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.