Navigating Peaks and Valleys

We are entering the 5th month of living with the COVID over our heads and the days all seem to roll into one very long month.  We are slowly reopening in North Florida with social distancing protocols in place and mask wearing.  With many of the outside activities limited we have found that at the Lyon's Head Antique Mall a resurgence of customers both new and those who visit often.  We have become the new entertainment and with that increased sales.  People long for conversation and dealers love talking about the history of the items that we sell.   This makes me happy for our dealers and others in the business.  Our neighbor, Junk Co. echoes the same experience that sales are doing well.  In fact, when the stimulus checks were received, many were used in our shops.  This is what I had done with my stimulus check.  I really wanted to put it back into the economy and use it at small, local businesses so on a June visit to "The Junk Co.," I saw a magnificent Irish cupboard without the doors on it and stopped dead in my tracks.  This was everything I needed for my kitchen and would free up the limited counter space that I had.  But what would this beauty cost me and I'm afraid I thought it would be way out of my budget range.  When I saw the price tag my heart went pitter patter and it would also allow me to use most of my stimulus check on a purchase from a small business.  

So what I came home with is a stunning, wormy pine, Irish cupboard circa 1840s.  The original owner was from Ireland and she had it shipped from Ireland to the US in the 1970s.  It was hers until she passed earlier this year.  Sadly, no one in the immediate family wanted it so it was sold to a dealer who brought it into the antique store I purchased it at.

 I can't swoon enough over this beautiful piece with lots of cupboard space.  I was able to empty my limited counter space of the antique mason jars filled with flours, grains, pastas, rices, and cereals and store them within.  I have to say that every time I open the doors I think of the kitchen in the movie, Practical Magic.  Truly, there is magic within this cupboard.

This cupboard is a rich golden color and I adore all of the wormy trails in the wood.  Now I'm going through my many antique keys to see if any will lock the drawers and the doors.

My usual haunts (those that are still open) wrought treasure these last few weeks.

A charming, late 1800s schoolhouse teachers desk bell.  Oh, it has the most delightful sound to it.

A really festive, vintage Christmas apron.

A terrific, mid century, "modernistic" gold filled wire with blue, plastic emerald cut plackets is post WW2.  

Love it when I come across musical instruments and this Bundy coronet even had the mouth piece with it.

A lovely assortment of vintage floral hankies.

Who doesn't love these vintage wedding cake toppers?

The biggest master knife rest I have ever come across. It is a massive piece and would look marvelous on a holiday table.

A terrific find, EAPG commemorative for the Shriners 1905. This also has images of Niagara falls on two sides along the cup as this is where the convention was held.  The struggle here is do I keep it or do I sell it.

It's been years since I've come across at a1920s long cigarette holder like this.  Vegetable ivory with a scrimshaw geisha at the top.

 Separates for cleaning. This is a great piece and something that Velma Kelley or Roxie Hart would use.

 Mad love for this Arts and Crafts influence, hand hammered copper candelabra.  Circa 1910-20s. This was almost a keeper but I brought it into the shop as quick as I could.  I had found one of these years ago and a colleague grabbed it up for their home.  So glad to find another one.

I have a sweet spot for linens and this crocheted piece and battenburg piece are great finds.

I've been lucky with finding nice, early carnival glass this year and this bowl is rich with iridescent lustre.

Pair of hand painted miniatures on wooden boards.  Very 1960.

 Sterling silver handles on these cake/pie servers. One is marked Kiwanis Club.

A set of six, antique, Clarice Cliff, mulberry transferware bowls.  Staffordshire, England, Pattern: Charlotte.  Circa 1900-1910.

A gorgeous, late Victorian book chain necklace with garnets and a seed pearl.  These are called book chains as each link looks like a small book. 

I've brought in most of these items into my spaces at the Lyon's Head Antique Mall and am always thankful for everyone's patronage.  

I hope everyone continues to live safely and we all get though this so we can return to lives that are free from the limitations we now live with.  Blessings to you and those you love.  SeaWitch

It's June????

It's June.  It doesn't feel like the year is half over.  COVID19 took three months from us and I'm still in March mode, sigh.  North Florida is opening slowly and with success and I must share that May has been one of the best months for sales for me.  Not only at my spaces at the Lyon's Head Antique Mall but also my Girdle Gals etsy shop.  I am grateful for this and most appreciative of all those who have purchased my items.

I have been visiting my local haunts for treasure and it has been fruitful as I really didn't know what to expect with this crazy spring we have had.

A lovely mid century, Waterford Crystal ships decanter.  Acid etch gothic mark for Waterford on the side base.   There is something marvelous about how ship's captains ensured their best drink of choice was held in a highly stable, heavily weighted base.

Mint first day covers for Walt Disney and Disneyland from 1966.

A handsome, pale green St. Nick with mica flakes.

Antique, French Ray-O-Vac flashlight, circa early 1900s.

Lovely antique, carnival glass bowl, may be Fenton, have some homework to do.  Marigold color.

A small but stunning, American Brilliant cut glass bowl. This little guy is heavy and beautifully cut and throws lots of rainbows.

Nice vintage, clay poker chips in wooden caddy.  Has space for two decks of cards as well.  Circa 1940s, these clay chips have that great sound when tossed on each other in the betting pile.

Nice vintage sewing tin.  Great colors in a tole pattern.

These hand held mechanical beaters were found in nearly every kitchen at the turn of the century through the 1950s.  They work fantastic and are easy to handle.  Children love using them.

Granny, of the Beverly Hillbillies always had a jug handy that held her "rheumetis medicine."  This charming, early 1900s Western Monmouth "corn squeezin's" or syrup jug is a charmer.

