"THE COLONIES" ANTIQUE SHOPPES(My Two-Room Shop - 1989 - 1992)
OK girly girls!!! Just wait until you see the peek into my past I have for you THIS TIME! I couldn't resist digging out these old photos of a Shoppe I once owned here in Oklahoma City! Filled to the brim with lots of handmade pretties, the Shoppe was very successful and sold country-themed items of the day... Can you tell???? :)
NOW THAT'S A LOT OF GREEN
Back in the late 1980's I owned this little two-room nook in an Antique Mall (it was actually three Victorian styled houses) here in my state! This was the first physical store I had after doing Craft Shows and Folk Fairs for several years and I absolutely loved it...
BUCKET SUE'S
Back then I loved everything GREEN! Betcha can't tell, huh? I offered up lots and lots of handmade pillows and wooden shelves (remember all those HEARTS?) made by my Mr. AGPMan!
NOW THAT'S A LOT OF GREENBack in the late 1980's I owned this little two-room nook in an Antique Mall (it was actually three Victorian styled houses) here in my state! This was the first physical store I had after doing Craft Shows and Folk Fairs for several years and I absolutely loved it...
BUCKET SUE'S(a nickname from my grandfather)
Back then I loved everything GREEN! Betcha can't tell, huh? I offered up lots and lots of handmade pillows and wooden shelves (remember all those HEARTS?) made by my Mr. AGPMan!
When the country-craze was in full swing we stained nearly everything the same color of GOLDEN OAK! Not many things painted cottage white back then....
LOTS AND LOTS OF SWEET PILLOWSSome of the same cross stitch patterns I used all those years ago I still use today! I just don't use the same colors....(thankfully!). I'm still LOVIN' those pink pillows...Yum!
SWEET CABINET BUILT BY MY HUBBSEven back then my guy did LOTS of stuff for me! He made almost all of my display pieces and all the cabinets and shelves I sold. How he did this when he worked full-time is beyond me!
CHARMING CRICKET ROCKERThis precious rocking chair was soooo darling that I cried when it sold. Needed the money more than I needed the chair!
ROLLED PAPER VINTAGE CARRIAGEI found this beautiful old baby carriage (Wakefield) at a Goodwill Store and paid $45 for it in 1987. In 2000 I sold it for $500...good investment but I was sad to see it go!
LITTLE BY LITTLE "WHITE" TOOK OVERIf you look closely in this picture you'll see me standing behind the little check-out counter...
VINTAGE JENNYLIND TWIN BEDI loved this frothy white bed topped with the Laura Ashley lace-trimmed comforter! The ensemble didn't last long! It all sold the weekend I put it in the Shoppe!
REMEMBER THE BATTENBURG CRAZE?During those days vintage linens weren't available like they are today! No one wanted CROCHET...they wanted crisp, white Battenburg Lace! The more the merrier! :)
VINTAGE SINGER SEWING MACHINE
GREEN WAS ONCE MY PASSION
I still have one of these parasols! I have it on top of an old wardrobe and it looks charming!
I'm soooo thankful I got rid of all that green! My love for romantic country decorating evolved into the cottage look I love so much today! A few years after leaving "The Colonies" I went on to own a pretty brick and mortar store of my own... The things I learned during those early days of business still help me today with my on-line shop and my eBay sales under the name A Gathering Place!
Hope you enjoyed another look into my past...much more to share with you in the future!
Blessings to you as you reminisce about where you've been and just where you are going...Rebecca
VINTAGE SINGER SEWING MACHINEI truly never dreamed I'd actually use a vintage sewing machine (or two) in my home as a nightstand! The one above I sold for over $300! Now you know why finding the two I have today for only around $20 each was such a find!
GREEN WAS ONCE MY PASSIONI still have one of these parasols! I have it on top of an old wardrobe and it looks charming!
I'm soooo thankful I got rid of all that green! My love for romantic country decorating evolved into the cottage look I love so much today! A few years after leaving "The Colonies" I went on to own a pretty brick and mortar store of my own... The things I learned during those early days of business still help me today with my on-line shop and my eBay sales under the name A Gathering Place!
Hope you enjoyed another look into my past...much more to share with you in the future!
Blessings to you as you reminisce about where you've been and just where you are going...Rebecca
22 comments:
Great photos Rebecca, you shoppe back then was lovely too!! Oh girl, I remember the country craze well, my bff and I were both newlyweds with no children, and we were decorating fools, everything heart shaped, and country. We did the craft fairs and made tons of country stuff, what fun we had traveling around doing those shows.
