Antiques & Uniques

First 2012 Before and After

2012-01-14T05:45:00.000-08:00

Before , nice dresser, but needs to be painted and "shabbyfied" to hold a nice flat screen!

After her paint job! Ready to hold a nice flat screen and other 2012 electronics!

Our first before and after of 2012...

Change is good!

2011-12-27T19:24:00.000-08:00

Change is good... in retail the experts all say "change is good"! It keeps merchandise fresh and customers interested. So.... because of some family obligations, time restraints, etc. Antiques and Uniques decided to leave The Galleries on Williams Street in Chattanooga effect January 2012 and put all our inventory and resources back in The Galleries on Gordon in Chickamauga. Change is good, change is good, change is good. It is hard work leaving , both physically and emotionally but I'm sure I'll get over it ...in time.

Christmas in the Streets!

2011-12-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 10th, is our local "Christmas in the Streets" promotion in Chickamauga, GA. Come see us! There will be sales, food vendors, parade, Santa, everything in the middle of Gordon Street, downtown Historic Chickamauga, GA! 10am -7pm

Creative time!

2011-11-30T05:01:00.000-08:00

We've had a rainy few days here in Georgia, so I've been busy creating for the shoppes! Just finished this new net wreath, don't you just love red and lime together? I know I do! Are you decorated yet?

Christmas Open House

2011-11-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

We had Christmas Open House at The Galleries on Gordon in Chickamauga ,last weekend.We have a designated Christmas Room this year and Santa came by on Saturday to check it out!

This year there are lots of woodland themes around, this tree is a great example of a natural theme, lots of birds and snowy type items. Just lovely, don't you think?

Christmas is a comin....

2011-11-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

Our annual Christmas Open House started today and will run through Sunday, Nov. 6th at The Galleries on Gordon, 111 Gordon Street, Chickamauga, GA. This picture is in my booth area there, Antiques & Uniques mixes vintage with new creating a unique look to your everyday decor or your Christmas decorating!

November 1st is the day!

2011-10-26T03:30:00.000-07:00

November 1st is the first day of our Holiday Open House in Downtown Chickamauga, GA. !That's next Tuesday!! I better get busy and decorate my area! If you are local, come to see us, Nov.1st -6th, we'll be serving refreshments on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5-6. On Saturday, Nov. 5th, Santa will be in the house, bring your own camera and get a photo of him with your little one!
Hope to see you there!

OOOoooooooops!!!!

2011-10-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just over commit! I don't mean to but we get just too busy, as we've done now, and we are going to have to cancel the Fall Tag Sale as don't have the time to paint furniture and get our stuff cleaned up enough for a sale right now. Hopefully, we can reschedule later!!Whew , that feels better already!

I Iuv technology!

2011-09-02T04:32:00.000-07:00

I love technology and right now I'm enthralled with my latest purchase, a simple Cricut machine. I realize everyone else in Blogland has been using one for ages, but I had not. So recently, I bought one as well and have been busy making cute gift items to sell such as these cute acrylic wine glasses!

Plain and Simple, final step

2011-07-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

We finally finished up the nice chest of drawers we redid. Last step, waxing with Minwax Finishing Wax and giving the outdated pulls and knobs a touch of Rub n Buff! Voila!

It starts tonight!

2011-07-14T04:10:00.000-07:00

For the past several years, Antiques and Uniques has been having quarterly tag sales, that means one in the summer!! We've had record breaking heat around here for days, but we've trudged on preparing for this week's tag sale, we've got 30 something pieces of furniture ready to sell! It starts tonight but we must be crazy!
Tag Sale 6-8pm tonight, Thursday, July 14th and all day tomorrow, July 15th 8am-6pm. . We'll be in the garage, we'll have the fans on and giving out water! Come see us!

Summer Tag Sale Coming Soon!

2011-07-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready for our Summer Tag Sale... starts next Thursday nite, July 14th, 6-8pm!

Lots of cute furniture and home decor!!Come see us!

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T07:05:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July!! Thanks to all our service men and women!

Who knew?

2011-06-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

Do you know the name "Harry and David", as in fruit of the month clubs? They make candles, potpourri and room spray too! We started carrying several of their fragrance lines at the Chickamauga store recently. The "Mission Fig" fragrance is just yummy!!Who knew? Did you?

Nashville Flea Market

2011-06-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

We love a good flea market and the one in Nashville Tennessee is a great one! Some bad weather brought our day trip on Saturday to a quick close but we managed to pick up a few treasures before "running for cover" !Love the tall, industrial stool, isn't it cute, perfect condition!

It takes some time.

2011-06-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

It takes time to acquire and prepare inventory for each Antiques & Uniques quarterly TAG SALE but so worth it!!We like to have 25-30 pieces of furniture for any given sale. We love gathering treasures, painting furniture and "sprucing and fluffing"! Our motto is: " Unique Treasures for You and Your Home" and that's what you find at our TAG SALE! Here are a few pieces we're getting ready.

