~VINTAGE CLOTHING and LACE FINDS~

 

~ROUND TABLECLOTH with DEEP CROCHET LACE~

I spent most of my day today on the Estate/Tag Sale hunt and I get so excited when I score BIG with vintage linens.  I never really know just WHAT I will find when fluttering about town...

~TONS of CROCHETED DOILIES~

All in all I think my Mr. AGPMan (and our son!) visited six different sales...

two were phenomenal

two were great

one was good

and

one will go down in history

as being the worst managed sale I've ever attended...

~LOVE THIS RUNNER~

Lots of pics to share today!

A few I'll move over to Pinterest and Facebook!

~LOVELY EDGING~

You know...I said once that if I ended up with more followers on Pinterest than I did on my Blog then it might be time to quit writing and just share pretty photos!

~LOTS OF THIS LACE~

Hmmm...getting awfully close here....

~TRIM MADE with RIC RAC~

This sweet edging included the note you see below.  Basically it says it was crocheted while a momma rocked her baby/cradle with her foot!  How sweet is that?

 

 ~LOVE THIS NOTE~

 ~GORGEOUS~

 ~VINTAGE BODICE~

Totally swoon-worthy!

 ~UP-CLOSE COLLAR~

~HANDMADE BUTTONHOLES~

 ~WHITE on WHITE EMBROIDERY~

Perfect accents for Christmas Stockings!

 ~VINTAGE CHILD'S APRON~

 ~VINTAGE BABY DRESS~

~VINTAGE BABY SLIP~

 ~A LONE VINTAGE BROOCH~

 ~FANTASTIC HUGE TABLECLOTH~

 ~AMAZING STITCHING~

 ~BEAUTIFUL~

 ~BREATHTAKING~

 ~MY FAVORITE FIND~

~MORE THAN LOVELY~

The vintage tablecloth is my FAVORITE FIND!  I love all the other lace pieces and the vintage clothes, but the tablecloth is amazing.  It has some storage issues, but no stains from use.  I honestly don't believe it ever graced a table.  Somehow I think that is very sad...

Anyway...the cloth is ENORMOUS!  Maybe that's why it was never used...too large for a family table.  

Hope you love all my treasures!

I have Christmas Stocking running through my brain.

Before I go...just a note to thank those of you who have written regarding my last post.  Your thoughts and concern for my husband mean more than I can say.  When it comes time for me to close my bloggie for good your kindnesses to me will be what I miss the most.

Love to you...

~SNAPSHOTS and SEPIA DREAMS~

When your only grandchild comes to stay for two whole weeks at her Nana's house you've got to get creative to keep things interesting...  If not the long summer days can go bust in a big fat hurry!  So~what did I do to keep one amazing ten year old from getting totally bored day-in and day-out?

Well...after days of doing the usual...swimming, shopping (lots of shopping!), reading, movie watching, taking walks, working on my booth (yes...she helped me) we had to find something different and out of the norm to do...  And so....

We played DRESS-UP!!!  Or at least my Miss K did!

Together (um...it was more MY idea than HER idea) we decided to pull the clothes off one of my display mannequins and with the trusty aid of a few safety pins my favorite little girl in the whole wide world was dressed to the nines.  We curled up her hair and added just a wee bit of lip-gloss and mascara to her already beautiful face...grabbed an old hat and shoes for some props and away we went to the backyard for some picture-taking-fun!

 

I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had and what a trooper my Miss K was during the entire process of photographing her.  Even when it started to get a tiny bit warm outside (imagine all the clothes) she didn't complain one little bit....

I always wanted to do something like this when my daughter, Adrienne, was little.  But...back then we didn't have digital cameras...no Photo Shop, no Paint Shop Pro, and certainly no way to manipulate photographs via the computer like you can today!

Adrienne grew up and I never did get those dress-up pictures taken...  I'd give almost anything if had some photos taken with my old 110 camera or 35mm...

Anyway...by the the time Miss K and I were finished with all the pictures (only took about 10-15 minutes) we came in and snacked on peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwiches and sipped on sweet tea.  A fabulously FUN MEMORY TO MAKE and a day I will never forget.

