Spotted at the Gurnee Antique Center

After stocking my case at the Gurnee Antique Center this week 

I took a stroll through the rest of the mall. 

This dealer has a lot of ironstone.

I love these pitchers.

Simply divine!

This jewelers cabinet looks great

and offers loads of storage for small items.

One chippy shelf...(the only one I saw).

perfect!

Old blue paint grabs me every time.

 I always find something to love in this booth.

Check out those bins on the back wall.

The Gurnee Antique Mall is located

in Gurnee, Illinois, right off I-94.

...easy to get to if you're traveling between

Chicago and Milwaukee.

***Housekeeping note...I haven't been able to get that 'update' box off my background, even after updating.  I'm happy to say that I have someone working on a new blog design and hope

to have it up in 2-3 weeks...can't wait!

Is It Spring Yet??

Sadly, not here!  Snow is falling...again.

But I did find this yesterday.

 It's an old canvas soaker hose

(See those tulips in the background?

I couldn't resist bringing them home from Trader Joe's)

The hose is all wound up on a chippy green reel.

I can hardly wait for "gardening season".

How Do I Love Thee Etsy?

I'm linking up with Capers of the Vintage Vixens, (which may be my favorite blog name ever!), for Blogger's Bodega.  

It's a day for shameless shop promotion, and I'm not ashamed to say that I love etsy....as a seller and as a shopper.  

I'm so grateful to each of my customers; some of whom I've had the pleasure of meeting at shows.  As of today, 979 of my little treasures have found loving new homes via my etsy shop.

Etsy allows me to work in my cozy sunroom and 

never leave the house on these bitterly cold days.  

What more could a girl ask?

  Etsy allows me to share the things I love....

old paper of every sort...

...grain sacks....

 ....old hardware...

...pretty little things

...fun junk...

...letters and numbers...

...and whatever tickles my fancy...

I'm heading on over to Capers of The Vintage Vixens to check out some other fun shops...click the logo to follow me there!

Time for Some Shop Talk

Updated 1/24...read the comments for great specifics about the additions!  At this time we're just making a list of shops, (not shows or flea markets). 

Last week I asked for the names of fun antique shops & malls.  The kinds of places that make your heart beat faster when you walk in.  Your eyes are darting around at all the goodness and  you can't decide which way to go first! 

We've got some great suggestions so far, but I know there are far more to be found.  Let's keep growing the list, and once it gets longer I'll add it to my sidebar permanently. 

CALIFORNIA
Carmichael:  Fleuri 7301 Fair Oaks Boulevard 
Carmichael: Cottage Girls 5912 Palm Dr 
Roseville: Antique Trove 236 Harding Blvd 
Santa Monica: Wertz Brothers
Willows:  Gathering Better Junque

IDAHO
Boise:  The Shabby House

ILLINOIS
Barrington: Steeplechase Antiques
Chicago:  Posh - State Street 
Chicago: Urban Remains 
Elgin: State Street Market Shops
Glenview: Vintage Nest
Gurnee: Gurnee Antique Center


IOWA
Amana: Smoke House Square
Anamosa: Gatherings
Des Moines: Brass Armadillo
Kalona:  Sister's Garden - (thanks for the correction Anita!) 
Marion: Park Place Mall
Mount Vernon:  Polly Ann's

 MASSACHUSETTS
Wrentham:  The Wrentham Country Store


MINNESOTA
Buffalo: The Porch and Atelier
Minneapolis: Hunt & Gather

OREGON
Portland: Monticello Antique Marketplace

TEXAS
Athens: Winnie & Tulula's
Austin: Gatherings
Austin: Austin Antique Mall
Austin: Antique Marketplace
Austin: Rough and Ready
Fredericksburg: Homestead

UTAH
Farmington: Just A Bed of Roses
West Jordan: Aunt Elsie's

WISCONSIN
Milwaukee: Farm Girl Art & Antiques
Sister Bay:  Viva La Cottage

We're looking for shops all over the U.S. and all over the world!  Name, city, state or province, and a site or blog if they  have one.  Thanks!

A White Wednesday Wheaton Report

I'm afraid my White Wednesday photos have nothing to do with Wheaton.  I'm such a "cabeza de do-do" sometimes...(that's my 'tortured Spanish' phrase for "do-do head").  Off to the show I went and left my camera behind.

My location was in a great neighborhood, next to Joe & Sandy of Rhubarb Reign, across from Diane Passi and a couple spaces away from my Elkhorn buddy/neighbor Michelle. 

 The Wheaton show definitely has a different vibe; Diane told me that a lot more men shop Wheaton than Grayslake and she was right.  Fortunately I had decided not to devote much space to frou-frou at this show.  Aside from one of the sweet pink dresses and one boudoir cap, most of my sales were of ephemera and industrial/primitive.  

 For every show I always try to guess what will sell first.  I was certain that the wire baskets in my previous post would be the first to go. Wrong. They are now available in my etsy shop.  I had lots of medical jars and they were very popular; there are only 4 left now.

The carny punks got a lot of looks but came home with me. The following day they were sold to someone that had seen them at the show.  They were 'too cool for school', imho!  

 Valentines were popular again, and my favorite moment of the show was when two guys spent time picking out sweet ones to give their gals...awwwwwww....(it would never occur to anyone in my home to do that!)

Traffic was good most of the day. Diane sold a table soon after the show opened.  She's got the gift of staging and was able to re-do her booth in a flash so it still looked amazing.  Things were hopping in Joe & Sandy's booth and people were swarming Michelle's space as she was setting up.

