Happy Birthday Queen Victoria !

Friday's featured Item 5/20/16

VINTAGE MAX KLEIN BOXES

Vintage Max Klein Box in Avocado Green

Large Vintage Max Klein in Brown

And the WINNER is........

Vendor Spotlight- Country Store By GiGi

I have a strong belief in supporting fellow artists, entrepreneurs, anybody who is trying to do something creative especially Moms like myself.

So Lilly Violet's 1st Vendor Spotlight is Country Store By GiGi

This AMAZING lady is my inspiration- seriously, I want be GiGi when I grow up!  Her home decor is out of this world . I felt like a kid in the Wonka factory with the never ending perfectly themed seasonal vintage & antique decor that took decades of dedication . In addition to her plantable flower seed paper, she has some great antiques in her shop as well to check out.

BEST PART IS I will be adding GiGi's  plantable  flower seed paper hearts in my thank you cards for my customer's packages, so if you purchase from Lilly Violet you will get to sample these and if you love them just like I do, head over to her shop to purchase a bundle :)

The best NYC Taxi in time

Being a born & raised New Yorker, I have sentimental feelings for anything OLD NY.  19th Century in NY was simply the best. Taxis are such a big part of New York culture however I never heard of a Victorian era Taxi service so when I stumbled across this photo I was in awe and kind of jealous I wasn't there for this cool ride. It was probably bumpy as heck on the cobblestone streets! I had documented family living in that area in that time so I guess part of me, somewhere in my DNA long ago got to experience riding a Taxi just like this .

The first automobile taxis were powered by 800 -pound electric batteries, about 100 of them trolled the streets in 1899. Red and green paneled taxis were imported to New York from France. The name “taxi” comes from their innovative new “taximeters” that recorded mileage.

Victorian... Poop ...

Yes, EVEN the Toilets were masterpieces....

Can you imagine ( be classy and mature...dont say a poop joke)  I like it  but...BUT....BUTT!

What to know more history about toilets, here's a great article on it : 

A Brief History of the Toilet

Friday's Featured Item 5/13/16

This is one of those items that I LOVE so much that I secretly hope it doesn't sell so I can keep it for myself  :)

Gold Ornate Heart Shaped Mirror

Earnest about Urns

Urns have always caught my eye but not until this past year have I become infatuated with them. I didn't realize how critical they were to home decor in the Victorian & Edwardian era. An inspirational blogger I follow Victoria Elizabeth Barnes had a whole ordeal of finding the perfect huge urns then finding them just to lose them in auction.  A common heartbreak among antique lovers. Most of them, the ornamental garden urn kind are made of cast iron or cement and very VERY expensive, You are looking in the thousands or ten(s) of thousands for a large super ornate kind. If you have find a nice size medium to smaller ones in the hundreds is still considered a good or fair deal.

Of course an authentic 125 year+ pair would be an ideal BLB (Bucket List Beauty ) but Im not at that place in life where I can go carelessly swing a bidding paddle at an estate auction so I go on the treasure hunt for closest thing I can afford but still get that feeling " Look at me, Im sophisticated because I got'em urns on display! "  So lets do a lil comparison shopping  here :

This pair $12, 921 on the 1stdibs auction website  .....not not $ 12.91 each ...not $129 for the pair...OVER 12K !!!

Noooooow, my version of this in my Lilly Violet shop for $80 :

Lilly Violet Earnest Urn-Come Git'it !

Okay so my handles aren't as Va-Va-Voom but my BASE totally kicks that ones butt!  

But that's a lil too rustic , I got  these Art Deco style Gold ones. I actually invested into these for my own mantle for this over the top GOLD shmorgishborg I got going on above my fireplace. As much as I loved them - it's one of those things when everything is set up , it just didnt mesh with the style of what I was going for. But I dont regret not passing them up because it's not worth the "what ifs" if those were THE urns I needed to perfect the look but nope...And I tried to fill in with fake ferns because Dixie people love ferns and I wanted to know if I was missing out. So my trash that clashes can be your treasure : 

Gold Ceramic Urns- Oooo FANCY!

