71 Keys and More...

While browsing through all the goodies to be found

 at Taken For Granite in Stony Creek, 

I kept picking up old skeleton keys...a few in a dish here...

...one placed just so in a basket there...

....until I spied The Mother Lode.

Paula....I whispered....LOOK!

Oh my...Oh me...Oh my.

71 old skeleton keys

How much are they? 

 How much for ALL of them?

We conferred....we negotiated....we conquered...

...then divided!

Here they are spread out on Paula's coffee table.

We were going to split them.

She gets half...I get half.

Now, how do we do this?

Paula poured two glasses of wine.

She sat down on one side of the table and picked her first key. 

I picked mine.

And so it went....

...until we each had 35 keys in our own little pile.

Paula's pile.

My pile.

And...one left over...

...a blank skeleton key.

Who gets that one?

wait and see...

This fabulous iron topiary was one of a pair that we found at Gather,

 Deanna's shop in Ivoryton.

(Pictures from this delightful shop to follow soon).

Paula purchased this one.

...and promptly proceeded to decorate it with her portion

 of the skeleton keys, some ivy and a burlap bird.

 (the little bird is from Ballards, a gift from Evi.)

That was fun.

We also came home from Taken For Granite

 with some of those vintage clock faces.

Here are the two that I chose.

What did we do with the 71st key?

Well, we were invited to dinner

 at Deanna's gorgeous Victorian home...

...and Paula tied it to the bottle of wine we brought!

Photos of Deanna's home and her wonderful shop Gather

 to follow soon. Additionally, more pics of Paula's creative vignettes and her home.

Tomorrow Dad and I start our road trip north

 so I probably won't get to post for a few days.

Stay tuned!

...and have a wonderful weekend!

:)

Flea Market Tidbits

Showing just a few tidbits...

some of the tiny, little things I picked up at the Webster Flea.

I loved this itsy, bitsy gold metal locket...

...and was thrilled to find the tiny photographs still inside.

An old tin...

...some brass skeleton keys

  

 

This little round shaped piece of hardware reminds me of a crown.

My Renninger clock face fits perfectly inside.

Perhaps it was a lamp part?

In August...while at the Madison Bouckville show in New York,

 I found the "crown" below.

More photos of found bits and pieces at Webster

 and local thrift stores to follow soon.

I am much pickier in my purchases these days...

I have to fall totally in love with something

 or get it for a steal before it gets to come home with me.

Frankly, my years of collecting have caught up with me

and taken over.

I have way too many antiques and loads of vintage stuff...

wonderful. old. things.

It is well past time to pass things along to someone else!

But...it's hard to let go.

Even though...I know it's just stuff.

I'm trying...really I am.

I think I have BHD

Borderline Hoarding Disorder

(I just made that term up...but it fits!)

Something I will never give up as long as I am able bodied...

is the hunt...the quest for the unusual...the beautiful

...and the love of being outside in the early morning

 searching for that unnamed item that will start

 my heart a-pounding!

I'll never stop looking!

:)

...and hopefully one day soon I will stay put long enough

 to open up my Etsy shop.

 After all, if something sells...I have to be home to ship it out!

Enjoy the weekend friends!

:)

The Key To Self Control

The key to self control...


Do you know what it is?

Because I sure don't.

:)

Fleamarket Finds

Would you like to peek inside my window and see what treasures I found while at the flea market and antiquing this weekend?



Well, come on in!
I actually found the window!



I first saw the other side, the pretty blue green side of this pair of windowpanes leaning against the wall.

I walked over to examine them closer and that is when I saw the shabby pink paint on the backside or inside of the frames...








Sigh...love at first sight!



Next, I found this wonderful old chicken crate.
I have a few ideas for this...what would you do with it?



Isn't this a great tote with the old swing iron handle?

It looks good this way...



...or this way!



...a small child's Hoosier type cabinet...
...missing one door but with a shelf that pulls out...
...and a little oak dresser with wonderful pull knobs...



...a mother of pearl manicure set in a velvet box and a darling white on white handkerchief with birds...



...a few advertising pieces...



...some more skeleton keys...



...a few old games...



...a St. Bernard puppy postcard in a little old frame...



...an old chocolate mold ...
...sardines?



...various and sundry kitchen items...





...old heavy metal jello molds (not aluminum) ...
...love the pewter look to them...
...a pretty blue enamel pie plate from Austria...



...a child's set of miniature bowling pins with two red wooden balls.



...two old pillow cases that were not in good shape but had an edging of wonderful crochet work in the shape of bells.



...a pretty lace hankie and an interesting, old, silver colored, metal medallion and chain.

That's all I have time for tonight!
More to come this week...
Still hoping to get to Madison Bouckville at least one day!

The weather for the week is supposed to be perfect....
high of 78 degrees and low of 48 degrees...
... and that's why I need a sweatshirt for the early morning!
By 10 am I will be in a T shirt!
I just love this mountain air!
:)