Pick: Did you ever notice that everyone is happy and smiling putting up the tree before the Christmas holiday, humming Christmas carols the whole time, but taking it down is another matter? Grin: Whatever do you mean dear? Pick: Well, here I stand on a ladder taking down the ornaments, while you yell out the [...]
Decorating2
Pick & Grin – Christmas Memories – Time to Tear Down the Tree
Pick: I suppose it is time. Time to take down the tree, put all the ornaments in their boxes, until next year. We are the only ones in our ‘group’ who have a live tree. When the kids were small, we’d work on putting it up for a few days. You’d do the lights, the [...]
Crafts3
Pencil Crayons
People don’t always know what I mean when I talk about pencil crayons. I thought that was a pretty universal term for them. Someone assumed I was talking about regular crayons, wax crayons. But, pencil crayons are coloured pencils, not made out of wax. I’ve had pencil crayons since I was a kid. We did [...]
Fashion4
Merry Martha Sleeper Jewelry & Fashions
At first I was going to post this photo of Clara Bow posing by a Christmas tree because of the fabulous decorations and stuffed toys; but once I saw this photo of Martha Sleeper I was equally smitten! Martha Sleeper was a silent film star in the 1920s and, in the 1940s, a Broadway actress. [...]
Decorating5
Mortuary Blood Jars and Other Collectibles To Die For.
Pick & Grin from Antiquips brings you bizarre finds. Part of the joy in collecting or selling antiques and collectibles is the people you meet. Sharing the stories of the hunt, the success in finding a super item at a great price or selling one for a king’s ransom. Mistakes are forgotten, and the next [...]
Winter6
Christmas is in the Pink
Pink is in for Christmas the past couple of years. Did you know pink for Christmas isn’t a new idea? The first aluminum tree came out in 1958. Since then metallic trees had their time of being popular. I remember seeing them in shiny green, red, silver, white, blue and pink. I think the new [...]
Kitchenalia7
It’s A Pickle!
My mom found this old pickle cookie cutter and gave it to me for Christmas this year — though first, in the confusion of gift opening, my middle child got it, opened it, and was very confused. (I guess she was the pickle in the middle? lol) My mom found the cookie cutter out antiquing [...]
Winter8
Where is Your Christmas Tree Going?
One of my favourite Christmas things is the tree, all lit up and decorated. The ornaments are a blend of special treasures I bought over the years, vintage ornaments passed down in my family for a generation or three and the real prizes are those ornaments we made ourselves, mostly from some felt, lace and [...]
Dining Room9
Holidays: The Kids’ Table
When I was a kid, our big family gatherings had the traditional kids’ table. At first it was fun to hang out with your cousins, having those chocolate-milk-bubble-blowing-contests without garnering parental stink-eye; but eventually you wanted to age-out of that table and join the grown-ups because you weren’t a kid anymore. And then one day [...]
Summer10
A Happy Camper At Christmas & Beyond
Christmas time always brings up toys. Now that I’m a parent, I try to remind myself that finding the perfect toy ought not to be the pressure point I make it out to be… Some of my favorite and most memorable toys were not ones I asked for. Even if my grandma would sit us [...]
Winter11
Christmas Trees Have Never Been My Favorite Things
This antique photo of a Christmas tree surrounded by little boys who seem less than thrilled suits me because Christmas trees have never been my favorite things. Primarily because it was our family custom for my father to get the itch to go Christmas tree shopping on the coldest, nastiest day of the year — [...]
Music12
With Silver Bells On: A Favorite Christmas Memory
A story from my mom, of No Egrets Antiques: Christmas at our house was always wonderful! It was not that we got everything we wanted – kids always have expectations way beyond reality. But everything seemed bright and shiny. My mom had Christmas music on the radio (the one with the little, round red light [...]
Decorating13
Christmas Decorations: Why We Make Him Carry All Those Boxes From The Attic
Unpacking delicate vintage glass ornaments, untangling glowing orbs of flickering light, placing winter village scenes just so, divided camps of garland vs tinsel, and don’t forget the tradition of tree topper placement. Some believe less is more (those weird freaks!), and others (like me!) believe holiday is the time of year to go all out. [...]
Recent Comments