My trip to California .. part 1

I left home at 6am and traveled from Syracuse, connecting in Charolette and arriving at 2:15 Pst(5:15 est) where my son picked me up and we traveled by car to Santa Cruz.. Had a great dinner and checked into a Inn nearby.. in the morning we waled to a coffe shoppe and then walked to the beach.. back to the car and off to Monteray to the antique shop that I had read about.. afterspending an hour there and buying myself a sterling silver bangle , we went for more coffee and then off to Carmel.. great shops and back in the car to drive down Rout 1 along the coast.. It was beautiful.. but a little stressful with it's sharp curves and no guard rails over huge cliffs.. we made it to his house last night  and are having a relaxing day today..

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.



Here's an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,300 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

WELCOME 2013

Happy New Year.. I always love new years.. A time to reflect back to all the positive things that happened that year, remember all the sad things but know that it is a brand to start.. a clean slate for the coming year and all the possibilities that are to come..

2012 was good to me in a lot of ways..

My family is healthy and happy and that is always my first priority.. My granddaughter ( 18 Months old) is the sweetest child on the planet.. OK.. I am a little bias BUT that's the way I see it.. Both my boys  are happy in their lives  and I am so proud of the wonderful men they have become..  and My husband ..wow almost 33 years is as kind, loving and supportive  as when we first met.. without him I would not be able to pursue my Passion " The Vintage Room" .. he has been my rock in getting my business off the ground.. and   I am so grateful and blessed in so many ways..

My " Sisters" are always there when I need them... and always supportive of this crazy passion of mine.. calling  and encouraging me when I am doing a show.. which I did 14 of this past year!! even Picking for me off the side of the road, or if they are somewhere  and see something they think I would want , send me a picture.. Now , even, becoming more involved and Making things for me!! Thanks, Joan!!

And My Friends.. always supportive in so many ways:  helping me set up for shows, giving me much needed advise and support, doing the shows with me, coming to shops and shows and purchasing my treasures, and always encouraging me to follow my dream ..

I LOVE YOU all so much and appreciate each one of you in my life.. I have so many positive people in my life and am truly blessed..

Here we go ... 2013...

A good start to the year  will be my trip.. one week from today to California to see my youngest son.. he has taken the whole week off and we are meeting in San Francisco.. and driving to LA along the coast with lots of stops in between at wineries, antique shops, restaurants ( he likes to eat at GREAT places), stopping in places like Santa Cruz, San Jose, Santa Maria,  Los Olivos, Santa Barbara, Carpenteria, and Pasadena and going to the Rose Bowl Flea Market.. spending time in LA before flying home.. Can't wait!!   Because of this trip I will not be doing the January Syracuse show as planned!!

I have many other shows planned and  will post a list soon.. so check back!!

While on my trip I will post when I can of all the great places we go..

Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR .. one filled with love, peace, friends and contentment ..

Here is a picture of my First sale of 2013..  painted for Rebecca..



Thanks for a wonderful year.

Happy Hunting,

Colleen

October Show...

 

Wow.. It is already the last day in Oct... which means it is Halloween.. which now that my boys are 31 and 27 (tomorrow).. Happy Birthday to Jeremy.  I don't really decorate too much... I go for more the fall decorating..  gourds , pie pumpkins  and white pumpkins in a big Silver plate punch bowl on the coffee table is my way of welcoming the fall..[slideshow]

 

 I also wanted to share with you some of the great people I met at the last show I did at the Syracuse Autumn Antique Show last weekend.. I was a great show ..

  This is Margaret who bought Spoon jewelry..

 

  She was having so much fun deciding which to choose.. she decided on a pearl pendant!! hope she loves it as much as I did making it.. Thanks!!

 

   I also met Pam and John.. they went home with a great beveled mirror with a Paris theme and a vintage wash stand.. They saw it, fell in love and took them home

[caption id="attachment_482" align="aligncenter" width="225"] More happy shoppers!![/caption]

 

    I met so many wonderful people with the same love for VINTAGE, Romantic , French, chippy, shabby.. treasure as I have.. 