!950's solid wood dressing table, painted glossy black, can't wait to put a sweet little chair with this and send it home with a "princess"!

Cute and simple, white child's bookcase. I may paint the back wall of it a color or add some decorative paper to give it a little punch!

Plain and simple Step 3

2011-06-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

Step 3: We've tried numerous types of paint and primers over the past few years. We're presently using the Behr Ultra brand with paint and primer mixed together from Home Depot. Great paint! Wonderful coverage!! We highly recommend it. Most of the time , it takes one complete step out of the restoring process!In these pictures, we've got one coat of black satin( by far the most popular amongst our customers) on the base piece and all the drawer fronts. Doesn't it look good? After 24 hours, we'll assess whether it will need another coat or if it's"good to go"!

Plain and Simple, Step 2

2011-06-03T03:59:00.000-07:00

Here's the second step we take with a chest of drawers such as "plain and simple". We always take the drawer hardware off before we paint. Some people do not do this !!At this point, we look at whether we'll be putting the old hardware back on ( with a face-lift of course) or getting some new. If you decide to get new and it 's a different size or type( maybe knobs as opposed to pulls) , then you may need to fill the present holes with filler and then know you'll need to make new holes for the new pulls.Stay tuned.....

Time flies!

2011-06-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, where have I been?? I can't believe my "blogging break" took so long. I did have a change of scenery for awhile but I'm back!!

We're now gearing up for the July Tag Sale.... got to start getting things ready.Here's one of our first projects, plain and simple, that's what we call a chest like this.So many people ask me, "where do you start"... let's talk this week about what we'll do to this chest, step by step, to get it ready to sell. We found this chest at a local "pickin place".It's very sturdy, the back on it is good, drawers are all there!! Step 1: we've cleaned it, vaccumed out the drawers.It is sitting on ready for an overhaul! Come back tomorrow for step 2!

The Colors of Summer

2011-04-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

What colors say "summer" to you ? Most days, the bright hues of hot pink, turquoise and purple say summer to me. But some times, it's the pale soft colors of the beach, white, tan and lovely color of aqua! Today, we're getting ready to take some exploding color to the store! A turquoise rocker and "Paris" theme pillows with a hot pink basket!!

Tables of Spring 2011

2011-04-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Both stores we are involved with have so many fun things planned for 2011! The next one is planned for this weekend, this is our 2nd Annual Tables of Spring. The different booths set up tablescapes within their booth to show off their Spring wares and how they can be used on tables. Last year was such fun, we had one with a mannequin in a bridal gown , the gown was the tablecloth and the bridal gifts for sale were scattered across the gown! Then we had a "wine and cheese" party with wine glasses, wine stoppers, other accessories for sale as the "hostess" poured some wine for each customer! This year is going to be fun too! I set up my table tonite as I have to be out of town this weekend. It's a "Teddy Bear Tea Party" as my booth sells teas and tea accessories!

Springtime in the Carolinas

2011-04-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at The Metrolina in Charlotte, NC last week. We loaded up with goodies to resell at the shops! Even though the weather itself was still cool, we saw tons of Springtime at the show. Outside the gates of The Metrolina, flowers of every color and description lined the walk! How tempting they all look ,straight from the greenhouses! Here's one of the many displays we saw over the weekend , this shows everyone that Spring is certainly in the air!

It's time!!

2011-03-30T03:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again for the Spring Extravaganza at the Charlotte Metrolina, Charlotte, NC!! This is an event that happens twice a year, its a flea market/antique show and we're headed there tomorrow.You'll remember we were there last November as well, http://antiquesanduniques.blogspot.com/2010/11/well-definitely-go-back.html. After a very successful spring TAG SALE here at Antiques & Uniques, we're in need of lots of furniture and goodies to sell!!Wish us luck!

If you're around....

2011-03-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

If you're local to NW Georgia, we're going to have a fun time tomorrow night in Chickamauga , GA!!

Girls Night Out,Chickamauga - Style will be held tomorrow night( Thursday) from 6-8pm at The Galleries on Gordon, 111 Gordon Street, Chickamauga.Several of our neighboring shoppes and restaurants will be open, as well!!! We're having refreshments, sampling dips and punch, we've got a goodie bag for each customer, we put together a GNO gift basket valued at $250 with goodies from the shop, this will be given away!Come see us and introduce yourself and I'll give you a free gift!

"Frenchie" Chair

2011-03-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

I'm linking to Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Fridayhttp://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2011/03/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link_17.html This has to be one of my favorite chair re-dos of all time. When we took this old chair apart, my painter/restorer/fixer( aka hubby)found horsehair under the upholstery it was so old. So... I kindly kept that horsehair in place as I brought my chair into the 21st century, covering the seat with a burlap sack that I had stenciled. I loved this chair!!

Simple Before and After!

