Spring Opening Preview!!!

It's been some time since I've posted in my blog! Been putting in quite a few hours towards our Master Gardener symposium over the past two months, but now the push is on to get my shop ready to open on Saturday & Sunday, March 2 & 3. Of course I had to move practically every piece of furniture in order to give the shop a whole new feel and now I'm still in the process of putting it all back together again. I do believe it looks the best it ever has, though! Doors will open at 10:00 a.m. Central (Chicago) time and we'll be here to serve and visit with you until 4:00 p.m.

Here's a peek at some of the displays I've completed. 

Hope to see you this weekend!

Marcy

"Going Garden Crazy"

Want to learn from a master?

Here's your chance!

I just have to tell everybody about our La Porte County Master Gardener sponsored Spring Symposium slated for Saturday, April 13. Dr. Allan Armitage (University of Georgia) & Chris Hansen (Great Garden Plants) will present programs that inform as well as entertain at this much-anticipated event.  A luncheon, door prizes, a raffle and vendors offering garden-related goods are features. Early registrants (prior to Feb 1) will also be entered into drawings for great prizes. Here's the flier link for more information: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/mg/info/CrazyFlyer_RegForm13.pdf 

 

 

Dr. Armitage    C.Hansen

Here's more exciting news: you may purchase your registration at the highly popular Porter County Garden Show at the Expo Center, January 19.  Visit our booth/ table and make your purchase to secure your seat at the symposium, as  seating will be limited! Look for Dr. A standing next to our table wearing his signature Tilley hat !!! Here's the link to the Porter County Show: http://pcgarden.info/gardening_show.html

Hope to see you at both events!

Marcy

Christmas at Coachman

Now that the mercantile has closed for the year, I've been taking truck loads of goodies up to my booth in "The Loft" at Coachman Antique Mall in La Porte, Indiana. 

 Coachman is open 7 days a week, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 on Sunday.

 Just got these ginger guys made last week.

 Too bad you can't see the old recipes on them. 

The large one is made from an old sugar sack 

and you can still see some of the printing 

under the grunge and spice coating he wears. 

 Love how my free-hand cut, army blanket tree turned out! 

 It's wrapped with a garland of rusty jingle bells and it's base is an old masher.

The snow guy in the old ice skate has a spray of battery-operated lights 

that really sets off the arrangement. 

 We sold out of the candelabra 7-candle holders at the shop,

 but we received another one  last week. 

Wish I'd gotten the name of the customer who wanted another one!

 The box on the table is an appliance cover. The back is open and it hides a coffee maker or mixer on your counter. We antique lovers enjoy hiding our modern-day electronics, but still want to use them!

 Maybe Santa will bring me a new camera for Christmas 

(or teach me how to use the settings on the one I have!)  

Most of these shots didn't turn out very well!

If you get a chance to run in to La Porte, 

be sure to check out "The Loft" at Coachman Antique Mall!

Merry Christmas!

Sneak Preview!

Worked 15 hours in the shop today and I'm still not ready for our Holiday Celebration on Saturday & Sunday, but the shop is looking awesome. I'm going to want to stay out there since I haven't had time to clean, let alone decorate my house! Here are a few photos of what you'll find. (Note to pie bird collectors, we have a collection of 39 pieces from which to select!!!)

 These are the pie birds!

Hope to see you this weekend!!!

Tale of Two Seasons!

Isn't November a wonderful month for decorating?

You can still use your pumpkins, gourds, and corn shocks 

for that harvest homestead look; 

but if you're really anxious for the holidays, 

you can trim your shrubs and evergreens for boughs, swags, 

and sprays of greens to fill your containers. My native holly was full 

of plump red berries until our terrible wind storm left most of them on the ground. 

I'd planned to use these with my greens for the winter arrangements. 

 A few hemlock branches, holly berries, and pine cones

 fill this neat wooden creche on the mercantile porch. 

The interior light brings the arrangement to life.

Here an old mustard painted tote sports bittersweet 

and hemlock branches for the best of both worlds.

This one's a bit out of focus,

but doesn't this trio look festive on the weathered bench?

 Didn't get much time to make new things since last weekend, 
but here's a tree made from an old wool army blanket.
 It's "trunk" is an old mill bobbin. 

My little sock doll is supported by an old glass telephone insulator. 

Her apron I fashioned from a scrap of an early wool coverlet and she clings 

to her little brush tree and bowl of berries. 

 She's a special order for a special customer!

Hope you can come to the mercantile 

this weekend to see for yourself!