AND if you realllllly want a urn on the cheap, I got that too !

Ooooo Rust-astic Gold Metal Urn

Bucket List Beauty

So ever have an item, a drrrreeeeeaaammm item that is something you know you won at life if you get one in your grasps to own ?  THAT'S A BUCKET LIST BEAUTY!!!!

BUCKET LIST BEAUTY OF TODAY:

Hellllllllllllllllooooooooo Antique GRAMOPHONNE! (Now trying say that 5 times with a mouthful of Peanut Butter.......) 

One day I will have you....I promise you this. Duh-duh-dun-nah-nah! Charleston Chew that....

In celebration of " Going Public"

I have a problem with perfectionism  . I told myself  when I have 10 things in my shop then I will finally tell my friends about my website / shop...Then it went to 15, 20, 25 and then I realized it was never going to feel " good enough" so it was time to hold my breath and post the links on my FB.  So I just did that so  now I nervously wait ...However, I have lots of more items to list so I am hard at work on that to keep me busy. With any start up, social media now in days is key to success in spreading the word for promotion. So any sharing of my link to my website or Etsy shop will enter you to win my first raffle at Lilly Violet! Comment below to show where you entered my link in social media and you will be entered!

Friday's Featured Item 5/6/16

4 Vintage Antique Ornate Brass & Glass Candle Holders- Amazing!

I heard your walls need some love. (AND RAFFLE TIME!)

Lilly Violet Wall Art Prints

The 1st Lilly Violet Art Poster Prints are here! As I previously mentioned I am creating wall art prints based on real one of a kind antiques. To me, Cameo art had to be my first choice because it just screams 19th century and the portraits are so intricate that you never get bored looking at it. Of course, Violet had to be the signature color however originally it was/is  suppose to be paired with a Teal version but being the queen of typos ( which you probably noticed on this blog for the grammar pretentious bahahaha!) I made an error and have to reorder those so Im taking it as a sign to wait and see how the violet version of the print goes. The teal option will be available soon  as well as a gentleman-friendly  wall art for Father's day. 

( Cameo poster set soon available, my original concept for them)

I do have many exciting ideas for prints to follow so I am hoping this is a small achievement so I can expand my line of home decor art. I have a limited 8 of these on a 20% off sale right now - 11" x 17" framed and ready to hang! So head on over to my Etsy shop and give your walls a treat :) 

Click Here To Enter The Lilly Violet Shop !

BEST OF ALL ! ANYONE WHO SHARES THE www.LillyViolet.com website or Etsy store (You can post in the comments where you shared it or if I can see the share on Facebook or other social media) YOU WILL BE PUT IN A DRAWING FOR A FREE FRAMED VIOLET CAMEO LILLY VIOLET ART PRINT POSTER! ENDS MIDNIGHT MAY 15TH, GOOD LUCK AND ...

Packaging Makes Perfect...

This cute lil box of goodies is off to England! What a pleasant surprise order from my Etsy shop:)

I think packaging someones purchase to make it feel extra special is very important. Even a simple thank you note from a seller always felt great to think they put that extra time & effort to personalize it.  For some reason I personally always feel the need to wrap things up like a birthday present just because I want the customer to feel the appreciation I feel for their business plus who doesn't like unwrapping presents?  

It'll break your heart

This website....:::holds heart:::: Makes dreams seem like reality...or makes your Victorian dream home turn into a nightmare once you get to the interior photos . It has a niffy side bar search where you can look up the mostly very cheap Victorian houses in your state.

  http://www.oldhousedreams.com/

 I am a lil bias because I seriously got close to trying to get one of these listed insanely cheap fixer uppers listed here . We backed down ( thank goodness for flakey agents! ) and now the house is like 40% less so I dont know, we are doomed if we do and doomed if we dont because it may be the best  or the dumbest investment ever. It would be so stressful, but so exciting, we could lose everything fixing it but hey, maybe we will be happy? Our dream is a Queen Anne on farm land and from what we seen it's a bit harder to get a very old house with land, not impossible but a bit more of a search . One day... Browsing this website hurts, I find it to be an emotional rollercoaster I cant get off .... so good !

