the Frenchman's Wife - Shop in Ridgefield, IL

My entire "Saturday's Outing" was spurred on by a "holiday open house invitation" from a vintage /antique shop in Ridgefield, Illinois - "the frenchman's wife"... I became acquainted with Lisa, the owner, about 3 years ago or so, when she would set up at a few Illinois Flea Markets... I LoVed just about everything she had for sale!!! Lisa is sooooooo talented ~ an incredible display artist... This would be my first trip to her store ~ being that it is well off the beaten path for me & her hours are very limited...

As I pulled into the tiny town of Ridgefield, I saw this display on the front porch & just knew it was Lisa's Shop ~ well before I saw the sign!*!*!

Her shop is in an Old House... I just LoVed the Front Door!!!

I love that Lisa is inspired by nature and incorporates it in her displays...
The shop most certainly "has a look to it"... A palette of cream colors, warm woods, & the perfect "go-with" adornments... NOTHING CUTESY HERE!!!

I can envision a lot of her larger scale "re-purposed industrial" items in downtown Chicago Lofts... Note the shelf - it's a painter's scaffold plank!!!

The shop was pleasantly adorned with an ever so slight hint of holiday greens & a light dusting of snow...

"The frenchman's wife" is well worth the drive... Open most Fridays...
I did buy an AwEsoMe little stand-up mirror with incredible patina ~ definitely a keeper!*!*!

**Northwind Perennial Farm ~ Wisconsin!!!**

Yesterday's Outing was "just amazing"... Fifty Degrees and sunny in November - "In Wisconsin" ~ YES!*!*! ~ Perfect Day for a back roads drive!*!*! OMG!*!*! Where do I begin???? Ridgefield ... Woodstock... Hebron... Lake Geneva... Burlington... I took over 100 pictures... If I had to pick one favorite stop - it was NORTHWIND PERENNIAL FARM, in Burlington, Wisconsin... This place is "heaven on earth" for me... The whole backdrop of this amazing landscape/garden center is adorned with THE ABSOLUTE BEST - 2-die-4, chippy~shabby~rusty~crusty vintage items!*!*! Colleen has displayed ALL these amazing shabby finds for EVERYONE who comes to the farm to enjoy... There are numerous out buildings along with the main barn... I know I hate NFS - but I totally understand when you have such exceptional vintage items like this!!! For the past 14 years, Northwind hosts an annual "Antique Show" on the grounds - usually in June... I'm planning on having a booth there once again in 2010... It is such a delightful outdoor show with the Ultimate backdrop... (click on pics to enlarge... click on comments to leave feedback...) www.northwindperennialfarm.com

Everyone was snapping a picture of these 2 adorable cats sunning themselves under this AmAziNG ~ Best Ever Chippy Urn!*!*!
This this an AwEsoMe Backdrop or what!?!?!?!

Well decorated Old Urn welcoming visitors...

I just LoVe these kitties!!! Both of them were roaming around our booths "early" in the day at this past summer's antique show...

View from "inside" of the barn - looking out at the cats...

FaBuLouS Out-Building...

This area is just amazing!!!
The Christmas Tree is actually INSIDE THE SILO!*!*!

Northwind has THE BEST SELECTION of HoLiDaY Greens...

Just about everything is presented in the best old containers...

This Architectural Door Fragment is 2-die-4!*!*!*!

Fire pit for HoLiDay Guests to warm up by...
Note the "marshmallows" in the jars ~ ready for toasting!!!
Don't you just LoVe the metal chairs!!!

Best Picture of the Day...
Cats catching the last of the season's warm sun rays...
The Cat on the right reminds me of my Cousin's Cat - "Elvis" ~ very wise tabby...

Chippy Bench inside the barn...

AwEsoMe rusty 6-drawer adornment...

****See you in June "Northwind Farm"****

"Sneek-Peek"... UpComing HoLiDaY Antique Show!*!*!

Very Quick "Sneek-Peek" of just a few small items I've begun to gather for NEXT SATURDAY'S (Dec. 5th) Antique Show!*!*! I have a very busy - yet exciting day ahead of me today - Off to Illinois to "Kimball & Bean's" HoLiDay Open House!*!*! ~ along with a few other speciality stops... www.kimballandbean.com

"SpArKliNg" Silver-Tip - Vintage bottle brush tree with jewel top adornment...
ViNtaGe -Musical Green Bottle Brush Tree ~ turns & plays silent night...
ChiPPy Architectural Corbel...

These "double-runner" baby ice skates are just adorable!*!*!
Real white Fur Trim & Personal Initials...

Thinking.... "ViNtaGe ChRisTmaS"!*!*!

We had a delightfully "filling" day with family on Thanksgiving... - I'm glad the pile of dishes is behind me now... I think I'll enjoy the left-overs much more in the next few days to come... With my booth at the PILGRIM ANTIQUE MALL'S HOLIDAY SHOW just 8 days away ~ I'm most certainly thinking "ViNtaGe ChRisTmaS"!*!*! I checked my shabby items in the hallway at Cedar Creek Antiques, in Cedarburg ~ & my Holiday Stuff is going FAST - YES!!!

This pic was actually a vignette I did a couple years back ~ and used it as a post card for a Winter Garden Show I did in Cedarburg... The 2-die-4 perfectly chippy garden topiary container WILL BE FOR SALE at the Germantown Show a week from Saturday - December 5th!!! (am I CrAzY?!?!)... I'll be posting more pre-view pics as it gets closer...

I sold this ViNtaGe Beauty of Suitcase on Ebay a couple years ago... What a unique holiday touch...

I just loved it!*!*!