2011-03-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

I love chairs!! Big chairs, little chairs, soft chairs even hard chairs! I especially love having an odd chair sitting around a room. I love having a spare chair in the bedroom, where you can sit to put on your shoes or stack some laundry. I love having a spare chair in the kitchen to pull up for an extra person to join us for a meal! I love having an odd chair in my keeping room where I use it as a side table for a cup of coffee or an unfinished book!Here I took a simple odd chair, added a little paint and a 1/2 yard of cute fabric and made it look so different!!

I stand amazed!

2011-03-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

I continue to be amazed at the difference a can of spray paint can make in an object. This vanity chair we just finished was a brassy gold from the 1980's when we started! Now a light coat of silver spray paint and some girlie "high heel" fabric for a new cushion and we've got a winner!What have you transformed lately?

Spring Tag Sale

2011-03-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

We're getting ready for our first Tag Sale of 2011! We've been collecting goodies all winter and the sale starts next Thursday nite, March 17th from 6-8pm and then all day the next day,March 18th from 8-6pm..

Are you a "Do-It -Yourself" type?

2011-02-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Are you like me and love the satisfaction of saying"I did it myself"? If so, Kristy at http://4theloveofwood.blogspot.com/p/tips.html has some great DIY tips for you!! In fact,she's compiling a whole page of tips. There's even one from yours truly about the wonderful qualities of liquid de-glosser! Go check it out, tell her Carol at Antiques & Uniques sent ya!!

Comin' right along!

2011-02-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

My Mom used to use this term when I was growing up, "comin' right along". We might have been cleaning house, packing for vacation, whatever, we were moving to the end of the project! That's where we are with the TAG SALE projects... comin' right along!

Today we're looking at before and after shots of one of the saddest rockers we've ever worked on...

Dreaming in Black and White

2011-02-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

We're working every day now to get ready for this year's first TAG SALE . Bought a cute large metal sign recently" DREAM" , probably 4' in length but a dull white, and little rusty. A nice fresh coat of glossy black paint makes a world of difference!!This would look great in a young

girl's room above her bed!

Feature Friday !

2011-02-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

I'm linking to Miss Mustard Seed's blog for "Feature Friday" at http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/
with this dresser we refurbished last fall.

Tag Sale Time!

2011-02-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Just another month til the first TAG SALE of 2011! We're painting, repairing and doing general clean -up to get ready for the sale! Hope you can join us!This chest is so sweet, it has just the right amount of "shabby". You can see three different colors that the chest has been over the years.Good sturdy piece of furniture and to make it look even more darling, I lined each drawer with a sweet paper covered in spring flowers, not put in permanently though.

We finished the chest , now onto repairing a rocker that needs lots of TLC!!

Happy Valentine's!

2011-02-14T04:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, give away a kiss or two today!!

Storage Drawers

2011-02-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

This tutorial is about making more storage for your home.Who doesn't need more storage?? Lots of people store unused items under their bed but sometimes those are difficult to retrieve when needed. Don't ask me how I know this! Heresay! hehe
Anyway, I had these 2 odd dresser drawers left from a project so I decided to make some under the bed storage. We painted one of the drawers white , one black and added casters to the corners so they can be easily pulled out from under the bed and then returned.

The first drawer I lined, the white one, I used black and white check wrapping paper, just thin cheap wrapping paper. You could use left over wallpaper, wrapping paper, contact paper, sheets out of an old book! Lots of things would work. I adhered this wrapping paper to the drawer with liquid starch as my gluing agent. I've used starch for numerous projects over the years. Liquid starch works great in a project such as this. Advantages? Cheap, the leftover starch can be used again( I pour mine right back in the bottle), very forgiving. It will even adhere fabric to a wall and will stay for years !This project is quick , easy and useful! Here are the "tools of the trade" and the first drawer completed!

Just around the corner!

2011-02-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner...
do you remember just your sweet heart? What about the love of a child?
Or do you remember the love
of a good neighbor or a dear girl friend? Add someone new to your
list to remember this year, make their day! Send a card, take some cookies,
maybe just a quick phone call. Share the love, you'll be glad you did!

Just an idea... for another before and after

2011-02-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

I forgot to take a "before " shot but you all have seen this dresser or one just like it numerous times. It was brown, solid wood, plain , wood knobs, boring!! It took a coat of Kilz, 2 coats of white glossy paint, painted those plain knobs black and had some "frenchy" looking numbers cut out of black vinyl by a Cricuit machine and applied them to the drawers!
Voila, she's a new lady!

Spot of Tea...

2011-01-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

If you've read my blog very long, you realize one of my booth spaces, is devoted entirely to teas, vintage teacups, tea accessories!We recently got in a new line of tea infusers for those that use loose tea and some new teapots, tea books etc. Here are some shots from this week... so do you "take tea"?

Before and After...

2011-01-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

I'm linking ( I hope) to Miss Mustard Seed's Feature Friday http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/This will be a first for me! This small drop leaf desk started out just fine, if that's what you like.

But I prefer snazzy to "just fine". Snazzy, huh?

Making It Mine...

