Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair!

Hi Friends:

What have we been up to here at Georgia's? We've been buying, polishing, and arranging our finds for the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair. We are celebrating spring at one of the most beautiful shows in the country and will be taking lots of pictures so you, too, can be inspired! Have a look at some of the garden inspired finds we are bringing along:

 Antique cast iron planter sporting ivy, golden moss and calandiva.

Dessert plates: Limoge, Spode, Royal Albert and more!

Victorian cast iron flower basket door stop. Perfect for welcoming spring!

A great collection of vintage wicker wrapped bottles.

Vintage china place setting cigarette holders repurposed as mini planters.

We'll share more next week, in the meantime, have a great weekend from Georgia's!

Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Happy Friday Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the sights, sounds, tastes and one-of-a-kinds we loved!

Check out this vintage brass lamp. We love the over-sized shade and the bulbous base. This beauty is for sale, contact us if you are interested.

On our recent trip to Nashville, we fell for this cast iron vase that was sitting in a local antique store. We can't wait to fill it with moss and a cute plant for display (and sale) at the upcoming Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair. If you are local, we'd love to see you!

How pretty is this vintage Akro agate slag glass planter! We love.

We're jealous! This picture of beignets and cafe au lait was sent to us from our favorite patron of Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. Thank you for the pic, but next time send the beignets!

Top 3 Places for a Mirrored Vanity Tray!

Mirror, mirror on the vanity? ...or dresser, or chest of drawers, or even the wall! That's right, we are talking about mirrored vanity trays and the three places we love them most.

Here goes:

1. We love a mirrored tray where else but in a bathroom. These vintage beauties, that come in an array of shapes and sizes, are perfect for  perfume bottles and miscellaneous vessels that hold everything from jewelry to bathroom essentials.

2. How about placing a large tray on a dresser or chest of drawers in the bedroom. Not only will the gold filigree add elegance and charm to your dresser top, but the tray is also a perfect place to display a cute flower arrangement or corral sentimental collectibles.

3. And finally, on a wall. Add a mirrored tray to a gallery wall or display a collection of vanity trays on a wall. The possibilities are endless with these oh so usable relics from the past.

Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Happy Friday Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the sights, sounds, tastes and one-of-a-kinds we loved!

There is just something so homey about vintage blue and white china. We understand why it's so collectible!

How much do you love this antique brown transferware butter pat plate! These plates are perfect for corralling the little things: paper clips, rings, pills and they look charming!

As you may know from our previous post, Cooking With Cast Iron, we love cast iron cookware. The history in this display left us in awe. If you own a cast iron skillet give this PureWow Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe a try:

Yum!

While we're talking food, have you heard of LYFE Kitchen restaurants? We are excited to see the arrival of this restaurant committed to intelligent eating, freshness, local sourcing and sustainability. Ready in minutes, LYFE serves up inspired, delicious, good-for-you dishes. It's fast food that takes care of your body!

We spotted this bunny rabbit at a recent antique show and were sad to find him sold. Wouldn't it make a great door decor for spring?

Have a great weekend, friends, and don't forget to "spring forward"!

Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Snowflake pattern seen with the naked eye!

Hi Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the one-of-a-kind finds and winter sights we loved!

Persian rug pillows! We spotted these at an antiques show and were charmed. Love the texture, patterns and muted colors! 

Isn't the patina on these antique turned wood candle holders just lovely!

We couldn't pass up this 1905 Cyclopedia of Law and Procedure set; the leather bound books have such great character! Why not stack a couple in an office or family room for that comfortable, lived in feel.

The snowpack in our neck of the woods is considerable so we spent a day embracing the winter conditions and went snowshoeing. The vistas were amazing! Can you sense the peaceful hush?

 

 

 

Have a great weekend!

Tole Tray Display!

Walls. We all have at least four of 'em. We can paint them and wallpaper them but sometimes they just need a touch of something extra -something that will provide depth and charm, visual interest and intrigue. 

I love displaying collections on my walls - from silver tray arrangements (click here to see my post "Silver Tray Array") to a grouping of mismatched plates to a gallery wall that displays a myriad of pictures and memorabilia. Displaying our collections is a great way to express who we are.

So here's a new idea to spruce up the space between your four corners - a collection of tole trays displayed as wall art!  

It's so fun scouring markets and antique shows for tole trays. Traditional trays were made from thin metal (typically tin) covered in a black coating (originally a mixture of asphalt and shellac) to keep the trays from rusting. Today, you can still find these beauties in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

What makes these trays so spectacular, however, are the colorful designs they feature. Most designs were influenced by folk art and depict floral displays or fruit arrangements in perfect pastels, muted hues and everything in between. Some people collect only fruit designs while others collect only trays with pastel coloring. But most people, however, collect the trays that speak to their heart. 


So have fun scouring, then put your trays on display for all to enjoy. 

Happy collecting!

Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Happy Friday Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the sights, sounds, tastes and one-of-a-kinds we loved!

We have a crush on this vintage hat rack! It's sturdy enough to hold heavy winter gear, back packs and more!

Vintage leather chairs - yes please! And we'll take an afghan, cup of tea and a good book, too! These were spotted at Jayson Home, one of our favorite stops for unique finds.

When we found this large hammered metal bucket we were sure it was copper. Not so! A little polishing has revealed that it is brass. We love the leaf and vine details in the handles! Wouldn't it make a great container for a large plant or filled with fire wood? 

 About the only thing thriving in our neck of the woods is Tillandsia (air plants). We love this vessel designed especially for these botanic wonders. 

Ginger Molasses Cookies - perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Click the link for Georgia's tutorial on making these spicy, chewy treats!

Valentine's Day is next Friday. With that in mind, we wanted to share the late Eva Cassidy's "Songbird" with you. It is a beautifully sung love song from an immensely talented vocalist and guitarist known for her interpretations of the classics.