RABBITS!!

Well, at least we THINK that rabbits have been invading our newly planted garden!  We've made several return trips to the nursery to replenish what rabbits (or something) has been munching on.  We've tried various methods in hopes of keeping them out.

We've placed a couple fake owls in the middle of the garden.  Nope, the garden-munchers aren't a bit afraid.

Rubber snakes?  Nope, nobody fell for this trick.

So, today we grated some Irish Spring soap and placed the pieces around the plants.  

The garden is smelling pretty good.  We're keeping our fingers crossed that the munchers won't like the scent nor the taste of soap.

I'll keep you posted; meanwhile, if you have a tried-and-true trick, please share!

Spring Flowers and (More) Shop Pictures

Today's post will be short; we just bought a couple loads of items and I need to get busy cleaning, tagging and moving fresh merchandise to the shops.

But, first:  we can't ignore Spring!

I have several flower gardens on our property and love each one.  Spring flowers, in particular, are my favorite.  As I see their greenery and blooms I am reminded of Christ's resurrection and His promise of everlasting life.  This is particularly precious to me, as my eldest granddaughter died three years ago on March 4.  She would have turned 22 March 22.   

We put this "cowboy bench" (the auctioneer's term) in the Bristol shop almost as quickly as we got it.  (Personally, I call it a wagon wheel bench.  Technically, we're both wrong!)

These old PBR glasses are now a rarity.

Remember our mantle?  I've already changed it a couple times; things keep selling off it.

We have several customers who love vintage green glass pieces.  It's inexpensive and a good way to start a collection.

I love the look of old wingback chairs.  

This dresser sold within two days of putting it in the shop.

And now I must literally run!  The weekend is always the biggest selling time for the shops and, with a doctor appointment this afternoon, I won't have much time as I am also working Friday and Sunday.

Happy antiquing!  Enjoy your Spring.

Busy Days, TGISPRING!

The snows we had slowed down shop sales; thank goodness that was only temporary!   After the weather broke everyone was anxious to get out of their houses.  Many of them were ready for some "retail therapy".

The next few pictures are shots of our booths in Johnson City's Village Antiques & Home Decor.  These were taken after we brought in more merchandise.  We still have some empty spots to fill.

Not only did the shops come alive, Mother Nature started to awaken from her winter slumber.  Our daffodils will soon be blooming, along with crocus and tulips.  

Mrs. Rabbit hopped by to check on us.

We'll be seeing a lot of her as soon as our garden is planted.  Of course she'll bring all the kids, all her siblings and their families, and all their friends.  

As for now, I need to get back to working on things for the shops.

Ready to Spring Forward!

     The time change is coming!  Give me Daylight Savings and please make it quick!

We think the heavy snowfalls are gone from the South, thank Goodness!  Spring is approaching with its showers (okay, probably downpours) and flowers (happy thoughts).  Meanwhile, I'm slowly converting our booths over to a lighter look.

Guess who forgot to take a "before" picture of this little cherub candle holder?

It's been in at least two of the shops and, even at $2.99, nobody seemed to want it.  Time for a conversion!

I brought it home, gave it a light spray of white paint and added an old sandwich plate to the top of its pillar.  (This cloche is a bit too large for it, but you get the idea)  It now has a higher price on it and is temporarily in the Village Antiques & Home Decor Mall, Bristol, TN.

I generally have a LOT of 5 x 7 wooden frames and sell them very cheaply (75¢) each.  You get a lot of miscellaneous odds and ends when you buy entire estates.  Frames tend to be one of them.  As I was going through a box of such odds and ends the other day, I uncovered this one little lone angel ornament.  It was so sweet, all by itself, just resting in the bottom of the box.

I also had a lot of little wooden craft bases.  Again, out comes the spray paint, the glue, and a page from a well-used hymnal.  I cut one of the tattered sheets to fit over the base and attached the cherub.  Much better, but adding a burlap backing to a shabby frame and putting it all together seemed like an even better idea.

We had this waterfall closet in another shop and, again, nobody seemed to take interest.  These old closets go "hot and cold" - you'll have a period in which everyone seems to want one and another in which nobody will touch them.  Well, since nobody was touching this one, we moved it to the Bristol shop (today's pictures are all from there).  If it doesn't sell (priced at only $95 and it's in good shape), it will end up painted and returned to one of the shops.  

If the wood is good on a piece, painting is a last resort for us.  We hate to lose the original look on a good piece.  There is a great product for wood furniture that Howard's puts out - great for putting moisture back into a neglected old piece and they have various colors of stains that will hide old scratches, etc. and make the wood look fabulous again.  My husband loves it and keeps a large stock in his workshop.

We always have plenty of books in our booths.  Although there are plenty of wonderful recipe sites on the net, cookbooks are a popular item.  I try to keep them grouped together.  Anything French is popular, too, whether it's Limoges or French songs.

Personally, I love the old classics!

This shelf is definitely looking sparse.  

Norman Rockwell figurines generally don't last long.

We're planning to go to Johnson City, Tennessee today to add to and spruce up the Village Antiques  shops there.

We hope you enjoyed today's photos and will see you in a couple days with more!  Please feel free to leave a comment.

Snow: Beautiful to the Eye, Difficult to Live With

          I compare today's snow to Snow White's stepmom.  The difference, of course, is that she was fiction.  This is reality.  As of last night, ten deaths here in Tennessee have been blamed on the weather.  This doesn't include traffic related deaths due to snow and ice.

This morning's views:  Our neighbor's barn

A creek runs through our property

     The roads were clear for a while.  Our county's DOT crews did a great job, then a warm rain came through and washed a lot of the snow away.  Then this morning happened.  

     

     We did get a chance to get out this past weekend for a few hours.  Our booths in Bristol, Tennessee's Village Antiques severely needed attention and we were able to restock and rearrange.

     We still have plenty of room for more additions.

      The pictures shown above are of our double booth in front of the shop; below are photos of our double booths a little further down the aisle...

     
     I had the mantle decked out in red and white for Valentine's Day and decided to leave it for just a few days longer.  It will be soon updated for Spring and Easter.

     More room available on these shelves, too!  The shelves may look neater when they aren't packed so fully but, believe it or not, you sell much more when they are crammed full of goodies.  If customers can see everything at a glance as they mosey down the aisles, they have no reason to stop and enter the space.

      Trust me, jam-packed jelly tight is better.

     

     We have booths in Bargain Hunters Flea Market, too - six of them.

     Our flea market booth aren't quite as "manicured" as our antiques booths.

     Customers REALLY enjoy getting down and digging here!

     
      We have two "kitchen" booths in the flea market; both need more shelves for all the smalls.

     I hope you enjoy the pics; stay warm, cozy and SAFE!