Gerry was a loving wife, mother and friend.  She was born to Thelma (Eblin) and Donald Nourse.  She grew up in the Minford community with her brother, Don Nourse.

She attended Mercy School of Nursing and was a compassionate, caring nurse throughout her life – working at Mercy Hospital and the Community Action Clinic.

Gerry married Bob Wilson in January 1961.  Together they raised their three daughters, Lynn (Rod), Jill (Keith), and Sara (Gill) in a home full of laughter.

She was passionate about gardening, the Cincinnati Reds, singing in the choir at Cornerstone UMC and caring for others.  She loved to joke and her laughter was contagious.  Gerry never met a stranger.

Blessed to be her grandchildren are: Andrew, Michael, Reilly Clark; Zach, Luke, Sydney Harris, and Emma and Leah McKinney.

Above is a piece of our Mama’s obituary.  Our inspiration (for this business and so much more) has passed.  While we miss her more than words can describe, she is finally free.  No more illness, no more sickness – she is whole.  We are incredible thankful for that.  So while our hearts hurt to the point of not being able to catch our breath, we are also filled with complete joy in knowing she is healed and in heaven rejoicing.

Our Dad, her three daughters and her brother were all able to be with her as she passed.  It was a beautiful moment that we are so thankful to have had.  We were able to walk the loving, compassionate, pistol of a woman who brought us into this world – into Jesus’ arms.

Please excuse us as we take time to pause and remember our Mama (like how fiercly she loved us and how she loved to play jokes - for example waking her younger brother in July and telling him Santa had been there.)  We’ll be back to join you in two weeks. 

Live beautifully.

We had a great time at the Kane County Flea Market this past weekend.  We were so happy to see you and get new items to you!  We enjoyed our time together and time talking with you.

We did learn a good lesson this weekend.  Location!  Location!  Location!  The building we were in was off to itself just a little ways.  And with the first beautiful weekend in a while, only so many wanted to take the extra steps to go inside on such gorgeous days.

And a special thank you to our sweet friends who stopped by – you brightened our day!

Our next stop will in Randolph Street Market in Chicago at the end of June.

We promise to bring our mascots – Salty & Peppy – with us.  At first, these little vintage salt and pepper shakers freaked us out with their alien eyes.  They have now won us over and will be making trips with us.

Also, at the end of April we had the complete gift and privilege to be a part of “The Well” – a women’s retreat at Grace Church in southwest Chicago.  This is a refreshing day for women to learn more on numerous topics from some very gifted speakers.  We spoke on the topic of “making your house into a home” – something that is very special to us.  We are thankful to have been a part of this incredible day.

Real women understanding Real Love

If you are in the Chicago area and are looking to be motivated and inspired – we highly suggest checking out this event next Spring!

Gearing up for our first market of the season at the Kane County Flea Market.

Here is a sneak peak of what we will be bringing with us.

Springtime colors for a springtime show.

Packing up and heading your way.

(With help from Lynn’s handsome hubby!)

We are looking forward to being back at the markets and seeing you Saturday & Sunday!

Bringing vintage items into your home adds so much to its warmth and personality.  The character these items add combined with the usefulness they can provide make these pieces family treasures.  In past markets, we have sold quite a few antique trunks – some we have even added casters to.  These trunks can not only be used as coffee tables or side tables, but they can easily hide extra blankets, pillows, dvd’s, or even that rarely used computer equipment that we never know what to do with.

This trunk was one of our favorites.  It came from a gentleman who served in WWII and traveled with him throughout his time in service.  There were tags and stickers from Africa and Europe.

The silver hen nesting box in the back of this photo was a market favorite.  We pictured this hung and holding books or dishes, or used in a mudroom to hold shoes.  The sweet lady who purchased it was using it for her daughter’s wedding – and then had other ideas for it.  How fun!

Vintage metal tool boxes are great for adding a pop of color to your décor – and can hold so much (we have found them in blue, red, orange,  yellow and green).  Looking for a place to corral your wallet and keys?  Here you go!  Don’t know where to hide your dog’s leash and toys – this will do it.

