Pages

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Panoply Shopping Trip - The Displays, Our Loot

This past week, sister M and I drove to Cincinnati to spend a couple days with sister J to SHOP! Our goal was to find new treasures for the booth spaces which we couldn't live without (hopefully not literally, though, because I've been known to foster many items, many a time, for much too long). A side benefit of this trip was seeing some really cute and inspiring displays, not something we typically notice. Following are some of the displays and individual items that caught our attention in our latest OH and KY ventures.
The display above, we all thought was brilliant. It's a dress form with seed packets attached. Here's what the overall display looked like (below). Total vintage garden cuteness, and this was right beside a few snack tables, near vending machines, where it was sure to be noticed.
Another highly visible display was this Americana scene upon entering another shop (below):
The display was so large, I couldn't get it all in one frame. The other half looked like this:
Look at all the red transferware! Be still, my heart.

Yet another very handsome booth display was this:
This guy's stuff drew each one of us in to look closer - ladders, baskets, signs, lots of industrial warehousing storage, and many cool smalls. Across the aisle, he also had this display:
I couldn't even get it all in the frame, but that counter was huge, and behind it was a great industrial warehouse cart and several smalls on top of it. That cabinet on the left was to die for - a combination card catalog, bookcase, and flat file unit.

It seems crinolines are trending east of the Mississippi now (I know, Texas, it took awhile for the cowgirls to get over here. Most trends seem to be that way, in our experience, lol). This was a cute display, mixing the farmgirl with the city girl style.
Okay, so what'd we buy?  I only took a few photos, mostly so that I could go to the front desk and talk intelligently in order for contact to be made with various dealers for offers we wanted to make.

The first item was this white utility cabinet (below), which has five shelves in original green paint wash on the inside.
It is already in the store, placed in our booth space on our way home! SCORE!
The next items were these handsome wooden dexterity clubs and hat form (below), which we bundled for better price consideration:
We've been trying to convince sister J to make a vintage medical display in her home now that she's retired from the field, and she finally sprung for this tabletop cabinet:
The Barbicide jar on the right of the cabinet was a pick by sister M, for resale. From the same vendor, I found this intriguing wall display case of new (old) stock tobacco pouches for the tobacciana aficionado / collector (below, sitting on top of a smoker's stand, which I did not buy).
Again, bundling made for better bargaining power.

So, those were just a few of the picks we found, but certainly not all of them. The car, as you can see from the photo below, was packed to the max. Oh yea, that fence shelving unit just behind the driver's seat and that cool-looking cart (with wooden caster wheels) you see piled high? Those were also picks of ours, pretty much ensuring a blind side on the right of the driver's view for 300 miles. At least I could see through the fence posts. ;)
And then there's always that ONE item you keep thinking about when you leave.....I took a picture, texted it to my daughter who is married to a fire chief (below):
Her husband loved it, but didn't respond to my text until the next day (the night before we were leaving to return home). He wanted me to try to negotiate for him, so I called the store, submitted an offer and they called back, accepting the offer. Sister J was kind enough to pick it up for me a few days later. Thank goodness, because there really was no more room in the car. It would've had to have been strapped to the top.

What a busy trip that was, and always is, when we Panoply sisters get together for buying. I hope to get a post up soon of how we rearranged things in our spaces to accommodate some of these larger items. We all know how changing one thing works.....it's bound to have a ripple effect before we're satisfied with the end result of displaying.

Until then, if you want to see more of Panoply's shopping ventures or displays, the easiest way is to enter keywords such as 'booth displays', 'pick', or 'estate sale' in the search block, just above my profile picture on the right sidebar.

 As always, I appreciate your visit!
Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing with any given number of these fine hosts:

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Estate Sale Spree - More for Less

While my husband and I were on vacation, there was a really nice, upscale estate sale being hosted back home. It was scheduled for two weekends, so upon returning from vacation I went to see what remained on the second weekend. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy a nice spree and come away with some nice things, and all at 50% off. Wanna see what I bought? Check these out.......

