Redo

I'm in the mood to redo some things in my house. 

For 2 years I have been looking for a cabinet to hold some of the small pieces in my hammered aluminum collection. I never liked the one I was using but it served its purpose until I could find one that I liked. 

So yesterday while I was out delivering a chair to get reupholstered (more on that in a minute) I stumbled upon this cabinet. It was perfect and easy enough for me to move. 

It fits perfectly in the spot. Thank goodness because I left my measurements at home and had to eyeball it for size.

So now to the chair. I found some great fabric that I stashed away until the right project came along.  This chair... 

The fabric was awesome but it was worn on the arms and a few other areas. But for $5 years ago and through 2 kids who loved to sit in it, it was time for a new look. 

Stay tuned in about a month for the change. 

I also have been working on my sunroom and purging my seashell collection. 

I've kept the really large ones but only one container of small ones. And you know what has happened? The past few sales I've been to have had lots of shells and I have closed my eyes and walked away from them. It wasn't easy!

Love this vintage green wicker table that I found over 20 years ago. It looks nicer with some of my green pottery collection.

Even my patio table and chairs looks fresher. 

I just wanted to show you my cute finds today.

I'm definitely keeping the cow creamer. He's already in the barn with the others. 

Happy treasure hunting!

Feeling Spring

I love the change in seasons because then I can change my decor. Inside and out. I keep this chippy door on my front porch so that I can change the wreath. 

It's at this time of year that I get the urge to plant something. Aldi has tulips and hyacinths right now for $3.99. Recently I bought a vintage tureen with soft pink flowers on it for $2. I knew right away what I wanted to do with it so I headed out to Aldi this morning and bought some pink hyacinths. 

It looks really nice on my Easter table. I can't wait for the hyacinths to open so that beautiful smell can fill my house.

Speaking of flowers, I came across this cute cow planter and think I may have inadvertently started a new collection. 

I also just found a large wire flower frog that I added to my collection. It was a super exciting find for 50 cents!

There were a few estate sales these last few weeks where I found some great garden items.

The Zion Lutheran Church rummage sale is 8am on April 5. The rummage sale in Huntley is at noon on April 12 and the Presbyterian church on Route 47 in Woodstock is the same day but starts at 8am. In Cary, the church rummage sale is at 9am on April 19.

If the weather cooperates on April 20-21, my 2 friends are joining me to have a huge garage sale at my house. I have been purging daily! I even purged my sea shell collection that I have collected for over 20 years. It feels right now to let them go. Someone else can enjoy them as much as I have. 

Happy treasure hunting!

Happy Easter!

May you have a glorious and blessed Easter! 

Recap

The Elgin High School Flea Market was such a success and so much fun! My friend Cecilia and I had booths side by side so it was easier to help each other out. Last year we were back to back and it was too difficult to help each other. We are getting into a routine now for selling at this flea market.

Here's the work in progress....

Here's the completed booth space....with Cecilia in the booth next to me.

some more pictures of my booth...

and more.....

and one more....

I have gotten so good at cramming in the treasures. Christmas was the first to go. Each year is so different for what people are looking for. Now that the flea market is over, I'm planning my garage sale for sometime in April. I'm energized to clean out. I just purged more from my collections of Hull pottery and seashell boxes. So much lighter and brighter in my home. (and heart)

One collection I didn't pair down (yet) is my flower frog collection. At the Elgin flea market I found this vintage yellow metal flower frog. I had never seen one like it and just couldn't walk away from it. I fits in well with the yellow pig planter.

While pairing down some of my collections, I rearranged my milk glass collection in the pantry.

On April 5 starting at 8am is the Zion Lutheran Church rummage sale on Route 120 in McHenry.

Happy treasure hunting!

Busy.....Busy....

It's been busy around here. First the Vintage Shop Hop was a blast. Busy, but fun! I spent a few hours yesterday restocking my space.

The weather was perfect both days. And now its snowing. That's Chicago weather for you.

I'm just about finished getting ready for the Elgin High School Flea Market on Sunday. Remember to set your clocks ahead. I'm in booth 180 in the gym. Doors open at 8am for the early bird shoppers and then at 9am for everyone else.

Karen and Di recently gifted me with this awesome chandelier that I have wanted for a while. How truly generous and kind they are to me! I love it!!!!! I hung it in my room. The chandelier isn't electric but has holders for candles. I just love the crystals on it. So me!

