Merry Christmas to All

Time Is Running Out

Christmas is just hours away!

Aunt Lizzie's has an ample supply of unusual and one-of-a-kind gifts. We also are well stocked with the very popular room sprays, which make great stocking stuffers. Stop in and check it out. We will be open Thursday and Friday from 10 - 2. See for yourself what everyone is talking about.

Your guests will think that you have been baking all day.

Figural candles.

Sessions electric George Washington wall clock.





Stocking Stuffers and Last Minute Gifts

You don't need me to remind you that there's not too much time left until Christmas. We have a large stock of gifts for the collector on your list as well as stocking stuffers. Last week  brought the addition of lots of Christmas/winter decor items. They are so new that I haven't had the chance to photograph them.

Eight Tiny Reindeer

A perennial favorite for gift giving are our locally-made room sprays. And a new batch has just arrived. At $5.50, buy one as a gift and one for yourself. You deserve it!

For more information on the scents, go to Stay Sew Creative.

Weather permitting, we are open Thursday & Friday from 10 to 2 and Saturday & Sunday (until Christmas) from 10 to 3.

Stop in and see what there is to see. You'll be glad you did!

There's Still Time

If you are interested in crafts of almost any kind or have someone on your gift list who is "crafty," we still have a great selection of crafting books at 50% off the already low prices.

What's your pleasure?

As an example of the savings, one lucky customer last week purchased a like-new book on quilting and two new books on jewelry making for a total of $4.74! Those prices are hard to beat.

Stanley Snail Has Found A New Home

Last week Stanley Snail found a new home with a very special little girl. They are sure to spend many happy hours together.

Snow In The Forecast

Snow is in the forecast for Central Mass. Okay, it's calling for a flurry or a dusting. But, isn't that always how it starts? First you measure in inches, then, before you know it, it's feet! Unless you happen to live in Buffalo where every measurement seems to be in feet.

For those who enjoy it, opportunities for outdoor winter recreation abound. From past experience in outdoor recreation, I have found that the amount of enjoyment is directly related to the quality of the equipment used. It's a good idea to buy the best equipment that you can afford.

Mention any sport and a number of brand names come to mind as being ones that we would love to own. Mention snowshoeing and one of the first top-of-the-line brands you think of is Tubbs. These Tubbs Sierras are in excellent condition. Everything appears to be intact. Reviewers have referred to this model as "lightweight," "durable" and "rugged."

According to Tubbs Company literature, this shoe is recommended for a user weight of 160 - 220 lbs. and the shoe is designed for day hiking/all terrain.

Check out the prices on new Tubbs snowshoes, and then check this pair out for $75.

Beautify Your Holiday Table

Martha Stewart may have the time - after she has harvested and prepared her home-grown cranberries, squash, potatoes, onions, apples, blueberries and turkey - to create a charming centerpiece to grace her holiday table. But, most of us don't. For those of us with less time, inclination and, okay - less creativity - this is just the thing to bring some color and style to the holiday.

This lovely poinsettia will add that extra "touch" to your holiday. It would also make a great hostess gift. Its advantages are many:  doesn't require watering, special temperatures or predetermined amounts of light and darkness; can be covered, stored and used next year; and costs only $10. See it at Aunt Lizzie's today.

Let's Be Honest,

not everyone can pull this off. I know I couldn't. It just wouldn't go with the paper cups and paper plates that usually adorn my table. But for the hostess with the right amount of panache and confidence, this ensemble is a must have.

California Pottery

It's too late for the Thanksgiving table, but there is time for you to purchase this set to add flair to your Christmas dinner celebration. The soup tureen with cover, ladle and platter is just $25. The covered vegetable can be had for $20. It would be a shame to break them up, so if you have your thank you postcard, the pair can be had for $40. What a bargain to help maintain your status as the hostess with the mostest!

Cover detail.

So, our hours from now until Christmas are:  Thursday & Friday 10 - 2; Saturday & Sunday 10 - 3.

Small Business Saturday is Here

Aunt Lizzie's definitely falls into the Small Business category. Remember when shopping was fun and you could always expect friendly service? You can still have that experience at small busninesses.

Speaking to Stay Sew Creative's comment about what we might have "in store," it's hard to believe that Yuletide Disco didn't fly off the shelf last year. But that just means that some lucky customer has another opportunity for a unique gift or to re-live their misspent youth!

Nothing to add to this one. It speaks for itself.