I love the richness of this wood box.  It is quite deep for storage, yet will still fit on a table to display.  For those of you who have been to our booth during markets, you can see Salty and Peppy peeking out in the photo above.  These vintage salt and pepper shakers have gone everywhere with us and seem to have become our mascots.  I don’t know if we can consider parting with them now…

This antique strawberry basket is great for serving during parties.  Gather all the basic supplies your guest will need and place it at the beginning of the buffet line.  It helps corral the items and dresses it up.

Vintage wood tool boxes are wonderful for holding those cd’s.

This large metal box has quite the history. The B. of L.F.& E.  stands for the Brotherhood of Locomotive, Firemen and Enginemen.  It was their document box and quite sturdy.

Do you remember the bolt bin?  It was originally from a farmer’s workshop.  So many ideas for storage in this!  Scrapbooking supplies, jewelry holder, office supplies.  The gal who bought it was planning on using it for sewing supplies.

Guess what this fun red case was used to store…

Roller skates!  These are so old the wheels are wooden!  Now that’s a fun storage surprise.

And of course we can’t forget the vintage metal containers.  We love these.  While your items won’t be hidden, they are great for keeping things in one spot – shoes, scarves and mittens, magazines – whatever keeps getting misplaces around your house.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look at vintage storage and the ideas to go with them.  Next time you are out looking at pieces, ask yourself, “Besides décor, what else can I use this for?”  It will help you decide where to place it in your home, and give you a double bang for your buck!

No, it isn’t a screen door!  This piece Lynn bought while at an auction.  It is over five feet tall and has wooden rails inside.  The rungs do not look to be used, so perhaps a never before used dehydrator?

It is from the longest continually inhabited log cabin in Perry County, Indiana (mid 1850′s to present).  There is no indoor plumbing or electricity in the cabin.  This piece was found in the attic.  After Lynn purchased it, she was told she could take it to the Lincoln Boyhood Log Cabin as the Parks Services was interested in purchasing it.  The Lincoln Cabin is very close to the homestead this came from.  We haven’t decided yet if we’ll do just that – it is such an interesting piece.  It would make a gorgeous coffee table or, with all the screen and the rungs, it could be an awesome jewelry organizer.  (I think I just heard Lincoln’s stove top hat spin at that last sentence.)

This is an antique laundry boiler.  Many of these can be found made of copper.  Of those that are galvanized, they are either plain or, sometimes, with a single red stripe.  It is very rare to find one with a double blue stripe.  Thankfully, this one also still had it’s lid.  What a cool piece.  But looking at it really makes us appreciate our clothes washer and dryer.  And electricity.  And indoor plumbing.

There are so many uses for an item like this!  Storing blankets or toys in the living room, placing ice and soda in it for an outdoor barbecue, a shoe tub just inside the entry.  We’re excited to hear your ideas as we bring this to market.

Have a beautiful week!

p.s. Can we say again how much we appreciate indoor plumbing?

One of our favorite pastimes is thumbing through favorite decorating catalogs (window shopping maybe?).  We enjoy noticing the changes in styles from season to season – the colors used, the textures incorporated, and what the emphasis is on within each room.

We’ve enjoyed seeing industrial pieces used in the catalogs (especially lighting).  Lately, however, the emphasis is on an overall industrial style – not just a piece here or there.  What is industrial style?  It is using and incorporating reclaimed furniture from factories, schools, and offices.  Industry themed pieces include steel shelving or tables, wire baskets, and old worn metallic pieces.

We really love the worn look these pieces provide and, if done correctly, the warmth they can bring to a room.  Lighting, storage, and stools all seem to be really popular this season.

We are drawn to the texture of the pieces, plus we love the pops of color they can provide.  We have picked up a piece or two along the way and will be bringing them with us to upcoming shows.  Here are just a few headed your way:

This is a vintage printer’s rack from an old printing business.  The beautiful wood and copper bars on the side make for a very warm piece.   We have heard so many ideas for this piece from you!  Here are just a few:  an entertainment center, a baker’s rack in the kitchen, or a home bar.

These colorful pieces are from a local school that closed its doors.  The big red shelving on wheels  would be perfect for a craft room or as a kitchen island.  The stools are incredibly fun – and who couldn’t use a half locker?

