Little Shop of Arts and Antiques

A lovely weekend visiting my friend who paints, Becky, and the second weekend of her gallery opening in the Little Shop of Arts and Antiques in Lilburn, GA.  The brain child of Barbara Barth...author, artist, antique collector/seller, shop keeper, promoter, you name it, she runs this delightful little shop that is full of color, energy and has it all.  A cozy little place, it is filled to the brim with all treasures imaginable from original art by local artisans, hand crafted steam punk jewelry, antiques, and gift items.  Look above, look below, inside drawers and cabinets, there is treasure hidden everywhere.

Everywhere you turn there are tiny vignettes of style and design.

Clementine is dressed and moved from room to room at shop owner, Barbara's whim.  Today she was wearing an Edwardian waist shirt, sassy scarf and vintage hat.

Vintage time pieces...perfect for the time watch collector or your local white rabbit.

Robin's egg  blue eggs in silver have a rich, yet simplistic look to them.

Even a children's corner with antique desk, vintage rag dolls, and lots of  books for reading time.

Love this mannequin's look of vintage slips and pretty latigo and pressed leather, vintage purses.

A stack of original art is enticing.

Growing up as a Kosher-Catholic, I have a fondness for vintage Catholic items and you will find these throughout the shop. (I always marry up menorah's with creche's at Christmas)

Don't you just love this pretty pink washstand?  So many nifty things can be found here.  Will have to return often to say hello to new and old friends and to find a treasure or two.

Found some great items over the weekend.  I love 18th and 19th century pieces.  This pretty plum pudding stoneware piece dates from the 1840s.

Neat little Peter Rabbit book from the 1940s.

Pretty, little color plates inside too.

Nifty pair of vintage tap panties.  Original price tag still intact.

A second pair of vintage panties.  Original union label and tag still attached.  Circa 1960s.

A nice assortment of vintage lace hankerchiefs.  I convert these into christening caps.

I'm a sucker for old shoes.  This pretty pair of antique children's shoes have pearl buttons on the ankle strap.  Well worn, I wonder how many hours were spent jumping rope in these.  Circa 1900s.

Sorry about the blurred photograph.  I didn't realize that my flash was off and the room was dusky.  Still, this is a lovely print from a convent.  The Holy Mother with her Son, Jesus.  Original ornate frame, bubble glass and wood backing.  Circa late 1890s.

A pair of traveler's alarm clocks...all in perfect walking order and loud alarm still works.  Neat little oil can that has the original price tag from J. J. Newberry and a price of 15 cents. 

Pretty little antique marigold, carnival glass small bowl.  Great early piece with a marvelous lustre to it.

and finally, three antique, needle etched wine stems. I love needle etched glass and crystal.  Very popular in the late 1800s and through the 1920s-30s before machine etched glass took over in popularity and demand. There is something so exquisite about this fine etch work.  These are either Fosteria or Tiffen...pattern unknown.  Circa 1920s.

So it was a wonderful weekend visiting the Little Shop of Arts and Antiques in Lilburn, GA and then a weekend of some great finds for my booths.  I hope you all have a pleasant week.  Sea Witch

My Friend Paints

My friend, whimsical chick, paints.  Of course she does many other wonderful things as she is a talented spirit.  From her love of antiques and her incredible displays to her love for her family and friends and especially her dogs.  It is her love for her pets that have led her to another creative journey. 

She paints.  

A Whimsical Chick (Becky) at her easel.

Becky had her first gallery showing at "The Little Shop of Arts and Antiques" in historic Lilburn, GA this past weekend.  She shares these words, "Just a few pictures of my Pet Portrait Event that was Saturday 19th of Feb. We had a great turnout. It was a beautiful day. Met the Mayor of Lilburn and many other nice people. Next week in Lilburn will be a celebration for Arbor Day. I will be showing my work until then. Antiques in Old Town which is across the street from The Little Shop of Arts and Antiques.  They are having a raffle for a tree to plant in your yard and my raffle will continue til then for a 11 X 14 custom pet portrait.  "

Her raffle costs $2.00 and the money will go to Animal Action Rescue. Visit their site at http://www.animalactionrescue.org/ 

You can register for the portrait raffle on their site or come to the shop in Lilburn. The 26th is the last day of the raffle. Winner will be notified the 28th. Good Luck!

