I do believe in Santa - vintage Santa that is...

A couple of weeks ago, I bought my second vintage Santa at an estate sale. I bought my first vintage Santa last year at the Clinton Antique Center (you can see a previous post about that shop in the October section) and thought that it would be a fun collection to start! I hadn't thought twice about leaving him on the bench inside the front door when I got home because I was pretty sure he wouldn't fly away with reindeer. When I came back through the living room a little while a little later from doing some things around the house, I saw red cloth chewed up on the living room rug. At first I was really confused about what it was, and then I realized it was Santa! My rescue puppy who is almost one-and-a-half-years old now hadn't chewed up anything since what seemed like forever ago (it was probably closer to four or five months, but my how we forget so quickly when they are being angels). She was back on the naughty list - but not for long of course...

So unfortunately, I only have one vintage Santa now, but am hoping to add to (okay, start) my collection after the holiday season. We all know that is the best time to buy holiday decor - and it's no different with antiques. 

Here are some pictures of my vintage decorations…

I also bought this small artificial white tree at the same estate sale I bought the vintage Santa that became a chew toy. Good thing I only paid $3 for the Santa. I paid $5 for the tree. 

I don't remember what I paid for this Santa…but I also bought a box of vintage ornaments at the Clinton Antique Center the same day and I remember thinking it was a good deal for all of it! The trunk was a tag sale find (around $10) and the globe is from the Brimfield Flea Market (around $10 as well -- $10 is really my limit for most items, unless they are truly worth more). I will be adding a post about the Brimfield Flea Market in the spring - stay tuned! 

I made my own wreath out of the vintage ornaments…

And displayed the left over ones in a glass a trifle bowl. 

And here is my adorable pup Cadence (like the marching song). 

See what I mean - you can't stay mad at her for long! 

Her shirt says "Naughty is the new Nice" -- how appropriate…

(this was a 'hand-me-down' from a friend's doggie)

Do you have any vintage holiday decorations!? 

Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas

I went home (central Illinois) for Thanksgiving and saw these three great magazines on my mom's coffee table. They fall right in line with my December theme. And now you know where I get my love for antiques!

Well Styled Home Vintage Holiday: Christmas through the Decades (77 ideas)

Romantic Homes - The Colors of Christmas (86 Festive Ideas)

Well Styled Home Flea Market Decor - Holiday Junking: Simple Budget-Friendly Projects (72 tips)

 

 

Magazine subscriptions make good holiday gifts as well,

so put one of these on your list!

 

Do you have any great magazines devoted to antiques?

Thanksgiving Tablescape

While I am not hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, I hope to one day be able to have my family seated around the table in my home - wherever that may be at the time - for a beautiful feast! So in anticipation of that fateful Thanksgiving (hopefully I’ll know how to cook a turkey by then), I have been dreaming up how I would set the table so that it will look as good as the food will taste (fingers crossed)!

And of course a Thanksgiving tablescape is the perfect time to bring out those antiques!

The orange and blue are a huge hit in this setting.  Simple, yet so pointed. 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/99642210479395569/

 

However, you don’t have to use orange in your theme. Neutrals are just as much Thanksgiving colors.  

http://dreamsandepiphanies.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-tablescape.html

 

 

 

Love this primitive candle lighting!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=ufVT05pcbiEfWM&tbnid=5kGPyx_Y_ouJ2M:&ved=0CAQQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbettycozycorner.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F11%2Ftablescape-36.html&ei=6zOKUtiGKa3jsATWrICgCw&psig=AFQjCNHZ_Pdok7CbGVbCQCGq58o7Tc0_Hw&ust=1384875157490152

Use a colorful table cloth – vintage table cloths are reasonably priced and easy to find at antique shops and flea markets.

http://www.cedarhillfarmhouse.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-tablescape.html

More ideas can be viewed at My Pinterest Board (http://www.pinterest.com/aeasternshore/vintage-thanksgiving/)

Here is what I came up with from what I had on hand –

Antique jug with fall flowers makes a statement centerpiece...

 

I set the table with mason jars as glasses and vintage lace napkins.

Sorry this is sideways -- I can't get it to rotate for some reason.

But as you can see, I printed a vintage postcard image for the name cards.

 

  

Found these little guys at Madison's Antique Fair on the Green a couple years ago.

(Salt and Pepper Shakers)

 

This was my great grandmother's. However, I see a lot of similar ones at antique shops!

 

Always need an old basket for the rolls!

 

Use vintage cake stands for your desserts -- pumpkin pie is a must!!

