Have a Lovely Valentine's Day!

I happened to be going through a box of "stuff "and found a pair of charming 1860's hand-colored prints just in time for Valentine's Day. This one has a copyright date of 1866 and is entitled "The New Balmorals". The aforementioned "Balmorals" being the young ladies darling new shoes! This print, along with the other, will be in my next website update. In the meantime, have a lovely, lovely Valentine's Day!

Miss Aurelia would like to wish everyone....

A Very Happy New Year!

Not A Creature Was Stirring...........

And to all, A Good Night!

More Red at Christmas......Another Sneak Peek at the Shop

Just to whet your appetite...more reds from the shop.....The late 19th C doll and children's dresses (save one) are also from Sally Whittemore's estate. The apple green child's chair, the windsor green apple basket with red wool rag balls and the early candle lantern are all out of my house. The late 19th C cloth doll is from a New Jersey estate.
I'll be posting these things to my website soon......Christmas is coming.......
I'm trying my best in light of my computer crash!

Ah Christmas...A Sneak Peek......

Well, I've gone and done it again......another sock and mitten tree!! This time most of the socks and mittens were purchased from Sally Whittemore's estate. The sale was held this summer st Skinners in MA. I managed to sit on them until this season. Don't you just love the tree? I can't believe I was able to do one again this year.....I just love doing them up in cloth and clothing!
My intention was to offer them on the website but then the unthinkable happened: my computer crashed in a very big and very bad way. I lost all photos I had taken of all the wonderful things I was going to post to my site. It totally ruined my calendar and schedule, and I've been trying to play catch-up ever since.
I am now trying to work on my Christmas mailing to customers which, by the way, should have gone out the last week in November. But, alas, my address book was "locked" in an application that could not be accessed. It has finally been retrieved!
I am still trying to work on the web update as well, but with Christmas just around the corner and so many things yet undone, I'm not sure when it will post.
I will let everyone know when it happens.....Thanks for your emails asking about it...I appreciate your loyalty.

Don't Forget To Shop Heartland on November 21!

This is just a gentle reminder to have you mark your calendars for the Heartland Show in Richmond, Indiana on November 21. I know I've blogged about it before, but the November edition of this famous American Country Antique show is just as good as the June one. Although smaller in size (dealers are set up in only the Tom Raper building while in June they are set up in two) it is still filled with as much wonderful, quality country antiques as the June show. The nice thing about this smaller edition (85 dealers) is that it is easier to shop as you can take your time and not worry that you haven't been able to see it all.

I'll be setting up with my friend and fellow dealer, Lisa Breish of Anderson-Briesh Antiques. Lisa specializes in Early Christmas items, so we are planning our booth with lots of Christmas surprises. I'll be bringing my usual homespun textiles, as well as some wonderful painted benches and shelves from the house.......And a fabulous early New England shirred Log Cabin pattern hooked rug straight from my dining room. Lisa will bringing a feather tree or two, as well as a wonderful early putz fence.

I'll also be doing up a tree in red and, red and white, children's mittens and stockings....as well as some wonderful red doll and children's dresses. These are all recently acquired from an estate.

The Heartland Antiques Show is one not to be missed. It is held at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Richmond, Indiana. Show date is Saturday, November 21. Doors open at 9:00AM.

Do stop by and say hello!

After A Long Hiatus, I'm Back and It's Time to Think Christmas!

I apologize for such a long lapse in postings but between some minor health issues and a myriad of other demands, there just didn't seem to be time for blogging. In fact, I was lucky enough to be able to get a web update posted a few weeks ago.

I know I've blogged about this before but being a "rag" person and with the holidays fast approaching (where does the time go?), my thoughts always turn to early textiles as a very easy and lush way to transform a house into a warm nest. While bringing out the woolens (blankets, coverlets, socks, mittens, petticoats) makes the house feel warm and cozy, it is the reds that imbue the spirit of the season into our homes and hearts. I find that placing a few pieces of red clothing amid browns on a pegrack, really makes for a great display. Do a room up in all reds and add some fresh greenery and you've got all you need to convey the Christmas spirit of the house to friends and family.

I do confess , though, that I have been decorating with white woolens these last two Christmases and throwing in some reds for just a splash of color. While I love the quietness of whites and off-whites, I still find I need those reds to make it really feel like Christmas. The above photo is from the Hearland Show in Richmond, IN.

I've had the good fortune to have aquired a very special collection of red and white striped stokcings, as well as red mittens and petticoats. Now to the task of getting them photgraphed and posted.......on my website!