An*tek*in

" A Small Company......Building Beautiful Dreams "

You can find my Antekin Finds For Sale at

Antekin.com

New finds added weekly.

Welcome, come in and browse.



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Searching for that special treasure? E-mail me, I'll search for you.

  • antekin@comcast.net
  • donaantekin@hotmail.com

Saturday, June 28, 2008

For The Love Of Junk






There were not alot of sales today. In fact Connie and I were home by
10:30 am., That is a record for us. I did manage to pick up a few
kitchen items for my son and his new place, stainless steel everything.
Nice. I also found a wonderful old lamp. Re-wired it, and now it has a
new home in my library.

Speaking of lamps, I came up with this
really neat idea. I had bought a bag full of those electric candles a
few sales back. Put them in my " need to use later box " and used them
today. I took the candle holders from the hallway. Filled the candle
cup with hot glue, sank the electric candle down inside. A new plug,
and electric antique candles.

A really good tip~~~~~ Hot glue
will hold on glass, and metals. When ready to remove just pop off. Glue
will not damage the item at all. So the value of your piece is not
ruined and can be re-stored at any time.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Silk and Glue = New Chair






As I waited for the air conditioner man today, I decided to finish up a
project that was started last week. Yes, our brand new air conditioning
system is dead again!
Well anyway, that to will be fixed. On with the project. I had bought this chair a few yardsales back, and decided. Wow, paint it white, re-cover it, and it will look great in my daughter's bedroom. She has a Eastlake bed, and an Eastlake
chair would be perfect! Not exactly, I painted the chair white. Added
webbing,Did I mention I never did this before??? And then proceeded to
re-cover it with new batting, and silk material. Oh, so pretty! But,
before I COULD ADD THE TRIM, I decided that the white paint did not
work! So, I spent all day stripping the chair back to it's original
look. Hot glued the trim on, burned every finger in the process! I
think it came out pretty good for my first try. You may see
all my flaws, but that's OK, 'cause the next chair will be perfect.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Time And Money








I want to apologize to all my blogging buddies out there. I have not
read any of your posts as of yet. I have been trying to get this
hallway completed. And working 10 and 12 hour days at the job that
really pays has been hard. So to make up for it , I thought I would
share what I paid. I never do this because I re-sell. But, I wanted to
show you that real rooms take time to design . Yes, you can hire a
interior decorator and have instant room decor. Or you can build upon
the things you love, and take the time to design it. Anyone can design a room. Oh, you laugh, do you? No, it is true. Decorate with the things you love. It is ok
to mix and match time periods and styles. The trick is to stay in the
same color and than go wild. Pick your classic items that never go out
of style, add a whimsy piece, then add a modern ,and so on. You are the
one that lives in the room. So decorate with the things that make you
happy. Also, if you change your mind later, that's ok too. Because change is good for the soul
. It means you are growing and maturing. So what you liked in your 20's
you are not going to like in your 40's. Just do not get stuck in "THE
LOOK"!!! Change is good. Also, the number one thing to remember!!! If you do not use an item, no matter what it is. Why do you have it??? Material things are meant to be used. Saving something for some reason, is not a reason at all. And the some day theory, threw it away. Someday never comes! The other thing try it. If it doesn't work, try something else. The decorating police are not going to be called. If someone points out a flaw, take it as a good thought or take it as YOU NEED A LIFE!!!

Sideboy $ 20.(needed some repairs)
Table chandelier $ 15
Candle sticks $ 30
Mirror over sideboy $ 15
Rug $ 3
Mirror in hallway $5 ( needed to be glued back together)
Picture free
Door sold all my broken gold necklaces and earrings ( 20 year collection)
Stairs ripped up old carpet, painted, stenciled $ 20.
Paint for hallway $ 25.
Chandalier in brass $ 3.

It does not cost a lot to do a room. It just takes time. And let's face it, why are we always in a hurry anyway????

