AND MORE ANTIQUES...

More antiques have arrived at the shop this week and some great ones too! I just LOVE this little table and benches! It would be so darn cute in a breakfast room or on a screened in porch - or anywhere for that matter.
This old blue island is so prim perfect - just the right height and size for your kitchen.
How about this old wooden wheelboro? Couldn't you just see it with pumpkins and bittersweet or even a coffee table?
Another cute watering can. You can't ever have enough of them.
This old white wicker tea cart is adorable. Anyone ready for a tea party?
Lots more new gardening goodies. Old wire fence, a red child's cart and more.
This is just the perfect garden sign!
Does anyone collect old sprinklers?
This old bin is fabulous. It must have come from an old general store counter. It even has the old glass in the top. LOVE IT!
Lots of small miscellaneous items too.
LARGE crate with a shelf would be adorable with a feedsack curtain. Might even try it tomorrow.
Cute little reproduction spice cabinet.
That's all that I can show you today. Lots more handmades are on their way in the next week or so and I have a feeling you're going to love them.
How about this weather??? It was over 80 here today - unbelievable for April in Michigan. I'll sure take it though. Love to be able to prop open the door of the shop and let the fresh air flow in.
It's been a long day and I'm ready to climb into my nice comfy bed. Hope you will all have a great weekend!
Until next time....

SPRING IS BURSTING OUT ALL OVER!

The geese are back and Mama is sitting on her nest. The "Old Man" comes to visit every day. I tried to get a close-up of him, but he just gently glides back into the water when you get too close. It won't be long until they are parading their babies across the back yard.
All of a sudden the blossoms are everywhere! This is surely a sign of spring.
I can almost taste those rhubarb pies already.
Bleeding hearts are starting to come out.
The tulips are opening.
And peonies are going to be everywhere!
Lucy stopped over and loved the flowers too. I love for her to come visit, she is one of the happiest babies I have ever known - right down to her little belly laugh.
Today started out to be a rainy old day, but soon the sun came out and it was beautiful. My friend Bonnie and I went on a little road trip and picked up some great "new" antiques for the shop. I can hardly wait to get in there to put it together tomorrow. Just wait until you see the potting benches Dick is working on - they will be perfect for any garden. I promise to have pictures tomorrow, but for today - time to just have fun.
Until next time...

AWAKENING TO A SYMPHONY...

...right in our back yard! When we got up this morning, we opened the doorwall to the back yard and it was so beautiful. The sun was shining and the birds were singing everywhere. What a great way to start a Sunday morning! The above picture is the view from our doorwall and patio.
As much as I miss our old house, I feel very blessed to wake up every morning to be surrounded by nature. From morning to night we are entertained by beautiful sounds. The birds sing all day and at night the frogs join in. It is truly incredible!
I love Sunday mornings. It is the one day of the week that we don't have to jump up and run. We can enjoy our coffee, have time to visit with each other, and do something besides shop work. This might even be a good day to start cleaning out flower beds and getting the gardens ready for the glorious colors of summer.
Hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday!
Until next time...

GARDEN PRIMS...

What a difference a couple days can make! We went from nice spring-like weather to COLD! It might get down to about 28 degrees tonight and "S____". I know it could still happen in April, but we've had enough for this year. The flowers are popping out and we sure don't want to look at any more of the white stuff.
I promised to get a few more pictures on from last weekend and so here we go. I got the old harness maker's bench in and it is SOOOO PRIM! It would look so great on a porch with a big fern sitting on the end.
My favorite is this old turkey feeder. Can't you just see it planted with red geraniums? I also like the old garden gate for a backdrop in a garden or on a porch.
This bench is hand-hewn and also very prim. It would make a great coffee table OR would also be perfect in a garden or on the porch.
Don't know if you can see this old rusty, metal basket. What a perfect planter this would be! The old white pedestal would make just the right stand for a fern or hanging plant.
Tonight it's back to the sewing machine! Another shop ordered a few dolls from me and I need more in my shop too, so guess what I'll be doing for awhile? My creative juices are flowing though and I can't wait to see the end results.
Last night was like a fairy tale! My husband won tickets to the Fox Theatre in Detroit to see "Celtic Woman" and it was beyond wonderful. We had VIP parking (the attendant even walked us across the street with an umbrella) and we had perfect seats in one of the suites. The theatre had a beautiful buffet set up for the suite-holders and we had a host bringing us drinks, desserts or anything else we wanted. If you ever get a chance to see this show, it is out of this world. After the show we went to Greektown to dinner and tried $20 in the slot machines - no luck (I was hoping to win enough for another load of furniture)! All in all, it was a wonderful night to remember.
My Gannon boy is spending the night tonight and going to work with me again tomorrow. It seems that Abbey and him have been taking turns while they are on spring break. What the heck? They are only kids once and I'm thrilled that they like to come spend time with me as much as they do. (Wonder when the next FIVE will want their turns!!??)
Hope you all snuggle in where it's warm tonight and spend some time with the ones you love!
Until next time...