First, I bought several pieces of ironstone of various weights and manufacture (Bavaria, Germany, England, France, USA), as well as a vintage, 5 gal "penny" bottle in a beautiful, blue color.
Antique and vintage ironstone, glass "penny" bottle
This pedestal cake stand, with hand-painted daisy ring (one of my favorite picks of this lot), is marked JC & Louise Bavaria (late 19th, early 20th century).
Detail of JC & Louise Bavaria cake stand
Second, I selected various vintage millinery, including a fascinator (with box) and straw and woven hats with great fruit and floral trims. Other accessories include a man's bowler with original box, a cashmere Burberry scarf and antique spectacles in advertising case. My sister M does well with hat sales, and I had her in mind when I shopped these (she was on vacation during this sale).
Vintage Millinery, Accessories
Metals are attractive to me for their durability, and these were a bit unusual, mostly in their markings. The pewter pitcher is actually a trophy.
Vintage metals: pewter and silverplate
The pitcher inscription reads, "Joe Bonsall Trophy Best Floribunda Charleston Rose Society 1967".
Detail pitcher inscription: "Joe Bonsall Trophy Best Floribunda Charleston Rose Society 1967"
The toast rack ( I seem to have a collection of those, owning four or five now) is Made in England, marked EPBM, meaning "Electroplate on Brittania Metal". I've seen EPNS before (Electroplate Nickel Silver), but not EPBM.
Detail toast rack markings
I found this pair of silhouettes interesting, clearly vintage and maybe antique (frames), depicting the same person perhaps, as a boy and man. I'm not sure if this was a family member, and I did not ask.
Boy and man silhouettes
There were several primitives, and I picked up a few with my other Panoply sister, J, in mind. The dough bowl has a crack and a notch, but it was still quite handsome, made of walnut. The pillow cover is a remnant, I think, of an old quilt, in the cathedral window pattern. The book is titled, "Little Plays Told to the Children", no date, but clearly very old, with great color illustrations, printed in England.
Primitive dough bowl, quilt remnant pillow and book
These vintage ladderback rush chairs were in great condition and at a great price. I called my sister J on these, and bought them to enable her ongoing chair addiction.
Vintage, ladderback rush chairs
With an eye toward Christmas and holiday items, I picked this vintage pair of brass deer, and sweet illustration by Joan Walsh Anglund (1970s). I also bought a framed needlepoint that says "Merry Christmas" (no photo).
Vintage brass deer and Joan Walsh Anglund framed illustration
Detail of Joan Walsh Anglund illustration
Going to estate sales at full price, even when invited to pre-sales for best selections, has become increasingly frustrating as a dealer (and end-user!). Over the years, we at Panoply have seen customers wanting good deals - always - and so do we. There are only a few hosts in our area who are engaged in estate sales, and they are all consistently raising their prices from when they first began in their business. Estate sales rarely turn out to be a good venue for buying with the intention of resale. That's why this 50% sale was such a delight. Even if the items don't go at resale, they'll be ones I won't mind keeping.

Meanwhile, back at the antique mall, we recently changed up one corner display, "♪♫In the Good Old Summertime♪♫"....whether boating, bathing, fishing, camping, or just sipping iced tea or lemonade, we've got you vintagely covered. :)
Panoply's "♪♫In the Good Old Summertime♪♫" display
Expanded Panoply summertime display includes: children's camp chairs, Chein Disney bucket, wooden bowling pins
How's the estate sale market in your area?

