Lilacs in Bloom and A Pair of Antique Frames

I've found that recently, when I'm not able to get out antiquing, eBay can be a great resource for locating pieces I'm looking for.

I have the benefit of being less than half an hour from the border, so shipping costs are much more reasonable than always having to pay for international shipping. And really, you can find just about everything!

This little ironstone pitcher was a recent purchase. With shipping, it was comparable to what I would have paid at a shop here. I liked the square shape and delicate handle.

I filled it with some of my first Lilac cuttings from a new bush planted last year. My other Lilacs are purple, and aren't quite ready. The fragrance of these is slightly less floral than the others. These still have a sweet scent, but it's not quite the well-known Lilac scent.

I also recently purchased this pair of small antique frames, which measure 9 x 8. It was $30 for the pair. I'm always looking for small frames. They're great for by night tables, and near cabinets in the kitchen, or in other small spaces about the house. The paintings they came with were quite dated, but I thought they would look beautiful with some small prints, or sketches, or even a pair of small paintings.

This small painting was a recent steal as well. It was a field sketch from an artist, and with shipping it came to less than $5! It's a very simple landscape, but it's bright, and it was more than worth it.

It brings new life to the frame.

More New Items Added

Well that was short lived.

I was so excited to finally have some items listed in the shop, but before I knew it, they had been snatched up, and the shop was empty once again.

Luckily I've been collecting for a while.

So, don't worry, more lovely items have been added.

Like this gorgeous antique oval frame, with an antique photograph and a beautiful matte.

This is the charming Mr. Charles Slingerland and his belle in 1906, more than a century ago! It was taken locally, and there are even a few families I know with this same name, though none of them that I know of are related to this particular couple.

I think the gold trim adds charm.

I've also listed more ironstone.

Including this lovely scalloped wheat platter, perfect for hanging on your wall.

I actually have a pair, and they would look even lovelier hanging one above the other.

I also listed this little brown transferware vase. It's a favorite of mine, and compliments pretty garden roses and peonies, but also looks particularly nice displayed in the Fall. It has the feel of a piece from the Aesthetic movement.

I'm working on adding a few pieces every day or so.

Winter Bulbs

At this time of year, with Thanksgiving come and gone, and the stores filled with everything for the holiday season, I have the urge to start decorating the house for Christmas. Especially if there's been some snow. However, putting up a real tree now, and keeping it in good condition until at least all of the Christmas festivites are past is nearly an impossible feat.

During this mid-season time, I start to add little bits of Christmas decor around the house, while trying to keep our home from seeming like it's completely decorated for the holidays. It's actually quite nice, because it gives the house a bit of a change, without much effort.

Urns were arranged with fresh boughs on the front steps where the cold air will keep the greens fresh for much longer. Inside, my Paperwhites and Amaryllis are in bloom. A couple natural wreathes were hung as well, one of pine cones and the other a real Boxwood wreath.

(While there may appear to be a tiny grey mouse running across my floor, under my cabinet in the mirror, rest assured, it's not. It's in fact one of Hudson's toy hippos. There's always something I don't see until later!)

Some white Lilies also fill the house with their perfume scent.

While I will soon force some winter bulbs myself, I brought these ones home from the shop.

I also brought home two of my most favourite scones, chocolate pecan. We shared them at breakfast the next morning.

We've also been enjoying watching our Amaryllis grow taller each day, and burst into these grand, ruffled blooms.

One after the other, they unfurl.

Our first one is now in full bloom, and the second cluster of blooms is beginning to grow.

New Frames and Spring Bulbs

Is it Spring yet?

It's nearly March and it seems as though everyone except mother nature is ready for this cold weather to lift, and warm temperatures to start moving in.

This morning it's 21 degrees below zero. And that's before the wind chill!

However, to make the weather a little more bearable, the grocery store had buckets of beautiful Spring bulbs this week.

My bright, yellow Daffodils remind me that despite how deceiving the weather currently is, warm Spring weather is right around the corner. 

Another discovery while shopping was this antique frame that I found while looking for a light fixture with my mom. It was in an antique shop down the road from them called The Duke and Duchess.

The painting that I got for Christmas from Ryan fit perfectly in it. It's now beside my chair in the living room. At $35 I thought it was a good find.

You can read more about the beautiful painting here.

I also found some Hyacinths, which always fill the house with the scent of a garden blooming in early Spring.

While cleaning out an area of our basement, I came across a collection of small gold frames I've collected from thrift stores over the years. At 50 cents each, a small collection of them isn't expensive, but they make a pretty display on our dresser.

And our home isn't the only place that's ready for the arrival of Spring!

I was excited to see that my parents had started setting up the shop. It will be opening soon, and it's coming together so nicely.

The Oxalis (Four Leaf Clovers) are already out on display among some of the beautiful antique pieces they've been collecting.