I've convinced my friend,  and talented Michigan fiber artist, Liz to share and part with  a few of her many hand worked reproductions of antique samplers just in time for Mother's Day.  The workmanship is amazing and I'm in awe of the patience it took to complete these works of art. They have all been professionally framed and they are ready to hang for all to appreciate.  Unfortunately, my photography skills on this particular task are definitely not up to par so you'll need to stop by The Goodrich Flea Market and see them in person.  We'll be there at 8am and hope to see you there.

Completing a nest of antique or vintage bowls is so exciting.  Sometimes we find them one at a time and every once in a while we find the full array together.  My challenge is coming up with ideas on how best to display them.  Saw this  display concept on Pinterest and  you can see it in our booth at The Goodrich Flea Market on Saturday.  Both ladder and bowls will be for sale.

I was drawn to this chest of drawers because of the beautiful walnut and the interesting pulls but was curious about the configuration.  It's a tall piece with just three drawers in the middle, hmmm? When I got closer, it became obvious there was storage space both above and below the center drawers.  Was the intended use for jewelry, money or the family silver?  I used this in my office  -  the top draw held checkbooks and bank statements and the bottom draw held personnel files.  Hope to have it in our booth at The B. Hive for the weekend!

I was about to post this image and didn't know if I should call the items shown "doilies" or "antimacassar" - didn't know if there was a diffference but I find both terms odd.   I thought I'd spend a minute and "Google" the origin of the words. An hour later after being educated on doilie, doiley, doyley, d'oyley and d'oile I still haven't made a decision.  Around our house they'd be referred to as foo foo things so I thought I'd see if that actually has a definition.  It does and pretty much means "cute things serving no purpose"  - so that's not right! I'll have some with me at The Goodrich Flea Market this Saturday so put your thinking cap on to see how you'd put them to use after you decide what to call them.

I rarely go anywhere without a tote in tow and often have a few to keep things a bit organized.  For this weekend, we have both The Garden Bucket and Spring Totes available at our booth in The B. Hive as well as The Goodrich Flea Market.  The Garden Tote is a heavy duty canvas bucket adorned with a hand hooked wool flower and contains a bandanna, garden gloves and pruning shears .  The Spring Totes are available in three sizes and an assortment of fun colors and each is one of a kind.  Prices range from $15 to $25.

Thistle Do Nicely! has a wide array of items that are just perfect for Mother's Day gift giving and we've been mindful of everyone's budget. These hand crafted Key Keepers are both fun and practical - they are hard to leave behind and quickly located in any purse. The Key Keepers are individually designed and made from both wool and novelty yarns.  They are only one of many product offerings for under $15.  We'll have a few on hand at the two-day market this weekend as well as on display now at The B. Hive. 

It seems yesterday's post brought a tear to the eyes of a few so I guess we'll keep today's topic a bit lighter.  How about a lighter summer palette - this Robin's Egg Blue works beautifully with tans and taupe.  Tomorrow at The Goodrich Flea Market we'll have lots of  "smalls" to summer-up a spot in your home without busting the budget.  Stop in and say hello.

Some years ago while speaking via phone with my  Mom at her Florida home, I was told she came across a picture in the house they bought that that she didn't care for but thought I'd like.  She wasn't sure, however, because it was mostly black and orange and the frame was not attractive.  When I asked for the description, she said it was a "Little Girl in Orange" with a basket of flowers.  I should explain the house in question was a 1950's ranch in an unassuming neighborhood with mostly modern/beachy furnishings. Quite welcoming but by no means traditional in it's styling.
I was a bit skeptical based on color combo, description and location that there would be a match for what was my  conservative Early American taste but asked if she would hold on to it until my next visit. What a surprise when I finally saw the painting.  Mom may not have done the piece justice in her description but she certainly knew my style.  The second surprise was that between our original phone call and my arrival, she had grown fond of the painting and wanted to keep it in residence.  She did share, however, that it would be mine someday.  Mom has now passed on and the "Little Girl in Orange" is in our home.  Right under my name on the back of the painting is hand-written "Jillian" - my young niece who also admired this painting while at Grandma's but was told it was going to me first.  This little piece of art left behind by it's original owner could not be considered valuable from a monetary standpoint but has now touched and endeared itself to three generations of family members.    I never look at this painting without smiling and thinking of my mother.  So I'll have to agree, art is definitely personal - find something you love and pass it on.

Shouldn't these great children's garden tools produce wonderful flora.  I think so! I love the worn handles and age the shovel shows.  The original owner must have liked digging the best. I brought these to a show once and was immediately offered a very fair price for the rake  but just the rake.  Couldn't do it and  withdrew them immediately.  Some how, some way these three pieces have hung out together for near 50 years and I'm not going to be the one to separate them.  Garden items - new, old, working or not - are great items to add to your summer decor

You just never know what you'll find at a flea market or consignment shop.   Sometimes you find that little something that you didn't even know you were looking for!  I think I know the perfect spot for this vintage bee hive syrup pot I came across last week.  It has no markings but the seller knew it was gifted to his mother 27 years ago and was purchased in Vermont. It still has the original cork stopper under the cover.