A Day in Galena

I finally finally remembered to take my camera with me on my travels. This weekend took us to Galena, the most beautiful town on earth. It used to also be antique mecca, now just fancy boutiques, but still a lovely place to visit. The horse in the window of the diagonal building is one of my favorite things. I also love the Dowling House, oldest home in town, and one old standby remains, the Galena Cheese House, wonderful gourmet and wine shop. The last photo is the place it all started for me in the antique business--over 25 years ago my husband and I opened our first booth in the Main St. Mall, now a hotel.

A Fine Mess

A few years ago, Martha Stewart allowed her show to film her very messy office, and ever since I have breathed a sigh of relief over my own disorganized work space. I do wish I was fibbing that decorating my own house often gets short shrift, but here it is, the proof! I have antique ADD, all excited about a project that I start, then oh, dear, look at that cute thing over there and what could I do with it! Sooo, my sink is always full of tins and bowls that need a scrub (always surprised at how many dealers miss that simple act of just taking the dust off), the shelves always covered with ebay stuff that needs a photograph, then there is the pie safe that we don't have room for, so it sits in the middle of the living room, its moving ropes still tied around it and it makes a handy place to put the ebay stuff. My couch usually covered with fabric, or as now, the freshly laundered feedsacks awaiting their fate...

Antique Insomnia

I went to Kalona yesterday, it was supposed to just be a quick trip to Barntiques to restock, but Nancy had some wonderful feedsacks and spice tins and the bowl I've been coveting and finally bought--I got all inspired and just headed on down the road to Sisters and the Kalona Antique Co. What a good idea, because everyone had stocked up on prims, and between Nancy's feedsacks and the great early prim buckets I found, I got this idea of wrapping up the buckets with stained feedsack and cheesecloth--we'll see how it works. I could not get to sleep, bucket visions swirling around, then I started thinking more about the feedsack pumpkins and what I want to do there, then had a dream about making pillows with pockets full of clothespegs--who dreams about clothespegs, I ask myself. In the meantime, I'm also off on a Christmas tangent, here are some old tin things that just looked so pretty on greenery...

For Karen Who is Never Surprised at How Long it Takes Me to Remember Things

Karen, the box is a really good one, stamped on the bottom and everything, masher is handmade and prim, tilts a bit and is a kid size, I think about 7" long, but it is upstairs and I am downstairs...

I Think I Might Actually Have My House Decorated for Fall!

Well, not yet, but at least I started with buying an old tin washtub on a stand that I am filling with yellow mums. The girls begged me to do something besides just a lonely little pumpkin out on the front porch, so I am! I think I will get a bunch of pumpkins, just need to pick out what to put them in. Inside is another matter, must rid the shelves of ebay goods and put my own stuff out. I have the best idea for making pumpkins out of feedsacks, let's just see if they turn into real pumpkins and not just imaginary ones. Here are new photos of some pumpkin bowls and such that I am relisting.

Clean that House!

I've been out on the deck taking pictures for ebay while my girls played with the little neighbor girls in the back yard. They are just 3 and 5. The youngest is a blonde ringlet, china blue eyed doll and quite the little firecracker. She asked to come in the house and I told her not today, as I have the biggest mess inside (couch covered with fabric I am sorting through to cover crocks and the like, bookcases unseen behind stacks of ebay wares ready to list, tables and kitchen counters obliterated by the crocks and tins I just washed, and shipping boxes making a nice little maze on the floor.) She put her hands on her hips and said, "Well, I'm a good cleaner, I'll just come in and clean that up for you!" I laughed and told her thank you, but I'll get it done soon. No! she says, I am going in there and I'm going to clean that now! She was determined, I guess she thought I shouldn't wait another minute.

This is what I did get done in my photography studio/backyard:

Bike Rides Halloween Auctions and the Prairie Pantry

I did not get to go to Rochester, but have spent my time getting ready for auctions and listings today. We started by dusting off the bikes and going for a ride on our very nice bike trail. I didn't like any of the new bikes to be had, but found this wonderful blue Schwinn last year. It takes more effort than the bikes with gear shifts, but old fashioned always wins in my book.