2011-01-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

Recently I was contacted by JD Designs about my home design style and ideas about using it in your own home. My style is pretty much french country with my own twist to it thus "making it mine" and that in turn , influences our business, Antiques & Uniques in the colors of our painted furniture and the accents we purchase for inventory. This link goes to the blurb I wrote and pictures of our home and how I use the french country styling but still "making it mine". Hope you enjoy and get something from the article.
http://www.decorating-ideas-made-easy.com/making-it-mine.html

Fun Fulled Day!!

2011-01-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

We had a great fun filled day at America's Mart. It's hard work finding inventory to blend with our vintage style. We walked and then shopped and then walked and then shopped!! One of the new lines we're adding is an assortment of cleaners, candles, lotions etc for the kitchen and home...Mangiacotti in Lemon Verbena! So cute , smells great and beautiful packaging!

"Happily Ever After"

2011-01-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend is the big winter wholesale show here, http://www.americasmart.com , and since we're only 2 hours north of the city, we'll drive in for the day. You probably thought Antiques & Uniques only carried vintage/antique inventory and wouldn't have a need to go to the Mart? Wrong! Both the shoppes we are part of , are new gifty type establishments, so in order to "fit in" , we like to embellish our inventory with a mix of old and new accessories.I love the popular trend now of blending old and new, mixing and matching styles, etc. Therefore, we like to attend the shows in Atlanta and pick up accents to blend with our vintage furniture , so we can show how old and new can live together, "happily ever after". We'll post pictures!

Are you a mixer?

2011-01-13T19:13:00.000-08:00

I 'm a mixer, I must confess!! A fabric mixer is what I am. I love to mix up fabrics in my home. I'm planning to do some redecorating in the great room soon and I'm ready to start looking at fabrics to add to the mix already there. Here are some examples of what I mean. Do you like to mix or no?

Tole Trays

2011-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

Tole painting began in the 1700's in the School of Art in the UK. The original form of one stroke painting was used to paint metal trays, which is what I have in my personal collection shown here. True tole painting , painted on metal, is generally bright and colorful flowers, this is what I am attracted to in my collection of trays from the 1940's and 1950's. I do have a couple of card trays, these were trays from years gone by, that were placed on foyer tables to collect calling cards from those who stopped to visit.Wonderful antiques, tole trays are. Do you collect antiques or wish you did?

Any better?

2011-01-10T17:43:00.000-08:00

Just posting these latest pictures to see if they are any better, size wise, than before.

I need blog help!!

2011-01-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

I've had several blog visitors recently, to tell me some of my pictures on this blog are huge! What I see on my computer looks fine but I when I check this blog via a net book, I understand what they mean. I got come advice , which I appreciated, from a cyber friend ( thanks Christie!) in the last day or so, took her advice, changed the template etc. some of the other advice re: HTML language, I never found on this blog so I couldn't change it. I need help! Can someone advise me what to do regarding the size of the pictures I post. Tell me what you see??
Thanks! Carol

More work!

2011-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd send some more florals to the Williams Street shop...

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T05:10:00.000-08:00

Antiques & Uniques wishes you a Happy New Year! We're looking forward to offering you "unique treasures for you and your home" in 2011!

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our home to yours! May each of you have all the blessings that Christmas has to offer!

Are you ready??

2010-12-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

We're all ready for Christmas here in Georgia! Are you?

It's almost Christmas!

2010-12-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

Have you finished your decorating and shopping yet? I just about have, stopped today and added a little more bling to the mantle here at home! I love how it turned out!! What do you think?

Tons of Storage!!

2010-12-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

I know this buffet looks white , but it's really a freshly painted pale french gray. It turned out just lovely, I think. And storage? Tons of it, see the long drawer across the top? It will hold tons of tablecloths, napkins etc.Then underneath that, a silverware drawer and more storage on each side!This is an older buffet, very solid. They just don't make them nowadays like this, nor for this price... only $375. This is in the Chickamauga, GA shop. Contact me if interested!

Christmas Ideas

2010-11-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

Pillowcases ready for monogramming

In our business, we have to have some small gifts for customers this time of year, as lots of people don't give big furniture pieces for presents! So we try to accommodate and have some gift ideas. Antiques & Uniques has gotten into doing some monogramming as its still the rage around here.This booth carries bath and body products year round so the monogramming on cosmetic bags, spa wraps, etc seemed to fit well. This weekend, I've gussied up some pillowcases and have some ready for monogramming to make them even more personal.

Jazz it up!

2010-11-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

I picked up these prints recently at the Charlotte Metrolina show, they're in black and white. I just love them! When the crystal hanging vases came in , I just knew they'd look snazzy together. These make the corner of the bath area we rent in Chattanooga look pretty cool! Do you like them?

We aim to please!

2010-11-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

We wrapped up a couple of work projects this afternoon, we love doing custom jobs. This black chest turned out so cute. It started out as a pale red, and the painter added a light coat of black satin and then I came back and "worked my magic"! LOL We purchased this chunky chest just a few weeks ago in Charlotte at the Metrolina show. Its so solid and sturdy, will be perfect in the little boys room its headed to!