RESTFUL WEEKEND...

Another beautiful weekend and restful Easter. Dick and I decided we needed a little break in the action and headed up to the Little House on Saturday night. I finally got my new Country Sampler and there's no better place to curl up and enjoy all of those beautiful homes.
We got some much needed spring chores done and even got a new flag for the summer. We've had this cottage for over 10 years now and it always feels like home when we get there. I've got lots of plans of things I want to take up there on our next trip. Our own home is done in a lots of blacks and mustards, but the Little House has a lot of navy, burgandy and mustard. It's so much fun to have another color scheme to work with.
Late Sunday afternoon, we met my daughter's family on their way back home from her in-laws and picked up Abbey. We had so much fun. We went to Gymboree and bought a couple outfits and then headed back to the cottage.
We ended up having our Easter "dinner" yesterday and just having fun. There is a little playground nearby that she loves to visit. So glad we got to have a chance to have her with us at one of her favorite places!
On the way home, we stopped and loaded up on more antiques for the shop. I'll have to show you pictures tomorrow. Time for an "after Easter" redo!
Hope you all have a wonderful week and are enjoying our springtime weather!
Until next time...

MORE BEAUTIFUL DAYS...

ANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY IN MICHIGAN!!! I think the temps hit about 82 degrees and it was just perfect outside. Not many customers today, I think they all went out of town for the holiday or stayed home to work in their yards. Oh well, it was still beautiful. I just love having that front door of the shop open and listening to our little fountain.
My neighbor, Janie, and I have played for a couple days. We decorated her windows with things from my shop. Her customers can get a great cup of coffee, look (and buy) from her displays and bring their coffee in my shop too. We have French doors between our shops that we always have open. Doesn't it look like spring?
Loving all the green and yellow we put in her shop.
We had a ball outside today. I painted her benches outside of her door and it "perked" them right up.
It's amazing what a little piece of sponge can do (checkerboards). We had other merchants coming to visit, laugh and just enjoy the outdoors.
My Gannon boy came before I closed, went up to see my dad with me and now he is fishing with my hubby. I think I'm going to put him to work at the shop tomorrow! He tells me he is going to work there after school when he gets in high school. We'll see!
I hope you'll all say one little prayer for my dear dad tonight. He has pneumonia again. I was hoping we could take him out in this sunny weather, but he has to get feeling better first. We hooked up a "bird" speaker for him in his room. It has a transmitter and a speaker so he can listen to the birds sing. Gannon refilled the suet feeder for him tonight and he is so enjoying watching the birds - and hearing them too.
Well, better get a few things done before my fishermen get back. Hope you all have an Easter filled with nothing but love and happiness.
Until next time...

THROW OPEN THE DOOR...

OH HAPPY DAYS!!! Finally, we have been able to leave the front door of the shop open and it feels so great. The fresh air just does something for the soul and the customers feel a lot more welcome when they can just walk in.
Seems like I'm never able to get a good shot of our window, there is always a glare with the camera.
The Americana is making it's way to the front of the shop. It always seems to say spring and holidays are comin'.
It's almost that time to get out and dig in our gardens and get them ready for plantings. Don't you just love to have fun "junk" to decorate with?
This old dolly is wonderful. I could see it on a porch or even in a bathroom for towels!
This OLD, round mailbox just arrived and it would be so prim filled with spring flowers.
Signs are also starting to come in. Love the "back door" sign.
Wouldn't this one be cute on an old picket fence?
This PRIM garden girl is a hoot. She is made on an old wood stump. My daughter thinks she looks like the "Grim Reaper".
New lamps are here too. I love this mustard, star lamp. We also have a similar one that is a burgandy floor lamp with a big hook on the front.
This old flour bin is the best. It would be so great planted with flowers, or hung on a wall for prim storage.
But, THEN, there's this Mammy sock doll. I just love her and had to keep one for me too.
We have more on the way by next week and I don't think you'll be disappointed. Hope you get a chance to pop in to say "hi" and shop for your new spring goodies.
Until next time...