And this year, we have the perfect accessory. Vintage earrings! I know, it's just too good to be true. This is the only pair of complementary earrings we have in stock. So, if they speak to you, hurry in.

They show some wear. I imagine them discoing with abandon!

There is a lot to do in a small shop like ours:  pricing, cleaning, staging, etc. But, even so, sometimes the work is done and there is still time to be filled in between customers. I always have a book on hand to read, or I can take one from the shelves. Years ago, I used to do quite a bit of knitting. This year, I think I will work on a Christmas present during the slow times. I recently came across a lovely pattern in a vintage magazine, and I have just the person in mind. Don't say a word to Stay Sew Creative; it's a surprise. I know that she'll just love it!

Did women actually make and wear these?

It's the one on the right. Having only done sweaters, I know how tedious knitting the arms can be. I wonder about the legs on this one. And, they seem to have a flare. Flared legs are in again, aren't they?



Holiday Greetings

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with family, friends, food and football, and took a little time to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. As difficult as things may be, there are always blessings to appreciate. 

At Aunt Lizzie's we are thankful for our customers - current and future. As a token of our appreciation, we have the following offer for you. Please feel free to copy, print and use. One to a customer, please.

This may be a little hard to read before printing. The important part for shoppers is that we are offering from now until Jan. 29 a savings of $5 on a purchase of $25 or more. There are lots of unique gift items in stock. We'll be sharing more photos in the very near future.

Our holiday hours are:  Thursday and Friday 10 - 2; Saturday and Sunday 10 - 3. We'll be closed from Dec. 25 to Jan. 6 to spend more time with our family.

Thanksgiving is Almost Here

Yikes! I don't know how it happened but Thanksgiving is right around the corner - next week. If you feel as though it caught you by suprise - never fear - it's still not too late to add some flair to your holiday table. And Aunt Lizzie's is the perfect place to find just the right accent piece.

These are but a few of the pieces that I pulled out of stock to feature. There are many more for you to see and choose from. Whether your taste goes to antique, vintage or contemporary, whimsical to something more formal, we offer plenty of choices. But, be advised, most are one-of-a-kind.

Johnson Bros. China

It seems as though Stangl used to be quite available - but not so much any more. Here's our newest piece. There are small chips under the edges of the smaller ashtrays, so I'm just throwing those in as a bonus.

Stangl ashtray ensemble

As everyone knows, Black Friday follows right on the heels of Thanksgiving. We just started taking out the Christmas merchandise, but we'll be ready too. Here's a small sample.

A cute tabletop cabinet with three tiny shelves.

Remember, quantities are limited. We'll have more to show you soon.

Thank You, Veterans

Take a moment to thank a veteran.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, an armistice was signed between the allies of World War I and Germany to mark the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front. It wasn't known as WW I then; it was called the War to End All Wars. The day marking that historic event was known as Armistice Day and was a national holiday in the United States and ally nations.   

The Illustrated London News 1918


Trench Warfare

An estimated 20 million people died in WW I. Various sources estimate the death toll from WW II as between 50 and 60 million. That number includes civilians, but not the missing or wounded. The death toll from the Korean War was estimated at 2 million. The Vietnam War cost America 58,000 lives and an estimated 1 to 2 million Vietnamese lives. The death tolls continue to rise in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At the end of WW II, the name Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day - a day to recognize the sacrifices of the brave men and women who answered our country's call and continue to do so.

Thank you to my father and my uncles and to all the men and women who have answered the call and served our wonderful country in the military.

Craft books galore at 50% off

This is truly a crazy business - crazy but fun - I want to emphasize! It's crazy in the sense that you never know what you'll end up with in stock. As I think more about it, it's crazy and fun in so many ways that the topic really deserves a separate blog. Later.

The crazy part this time is that as I was organizing the book section, I discovered that I had accumulated so many wonderful books on crafts that I didn't have enough room. As I considered and discarded reorganizing schemes, I decided that the best thing to do was to have a stock reduction sale! Being really serious about reducing the stock I chose 50% off the already low prices as the way to go!

We have lots of books on quilting.

Books on painting, sewing, decorating - so many, in fact - that I am prepared to be very liberal in my interpretation of "craft" book.

With colder days and longer nights here, now is the time to think about creative ways to spend your extra time indoors. With the holidays just around the corner, many of these books would make perfect hostess or Christmas gifts. If you're the least bit interested, don't wait. At these ridiculous prices, these wonderful books won't last long. For the best selection - hurry!