Cocktails??

2010-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

I ran up on these lovelies at the Metrolina Show this weekend in Charlotte, NC and just had to have them! Not for resale but for moi'!We have friends in on New Years Eve each year, these are going to look so snazzy on the bar, monogrammed swizzle sticks! I told the vendor I bought them from, that's some "serious drinking", when you monogram your swizzle sticks.LOL We estimate these tortoise shell monogrammed swizzle sticks to be from the 1940's, what an era!! How fun are these?

We'll definitely go back!

2010-11-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

We went to Charlotte, NC this weekend to the Fall Classic Show at the Metrolina Center.We had a great time, met some friends there, found lots of bargains! It was just a perfect weekend!This was our first time there and we weren't sure what to expect as far as buying inventory to resale but we found tons of goodies! Several dressers, tables, a foyer table, cups and saucers( which sell good in the tea booth), bed tray and an old 1920's crinoline !! Not sure what I'll do with that but I've been looking for one for awhile!We'll definitely go again!.

Its back to two!

2010-10-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

Whew, we're back to booths in just 2 nearby towns now! Having booths in 3 different towns was killing us! So...we made the difficult decision a few weeks ago to pull out of one ,but of course, stayed until the end of the month in Rome , GA. Now, we have booths in Chickamauga, Ga and nearby Chattanooga ,Tennessee.This should be a little easier on us as well as the gas tank!

We're going to Charlotte!

2010-10-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

We've been wanting to hit the flea market in Charlotte ,NC at the Metrolina for awhile. We've never been but I've read that its a great show, 2,ooo+ vendors!! Well, some things have changed around our house and we're going to the BIG CLASSIC show in just 2 weeks!! The best part is... we're meeting really good friends there for the weekend! Yee haw!!What fun!

Getting ready!

2010-10-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

This week is Christmas Open House in Chickamauga for Antiques & Uniques. I've been doing some wreaths out of materials I bought on my recent buying trip to Texas.This wreath is on its way to the shop tomorrow. I think it turned out swell!

Busy, busy!!

2010-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

The hubs and I talk about this all the time! We are so busy to be "retired folk"! But its a "good kind of busy"! Last week was one of those times when we were so busy, but we ended the week with our Fall Tag Sale and another successful event!!We definitely will do seasonal tag sales for Antiques and Uniques again next year!Our plan now is to do one in the Spring, Summer and Fall, each one after a trip to Texas to the the big Flea Market in Canton!! I do believe the locals are beginning to expect them and look forward to the unique furniture pieces and bargains they can pick up, here are a few pictures from last week's sale.

Inspiration!

2010-10-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for inspiration for my next project, whatever it might be! Some time ago, on www.eddieross.com I was inspired by some white pumpkins he decorated probably 2or 3 years ago. I'm serving pumpkin tea and cookies tomorrow at the store's open house and had some white pumpkins a friend had given me this week so...this is my "take" on decorated pumpkins!

It's that time again!

2010-10-09T04:07:00.000-07:00

Next weekend will be the final tag sale of 2010. It seems like just yesterday that hubs and I decided to make 2010 a year when Antiques & Uniques was made more visible( back to blogging, tag sales, email list with updates, FB, etc) but its been 10 months!Wow! Anyway, the last sale will be next Friday and Saturday, Oct.15/16th, LaFayette, GA. The extra effort has paid off as we've had increased sales, started our buying trips to Texas, and generally gotten our name out there alot more. We've even had people start calling us when they are looking to buy a piece of furniture, yeah!! The garage is beginning to fill up for next weekend...

Another Pumpkinville resident!

2010-10-09T03:43:00.000-07:00

Isn't "she" a cutie? Notice her facial features are leftovers from the screw/nut/bolt box in the shed! A pumpkin can look cute with just about anything as their face! Have you decorated your pumpkin yet? Better get busy....

Pumpkinville

2010-10-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

I love being creative whether it's painting furniture or pumpkins! My imagination can just go crazy with ideas...thought I'd share what I'm working on right now. These are some of the table decorations for Wednesday nite supper at church this week.

Home again, home again!

2010-10-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, we've had a fun week, all 1500 miles of it (round trip) ! We just got back from Canton, TX for the First Monday Flea Market, we bought tons of treasures for our 3 booths and the upcoming tag sale on Oct. 15 and 16. I'll be posting pictures as we clean things up , paint some furniture and get these treasures ready for new owners!

Lots of fun times on the horizon...this weekend we start off with the

GRAND OPENING of The Galleries on Williams Street, 1403 Williams Street, Chattanooga, TN. The official "party" will be Sunday afternoon, Oct. 10th from 2-6pm, come by and see us, if you are local.

The week of Oct. 25-31, we'll be celebrating with a Holiday Open House at The Galleries on Gordon, 111 Gordon Street, Chickamauga. All the Christmas decor will be out, we'll have door prizes , food samples, and special sales!!We'll be open our normal business hours, 10-5:30.