The only sad note of the show for me is that I've been unable to find my 'mobile office' since I returned home.  It's the box that holds my clipboards, notes, business cards; if you were there and asked for info or a contact after the show, please let me know - my notes appear to be gone...

It was great to meet a lot of new people and I'd like to thank everyone that made it a successful show. 
I probably won't set up at Wheaton often, (it's not the most pleasant drive from here), but hope to see you at one of my other shows. Watch the sidebar for details! 

I'm linking up with Faded Charm for White Wednesday. Head on over there and check out dozens of inspiring posts!  The non-Wheaton photos were taken in Case Eagle park and come to you courtesy of the fresh snow on Monday!

Wheaton Antique Market Saturday - Half-Price Admission!

If you watch my show schedule over there on  the right, you'll note that I sometimes add a show just days before it takes place. The reason is simple. I'm a wimp. There, I said it. I don't like to do shows in exceedingly cold, snowy, rainy, hot or humid weather.  So I wait until I can see the five-day forecast. Crazy, hey? 

After checking the forecast,  I decided to set up at the Wheaton Antique Market in Wheaton, Illinois this Saturday.  Once again, Zurko Promotions is generously offering you half-price admission. All you have to do is print this page and bring it along.  Simple. 

See you there?

Favorite Antique Malls & Shops? (That Don't Look Like This....)

 Last week I decided to cruise through some of the "antique malls" within an hour of where I live. The photo above pretty much typifies what I saw.  The 20,000sf mall in the photo was one that I rented space in when it first opened in 2002. It was near where I lived at the time and I was happy to be a part of it.  The building sits on a river in a beautiful downtown location. There were standards regarding what you could sell. The building was always filled, both with charming booths and customers.   Now half of it is a "craft mall" and the other half....I'll just be generous when I call it a mix of "vintage" and "stuff".  Sad. Same owner, same location, different vibe entirely.  No wonder there were only two other 'shoppers' when I was there.

 In two days, I went through four other malls.  I saw a lot of glassware and furniture.  It was basically a "brown-out" as my friend Jeanine, (ChiPPy!-SHaBBy!), would say.  Very few old painted pieces, architectural finds, industrial....  Nothing that tripped my trigger.  In two days of mall stops I purchased a total of one item, for resale...and spent less than $20.  

 I don't think one should totally avoid these types of malls entirely because you never know what may turn up. However, it would be terribly disappointing if I'd traveled specifically to these locations.   With that in mind, I'd like to compile a list of 'shops worth shopping' and post it here next week.  To keep it positive let's mention only the good ones.   At Grayslake, a friend and I were discussing taking a road trip. If we were coming to your area, where would you send us?   Please leave a comment with the shop name, city & state/province, along with a brief description. Large mall or small shop...it doesn't matter.  Together, let's find some fun places to shop!

Thank You Grayslake Shoppers! ...and Giveaway Alerts

 A BIG 'thank you' to all that stopped by my 

booth at Grayslake this weekend.

I don't ever recall a show where I've talked 

with so many blog followers and fellow bloggers, 

(meeting some of you for the first time),

 as well as past customers.

If I start naming names this would be a long post

and I'm sure I'd leave someone out.  

Please know that I truly appreciated each of you that stopped by.

The weather was nice and the attendance was good.

The show played itself out a bit differently than the norm for me,

with Saturday morning sales leaning 

toward the inexpensive items.  (I love having

something for everyone in my booth, but 

it does take a mix of items to make a good show!)

Saturday afternoon and Sunday sales were great so it 

ended up being a good weekend.

I've got suitcases full of Valentines and devoted

a table to them this weekend. 

Folks had fun choosing the right one for their 

loved ones.  

Vocabulary cards always bring traffic into the booth.

I've got a good supply at the moment and will

add some to my etsy shop soon.

 The scary baby head is gone, and so is the locker basket.

Some of the tix and the carny punks 

are still available. 

I snapped a quick photo in the ChiPPy!-SHaBBy!

booth during set-up. Jeanine's staging

is always beautiful.

Jeanine was next to Diane Passi.

These two look great in the same neighborhood!

Diane also has a great eye and a knack for finding

the most amazing things.  

Joe & Sandy of Rhubarb Reign arrived a bit

later during set-up and I never got out to shop

their booth. Bet they'll have a report on their

blog soon - check it out!

Switching gears...

I need to alert you to some fun giveaways.

Angie, of Viva la Cottage 

is giving away one of those amazing necklaces

made by our friend Jill of Altered Ever After.

Linda from Itsy Bits & Pieces

has put together a sweet package on her blog

...and

Julie from Junkin' Julie 

has made a beautiful button bracelet and is

including it in her giveaway.

It's starting to feel like Christmas all over again!

 

 

UPDATE - Half Price Admission to Grayslake - Bringing A Little Cottage Romance to Grayslake

Thanks to Zurko Promotions, you'll receive  half-price admission to the Grayslake Antique Market

if you print this page off and bring it along.  (You must have it with you to obtain the discount.) 

You'll have more to spend on treasures when you spend less on admission!

Lace, corset covers, pretty hankies and boudoir caps are among the pretties we'll be bringing to the Grayslake Antique Flea Market this weekend.  The boudoir caps in particular have delicious details.

  Lace, filet crochet & netting

 Pink silk, ivory crochet and pink silk ribbon

 Rows of silk ruffles

French knots and lace

Pretty bows

and the prettiest trims.

Sweet Romance!

Remember - print this page and bring it along for half-price admission!