  After the show I received so many nice comments through e-mail and on my Facebook page.. great note from the mom whose daughter bought my french chair.. she had been looking for a chair for her desk and it was the perfect fit.. and from Janet, whose  daughter goes to Oswego and will be getting her own apt. soon and loves the shabby Chic look.. and Jennifer, who just moved here and was excited to be at the show and is now looking forward to the Jr. League show.. ( the next show I will be at .. Nov.16-18.. also at the Syracuse Fairgrounds.. but that is another post.. to come ) 

 

  I so love what I do... I am very blessed  to have the wonderful support from wonderful friends and family.. Val.. you are awesome.. thanks so much for coming and helping with set up and coming back with Michael to see the show.. you rock those boots..    and Sandi.. my champion cheerleader, who always has such positive things to say about my displays and " treasures".. thanks so much for coming to the show and helping .. and Shopping..and of course Tim, who is always willing to do whatever.. he left Sunday with " STUFF' tied to the top of his car.. and my Friend and fellow junker, Vicki. ( the Gypsy Paintbrush.. who came up from North Carolina for 2 weeks to do the show). we had so much fun shopping.. sure we can fit it..  painting, going to auction ( what were we there for about 8 hours), packing, unpacking, repacking... but just hanging and drinking wine was a treat.. Thanks so much for all the advice and tips you've shared.. it is much appreciated..

 

   well,  until next time.. Happy hunting..

 

Peace and love,

Colleen

Where did September Go???

Hello...

Is it really October already???

I thought with taking the month of Sept. off of doing any shows I would be "CAUGHT UP"" ..   I guess in this business that NEVER happens.. any down time is filled with Painting, Sewing, or my favorite.. SHOPPING.. which includes auctions, estate sales, flea markets , house calls, antique malls and picking junk from the side of the road , which proved to be my best pick of the month, thanks to my sisters.. who spotted a Very French Sofa on the side of the road and after trying to get it in Both of their cars, had to call me to bring my van ( and husband) ...that thing was heavy.. Only wish I knew how to reupholster... That will be a winter project.. though I am not saying what year that will happen in..
Also, in Sept, both my sons were here for the long Labor Day weekend.. which was the first time in over 3 years that we.. both kids, my husband and I were together .. so I took every minute I could with them.. We had so much fun.. and of course, it went by way too fast..

Sept.. is like NEW YEARS for me.. My husband is a teacher, so it is back to school and Garden harvest time..( which will be a new post in a day or two..)  It is tax time too.. Time to  have the furnace serviced and the chimney sweep comes to clean the stove pipe, time stack the wood for the winter.. and change the closet from summer to winter..UGG!

!  Though I love the change of seasons .. I do not like to be cold... I prefer 80 to 30 degrees!!!

I have been busy sewing this week.. I have 2 large shows in the next couple month and open houses at both shops I am in and also a lot of painting to get done before the snow flies.. I will post more pictures soon...

HAPPY HARVEST..
Colleen

Wedding Flowers..

Hello ..  . it is a beautiful fall day today.. just put an apple crisp in the oven and started a pot of my favorite fall soup.. Butternut squash ( from our garden )with apples..

Just wanted to share a story with you and a couple pictures...

A few months back a good friend of mine asked me to help her daughter with the flower arrangements for her oldest daughters wedding.. I had helped with hers too..

For months we had been scouring Thrift shops for glass bowls with Silver plate rims.. together we collected 21 of them and 4 small ones .. Ashley, the brides sister used the looking glass spray paint to give them all the mercury glass look.. they came out beautiful..

Friday, her and I set up shop in one of my barns and got to work.. it took us about 8 hours to get all the arrangements done.. they were in the purple, plum and eggplant shades.. we had to do a little improvising because when we went to pick up the flower order it had not come in  ( they had somehow switched the pick up date) .. so we used purple hydrangeas , spider mums and purple tulips,instead of the daliahs, purple kale and deep purple carnations.. along with the flowers they had in stock that we had chosen to you.. the same look was achieved..( we did have to raid my husbands garden of all his kale to give it some greens )..

The wedding was beautiful and the flowers were a hit.. just goes to show you .. you can't worry if things don't go EXACTLY as planned.. just do your best..

[slideshow]

The best was I brought one of the arrangements home and it looks wonderful on my coffee table.. lucky me

Have a great week.

Love and peace,

Colleen

Fall is in the Air

Munchkin Pumpkins, Small and Large Gourds are now available from The Vintage Room at The Savvy Chick