, crawling around the patch on hands and knees while shooing Lucy, the black lab away whenever she tried to get into the patch with us.  She's the sweetest dog, but has no true appreciation for little green strawberry plants - plopping down on them wagging her tail in the process.

Hand Forged Square Nails - Purchase Here

I love vintage hand forged square head nails which are harder and harder to find these days.  They are perfect for altered art projects and fun to tuck into altered art books, collages, and assemblage art pieces.  Use them for the legs of an assemblage doll, use them horizontally as a hinge or a book, or allow them to be part of a dangle.  They are charming and nostalgic and represent a simplier time.  These nails are three inches in length.

Lila Blanka

Make a garland from vintage tiny bottles and vintage clips for a mirror - tuck in a few blossoms from the Spring garden and you have the perfect welcome in your foyer or guest bath.  Or hang in your child's bedroom window...so sweet.

Vintage Receipt Spike - Purchase Here

Old receipt nail in vintage metal in just the right shade of blue/green that would be perfect on your desk, in a window or on a shelf...use them to hold a to do list, write 25 things you are grateful for on small squares of paper and place on the spike - then pull on off each day to remind yourself of what's really important in your life...  or 25 things you love about your spouse, kids, etc.

Vintage Skeleton Key - Purchase Here

Vintage skeleton keys are always a favorite and look great wired to a vintage bottle, suspended in a sunny window, or use them in your altered art, assemblage and jewelry making endeavors.  You can't go wrong with an interesting skeleton key.  I have a friend that uses hers for a key ring...

Lilla Blanka

Vintage Brass Hose Nozzle - Purchase Here

Vintage brass hose nozzles are another of my favorite things that make me happy.  I tuck them onto shelves in groups, insert a copper wire with a hook at the end into the top for a charming stand for rings in the kitchen, or put them in an ironstone bowl as a fun garden inspired bowl filler.

I hope you enjoy this week's offerings and that you have a week filled with fun Spring projects.  I am off to buy trees this week to plant at the farm.  I am looking for white pines, a honey crisp apple tree, an anjou pear, a dogwood tree, a few ornamental pines, pin oaks, a tulip tree and a dark burgundy maple.  We are having a tree planting party at the farm over the upcoming weekend and hope to plant 21 trees!

Then we will work on filling the vegetable garden with seeds...

What Spring plantings are going on at your house?