THE GREEN SHAG MARKET PARKING LOT SALE # 3.

Looking forward to the 3rd The Green Shag Market parking lot sale Mark your calenders for June 22 and while you are there check out my booth #20 inside!

REMEMBER THIS???

How many of us remember a world before this throw away plastic world? A world where items were made of wood and meant to last a lifetime. Plastic has it's place in todays world. It's lightweight, cheaper and lot's of time very pretty. And yes, there are people that prefer it. I'm not one of them. I found this in a basement buried under piles of other items from the past. As soon as I saw this mid century mobile I knew it was coming home with me!



Okay, so it does have red plastic rings for small fingers to clasp and shake to make the jingle bells ring. I'm concentrating on the beautiful aged wood, colors and simple design. Even the cords holding it together are still intact.

Look at the strap, after 50+ years the buckles and springs are rusty but haven't broken. No push button adjustments here.



I admit, I'm old enough to remember these being used above a crib, on a stroller or a playpen (now called "pack and play" for younger readers) and will always be drawn to anything that reminds me of that time. Thankfully, if not thrown away, it will last forever for future generations to appreciate and love. Of course, with the rust, I would never allow a young child to play with it, but would be perfect for a vintage wall hanging in a child's room or even in an grown up child's craft room for a gentle reminder of the past.

ONE CHAPTER OF MY LIFE CLOSED, ANOTHER OPENED...

After much soul searching, I have closed my shop in Kimmswick. I know I had big plans, I even posted about them here. Life changes, however, and I decided to move my business closer to home.

This chapter of my life closed when I finally took my sign down, on the very last moving day. My last day of business had been a couple weeks earlier, I couldn't take it down until I knew I wouldn't be back. It just didn't seem real.


I want to thank all the wonderful vendors I've had over the year, especially Kathy from Timeless. She had just painted and moved into her room when I made the decision to close. She was a little mad, a little sad, a lot tired, but overall very understanding and continues to cheer me on in my future endeavors. A great new friend!

A special thank you to Debbie and Dale from the Bunny Patch for being the best friends you could ever ask for. Debbie and I went to market several times together, some of the best times of my life! I could fill a book with all our stories, including driving home in the middle of the night from Chicago in an ice storm, driving home from Kansas City and realizing our merchandise was flying out the window! lol! Dale was always there to offer a hand when I needed something moved or the grass mowed. You don't find people like this very often!

This is a picture of the Bunny Patch during Strawberry Festival. I would stop in almost daily before driving home. Sadly, they have sold their business and will be closing in a few months as well.


As for the next chapter, I'm going to continue to sell from my booth at The Green Shag Market and my 2 Etsy shops, Antiques Galore Gal and Vintage Tinsel.

I can't forget all the customers I've meet over the years, I hope you can follow me to The Green Shag where I'll be spending a lot of time. I have some ideas for the future, but will wait until I'm sure before I post. So stayed tuned and thanks to all!

The Green Shag Market LLC
5733 Manchester Ave
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 646-8687

TIMELESS, OUR NEWEST VENDOR AT ANTIQUES GALORE GAL

I'd like to introduce you to the newest vendor at Antiques Galore Gal. Kathy and her shop called Timeless. Offering a selection of vintage and handcrafted items that will blend in with any decor.

Kathy has been a long time doll collector and has brought in several dolls as well as doll clothes and paper dolls.

Do you like vintage clothes and vintage jewelry? She has both as well as some handcrafted necklaces.

She made this fabulous display from windows.

Her room is packed and I know you will enjoy looking around at her items. Be sure to stop in and say hi!

Booth space is still available, reserve your space now and move in before Strawbery Festival. No commision, no long term contracts!

My Mini Antique Mall

Goodness, it's been a while! I didn't plan on taking a break, but life has a way of taking over. A lot has happened the last 6 months, including the birth of a beautiful granddaughter, my second grandchild in 2 years. Another big event is person that shared my shop space retired and moved out. For the first time in years, I have the shop all to myself. I've decided to convert the upstairs to a mini "antique mall". Not as big of a change as you might think since I've always had a renters and items on consignment. However, I am now thinking of taking on about 20 quality antique dealers. The beginning is shown in the photo above. Much work had to be done in preparation for this, including cleaning, painting and booth spaces. As you can see, the wall color was very dark. I like dark colors, but it had started to look dingy.

I took the plunge and painted it a country white. The floors are painted a dark brown. A huge difference, but I'm liking it.

Here are a few photos ...

Stay tuned for more photos as I continue to work. I have 2/3 of the upstairs done, working on this last side which was painted yellow and will share photos as soon as it's completed.

Interested in booth space? Just stop by or call the store! Looking for quality vintage and handcrafted vendors.

100 DAYS OF SHOES IN KIMMSWICK, MISSOURI

The City of Kimmswick and the Friends of the Kimmswick Post Office are sponsoring 100 Days Of Shoes. The goal is to collect 100,000 pairs of shoes to donate to non profit organizations.

The official kick-off date is July 24th and will end October 28th. You can drop off your shoes at City Hall or any participating shops. These shops will have a sign posted that says they are a drop off site.