In Rome, on Saturday, November 6th we will be celebrating the holidays with a Holiday Open House at Antiques & Interiors on Broad , 114 Broad Street, during their normal business hours, 10-5pm.We'll have some food, store specials and lots of Holiday Tablescapes on display to give you inspiration and creative "juices" for the upcoming holidays!!

So get ready, the holidays are upon us....................Carol

New Bags Are In!

2010-09-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

New shipment of "Mixed Bags" at Antiques & Uniques! We carry several sizes of poly bags that are reusable, wipe-able, recyclable , even a lunch bag size ! What makes ours so "unique"? We personalize them with your initial in vinyl ,in your fav color / font , its all included in the price and the turn around time is 3-4 days!!The shopping/grocery size bags are $12 and the insulated lunch bags are $10! What a deal! These are at the Chickamauga site and soon to be on Williams Street. Order yours soon!! Here are a couple of examples....

Americas Mart in Atlanta

2010-09-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday in Atlanta buying some more inventory for the upcoming holiday season. Here's a few of the areas and stores we hit!This past weekend was one of their short markets ( 3days) but we got lots accomplished and spent plenty of money!

When in Rome...

2010-09-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

Our booth in Rome, GA, we just started this past February. Its about an hour for us to travel down to "fluff" this booth so we don't get there as often as we should. But I wanted to share a few shots from that booth over the past few months...enjoy!

A cup of hot tea= a cup of good health

2010-09-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

Antiques & Uniques has been promoting the drinking of hot tea for several years now. According to www.teabenefits.com ,drinking tea may help prevent everything from cavities to Parkinson's disease! Not sure about all of that, but it definitely has amazing health benefits and we all know it contains antioxidants.Our teas are from 5 different companies and we sell individual tea bags so you can pick and choose your favorites. We carry all different kinds of teas , black, green , white, red. Did you know the processing of the leaves of camellia sinensis determines whether a tea will be green, black or red? This picture is from the tea booth in Chickamauga where we carry the majority of our teas and tea accessories.

Fun at the Shop!

2010-09-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Antiques & Uniques

We are located in group shoppes only, this is where there's a number of "mini-shoppes" and there's a shopkeeper and we pay a percentage of our sales to the shopkeeper. This works best for us, we've had a store front and didn't enjoy that, too confining. Similar to the set up of an antique mall but most of the shoppes carry new merchandise, jewelry, home decor, candles, baby gifts! You get the picture. Our shop in Rome where we are, is planning a fun event for November 6th. We're having a Holiday Open House with a twist- Holiday Tables! Each booth is to have a holiday table scape. We did this at the shop in Chickamauga in the Spring., "Tables of Spring". It was so fun!! Here are some of the tables from that event. We have two spaces there.The first two- tea time and birds of a feather are Antiques & Uniques.

It's gone!

2010-09-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

This dining set of a table and 6 chairs is already gone from our new booth that just opened yesterday!! Woohoo!! Love this business! Now... out to buy more goodies to paint!

Good to go!

2010-08-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, our business consists mainly of "flipping" furniture, we buy a good piece of furniture, my hubs checks it out, tightens it up, restores what needs restoring, we paint it up and sell it BUT we also deal heavily in tea and tea accessories. They sell very well for us and have for several years. We sell only vintage "orphaned" ( only one left) cups/saucers and teapots. This vignette shows how they come together, didn't this display turn out sweet? Its on display at the new booth in Chattanooga, we went by there today and we are "good to go"!

We're almost ready...

2010-08-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

We've put our finishing touch on the booth in downtown Chattanooga today. We open for business Wednesday, Sept. 1st, the shop looks adorable. It is a group shop, which is the type of set-up we like,12 mini shoppes all under one roof with a shopkeeper. It is ideal for us.

Behind drawer number 1...

2010-08-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a cute chest of drawers we just finished.I love the way it turned out. This is headed to the new booth also. Those numbers are vinyl, not painted on, so if the customer doesn't like them, they can easily be removed.

Chattanooga here we come...

2010-08-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

We're on the down hill slide, we open our newest space a week from Wednesday, in Chattanooga, Williams Street on the Southside to be exact ! We've been buying and painting and buying and painting! This cutie is headed downtown, she's now ready for her debut. This little desk really perked up when she was painted a soothing black and is a great size to stick about anywhere. This would be cute in a bedroom, den or even a foyer, has lots of cubbies inside, great place to store bills etc. If you're local to Chattanooga , Tennessee, the shop will be opening, Sept. 1st at 1403 Williams Street( The Galleries on Williams). Come see us!

Grain Sack Pillow

2010-08-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

I love the look of burlap and the roughness of grain sacks.They are everywhere on the internet. I've sold several of these grain sack pillows and burlap table runners in the shop but we've sold out so I've got to make some more. I love stamping the grain sacks and giving them some "personality".We've got to get crackin' with new merchandise and painted furniture as we move in our new booth in Chattanooga in just 2 weeks!! This is going to be a large 20x20inch pillow. What do you think? Isn't it cute?

