I'M SO EXCITED.....

I'VE BEEN MAKING TRAVEL PLANS FOR MY YEARLY HOLIDAY TO ENGLAND AND IT NEVER FAILS TO EXCITE ME! I GO SOLO, AND STAY FOR ABOUT 5 WEEKS. I RENT A LOVELY, SELF-CATERING COTTAGE IN A RURAL AREA OF SHROPSHIRE. THE COTTGE IS ATTACHED TO AN OLD FARMHOUSE AND THEY ARE BOTH ABOUT 300 YRS. OLD. I USUALLY LEAVE CHICAGO THE END OF MAY AND RETURN HOME THE FIRST OF JULY. I FLY INTO MANCHESTER AIRPORT, PICK UP MY RENTAL CAR, AND DRIVE 2 HOURS TO MY COTTAGE. THE FIRST PHOTO IS OF THE LANE THAT TAKES ME TO THE COTTAGE AND THE OTHER PHOTOS ARE OF A FEW OF THE SITES ALONG THE WAY. WHAT DO I DO THERE, YOU MIGHT WONDER? I SHOP, SHOP, SHOP: THE FLEAS, THE CAR BOOTS, THE ANTIQUE SHOPS. I VISIT MY FAVORITE VILLAGES AND FIND NEW ONES TO ADD TO MY LIST. I VISIT AND HAVE "TEA" WITH FRIENDS I HAVE MADE ALONG THE WAY. I HITCH RIDES INTO LONDON WITH THE FABULOUS ANTIQUE DEALER ROSIE WHO SELLS AT THE KENSINGTON RACE TRACK FLEA. I HIKE AND SNUFFLE OUT NEW AREAS TO HIKE. I TAKE DAY TRIPS TO OTHER COUNTIES AND EXPERIENCE WONDERFUL LUNCHES AT FABULOUS TEA SHOPS. LOTS TO DO AND NOT ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT! AND THE GARDENS! EVEN THE HUMBLE VILLAGES HAVE WONDERFUL GARDENS AND HANGING BASKETS OVERFLOWING WITH FLOWERS! I GO FOSSIL HUNTING, BIRDWATCHING, AND, DID I MENTION SHOPPING? SOMETIMES FRIENDS IN THE U.S.A. WILL COME TO VISIT FOR A WEEK OR SO. BEST OF ALL, I DO THIS ALONE. NO CELL PHONES, AND NO COMPUTOR. I TALK TO MY FAMILY ONCE A WEEK TO TOUCH BASES AND CATCH UP. THIS HAS COME TO BE A VITAL WAY OF SELF THERAPY AND I REALIZE THAT I AM VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. IN ANOTHER POST, I WILL SHOW MORE PIC OF THE COTTAGE. CARE TO JOIN ME?

WIRE WORKS

FOR YEARS I'VE HAD THIS BOX OF THREAD COVERED WIRE, OF VARIOUS GAUGES AND COLORS , THAT WERE USED FOR MILLINERY FOUNDATIONS. WHEN I SAW THIS BOX AT A FLEA, I JUST LOVED THE VINTAGE LOOK OF THIS COVERED WIRE AND HAD TO HAVE IT. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO WITH IT, BUT FROM TIME TO TIME I WOULD TAKE THE BOX OUT AND LOOK THROUGH IT HOPING TO BE INSPIRED. WITH SPRING COMING AND BIRDS RETURNING FROM THEIR WINTER VACATIONS, MY THOUGHTS TURNED TO BIRD CAGES, FRENCH LOOKING BIRD CAGES TO BE EXACT. THE SILK THREAD COVERED WIRE WAS PERFECT FOR THE SIMPLE SHABBY, CAGES I HAD IN MY HEAD. I'VE SOLD A FEW OF THEM IN MY SHOP BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE SOME PICS, SO I MADE A FEW MORE. I LOVE THE WAY THEY TURNED OUT......... AND MY FRENCH BIRDS ARE ENJOYING THEIR NEW HOME!