A great cause and a lovely raffle prize that you can enter on line at the Animal Action Rescue link above.

Although her commissions often feature dogs, she paints any of God's creatures, both large and small.  

Display of pet portraits at the gallery.

I love the little guinea pig portraits on backgrounds of pink.

Her work has a joyful folk art look and the colors she utilizes showcases this joy and whimsy.

 

A work in progress.  Becky uses such joyful colors in her paintings.

The gift that Becky gave me several months ago.  She painted my beloved coyote mix, Kota, and captured his loving spirit so well. 

You can visit her blog dedicated to her pet portraits at:

http://petportraitsbybeckykidd.blogspot.com/

Will be stopping by to see my friend who paints this weekend.  I can't wait.  Have a wonderful weekend all, swim gently.  Sea Witch

Good Things - Norcross, GA

Family from New York came to visit and Atlanta provided them with marvelous weather.  68 degrees was the Saturday temperature and the sun shined all day.  Made a trip to Norcross, Georgia.  A lovely revitalized community full of pretty little shops, great restaurants and this little gem, Good Things Home and Garden. 

Don't let the front door fool you.  What looks like a small shop actually goes back into four rooms filled with beautiful home and garden pieces, sculptures, wind chimes, fountains, gazing globes, lamps, bird feeders, you name it.

Scented candles and oils, baskets and unique decor abound.  Lovely lamps, floral arrangements and every kind of container you can imagine can be found at Good Things.

Nifty soft picnic baskets are perfect for tailgating, a special date or an outdoor concert with someone you love.

Good Things has a marvelous selection of unique "dog" theme items.  I fell in love with these Scotties bookends.

All around this pretty little shop were these silver metal balls of flowers and garden visitors.  So many to choose from and just lovely.  How pretty they are as they capture the suns kiss and send tiny rainbows everywhere.

Of course, the prettiest item in the shop is Miss Prissy who quietly moves from room to room meeting and greeting all of the shops visitors.  I wanted to put a fresh daisy in her hair.  What a sweet girl she is.

A corner of white to choose from for your garden, greenhouse or favorite white room.  Lovely.

Nested throughout the rooms were these pretty, little fountain sculptures.  So whimsical and joyful, I took a short video so you could enjoy them.

 Wheezer said that old southern women grow things and wear funny hats.  Well Good Things has shelves full of beautiful straw and Panama hats for men and women. Southern or Yankee, you will look faboosh in one of these hats.

Baskets full of pastel colored faux eggs for your decorating. I could have bought the lot.  Good Things is a delightful shop to stroll through. Do stroll rather then move quickly as there is so much to be found within.  Really, a perfect shop for gifts for anyone on your gift giving list.  From perfect housewarming gifts, to unique items for the gardener, you will find it at Good Things. 73-B South Peachtree Street, Norcross, GA  770.263.8885

Mon – Sat 10am to 6 pm, extended seasonal hours. 

We decided to have a bite across the street from Good Things and walked over to the historic Norcross Station, the restored train depot.

With a glorious day and the sun shining down, we decided to lunch Al fresco.  Sis found the perfect table under a large umbrella overlooking the main street.  French Onion Soup and their famous "Norcrossiant", slivers of smoked ham, swiss cheese, a light schmear of mayo on a croissant and it was lunch heaven.  

Bar resides in the former main ticket counter and waiting room.  Has a very "Cheers" look to it and I bet the evening crowd does it justice.  I can already hear somebody yelling out, "Norm!"

