Getting Fruity

Part one of my booth display at The Vintage-Flea includes a glorious fruit display

featuring Wendy Addisons glitter fruit ornaments, pomander topiaries, wonderfully scented candles and soaps and much more.  This is one of my favorite displays of the year because it is topped with 4 rows of burlap Calla Lilly Flowers.

 

 The idea for the flowers came from this extremely well done tutorial by Amy Bell from Positively Splendid

 Her directions are really easy to follow....  first cut several pieces of fabric and burlap into teardrop shapes, making the burlap larger so that it will go on the outside.  Here are all my pieces ready to go...

 Although Amy suggests gluing teardrop shaped fabric pieces with adhesive spray, I decided to sew mine together for a more quilted look.

Next you are going to glue down the stem.  The stems are made with a 6" length piece of wire and twine that has been wrapped and glued down at the end for the tip.

 Hot glue the stem in the middle.  Dab hot glue on the side, fold over then repeat for other side.

Voila.. the finished Calla Lilly.  For detailed instructions please visit Amy's blog!  Enjoy.

Show and Tell

Finally finished my pumpkins and crossing this off my "to do" list.  The idea of the wool blanket pumpkin came to me last year when my friend Jenni and I stopped at a cute little town called Bell Buckle in Tennessee.  Stopping here was like a step back into time and what should have been a quick lunch stop, turned into a 4 hour expedition.  This place had some serious treasures!!  One of them was a white wool pumpkin at a store that had a mountain of moon pies at the front entrance.  The idea was born then to make tartan plaid pumpkins a la Ralph Lauren for the Fall display at the shop.

 

 

Well I know I am a bit behind on the project.. after all I am going to be putting out Christmas in 2 weeks but after seeing a slew of fabric pumpkins at the Country Living Fair last weekend, I had to make them.  So Voila!!  What do you think??

Country Living Fair

The Country Living Fair was held this weekend at Stone Mountain Park and what a treat!  I went to the first CL Fair back in New York many years ago with my friend Jenni.  We were so excited to be able to meet Ki Nassauer and Sue Whitney from Junk Market Style but when we got to Central Park we were a little disappointed and only stayed about 1 hour.  Why???  Well it was the first one so there weren't many booths to linger through and enjoy so we spent the day in NYC instead.  That was NOT the case this time around.. oh my goodness what a treat. 

Mary and I in front of Pumpkin Mountain

20,000 visitors were expected to go through the park during the 3 day show.... no kidding.  The wait to get in the park was about 20 minutes long but so worth it. Booths after booths of endless inspirations and eye candy!  You first walk into this massive structure with a fireplace suitable for a castle.  In this structure Country Living gave tips for Fall decorating.  Simple ideas are often the best ones...

 pine cones strung on a chandelier

 resin birds under a cloche

artwork using leaves

 wreaths using old papers... I did this last year at the shop and it was fabulous.  This year I will be making angel wings!

 flowers made from sewing patterns

and a tree made from driftwood scraps.  Simple but stunning!!  Click here for more pictures from the Fair.

My Favorite Place

So maybe you have read my recent interview with Kenya Brantley where I talk about my love for vintage displays.  Here is one of my sources for those displays... My Favorite Place!! (no seriously it is really called My Favorite Place).  This fabulous mecca of amazing deals and finds is located at 5596 Peachtree Industrial Blvd (South) in Chamblee.  So why the Firestone picture you ask??  This is my landmark to finding this place otherwise you will pass it on the road without a second glance.  Look for the Firestone sign on the Right and then you will see it right next door.

 

 
Furniture, Lamps, Dishes, Collectibles, Art, Mirrors.. if you can't find it you didn't really want it!

Two huge buildings with wall to wall stuff.

 

I loved this vintage soup tureen shaped like a fish.. ($15)

Are you a cookie jar collector??  Loved this Little Red Riding Hood for $12

A million things I could think of using old cigar boxes...

More interior pictures...

Chalkware dog for $26

Need a life sized football player in your Man Cave?? $499.00

I loved these vintage bird decanters!! $10 each

I wish I had a place for this one.. dresser with wicker drawers $58

Porcelain spice boxes.. $10 for top shelf, $16 for bottom.

So which treasure went home with me today??

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I couldn't resist the doggie!!!  Hope you will get a chance to visit My Favorite Place and find your own treasures.

Pumpkin Time...

 That time of year again where we start decorating for Fall and I love me some pumpkins!  Ideally I would make sand pumpkins found here but being land locked I will be content with some colorful citrouilles on my porch.  The best "Martha Stewart" pumpkins come from our little veggie patch on the corner. (It seems to be the only place in town to find the white pumpkins.)  And what could be cuter than these pumpkin eyes found at The Vintage-Flea by artist Ann Pelerose.

So darn cute!  Off to make some fabric pumpkin now... pictures to come.

The Cupcake Collection



Yesterday my daughter, who will be celebrating her 12th birthday this coming January, proclaimed that she wanted a cupcake party!!  She has some serious good timing!!  This weekend at market day on the square we met Bakeshop Betty who was dressed like Rosie the Riveter.  Betty (a.k.a Christi) had the best tasting red velvet cupcakes and double chocolate cupcakes so Olivia decided that would be her theme for the party.  Also new in town is the Artrageous Potter and what do they have as "paint your own pottery" blanks- cupcakes of course!!  But the most exciting discovery was found inside the new boxes from artist Lisa Kaus...

 Her new cupcake collection is so cute and Gillyweed has the whole collection!  Cupcake photo holders, $12.00 each in 4 assorted designs.

 

Banners, $36.00 each.  Only 2 designs remain.

 Celebrate crown (and my Halloween costume) $22.00, only 2 remain.

 

Small Cupcake Plates in 4 designs, $8.00 each

Medium Cake Plates in 4 designs, $12.00 each 

and finally....

The Celebration Platter for $36.00. 

Oh what fun we are going to have!! 

BTW.. question.. what is your favorite cupcake flavor??

Counting Down...

Tomorrow will start my count down...  one month left as owner of The Vintage-Flea.  It has been a whirlwind really.  I originally wanted to pass the torch in March of 2011 but the new owner wanted to take the helm sooner for the upcoming holiday season.  I don't blame her!!  We've always had a fantastic 4th quarter at The Flea.  So what am I looking forward to the most in my free time?

1. Going away for Thanksgiving without a care in the world...
2. Cleaning my house- seriously it needs to be done
3. Decorating my house!!  This must be the biggest misconception as a boutique owner.  Our houses look like crap because we don't have the time to decorate them!! 
4. Finally making new products for my booth and online store.  I sold my last piece of artwork yesterday to an Interior Designer so more art, more art, more art.  Also I am so psyched about some new jewelry pieces I've been working on and I promised Mary I would have my pumpkins done. (more on that later)

What booth and online store am I referring to?  Well those that are in the know have been following me as The Vintage-Flea, then for a short period of time Lemoncholie, and now I've found my permanent home as...

What is a Gillyweed you ask??  Well Harry Potter fans will know what a gillyweed is right away.  For the rest of ya'll Gillyweed is the magical Mediterranean plant that Harry Potter eats.  This helped him grow gills and webbed feet so he could swim with the mermaids.  I've always lived by the ocean but alas I am now landlocked and crave the smells, sights, and sounds of the coastal shores! (My husband and I love to watch House Hunter International and dream of which island we would run off to in our old age.)  So stick with me on this journey of finding my gillyweed bliss!