ViNtaGe Christmas ~ Past...

I've been going through some of my "old photos" of Christmas Past this morning... Here's a quick glimpse of some darling items & vignettes...

I sold these little vintage whimsies last January on Ebay...
Perfect for a crafter adornment...

This has been one of my favorite vignettes... Everything seemed to fall in place that year... ~ A strong red/green bling-bling impact... Don't you just LOVE the ChiPPy Metal Vase!*!*! The Santa has taken on a perfectly chippy time~worn patina... (click to enlarge)

Sweet! - Sweet! -Sweet! Vintage Tree in time~worn Santa Mug...
Another January Ebay Item I sold from last year's listings...

This awesome pottery platter sold at one of my sales a couple years ago...

Saturday's **FLEA MARKET** @ Grayslake...

Sticking to my tight time-frame schedule, I knew I had to "fly through the flea market"... I hit "Diane's Booth" ~ first thing... Loved the displays... There was sooooo much detail to look at ~ she out did herself!!! Diane should be doing creative displays for Anthropologie!*!*! As for the overall flea market on this particular Saturday - I came home home with next to nothing... There was way tooooo many jewelry booths... I was happy to see Mariann ~ she brought some of my precious Texas Finds from the Warrenton Show this past Fall...

Everything is balance and angled perfectly in Diane's eye-catching center display...
This picture doesn't do the TREE justice... The old dress form had a very special "lamp finial of sort" at the top neck area...

Funky tree top...

The wreath surrounding the candle was soooo detailed...
I'm almost certain she created it ~ using her floral display talents...

Loved this!*!*! Just the perfect adornments...
I forgot what type of unusual branches Diane said she used...

The little white tallow berries ???-I think, added such a nice fresh touch...

I snapped this pic outside of Joan's Booth... What a great "BASE" idea!
Joan's booth was just mobbed with ladies...

I hadn't seen Mariann since the Warrenton, Texas Show... Her booth was also mobbed with ladies buying her unique jewelry items...

I like the unusual... Mariann had this funky vintage mobile...
It went home with me!

Wonderfully time~worn...

I bought this 2-die-4 side table from Mariann at Warrenton...

Base close-up...

These may well be a keeper...
PeRFeCt ~ for over a table... -OR- On either side of a mirror...

Unfortunately... LEE DONUTS was closed by the time I passed by.. They have my husband's most favorite "Blueberry Donut" in the whole world!!! Sometimes I call ahead and reserve them... I'm surprised Dunkin Donuts - down the road, is still in business...

Whirlwind Saturday- ANTHROPOLOGIE, Highland Park, IL

OMG!*!*! Yet another whirlwind of a day this past Saturday!!! I started out on the road at 7:30 a.m. ~ knowing how much I had to "pack-in" - before 4 p.m. when I needed to be at my second job - The Stagecoach Inn Bed & Breakfast in Cedarburg... Where do I start???? ~ Anthropologie... The Corner Bakery... Lee Donuts... Grayslake Flea Market (Diane's booth was FaBuLouS)... Picking up my "Warrenton, Texas" - flea market finds from Mariann... More on ALL OF THIS later in the week... My First stop was my "most favorite" ANTHROPOLOGIE STORE (I've been to 9 across the country) - in Highland Park, Illinois... Highland Park is an UpScale North Shore Suburb of Chicago... The BeSt Shopping!!! The downtown is so quaint!!! Excellent old-fashinoned customer service in any shop... Many independent/locally owned stores... Great eateries... You can easily hop on the train to downtown Chicago...

The Higland Park, Illinois Anthropologie Store has the "Most Creative" Displays!!!
I always get inspired...

Backside Entrance...

A trademark of the Anthropologie stores are their "massive entry doors"
with awesome hardware...

The Highland Park Store always has their outside urns beautifully decorated...

Window Peeking...
LoVeD the funky plumbing pipes mixed with the lampshades!*!*!

ViNtaGe Bicycle covered in snow...
Loaded with wrapped presents in it's basket...

****MOST CREATIVE****
Igloo inside the store - front window...
Just AwEsoMe!*!*! - Boxes wrapped in white paper...

Waiting area by the dressing room...
Love the frame on the wood...

Cascading icicle-like snow above the check-out counter...

Darling flower petals on wooden pencils...
Anthropologie is all about the details...

Sticking to my time-schedule, I left for my second favorite lunch spot at 11:15...
I love THE CORNER BAKERY'S - "Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup" with crusty bread... My number one favorite eatery is - "Michael's" - but I didn't have time for that this Saturday... - I had "Flea Market" on my mind...

I grabbed a delicious snack "for the road"...
We don't have these in Wisconsin... The next closest thing would be the cinnamon crisps up in "Door County" - at Jacksonport's Town Bakery...

This morning's Wisconsin Winter Weather Report...
We woke up to a freezing rain/ice mixture... When the temperatures rises a bit, our METAL ROOF - has fun shapes sliding off - then "BOOM"!!!

