So long, Summer ~ til next year!

{caprese salad}

Good bye to summer ~ and my favorite summer delicacies. No more caprese salads with fresh heirloom tomatoes and basil, and no more corn on the cob ~ until next year!

The boys also feel a bit nostalgic about summer treats ~ the cicadas are gone as well... Every summer evening around 9:00 the scots get mighty restless and demand to go out so they can rustle up a crunchy snack. I don't know what it is about cicadas that they find so tasty, but they go to great effort to find them ~ Speck is especially fond of them and will do whatever he can to snatch them away from Sprocket. Apparently, it isn't that unusual for dogs and cats to find cicadas tasty ~ if they eat too many though, they can get blocked digestive tracts ~ read more details here.

Can't say I am sad to see the cicadas go ~ they aren't anywhere on my list of favorite summer snacks!

{mmm, mmm, just ripe for the picking!}

{Speck has his eye on an extra crispy cicada}

{Sprocket is busy rustling up a cicada in the potted urn ~ it is the first place he checks}

Finds from the show

{great graphics on these lotto cards}

This weekend the weather cooperated and I was able to get some photos taken of my finds from last week's antique show. As you can see I didn't get quantity, but was pleased with what I did come home with! I also have the added bonus of not being broke ~ hurray!

The cards above are some very old flash cards ~ the dealer selling them had gotten them from a retired schoolteacher. I thought the silhouette images were so interesting ~ I've never seen flash cards like these before.

Also found a beautiful piece of antique lace ~ I love all the little details in the pattern. The button card below also beckoned ~ mostly because of the handmade graphic across the top ~ the buttons aren't much to write home about.

{antique cuffs ~ hoping to use these in some sort of art project}

I also picked up a little recipe booklet for Jell-o from 1931 ~ the graphics on the cover and throughout are just beautiful ~ it is sad that this sort of illustration and attention to detail seems to have gone by the wayside. Not sure about some of the food combinations such as Jellied Cooked Lettuce, Orange Moss, Chicken Mousse, or the Ham & Celery Loaf (shown below), but the illustrations make all of them look appetizing. According to the copy inside, Jello-O dishes have "looks" - gay, sparkling, quivery, luscious looking, they lend appetite appeal to a meal! Some day we plan to have a pot luck jello mold party ~ I guess this little cookbook will come in handy for that!

{front and back cover of book ~ love the design!}

{mmm, mm, ham & celery loaf}

{lovely two color illustration ~ this style used throughout the booklet}

{Peach Delight ~ this one does look tasty!}

Old Summit Antique Show Highlights

{charming display of personalized items}

It has been awhile since I have posted some shots from an antique show I have attended ~ for that matter it has been longer than I realized since my last posting ~ time has just gotten away from me! It isn't that I haven't been going on my weekend antiquing trips, it is just that I have gotten lazy with preparing the photos ~ sooner or later I will get around to it, but maybe things won't end up being in chronological order ~ oh well, will that really matter?

{This would have been a great shot if I had moved that giant tag!}

Last weekend was the Old Summit Antique Show at John Knox Village ~ it is one of my favorite shows in the area ~ great antique dealers and lots of interesting and unique items to look at. The lighting in the auditorium is always a challenge when taking photos ~ I usually end up with quite a few duds, but that is what Photoshop is for!

As usual, as I sorted through the images I liked, I have ended up with a few themes: displays/vignettes that I admired, great graphics, alphabet items, and then just a couple of interesting things. So, in addition to those above, below are some more lovely vignettes I spotted at the show . . . .

{section of piano keys used as a backdrop}

{Sumptuously spooky settee}

Then there are always all the graphics to notice at these shows ~ it's a good thing I have a camera so that I can take all of them with me ~ I'd be in some serious trouble (not only would I be on Hoarders, but I would be in debt as well) if I bought all of the stuff I love! I don't even like black licorice, but if this box were sold with it, I would buy lots!

{amazing cast iron stove grill}

{Uncle Wiggily, not Uncle Wiggly as I had thought}

{box of vintage flash cards ~ some with silhouettes}

Alphabet items are also something I am always drawn to ~ this puzzle was kind of weird as the diecut pieces are an alphabet, but they don't seem to have any relationship to the image the puzzle makes. I also wondered why it is a "Victory" puzzle - perhaps it helped support the British troops?

{my favorite ~ just love this little tin alphabet plate!}

{sweet little beaded birds on a pincushion}

{hand stitched felt placemat ~ love the simplicity of this piece}

{can never resist anything with drawers or compartments ~ this would be great in a kitchen!}

{quirky price tag holder}

{whimseys ~ both big and small}

{Cool silver globe pieces ~ wish I had asked what they were used for}

Yikes, it is 1am ~ where did the night go?! Tomorrow morning I am planning on getting up early to go to Antiques on the Common ~ another fun antiques show held under tents out in the country ~ can't wait! I'm sure I will have some great things to share with you from this show too! Happy Weekend to all!

If You Missed the Opening . . .

Just in case you missed the Curious Sofa Halloween Show or live too far away to make it, I thought I would post some photos so you would get an idea of what you missed! The photos below are of the artists' work at the show ~ visit here, here, and here to see some wonderful shots of the store display. As some of the artwork is remaining through the Halloween season and more items are being added daily, make sure to visit Curious Sofa to see everything in person ~ it is an amazing store and always provides great inspiration every season. For those of you out of town, Curious Sofa has just opened an online store here.

{Greg Johnson's wonderful display of paper treasures}

{Diane & Madeline Tompkins' array of masks & letterpress}

{Michelle Spaw's beautifully crafted treat bags}

{Lesa Dailey's lovely paper shoes}

The remaining photos below are of the work I did for the show ~ thanks to Scurvy the opossum and a printer problem, I didn't get as much finished as I would have liked, but the show must go on! I managed to get through the stressful parts and had tons of fun participating in this show

My approach this time around was to stick to a limited color palette and avoid obvious Halloween icons ~ my main reason for doing that is because the work I do is time intensive, thus higher priced, so I wanted to make sure that those that purchased an item would be able to wear it for more than one day of the year. I did try to incorporate some themed imagery in my packaging ~ and then of course, the Devilish Dog Accessories broke all of my self imposed rules!

{Selection of brooches inspired by mourning jewelry}

{New brooch designs ~ inspired by Victorian ribbon cocardes used in millinery}

{Crocheted masks in cream and black}

{Crocheted earrings complete with spider themed packaging}

{Devilish Dog Accessories ~ devil horns for your dog to wear}

{Dog stand~in for when Sprocket is not available}

{Devilishly handsome models & spokesmen ~ Dick & Sprocket}