Threshing Bee

 

Have you ever heard of one of these?  Wikipedia describes "Threshing" as the process of loosening the edible part of cereal grain (or other crop) from the scaly, inedible chaff that surrounds it. And a "Threshing Bee" is a festival held in communities to commemorate this process.

The Threshing Bee in Sycamore, IL is this weekend and it starts Thursday!  These pic's are from last years show. I'm ALWAYS up for a day in the country, so last year I dragged my whole family to this thing to check out exactly what it was.  It turned out to be one of the neatest experiences I've had.

Have to park far away? No fear, they've got tractors all over picking people up and shuffling them where they need to go.  The kids were sold as soon as they got out of the car!

Right when you walk in, they have all the machines lined up.  They are a sight!  Being someone that has no idea about this kind of machinery, I was instantly impressed by these train like machines. They were gigantic and powerful!

This one was filling up with coal...as you can see in the background.

 

The best part of the whole show is the parade.  It is at 1:30 everyday.  Do not miss this! The parade is a showcase of all the different machines.  Each one is SO different from the next.  I can easily say it was the most facinating parade I have ever seen.  And I've seen the parade at Disney World, so that is saying something!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The festival also has many other activities to see and participate in.

There are many different farm displays.

 

There is a petting zoo and pony rides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    There are military displays.

There is even a mini flea market with great prices!

If you are in the area this weekend I HIGHLY recommend this event.  It is such a neat thing to see. I have to say, one the best parts of the Bee is the people. Country people are definately the nicest people around.  So welcoming.

The fest is this Thursday thru Sunday(11th-14th).  Try and make it out.  You won't be dissapointed!

Click here for the Threshing Bee website and to get more info.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up North Stash

This week my family and I are on vacation at the cabin in Eagle River.  I have been very busy scouting all the garage sales, and resale shops in town.  Mom and Anne and I already had a good start left over from the 4th of July.  I wanted to share some of our finds. 

 
 

As you can see, we have a ton of small furniture pieces.  Dressers, nightstands, benches, stools, even a small settee.
 
I love old dictionaries.  Check out the illustrations in the old gardening book. 

 
I picked up an adorable set of Frenchy looking side tables.  They would make perfect nightstands.  Can't wait to get some paint on them and bring them back to life.

 
I love the color in these vintage fish plates.  They are really cool, and yet pretty.

 
Have you heard?  I'm bringing snack sets back!  I'm telling you, we should all be eating our meals on these pint size plates.  They come in tons of different patterns, are very reasonable, and even make cute dresser plates to corral jewelry on. 

 
A little something for the walls.

 
I wasn't sure about these, but I think they are pretty cute.

 
There are three sweet florals in this set.

 
 
I love, love, love old diner dishes.  I scored a box of cups at a farm sale.

I also have 2 dressers and an old chippy white flip top desk to pick up in the morning!  Dad is more than happy to come up later this week to help us get it all home. 

 

The Frizzle Boys

Remember my rooster?

This was him...Mr. Frizzle.  I miss him so much. He now lives on a wonderful farm up in Sharon, Wisconsin.  I did a whole post on his new farm and owners.  Well, his new owner is such a sweetheart, she called me when she hatched some of his offspring this spring and offered me as many as I wanted. I only had room for one new chicken, so of course I took 2.

Here they are....Annie and Charm. Uh-oh...looks like we are going to have to rename them.  They grew up to be roosters.  Thats the thing about getting chicks.  Usually you don't know what they are until they are a little older.  So you take your chances and hope for hens.  I got 3 new chicks this spring...all roosters.  Dammit!

This is Marge.  Some of you might have met her at the shop back in April when she was just a chick. I think she is a rooster as well.  But I hear Silkie roosters are sometimes quiet.  So far he hasn't made a peep. I'm hoping he stays that way.  As for these two...

I think I may need to find homes for these guys.  My neighbors will soon be complaining about noise or cockfighting since they can't keep their claws of each other.  One second they are the best of friends, the next they are fighting.  Must be something with brothers...my boys act the same way.

I'm really sad about having to get rid of this one. He is going to be BEAUTIFUL.  And he is a sweet guy, which is not very common for roosters.  Maybe I'll keep him and see what happens.  Wait...whats that noise???  It's 8:30 at night...what in God's name is making that racket??

Oh...

Anyone wanna buy a rooster?

 

 

 

Cows, a new dining room, a confession, and a few favorite things...

Have you ever found that piece that just speaks to you?  The one that makes your heart skip a beat?  Well, I have actually found a couple lately and they were actually reasonable enough for me to take home!

I know.....I actually teared up(no joke) when I pulled her out of the packaging(I found her on Ebay).  Isn't she FABULOUS??  Talk about my heart skipping a beat, I almost had a heart attack when I found her.  I know a lot of you probably don't understand, but I just can't explain it.  I LOVE her.  She is a very old original painting of a cow.  She is signed by "Grandma Glidden."  I don't know who that is, but thank you grandma!  I love her so much, I actually re-did my entire dining room to make her feel at home.

 
Here she is on my dining room wall flanked by some antique platters.  I'm going to get her a new fabulous gold frame so she will stand out more.  Most people that see her think I'm NUTS. My dad thinks she's dirty and a little gross, my husband thinks of steak when he looks at it, and my boys keep saying, "I thought you loved chickens?"  But I don't care...I love her and she speaks to me.  

Speaking of cows...remember that post we did about Elkhorn and Julie showed the cow that was on the cover of Country Living magazine? 