**ViNtaGe Christmas** in my home...

I'm still struggling with my ViNtaGe Christmas HoLiDay Vignette this year... I guess some years are just like this... I like "impact" - one key anchor piece in a vignette ~ with all the smalls supporting/adorning that key piece - without getting toooooo busy... I have 2 new anchor pieces this year ~ a fabulous chippy old wire gate & a smaller sized 2-die-4 "Reznor" radiator... Here are a few "sneak-peeks" of the vignette as a arrange ~ re-arrange myself out of this troubling too busy display... HELLLLLLLLLLLP!*!*!

I LoVe my ViNtaGe "SNOW CAN" Collection!*!*!

This Small Red ViNtaGe Watering Can is just adorable!*!*!

ViNtaGe "Bottle Brush Trees"...
Sneak-Peek of the REZNOR Radiator...

This is my FaVoRiTe ViNtaGe Bottle Brush Wreath...
The Old Mercury Balls have ~The BeSt~ PaTiNa!*!*!
***The "snow" is thick with the Mica Flakes***
(click to enlarge...)

These Old Iicicle Boxes have "The BeSt" fronts on them - but I just couldn't find a spot to stand them up and show them off...

I bought this darling vintage display box with the ornaments many years ago on Ebay...

Still BELOW ZERO this frosty morning here in Wisconsin...
Good News - THE SUN WILL BE OUT TODAY!*!*!

***Kimball & Bean's HoLiDaY OPEN HOUSE***

A little less than 2 weeks ago, I made a trip to "Kimball & Bean" - in the countryside area of Woodstock, Illinois... They specialize in ***Architectural & Garden Antiques***... I have read many an article about them & have also seen their booth at the Chicago Botanic Antique Garden Show...

I never thought I'd find the place ~ let alone find my way back... I drove for miles along many a picturesque winding road" - in a very upscale area, I think was named - "Bull Valley" ... BeAuTiFuL!*!*! I felt like I was in upstate New York...

A view from the parking lot area leading up to the entrance... All - so nicely decorated...

The inside of the Barn/Store Area was "Over-The-Top" ~ The BeSt of ViNtaGe Garden Antiques... Almost everything was PeRfeCtLy ChiPPy!!! Unfortunately just about everything was just "eye-candy" for me... The price tags were well beyond my means...

This ViNtaGe Owl & Bench were 2-die-4!*!*!
The Best of the Best...

I did buy a "Boxwood" Wreath...

All the displays were soooooo professionally done... A lot of European Garden Items...The Space had such a great feel to it... The owners were nice enough to let me take photos...

I loved this ChiPPy Cabinet... The top was old zinc...

This metal finnial was sooooo AmAziNg!*!*!

I'm not going to complain this morning ~ it's early in the season ... HOWEVER....

"ViNtaGe Christmas" Centerpieces w/BLiNg!*!*

This "Vintage Tole" Christmas Tree is my number one FaVoRiTe HoLiDaY item... I picked it up last year at "GraysLake Flea Market" from my favorite seller, Diane... It makes for the PeRfeCt Table Centerpiece...

I was lucky enough to find these small-sized red vintage candles
to fit in the holders...

I adore "birdies"!*!*! I clipped some old vintage mercury glass birds on the branches... The metal-tole has taken on a wonderful time~worn patina on the leaves and red berries...

I added a little "glistening bird nest" adorned with small ornaments in the nest...

I've had this 2-tier vintage planter in the garage for years... I just knew it was a FaBuLouS piece when I bought it... As I was looking for items to take to the Antique Show last week, I came across it... ~ Here's how I adorned it... It makes for a great table centerpiece!*!*! I can even keep the greens fresh - I added some floral oasis foam inside the clay pots to absorb water...

I added some HoLiDaY Bling in the center...
I think a clip-on bird or 2 might be nice... My beautiful gilt-gold Doves did not sell at the show ~ sooooooooo they'll be going underneath this display - PeRfeCt!!!

"The Sweetest" ~ Vintage Birdie Post Card!*!*!

A Bit of "HoLiDay Bling"!*!*!

It's happened... I've lost my touch ~ "artist's block"... I was over whelmed yesterday with piles of Christmas Decorating Boxes ALL over the house ~ opened... half-opened... piles of tissue wrap... fake snow & greens everywhere... AND all I wanted to do was create my Entry Seasonal Holiday Vignette... In order to do that, I need to see EVERYTHING I have... What a mess!*!*! I'm still cleaning up from this past weekend's Antique Show on top of that... AND - my husband hates messes... OMG!!! - and I need to be at work today... Sooooo, needless to say... HOWEVER, here are a few ***HoLiDay BliNg*** items that did work out...

I thought it would be fun to use "PEARL STRANDS"!*!*!

This is the darling cupboard I picked up on last week's antique trip...
The Mirror's time~worn patina is AmAziNG!*!*!
Not to mention it's PeRfeCtLy ChiPPy!

This tote is actually from last year's vignette...
I looked for the wood box yesterday & could not find it...
I think I might have lost my mind and perhaps sold it at one of my SaLes????