The magic begins!

We all know there is magic in Christmas.  You take a plain green tree and adorn it to make it a work of art to share with family and friends and customers. We did just that for the Christmas window at Monticello Antique Marketplace in Portland. We added antlers, pheasant feathers, vintage brass horns, mercury glass and copper ornaments and icicles for some sparkle. And there is some magic! We set that tree on a vintage galvanized water trough that has a handmade wooden top to transform it to a bench or sofa table for your home. More magic! One of my favorite pieces in the display is an old chippy door we made into a corner shelf. It sold while we were there (hard to keep customers out when they spot something they like!) but I will take another up on Thursday and it will be for sale. So go see the magic for yourself and then get home and make some magic in your own home to share with family and friends for this wonderful season. Even a simple string of lights can make the magic... have fun with the process!  The world needs more magic!  Mary and Sara

Christmas 2013

We did our first Christmas display at Monticello yesterday as it is coming! Christmas is coming! This display has a woodland theme to it with handblown insect ornaments, English hedgehog and fox mugs and a wonderful wooden chopping block (what a fun gift that would be). You have to stop in and smell the balsam and cedar candles - like talking a walk through the forest.  So get on up to Monticello to see it for yourself. Don't forget that the Monticello Christmas show opens on Nov.22 at 8:00am.  It is not to be missed as the displays are so wonderful and full of vintage treasures. We will be doing our second display on Dec.1 in the front window! Think ice and snow and silver! So have a warm, family oriented Thanksgiving and remember to donate what you can to the people in the Phillipines to help their recovery. Mary and Sara

Be Thankful

Halloween candy has not even been all consumed by all the little goblins and yet today we switched out our booth to a most wonderful holiday - Thanksgiving!  A primitive table with all wooden pegs and hand carved legs displays a lovely set of antique Royal Copenhagen Golden Basket dishes.  Add in dried grains, dried hydranges and turkey candles and you have set your table.  Velvet pumpkins, jeweled picture frames and a linen upholstered bench complete the look. So get into Monticello soon for some inspiration and remember to be thankful for all you have.... Mary and Sara

New merchandise today!

The weather here in the Pacific Northwest has been beautiful the last several days and I struggle with do I paint a piece of furniture and price merchandise that has come in or do I work outside while the sun lasts. So I have tried to find that happy medium that we all struggle with and done both.  But today I had to drive the two hours to Portland to restock our booth and the yard takes second fiddle.  So here are some pics of the new things I took up today: a wonderful orange velvet childs chair in great condition, alot of vintage Halloween paper decorations (the cat is 36" long and in great condition), a glass battery case full of composite baby dolls, moss and rubber worms and a great childs microscope set. So as I begin my early morning drive I stop at my favorite Starbucks for my latte.  As the money is being passed (actually the lady in front of me paid for mine so I paid for the lady behind me) the cashier leans way out the window and says "What is that?" pointing to the glass battery case full of heads and eyes and worms sitting in the passenger seat with a safety belt on it. Where would you have put it? I tried to explain and merely left her with one of the rubber worms.  So find your balance, pay for the car behind you and share your rubber worms!  Mary

Something Wicked!

Are you a good witch or a bad witch? - asks one of our signs in the new Halloween display. So we did a witch in a black Victorian mourning dress and a white witch in a Victorian summer dress. The hats are the best ever and I carry them every year. They are large and in charge and just so much fun. The best part is that they are made in the USA by a company that only hires people with special needs. I sit one on our coffee table for the season but wear it on Halloween.  The other favorite piece in this display is the black and white checkered Empire couch for only $400!  So if you love Halloween like I do come on in to Monticello for some fun decorations.  I (Bob helped and did a pretty darn good job) always have to put up the flying crows carrying off the baby and mama in their etherial dresses... scary but fun. So have an amazing fall and do some decorating for Halloween in your home. Traditions keep us human.  Happy Halloween   Mary

Orange pumpkins and gold leaves

So from an empty booth to a fall display.  Lots of work but lots of fun. We enjoyed meeting some of the other vendors who are setting up their displays at the same time too.  So this is a sneak peek of what our traditional fall display in the show looks like. Red Cinderella pumpkins to velvet pumpkins, real gold and red pressed leaves and fresh salal wreaths (thanks Lorraine) and some rusty tin items for texture. So get to the show that opens tomorrow at 8 am and runs through September 29.  There will be lots of restocking along the way by all the vendors so visit often.  Fill your home with some of these wonderful fall colors... Mary

Fall Show at Monticello

I know - when most people think of fall they think of orange pumpkins and red leaves! Think again and enjoy a beautiful white pumpkin (yes they are real and are for sale) for a relaxing change.  The turn of the Century oil painting of the gentleman with pearl buttons is a show stopper!  Everybody had to come up and look at him up close. What a display it made as everything came together.  Sara can display anything and I find some good stuff for her to display!  Sara made the leaf wreath and I made the white leaf vines. If you haven't already figured it out - I LOVE this display. I want to move in and just sit there! So get to Monticello's Fall Show that opens Friday at 8:00am and see it for yourself. You may just find me sitting there enjoying it too... Mary  P.S. The next post will be of our orange pumkins and red leaves space out back in the show for the tradition in all of us!

Chalkboards

Say what you need to say - on your chalkboard! As you can see we have lots

of chalkboards for you this month.We even have an old door made into a chalkboard

that you can use inside or on your front porch. Change the verse or drawing with the seasons. 

There is also a 2014 chalkboard calender!  So come on into Monticello and see the new display. 

More chalkboards are on the way so watch for new updates.  We also have alot of

galvenized buckets, boxes and barn vents for your fall gardening!

Let's go camping!

Summertime is in full swing here in Oregon.  What a better way to spend time than go camping in the great outdoors. So our new display at Monticello is about camping, fishing and spending time outside. My favorite in this display is the vintage red plaid handmade swimsuit that Sara mounted and bannered with "Summertime". Perfect on your mantel!  The other gem in the display is the little folding 1940's camp grill! So get in to Monticello to browse the new display. We will keep refreshing in over the next few weeks. We ordered handmade s'mores from Butter in Vancouver, B.C. and will have those for sale in a few days. You have to come get a few for a special treat after your next BBQ. They are soooo good. Have some fun this summer and by all means - Go Camping! 

Waves of Freedom

Do you know how lucky you are to live in The U.S.A.?  Do you take your freedom for granted? I think all of us do at some time or another. But we live in a beautiful (amber waves of grain) country with freedoms and excesses everywhere. So take a moment to look around you and be thankful as we start the summer of 2013!  As I prepared our new red, white and blue items to display at Monticello I thought alot about the sacrifices and love of country that have kept this country strong and moving forward by people of every age and color. Their sincere love and sacrifices keep this country strong. So long may she wave - the red, white and blue! Be proud to be an American.... I am!

Now come see some of the many delights that Monticello Marketplace has in store for you. You can't miss our display - it is bright and fun and right up front.  Have a fun summer and please hang a flag to show the pride this country can have! Long may she wave.... Mary