Hope you're weekend is wonderful!
♥ Teresa
What fun Rebecca!! I have long dreamed about having a little nook in an antique shop! Thank you for the glimpse into your past...Fun!
Blessings~Sharon
P.S. I had the same green craze back then as well..so this is really a blast from the past (smiles)!
Awww! What beauty you create, Rebecca. Love the fluff & chic. As expected your shop is a reflection of your beautiful talent of creating warm, soft, beautiful, serene, feminine settings. I see so many items in your shop that we have had. You have that magic touch, my friend.
Breathtaking ......
My shop is not quite as gorgeous as yours, but customers always go by saying 'it's so feminine' ...
Some of the items in my shop I price 'high' so they won't sell ... I love them that much. One day I got buffaloed tho ... a lady paid the price for this gorgeous china cupboard ... it was very hard to part with it.
Isn't it great fun to have your own place? Why did you give it up?
Have a lovely weekend. TTFN ~Marydon
oh this was fun...and you know...I can still appreciate and actually love any decorating and colors..pulled together..I haven't been able to go all pale pink or white..due to finances..but have been able to make what I love ...work...at least for me...I just love the job of being a homemaker and being able to create..my little space and have the lovely touches...and add in more and more as time goes on..
this was a fun post ...
deby
Ooohhh ~r~,
WOW !! This has brought back such sweet nostogic feelings for mee.. I was just newly married at this time, and I would shop forever with newly married girlfriends, to all the Country Shoppes and faires.. They at that time were everywhere ALL the time, we would have craft faires somewhere almost every week-end.. Soo with no babies at that time yet, that was our Saturday ritual..All meet up for breakfast, and than a day of shopping the faires.. I would soo buy up all these pretties on my excursions.. My home looked just like these photos, I wasn't into the green, as much as the "steel blue" and "country rose".. It's funny you didn't dare say the "pink" word than.. cuz than hubbies wouldn't go for that...yet !!! WOW !! How things evlove !! Now it's PINK, PINK, PINK.. and cottage white !! Who would ever think ?!! My home was soo Country, bunnies and piggies everywhere .. Rose and steel blue pillows all about.. Wooden sweet hearts.. everywhere !! Simply Amazing !! You took me back to a sweet part of my life, and I now realize how innocent time was, and how I just was soo into making a homey sweet home !! Somethings never change, BUT thank-God our tastes do.. More grown up I think.. don't you !! I soo appreciate you sharing and stirring up sweet feelings.. This was soo fun !! You're shoppe was truly beautiful !! But, am I surprised ?? Ooohhh Noooo.. You are simply talented.. Lovely pretties you created EVEN in the "olden days"Just know you're blessed !! God is GOOD my friend forever.. We'll talk real soon !!!
Big huggers ~tea~xo
Oh, Rebecca! How fun! I love your little shop and if I had been in your city, I know I would have come in your store! I too, loved all the little country things and loved to browse! You've always been the most crafty and creative one, haven't you?
Be a sweetie and have a nice weekend,
shelia ;)
Oh Rebecca, I just loved seeing the pictures of your shop. It brought back so many memories. I was all into that romantic country look. I had so many heartshelves! I had baskets everywhere and heartwreaths! My border in my kitchen was hearts and geese! The picture of you behind the counter reminds me so much of myself when I was working at The Mole Hole. It wasn't my store but I was the manager. After my boss bought it out of the franchise we were able to have more say on merchandise and decor,etc. I remember us going to market once or twice a year to order stock. It was so much fun! I wish that I had my own store now. That has always been a dream of mine! Why did you decide to not have a brick and mortar store anymore? Also,I enlarged your pictures to see if I had any of those same things that you have. I think that picture that you have hanging in the 2nd photo is one that I have. Mine has more people in it though. Your looks like a portion of the same picture. I've had it for years.
Thanks for sharing this.
Hugs,
Lee Laurie
Rebecca!!! What a fun little stroll down memory lane! I soooo remember those days. I thought it was all so beautiful back then....what was I thinking? Too many dark colors for me! Well.......now I have loads of black?? :-) Maybe someday I'll say the same thing about this style! You gave me a great idea, I'm going to post my antique mall space from years past.....
Hugs!
