Out With the New, In With the Old

We joke with friends that the only modern things in our house are the TV, washer/dryer and the microwave.

Our air conditioner is from 1980.  Works fabulously and we have it serviced every year.  Our stove is a Chambers 1951 model.  Our lamps are all early 20th century.  You get the message.

I bought a funky table at an auction with a bum leg.  The table had the bum leg--not me. (grammar police!)

It is well made--heavy oak and from a gas station in central illinois.  It held the old brass cash register--great patina and finish--would be perfect as a lamp table on a porch or den.  But it had this bum leg--shorter than the others with a bit of rot.  It made sense to saw the other legs to even it out.  Makes it a better height anyway.

Where is the saw?  If you saw our garage you would understand why I could not find it.  But I did at last.

 My husband's hand saw that still has the bar code sticker on it.  I measured the legs--twice, marked them with pencil, and started to saw.  Piece of JUNK. Huge piece of junk.

Then I remembered I have inherited my grandfather's tool chest.  And it is full of my grandfather's and great grandfather's tools.  I dug around and come up with with this hand saw.  Huge.  Fits really well into my hand--The blade has some paint spatters and some surface discoloration.

Like cutting through butter.  Each pull was smooth, accurate, not bendy. Then I notice two initials stamped into the handle.  WW.  This isn't grandpa's saw, it is not even great grandpa's saw--it is GREAT GREAT grandpa William's saw.  William--born in 1855.  Now in 2014, it is cutting the legs down on my table.

Mission accomplished.

Thank You Elkhorn

Sunrise over the recent Elkhorn Antique Market.

August Elkhorn is good to us.  REALLY GOOD.  It is supposed to be the smallest and sleepy market of the four--but we say not.

Elkhorn draws about 10,000 shoppers and this market had about 500 dealers. Weather was beautiful. The selection of goods was especially quirky this time.

I told you there were quirky things...

This wonderful man sat in lots of traffic before set up.  Ain't he cute?? xoxoxoxoxoxo

If you like antiques and vintiques--Elkhorn needs to be on your fall calendar.  The last one of the season is September 28.  Fresh air, nice people and those Lion's Club brats. 

Five Reasons This Is a Great Summer of Antiques, Etc.

I choose not to agree that August 1st was the first day of meteorological autumn.  Nope, Na-Da , not yet.

Summer means non stop antiquing events and finding antiques that just say cool and calming and that just scream "Have an iced tea on your porch" kind of day.

I know these cool summer days are not everyone's favorite.  They are mine.  Windows open,  Cool nights.  Not much sticky humidity.  Great.

There are also some other items of note that means summer is not over.

*Non stop auctions in the midwest.  Not so many pure estate auctions. But good things are finding their way to the market.  Like the gorgeous 1825, American four drawer Sheraton Chest, flame birch, and tiger maple,  tiger top with beaded edge, birch case with thin turned legs.  Dovetailed legs have tiger fronts.  PERFECT.  Will be featured soon.

*Finding a new favorite auction house--and knowing NO ONE in the audience.

* Dear Husbola's little brown tomatoes that have been growing all summer long are really sugar sweet.

* My parents are celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary. (they waited DECADES to have me)

* No Japanese beetles so far.

*Another Elkhorn Antique Flea Market.

*Warm lemon scones on Friday's from the St. Charles  Farmer's Market.  Hazelnuts Cafe.  INCREDIBLE.

*Rediscovering old friends and enjoying new ones.

*Planning several months of good antiquing--and seeing the Collective Customer Checkbook has loosened a bit.  After all--we are selling things that people do not need.

So don't believe what the Always Wrong Anyway Weather People Say.  Plenty of summer left.

Who Lives Here?

There is something about paintings of other people's houses.

I don't know the people and I don't know the location of the houses  But I love to buy watercolors and paintings of farms and houses.  And other people love to buy them from us.

Great shading and detail--and how about those bee hives and  free range chickens?  From the days when all chickens were free range and the yolks were serious yellow.

An Indiana artist rendition of bucolic rural life...

A grey and white rendition of a farm and windmill.  Could be any midwestern farm.

Maybe these properties are long gone--I hope not.  But they are alive and well in these oil paintings.