ULLABENULLA

Antiquing With ArtsyMama!

We are finally home from our holiday trip to Minnesota! We had a beautiful WHITE Thanksgiving, (the snowflakes were as big as moths...) with all the trimmings! The highlight for me was my day with Kari of Artsy Mama! Her POST about our day, captures the true spirit of our whirlwind adventure! Kari picked me up at 10:00, with a bundle of maps on her lap, that took us to 'estate sales' and 'shops' all around Minneapolis and St. Paul. My Husband was so surprised at how much ground we covered in a day!

I felt like I hit a home-run even before we began shopping, with the lovely gifts that Kari presented me. Beautiful Handmade cones held a wonderful 'U' mug, divine soap, and a charming vintage pipecleaner angel! She also spoiled me with bits and pieces of old paper, postcards and ribbons.

Kari introduced me to Minneapolis' Estate sales, and I'll tell you, I wish I could join her each and every weekend! It was such a delight shopping with a like-minded friend and artist, finding treasures and antiques together! Here is Kari after our favorite Estate Sale, where we scored wonderful old books, ephemera and other goodies! Isn't she adorable? And thats me pointing to one of the yellow 'Birkeland' estate sale sign's, that kept us running all morning...

Next we went to Hunt & Gather Antiques, an amazing shop filled with cabinets, boxes and bins bursting with an artists trove of delictable finds!!! I think we could have stayed there all afternoon if our hunger had not intervened!

Rooms were color-coordinated... and we found many wonderful displays to enchant and inspire us! (just look at this tree held up with Vintage books)

Here we are catching our breath at the front counter! (Don't you just love the Christmas display with red water-bottles, and a fire-hat?) As you can see, Christmas was in the air, and I found a few new treasures to use in my classes!

A good day of shopping deserves a good meal, and this was no exception. We did manage to pull away (not till 3:00 though!) and spent our last hour eating and sharing stories...

THANK YOU KARI for a Fairytale like day - My wish is that there will be many more!!!

(illustration from a real treasure of a book that I'll share later)

A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Another little peek into my decor... I have had this Miniature Dutch Floral Painting for years. I love the lush full blooms and slight decay. Matching in color, a delightful pair of fabric Cherry's, a birthday gift from the ever talented Constance!!! perched in a repro. santos hand... And overlooking it all, a tiny Wayang rod-puppet, given to me years ago by my god-father. Beauty indeed!

A Cherished Collection!

After getting a few comments about my 'bridal wreath collection' seen in my birthday photos, I decided I should do a post on them. The History of Victorian Wedding Orange Blossoms is old and romantic.

"Incorporating orange blossoms into the bride's costume originated in ancient China where they were emblems of purity, chastity and innocence. There are few trees so prolific as the orange; it is one of the rare plants that blooms and bears fruit at the same time, thus becoming symbolic of fruitfulness. During the time of the Crusades, the custom was brought from the East first to Spain , then to France , then to England in the early 1800's. By then, many enchanting legends had spread throughout the continent of maidens entwining fresh orange blossoms into a bridal wreath for their hair... Queen Victoria created the vogue for the sweet smelling blossoms when she wore them in a grand wreath for her 1840 wedding... When real orange blossoms were in short supply or in northern climates where citrus fruits did not flourish, wax replicas were used instead."

When I saw my first wreath, I fell in love with the sentiment of someone creating these lovely flowers of wax to be worn by a bride - and only later learned of their history. I was lucky to find a few wreaths in local antique shops a number of years ago, and then searched Ebay for others. Word got around and a lovely woman in Berkeley told me she was selling her collection and suddenly I had more than I knew what to do with! At that point I had a vision of displaying them like a quilt, each on individual boards, as you see above. Once I was able to create a square of 25 wreaths I stopped collecting - where would I put any more??? I did add a 'French Marriage Globe' to my collection (used by wealthy brides to display their wreaths and bouquets) - which I adore. Most of my wreaths are French. My favorite ones are those that look like real Orange blossoms, (this one came with the Wedding Menu card!)

Many are very decorative, with pearls and ribbons added on; shaped like wheat sheaths or spring berries... One is completly made of gold paper, and another came with the grooms bow-tie! I love them all, for their romantic symbology and sweet sentiment!!!

Out and About...

I was in Berkeley yesterday, and fell in love with this magnificent painting at 'Tail Of The Yak'! Unfortunately it was $8,000.00 out of my price range!!! Ahhhh, but a girl can dream... Isn't she lovely???

Kimberlee's Golden Goose!

Truly, I know no one better at finding fabulous antiques than Kimberlee Edgar!!! Just look at this Golden Goose!!! So imagine my surprise when I received a giant box filled with vintage paper goodies, all individually wrapped in black and white paper! Oh my, I am telling you, the Golden Goose lays 'Black and White' eggs, no lie, and they found their way to my doorstep in all their glory! THANK YOU KIMBERLEE!!!

The Rabbit That Really Was A Chicken!

I found this wonderful little old lady chalkware figure on Ebay last week, for a bargain price of $ 2.00! She was labeled "Old Lady With Rabbit in basket - ears missing..." and looked too delightful to pass by. When she arrived, there was no doubt that the rabbit was actually a chicken, with its beak and comb missing! The little lady also had a chip on her nose, but certainly not on her shoulder. A little bit of clay, (I'll add some paint later...) and this delightful couple is now ready to greet Easter with a new flock of friends!!!

Inkwells For Your Desk

Working at the Castle has given me a great appreciation for fine inks, dip-pens and calligraphy. Although I do not own an inkwell, it is something I fantasize about owning someday. I love how many antique inkwells are figural in style and quite whimsical - although almost always out of my price range... Which of these from Ruby Lane would you chose???

Game For Sunday!

Just look at this delightful game called "Les Contes de Fees" (Tales Of Fairies) from 1890 and available at Ruby Lane. I love that the cards have little moving parts - wonder what they are for? Can't really tell if this is a dark or light-hearted game - sure to keep one busy...

Chocolatier's Confectionary Box

"Hard to imagine a life before chocolate. But chocolate is a relatively recent pleasure, and in its early European days, (late 1700s to early 1800s) one only for the very wealthy. Cocoa was among the early treasures imported from the expanding 'new world' as Far Eastern travel and trade became more readily available in the mid to late 1700s. Chocolate was a European symbol of wealth and power. Because cocoa and sugar were both expensive imports, only those with money could afford to drink chocolate, or to consume the early confections made with the delicacies. In fact, in France, chocolate was a state monopoly that could be consumed only by members of the royal court. So, you can see why these very early confections came with lovely boxes, and in caskets one might think should belong to fine jewelry, instead. The earliest French chocolatiers such as Boissier and others developed recipes for chocolate candies called 'bon bons' and, judging from my own relationship with chocolate, it should still be outlawed for the French to make such beautiful and absolutely irresistable confections. ... These boxes housed chocolates more profoundly valuable than most any other substance, so you see why the presentation was worthy of such detail. To receive or to give chocolates then was something only dreamt of by commoners, and as noted, relegated to the Royals, their favorites, Courtiers. (Available from Ruby Lane)

Traveling in Style

Just once, I would love to have the wardrobe, income and party (not to mention good looking "Man-power") to use this Virtine Sedan Chair for grocery shopping... Wouldn't you? (from Ebay)

Perhaps this little tapestry-covered mini sedan would look lovely on your coffee table? (from French Metro Antiques) Or an even smaller one for your pocket watch? (from Ruby Lane I just adore the shape, design and concept of these 'chairs'...