Prime Time!

2010-08-09T17:35:00.001-07:00

It's prime time and I don't mean on TV!! We're painting up a storm... and the first thing we do to a piece is de-gloss with liquid sander and then PRIME with Kilz. After those steps, it just depends on how the piece speaks to me as to what color, distressed or not, etc. The desk you see was stained dark, it is being painted black satin. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

There's one in every crowd

2010-08-07T05:40:00.000-07:00

Each year , for the past several years, in August we "experience "the World's Longest Yard Sale and this year was no different. It's unbelievable. If you ever get a chance to go, do! You can see a little bit of everything on this sale. Yesterday , while out, we saw several old pedal cars and even though we weren't in the market for one we stopped to look. It seems most of the old ones run about $250, except this little jewel! She would "run a man"- $650!! Gosh, I don't think my first real car was much more than that!! I guess it's all relative.

450 Mile Yard Sale

2010-08-04T05:36:00.000-07:00

It's that unbelievable time of year again! The first weekend of August each year. Time for the 450 mile yard sale, beginning Thursday going thru Sunday, there will be thousands of "yard salers" in our part of the country( SE USA) looking for a bargain or a treasure.It's been going on for years and has been written up in magazines and segments done for HGTV. We only live about 30-40 miles off the sale route of Highway 127 so we make"day trips", being so close we can come home at the end of the day to our cool, air-conditioned home and sleep in our own beds! Awesome! This year we need to really buy alot of treasures as we now have 3 booth spaces( stores) that need items/furniture .I'll keep ya posted with comments and pictures.

"Style on a Budget "Follow up

2010-08-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago, we bought a very simple corner cabinet,in very rough shape. Then... and Now...

Ahhhhhh.... lavender.

2010-07-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Are you a lavender person? I think you either love it or hate it. I love it and it has so many wonderful qualities and smells so nice and clean. We've been selling dried lavender by the scoop and lavender products for the past 6 years. Lavender has been shown to slow the activity of the nervous system. Therefore, lots of people spray their pillows with lavender spray or put a lavender sachet under their pillow to promote relaxation and improve their sleep quality. Many appreciate lavender for its fragrance in soaps, candles and lotions. We carry a wonderful line of lavender products by Sweet Grass, http://www.sweetgrassonline.com/ in both shops. The word lavender comes from the Latin root, lavare( to wash) , our best seller is a packet of 3 lavender laundry sachets, you are to throw one in the dryer with your sheets to give a slight scent of lavender to your clean bed clothes.

Saved!

2010-07-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I ran across the coolest book, an early 1920's child's dictionary! Very fun graphics and interesting definitions, i.e., Alaska still being a territory.Anyway, I had a cute side table with raised "booboo" on top where a raised decoupage had been and no amount of sanding would take care of it. So... taking my lead from my blog friend Tracey at http://acottageindustry.typepad.com/ , I decided to "starch "these children's dictionary pages on the top of my table. It turned out great!Tracey tells you how to do this on her blog! What do you think? I think I saved the table!

We're finished.

2010-07-26T09:38:00.001-07:00

We're done! We think this bed turned out great.But the most important thing... we hope the customer likes it!They're to pick it up today. It went from grey, silver metallic finish to a warm, barn red!

Can I get that... but in another color?

2010-07-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is a great old iron bed we found recently, has its original casters, in excellent shape. We have some good customers we knew were looking for a double bed, therefore... we called them up and we're painting this cutie, barn red ! It will look wonderful! If you're local to North Georgia, let us know what you're looking for. We'll be glad to see if we can find it , if we can, then we'll customize it with paint.

We love an auction!

2010-07-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

We both love a good auction! A "good one" in our book is an auctioneer that you can understand when he calls , clean auction house, and good prices!! We went to one of our favorites last nite and we did so good! ? Love this child's wardrobe, good clean furniture, we are known for painting furniture, not sure about this one though.

I love this slant top desk, can't wait to see it painted and fluffed!
We've got lots more, but I gota get to work, post more later!

One lump or two?

2010-07-19T04:19:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I started carrying orphaned( one of kind, the only one left in a set) tea cups and teapots at the shop. I was amazed at how well they sold. I realized then that maybe some tea( by the tea bag, not by the pound) might be good to sell along with them. I have been so pleased about the success of both of these items as well as tons more, all being related to taking tea. We now sell tea from 5 different makers, over 150 different flavors! We sell tea spoons, infusers, lemon, tea caddies, all sorts of things tea related. We even have cards and notepads with teabags attached. Are you a tea drinker and can't find enough good tea samples? Maybe you want to have a tea party, need favors or want a special gift for a friend who takes tea, come see us! These are a couple of shots from the tea booth at The Galleries on Gordon, Chickamauga, GA. Open Tues-Fri 10-5:30; Sat 10-4.