Friday's Featured Item 4/22/16

  A dazzling set of 6 marigold Carnival Glass that would add some glitz to a china cabinet or a wonderful holiday table setting.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/275763834/set-of-6-carnival-glass-imperial-harvest?ref=shop_home_listings

                    Beautiful Marigold Carnival Glass Goblets !

How to find antique furniture 101

Here is some very helpful info with pictures in what to look for when you are looking at wood pieces:

The open drawer test!  So easy to see if you scored a real treasure. My 8 year old daughter LOVES opening drawers to see if she can tell if it is indeed an antique. 

Printing these out to bring along as reference while at an estate sale, auction or antique store would be a great idea! 

Friday Featured Item 4/15/16

One of the first things I began collecting at antique stores was pitchers. I just love how they instantly add a old fashioned look to a room. I have a hard time passing them up  but is one of my 1st ones that I was willing to part with. It has a beautiful stone texture look  and yellow rose design. Perfect for a small flower arrangement!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/287661991/vintage-yellow-rose-pitcher?ref=shop_home_listings

Upcoming at Lilly Violet

Some tidbits of what's to come on Lilly Violet: 

• Home Decor Poster Prints ! I have designed my first set of Home Decor prints that will be arriving this week. Im hoping this is the start of a very large collection I plan on doing. It is modernize version of sprucing up a room to have a lil Victorian style. Similar how IKEA sells their art but it will have more of a flair compatible with a vibrant yet elegant antique taste. I am starting off small & basic with 20 posters to see where it goes.  And of course I shall raffle off some and also have it as a free gift if you purchase a certain amount in my Etsy store. As soon they arrive I will have to photograph them in a setting of how I envisioned them that would appeal to many like minded in style home decor lovers.

• I decided I needed to hit the history books  to really study everything 19th century because I want this to be the basis of everything I do so obviously I need to know inside and out what I am talking about. I may know more on some topics in Victorian times then a typical person but I need to know more. Also the before & after- Georgian and Edwardian eras are of equal interest so I have to brush up on that. Man, I  should of became a history major is what I am saying hahaha.

• Themed features are something I want to add to the blog. A day dedicated to sharing historical information, a day to place biography of a historical figure, a day to feature something I am selling , a day about antique information and the most exciting thing- Momento Mori Mondays ;) 

I have just been brainstorming day and night in how to build up Lilly Violet. The Etsy store is very time consuming especially because I am trying to meet my personal inventory quota before I start promoting it but I think  I am within 2 weeks of that. At first I was like " 20 things!" ( Now I am at 22) then " No, 30! "  now I thinking between 35-40. Between being a mom , working part-time and trying to start my own lil empire (lol) I just been going 24/7 and I am okay with that but I just would really like to be officially " launched" & organized down to a science so I can just sit back and see where it goes. However, I do know....It shall be grand! If I am good at anything, it's making visions come to life. So any lurkers, PLEASE feel free to comment and tell me what else you would like to see on  Lilly Violet! 

How I feel right now trying to organize all my ideas with not enough time in a day.

Are you a "Purist"?

If you walk into a antique's mall and have a mini heart attack when you see hundreds antique pieces covered in Chalk paint...Then welcome to the Purist club! I think most of us gained our Purist views from watching too much Antique's Roadshow when the person gets the bad news that they HAD a wonderful piece worth alot IF LEFT UNPAINTED. Sometime we get these pieces when the damage is already done, sometimes a housewife gets a lil too crafty with paint, sometimes we thought we were helping it but we were just hurting it.