As always, thanks for your visit!
Rita C. at Panoply
(A special thanks to Jann of Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson's 'Share Your Cup'for featuring this post!)
Sharing with any number of these fine hosts:

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Garden Color Burst, Container Plantings 2015

The timing of our latest vacation was such that right before and after, there was an explosion of color going on in the garden. The growth patterns and colors in the landscape this time of year really start to burst, and things fill in nicely. I waited until the first weekend of June, after we returned from vacation, to plant my containers. The following is a pictorial post of the overall look of the landscape garden and perennial blooms the first week of June, along with my selections and arrangements for my garden annual container plantings for 2015.  I hope you enjoy the visual presentation with few words.
Landscape view early June - from back, looking toward front
Buttercups surrounding Rose of Sharon
Detail, buttercups
Clematis
Detail, clematis
Magnolia bud
Magnolia bloom - so fragrant!
Bee balm (spirea, salvia foreground)
Bee balm
Detail, bee balm. Hummingbirds love them!
Lavender blooms at base of climbing roses
Harvested lavender - the start of a good year!
Drunk in love - bee on lavender
Landscape view, early June, front to back. Hoping for hydrangea blooms this year (behind right bench)
This next section is all about my annual container plantings for 2015. 

Changing things a bit this year in the courtyard near the sunroom doors, where it is full sun, the selection combos were made from tall and filling plants of pink pentas and variegated burgundy sun coleus, shorter fillers of mahogany red celosia (cock's comb), and trailers of eucalyptus, along with both burgundy and chartreuse sweet potato vines. Rectangular cherub planters on the steps were filled with blue alyssum and trailing petunias. All containers had to be emptied and cleaned, and new soil purchased to fill them.
2015 Container Planting Supplies
2015 Courtyard Containers (full sun)
Additionally, more annuals for the three large containers placed within the landscape were purchased (plus one daisy perennial to replace asiatic lilies that rabbits ate two years in a row). The landscape containers were each a bit different, using (in order of appearance below, respectively): 1) sun coleus, pink pentas, mahogany celosia, chartreuse potato vine, and purple queen (ground cover that also cascades); 2) purple fountain grass, pentas, celosia, and yellow calibrachoa; and 3) purple fountain grass, celosia, calibrachoa, and purple queen.
2015 Landscape Containers (full sun)
Also in the courtyard, bordering the hot tub and centered between one seating arrangement of two rockers, I bought cheater containers (pre-planted by a local nursery and Lowe's). The hot tub planters include spike plants, fillers of salmon geraniums and euphorbia (diamond frost), and trailers of blue lobelia and white bacopa. A gorgeous, single container could not be resisted at Lowe's - with red tropical canna lily, peach calibrachoa, blue lobelia, and white petunia. I love those colors together!
2015 "Cheater" Containers (full sun)
The front porch urn is a part-shade area (my only!). I replaced a faux hydrangea wreath with orb that had been filling in, along with the squatter nest that had moved in while we were away for a week's vacation. I bought a fern, repeating last year's look, but needed a 1 gallon size to fit, only to find a 2+ gallon size. I took my Japanese digging tool with double serrated edges and simply cut the center out of the 2+ gallon size (Lowe's marked it down to $10, same as the 1 gal size, so no loss there).
2015 Porch Fern in Urn (part-shade)
My annual landscape beds in front of the house and front gate (both sides) include red geraniums, white vinca, blue angelonia, along with some anchoring purple queen and euphorbia (diamond frost). These are the only annuals I had help in planting, replacing my pansies.
2015 Landscape Annual Beds
After all the annuals were watered in and zapped with their first dose of steroids (Miracle Gro), you can bet I took some time to chillax in the landscape chaise and enjoy the view. Whew, that was hard work! 
After the Plantings (poison ivy is entirely gone - yay!)
If you have any questions on my plants, perennial or annual, feel free to ask. Gardeners love sharing the dirt. If you'd like to see more on my gardening topic, just type 'landscape' or 'garden' in the search field above my profile picture and more posts should appear. 

As always, thanks for your visit!
Rita C. at Panoply
(A special thanks to Kathy at A Delightsome Life's 'Home and Garden Thursday' for featuring this post!)
Sharing with any number of these fine hosts:

Friday, June 12, 2015

Fun, Sun, Dining, Shopping Naples - FL, That Is

Mr. P. and I recently spent a week in Naples, FL for the first time. What a lovely surprise it turned out to be, in so many ways!

We ordinarily go scuba diving each year, but with recent oral surgery, my dentist (also a certified diver) advised against it for me due to pressure issues. We still wanted the white sands and clear waters that our favorite place in the western Caribbean provides, so we tried Naples. We really liked it!