(Silver or glass)

My silver needs shined...but kind of gives it that antique look :)

 

Serve Apple Butter Fondue (my creation) in a lovely enamel fondue pot as an appetizer.

 

Ingredients/Directions: Very easy! Mix apple butter into melted cheese -- whatever kind you want.

I usually use chedder. Serve with large pretzel sticks and apples!! 

 

My antique iced tea pitcher -- a gift from my husband for our 5 year anniversary!

It has a container for ice in the center so that it doesn't water down the tea but still makes it cold!  

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this post as you prepare for your Thanksgiving Day!

 

Do you use any antiques for Thanksgiving dinner? What is your favorite Thanksgiving tablescape?

 

Top 5 Need to Know Sites for Learning to Speak Antique

Top 5 Need to Know Sites for Learning to Speak Antique –

If you are new to antiques or have been around the block before, it is always important to stay well-informed on the antique market. And whether you are looking to buy or looking to sell, these sites can help you with your decisions…
 

1 – For Dummies

I'll admit, sometimes I feel dumb when it comes to antiques, or more than likely I just get too caught up in the thrill of it all. This site very easily sums up how to determine the value of an antique -- rarity, aesthetics, desirability, authenticity, and really great condition. Just remember RADAR…made that acronym up myself! Who you callin’ a dummy now?

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-five-signs-of-a-valuable-antique.html

2 – Ebay

Ebay has an Antiques Buying Guide that does a fantastic job at describing antique furniture by period. It even links you to pictures and walks you through several other antique categories so that you know what to look for. One of the best pieces of advice on this page though is close to the bottom where it says ‘Buy Antiques with Confidence’ which is mostly referring to ebay purchases, but ‘Know Your Seller’ is still important when you are buying in person. Also, it has a ‘Want it Now’ page where you can post specifically what you are looking for.

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Antiques-Buying-Guide-/10000000177635627/g.html

3 – I Antique Online

This is a great antique community network!  Want to see photos? You got it. Want to read a forum about blogging? You got it. And there are more than 200 groups to join that are divided by specific antique collections. What more could one want?

http://iantiqueonline.ning.com/

4 – Yahoo Article: Finding Antiques at Thrift Stores

I am a sucker for thrift stores for just normal every day things (clothing, houseware items, etc). So when I find antiques at thrift stores, I love them even more! This short article talks about being able to identify an antique by gaining knowledge little by little. It also says that in order to increase your chances at finding antiques at thrift stores, one must visit thrift stores regularly and be patient; look high and low. Well, you don’t have to convince me any further!!

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-secret-finding-antiques-collectibles-thrift-1459993.html?cat=46

5 – Antique Marks

This is more of a fancy antiques site (and it is British, therefore more talk of UK shops/etiquette), but it has a great section on the do’s and don’ts of buying antiques. The Golden Rule is “Only buy things you like!”  Several of the other do’s include: always ask for a discount and always ask again, always ask about history or damage, always get a receipt and always try auctions! For the don’ts, it is pretty simple – don’t fall for a fake!

http://www.antique-marks.com/buying-antiques.html

Honorable mentions include...

*Kovels

Kovels isn’t too interesting of a site to look at, but it does have a Price Guide page which is really great for those that want to buy or sell. It’s like a checks-and-balances system; make sure you are not paying too much or asking too little!

http://www.kovels.com/

*Apartment Therapy: Best Online Vintage and Antique Stores

Although I applaud this research and understand the value of online shopping (being able to see a lot of things in limited time and to search for specific items easily), I am still a “be-there-or-be-square” type of gal. As a warning, most of the links are to higher-end antique stores (it is definitely not the same as ‘picking’); however, Etsy is also listed which has a large variety of reasonably priced items.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/shopping-in-your-skivvies-best-online-vintage-antique-stores-177858

Northwest CT

Okay, this is not quite the shoreline, but Northwest CT is a lot closer to the eastern shore than say the Midwest which is where I am from originally! This past weekend, the hubby, puppy and I took a nice drive up RT 7 which is in the western part of CT, basically right on the CT/NY border. We were on a mission to find the covered bridge as seen here -- http://www.ctvisit.com/getaways/details/hike-the-appalachian-trail/231.

On our way to Kent/Cornwall, we came across several antique stores (actually a lot). A couple of the ones we stopped at were in New Milford - Carters and Litchfield County Pickers - they are litterally right next door to each other. I didn't get anything this time, but they had some great stuff!

Here are a few of the items that caught my eye at Carters...

 

Vintage Stroller -- looks awesome; not very practical though.

But could be super cute decor in a nursery. However, I am not in need of one currently.

