Father's Day at the Welchville Antiques Mall

On the corner of Routes 121 and 26 in Oxford, Maine, you'll find a treasure trove of antiques and vintage collectibles at the Welchville Antiques Mall. While the building is quite unassuming, you'll be pleasantly surprised at what you'll find inside.

In honor of Father's Day, I thought we'd take a stroll around to see what a Dad might like at the Welchville Antiques Mall.

The mall is made up of individual rooms, each featuring a dealer's wares. It's easy to stroll from one room to the next, not knowing what you will find around the next corner. We found all kinds of things for all kinds of Dads.

If your Dad is a cook, he'll like the assortment of vintage cooking utensils.

If your Dad likes to read. There's a wonderful collection of antique books.

If your Dad likes to fish, there are plenty of wonderful vintage finds for him. Here are some fishing reels...

  

And some vintage creels, paddles and fishing rods...

 

 

And if your Dad likes a little moonshine now and then, he will like these vintage beauties.

 

 

 

 

If your Dad is a fire fighter or a military man, he will enjoy this collection of fire equipment and military uniforms.

 

 

 

 

My Dad was a sailor, so he would have liked this board of nautical knots.

 

 

 



And he would of loved this mantel clock for his collection.

If your Dad is a traveling man, here are some vintage suitcases. How about a set for Dad and "the little lady."

So bring your Dad over to the Welchville Antiques Mall. It's worth the drive to Oxford Maine!

  

And tell Paul, who owns the shop, that Gypsy Girl sent you!

Gypsy Girl Craft Retreats...Queen for a Day

Life can be so hectic so that's why it's nice to take some time to gather with friends, get creative, enjoy some lunch, share some life stories and just relax.

That's what Gypsy Girl Craft Retreats are all about!

During one particular Gypsy Girl Craft Retreat, we gathered to create crowns made from chicken wire.

From my stash of crafting supplies, I gathered silk flowers, paper decorations, ribbon, vintage jewels and a variety of other trims and embellishments.

Beforehand, I cut chicken wire using a paper crown template. When my guests arrived they decided on a theme for their crown and gathered their embellishments. My crown was going to have a nature theme.

We wrapped the ends of the wire together to form our crowns.  Then we lined the front and the insides with decorative paper and vintage sheet music.

 

With the paper in place, the fun really began. We chose the embellishments for the crowns and with glue guns in hand, we went to town!

Green silk flowers and fancy ribbons...

 

Paper doilies and purple sequin trimmings...

Spanish moss and a green butterflies...

 

And here are our final results!

Stacy's crown...

Faye's crown...

And my crown...

We had such a great day!  Who wouldn't want to be a gypsy queen for a day?

Vintage Maine... A Sunday Drive

On a recent Sunday afternoon we hit the road with no particular place to go. We turned right here and we turned left there. We followed the back country roads towards Oxford Hills. So what did we see?

An angler in the Nezinscot River.

 

 

Cranberry bogs at Ricker Hill Farms in Turner.

And a nearby windmill.

A old abandon brick house and an antique horse carriage in Buckfield. This place must be tempting to explore. We obeyed the sign and kept our distance!

A pasture full of cows.

 

 

Curious cows! 

Yes, I was talking about you!

But we didn't see any horses.

Here's an old school house in Hebron.

And some lovely flowers at Crestholm Farm in Oxford.

And the road trip would not be complete without some good eats! Here are some fish and chips from the Village Pizzeria in Mechanic Falls. They were delicious!

There is nothing like springtime in Maine.

That was fun! See you next time!

 

Spring has sprung!

A recent rainy Saturday was a perfect day to visit the Sabattus Antique Mall in Sabattus, Maine.

 

Spring has sprung at the Sabattus Antique Mall.  The antiques and collectibles are in full bloom.

 

 

The antique mall was built as a skating rink over 70 years ago.  Now it’s a 5000 square foot barn chock full of vintage treasures, antiques and collectibles.  And you'll be pleasantly surprised at how affordable everything is!

 

You'll find antique and vintage items to decorate every room of your home. How about some lush velvet chairs for the parlor?

 Or a gorgeous turquoise Adirondack chair for "upta camp?"

 

 

Here is a collection of shabby chic furniture, perfect for any room in the house.

 

How about a rustic model ship for your lawn?

 

 

Or just one more tin for your collection.

There are many wonderful treasures for decorating as well as lots of items to repurpose. These frames would look great painted white, turquoise or bright pink.

  

Vintage crates make awesome bookcases, end tables or shadow boxes to display your mementos.

An old cupboard door could be repurposed into a jewelry display or a cork board. What would you do with it?

 

I found a vintage beverage crate to display my jewelry at craft shows.

 

 

 

 

A lampshade frame that I will cover with vintage lace.

 

 

 

 

And some nifty bureau plates and pulls and some ornate keyhole plates. These will make wonderful steampunk-style necklaces.

 

 

  

One of the nice things about visiting the Sabattus Antique Mall is that you can touch and feel everything. Leave your gloves at home!

Stop by and see Mona.  Tell her Gypsy Girl sent you!

 

 





Nobleboro Antique Exchange

Located on US Route 1 in Nobleboro, Maine, the Nobleboro Antique Exchange offers a delightful array of antiques and collectibles. It is also the place to bring antiques for repair and restoration. The Antique Exchange features over 70 of mid-coast Maine's finest antique merchants.

Along the cobblestone path, under the arbor and up the stairs to the porch.

Where I spotted this patio set and antique watering can.   It was love at first sight.

This charming miniature chest of drawers would be perfect for stamps and stationery, jewelry, a collection of antique post cards or treasured love letters.

This lovely antique hutch was restored and painted in a soft gray with robin's egg blue shelves. It makes for a perfect display of antique dishes.

 

Blue was the theme for this gorgeous mirrored cabinet. The pillows were made from repurposed vintage fabric and the ship's lantern tied into the nautical theme of this room.  See the model boats in the reflection of the mirror?

 

 

 

And here is a collection from  Sweet Woodruff Farm featuring fun indulgences for home, garden & soul. From antique watering cans, to grain bag tote bags, old wire baskets and birdcages.

 

 

 

This weathered hutch displayed odds and ends of garden and kitchen items. I loved the purple and yellow stools next to the worn beige and browns.

 

 

 

 And tucked in the corner were some fragrant handmade soaps and some vintage linen towels.

And why not choose a lovely antique dish to repurpose as a soap dish. They were just $3 and $4 a piece and would make a perfect hostess gift.

 

Stashed away in the hallway leading to the lower level was a wonderful collection of garden trellises, repurposed muslin pillows, a picnic basket, bundles of raffia and lavender sachets. And yes, "so much more to see!"

This was an interesting collection- a vintage globe, sleigh bells, metal rabbits, a variety of kitchen wares, vintage linens and even chickens under glass.

 

Here is a wall of interesting and whimsical fish made from repurposed wood. And I love the mint green cabinet.

 

 

 

I could have stayed all afternoon and enjoyed a glass of ice tea and a green apple. Perhaps I could have caught up on some correspondence.

 

 

Or I could have picked out a book from their vast library of vintage books and magazines, and then curled up in a chair to read.

 

 

 

But instead we took in all the wonderful sights and vowed to return soon.

And until then, I will follow them on Facebook and Twitter!!