FUN AT THE GRAYS LAKE FLEA

AT THE LAST MINUTE, MY FRIEND JANICE AND I DECIDED TO "DO" THE GRAYS LAKE ANTIQUE AND FLEA MARKET. THIS IS JANICE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY NOT WANTING HER PIC TAKEN AND ALSO JANICE AT THE END OF THE DAY NOT WANTING HER PIC TAKEN! I THINK YOU CAN STILL SEE HOW CUTE SHE IS! THEN SOME PICS OF OUR BOOTH AND SOME HAPPENINGS AROUND US. A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!

SOME BOOTH PICS!

SOME KOOL CUSTOMERS

MEET DIANE. A TALENTED FLORAL DESIGNER WHO ALWAYS HAS A GORGEOUS BOOTH.

THIS IS A FUN LOVING JUDY. I THINK SHE JUST ADDED UP THE FRUITS OF HER LABOR. GOOD GOING JUDY! SHE WAS WITH HER MOTHER MARGARET, AKA "MA". DON'T LET THAT SWEET SMILE OF MA'S FOOL YA! SHE DRIVES A HARD BARGIN!

THIS IS JOE OF R.R. I DIDN'T GET A PIC OF HIS PARTNER SANDY . NEXT TIME SANDY!

SOME SHOP PICTURES

JUST SOME PHOTOS OF MY SHOP

HAND MADE VALENTINES

SOFT PINK CASHMERE HEART PILLOWS WITH POCKETS FOR A NOTE, CARD OR VALENTINE. THEY WOULD BE PRETTY HANDY FOR THE "TOOTH FAIRY" ALSO.

PHOTO COPIES OF OLD VALENTINES WERE APPLIED TO A WREATH BASE WITH OLD LACE PIECES AND BOWS TUCKED HERE AND THERE. THIS IS MY VERSION OF SOME SIMILAR WREATHS THAT WERE IN MY SHOP LAST YEAR. THIS IDEA WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF THE TALENTED FLORAL DESIGNER, DIANE P.

THESE SWEET STAND UP VALENTINES WERE MADE WITH EPHEMERA ,OLD PAPERS, BOOK PAGES AND GLITTER. THEY ARE THE DESIGNS OF BONNIE S. AND THEY ARE FOR SALE IN MY SHOP IN ST. CHARLES. I JUST LOVE THEM AS THEY ARE CLEVER AND DIFFERENT.

ANOTHER DRESS FORM

THIS DRESS FORM HAS A BEADED WIRE BODICE AND WAS IN SEVERAL PIECES WHEN I GOT HER. THE FIRST THING I HAD TO DO WAS RIG UP A BASE, SOOO, I RIFFLED THROUGH MY BOXES OF JUNK AND FOUND WHAT I THINK IS EITHER A LAMP PART OR HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH DOORKNOBS. WHATEVER, IT WORKED! I THEN SOLDERED PART A TO PART B, SCREWED PART B INTO THE BODICE AND THEN IT WAS GOOD TO GO.

THEN IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF CHOOSING WHAT FABRIC, RIBBON AND EMBELLISHMENTS I HAVE A HARD TIME PARTING WITH, THEN PARTING WITH THEM; A VINTAGE SCRAP OF MERLO COLORED VELVET, A BIT OF RIBBON FOR THE WAIST, SEVERAL STRANDS OF VICTORIAN JET BEADS, A RHINESTONE BIT, AND AN OLD CHAIN WITH CRYSTAL DANGLES FOR THE BODICE. SINCE THE SKIRT HAD A PIECE CUT OFF OF IT A ONE TIME, AND WAS VERY UNEVEN, I USED A PIECE OF NETTING AND TINY SILK RIBBON ROSES TO COVER UP THAT PART. TO FINISH, I GATHERED AN OLD PIECE OF FRENCH RIBBON TO COMPLETE THE HEM. MIND YOU, THIS IS A VERY SHABBY LOOK AS I DO NOT GO TO GREAT EFFORT TO MAKE THINGS LOOK PRISTINE. THAT IS WHAT IS FUN ABOUT ALTERED ART.