Bridal Cake Toppers-some of my favorite things

June 2008

June is here and along with it warm weather...finally. It is ironic that a Minnesota girl has such a hard time with the cold! I much rather have it sunny and warm. The shop has been busy and with it my many projects. The biggest project is the bridal display, it is up and it looks soooo good...I love white and cream, I brought in some bridal cake toppers and head pieces out of my collection (they are for sale). (sorry sold)

I hope all of you are enjoying the weather and I hope to see you soon.
Blessings
Rebecca

Keep on Blogging...

April 2008

The shop has it's new look or at least a face lift...the new awnings are awsome - I wish the logo on the windows would have turned out better but that can be fixed down the road. I am happy with it all in all.

I really can’t believe how fast the winter has gone by, even though it seems to have lingered longer this year. I have made entries and lost them each time I made my feeble attempt. Blogging has turned out to be harder than I thought and I would appreciate any advice on the subject. It takes me awhile to write and then when the page disappears into cyber space it gets discouraging. I am determined to get this…even if we have to redo the website.
Spring has come to the shop at last and it looks fabulous. We have all kinds of birds from journals to jewelry to stone for your garden--it looks as though the shop this year has gone to the birds.

Our new project for spring is a 4’x10’display fashioned after a lovely little shop in Paris that Jody and I fell in love with. We are featuring everything small in its shelves. Wonderful laces found at the Paris flea market, half dolls, paper , buttons and so much more. It will be a great source for those who love altered art projects and of course sewing and anything else you can dream of. More and more the shop will evolve and it is my goal to keep nurturing the creative soul that comes into the shop. Not only with the handmade items in the shop but also the wonderful little snippets used to make them. We are hoping to have this open by June.
I will keep posting pictures as it comes along... This was my inspiration...a small wine shop in the Momarte district in Paris.

Here is the start of it...

The shop has been progressing through the winter and we have finished the “bedroom” which is filled with Bella Notte’ Linens, Pinecone Hill quilts and of course wonderful vintage pillows made by Simply Posh. Some of you have asked about the beautiful wallpaper I used on the walls and “it is NOT old” believe it or not. I found it at JC Lichts and it comes in 3 different colors.

Beautiful colors of Belle Notte...

Our theme on the center counter is Garden and it looks so nice to see it after such a hard winter. It features terracotta pots that have a great aged look and garden animals with the same aged look. We found a great statuary source at market that looks like old cement but it is fiberglass so it is easy to move around…the angels are my favorite. For June the theme will be Brides, and you won’t want to miss the display. I found the most wonderful wedding gowns from the turn of the century. There are two of them in old wallpaper boxes marked mothers and Millie’s. I have to think it is mother and daughter because of the ages of the dresses…mothers is Victorian and Millie’s is from the 20’s. The best part about the find is there is nothing missing. There are stockings, undergarments, corsets, wax flowers, shoes and of course the veils. Can you tell I am excited--it will be a fun display! Oh and by the way, many of you have asked about the center counter itself, it is actually a !6’ front lobby desk from a hotel built in 1800 -1850 called the Lumber Barron Hotel in Chippewa MI, it had been in storage for the last 100 years and I was fortunate enough to end up with it.

Until next time I will try to keep on blogging...
Blessings,
Rebecca

2008 A New Year

January 1, 2008
Happy New Year! May God bless you and all your loved ones throughout the coming year and bring you peace and happiness.
It has been an extremely exciting and busy couple of months, the grand opening of Vintage Living, Thanksgiving, my daughters wedding, the Vintage Christmas open house at the shop, Christmas, New Years eve and now New Years day... The best day of the year for reflection and gratitude. As I sit here eating our traditional New Years breakfast, Swedish pancakes and sipping on a cup of fresh French press coffee, looking at the faces of my grandchildren across the table with whip cream and strawberries all over their faces -- I just say Thank you Lord! All else fades and the new year looks bright and shiny and I can't help wonder what the Lord has in store for us and I know ...that I know...that I know.

My youngest blogger...

From our house to yours we wish you a very blessed New Year.

Rebecca

Christmas Comes to the Shop 2007

Merry Christmas 2007

Christmas is here and all the joy that comes this time of year. The Vintage Christmas Open House was a great time had by all and it was so good to see some of my old customers again. This has been a whirling dervish and now I can relax a little and enjoy the shop. Needless to say this time of year is the most fun in the shop I only wish I had my studio up and running. My house has no flat surfaces left that isn't full of glitter and paper. Last Christmas I sold all of my handmade Christmas to Macy's on State Street in Chicago. They bought all of it...my Santa's, angels, stars, tree skirts and stockings and my supply takes awhile to rebuild. I tried to replinish some of the vintage fabrics when I went to Paris but it was too expensive...couldn't believe how the prices went up. Anyway I did manage to crank out some goodies and will just keep on working past Christmas for next year. The girls brought in some great handmades so we had plenty. Judy always is so creative...I love her stuff and Dee's santa's are always a hit and Anne's purses are so great. Thank you all for making the show so great. Here see for yourself all the great and fun stuff.

And here comes my Christmas present...shop awnings! And who said expensive presents come in small packages.

Blessings

Rebecca

Twenty Things at Once

November 2007 Happy Thanksgiving

Time passes quickly when you are doing twenty things at once. Opening a shop just in time for all the Christmas festivities--including an Open House--planning and decorating a wedding for my daughter out of state, and did I mention I also agreed months ago to open my house for a Historic House Walk. That just might put me over the edge...everyone says I love the pressure and I know I do get more done under it but don't know if I exactly like it...it just seems to find me.
Savannah and I...grandchildren the crown of our years.




Nicole and daughter Sophie


Nicole and my husband Keith her stepdad The whole crew

I have gained a wonderful son in law and the wedding was beautiful. I am so grateful to my father...he has married all of them now and this one was difficult for him because of his failing health. Thanks Dad-I love you. Here are some pictures of my precious family. We do know how to have fun...




My kids, Jody, Jennifer,Nicole, Kerri, Sarah and the "Boy" James.

Blessings
Rebecca

Christmas 2007

November 2007

Christmas Show 2006 in my home:

A Vintage Christmas...

What a difference a year makes! Last year we had "A Vintage Christmas" show in my home...we had been doing it at Simply Posh and extended it to my home after we closed. It was a great turn out but what a lot of work. Taking all my stuff and putting it either upstairs or downstairs. I live in a historical house built in the 1860s. It was moved in the 1920s by a team of horses and logs to the outskirts of town, so it lost some of its charm on the outside but she was a grand Ole gal in her day. I met the guy who bought her in the 50s as a flip, he took off the 2 story tower to scrap the copper roof for $40.00 because it leaked. He was entering a nursing home and stopped by to give me the newspaper clippings of his makeover...he seemed so proud. Every year I would invite 4 or 5 local artists to share their talents in the show. I was fortunate to make some wonderful friends that were gracious enough to share their talents with me every year, Anne of Angelina's-fabric artist, Dee Gann-Santa artist, Judy Walsberg-multimedium artist and talented Betty White--she has such a great eye for found objects and of course my talented daughter Jody who makes such beautiful pillows all hand worked and myself.

Here are some pictures from that show.

Betty White, Judy Walsberg and Dee Gann

Betty, Judy and Anne Gardner