  

I told my girl how special she was to me and promised her that one day...hopefully a long, long time from now...the pictures would mean a lot to her as well.  I told her I knew it was hard to picture herself as an older lady, but that one day she would be and she would have grandchildren of her own.  I hope she will look back on this afternoon and the memories we made and will remember it as a special time in her life.

In November Miss K will turn eleven.  Not many more chances to snap photos like this.  Before long she'll be a teenager and moments like this will have passed us by.  So happy we were able to carve some time out of our busy lives to create something lasting...and forever.

Make your day count!

Love to you...

~~~~~~UNCOVERING VINTAGE DRESSES~~~~~ and Other Chic Romantic Frocks

 ~FABULOUS LACE CAMISOLE and VINTAGE SKIRT~

Over the July 4th Holiday my Mr. AGPMan and I decided to do a little sightseeing up north.  We had the most wonderful time visiting the Nebraska Prairie Museum where we saw firsthand a collection of simply amazing things!  I was over-the-moon happy with what we saw!

 

 ~GORGEOUS ANTIQUE LACE CAMI~

From archival documents to period dress, the Museum was jam-packed with tons of antique and vintage finds...more stuff than one can possibly see in a single visit.  It is located in Holdrege, Nebraska, and I promise you it won't disappoint!

 ~Sooo ROMANTIC and LOVELY~ 

I've included the link above in case you want to check out the Museum information for yourself!

 ~UP-CLOSE VIEW OF SKIRT~

Now...It isn't too often I find a sweet little something that turns my head to the point that I must carry it home.  I have a true weakness for antique clothing and lacy little frocks and my passion and deep appreciation for them has done nothing but grow over the years.

 ~GORGEOUS LACE EDGING~

I found the charming vintage skirt and matching lace camisole you see above and below in Hays, Kansas.  After visiting the Museum in Holdrege we stopped off to browse for a bit inside a few antique malls and shoppes on the way back home to Oklahoma.

 ~UP-CLOSE CAMISOLE LACE~

I found the price was just about right on the skirt and cami (give or take a few dollars) so I decided I just couldn't live without them...

~PRECIOUS VINTAGE BUTTONS~

They were destined to find a new and comfy little home within the walls of my La Chaumière de Briarwood...

 ~CROCHETED LACE CAMISOLE~

I also snagged the sweet little beauty you see above (and below) for only $6.50.  I loved the heart crochet lace (simply yummeee!) and thought it would look beautiful on one of my vintage mannequin girls! :)

 

~PRISTINE CONDITION~

I can't wait to showcase this sweet little piece!

~ANTIQUE SEWING DRESS FORM~

While at the Museum I saw this lovely antique metal dress form.  I had never seen one like it in person...only in an antique catalog!  I used a similar image/graphic to create the greeting card you see below!  How neat was stumbling onto that piece of history?

~VINTAGE DRESS FORM CARD~

~ANTIQUE WEDDING DRESSES~

Directly above are some of the dresses from the Museum!  Aren't they gorgeous?  Can't get lace like this much anymore.  My favorite 'baby-sewing' girls (Jeannie B and Sara) will surely love seeing this lace...

~GORGEOUS DETAILS~

~PRECIOUS SHOULDER~

~LOVELY FLOUNCE~

~BEAUTIFUL CUFFS~

Even if you COULD find a dress like the one below offered for sale today, I'm quite sure the price would be outta-sight!

~WOMEN USE TO BE SOOO TINY!~

I'm not 100% sure what size the little dress actually is...probably a size 2 or 3.  Maybe even a zero!  I am certainly MUCH BIGGER than that and I would never be able to fit into such a tiny little thing!  The waist/rib cage was probably no more than 21".  Wow!

~"GOING AWAY" DRESS~

The little number you see above is from 1910 and was a "Going Away Dress".  Isn't it gorgeous?

  ~FUTURE TEACHER?~

Our Miss K ~ Age 8

~FOR NOW A GREAT STUDENT!~

 Our Precious Grand-Girl

I have lots more pictures to show you from our trip and will do so later this summer!  Our Miss K was with us and she loved visiting the Old School House you see above.  It was a highlight for her at the Museum!

Thanks for visiting me today!  I'm off to my studio to actually DO SOME WORK!  Everything on my website is nearly SOLD so I can certainly tell I haven't been putting in very many business hours this summer!

Blessings for a lovely day.

Love to you...