Ta-da! I found her!!! Do you beileve it?  The one at Elkhorn was $385, this one was about 95% cheaper.  I swear.  She is missing her tail, an ear, and one horn is bent, but I love her just as much.  She shares the dining room with my other girl.

There she is sitting on the fabulous white buffet from the shop. Yes, I took it home. I also took the picture on the wall...

two scales...

two chippy shabby chairs, an old medicine cabinet...

 

The duck egg antique dresser, the Galena picture and my next favorite thing...

this awesome old chippy stool.  Yes, I stole this from the shop as well as the wire basket full of ball jars. This stool was actually for sale at the shop for the first couple weekends we were open, then I snuck it in back behind the curtain where it sat for a couple sales until my mom and sister forgot about it and then I put it in my trunk.  See, I take a lot of things from the shop(my mom calls it "eating our profits"), so sometimes I have to sneak things out.  But it is definately one of my favorite things.

Alright..while I'm at it...I might as well confess...I took the table, canning jar holder, platter, and boat from the shop as well.  The "Leahy's Eggs" sign my mom actally made FOR me so that doesn't count.  And the chairs around the table are mine(but looking for new ones).  So I actually got my whole dining room(with the exception of the cows) from the Tattered Tiques shop.  All these pieces could have been yours...but you were to slow...I snagged them.

Ok, now that I have confessed, lets get back to my favorite things.  My dining room window actually looks out at another of my favorite things...my faux bois bird bath.  We found this beauty up in Eagle River, Wisconsin for $20 bucks!  Yes, she was intended for the shop too, but I don't think she ever made it there.

This is sort of simple, but I love this old jug.  Whenever I find an old glass jug with a wooden handle on it, its a keeper. They are just so cool. (notice my cow in the background...love her!)

I have some more favorite things that I plan on showing you, but I'll give you a break for now.  There are definately some things in the shop that I am eyeing, so you better get up there and grab your fave's before I do!

 

 

 

Radio Cabinet Redo

We frequently pick up old radio cabinets to redo and turn into useful little cabinets.  Once you take the "guts" out, you're left with tons of possibilities.  They are perfect for tv stands, bathroom cabinets, extra storage in a kitchen, or even a night stand.  Some are tall, some are short, but all perfect for something.  Our recent cabinet has attracted lots of attention.  It really turned out cute.  Mom painted it bright white and added a bottom shelf.

 
It would be perfect in a bathroom!

Potterybarn has similar ones for $299!  I think ours is priced at $150.  That's a steal. 

 
This is one we had at the last sale, which sold.  We have done a half dozen of these cabinets.  We usually play it safe and do them white or black.  Maybe next time we'll be more daring and try a color.

 
For one of the first sales, we had this radio cabinet.   I had picked it up in Rockford at a garage sale.  It turned out really cute.  I painted it white and gaved it a light distressing.  Imagine the possibilities. 

We hope you make it up this week for a visit.  Have a great weekend!

  
 
 
 
 

Platters, Pitchers and Pop crates

We will be doing a few blogs on some of our favorite things in the up coming weeks.  So to start us off, and because we have a shop filled with these three things, I thought I'd show you how I use some of our inventory in my home.  Three of my favorite things to collect are antique platters, pitchers and pop crates.  I most often collect ironstone platters and pitchers, but any antique one that appeals to me, I grab. 

 
This is a huge ironstone platter filled with sea shells from our spring trip to Florida.  I also have an antique blue striped pitcher on the table filled with roses and hydrangeas from the yard.  The sailboat was picked up at Elkhorn flea market, but we have similar ones at the shop.

 
It all looks really cute in the family room on the $5 garage sale table I picked up at the beginning of the season.  Although, I'm not really sure what color choice I should go with yet.  The distressed black is growing on me. (please ignore the slanted pictures in the background) In the shop, we have platters, sailboats and vintage pitchers if you want to achieve the same look.

 
Pop crates anyone?  I have to say that pop crates are definitely one of our biggest sellers!  We have to replenish our supplies often because of it.  I use one in the kitchen on the island to corral extra utensils, napkins, and appetizer plates.  It is so handy, and I  use it every day.  Notice the antique ironstone pitchers holding all my stuff. 

 
I started collecting ironstone a few years back when Tattered Tiques took at trip to Brimfield Mass.  There was so much more to choose from on the east coast.  I contained myself and brought one wonderful pitcher home as a keepsake from the trip.  I have been collecting ever since, and as recent as last week lucked out at the thrift shop in town and picked one up for $2.50.  I was excited to say the least!!

 
Notice the discoloration and crazing lines on mine.  I happen to love the imperfections.  I even buy vintage pitchers with chips in them, because once you put flowers in them, or display them proudly on a shelf, who is going to see those chips?  No one. 

 Anne has been hard at work transforming her dining room with vintage finds.  Hopefully she will reveal her new room soon.  In the mean time, check out http://mapleandmagnolia.com/, our friend and frequent shopper, Susan Haskins, has a wonderful blog filled with transformations.  She recently reveled her dressing room, which I will proudly say, is filled with Tattered Tiques!  Stop by her blog and see all the wonderful things she does with all her antique and vintage finds.

Have a great week and we hope to see you this Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, cause, we're open!

 

Shop Scenes

Ok, you may know by now, that I am addicted to taking pictures, mainly of our shop.  But if you had one of cutest little shops around, wouldn't you?  There are just so many wonderful picture perfect opportunites.   

 
I love this picture.