It's PuMpKiN Time**!**!**!

Wisconsin's weather is PeRfeCt for PUMPKIN GROWING!!! Our quaint Historic Town is getting ready for it's annual "Pumpkin Walk" ~ tomorrow night ~ on "HaLLoWeeN... Hopefully I'll be home in time to see them ALL a glow!!! ~ I'm headed out early in the morning to Kane County Flea Market in Illinois ~ YES**!**!**! I'll be wearing my "down" jacket...

These pumpkins line our winding driveway from mid-September till Halloween...
I pile the left-over ORANGE ones by the cornstalks through Thanksgiving Day...

LoVe My "Owl"**!**!**!

The leaves are falling like CrAzY right now!!! As I drove in the driveway yesterday, my vintage concrete "Owl-In-The-Bird Bath" greeted me... I really don't think he gives a hoot!!!

Funny story about this Bird Bath ~ just a few weeks ago, Mel our mailman was backing up out of the driveway - hit the bird bath and sent it over the edge of our retaining wall OMG!**!**!
Amazingly ~ it has survived with only a large hairline crack... Hope it fairs well over the winter... (click to enlarge photos...)

ChiPPy!-SHaBBy! Crusty Old Paint!*!*!

As I prepare to "nest" for the long winter months ahead, one of the first things brought inside are my cement/concrete planters... Most of them get stored in the garage, but a select few ~ that have weathered to a FaBuLouS PATINA over the summer months - get used inside the house...

This AwEsoMe Planter found the PeRfeCt Place in the "Guest Bedroom"...
I've loaded it with "Rose Hips" that I picked up at our local Maxwell Street Flea Market some weeks ago... PeRfeCt for our ThAnKsGiVinG Holiday Guests!!!

Close-Up of the "Rose Hips"... I'm always sorry if I don't buy them at the early October Flea Market... JoAnn, the seller, ALWAYS has them for sale then... They make for such nice color at ThAnKsGiVinG Time!*!*!

"PeRfeCtLy ChiPPy" ~ Crusty Old Paint Patina!!!
This planter has probably seen the last of "outdoor" use... It is now aged to perfection!*!*!*!

BeSt Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mineral Point ~ Wisconsin...

Less than a week ago Jeff & I made a stop in MINERAL POINT - WISCONSIN... In years past we would always make a yearly stop there & do some great antiquing... I still have some favorite pieces I've gotten from there... Things have changed ~ almost all of the antique shops are now gone... It's sad... This small town has incredible architecture and historic sites. The building are made of local stone...

The store was closed ~ as many times before... Window peeking was fun though!!! We heard from another shop keeper that their basement is packed full with fabulous architectural salvage and antiques - they demolish building as part of their business...

We got exited when we saw the OPEN sign - you never know what one might find!!!
Unfortunately, mostly "small brown stuff"... We walked out empty handed...

Incredible Stone...

Halloween up in the widow's walk!!!

Early October KANE COUNTY FLEA MARKET...

I love going to the KANE COUNTY FLEA MARKET in St. Charles, Illinois... Unfortunately it's almost a 3 hour drive for me dealing with the "Chicago" traffic & road construction... STRESS!!!!! It is sooooo worth it once I get there!!! There are 6 booths I always hit first... These gals have the stuff I love ~ and display it for shopping inspiration... The prices aren't always low ~ but I'll pay the price if the item is unique... Another reason I like going to St. Charles is that my dear friend - Terry, from High School, still lives in the area... Most of the time we can squeeze in some spur of the moment girl friend chit-chat over a cup of coffee before I hit the road back to Wisconsin... Kane County is always the first Sunday of the month and preceding Saturday... Lots of Fall adornments were seen - pumpkins, gourds, mums, bittersweet etc. Even though the weather was cold & rainy - the die-hard sellers/shoppers always show up!!! I netted an AweSome small 3-drawer chippy dresser in the pouring rain... Luckily you can drive in to pick up your purchase...

Terry & Myself with the "chippy dresser"!!! - It has fabulous hardware!!! Hopefully I can get this up to the Antique Shop in the Cedar Creek Settlement before next weekend's ANTIQUE SHOW, here in Cedarburg...

Outdoor Booth (probably last of the season outside)...
"Iowa Junk Gypsies"

I netted this fabulous "Tri-Mirror" - for Ebay this winter OR one of my sales...
This seller is from Iowa...

Diane's Booth is always indoors... ~ She has THE BeST display of anyone...
~Sooooooo creative, exquisite taste~ these pics do not do it justice...
I always enjoy shopping in her booth - gets my ideas brewing!!!
THanK you Diane for ALL you do!!!

ViNtaGe Halloween!*!*!*!*

Halloween is my 2nd favorite holiday for "vintage displays"... I Love OLD HALLOWEEN items ~ maybe because I grew up in the 50's!!! Instead of scattering these items all over the house ~ I choose to focus on just one area for "impact"... This cabinet/display area is in our entryway... Each season yields it own theme... (click on any photo to enlarge... click on comments to leave feedback)

Halloween Entry vignette...

My most recent wall cabinet purchase from a New Hampshire antique store, now holds my Vintage "Gurley Brand" Candles for the moment!!! ALL my vintage candles have their original paper tags on the bottom... Some price tags read 15cents!!! ~ far cry from what I paid...

Fun Old Witch Label - picked up at our local Flea Market a few years ago...

Folk-Art Ghost & ViNtaGe "Baby Ruth" Candy boxes...
ViNtaGe noise maker...

ViNtaGe Fortune Telling Cards...