Saturday, December 5th 9-5
HOLIDAY ANTIQUE SHOW
Visit my "ChiPPy!-SHaBBy!" Booth
Next Door to - PILGRIM ANTIQUE MALL
W156 N11500 Pilgrim Road
Germantown, Wisconsin
Shop: 262-250-0260

"ShaBBy~Wrap" your Bird.... No Kidding!*!*!

BeSt TURKEY ROASTING Method!*!*! It's getting down to the final hours of ThaNkSGiVinG Prep - timing everything perfectly so it's all done at the same time... For as long as I can remember, I have Roasted many a Turkey using the"fool-proof" method of CHEESE CLOTH WRAPPING ~ YeS, thats right!*!*!

One of my favorite parts of the Turkey is the skin... Using the cheesecloth roasting method ensures a somewhat crisp (not soggy) skin, amazing beautiful color, & a very juicy bird!*!*!

Wash the bird... Quarter an orange - squeeze & rub the orange inside and out of the bird... Season with salt and pepper... Combine about 2 cups of melted butter & 2 cups of oil in a large bowl... SOAK THE CHEESECLOTH IN THIS MIXTURE... Set your stuffed or un-stuffed bird on a rack in a roasting pan ... Double layer "Mummy-Wrap" the Bird with the saturated cheesecloth - but not on the underside where the bird touches the rack... THAT'S - IT !*!*! Every 30 minutes baste the bird THROUGH THE CHEESECLOTH, with the pan drippings...

All the wonderful dripping from the bird combined with cooking the neck parts make for a delicious gravy... Extra secret ~ add "gravy master or kitchen bouquet" for color...

Our "upscale" grocery store - SENDIK'S, had these adorable "Turkey Butter Sculptures"... I treated myself as a nice go-with for my turkey-squirrel-acorn whimsy table adornments... Until it's time to set out the butter on the table, I've placed the box in a prominent spot in the fridge - to enjoy each time I open the door - which is often!*!*!

I just had to break open the box to fully see it!*!*!

I just love this turkey towel from Williams Sonoma...
I got one for my friend Lin, too...

"Happy Turkey Day"...
I'm thankful for ALL the new acquaintances & inspiration
I've received through blogging!*!*! Feedback ~ Comments are always appreciated... Click on pics to enlarge...

*************

R E M I N D E R
Visit my ChiPPy!-SHaBBy! Booth Saturday, Dec. 5th, 9am-5pm
Next Door to Pilgrim Antique Mall
W156 N11500 Pilgrim Road
Germantown, Wisconsin
Shop: 262-250-0260

ThAnKsGiViNG "Tart Pies"!*!*!

Mark Your Calendar...
Saturday, December 5th 9 am - 5pm
Jeanine's ChiPPy!-SHaBByY! Booth @
Holiday Antique Show ~ Next Door to Pilgrim Antique Mall
W156 N11500 Pilgrim Road - Germantown, Wisconsin
shop: 262-250-0260

Our HoLiDaY guests will just love this year's entry vignette!*!*!

Sunday evening Jeff & I went to our local movie theater & saw "Julie & Julia"... Ladies - put this on your list of "must see" if you haven't already!!! Having had a specialty "muffin & espresso" bake shop in Nevada for 8 years, I was once again inspired!*!*! I spent almost the ENTIRE day in the kitchen yesterday - enjoying "baking bliss"... I baked an old holiday favorite from the bake shop ~ "Cranberry Walnut Tart Pie"... I just love the professional presentation of the free-form fluted edge... The original recipe is from a restaurant in Northern California...

The 2 larger Tart Pies are headed out the door today for my friends Lin & Nancy to enjoy!*!*! I had enough crust left over to make "3 - petite" ones...

HoLiDay Ready-Guest Room & Cherub Lamp!!!

Mark Your Calendar!*!*!
Saturday, December 5th - 9am-5pm
Jeanine's ChiPPy!-SHaBBy! Booth
@ Holiday Antique Market next to Pilgrim Antique Mall
(11 miles southwest of Cedarburg)
W156 N11500 Pilgrim Road, Germantown, Wisconsin
262-250-0206

Soooooo, the final ThAnKsGiVinG HoLiDaY Crunch has begun!*!*! I hit the grocery store EaRLy at 7 a.m. this Monday morning - what a joy to shop then!*!*! List complete, my first project was readying the guest bedroom... (click on pics to enlarge... click on comments to leave feedback...)

No way will you see Christmas Stuff UP In Our House BEFORE THANKSGIVING!!! Now that everything has "turned-brown" outside, I replaced the floral Euro Shams with ones adorned with pine cones, leaves, & evergreen branches ~ such a wonderful in between seasons touch next to the all white sheet set...

This small table/chair nook area is perfect for guests to sit ~ have coffee ~ read ~ watch the birds at the feeder... This Totally over-the-top "Tole Table" is in the top 10 of my MOST FAVORITE vintage items... It's patina is 2-die-4 "PeRfeCtLy ChiPPy!" I originally bought it without it's glass top... It was well over a year before I found a "bargain-priced" glass top for it at a sale... The metal garden chair was a New Hampshire Find this past Fall...

I absolutely Adore this ChiPPy ViNtaGe Cherub Lamp!*!*! A GREAT FIND from Janice's Booth at Kane County this past Fall... When I first picked it up - Ebay Sales came to mind ~ when I got it home ~ it became a keeper for sure!*!*!

It wasn't till I got home that I realized the bottom was a night light of sort...

Cherub ~ Sooooooo ShaBBy!*!*!

Best Ever!!!
This vintage flower finial was a separate find from Cedarburg's Maxwell Street Days... The perfect adornment!*!*!