We did it!

Time has passed and so much has happened. We sold our property and moved to Lac du Bonnet. The people who purchased our property in Anola have chosen to keep it as a private residence. Terry and I wish them all the best. Our home was a part of us for 30 years, and we leave it with saddened hearts, but wish upon the new owners a happy and loving home.
We are pretty much settled in our new home in Lac du Bonnet, and we are enjoying the beautiful winter season. However, life is a bit different,to say the least. Terry and I are "retired" from the "retail store" and are pondering our antique future. Surrounded by our faithful customers for so many years on a day to day basis, it is such a change to have just the two of us enjoying quiet in the household. Terry pays a lot of attention to "Bennie" the beagle. I don't think Bennie has been on so many adventures. I myself bake to my hearts content, enjoy the grandchildren, and sew once again. This spring will bring many challenges our way with landscaping. Something to look forward to.
Overall, we are starting to explore our surroundings. Decisions have to be made......

Much of the lore associated with the egg and the Easter bunny may be traced to Germany, where pagan tribes regarded the egg as the symbol of life's beginning, and its yolk and white as the sun and moon. It was the rabbit who served escort to the Teutonic goddess Ostara, whose name in an altered form became that of the festival, Easter.
The bulk of Easter collectibles relate in some way to either eggs or rabbits, however, other animal forms such as lambs, chickens, and ducks are found, and there are more toys than are associated with any other holiday except Christmas.
Hens and chickens run a distant second to the rabbit as Easter symbols.
The custom of decorating eggshells originated in eastern Europe. Blown eggs were embellished with bead work and decoupage, proving to be very fragile. Spun sugar eggs have been produced in Europe since the turn of the century. These often are made with an interior view of a lithographed, die-cut scene, or small three dimensional figures.
Greeting cards both penny postal type and envelope enclosed forms have been produced by English, American, and German printing houses since before 1900.

To start the year off, and to continue the theme of pre-retirement, we are at present having a 50% off sale in both the barn and the storage building. That includes every single "pumkins" inventory item, regardless if it is already sale tagged. A very good deal on a lot of items from furniture to smalls,collectibles, loose leaf teas, tea items, vintage linens,etc. We are open Saturdays and Sundays 11:00 to 5:00 for the month of March 2010.
Hope you can drop by and take advantage of our great deals!

As time passes by

Okay, so it is March 10 today and a new year. Where has the time gone?
I know my last post was October and I really do feel a bit guilty about my absence, but let me fill you in. Everyone knows that Christmas is a very busy time of year, and I focused on my family, and myself this year, and put my store on the shelf. Yes it can be done and I chose to do just that. I was scheduled for a right knee replacement shortly after the New Year, and I had to prepare myself for the ordeal. The operation went well, I survived, was laid up for 1 1/2 months, and slowly started to present myself to the world.
Now back to work.

Halloween, has a great variety of interesting collectibles. There are masks and costumes, a selection of lanterns, noisemakers, trick-or treat bags, toys, greeting cards, favors including candy boxes and various table, mantel, and room decorations, as well as a few cookie cutters and candy molds.

Better than 75% of available Halloween collectibles, including the majority of the most interesting, were made in Germany between 1890 and 1940. Being molded of papier-mache, many pieces have the look of one-of-a-kind, rather than a production-line quality. After 1930 Japanese firms began to produce similar objects. These pieces never had the sharpness of detail or the quality of decoration seen in the European work. Later after WW II, a third line appeared from Hong Kong, mostly made of plastic.

Halloween items of American origin are confined primarily to two areas: metal wares and paper goods. Marx and other well-known toy manufacturers ventured into this field, as did lesser - known metal stamping works.

Even before 1900 American paper doll manufacturers were producing books of Halloween figures that could be punched out and used as table decorations or sent as greeting cards, while most disposable paper tablecloths, napkins, and cups are still made in America.

The pumpkin form is often referred to as "Jack-o-Lantern" as its flickering light was formerly thought to resemble the will-o-the-wisp or fox fire, phosphorescent light caused by rotting vegetation in swampy areas. Among the Chinese it is termed "Emperor of the Garden" and is a symbol of fruitfulness and health.

As a young child and being born very close to Halloween, I acquired the nickname "PUMKIN". Well, now my secret is out! The rest is history.

I love the excitement of the hunt, for my next "Jack o Lantern", but through the years, Halloween collectibles are few and far between.

This past Thanksgiving I showed my 4 grandkids my collection, and they were in awe. Most of the earlier pumpkins were quite frightening in appearance, and with this in tow "was the best ever"...according to the little "Pumkins" in my life.

Playing with paper

Did you know that in the summer months, Victorian ladies wore hats, frocks, and party costumes made out of paper?
When all hats were lovely and large, paper hats made their debut in polite society, being worn traditionally, at evening parties, costume parties, church, school, and society entertainments. They were not only stylish, and wearable, but practical at a fraction of the price. Paper hats were also said to be "remarkably" durable, light and comfortable, easy to make and unlimited in variety.
An illustration from a Dennison catalogue, a major crepe and tissue paper manufacturer, shows hats whose crepe paper was so beautifully layered that it could have been mistaken for fabric or straw. The hats ranged from flowery mob caps to tassel-trimmed caps to
wide- brimmed picture hats. The cost of the hats ranged from $1.03 to $1.07 for the materials which included the wire, mercerized thread, paste, etc.
Hats and dresses were not the only clothing items concocted from paper - a magazine advertisement of the era also mentions parasols and fans.
The making of paper hats was still popular as late as 1920. By the early 1930's fancy paper hats were formed on skull cap foundations made of crepe paper 10" wide and long enough to fit around the head. The ends were pasted together, and while on the head, the top edge was gathered together and tied with a wire. Among the crepe paper fantasies which grew out of these skull caps were bouquets, summer moths, pinwheels and irises, all for party wear.
Today the French are among the only adults who still wear fancy paper hats - and then, only at parties.
You may enjoy playing with paper as much as the Victorians did.
As a young girl, in the late 50's, I remember making a flared skirt for Halloween with crepe paper. I can still remember buying the crepe paper sheets at Woolworth store downtown Winnipeg, for a very reasonable price, (which it had to be as I was paying for it out of my piggy bank). I would lay out the sheet , measure the width cut, and begin scalloping the edges of each length. Believe me this took forever! After all the lengths were done I pasted the strips of scalloped crepe paper together in rows to form a skirt. It was truly lovely. (in my eyes anyway). I was always creating in my younger years, I can still remember putting my moms clothes pins in a row at the hem of my dresses. It felt sooo neat! As you walked you could hear the clothes pins clicking together. When it was canning time at our house, I also use to take moms jar rings and utilize them as costume jewelery. I believe I was about 6 or 7 at the time. I wonder if mom knew we were helping ourselves to her household items?

What a prise possession! Here is a beautiful "NewHaven Clock Company" 3 piece mantel clock. It is featured in the St. Louis Clock Company wholesale catalogue and selling for a whopping $43.50 in 1904. It features rich gold and fancy bronze. It is a 8 day clock, with porcelain dial and inlaid porcelain panels, featuring cherubs. All the porcelain is in very good condition. The set comes with key and is in working condition. The side candles are complete with snuffs.

SOLD