Colorful FALL in Wisconsin!*!*!*

We're having such a WET - WET Fall this year... It's been gray and rainy for days now... The LAST of this season's beauty is quickly disappearing... Here is a sneak peak of the beauty that surrounds our home ~ but not for long... Click on any picture to enlarge... To leave feedback - click on comments... ThAnKs!

I just Love my Metal Witch Sculpture!!! We put her up every year at the entrance of our driveway... The crows stay out ALL YEAR LONG...

Pumpkins piled high in one of my many birdbaths!!!

Planter filled with seasonal beauty...

My ViNtaGe Concrete Squirrel welcomes guests by our front door along with a million leaves from our gorgeous maple tree!!!

The road in front of our house...

Sidewalk P E N N I E S!**!**!

I love yielding to the kid in me whether it be picking up a penny off the sidewalk or coasting on the edge of a shopping cart... I knew there was a reason I parked my car far from the Grocery Store entrance!!! I find such joy in these simple things... Being "over 50" has empowered me to let go and live!!!

Find a Penny ~ Pick it UP ~ All the day you'll have good Luck!!! Yes! ~ I still bend down to pick up that occasional penny one might find on the sidewalk, & repeat the rhyme too... ~ It always brings a BIG smile to my face!!! A couple days ago, Jeff & I made a mid afternoon pit stop at "Michael's Frozen Custard Stand" in Madison, Wisconsin - about 2 hours west of us... I was feeling a bit out of sorts ~ we had just come from a funeral in Iowa... There it was - the penny on the sidewalk... I picked it up ~ recited the rhyme ~ and into my pocket it went... As I gazed around the room, enjoying the retro decor, my sites came upon 2 whimsical ViNtaGe "Fortune Telling" machines... Guess what - they actually were in working order ~ and all it took was a PENNY!!! I had soooooo much fun yielding to that kid in me for only a penny!*!*!*

Madison, Wisconsin

Retro Diner Look...

ROAD TRIP HOME....

Knowing that we had an insane 12-13 hour drive ahead of us ~ we got on the road early... My husband is a super driver!!! ~ It's ALL the other cell phone talkers, trucks, & road construction that stress me out!!! In OHIO, if we see a ***WAFFLE HOUSE*** Restaurant, we always stop!!! I think I just like the "Retro-Diner" look & the fact that they'll make my waffle extra crisp for me along with with some good bacon!!! We also were lucky enough to stop in a "junker-mall" on the west side of Toledo... Of course I netted some PeRfeCtly SHaBBy FiNdS!!!!!!!

Near Toledo ~ Ohio...

These Gals did a great job of running the place!!!

OMG!!! **Waffle Heaven**

Great "Junker-Mall"
A very welcome break from the road!!!

AnTiQuE Shop & Bottle Show - Keene, NH

After my husband picked me up from the airport, we stopped at a FaBuLouS Antique Shop!!! Sooooo nice to see some really good quality and people you appreciate chippy architectural pieces!!! I only came away with one item ~ AweSome ChiPPy White Wall Cupboard...

Keene Bottle Show... This is Jeff's FaVoRitE show of the entire year!!! - It starts out with a bottle tailgate in a farm field in Connecticut - always on the Columbus Holiday weekend... From there everyone drives to Keene, New Hampshire... In our travels, we find that "college towns" have the best accomodtions - food - and things to do... ~ KEENE is just that!!!

FaBuLouS Store ~ Great Quality...

The BEST little ChiPPy White Cupboard!!!
This one went home with me... Again, if I can't find just the right spot at home ~ you'll most likely find it on Ebay this Winter...

ViNtaGe Bottle Show Poster... Jeff really wanted to buy this!!! The Bottle Club decided to keep it for now...

Jeff's rearranging what I just put out!!! ~
He's the expert "in display" when it comes to bottles!!!
He built this amazing PORTABLE LIGHT TABLE that we take to shows...
It really shows off the colors - which is a very important to a collector...

Jeanine & Jeff

This is my "bottle buddy" Chris, from Minnesota...
The two of us come along to support our husbands at the shows...
We never seem to run out of chit-chat!!!
Side NoTe: I just love visiting them in Minnesota - Great Antique Stops in their neck of the woods!!! **AND** Chris makes ThE BeSt Raspberry Muffins...
I'll share the recipe NEXT TIME I bake them ~ which is often!!!

Bed & Breakfast Inns ~ State Park Hike-NH

We stayed at "2" Bed & Breakfast Inns in Keene, New Hampshire last week... My favorite of the two was the COLONY HOUSE... Joslin, the proprietor was wonderful!!! I just love Old Inns that have been updated with modern conveniences ~ large bathrooms... Joslin has "2" cats which was a real treat for me - Jeff is allergic... EVERYTHING was just the "Cat's Meow" at this AwEsoMe Inn!!!

We took advantage of a sunny day - and hiked a trail in the State Park... My idea of a hiking trail is a dirt path loaded with leaves and sticks... ~ NOT THE CASE HERE!!!! I spent most of the climb "on all fours"... Lots of large granite rocks to climb on... After ALL my complaining, we did make it to the top!!! Great Workout!!!!

Carriage Barn B & B

Carriage Barn

State Park ~ It was soooo crowded...

Trail marker...

GoRgeOuS Tree Colors!!! Nothing comes close to New England Colors...
My camera could not capture it's true beauty...

COLONY HOUSE
FaVoRiTe B & B

Incredible glass above the front door... It has quite a story ~
but I won't go into that now...

A typical 2 lane roadway ~ colorful with trees...

The BeSt!!!! Only New England has these wonderful FLOWERING PINK BUSHES at this time of year... I really wanted to cut some, but never got around to it... I'm sure they would dry fabulously ~ probably part of the hydrangea family????