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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.