A TRIP TO THE BOONIES........

TO JOSIES ANTQUE'S . JOSIE'S IS LOCATED OFF OF RT 38 JUST EAST OF DEKALB, IL. AFTER DRIVING DOWN A TREE LINED COUNTRY LANE, A COLLECTION OF OLD BARNS AND BUILDINGS YIELD TREASURES GALORE! ANYTHING YOU MIGHT BE WANTING IS AT JOSIE'S AT GREAT PRICES! SHE REALLY KNOWS HER STUFF! THIS CERTAINLY IS NOT A PLACE TO GO IF YOU ARE IN A HURRY AS THERE ARE FIVE BUILDING CHOCK FULL OF GOODIES! IT WAS COLD AND RAINY THE DAY I WENT THERE, BUT I KNEW THE WOOD BURNING STOVES WOULD BE THERE TO DIMINISH THE CHILL AND THERE WOULD BE FRESH, HOME BAKED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES AVAILABLE SHOULD ONE NEED TO KEEP ONE'S ENERGY LEVELS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE! YUM!

A GREAT COLLECTION OF IRONSTONE.

SHABBY, SHABBY!

A GREAT USE FOR AN OLD OUT HOUSE!

IN JOSIE'S TRANQUILITY ROOM.

GOAT'S MILK SOAP, LOVE THIS IDEA!

SORRY, SAME OUTHOUSE.

EARL........................













...............................AND THE GIRLS!

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT YOU CAN'T FIND SOMETHING YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE, YOU CAN ALWAYS PURCHASE FREE RANGE EGGS FROM THESE LOVELY LADIES!
JOSIE ALSO HAS A LARGE SELECTION OF SILK AND DRIED ARRANGEMENTS THAT SHE CREATES AS WELL AS HERBAL SOAPS, SACHETS, AND OILS.

FROM MY SCRAP BAG...TADA!!!!

I SAVE SCRAPS! ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE VINTAGE OR AGED AND ARE NATURAL FIBERS. I LOVE OLD TEXTILES AND CAN'T SEEM TO PART WITH THE LEAST LITTLE BITS. I HAVE BAGS AND BAGS OF BITS AND PIECES OF OLD LACE AND FABRIC AND SOMETIMES I JUST TAKE THEM OUT TO LOOK AT THEM FOR INSPIRATION. YESTERDAY WAS A STAY-AT-HOME DAY FOR ME, SO I LOOKED THROUGH ONE OF THESE BAGS AND PUT TOGETHER THESE BIRD CANVASES FOR MY SHOP. THEY ARE VERY PRIMITIVE LOOKING BUT THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS LOOK IS THAT NO TALENT IS NEEDED! IT'S JUST GOOD FUN! (P.S. I DID LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS BECAUSE IT WAS A SPECIAL TRASH PICK-UP WEEK AND I WAS EAGER TO SCAVENGE! GOT SOME GREAT STUFF WHICH I WILL SHOW ON ANOTHER BLOG. I FELT IT WAS MY DUTY TO HELP KEEP THINGS OUT OF THE LANDFILL AND I FEEL I DID MY GOOD DEED!) SORRY THE PICS ARE ON THE DARK SIDE. I WAS TOO LAZY TO EDIT!

A VERY SPECIAL DAY

YESTERDAY, MY FRIEND JANICE AND I HEADED OUT TO RIDGEFIELD, IL. TO VISIT OUR FRIEND AND FELLOW DEALER, LISA. SHE HAS JUST OPENED THE MOST AMAZING SHOP IN THIS CUTE, LITTLE ANTIQUE VILLAGE! OUR MAIN MISSION WAS TO VISIT LISA'S NEW SHOP BECAUSE SHE DOES THE MOST AWESOME DISPLAYS WITH HER EQUALLY AWESOME MERCHANDISE! NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED! JANICE AND I THEN SPENT THE DAY "TIQUEN", (WITH A FEW STOPS FOR REFRESHMENTS TO KEEP OUR ENERGY LEVEL UP WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE OF COURSE! ) WE ENDED UP IN WOODSTOCK, WHERE WE SHOPPED FOR HOURS AT COLONIAL ANTIQUE MALL. MANY DOLLARS LATER, WE ENDED OUR TOTALLY FUN DAY AT A DIVINE LITTLE RESTAURANT IN THE TOWN SQUARE. THANKS, JANICE FOR A GREAT DAY! NOW, FEAST YOUR EYES ON LISA'S TALENTS! OOH LA LA!

