Our Booth at Gresham Lake Antique Mall!

At the suggestion of a dear friend Stacey, (the proprietress of Flotsam and Jetsam…see my links to get to her wonderful must-read blog and Ruby Lane store), we have photographed

our booth at a local antique mall, Gresham Lake, which is about to celebrate its 15th Anniversary in October of this year, and several exciting events are planned. Darby and I are working steadily to get the booth re-organized, cleaned up and "re-decorated" before then. Unlike our online store at Ruby Lane, where we tend to list and sell things in our areas of expertise only, at the booth, we are able to indulge our whims a bit more!

We have everything from pottery to books to jewelry to amateur oil paintings to figurines to china to glassware to buttons and baubles. It is truly a hodge podge, but I find that I am always drawn to similar booths when Darby and I are out hunting for treasures. I feel like I might get rewarded for my digging! And, dealers cannot specialize in every little thing. So their oversight is your gain! I know, for example, that I recently put a lovely little dish with a transfer-ware portrait of a lady in the center in the booth for $4.00. I found out yesterday that a collector came through and was THRILLED to find this little dish; apparently a "Royal Copley", and has a book value of at least $30.00. As the dish was unmarked, it would have been hard for me to know it had any value but I am glad she found a treasure! Lesson learned for all collectors: KNOW YOUR STUFF!

Our Wonderful Sweet Baby Kearney Boo

OK, so before everyone has a heart attack, our Yorkie Kearney is not, of course, our biological little girl, but as most pet owners can attest to doing, we love her as if she were. When Kearney came into our lives in the Spring of 2005, she was a teeny bundle of black and tan fur and looked exactly like an Ewok. My parents had finally bought a Yorkie. Unfortunately, my mother passed away before Kearney was a year old. Darby and I were more than happy to help my "overwhelmed and suddenly a single parent to a 5 pound ball of fur" father out, and eventually "helping out" led to "joint custody." Truth be told, Kearney and Darby bonded like super glue the moment they met that Spring. We have all been a little envious of the adoration Kearney shows for Darby. He is definitely her favorite human. (not that I can really blame her…he is my favorite human as well!) I have always been amazed by the positive difference pets make in our lives. Kearney seems to know I am upset before it is apparent I am upset. She'll jump in my lap and lick my eyelids and every tear that falls until I start laughing. How can you help but feel better when you are nose to nose with a furry face that is earnestly trying to take away your sorrow and worries? Her intuition is amazing…as soon as I start laughing, she is off; her therapist job over and a new adventure to be found…chasing after a stray dust bunny or fetching her squeaky ball or turning her food dish over in an attempt to remind me she is always hungry. Her tiny tail will be wagging so hard her whole body wags and her eyes will be bright with boundless curiosity and enthusiasm. Eventually she will tire and lay down on her favorite spot on the couch; tiny ears still perked for sounds of yard-invading squirrels or birds. But she will rest. And therein lies a great lesson for humans: Appreciate the stray dust bunnies and make them a game. Use your imagination. Squeak your toys with glee and eat when you are hungry. Shake your body and exercise it well. Discover what you seek to know. Comfort your loved ones and watch over your home and family. And when you are tired, curl up and rest. Always dream.

And wherever your tail may be, may it always wag.

The Favorites Cabinet...

As promised, here are the first glimpses of a few pieces from my collection. Until recently, I kept my "finds" hidden away from where visitors and friends could see them. It just never dawned on me that I could decorate and live with the things I love. This first picture reveals several pieces of sparkling costume jewels with designer names such as "KJL" (the FABULOUS turquoise color drop earrings), "Regency" (the clear spray pin), "Lisner" (the purple and yellow pin) and "Trifari" (the blue, gold and clear pin). The twisty hair stick with the rhinestone ball belonged to my great grandmother, who apparently loved jewelry as much as I do! The bag in the back is one of my favorite varieties. This particular one was made in Belgium by "Jorelle". It is covered with thousands of tiny glass beads and features beautiful embroidery.
The second picture reveals a 1950's "Trifari" 3 piece parure in dazzling grey and clear rhinestones. It is uncommon to find more than one piece of sets such as this one so I was thrilled with this find! There are several purses in the background; the red velvet with sequins and beads is a drawstring and I suspect it is handmade. The grey bag underneath the red is encrusted with beads and shimmers! The bag that is laying down is the oldest one pictured. The top is fashioned from cut steel and was made to resemble marcasite. The bag opens up like a flap and there are several very fragile pockets on the interior. A flashy multicolored rhinestone pin by "Art" rests atop this wonderful old bag. In the bottom left corner we see a black rhinestone double sword pin by "Weiss"; still on its original card! (what a find!!!).
I am so glad I put my favorite things out on display. Walking by my "favorites cabinet" always relaxes me and reminds me of some of our favorite adventures! Have a sparkly day! Just a note: I have many items similar to these listed for sale in our Ruby Lane store: http://www.rubylane.com/shops/ladyandlibrarian
Please visit us there!!!

A Favorite Barn

Recently, Darby and I took one of our impromptu trips to check out a new auction gallery located near Warrenton, NC. The photos in this post are of an old barn located on the highway between Raleigh and Warrenton. Warrenton is a small town about an hour and a half north of Raleigh. My mother grew up there and I spent many a happy summer day with my grandparents by the pool or on the golf course. One of my strongest and most poignant memories is of this beautiful, rustic and inspiring old barn we would pass every time we drove to Warrenton and then again on the way home. My mother Ginger adored this barn. She would slow down and gaze at it. Over the years I have watched it slowly deteriorate, but it seems to make it even more beautiful. I picture an artist or photographer perfectly capturing the light as it dapples the ivy vine hanging over the entrance or streams through one of the holes in the wood. When I drive by, I have to wonder if the owners know how much this barn has come to mean to my family? With my mother’s death several years ago, it means even more. No matter who is driving: me, my Dad, my sister or my husband, when we pass the barn someone says “There’s Ginger’s barn.” And the wonder of the barn continues.
Look for a post in the next few days with the first glimpses of our treasured collection!!!

Getting Started

Hello! Thank you for visiting! I am finding it a little hard to believe I am really doing this - keeping an online journal that is - since I have not attempted to journal since high school. And true, that was only a few years ago...haha...don't I wish! Anyway...here at our "Lady and Librarian" blog, we hope to share our treasures and super finds with you; herald you with details from our many antiquing trips and, I suppose, make our own little mark on the great big world. I will post more soon!