We couldn't leave without ordering their famous, homemade peach and cranberry cobbler. OMG... to screaming die for.  Hot out of the oven with a side of french vanilla ice cream.  Heaven, I tell ya...heaven.  Nearly two hours later, we finally decided to continue our day visiting shops. It was hard to leave our table as it was so much fun to watch the world go by.  But, other shops awaited so off we went.  Tomorrow's post will have some of the treasures that we found along the way.  Blessings to you and those you love. Sea Witch

River and Trout go sledding.

Many of you may have seen this on facebook recently, but this little video just makes me laugh out loud and feel so good that I had to share it with you.  River and Trout are the babies of Sugarbush Dog Groomers.  They are the "original sled dogs" in my book.  



Have a wonderful Thursday everyone and I hope you find joy in the little things...it is what makes life a delight.  Sea Witch.

Flamingo Tongue

Changed my header out with a recent photo taken over Christmas 2010 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The weather that week was cold and windy and no diving for us.  The last day we were there, the weather finally got above 60 degrees and I had to get in the water so I did a little snorkeling and came upon this "Flamingo Tongue" munching on a fan coral.

Flamingo Tongue Snails are small, colorful snails about one inch long. Gastropods,  which means stomach-footed, eat with their feet. As this snail crawls along the branch of coral, it digests the coral animals.  Can you see the bare purple coral skeleton (trail) where the snail has been?

Found a few neat items over the weekend.  Among them was this neat, antique toy xylophone.  Love the wood base and the numbers on the side and it has a delightful tone.

The popular "Hansen" hand scale. 

Really love this vintage advertising piece from Krusty Loaf Bread.  A large paper and wood wasp with original string, you swing it over your head and it sounds like a real paper wasp flying. 

The deal of the day is this fantastic carnival glass decanter from Imperial Glass.  Rich lustre and brilliant color.  Circa 1910-1920s.

Pretty little cabbage roses plate with brilliant cobalt flow blue frame.         Circa 1900s

Nice pair of small silhouette pictures. Inked profiles of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln.  Circa 1900s

Purchased this nifty shelf at Vintage Village. The price was right and it is a sweet little display shelf.  I think the antique carnival glass I have placed on it looks good.

I love the look of the marigold carnival glass against the white displays.

  The weather in Atlanta right now is in the 60's so we are all doing the happy dance. Have family coming in from NY for the weekend and hopefully the weather will continue for them. Have a wonderful week everyone and blessings to you and those you love.  Sea Witch 

Poison Apple

Daddy, I'm going to wish very, very hard for a poison apple.  These are the words that my granddaughter, Kaitlyn, told her daddy this morning.  Why, do you want a poison apple, he asked. 

 

Well, if I had a poison apple I could take a bite out of it and then fall into a deep, dark sleep.  When my teacher finds me she will run to my "boyfriend", Paul's classroom and bring him to me because she knows he is my one true love.  He will then kiss me on the cheek and then I will wake up.  

When he shared this story with me I was rolling with laughter.   This child is five years old and has already laid a well made plan on how to obtain a kiss from a 5 year old boy in her class.  The boys in her classes don't stand a chance.

I was in the Tuesday Morning store on Friday to pick some ribbon for the store when I came across my daughter-in-law's bakeware. When they were living in Italy, she had traveled to the Polish factory for Boleslawiec pottery.  Each piece is handcrafted and the high-density stoneware disperses the heat more evenly for better baking.  The rich cobalt blue color is my favorite and I have always envied her pieces.

They only had the one pie plate and I grabbed it for $12.00.  These pie plates retail as much as $60.00 each.  Oh, how I wish they had another one.  Now that I had this beautiful pie plate, I had to make my honey a homemade  blueberry pie...one of his favorites.  Just look how marvelous this pie looks. 

 Hot out of the oven and cooling on the stove, my honey ran out and brought back some french vanilla ice cream to guild this lily a la mode.  I have to say the pie was tasty.  Kerry, you are so correct, it was the pie plate that made it so good.   

Hope your week is a kind and gentle one and wishing everyone a happy valentines day.  Sea Witch