HEY, CHECK IT OUT!

THIS IS ONE CHEEKY BABE WHO JUST DID A TOUR OF THE ART INSTITUTE IN CHICAGO. WAY TO GO, ALICE! WE ALWAYS KNEW YOU WOULD BE A HEAD TURNER! NOW, SMILE FOR THE CAMERA! (P.S. PHOTOS COMPLIMENTS OF ROBIN WALSBERG GRANDE)

I'M NEVER SATISFIED........

.............. WITH THE WAY I DISPLAY MY EARRINGS IN THE SHOP. IT SEEMS THAT EVERY WEEK I'M MOVING THEM OR HANGING THEM ON NAKED LAMP SHADES OR SOMETHING! A FRIEND GAVE ME THIS OLD SOMETHING HANGER THINGY, SO I THOUGHT I'D TRY TO USE IT. I MADE COPIES OF SOME GREAT OLD PAINTING PHOTOS, AND DECIDED TO DISPLAY MY EARRINGS ON THESE CARDS AND HANG THEM FROM THIS THINGY DINGY! IF PEOPLE DON'T NOTICE THIS DISPLAY, I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO GIVE THE EARRINGS AWAY! THAT WILL TELL ME THAT IT'S NOT THE DISPLAY, IT'S THE PRODUCT! OOPS! PEEK-A-BOO!

IN THIS PIC, THE EARRINGS ARE PLACED JUST RIGHT!

RALPH LAUREN, EAT YOUR HEART OUT........

I LOVE OLD BOOKS! TODAY I DECIDED TO PUT ALL THE GRUNGIEST ONES TOGETHER ON THE SHOP'S MANTEL SO THAT THEY COULD MAKE A STATEMENT. THEY ARE STAINED, TORN, WORN ,HAVE LOTS OF FOXING AND ARE BEAUTIFUL! THE ONE STANDING UP IS A GIANT DICTIONARY, VERY, VERY OLD WITH AN ABUSED LEATHER COVER. TWO OF THE STACKED ONES ALSO HAVE LEATHER COVERS AND THE BOTTOM ONE HAS NO COVER AT ALL. LOVE IT, LOVE IT!

BELOW IS A PIECE OF OLD WOOD TRIM THAT I TURNED INTO A MINI PHOTO FRAME TO PROP UP NEXT TO THE BIG OL ' DICTIONARY.

BIRD NEST NECKLACES

RECENTLY I SAW INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING BIRD NEST JEWELRY USING WIRE AND BEADS. CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE, BUT I REMEMBERED HOW. AFTER MAKING A FEW PIECES, (AFTER ALL, IT IS SPRING AND THE BIRDS ARE MAKING THEM!), I GOT THE IDEA THAT MAYBE THEY WOULD LOOK A LITTLE ARTSIER IF I ADDED A LITTLE SOLDER HERE AND THERE. I LIKE THE LOOK. I FEEL IT IS A NICE VARIATION AS IT MAKES ME FEEL LESS LIKE I'M COPYING SOMEONE ELSE. (DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT SOME OF THE PICS ARE A LITTLE BLURRY. AN UNSTEADY HAND, PERHAPS!)

IT'S A GOOD THING........

I LOVE THIS STUFF! I FIRST TRIED THIS IN ENGLAND ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO AND WAS HOOKED! I BROUGHT SEVERAL BOXES HOME WITH ME AND I WAS VERY STINGY ABOUT SHARING MY STASH. NOW IT IS AVAILABLE HERE IN BIG SUPERMARKETS AND MOST HEALTH FOOD STORES. THIS MAKES ME HAPPY! NOT ONLY DO I THINK IT TASTES GREAT, IT ALSO ENCOURAGES PERFECT OPERATION. I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. YUM!!!!!