Coffee Planning Session

If you have been following along the last few months...
you might remember that I was planning to team up with
The Brocantess and hold a local sale...

...sort of a French Brocante Meets

American Fleamarket type affair...

...well life got in the way...

...The Brocantess went to France...
...met a handsome French man and stayed longer than expected...

...and then my Mom became ill...



Yesterday...

...we finally met for coffee and...

...after a few hours of coffee, scones, a wee bit of thrifting and a lot of conversation...

...we are making plans again...

...stay tuned!

There is still lots of time to enter the 52 FLEA 500th Post Give Back.....

I will pick a winner on August 1st!

Hope you are having a good weekend!
Flea market tomorrow!!!
:)

500 POSTS GIVE-BACK !

Yes, it is true.
I have just about reached 500 posts.
Who knew that I would have that much to ramble on about?
Who knew that I would have that many things to show you?



Mr. Flea knew.
Starla knew.



Well, now it's time to Give Back to all of you who have been so gracious, generous and kind...
Thank you for welcoming me into this community with open arms...
Thank you for allowing me to express myself and for all your encouragement.



Thank you for your inspiration, your creative ideas, your beautiful blogs, your kind comments and your support.



This 500th Post Give-Back is going to be your choice...
You choose...
...because we are all different...



The winner will receive a $52 gift certificate to the online store of their choice...
...It can be any online store....any Etsy shop...

I have my favorites...
...and you have yours!

You choose!



OR....

The winner can have me choose 52 things from my stash of vintage treasures...

...a mix of buttons, vintage trims, clock faces, ephemera, millinery flowers, art papers, religious metals, old keys...etc., etc.

If the winner picks this option, I will select vintage items from my many collections to reflect the winner's tastes and wishes!



I wanted to make this Give-Back very special...
...from my heart...
...and my home...
to you...



...and I wanted to make it personal...
because...

...YOU are important to me...



This 500th Post Give-Back is open to every one...
...it doesn't matter where you live in this beautiful world...

You do not have to be a follower of 52 FLEA ...
You do not have to have your own blog...



...but I am grateful to those who follow along.
It makes me feel pretty good to know you want to come back and visit again...so thank you!

...and I am thankful to those who take the time to leave a comment.
Your kind words make my day!



To have one chance to win....simply leave a comment on this post.

To have two chances to win....tell me if you are a follower.

To have three chances to win...
...please spread the word by posting about this give-back or listing it on your sidebar....
...and then let me know you did.

On August 1st one winner will be randomly selected ...

... the winner may choose either

the gift certificate
OR
the surprise package !

Good Luck friends!

Again....a sincere thank you!

Raggedy Ann and Andy

Among my mother in law's saved treasures are these two Raggedy Ann books...
...she loves these two delightful books from her childhood.



I love Johnny Gruelle's wonderful and now classic illustrations.



Just look at the vibrancy of the colors in this old book...
...not to mention the whimsical characters...





This looks like Mr. Flea and me!






Such warm and happy stories...



I arrived home late this afternoon!
This looks like Mr. Flea and me too! :)

I had a much loved Raggedy Ann doll when I was little.
Did you?

Still trying to decide what the best thing to do for my 500th Post Give-Back....
...and still open to your suggestions!
Details by the end of the week!

:)

Hats Off To You!

Still on the road...
...thought you might enjoy these few pics of vintage hats found in a wonderful antique shop housed in a big old barn up at the lake...



For those of you who love vintage millinery flowers...
...who me?



This is the place to be!!!

Be back soon with stories to tell and time to visit!

Until then, take care!

P. S. : As I am quickly approaching my 500th post...(I know....it's unbelievable)
....I have been thinking about my next Give-Back...

Help me out here...
I really want to give back to you...to all my friends who have been so generous with your encouragement, kind comments and support and to those of you who follow along and to those who stop in just to read my ramblings or look at my pictures...
I want to express my sincere gratitude and thanks in the form of a Give Back...

But, what to do?
What would you like to see in the way of a Give Back this time?

I could pull from my stash of treasures....shop just for you at Madison Bouckville...
...or perhaps...
I was thinking of a gift certificate to an online shop...

What do you think?
What would you like to see for this special 500th Post Give Back?

Which shoppes are some of your favorite online stores?

I'm listening!
:)
:)

Missing Mr. Flea

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow...



Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder...



I am a firm believer of short good byes...
...and long hellos...

Looking forward to saying hello and seeing Mr. Flea again in a few more days!

All the old shaving brushes and straight razors are part of a collection housed up at the lake house....
...we have to have a few manly things amidst all the feminine and girly stuff!
:)

Summer Jewelry

I love this lariat necklace for its cool summery colors and silver beads...



I've been wearing it a lot this summer...



The aquas and turquoise just say ocean and beach!

What jewels are you wearing this summer?

I received an email yesterday from a lovely girl named Gail who is new to blogging and intends to share her adventures as she is an innkeeper of a bed and breakfast.

I always thought it would be fun to run a bed and breakfast...
...I guess many of us have fantasized about that....
I could decorate all the rooms with my thrifty finds and many collections....
...I could make blueberry pancakes...
...Mr. Flea could entertain with singalongs and his guitar.

I would have to get my sister MaryBeth to keep everything clean as a whistle though...
and probably sister Lynn to keep me organized...
...but...
... it is so much fun to dream, isn't it?

I am sure Gail would appreciate a warm welcome....
...if you have time pop over and say hello!

Adventures In Innkeeping

Have a great night!
:)

Pink Hollyhocks and Other Old Fashioned Things

While I'm here at my parents home packing up some of my mothers things to drive north...I have been poking around and thought I would share a few pretty and well loved family antiques...

I have always loved this pretty hand painted sugar bowl that I first remember seeing in my Grandmother's china cupboard...She acquired it from her sisters in law...my three great aunts...Nani, Fifi and Mimi. They volunteered at a thrift store in White Plains, outside of New York City back in the 1940's and 50's and brought home many treasures back then that eventually became some of my grandmother's most prized possessions.



This mother of pearl and tortoise calling card case belonged to my great grandfather...
William B. Huff ...



The calligraphy was his own...



The base of this old kerosene lamp was in the farmhouse when my grandparents moved in as a young couple in 1924. The brass was refinished in the 60's and the globe was replaced.



And isn't this the sweetest little mustard pot with blue forget me nots?
Oh, how I remember loving to use this tiny porcelain pot as my Nana always set a pretty table.



This old wooden box was handmade by my Grandfather in 1910 when he was in high school in Brooklyn, NY. He hand carved the decoration on top and today, one hundred years later, it sits proudly on my Dad's dresser.
I just love that!



This metal pin was in my Mom's jewelry box...tiny pearls are wired on it.
I don't know where it came from and don't think it is particularly precious but...
... I like it.



And here are the pretty pink Hollyhocks as promised.
They were on the side of an old barn in the Adirondacks last week and I stopped to snap a picture or two.



My grandmothers both grew hollyhocks in their gardens...



So pretty! So old fashioned!

Still traveling ...
I have scheduled to link up to Pink Saturday this week...
To see more pink pretties visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound!

Have a wonderful weekend!
:)