New York City With Our Swedish Friends

I'm back from NY..... What fun!  I wrote on my last post HERE how my Mom and I went to NY to meet up with our Swedish exchange student Kristina and her family

Kristina is on the left along with her hubby and kids, they are just as fun as they look.  

Here's a picture with Mom

We ate at Del Frisco's Grill....YUM and then we all went to see the play "Jesus Christ Super Star"  It was a great show, but you know how it ends...They never got to the resurrection part!

Mom and I did the rickshaw tour of Central Park, I highly recommend it

  

Even though I have been to NY a few times I have never taken a tour, it was fun to find out where famous people live and the history of Central Park

Here's what I don't recommend, taking a rickshaw that is on the street and not a prearranged tour.  Mom and I took one 7 blocks and it cost $36....Yikkes, had we known we would have walked, humm.......Always ask before you hop on!

I have to tell you one funny thing that happened.  As you might have heard we had ourselves a tropical storm here in Florida. So when I picked my Mom up at Her apartment to go to the airport it was pouring rain and windy.  She put her suitcase in the car and two bags of garbage to take to her dumpster.........

....Yep, we drove right by the dumpster and when we got to airport parking, there was her garbage still in my car.  Lets just say we drove home last night with the air on high and the windows down!

OK, I have suitcases to unpack with lots of purchases from the garment district, wait until you see the pictures of these fabric and trim stores and the treasures I bought.....Next post...Stay tuned!

Happy Creating!

Carol

Heading To New York City To Meet Up With Our Foreign Exchange Student

I'm headed to the airport to spend some time in NY City with our foreign exchange student from Sweden.  

This story spans three decades.   

When my brother was a senior in high school my parents, through Rotary International, hosted Kristina from Sweden for her senior year of school here in the US.  As many of you who have hosted an exchange student know, having an exchange student for a year translates to a family member for life. 

The summer after my brother Mark and Kristina graduated from high school, my brother joined Kristina in Sweden and they back packed for a month throughout Europe.   

A few years later Kristina  got married and my parents were thrilled to be the special guests at her wedding in Sweden.  They were treated like royalty and it was one of the most memorable times of their lives.

Over the next many years, my brother Mark got married and had 3 children and Kristina also had 3 children.  Kristina and her family have visited the US twice and Marks family has traveled to Sweden to visit Kristina.

Then history repeated it's self 2 summers ago when Kristina and Marks oldest daughters backpacked together through out Europe just like Mark and Kristina had done 30 years earlier.

So when Kristina wrote a few months ago that her family was going to vacation in NY City this summer my Mom and I decided to hop a plane from Orlando and spend a few days with them.

The last time I was in NY was for New Years Eve in Times Square 1999.  
We plan on seeing some of the sights and a Broadway show......

...And I plan on sneaking away to the garment district, a short 15 minute walk from our hotel.  I'm dying to shop at "Mood" the fabric store from the show "Project Runway" and visiting some great trim and lace stores. 

 Like I need anymore fabric or trims.....Need and want, well they're two different things...Right!

So, you guy's "Hold down the fort" here in blog land (I bet the youngsters will have no idea what that means) and I'll be back soon with pictures of my adventures and hopefully, pictures of stores and purchases that'll make any DIY'er drool!

Happy Creating!

Carol

Doggie Bags For The Rehearsal Dinner

What you say!  Well, my son adores his dog "Dora"and since I'm having my sons wedding rehearsal dinner at an outdoor cafe that allows dogs...... I'm going to have a Puppy Bar!  

The invitations will say that puppies are welcome.  I'll have a table  set up with doggie treats and take home bags full of doggie goodies

Dora, my sons rescue dog, will be the dog hostess

Here she is on the candle for the doggie table, I used a waterslide decal

I was thrilled when I stumbled on these directions for printing on lunch bags, it's not as easy as you would think and saved me lots of time.  This could be used for tons of different events.

After I printed on the bags I glued on scottie dogs I found at a thrift store...Lucky find!

Then used a hole punch and twine

More dogs for a table banner

And jars of treats for my furry guests, (some graphics are from Graphics Fairy)

Along with special Dog water LOL!

My son adores his dog and is so happy Dora gets to come to the rehearsal dinner...... 

.......Now if he could just get her invited to the wedding! 

Ah, come on Alicia (Future DIL).....Flower girl??  

Happy Crafting!

Carol



This post is also at Shannons, at Cozy Home Scene She is doing a cute series called "Paws and Claws"



Chic On A Shoestring
The Thrifty Groove
At The Picket Fence

How To Sew A Picnic Basket Liner

I finally found a vintage picnic basket to redo

Here is what I started with

My total inspiration was this vintage plastic flannel lined table cloth I have been holding onto for years.....Got to use the good stuff before the kids sell it for a quarter at my estate sale!