     I once scored a FREE French Provincial Lingerie Tall Dresser off a Craigslist curb alert which I used for my nursery. This was before I knew anything about antique furniture but I knew it was something special and refuse to ever part with it for sentimental reasons. So big surprise, it was a highly collectible and you can easily fetch $300 or more when painted- original probably way more. French Provincial furniture is one of the biggest victims in the chalk paint fad. Mine was sadly painted over all white, original top & knobs so maybe can be rehabbed but I honestly have no knowledge in how to do that but would love to learn how one day.

   Now nooow , I do like Chalk paint  or repainting when it comes to certain things- if it was already ruined or damaged so you just upcycling or bringing back to some kind of life. Or Antique style faux pieces. I am in the middle of  experimenting - a chipped, already painted very ornate sconce , a faux antique vanity mirror and already horribly painted yellow (and very rusted) trunk.

A sconce of some sort, it was painted black already when I got it so I added some Agave Chalk to highlight the detailing. My first try at Chalk paint which i enjoyed. 

So aside from items that was already been damage by paint, or not exactly antique then I find chalk paint to be lots of fun but my heart is with the rich dark untouched wood from ages ago.

Ever want to live in a painting?

Ever have days where you just cant stomach modern life anymore ? Me too....When I see paintings like these I could practically weep on how backwards time has gone, how can anything compare to any of this?

Some my favs :

JAMES TISSOT

KNUT  EKWALL

HUBERT ROBERT

EDWARD LAMSON HENRY

 How could we come from this to our future  where we buy our furniture & home decor at IKEA & Big Lots? 10 steps back for mankind . When I look at these it's like  this overwhelming feeling of awe & relaxation - no distractions, just beauty & comfort. That is how life should be, I guess anyone is capable of recreating it and shoot, some do but it takes alot of talent and whoooole lot of money if you want it to be truly authentic . The effort that went into the warm atmospheric interiors , the displays of art and heirlooms. Now doing it without alot of money and just an eye for it & knowing how to get those key pieces to set the stage at bargain prices, now that's my kind of life! If I had a endless checking account I would probably invest into the most ornate crown & frame molding ( painted gold of course!) and an obscene amount of damask wallpaper. No matter how hard I try, I just cannot be convinced into buying anything for my home from a chain store when there are priceless pieces of history sitting in thrift stores, antique malls, yard sales and normally as much or less then modern day furniture .Yes, I gone through many a antique chair that has collapse and broken from under us but sometimes you land something that is so sturdy and survived 100 + years then you really gain a sense of appreciate for that kind of craftsmanship ! All I want in life most days is just recreate these heavenly atmospheres into my own home , tune out the world, the noise and soak it all in...At the end of my days, I hope the afterlife includes a fully furnished Queen Anne Victorian Mansion.

The good, the bad and the ugly....

So it's been an interesting week. I made some great antique purchases online ( which will be posted about) so everyday was like Christmas getting the packages and the excitement seeing it in person.  Some items were for my online store and some for personal keepsakes. I made a list in my head of items I would love to have for collection and one of those is Victorian mourning jewelry. I won a necklace in auction and I was so thrilled. It was not suppose to arrive for a few more days and saw in my tracking it said it already arrived . So I rushed to my mailbox and saw the package. As I walked in my house I saw it was ripped open and not in a accidental way. The jewelry box was in there however to my horror  the necklace was stolen out of it. I am completely heartbroken. I am very sentimental about the pieces I get, it's a cherished heirloom to me even though it is not a personal family one. So I am a bit shaken and will probably refrain from making online purchases for now until I can figure out a way to safely get my packages.

MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR MY STOLEN VICTORIAN MOURNING NECKLACE:

The necklace that will haunt me for the rest of my antique collecting days

Another thing that has got me a lil bummed is there is a local antiques show where the booths would be very affordable. It's only 2 weeks notice which I would be crazy enough to pull off however it's the transportation, We have a tiny car, 3 kids in tow (  due to me not being a driver) so there would not be  anyway near enough room in my trunk for a 10'x10' booth worth of stuff . So I thought "Alright, I have to rent a mini van for the day"  The car rental places do not allow one day rentals on weekends so I would be stuck with a hefty bill which would take up any potential profit margins and I would be incredibly lucky if I even broke even after that so it's a no-go. Impossible potential, story of my life haha

Good news is I got new goodies for show and tell posts. I been working hard getting my Etsy store stocked up. I did a short trial for a few items on Ebay with both auction & but it now option but no takers so it's put a lil damper on my optimism , I haven't formally publicly launched this blog so I am trying not to fret and everything is just part of the learning process, right?

UPDATE: They strike again in stealing my antiques! The next day, my " forget me not" album full of letters for a lil girl name " Lilly" just like my daughter and this website- I just have no words....I spent the week looking for both items in pawn shops and contacting local antique stores to see if the thief tried to sell them there for a quick buck. No luck thus far. Both of these items held such sentimental value to me and I just cannot shake this upset it's caused me. I will not be purchasing anymore items online for a while because I cannot trust the post office or that my mail is safe anymore. SO farewell precious album of letters, I will forget you not indeed ...

The Lilly Violet Mascot !

I been too overwhelmed the last few days to post. Mainly because I made a gamble and WON. What did I win you ask? THIS BEAUTY!

It arrived yesterday and I am scared to open the box- that is HOW overwhelmed I am hahaha The idea of touching fragile old things is fascinating yet terrifying to me! So to give you the story, my dream was always to own a PURPLE Victorian dress but I never sought it out due how expensive they are in general so I wanted to save myself the heartbreak. Somewhere this dress showed up on my Ebay feed and the bidding was pretty low so I kept my eye on it . I assume there would be a huge bidding war that would sky high but towards the ending time of auction it was still in an affordable range so it became even more desirable because it attainable . Now, I had lost every single auction thus far literally at the last second so I told myself not to get my hopes up. The more I looked at it the last hour the more I realized this was THE dress, the one that was everything I loved and symbolic as well as inspiring to keep me going with my passion. It was not in "great" condition, it had it's rips & flaws but hey so do I ;)  I prepared for another heartbreak to get outbidded, the bidders were getting aggressive so I put my poker face on and put in my max bid the last couple of seconds and the rest is history, my first bid war success! I *might* have shed a tear but I def was shaking like a leaf 7 clammy from the adrenaline rush. Now thank goodness my husband is supportive so when he came home from work and I told him the price of my new treasure he didn't walk back out the door- I just had to pick up his jaw off the floor . The price of being super frugal on a daily basis, makes what people normal priced items seem over the top so same goes with my antique shopping but I give myself some dangerous kind of freedom saying some things need to be " investments" ...You know like a antique dress I will never fit into! 

So I present to you ...The Lilly Violet Dress!

Here is the info on the dress from the seller:

Lovely antique purple print silk dress exquisitely made by CUMMINGS ST LOUIS. This dress came out of local historical house in Fort Smith, Arkansas' downtown district. It is quite tattered and torn throughout the the body of the dress, as the fabric is very thin, delicate and old.  Some of the tears are large and within the body of the dress and not along a seam.  The bodice is pin tucked and decorated with rolled medallions and several floral embroidered appliqués front and back, from the waist up.  The lace has a lightly colored daisy floral pattern, is trimmed in a blue braided trim and is in good condition on the front, back, and both cuffs.  The back is completely hook and eye closures.  The bodice is backed with a boned ivory cotton under bodice, and the dress is unlined below the waist. The CUMMINGS ST. LOUIS, MO. label is attached at the waist on a long ribbon that has a hook and eye at each end. Please note that the silk is discolored in several places from exposure to light, possible soiling and perspiration, even though attached to the dress are underarm perspiration pads, trademarked Kleinert Swan.  Still, it is a beautiful handmade piece that is well over 100 years old!

