Taking Picking Treasures Home
plus Combined etsy shops!

We went on a highway sale yesterday close to home. The Peaches to Beaches sale starts about an hour and a half from Savannah, so up and out in the cold and dark! Jeri would like to share her favorite pick of the for herself and share a few of the treats she uses to decorate her own home sweet home.

SUPER NEWS! The picking sisters are closing one etsy shop and expanding another one. Everything on etsy.com/shop/mysistersbarn is half price! We will be loading tons of new vintage items in the next week or so at etsy.com/shop/pickingsisters. We'll also reduce the items on the pickingsisters shop as we add oodles of new things to the shop.

This is a neon letter I rescued from the outside of our family business. It's fitting that since my grandfather started the business in the 1930's that his Smith Corona typewriter

shares space on my desk.

 My mother would be pleased that I found a way to use her antique brass

planter. There's never a lack of magazines about vintage treasures to fill it.

I'm not sure, but I think these sock monkeys tell jokes when I'm not home. They look

 especially cheerful. Maybe it's the grand rhinestone "Brides Maid" pin the

gal (Hattie) in the middle is wearing.

I bought this oil painting for my $1.00 and under art collection. It was

 marked $1.99 at Goodwill, but it was 75% off.

Now - since it isn't framed, how to hang it?

SOLUTION? Use an old easel!

My house was built in 1943 so it has one of those phone shelves in the hallway.

Since I don't have a landline, this Fisher Price lives there waiting to be added to etsy!

 

I never cease to be delighted with the everyday packaging from the

first half of the the last century. This tin looks great

next to my 1930's Smith Corona.

We were never sure why this flag holder was made the way it was, but it looks great

over the fireplace.

And now my favorite pick of the day for my house - a souvenir from Atlantic City, NJ.

It originally came with an egg timer

so you won't talk over 3 minutes. Maybe to save on Long Distance?

P. S. Here's a sign along the highway yesterday that warmed the

heart (ha!) of my vegetarian heart.

First Picking Tip of 2013!

Lucky us! We headed to Florida for New Year's Eve. Edgewater, Florida is south of Daytona Beach. The beach was lovely, the weather mild and the picking was grand.

We watched fireworks on New Smyrna Beach and courtesy of our hosts rang in 2013 with their homemade Comquat Vodka made from their own kumquats. (My picking sister was calling it "kumquat poison" the next morning.)

The flea market at the Deland Fair Grounds was a great find. We found the most paint by number paintings we'd ever found at ONE location. Check them out - a large lighthouse, a large western desert and a pretty pair of ballerinas.

Here's the whole trove!

Laura surprised me with a treat she'd bought for me. Knowing that I love all things horse and cowboy, she bought me a souvenir from the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum. I LOVE this tiny Trigger.

I bought myself a horse as well - a nag. This kooky little plastic nag came with

the story of how Nagshead, NC for founded!

My favorite pick of the trip? These little Mr. Peanut cups!

That Barbie is one busy girl. She went to medical school - who knew? We love

all the treasures that come in the Dr. Barbie accessories!



Windy Day

      We  made an early trip up the road to Statesboro, GA for the Highway 67 Fall sale. Hurricane Sandy off the east coast made for a dark, cold and windy morning. The weather may have been gray, but the picking was great.

See a few of the treasures we picked!

The picking sister was taken with this red phone. I think now she

 feels like she can pick it up and talk to the President.

I am not much of a cook these days (may I defrost something for you?), but

am always attracted to child-sized kitchen toys. We scored twice today.

Tiny cake anyone?

If you are a picker, you have seen a lot of simply ugly lamps. Beauty must be in

the eye of the purple and mid-century modern-loving beholder. Laura loved

these lamps.

We spent quite a while poring through boxes of a family's

momentos - report cards, photos, college papers, awards and

 gifts from a large Ohio family over the last 100 years. Sorting

through the stash was like reading a detailed history of this family.

We finally made a purchase - each  of us got a beautiful spelling

report card filled with gold stars.

This is the largest dresser set we have ever seen. Can't wait to research it for the

etsy site, www.etsy.com/shop/pickingsisters.

Visit our online shop to see more of the vinatge goodies we have recently added!



Taking Vintage to the Craft Room

Sometimes I just have to use one the treasures we find and create something. I love old books and used this damaged one and some old buttons to make this wreath. In case you are picturing a perfect, sunny craft room with everything in its place, HA! Mine has etsy items to be photographed, mailing supplies, my cats and boxes and boxes of old files.

Back on the Flea Market Road Again!

One of our favorite areas to visit and shop for vintage treasures! Divine mountain scenery, cool evenings, wonderful locally owned restaurants and hiking to waterfalls. And of course miles of walking in warehouses packed with vintage goodies.

Every trip to Asheville includes a trip to The Tobacco Barn. We made quite a few purchases

and of course Jeri was busy taking photos. I thought this was the ugliest lamp ever, but Laura who loves everything mid-century thought it was fab.

From ladders to letters, kitch to oddities this warehouse is stuffed with an incredible number

of items to browse through.

This juke box record player is on my wish list!

Another not-to-be-missed place for vintage is ScreenDoor in Asheville. We wandered for

hours and saw the only other Blue Horse coupons we have ever seen. (We recently bought a large jar of them!)

We always stay in Flat Rock, NC at Highland Lake Cottages. Imagine how tickled we were to find a white peacock on our back porch. Must have been a good picking omen.

Jeri loves goats - baby goats, old grandfather goats and even metal goats. Flat Rock abounds!

Just for grins I texted home this picture from our trip. I didn't mention that it was a stuffed display at the Ranger's station...

NEVER enough photos of cool signs.

Lots of large outdoor markets are filled with more new stuff than old, produce and tools, but we

did find a few vintage items.

These cucumbers were huge!

We saw a large structure at Smiley's covered with a tarp and couldn't resist sneaking underneath. It was an amazing merry-go-round!