Here is a piece we had previously highlighted.  It is an old metal cabinet – maybe from a hospital or mechanic shop.  It is wheeled and ready to serve.

Industrial style doesn’t have to be cold and grey!  While that color or those pieces can easily be incorporated into surroundings that are inviting, know various colors and other finishes are our there.

Make it a a beautiful week!

We love the antique printing press drawers.  There’s something about all those compartments in one drawer that screams ORGANIZATION!  And we love organization.  The drawers actually come as a part of a chest that resembles this one below.  These chests are such beautiful pieces in and of themselves.

Inside the drawer, each compartment was sized to hold specific lettering.  The lettering is so very cool!  They actually face backwards due to how they were set up to print.  How fun and quirky is that?!

There are varying sizes and compartments of drawers and we often hear the question of what to do with these little gems (the drawers, not the letters!) and we have a few ideas for you here.  These drawers are good for organizing small items or displaying collections – and with the beauty and patina of aged wood, even newer items take on character.

Many ladies fashion them as jewelry holders.  The picture below is showing the drawer hung, but you can also lay it flat on top of a dresser and simply lay your jewelry in each compartment.  These drawers have more of a “WOW” factor than any standard jewelry box!

This next idea we LOVE.  Add some skinny legs and – ta da! – you have a coffee table.  To expand on this idea, pop some favorite mementos inside and place glass over top for safe keeping.  Ideas for items to put inside?  How about sand and shells from the latest beach vacation?  Or what about those ticket stubs that build up over time from occasions you always want to remember?  Here is a simple display for them!

This is a fun idea which would take some patience, work and, well, high alcohol tolerance. Cut wine bottle corks to fit and fill each compartment.  Glue them in place and use the piece as a cork board.

This one is little more difficult to see, but we loved the concept and wanted to share it.  Family photos and pretty scrapbook paper were placed in random compartments and the small middle compartments were used to spell out “FAMILY.”  Go here to see the complete project.

Do you have a game room or family room that needs jazzed up?  Then here is a fun idea!  Use vintage game pieces to fill your drawer and hang as a focal point.  Word of warning: I would use hot glue to place these since I would NOT want to be the person picking each of the small game pieces up off the floor after it was accidentally hit!

Finally, here is an idea for the bedroom.  These have been hung as a display above the bed.  But why not take it a step farther and use them as a headboard?  Simply place them to fit at the head of your bead and nail in.

We hope this helps get the creative ideas flowing for a way you can use a letterpress drawer.  If you already have one in use and are willing to share your idea (or even a picture)- we would love to see how you have put it to use and share with our readers!

I (Lynn) have our grandmother’s ruby red depression glass – and absolutely love it!  It reminds me of my grandmother which always brings a smile.

It is such fun to decorate with.  I use it at Christmastime, the 4th of July and for Valentine vignettes as well (and from the photos, you can tell I also have a soft spot for vintage Valentines) .  I love adding that pop of color around the house!

What is depression glass you might ask?  It is clear or colored translucent glass that was made from the late 1920′s until the mid 1940′s.  Depression glass could be made inexpensively because it was mass produced by being made in molds.  It came in over 100 beautiful patterns (Ruby Red, Manhattan, Bubble, etc.) and various beautiful colors (red, blue, green, yellow, clear, etc.).

Many of the companies that made this glass were located in the Midwest (Anchor Hocking, Indiana, Imperial, Jeanette – just to name a few), so distribution of the glass was easy.  The glass was often used as giveaways or special promotions at gas stations, movie theaters, etc.  That way people could collect a certain color or pattern piece by piece.

Grandma’s collection came with plates, coffee cups and saucers, a pitcher and glasses, berry bowls and vases.  I’ve added a few pieces through the years – the newest being a large round vase I found in Nashville.  I love to force indoor bulbs in these vases to hurry Spring along.

To find your favorite, you can check ebay and various markets for the different colors and patterns available for sale.  Pieces such as these are timeless and can make a difference in your decorating budget.  Instead of buying a purely holiday item to decorate (a plate with Santa on it, Easter candy dish, or vase with hearts for Valentines, for example), try buying pieces that can serve multiple purposes.  They will have more meaning, take up less storage space, and help your holiday budget.  Enjoy!