Bits & Pieces

 MIA.....missing in action! So much has happened in the last few months that I will just touch on a few things! The above picture was taken at our local grocery store during the few days around Mother's Day. Here in deep South Texas Mother's Day is taken seriously!! Check out the explosion of colors on these cakes. I had gotten in line to pay for some groceries and I was right next to this display. Yes, it was a Kodak moment! Click on the pics for up close and personal! :)

 This picture is of some darling little showcases I found. No this wasn't a flea market, antique shop, thrift store or any other of my usual "junking" haunts......this was at a "Marshall's"! I could not believe my luck! The wooden one is aged to perfection and really does look to be very old. The other one is a tin and glass creation with the lid slanted a bit....very similar to an antique one we had used in our antique shop for years....Mom has that one! I have had these a couple of months now so don't go running to Marshall's, sorry, but I just had to share!

 This is just because I love pink......and mercury glass......and old millinery velvet leaves.......and MacKenzie-Childs pottery......and that great antique pink satin glass lady flower frog.......well, the lady flower frog is my daughter's but I am "storing" it for her till she is ready to take it! That MacKenzie-Childs very large platter was a gift from my kids and husband several years ago and is one of my favorite pieces. I don't think this pattern was made very long as you sure don't see it much! The old vintage jar with a metal lid holds a large ball strand of pink mercury glass beads that are new but I am an equal opportunity mercury glass buyer. And besides, hello, they are pink! By the way I LOVE old glass jars, too, but that will have to be another post! :)

Now the first photo is of what used to be my daughter's room. She grew up on me, darn her, went off to Texas A&M and is now married to her sweetie, lives in California and is an elementary teacher! Soooo her room got transformed into my craft, eBay, Etsy, antique mall preparing room! Whoosh! It does NOT look like this picture anymore as it is somewhat filled up, and a bit messy at the moment, but I will post pictures soon of it's "loveliness"! I am in love with the great black and white floor and I have even more shelving now than what is here. Don't hate me!
The bottom photo is of some items I have listed on eBay right now, lynnesfinds is my seller name, that are from an estate sale I am currently working on. These pieces are sterling and very nice to say the least!!!! Please check them out if they interest you, they are beautiful pieces! So that is a little of what I am, and have been, up to lately. I will try my best to not take so long to update and my finished room pics will be coming soon! Have a great week!

Christmas time!

 Here is our Christmas tree for this year. Actually it probably looks like this every year. We are very traditional and buy the same type of fresh tree every year and use the same ornaments, though adding a few, each year. Remember to click on each picture for a better look!

 Frazier firs are wonderful to decorate. They are not too full with lots of branches and nooks and crannies to put my ornaments. I particularly like old, vintage, antique glass ornaments with some newer ones scattered about.

 I am especially fond of mercury glass ornaments in the shapes of fruits and veggies. Some appear to be sliced open and others are the whole piece. I also LOVE antique mercury glass beaded garlands. The finishing touch on our tree is when I am completely done putting on the ornaments I apply the garlands like icing, draping each garland in swags across the tree. Please note the large bead garland, my favorite, and very hard to find in this size.

 I also love pink and this box of pink goodness I found recently at a local thrift shop for 69 cents!

 Here is a display of vintage and antique Christmas themed china pieces that I got from my Mom. Please notice underneath it all is an assortment of holly and poinsettia silk embroidered antique linens. Both of these collections took years to find.

 I have it displayed on an antique cupboard in my entry. The floor lamps on each side are vintage Mexico which were the standard black color and now creamy white. Hanging above are 2 vintage holiday themed brass wreaths and an antique architectural piece decorated in what appears to be a lyre covered in roses....awesome.

 This picture does not do the rose covered piece justice as it is just gorgeous in person. I hate to admit this but I have probably owned this piece, bought at an estate sale, for maybe 20 years and only recently got it out from under our bed and hung it up.

 I think domes are it! This antique one I bought at a customer's garage sale a few years ago for $35.00 and I like to leave it out year round. On eBay they are several hundred dollars so I am very careful with it. I treasure antique marble lamps and probably have 7 in several sizes scattered about my house.

 More vintage pink ornaments overflowing out of an antique pressed glass punch bowl. Another collection is old silver and these victorian silver plated pieces are some of my favorites. The spool cabinet  that all this is sitting on is a family piece. Many years ago a relative let us go thru his mother's house to see if we wanted anything. It was in horrible shape and was going to be razed. My mom spotted this cabinet but it had no drawers. Once she started poking around she found all the drawers scattered about the garage, yard and elsewhere. She had it refinished and displayed in her home. It is now used as an end table in my living room.

 We bought about 8 pink trees in two sizes at a local shop probably 8 or 9 years ago and we would use them at Christmas in our antiques shop. Everybody wanted to buy them but we enjoyed them so and couldn't part with them. Now that the shop is closed they are used in my home and my parents. I have a nice collection of vintage pink ornaments that just look wonderful on this tree. Check out the antique angel hair decorated angel tree topper.

And if you have followed my blog you know that I also collect MacKenzie-Childs pottery. These canisters are the originals from the 1980's. I decorate with alot of my pieces and also use them for dinnerware. My husband likes it too so he has spoiled me plenty with some of my bigger pieces. This setting is in my dining room on a small buffet...more antique mercury glass beaded garlands in old glass jars, vintage Christmas trees and reindeer and another holiday themed brass wreath above.
  I hope you have enjoyed seeing my version of Christmas decor! Merry Christmas everybody and have a blessed New Year!

Some more pretties!

 I decided to show a few more of my "things"! Enameled pink bristol glass vases, shabby barbola mirror, sterling silver boxes. The green globe is a vintage mercury glass gazing globe. You used to see them in folk's yards on pottery stands long ago. This one is very unusual in that it sat in a birdbath for the birds to see themselves while splashing or drinking. The little shoes were my play dress up shoes as a child.                                                           

 Tole tray, assorted sweet porcelains, venetian standing mirror and a mackenzie-childs shards covered pot.     
 Sabino glass pieces, tiny chair with a tiny mug, pink & white swirled venetian dish, standing black eastlake framed mirror, bisque nude flower frog, sterling topped shakers and sterling overlay pink vase. I found the awesome cherub covered frame at an estate sale years ago, gave it to Mom and now she has let me have it back. I LOVE it.

Top photo: Mercury glass vase on a small checked chest, old paris vase (a favorite find), Pink & black bowl, german elfinware baskets atop a vintage mexico box, assorted antique jewelry and boxes and a collection of small cut glass vases on another plateau mirror. Bottom photo: Love my mercury glass, black and white enameling on a pink vase, lalique lady figurine, more boxes on a tiny plateau mirror and a small rose painting.
  I hope ypu enjoyed looking!!!!