North Georgia 2010 Garden Tour

2010-07-16T03:37:00.000-07:00

Jasmine and lace cap hydrangeas, can you get any more Southern?

Hubs and I made this mosaic bench in a garden class a couple of years ago. It was our first attempt at mosaics, I thought it turned out well!

Hope you enjoyed your North Georgia garden tour!

Style on a Budget

2010-07-15T10:03:00.001-07:00

Classics never go out of style and they don't have to "break the bank" either. This corner cabinet doesn't look like much right now. But it will!! Why? Because a classic like a simple, handmade corner cabinet is forever.Look at the nice deep shelves it has, once upon a time, someone made a plate slot on the shelves as well, so plates can be safely leaned against the back wall of the cabinet. Lots of storage below. Take my creative word for it, this is going to be so cute when we re-make it! We bought it just yesterday "for a song" but DH and I already have our plan in mind on what to do to make it "unique and one of a kind"! Stay tuned!! You will be amazed!!

Chalk Board with shelf

2010-07-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

I know everybody in blogland has used chalkboard paint in lots of different ways. I'm no different. I ran across this old window recently and it had a piece of molding still connected but it was longer than the window. DH evened it up by cutting of the excess molding and I painted the glass with chalkboard paint, turning it on its side to make the chalk shelf below. It has an old screen door latch on back that it can be hung by. Clever , huh? Keep your eyes open to different options, ya never know.

First to go!

2010-07-13T16:54:00.001-07:00

This cute lil foyer table was the "first to go" at our Tag Sale this past weekend. Isn't she cute? Wow, the crowd picked us clean! Thank you to all who came and BOUGHT!! Most of our inventory was purchased on our June trip to Canton, TX at the big monthly flea market there. Great sale! We're going to do it again in October! Come see us!

New Design

2010-07-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

Isn't my new blog banner pretty? I love it!! It is fashioned after my business card and suits this blog perfectly!! Jill at http://bittersweetsoap.typepad.com , will make you one too ,for very little money!! Go check her out, she's very good and fast!! Thanks again, Jill!!

Aging Beautifully

2010-07-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

Today as DH and I are outside preparing for the upcoming Tag Sale, I noticed some of our furniture is kinda like we are , some has aged better than others! One thing that is aging beautifully right now though are my drying hydrangeas by the back door. We've "babied" these plants for the past 2 years and this year they blessed us with beautiful blooms! So I decided I'd save some. Aren't they beautiful? If you have hydrangeas, do you dry them and get to enjoy them for even longer?

Red, White and Blue

2010-07-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! This is my display of Red, white and blue in my "tea booth" in The Galleries on Gordon, Chickamauga, GA. If you are local, come see us!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-07-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

a tag sale!! Our garage is filling up for next week's sale. Our customers tell me they expect to see cute cottage painted furniture at this sale, so we're getting there! This is the kitchen table and 2 matching chairs, that I glazed over white. They are adorable and only $125 for all 3 pieces!!

I have a new friend!

2010-06-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

Have you tried this stuff? Wow, how easy to use. As we prepare our treasures for the Summer Tag Sale, thought I'd give a little kitchen set a different look, it turned out so cute. I'll post pictures of the table and chairs finished tomorrow. If you haven't used this, next time you distress a piece of furniture and want to give it a little more pizazz, pick ya up some of this glaze at Lowe's. It's easy as pie to use, wipe on...wipe off!

Before and After

2010-06-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Ran across these pics of a before and after we did awhile ago, thought I would remind people of the power of paint. Can you believe the difference a coat of white paint made on this old tea cart? Night and day difference from a tired old cart to a revived and jazzy something to use now! We do alot of painting in our business, it is amazing what a coat of a paint can do! Try it the next time you think something looks old and tired. See the difference for yourself!

Come to the Tag Sale!!

2010-06-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Antiques & Uniques Summer Tag Sale is set for July 9/10, usually we have just old, vintage items.But this time, we have some new linens that have a vintage style and look.Check them out! Come see us , if you are local to Northwest Georgia!

It's only 750 miles!

2010-06-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

It's only 750 miles from Georgia, that's what I said to my DH as I asked last spring about us making a flea market road trip.I bet you know where I'm referring to. Yep,Canton, Texas! Check it out here, http://www.firstmondaycanton.com/ The longest running flea market in the country, 150 years! Well, we made the trip the first week of June. Awesome!!! You may have noticed my profile picture, here on the blog. My DH made that the first day of the sale, as I entered into "flea market heaven." Around 7,000 vendors! Here's the car when we got back to Georgia, so full of treasures you couldn't even see out the back!!!

Back in the saddle!

2010-06-24T17:49:00.001-07:00

It's been 2 years since I last posted here, my small business is still around , in fact its grown and expanded. I've just never been much of a writer and I kinda ran out of blog "steam", if you will and just quit posting. I'm going to give it another try. I love reading other's blogs, met some bloggers, loved that! I'm giving it another try. I'm going to do better !! Help me!