This dressmaker is infamous fashion. Check this out: http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/metro/news/history-museum-clothing-collection-covers-years-of-fashion/article_5e66e16f-1956-51c9-b4b6-7741d6a3b963.html

The famous Annie Cummings dress displayed at the Missouri History Museum:

Also I * believe* this was may have been Lizzie Borden's personal dressmaker, how awesomely creepy is that?

Anyway, this dress is a rare piece from the designer, I have only come across one other dress of hers online displayed at a museum and nothing else . I don't know if I would ever sell it because it is such a milestone for me . I am tempted to contact the museum to see what it would go for, maybe they can restore it to it's full beautiful potential and be burrowed for a display?

This is indeed the ultimate find in my eyes and now it's MINE :) 

My Adopted Ancestors

My biggest pet peeve is when people dispose or sell heirlooms. I personally don't have any heirlooms in my family because they were either stolen & hidden away or people were just plain ol' unsentimental. I have lost family over asking for copies of photos of my mother who I lost in childhood or even my own baby photos- it's sore sensitive subject to me. It would of meant the world to have something that was a grandparents or older so I cannot understand why some people simply sell these items or get rid of them. Photographs in the old days were so precious to them even then and it breaks my heart that their future family may have not felt the same. To be fair, in reality they could of been lost and found in the shuffle by strangers. What pulls on my heartstrings the most are the children photos because so many had short lives and that photo may be the only thing those parents had. A huge part of Victorian culture is Memento Mori , mourning fashion, jewelry , art and keepsakes. Most people would think it's morbid but if you think of how much effort & love that went into expressing their grief for their beloved- it's quiet beautiful.  PMs ( Post Mortem) Photographs are fairly common for that time and they are collectible hence making the expensive at time. I didn't even know normal original Victorian photos were accessible, purchasable or even existed like they do until I across I saw Victorian lovers like myself cooing over PM photos for sale. I don't think I would seek them out personally but if I found out I would buy it if reasonable just because I feel it needs to be cherished in honor of the family who originally owned it because it obviously meant a great deal to them. Okay so the whole Memento Mori / PM photographs is a huge subject that is going off track for the purpose of this post but wanted to touch on how this fascination began. Rewind about 7 months ago I was strolling through my local antique/flea mall and saw a lil box with card photos. I found Victorian cabinet cards & original photos! I was probably holding onto my chest with the amount of excitement I felt and I believe I spent $50 on photos that were probably $1-$3 a piece.

The start of my collection, I lost count how many I have now.

I feel primary drawn to ladies and children ( sorry you boring ol' fellas!) I had a couple more times I couldn't stop myself from buying a stack of photos thinking " I have to adopt them!I have to save them because there is no family to honor these precious snapshots of time of their ancestors" Part of me gets sad that they are not related to me but in protecting these keepsakes as my own, there is this sense love- these are in some way part of my family now, I need them like they needed me to honor them. Then I discovered there are entire photo albums for sale, I don't know if my heart is sinking in sadness for them or jumping for joy that I have a chance to " save" them too. Actual  Victorian photo albums are a work of art,  gorgeous ornate covers, brass latches , stands to hold them in display even the photo insert pages are pretty decorative. A filled albums from what I seen normally fetches $200-$300. Last night I found one on EBay, no auction but a Buy It Now for $35- you better believe I own it now! It wasn't in perfect condition but I love overlooked imperfect items so no loss to me. Green velvet damask like pattern cover with brass ornamentation with about half of it missing but pretty feature regardless and 17 portraits , there was only 5 shown but very unique nice ones so I am really anxious about seeing the ones not shown. A really odd unique feature I never heard of before was it has a (nonworking) music box built into the album. Just an incredible unexpected find I am so grateful I snagged but there are still soooo many online that are tempting to go on a auction frenzy for but trying to have some will power.

Imperfectly Perfect for me

Man, wonder if there is any chance the music box is rehabable? 

How amazing are those 2 babies on the right?