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!!

Maine Antiques Festival 2013

We took a ride to Union last weekend for the 32nd Annual Maine Antiques Festival. This wonderful antique lover's event is held every year, rain or shine, at the Union Fairgrounds. This year's show featured over 100 dealers from across the United States, as far away as California!

 

This is Maine's largest antique show featuring an extraordinary display of antiques and collectibles. Under tents, in the field, in the exhibition halls and throughout the animal stalls, there was something for everyone.

 

Come on in and take a look around!

 

 

 

This gal looked like a Gypsy Girl Adventurer to me...large tote bag to carry her treasures and a straw hat to protect her from the hot sun.

 

 

 

This hand-carved mermaid looked very comfortable among the fishing creels, and other nautical items.

 

What a magnificent old windmill wheel.

And an antique show would not be complete without jewelry, jewelry and more jewelry! All shapes, sizes, styles and metals. Costume to collectible. The jewelry booths were my weakness, of course!

 

And how could I resist the vintage linens, especially the table full of doilies. 

$2 a piece or 6 for $10! 

   

This display had vintage school spirit with the old baseball catcher's masks and helmets, a lacrosse stick, football trophies, a Princeton pennant and an old brass baritone. (I played one of those in my high school band in Freeport Maine! )

 

The outdoor furniture was so shabby chic!

 

Wire baskets, wicker furniture, wire plant stands, wooden cabinets, and so much more!

 



 

 

Not exactly Hollywood and Vine, but just as interesting!


And the one thing "that got away" was this beautiful head vase. I almost purchased this lovely lady to add to my collection, but decided to look around some more. When I went back to fetch her, she was gone. I only hope she went to a good home.

 

 

I was getting hungry after a couple hours of browsing the show.  

 

Thank goodness for the food vendors! There were sausage sandwiches, fresh cut fries, fried Maine seafood, gelato, fresh squeezed lemonade and more. You would not go hungry!

 

This banner said it all! And is exactly what I will do with the treasures I picked up at the antiques show.

 

Vintage doilies, buttons, costume jewelry and chandelier crystals.

I can't wait to make them into something new!

Mark your calendar... next year's show is August 8-10, 2014. Whatever your tastes, hobbies or passion, you're likely to find some treasures at this show!

 



The History of Gypsies

Gypsies (or Romani, as they call themselves, the Gypsy word for "men") originated in northern India 1,000 years ago. Their language, called Romani, is undoubtedly related to Hindu and other Indian languages (named Indo-Aryan). Nobody knows why they left India. Some say that their ancestors, artisans and artists, accompanied troops and after some military conflicts left India. By 1,300 AD they reached Europe, after passing through Persia and Turkey.

 

 

Their image has always been controversial in the eyes of the Europeans: in some novels and movies they are depicted as extremely hospitable, careless, nomadic beings who loved to sing and dance. Others have portrayed them as dirty, untrustworthy people.

When gypsies arrived in Europe during the Middle Ages, they were strangers to the European villagers with their dark skin, black eyes and hair, clothing, habits and language. Moreover, gypsies remained isolated, a habit probably inherited from the culture they left behind in India.

Gypsies were forced to make their camps outside the villages and they were not allowed to enter the villages. They were known as child eaters and were forced by law to cook on in the open, so that anybody could see what they were cooking.  This forced the gypsies to steal to feed their families and provide basic supplies they needed to survive.

 

courtesy of rabwah.net

 

Facing discrimination made gypsies united and they focused more on family life. The relationship between children and parents was strong in gypsy communities. In their nomadic life, gypsies became skilled blacksmiths and traders, talented artists and many of the women pretended to have supernatural powers in order to make a living.

 

 

In time, prejudices led to persecutions and gypsies were expelled from some European countries while others were taken as slaves for well into the 1800’s when it was finally abolished.

The gypsies adapted the local folk music to their own style and created a musical genre that inspired Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Liszt, Mozart and other great composers.

 

 

There are several famous people with gypsy blood: Charlie Chaplin, Yul Brynner, Rita Hayward and Pablo Picasso.

Today there are over 5 million gypsies, most of them living in Europe. Very few are still nomads and many got rich. But, in some areas of Europe they remain among the poorest.