We have been searching all over FL for a place where we could go, in the hopes of coming close to our little paradise in the Caribbean, and while Naples doesn't offer diving, it does provide:
  • Calm, relatively clear waters with beautiful sunsets on the Gulf shore
  • Overall quiet, uncrowded beach space
  • Beautiful, white sandy beaches
  • Great weather in general. Ocean and air temps were nearly equal during our stay, at about 86° degrees. The ocean temps drop to between 68-75° during the coldest month, February.
  • Oceanfront accommodations
  • Great grocery and dining options
  • Super-friendly people - from service staff to residents
We've now visited the areas of FL including the Keys (Islamorada and Key West), the Golden Coast (Jupiter Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami), the Disney/Orlando area, the Sun Coast (St. Pete Beach), the Emerald Coast (Seaside, Rosemary & Seagrove), and have driven through numerous others, stopping to check out the sand, water and overall vibe. Naples has come the closest to what we like best in a seaside community. We chose Edgewater Beach Hotel's oceanfront suite accommodations for this first trip, and I would recommend it for both couples and families.
Edgewater Beach Hotel, Naples FL
Beachfront suite - Edgewater Beach Hotel, Naples FL
Edgewater Beach Hotel accommodations, Naples FL, and view from beachfront suite
While in Naples, we explored the "Old Naples" section on Segways, with a guide. Old Naples is the heart of the shopping district, both retail and thrifting. That was fun, and it was our first time on those machines that we've had on our bucket list since they came out in 2001 (remember they called it 'Ginger'?). The Segway has now been moved to my Christmas wish list. Along with a condo in Naples. ;) 
Inaugural Segway ride - Naples FL
Naples FL Pier 
We also checked out the streetscapes and shops in Old Naples.
Streetscapes in Naples FL
Naples offers several great dining places, both in the old section and surrounding areas.
Compilation of dining while in Naples FL
We rode bikes another day, exploring the Gulf Shore Blvd length of about 6 miles, checking out the real estate, looking at future condo rental possibilities. Other days we spent on the beach and poolside. My latest bout with poison ivy dried up (mostly) while there, smothered in meds, sunscreen and shade.
My day job while in Naples
We may or may not have met a realtor to visit a few condos that were for sale (talk about a domino effect in decorating...how about a domino effect in home ownership/lifestyle?! I know many of you are either doing this or have recently done this, and it's such a huge thing, I'll leave it alone for now). The prices are huge, too. Housing in Naples is approximately double the national average when comparing cost of living allowance (COLA).

While in Naples, I celebrated my birthday, so a little shopping was included. Happy Birthday to me presents included the two little gems pictured below, found in an antiques shop in Naples on Central Avenue. These are both fine additions to my antique purse collection and dish collections.

The first acquisition is a sweet, little leather coin purse, probably French but no maker's marks were noted. It most likely dates from the later part of the 19th century.
The second item found was a unique, near-mint, brown transferware butter dish, incised and stamped, W.T. Copeland and Sons, Stoke Upon Trent (circa 1880). Pedestal-style, the removable lid is for ice placement and butter pats, the bowl for the melting ice. It's approximately 6.5" wide by 2.5" high. I have an octagonally shaped Copeland plate that's similar with its castle scene.
Of course, there are lots of freebies (shells) along the sands of Naples' beaches, and I brought home plenty of those too.

Sunsets were gorgeous right outside our balcony windows from our suite most every night along the Gulf waters.
Whether the weather was clear or stormy, even alongside the sunset, each was spectacular. Catching the light on the Gulf waters as the sun was rising up from the bay to the east of us made for glorious mornings when we would walk the shores.
Naples is definitely a place we will return to in our future, hopefully very soon, and many times more. It's the closest rival yet to our paradise, AND it's in our own country!

Where's your paradise?
As always, thanks for your visit!
Rita C. at Panoply


Sharing with any number of these fine hosts: