Lovely Lady!

Reminds me of me, once lovely :), now a bit worn!


The Lil Cottage Shoppe
www.lilcottageshoppe.com
Vintage, Antique, Shabby Cottage and Beach Cottage Chic!
All things romantic for your home.

This Weeks Finds!

Are you missing your grandparents? I found them!




Fabulous Art Nouveau Chandelier from Spain!



Pair of Capodimonte Porcelain Roses...




Couldn't resist this Cherub Crystals Lamp!



Love this old shabby cabinet! It has the original handpainted florals still on it!


These are all for sale on my ebay auctions right now....

Now the real question is, why am I not rich so I don't have to sell these? This is right up my alley, love them all and it hurts to sell!

Cottage White Antique Cast Iron Fireplace Surround, wish it could cover it all!

So this week, I finally got around to some of the before and afters in my storage unit...namely this old cast iron fireplace surround. It was hideously rusted, and black and maroon, and green, and ugly. So out came my wire brush and sandpaper, and I sanded and brushed till almost all the old paint (I probably have lead poisoning now) was off, and all the dirty old rust was gone. Then 3 coats of Martha Stewart White Ironstone paint. Now this is going on ebay and/or my website, so I had to find a place to take the shot. Sadly, I have no fireplace, only a woodstove that came with the cottage. The woodstove is a blueish tile. I so badly want it cottage white, but don't think I can paint the tile (can I???) Anyway, I set this in front of it....and loved how it looks. But I need to find something to totally encase it...any ideas? This is probably the last eyesore keeping my cottage from looking like I want it! This surround is going up for sale, but I need this look!

A Spelter Soldiers Goodbye to His Love Lamp

Love this circa 1920's lamp, a spelter figural depicting a soldier and his girl, probably saying goodbye before he leaves. They are holding hands and she has her head down, looking so sad. Look at the detailed carved roses on this! It should have had a glass probably fan shaped shade, but it has not made it, but I couldn't resist it anyway!

Vintage Vintage Up to my Ears in Vintage Patterns

60, yes 60 vintage patterns are what I am listing on ebay this week. This is just a small sample....I love them! What doesn't sell will go in my stash! I would put them all in my stash, buy I think hubby would kill me! Love the dresses, and several for children and baby too! To take a peek, click on the ebay link on the sidebar.

A Few New Pretties in my Shoppe This Week!

Pink Flamingos!


"My Beads" Vintage Motto Print!


Sweetest little vintage Kissing Angels planter!

Friday's Auction

Finally, a good auction on friday...this woman has the best auctions, I always do well at them, especially toward the end when everyone has left and no one is there to outbid me! Here is just a small sample of my goodies..


Huge headvase, but not really, its by Kaye of Hollywood, who used to work for Hedi Schoop....picture it with fruit or flowers on top....wha la...Carmen Miranda!


A lousy picture, but this is a full parure signed, Robert costume jewelry from the 1940's. The designer is Robert Levy, it was very expensive jewelry back then, and many mistake his designs for Miriam Haskell...its silver and gold gilt twisted rope with pearls and aurora borealis rhinestones...

A Lefton head vase...this is a hard one, I collect head vases, usually not Lefton, but....if it doesn't sellon the first listing, it's gonna be a keeper! ...


A 1965 Enid Collins bucket purse called "A Gift Horse."

Lots more dinnerware, Johnson Brothers Friendly Village Turkey platter and tons of serving pieces, wonderful Beatrix Potter books from 1907....and more I haven't unpacked!

They knew how to do it in those days!

They sure knew how to do everything with elegance and style in the old days! This Peignoir and robe is from the late 30's, early 40's and is made with Skinner Satin. I just love the lace at the waist and sleeves. Oh, if they could see me today with my tshirt and shorts, or, when I'm dressed up for bed, my flannel pj's!

Some of my finds this week...

First, a beautiful toleware silent butler...



Next, an absolutely huge Chippendale Toleware tray....



Then, this to die for cast iron barbola type rose lamp...are roses barbola if they are cast iron? I don't know, I looked up barbola and cannot find a definition for it! Anyway, I think I must change the shade on this!



An antique oil painting of yellow roses....



And I found the most fabulous whats it called!...not sure, like a trumeau mirror but the mirror are on the outside, a panel on the inside..(empty, but I ordered a beautiful antique tapestry on ebay to put in it.)...and it has lights under the mirror...it hands horizontal, not vertical, probably over a fireplace mantle...but it is old, full of gesso roses and carvings, and is to die for! I will post pics once I get the panel to put in it!

I actually accomplished a lot this week, rearranged and purged my office/guestroom...I think Baby likes the new arrangement, she can watch the world go by!



She is my only "daughter" in my world of hubby, 2 sons, 1 male dog, and Baby...she is my girl! Although just a tad lazy!



And those of you posting pics of your daffodils peeking out...I am sooooo jealous!
This is what I see...this is supposed to be the channel leading to the lake by my house...



Not sure about you, but I don't see a daffodil anywhere!

Just a sample of whats new this week!

Vintage Handpainted Plafonnier Hanging Light Fixture Shade




Royal Doulton Retired "Reflections Series - Debutante" Figurine





Boonton Mint Green Melmac Setting for 4

Vintage 1930's Beaded Handbag

So much more to come, I am getting it all on the site as fast as I can, I've had a very busy weekend and the items are selling as fast as I put them on. And thats a very good thing! :)

It Was a Day for Pretty Figurines!

Only one estate sale yesterday worth going to around here, but I fell in love with these adorable figurines, but oh, she had them marked so very high. Did you ever go to a sale, pick something up, look at the price, put it down...wander around some more, find yourself back at the item, pick it up again, put it down, wander around some more, and still find yourself back at the item? That is what these 3 ladies did to me. I really could not justify spending what she had marked for them, and we were one of the first in the sale, so I really did not think she would mark anything down yet. So, as I was checking out, I had found the prettiest little wicker waste basket with huge roses on it, I in my sweetest voice, asked "are you negotiating on any prices today?" "Absolutely!" she said. "What are you interested in?" I picked up the Deco Lladro figurine and showed her. She said, "what if we take 20% off?" Hmmm, still too high for me. I then showed her the Florence Original Figurine, and another figurine whose name I can't read. She said will you buy them all? "Only if the price is right" I told her. "She said what about 50% off?" Bingo, she got me then, so I took them all. Still cost a pretty penny, but at least I can list them now without losing money! I walked away a very happy person...and so glad I asked!
So, for this weekend, our newest items are 3 figurines, 2 hand painted tole trays, although one has a broken handle, its still so pretty I took it anyway! An EAPG banana stand, a 1930's gorgeous beaded bag, a pretty rose print that you can't see in the pic, its hiding behind the wooden tray, 2 cast iron rose carved bookends, and oh, I went to an auction on friday and still haven't taken pics yet, maybe later today!
Also, my blogger friend Lisa recommended a doll hospital nearby for the Princess Elizabeth doll I posted last week, so I am emailing for a quote and will keep you posted! Stay warm!

Elegance Victorian Style and I'm Going Crazy!

Now this is how to live, just look at this antique boudoir or bedroom chair I found at auction this past weekend! A celery green damask upholstery, a feminine round seat with a gorgeous butterfly back! These legs are original to the piece which is late victorian!

I only wish my boudoir deserved a beauty such as this! Those were the days, fine living and elegance was of the utmost importance, as it should be! Brand new in my shoppe this week!

http://www.lilcottageshoppe.com

Now, for the crazy part! This little business of mine has completely taken over my little 4 room cottage and 1 car garage. I have tried every form of organization to keep it all in place, but it is impossible. Right now, my tiny laundry room is being used as a packing station, but its getting very hard to open the wash machine to do laundry. The garage is full, I have a huge dining set in there that I need to photo and get listed on ebay. Then there are about 30 boxes of items from an estate I bought out, not to mention 3 cabinets of fabric...I was really going to put handmade items on my site this winter, but I cannot make my way to the fabric cabinets!