Spence
DEAR REBECCA,
I LOVED THIS POST. I AM SO GLAD YOU TAKE PICTURES...NOT ALL OF US DO AND IT IS NICE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK AT WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. IT REMINDS ME OF WHEN I WAS A VENDOR JUST 4 YEARS AGO. I USED A BLACK SIHLOUETTE SIMILAR TO THE ONE YOU USED FOR YOUR PRICE TAGS. MINE WAS OF A VINTAGE WOMAN BUST, BUT IT STOOD OUT FROM THE REST. I CAN ALMOST SMELL THE EUCALYPTUS IN YOUR PICTURES... OR EVEN SASAFRAS TEA! BEING A VENDOR IN A STORE WAS DEFINATELY FUN AND I DO MISS IT AT TIMES, BUT AS YOU KNOW IT IS EITHER ALL OR NOTHING, IT NEEDS TO LOOK NICE, FULL AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE STORE. THESE DAYS I DON'T HAVE THAT TIME, ENERGY OR THE MONEY TO TURN STOCK. YOU ARE SO NEAT, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR MEMORIES WITH ALL OF US. TAKE CARE- HEATHER
Rebecca, thank you for visting Country Wings in Phoenix. You are from Edmond. I am from Enid, Okla. I have been out here for about 23 years now. I notice that my sister has signed up as a follower: Debbie at There's An Angel on My Frontporch. It is her daughter, Amy, that I have listed on my BLOG. She is going through some serious decisions of late and we need all the prayers we can get. I loved your POST, and could walk through these shop pictures for hours. I love battenburg lace. Always have. Please add your name as a Follower on my site when you visit again. I have done the same. Have a wonderful blessed day. "Country Hugs", Sherry
Rebecca, I forgot to tell you when I posted about the pink flamingo that you so loved. You would never guess where I found her? Party City. A couple of years ago I went in there to buy party supplies, and as soon as I spied her, I snagged her up. She was the last one they had at that store and she has held up wonderfully. Today she is getting a new paint job. The rust is showing a little. Thanks again. "Country Hugs", Sherry
Rebecca, I love your shop....that has always been a dream of mine.
I also adore green......green is life!!!!!
XOXO
Barb
Oh I was so much into the country craze myself. We do evolve don't we? I can't help but wonder where we will be 20 years from now.
xxoo, Susan
I spy some dishes I would have bought in the first picture!
Thank you for sharing your lovely history. Those styles brought back so many memories.
TO: Mary Don...
Regarding you question above about why I gave up the Brick and Mortar Store...
After moving out of The Colonies we bought our home in Edmond (north about 15 miles). I opened another Antique Mall Shoppe and then moved that store to the brick and mortar store I named "A Gathering Place". I opened it only one month BEFORE the Oklahoma City Bombing happened in April of 1995. Try as I might I could not make it financially. The loss of that early business due to the destruction, chaos and media in our state was difficult at best to overcome. Owning a regular retail store is a dream of many. What I didn't realize was that along with the DREAM comes Workman's Comp and Liability Insurance, Rent, Taxes, Payroll, ADVERTISING (caching), Display Fixtures, etc. and lots and lots more. I needed to MAKE MONEY...not just have a pretty place for others to Ooooh and Awhhhh at. When I left I retained only the store's name. Everything else I sold. Sweet memories but it cured me of EVERY wanting a stand-alone store of my own again. I do NOT NOT NOT to ever kill myself like that again. It took years off my life. It did! Now you know the rest of the story. Someday I MAY rent a small space again but nothing like I use to have. I like to run around too much these days... :) :) :) xooxoReb
Hi Rebecca! I have missed you :)
WOW, what a FUN post!! I love green and I still do, lol! You are so lucky to have had these shops. I would love to have a shop, it would be so fun!
Big Hugs,
Amy
Great pictures, Rebecca! I remember the color green being so popular a while back!
Blessings,
Sandra
Oh dear. I have been hanging out at the construction site... :)
waiting...waiting..waiting like a child with her nose against a store window at a candy shop.
:)
What a wonderful place you had.. I just love that baby carriage and you got an awesome price for it.
I love your shoppe. What a charmer.
I can't believe how pretty that baby carraige is and it is easy to see why it sold for so much. I remember the days when every table top and backs of my sofas and arms of my chairs were covered in Battenburg lace. I have tons of it stored away. We all think that running or owning a shop would be so romantic, but in reality it is so much work. My daughter owned a store for awhile and it was not romantic or fun for very long. I sure do love to shop in them though.
Hugs,
June
Now, as long as you don't go dark again I'm sure M AGP won't worry. Could you imagine wanting to go back to that? I couldn't. I remember I went through this asian phase. I'm not sure why but everything was steel grey, black & white with splashes of red. Very geometric. Ugh. I've come so far from that period. WOW. I don't like anything dark right now. I wish I could paint my laptop!!
I definately love how you've evolved in color!!
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