Here's another view of it....

and an even better of view it....

Lovin' it!

Large snowflakes are coming down right now. I'm skipping ahead to Thursday for the first rummage sale of the season at Faith Community Church on Route 176 in Prairie Grove. It opens at 9am. The season has begun!

Happy treasure hunting!

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring has arrived in my house! I couldn't wait any longer to lighten it up.

I just love adding whimsical vintage Easter decorations around the house. They are so hard to find anymore.

How cute are they?

Someone handmade those awesome eggs. I usually use doilies with an Easter/spring color theme now. Something with pastel purple and pinks like this crochet doily.

I also like to bring out the pale pottery vases to blend in with the pastel colors of the vintage decorations.

A pastel spring vignette in my living room. Even the tray has a spring theme with butterflies. I found that at a garage sale a few years ago.  Loved it too much and had to keep it!

Here's a close up of that darling vintage Easter piece.

Some nostalgia is in order. That rabbit candle was from when I was a kid. The basket holds an egg collection with some from when I was a kid to ones that I found recently. They fit in a vintage egg basket. Except I don't think anymore will!

The rabbit cabbage pottery piece always gets center attention.

I even redid the gumball machine to reflect an Easter scene. It's fun changing it around for the holidays.

In the summer, I found this really cute bunny pillow at a garage sale. It was never opened! Too cute to pass up.

 I saw this last week peaking out of my garden,

It's rainy and gray today, but at least the snow has been washed away.

I am busy preparing for the Vintage Shop Hop on March 2-3 and added spring to my space at the Carriage House.

Here's another side...

Here's a reminder of the Elgin High School Flea Market coming up on March 11. I'm in booth 180 in the gym. There are 170 vendors, new items and vintage treasures, set up throughout the school.

Happy treasure hunting!

In the Garden

Today I did a presentation for the McHenry County Home and Community Education group where 40 attendees, the public was also invited, heard me speak on Flea Market Gardening. It was so much fun. Attendees also shared flea market gardening tips.  This group presents different topics throughout the year through the Extension office in Woodstock.

I had presented this topic a few years ago at Gardenfest but there is such a demand now for this topic that I added even more pictures to my presentation. (Gardenfest will be on April 7 this year at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake IL. Our keynote speaker is Mark Dwyer from the Rotary Gardens in Janesville WI).

This was such a snowy weekend! Probably 12" inches of snow or close to that. I pulled out the patchwork quilt top that I bought recently to begin finishing it. 

I originally planned on selling it but just couldn't. I am using a blue/gray fabric on the back that has a Victorian charm to it. I know it will take me a while to finish it. 

I put on my snowshoes yesterday and trudged down to the garage to get the quilt rack so I could start quilting the layers together. I still consider myself a beginner quilter but I really do enjoy the whole process of making a quilt. 

Here is my newest addition to my cows in the barn. 

It was a birthday gift.

I didn't start out to have a cow collection but that's how it's starting to look. 

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy treasure hunting!

On This Snowy Day....

On this snowy day I was feeling creative.  Thinking of Easter and the warmer weather.

My cousin gave me the stained glass holder and I filled it with vintage Easter items and flowers. So cute! The other little "baskets" came out really cute also.  I love finding uses for all of the cute little items I come across.  It's so much fun!

I have been to a few really good estate sales the last two weeks. Full of vintage finds.  I have been lucky to find vintage linens and quilts.

Some of these quilts are cutter quilts but beautiful nonetheless. I couldn't resist!

Really nice fabric pieces and a quilt block.

A large roll of vintage trim.

I'm keeping that fabulous crochet throw. Right now its on a chair in my living room but I have thoughts of it draped over a table in the summer.

Look at it up close.  Fabulous!

The Carriage House will be participating again in the Vintage Shop Hop March 2-3. There are about 400 shops rights now participating in Wisconsin and Illinois. I will be gearing up for that sale soon. Planning for the start of warm weather wishful thinking.

Then, the week later I'll be here:

I got my booth #180 in the gym. I love this flea market. It's nice and early in the season and it brings out the shoppers. It's daylight savings time to I'll be a little tired but it's so worth it.  It's so much fun. My friend and I will have connecting booths so we can help each other.

I have been busy purging my house still and planning on having a garage sale hopefully in April. I really need to. The house is getting full of boxes for all of the different sales I'm working on.  But, I'm still looking out for those estate sales.

Happy treasure hunting!