There are no less than 6 chandeliers I was making over before the big chill hit here, and now I can't stand to be in the garage for more than a second or so...the house is too small to spray paint in, or it will be all over my new kitchen! The only extra bedroom we have currently serves as my office, the closet is packed, I have 2 armoires packed, another cabinet, my desk, under the bed, everywhere!

I could take it no more, so...I rented a storage facility to house my finds until I can refurbish them. Its only a few blocks away, so I can run over there often. Now, should it house the "waiting to be made into treasures?" Or should it house the "its on my website or ebay, leave it there till it sells?" Or should it house only the large furniture?

I really must sit down and think this through, before I go positively looney!

Another collection beginning????

Friday night we went to an auction...a new one in town...I think I am going to like these auctions, I got a motherload....most going on ebay or my website.
I am not usually a doll person, but I could not resist this one...I thought she looked like Shirley Temple with her little pin curls. Turns out, she is not Shirley Temple, I got home and found out she is a Princess Elizabeth Alexander doll, made in 1937, when Madame Alexander dolls began. She is actually a young girl version of Princess Elizabeth, in honor of her coronation. I don't think I want to sell her, she looks so pretty on my dresser. Uh oh, I feel another collection beginning!
I really bought her to sell, but no...she has grown on me. Besides, the composition on her back is in bad shape, no one will buy her....right???? Sigh! I'm thinking hubby will be none to happy with me!

More pretties found yesterday!

Well, its 11 degrees outside and falling fast. The Chicago area has a forecast for dangerous levels of cold this weekend, so I got out yesterday as fast as I could to the only estate sale I could find, and here are the pretties she had. I would have loved to buy her entire house, it was sooooo pretty, but she was only selling select items! I also went to an auction last night and will post those pics if we ever get any sunlight again. Too cold for estate sales today, everyone cancelled them, and besides, they are all getting ready for the Super Bowl! Yay! Go Bears!!!! So, we are the underdog, we perform best under pressure!

Above are the pretties found yesterday, these will go on my website in the next few days!

Valentine's Day Sale at the Lil Cottage Shoppe!

Now through February 14th, take 10% off any item in our shoppe! Just enter "Valentine" in the coupon code at checkout.

Paris Chic and Roses, Roses, Roses!

This week will be all about Paris and Roses! Gorgeous Prussia Hand Painted Roses Biscuit Jar, Several hand painted rose cabinet plates, a Noritake HP rose platter, a wicker basket with applied roses, Fostoria glasses with etched roses, carved roses napkin rings and I just love the antique roses bridge table!
Then, for the lover of Paris Chic, just look at these vintage pink tole waterfall lamps with beautiful drippy purple drop prisms! Love 'em!
Also found a Herend Chinese Bouquet covered soup, and for the glassies, a Northwood (I think, still researching) Holly Berry glass bowl.
Something for everyone here!

Bling Bling

Listed this yesterday on Ebay, if this doesn't sell, it will definitely be a keeper! It looked so pretty on me...course not sure how pretty it will look with my jeans and sweats, but hey...maybe one of my sons will fall in love and get married...(please!) then I will have somewhere to wear it!
Well, some brave souls are having moving sales tomorrow, in this cold and snow......so I should get to sleep so I can get there early and score some vintage pretties!

Cottage Roses Wall Sconce!

I found this shelf last week, it is so wickedly shabby! I'm not even sure if its old, but it is just filled with huge carved roses. I love the touch on the bottom with the ribbon! This is in my shoppe now! Watch for many new cottage pretties coming this week!

Pretty, Feminine Pedestal Bon Bon Dish Filled with Roses

What a sweet find! This is the prettiest, shabby cottage chic pedestal Bon Bon by Lefton, just filled with pretty pink roses! New in my shoppe this week!

A Few New Items Coming Soon

These are just a few of the new items I will be offering this week. The vintage mini perfumes are just so beautiful! I recently began collecting vintage perfume bottles, so I am torn as whether or not to offer these for sale....hmmmm!