This blue ocean breeze paint was WAY to bright, so I toned it down with a light sanding and walnut gel stain

Now it's time to line the basket.  I've never lined a basket before, so I just winged it.   I put the basket on the fabric and drew around the bottom adding about an inch

Then I measured around the top circumference of the basket

After measuring the the width and height I added 1 1/2" to each measurement and cut the fabric in half.  I decided to use 2 pieces to line the basket because the fabric would have to be sewn at an angle..Smaller to larger on the top, you could use one continuous piece though

Here is is the lining pinned

Before I sewed them together I add pockets for silverware and napkins

Then I took the three pieces of fabric, turned them inside out, and pinned them together right in the basket, insuring a good fit......Then sewed them all together

It turned out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.  

Since I used a plastic tablecloth to line it, I hot glued it in around the top.  If I used fabric I would have put velcro around the top so it could be taken out and washed

The finishing touch was a graphic from Graphics Fairy and the "Blender Pen" transfer method.  Graphics Fairy has a page HERE of every transfer method possible, including the blender method...A great page to book mark

I love to try everything once, but many times a project is so difficult I don't do it again, but I would definitely do this again, it was sooooo fun!

I am going to put it in my booth at Orange Tree and price it at $45.....If it doesn't sell...Well....It's mine!

You might like to see my newest basket lined with a Laura Ashley print HERE

Happy Creating!

Carol

Joining These Parties
French Country Cottage
Sugar Bee Crafts
Coastal Charm
Between Naps On the Porch

Getting Ready For The Wedding, The Save The Dates Are Out

The Count down is on....6 months until Baby Boy gets married!

The "Save The Date" cards are out, and I am full speed ahead

My son and his fiance live in DC but, both are Florida kids and the wedding will be here in Orlando Thanksgiving weekend

And a dream come true......A vintage themed wedding...Could it get any better!
I've been recruited to make tussie mussies for the aisle, escort cards, mirror trays for the centerpieces, and table numbers


I've already made the bridal bouquet

And bridesmaids bouquets

The rehearsal dinner will be around the corner from my house at a cute little outside cafe "903 Mills Market".  This is special place for the couple. They spent many hours  here......."Getting to know you", since the future DIL lived a block away from me when they met.

It'll be a fun, casual dinner....Vintage Themed of course!  I'll be able to show you some of what I am doing for the decor, but since the "Kids" read my blog, some pictures will have to wait until after the wedding, since I want it to be a surprise.


So, who doesn't like a wedding blog....Right? 


 Don't worry, I still have to keep my antiques booth full, so there will be plenty of regular posts!


I'm having so much fun


Happy Creating!
Carol

Selling In An Antiques Mall Booth...Items That Are No Longer Hot

Items trending down, they were hot, and now their not

In my last post I covered items that were hot sellers here in Florida, but of course times change.  When I started selling in my booth at Orange Tree Antiques 9 years ago, many of the following items where good sellers.....But not anymore 

 I sat down with Sherrie Hershone the owner of Orange Tree Antiques in Winter park, Florida and the Manager Lynn Coporoso.  Between these two ladies they have over 60 years of experience

In no particular order here is a list of some items that are now slow sellers.

Sets of china and stemware

Since people are doing less formal entertaining there is less demand for formal dinnerware, full sets of china and stemware are a tough sell.  We are seeing china and stemware only used for holidays and very special occasions.  

Porcelain figures and vases

Many of us remember porcelain figures and vases sitting around our grandmothers houses...Oh, don't touch!  If you think about it, the majority of homes do not have china cabinets (Except for us Shabby Chic Girls) or figurines sitting around their homes making these hard to sell.

Clear and milk glass

Many customers have stopped collecting clear glass, including pattern and etched glass.  Milk glass goes through phases and right now the phase is trending down for milk glass.

Dolls

Newer porcelain dolls made since the 1970's by many different companies are hard to sell.  These dolls where advertised in newspapers and magazines, so many were bought, making them easy to find on the internet.

Collectable plates and figures

If it says collectable, it's not!  Everyone bought them because they were advertised in many magazines and newspapers. Many different companies made them and they where available in whatever interested you; such as Norman Rockwell, Gone with the wind, Barbie Dolls, Cat and Dog lovers, and military branches.  These items are very hard to sell on the secondary market.

American Art Pottery

McCoy, Roseville, Weller and other potteries have cooled off.  Many of these pieces are being reproduced in China, which has ruined the resale markets.  If you are going to buy pottery, know the dealer you are buying from and do your research.  Since these pottery pieces are readily available on the internet and there are thousands for sale, the prices have dropped.

Hummels and Precious Moments

Many serviceman stationed in Europe brought Hummel's home for their wives and mothers, thus starting a collection.  The only place you could find them were in antique stores.  Now, you can go on the internet and find thousands of Hummel's with different marks.  This has brought the prices down, and fewer customers are buying them as a good investment.  Precious Moments were given as gifts to mark every event in a persons life.  As with Hummel's, there are many listed on the internet and therefore the prices have gone down on these too.  Over the years these pieces have been reproduced in the millions, so there is no scarcity and therefore, not a hot item anymore.

These are some observations in the Florida market.  I would love to know what's happening in your neck of the woods!

Happy Selling!

Carol