A gorgeous footed bowl with art deco scrolled handles by Cambridge.  This pattern is called Portia and was first introduced in 1931 and retired in 1953 and is commonly known as one of the elegant depression glass pieces.

  A marvelous, late Victorian The Bible Story for children book.  

Finally, one of my favorite things, old photo albums and this late Victorian album is actually in better condition that when I often find them. The velvet on both sides is intact and only missing the metal clasp to close it.

 Best of all, it is filled with family cabinet cards and a pair of tin types.

As I look through this I see a family. I don't know of anyone who cannot relate.  I pray for peace, I pray for respect, I pray for loving our neighbor, I pray that we have all had "enough".  Enough of canceling each other, enough of siloing who we are, enough of distrust and anger.  Enough.  Let us all come together to "hear" what the other has to say and walk away with insight and peace and brotherhood.  I close in the way I have since I first began blogging years ago.  Blessings to you and those you love.  SeaWitch

Soft opening and new digs

Oh, how I missed my booth spaces and our customers these past 6 weeks but our governor has initiated the first phase to opening the economy with a soft open for retail stores.  So this Monday, we open our doors again. 

The one positive thing about the shutdown for me was that it allowed me to move from my original space into a new location in my happy place, the Lyon's Head Antique Mall.  We are open 7 days a week so moving or even updating your space can be difficult.  With the shutdown this was an opportunity to prep my new space and move everything over from my old into my new without having to move around customers.

My new space is about ten feet larger and what a difference these ten feet make.   I love a clean palette to begin with and a coat of Griege gray went up on the walls on Saturday.

Now the fun and the work begins.  

 

Moving all of the large furniture means emptying everything first so I filled the store shopping cart several times moving item after item after item.

Amazing how everything looks "new" when you change it up, rotate the stock and display differently from before.

Brought the antique jugs up front and center and they look so happy.

My mantle was the last big piece I moved and I changed it up completely with a religious display.  

Vintage Madonna's, candlestick crucifixes, antique religious prints.

Marvelous antique and vintage figures and mid century images. 

My display case looks great in the corner and has lots of natural light showing off the pieces.

 The open space is fantastic and the table I used to have placed against a wall in my old space now sits in the open space and I can display in a 360 degree layout which actually gives me more display room.

The large table holds so much more now that it is freestanding in the middle of the booth space.

This was a favorite piece of mine that I had in my home in Georgia and in my home in Florida.  It's now time for this sweet little rocker in that favored seafoam blue to find a new home to enjoy as I replaced it with this marvelous drop leaf end table.

 Head over teakettle in mad love with this 19th century piece, from the vibrant tiger maple to the pretty little Sheraton legs. This was a find from my favorite place to shop rusty, crusty, dusty...Junk Co., Port Richey, Florida.

Love that light coming through the front windows.  I got it all done today and now I'm really feeling my age, LOL.   Good and stiff from 5 hours of straight work today but it was worth it.  

As we all start slowly returning to life as we lived it, as always, I wish blessings to you and those you love, SeaWitch

Table or Booth?

Those three words I long to hear, "Table or Booth?"  So waiting for the seIf isolation restrictions to slowly lift.  Let me at least share that I am blessed and have it much easier than many others.  I already work remotely so this was not a transition for me.  In addition, I live in Florida where I have a small pool so I can spend time in an outdoor living space.  Between the pool and my spinning wheels and my antiquing, I've got plenty to keep me busy but I miss my social time at local restaurants.  You get to know the people who work there, the owners, the wait staff, the line cooks, etc.  You become part of a local, extended family and I miss this.  In addition, I miss the hunt.  The search for treasure where I can touch things, pick them up and hold them in my hands.  Like so many others, I haunt  the facebook business pages and purchase from the images and then make a trip to curbside pickup with local businesses.  Such a different world these days.

I was taking video of booth spaces in the Lyon's Head Antique Mall last Saturday and saw that our neighbor shop, Junk Co. was upcycling furniture pieces while a dealer was bringing in new items to their booth space.  I took a walk over after taking the video clips and was able to find a bit of treasure.  Have to say it was odd walking into both the Lyon's Head Antique Mall and Junk Co., which are large spaces, and other than the owners not a soul in sight.  My footsteps echoed throughout both shops.

The dealer was bringing in marvelous religious pieces and I was lucky to be the first to see what he brought into his space.  

A nice, 1930s print of St. Anthony of Padua in original frame.

A spectacular chalkware statue of St. Lazarus of Bethany.  Lazarus, found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 16:19-31), tells of the relationship in life and in death, between an unnamed rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus.

  Lazarus is often depicted as a starving beggar at the foot of the stairs leading up to a rich man's house, and who was covered in sores that even the dogs came to lick those sores.

  Lazarus was venerated as a patron saint of lepers and forms the basis of one of two missions of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem which is dedicated to aid to those suffering from the dreadful disease of leprosy and the defense of the Christian faith.

A magnificent vintage, bronze crucifix. Heavy, oak cross.  This is a large piece and most likely from a Catholic rectory or convent.

The bronze crucified Jesus is beautifully detailed.

The ever popular and always sought after vintage, Lefton turkey.  This one is a planter but I used these for serving bread sticks.

How cool is this 1940s Christmas bell wreath for the front door.  This is so nifty that I may keep it myself.

And finally, this charming child's toy sewing machine.  

So I will clean them and price them and get them ready to take into my space when we can reopen.  I hope that will be soon as I miss all of the dealers and shoppers and my spaces.  So I wish for all to remain healthy and this virus disappear so we can return to our jobs and our lives and the friendships we have made over the years.  Blessings to you and those you love.  SeaWitch