Gracie's Cottage Goes Rummaging

I don't love to rummage as much as some of you do, but now and then an ad captures my attention and off I go.  Today I took off down a country road. This abandoned farmhouse grabs my heart each time I pass by.

I think of how proud the builder must have been when it was completed...

...and wonder what circumstances led to it's current condition.  A few miles further and I see that I'm approaching my first destination.

This looks promising.

A tent, a barn, and a yard filled with stuff.  I came away with a few little treasures and hit a couple of other sales before arriving home.  Here are the 'down & dirty unloading in the garage' pics of some of my finds. 

I know what this is...do you?

Buttons.

These look much better since they had a bath.

What do you think?

Love this 'coo-coo' condo...three levels, probably for pigeons or doves. 

I'm loving bright colors this summer.

Blue, white...just right.

Just in time for summer fun.

and... this great industrial stool.   


I'm linking up with Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday -  let's go get inspired!

Josie, Hippie Tom and Grayslake

Yesterday, Kathy and I met early in Eagle, a small town in the beautiful Kettle Moraine Forest. It was the start of Eagle's Community Rummage sales.  Our first stop was out in the woods at Josie's place. (Josie declined to be photographed.)  I was too busy shopping to get many photos.  The driveway, garages and surrounding areas were overflowing with great junk.  

This sale is so well run; everyone starts a pile and one of Josie's helpers tags it with your name and watches over it, so that new arrivals don't mistakenly pick up something that's spoken for. That gives you the freedom to keep shopping with two hands...love that!  You should see the fun things I found - and you will, if you come to the Grayslake Antique Market this weekend!


Later in the day I headed into "town".  Three miles down the road from me is Serendipity Farm. It was "open" and I couldn't resist a quick stop.  If you're a fan of American Pickers you may remember the "Hippie Tom" episode, arguably one of the best ever.  (* I forgot my camera and had to take pics with my iPad...in the bright sunlight I couldn't see the controls and discovered later that I'd taken video rather than still shots, so the following pictures are photos of video frames...drat!)

 Serendipity Farm is the home of "Hippie Tom" & his wife.  Yes, there really are bicycles  hanging in the trees. 

 It's impossible to convey the volume of great junk that Tom has gathered; it's all over the yard and in the quirky buildings that he's constructed from reclaimed materials.

Tom is an 'old soul', WYSIWYG, a friendly, gentle spirit who truly loves pieces of the past.  You can visit Serendipity Farm for their occasional sales, or see Tom at various markets, including the upcoming Elkhorn Antique Flea Market. 

I'm linking up with Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday.  Grab your cuppa joe and follow me over to check out all the great participants! 

See you at Grayslake!

Gracie's Cottage (temporary) Weekend Move

We temporarily moved Gracie's Cottage to Rummage-A-Rama last weekend and teamed up with Lilac Lane Boutique to load a large booth with an eclectic mix of great old finds. It's always nice to see our loyal customers and meet some new folks. The busy weekend at R-A-R left us with room for all the new finds that we're unearthing daily. We think that you'll love what we have planned for Elkhorn next month. 

We also met the talented mother/daughter team of Altered Ever After, who were selling at R-A-R for the first time,  Candyce Martens and Jill Kerne.  Candy's imaginative creations are colorful and immediately evoke happiness, (see photo below). Jill's steampunk jewelry is so intricate that a quick glance won't suffice; I loved studying each piece to see what she had incorporated.

We were excited to learn that when we get to Junk Bonanza in September, Altered Ever After will be selling there as well.  Check out their site...we know you'll love their creations as much as we did.

Re-Post Mr. Melvin Miller's Marvelous Gardenscape

**This entry was originally posted last summer. I was thinking today that I need to get some annuals planted and remembered how much I enjoyed seeing Mr Miller's gardens.  

 Whizzing down busy Hwy 50 near Bristol, Wisconsin, my attention was diverted by a line of cars parked along the shoulder. Every good treasure hunter knows that a lot of cars can be an indicator of a sale, and so I slowed down to check it out. Sure enough, at the end of the driveway was a "rummage sale" sign.

The Riverport Chorus of the Sweet Adelines were holding a fund-raising rummage at the home of one of their members. As I walked up the driveway I was captivated by the landscape. Outbuildings sported white paint and were trimmed in the cheeriest red. Lush foilage surrounded the buildings and red pots were hung from the white siding. Everywhere I turned was another beautiful feature.

After finding a few items to purchase, I asked if I could take some snapshots. One of the Sweet Adelines, directed me to the hostess of the sale, Mrs. Miller. She readily gave permission and pointed out her husband. I spent a few pleasant minutes chatting with him. Mr. Miller is the type of person you think of when you hear the word "Grandpa". Friendly, unpretentious and happy to answer questions, he told me that he's spent the past eight years transforming the property into what it is today. He spends each morning watering and maintaining his plants, strictly for the enjoyment of himself and his family.

There are gardeners everywhere who toil as Mr. Miller does, not to impress others, but simply because they enjoy the process as well as the results. As I left the sale that day, I knew that the real treasure I'd found wasn't what I had purchased, but the opportunity to meet Mr. Miller and enjoy his handiwork.