 

 

Resource: Stefan Anitei

Home on the Range

The Camden Merchants Showcase in Camden, Maine, features an unique collection among its antiques and collectibles. It's called Home on the Range.

Nestled in the back of this antique mall, the Home on the Range room features cowboy boots and western ware to suit every cowboy, cowgirl, cowkid or even a trendy city slicker.

There are boots in all sizes, shapes and colors, some vintage, some new.

There are western shirts, fringe jackets, Indian blankets...

 

 

Boots for little boys and girls...

 

 

 

And even something for a Rhinestone Cowgirl...

 

 

 

No one really knows who the original inventor of cowboy boots was. According to several different stories and legends, the first pair of cowboy boots was made by either a shoemaker in Kansas, or by one in Texas.

After the Civil War was over in 1865, the cowboys who were driving cattle across the country discovered that they needed a different style of boot. The ones worn during the war just didn’t suit the long hours riding on the trails: blazing through the brush and brambles, splashing through creeks and rivers, and riding with their feet in stirrups for hours at a time.

Around 1870 some ingenious cowboy took his boots to a shoemaker and asked for a pointy toe so he could get his foot into the stirrup more easily; a taller shaft to protect his legs; and a bigger, thicker, under slung heal so his foot wouldn’t come out of the stirrup during the rough riding on the trails.

 

And so it began. The knee-high design protected his legs from the thorns of mesquite trees, barbed wire, snakes, and other dangers. The cowboy boots were pulled on with long mule-ear straps but were loose enough on the top so that they could be wiggled out of easily if the cowboy was hung up in the stirrup and needed to get out in a hurry.

 

The tough leather that the cowboy boots were made from also protected the cowboy’s ankles from being bruised by the wooden stirrups, and his legs from rubbing against the stirrup leathers. The cowboy boots were stitched on the outside to keep the leather from buckling and eventually rubbing against the cowboy’s leg.

 

After my visit to the Home on the Range room at the Camden Merchant's Showcase, this cowgirl-boot junkie purchase these turquoise beauties to add to my boot collection.  Giddy-up!

 



History of the boot courtesy of  www.cowboyboots.com

A Charming Tale

This is a tale of a charming little necklace made of 40 different charms of all shapes and sizes.

Why have charms been so popular over the years?   The history of charms goes back as far as the Neolithic era when men would pick up an unusual stone or piece of wood and carry it with him to ward off his enemies. Thousands of years later, elaborate jewelry made of precious stones and metals emerged during the age of the Egyptian Pharaohs, which was when the first recognizable charm bracelets and necklaces first appeared.

The end of WWII saw the charm jewelry gain in popularity. Soldiers leaving Europe and islands in the Pacific purchased little handmade trinkets fashioned into small metal replicas of items common to the area. These were hung on chains or secured to bracelets as mementos and tokens of affection for their loved ones back home. Jewelers in the US quickly picked up on the trend and began creating charms in all shapes and sizes.

By the 1950s, the charm bracelet was a must-have accessory for girls and women. Major rites of passage - 16th birthdays, graduations, weddings, travel and the arrival of children - were all recorded on the links of their bracelets.

The charm bracelet began to disappear from the fashion scene during the early 1970s but in the mid-1980s charm bracelets reappeared and since the 1990s people have been collecting vintage charms and charm bracelets.

In recent years, the fashion industry has again discovered the lure of the charm bracelet, and has flooded the market with new charm styles in all price ranges. Charm bracelets are now a must-have accessory for any occasion.

I have always had a fascination for charm bracelets and have a few myself. I made this charm necklace from a variety of charms that I salvaged from broken necklaces and charm bracelets I found in my flea market travels. Destined for the scrap pile, all these wonderful charms have been united in one bold necklace that jingle and jangles with delight.

The center charm is a lovely little book locket that says "This Is Your Life" on the front.  A sure sign of it's age. There are heart shaped charms, a unicorn and an Egyptian goddess, a few engraved lockets, some lucky clovers and a Tinkerbell charm, a cowboy boot and an elephant.  And the list goes on...

I call it my lucky necklace and it's fun to wear!

If you want to see more of my vintage re-makes, visit my website www.gypsygirldesignsshop.etsy.com