If your sewing machine is a little "rusty" and needs a tune up, or if you would love to get started, but don't have a sewing machine, check out Stay Sew Creative for sewing machine sales, service and repair.



Works in Progress

There's something very satisfying about taking what was once a beautiful piece of furniture that has fallen on hard times and restoring it to its former glory. It's time intensive, dirty work, but the final product is worth the effort - at least to me. Here are two recent projects with more planned.

I wish I had thought to photograph the sideboard when each door was in six pieces. Some time in the past, someone had tried to staple, and use duct tape and rubber cement to put the pieces together. After removing the evidence of those failed efforts, I have reassembled the doors and finished the drawers. The original hardware for the doors was missing when I found this neglected beauty. I ordered pulls that were the best match that I could find to the drawer pulls, which I believe are original.

Not pictured, is a beautiful backboard. I have a tendency to underestimate the time involved in projects. Having said that, I think that this solid oak sideboard/buffet will be ready for its new home in two weeks - about the middle of November. You'll get to see the finished product.


A labor of love...

I expected the pine, but when the final (fourth) layer of paint was removed, the walnut pulls were a wonderful surprise. One pull was missing but I was able to find a replacement that is such a close match that it's hard to tell the difference.

Knapp joint

The Knapp joint is the result of a joint making machine invented by Charles Knapp in 1867. In 1870 he sold the rights of an improved version to a group of investors in Northampton, Mass. The machine went into large-scale production in 1871 allowing a skilled cabinetmaker to vastly increase his output. The drawer joint was seldom used after 1905 - helping to date this dresser as being between 105 and 139 years old.

The dresser went to its new home this week, sure to be cherished, probably in much the same way as when it was first made so very long ago.

Meg stops by

Meg took time out from her new endeavor, Stay Sew Creative, to play a tune on the "new" five-stringed, six string guitar. It (she) actually sounds pretty good.

Check This Out!

At 23 1/2 inches high, 11 1/2 inches wide and 9 1/4 inches deep, this piece is the perfect size to fit anywhere. Three small drawers allow for a little bit of storage.

This appears to be hand-carved pine. The wear patterns add character and charm. Not sure of the origin, but would guess Central America.

From the side.

Drawer detail.

My older granddaughter loves this vintage mahogany side table. She thinks the cutouts on the sides are sooo pretty.

Wrenches

The lower two wrenches are Coes wrenches, made in Worcester. This style was patented by Loring Coes in 1841. It was an improvement over existing wrenches in that it allowed the user to make adjustments with only one hand - the hand using the tool. According to New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: a Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation by William Richard Cutter, in 1914 the Coes Wrench Co. produced 3,600 wrenches - four and a half tons - daily, was the largest wrench shop in the world and employed 190 people, mostly skilled machinists and mechanics.
The top wrench was made by Whitman & Barnes a well-known manufacturer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was located in New York state.

The advertisement above appeared in Railway Shop Up To Date by Maham H. Haig, published in 1907 by the Crandall Publishing Company.

"New" This Week

We've made a vow to become better about posting. Each week, something "new" arrives at Aunt Lizzie's, and we will try to give you a pictorial sampling of the treasures that we've found. So check back often to see if what we've found is one of the treasures that you have been looking for!

Stanley Snail Has Arrived In North Brookfield

Too cute for words! From the Mama and Papa Company, this colorful rocker is made of soft velour fabric, with wooden handgrips. It plays the song “You Are My Sunshine.” The seat is 12” from the floor, and the rocker is 27" long by 14” wide by 20" tall. It is designed for use by children 9 mos. old and up with adult supervision.
Stanley Snail.can go home with you just in time for the holidays for only $50, which is a steal as the MSRP is around $100.
Stan is in great condition and looks as though he was used very little. If you're interested in making Stan a part of your family, stop in to meet him or contact us.

Historic Hunt 2010

publicity post card, originally uploaded by Aunt Lizzie's Whatnot Shop.

It's that time of year again - Browse the Brookfields and Beyond's Historic Hunt. Aunt Lizzie's will be participating again this year. Come see our presentation on the story of Elizabeth R. Hill. There'll be refreshments and prizes. Come on down!

This Jenny Lind bed is up on Ebay now. The asking price is $80 which reflects some of it's condition issues. If you have any questions or would like to see it, just let us know.