Kimmswick City Hall

Celebrity shoes will be auctioned to help cover the expenses for the shoe drive. Any funds remaining after the shoe drive is over will be used to help restore the Historic Kimmswick Post Office on Front Street in Kimmswick.

Here is a picture of the newly painted post office front.

And before it was painted.

More information on our historical post office and fund raising efforts.

For information on the 100 Days Of Shoes you can contact Michael Erbschloe at michaelerbschloe@cityofkimmswick.org

Father's Day "Get Grillin' Giveaway" Prize

I wanted to post about our Father's Day "Get Grillin' Giveaway" in Kimmswick.  The Kimmswick Retail Alliance sponsored this.  Customers got to fill out a raffle ticket for each purchase to be entered.  Our prize was a BBQ grill filled to the brim with all kinds of outdoor cooking items!  Also included was a gift certificate for $10.00 from  each participating store. Participating Merchants: Pattington Station, The Stamp Pad, Antiques Galore Gal/Campbell's Crafts, Classy N'Sassy, Bunny Patch, Dough Depot, Cherrika's, Kimmswick Keepsake, Tin Cup Gifts & Bistro. Check back for more information on our next event and giveaway!!

VINTAGE SEWING BASKET

I just had to post about this vintage sewing basket I found last week. My grandmother taught me how to sew on her treadle sewing machine when I was in high school. She gave me a similar one which I still have. I believe this one dates to 1940's or 1050's. It is made of a material similar to raffia, but possible a plastic. Funny how vintage lovers are always drawn to items that bring back fond memories. It takes us back to a time when women actually had the time to sit down and sew clothes for themselves and their families.

The inside is still intact, with minimal staining to the fabric. A loop to hold a thimble is in the center of the pin cushion on the back side of the top.

There are lots of uses for this little sewing basket. You could use it to store a keepsake, old letters or just about anything. You can find more information on this in my in my Antiques Galore Gal etsy shop.

MORE GRAPHICS FROM FREE PRETTY THINGS FOR YOU.

I asked for a spool design I could use to store, display and sell my sewing trims on. If you missed the post you can find it here. This is what she came up with.

I was out of white cardstock, so I used a soft yellow color, which made it look vintage. I can get several out of one page.

Isn't this a great way to present your items? Look how the blue just pops!

Even the white rick rack looks great.

My mind started to go to work just like it did with the other graphics Keren did for me. I thought, why not use it for a sales tag?

I just used some of the cardstock I printed the tags up on to write the price, then simply taped it to the cut out spool and added a string to hang with.

Thanks Keren for another great design! You can check out other designs on her Free Pretty Things For You blog.

Kimmswick Post Office Restoration Fund Raising Event

Post Office Restoration Fund Raising Event
May 5, 2012 3:00pm to 8:00pm
Tin Cup Gifts & Bistro
6025 Third Street Kimmswick, MO 63053

 My love of vintage is not limited to just antiques and collectibles. I also love old buildings, the older the better. This restoration project is the Kimmswick post office located on Front Street in Kimmswick, Missouri. It's been in operation since 1858. It currently is open 6 days per week until 12 noon. There is no mail delivery, only post office boxes.  As you can imagine, it is the hub for our little town and we want to preserve it!

Learn more about our historical post office and town.
http://www.cityofkimmswick.org/
Or on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/Kimmswick.Post.Office

Reservations for the Tin Cup event are recommended.
Call 636-464-4747

Donations for the silent auction are being accepted and appreciated!
For more information call Michael Erbschloe at 314-221-1886
or e-mail michaelerbschloe@cityofkimmswick.org

If you would like to help, you may use the Donate button on the City of Kimmswick site, or you can mail checks to:
Post Office Renovation Fund City of Kimmswick
P.O. Box 27
Kimmswick, MO 63053 

A big thank you to the Tin Cup Gifts and Bistro  and to Michael Erbschole for all their hard work!

NEW GRAPHICS BY FREE PRETTY THINGS FOR YOU.

I don't sell a lot of jewelry and what I do sell is mostly costume jewelry from mid century. One problem I had is not knowing the best way to display it. I'm happy to say that my problem has been solved! New graphics from Keren of Free Pretty Things For You were all that I needed. She can do anything from a single graphic to etsy banners and give your blog a new look! I asked for something retro, in bright colors and large enough to place clip earrings on.
This is one of the graphics she did for me, I'm absolutely loving it!! She did another one for my sewing trims which I'll do another post on later.

It's hard to choose a favorite, I love all of the colors! Here is how I was displaying my earrings. Not bad, I would place several in little baskets and sit them around.

Or like this...Recognize the pink earrings? That's right, they are the same ones shown above.

These are the ones in the plastic bag. Hmmmm...no comparison!

I think you will agree with me that these are so much nicer!!!



I love how I can coordinate the colors of the card to complement the jewelry.

I might add that the pink earrings and one pair of the rhinestone earrings sold immediately after I placed them on the cards after having been in my brick and mortar shop for months.
I can also use them for brooches...

Once I had the cards, my mind started seeing lots of possibilities like using it as a thank you card for my etsy shop.

And to announce sales!

I can probably sew my vintage buttons on one one as well.
Check back for post in a few days for another graphic Keren made for me. I'm using it for sewing trims and sales tags!

Thanks so much Keren !