Box of insulators: these are starting to become popular because they are fairly inexpensive.

This would be a perfect starter collection or they could be used individially as paper weights.

 Learn about the history and use -- http://www.collectorsweekly.com/tools-and-hardware/insulators

 

Gas Pump! I have always thought one of these would be a

fun statement piece -- maybe in a man cave? 

 

I just love how this display case looks!

 

Military ammunition cans...

I would use these as a cool way to file boring paper documentation (ie taxes, ugh!).

Or for those with kiddos, think of all those legos that are lying around the floor!

Next we went to Litchfield County Pickers -

 



 

Saw another vintage stroller. This one was in better shape and tag said $50.

I am kind of kicking myself now for not getting it, but I don't NEED it.

At least that is what I keep telling myself so I'll feel better about leaving it.

 

And this beauty...

Would love to have something like her one day.

 

Hopefully you enjoyed this post - I certainly enjoyed my daycation to Northwest CT!

 

Do you have any favorite antique places in Northwest CT?

  

New Bedford MA

Thinking about getting away this Veteran's Day Weekend? Even if it is just a day trip, New Bedford, Massachusetts is a great place to hunt for antiques!

A couple of years ago, we were passing by on I-195 and saw a large industrial building with 'Antiques' written on the side of it. Obviously, we had to stop! And I was thrilled with what we found. It was a little sketchy getting to the building and signage wasn't all that great, but the treasures were!

I got 7 hat boxes, each with a hat in it for $60! They were sold as a group. I couldn't believe it! Usually hat boxes themselves are at least $10 and don't include hats in them -- hats are more likely to start around the $15 mark. So yes, I was very happy as I kind of have a thing for hats.

These are just the ones I got from New Bedford -- there are still others...

Again, it has been a couple of years since we were there, and I think that it actually moved to another building that is in a nicer spot according to what it says on the home page (now surrounded by new condos - check out http://www.newbedfordantiquescenter.com/.

Here is another shop that looks good too - http://www.newbedfordantiquesatthecove.com/.
I don't remember if we went there or not (I think I recall something like we were in the other place too long, and then when we got to this one, it was closed for the day). But from the web-site, it looks like a pretty awesome place as well.

Two huge antique stores make New Bedford a perfect fall weekend destination. Not to mention, there are so many other quaint places to stop along the way. If you live in New Haven, you could pass through Mystic and Newport or Providence depending which way you go - I'd recommend going over the Claiborne Pell Bridge in the daylight to see the beautiful view, and then Providence on the way back for a slice of cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory (I know it's a chain, but the cheesecake -- come on!) From the north/Boston area, Plymouth is a nice stop for history buffs and of course there is an unending supply of lobsta and chowda! Now I'm hungry!!

Have a great week!   

Clinton CT

For my first blog post to help those new to antiques figure out where to start, I’m going to share one of my favorite places! Clinton Antique Center in Clinton, CT on Boston Post Road. When you first drive up, you will always see unique items displayed outside. They have a large parking lot attached so parking is never an issue, which is a huge plus!! (I don’t like having to pay for parking when I don’t even know if I am going to find something in a store). Be warned though, for a newbie it could be a little overwhelming. Wooden furniture is stacked on top of each other right inside the door. It is a packed warehouse-type setting with individual booths. The booths range from porcelain dolls to records to kitchenware to tin cans, and everything in between. There are little things, and then there are bigger things. You really have to look from top to bottom if you want to ensure you don’t miss something awesome, and you may need to dig through a box or move something out of the way so that you can see it all. But to me that is the best part! While I might not buy everything I find, I love seeing the history. Some people might call it junk, but there is definitely a sense of preservation at this shop. In a way, it is a museum.

So if you are willing to give this kind of treasure hunting a try, here are a couple of small inexpensive ($3-$10) items to look for…

Flower frogs and cheese graters – yes, flower frogs and cheese graters. A flower frog is a glass device (sometimes made of bronze, lead or pottery as well) that holds the stems of flowers at the bottom of a vase in order for the flowers to stay in a certain arrangement. Cheese graters are exactly what you think they are. You can get just one or you could get a couple to use in a group/collection setting. See the attached pictures for how I use my flower frogs and cheese graters. Or you could actually use them for their original purposes!!

To find out the exact location and store hours: http://clinton.patch.com/listings/clinton-antique-center, or find them on Facebook!

My flower frogs - two are from Clinton Antique Center

I use my flower frogs to hold pens and markers!

I display my collection of cheese graters in the kitchen; two are from the Clinton Antique Center.

The top one has a candle inside of it, which helps to make a warm glow!