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Paint and Doors





No sailing this weekend for me. Instead work projects around the house
needed to be addressed. The front door was in desperate need of
replacement. So you know one project leads to another and the foyer now
looked dull with such a pretty door, So off to the paint store. I
choose a lovely shade of tan. Now the trim work and the ceiling have to be
painted yet. Next weekends project after sailing with Connie. I am also not going to share the
outside view either. That will have to wait, because with a new door we decided a portico would be nice. That is not yet done. Will share as the project moves along.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

More Powder Room Pizazzzz !!








Once again Connie and I headed out this morning. Connie drove this time, and we had a blast. I found the usual
treasures of linens, fur, beaded bags, and two lady head vases. I also found a single server
coffee pot from Starbucks. My daughter is going to love it!! Also a
cool find of the day is a sugar, flour, tea, and coffee canister set in
tin. Kinda reminds me of the Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters movie. Think his name was StayPuff??
Well, anyway, I am using it for coffee filters, teabags, and sweet'n'low.

Yesterday
Connie bought this really nice old dresser, and she wanted to go back
today to pick it up. Well, that too is a story for her to tell. But,
pulling out of the driveway where she bought the dresser was two large paper bags
filled with old glass bottles (all sizes), a little sad wooden shelf,
and a wooden decorative butter churn, handle missing. I grabbed them.
Oh no! More projects.

I spray painted the butter churn and shelf
white. I added an old glass bottle lid for a handle. Now it is a trash
can in the powder room. DOGPROFFFFFFF!!!!!
The little shelf got
lined with a pretty wrapping paper. I added old vintage white Ponds
(face cream jars) jars from the trash, and a few porcelain roses found
a couple of yard sales ago. You know, some of my best treasures come
out of others trash. Powder room is now finished.

Friday, June 13, 2008

More Projects!!!!!!!





Just what I need. More projects to do. Well, I just can't help these. I
have added two more to the ever growing list!! And it is all Connie's
fault!! How, do you ask, could sweet little Connie be at fault?? Well,
it is her fault!! Here is how it all started.

Yesterday why reading Craigslist,
Connie at her work and me at mine. 8 miles apart we are and calling
each other at the same time. There is an Estate sale Friday am and we
both want to go. I was already off and planning maybe to go. Connie
managed to talk her boss into her coming in late today. So this morning
she shows up at my house. We take my SUV, because the sale is in Malvern,
and if we bought something big, we did not want to have to drive back.
Gas you know is becoming a big problem in our sailing Saturdays. Trying
to stay alot closer to home before our husbands take away our car keys LOL.

One street before the Estate sale, out of the corner of my eye, I spy someones trash. Looked pretty good! So a ubie
I make with Connie saying we are almost there. In the trash on a very
busy work morning I find a old plant stand. Top missing. OK new home
for the antique bird cage from last week. And the wooden frame to an
old side table. I'm seeing ottoman out of this piece!!

Finally
we get to the estate sale, and yes the house is a 130 years old. Can
not get inside and the new owners bought it off of a couple who lived
in it for 40 yrs. They left all the furnishings!! The young couple did
not want any of it. But, what they are charging for those things, they
will be taking them back into the house.

I
did buy a brass ash try , very interesting, I am going to use it as a
coaster on my desk, and a orange flocked bird from back in the day sold
by Sears.

So you see, it is all Connie's fault! She made me GO!!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Triplets and Threes



OK when things go bad they come in threes. That's the old saying, right??
Not around here! When things go bad they come in threes here too. But, every three has three of it's own.

The husband left this morning for a business
trip. Right after he left and I had gone to work, The dog (just came
back from the TRAINERS on Sat.), pooped on my rug, ate a handmade
vintage pillow, and destroyed a vintage throw. The peach tree outside (
my husband's pride and joy) split in two, and the brand new central air
is blowing heat. My house is hotter than outside right now ( 100 ). Than the
neighbor down the street ( 70's yrs) calls and asks if hubby can come down
and relocate a ground hog he caught to a new home?

My daughter went to get the ground hog, I am waiting for air conditioning man, and hubby is having dinner in a 5 star hotel in Atlanta!!!

Now,
what are friends for? My best friend Connie gave me this wonderful
vintage rug. ( Will not tell you how she got it, that's her story to
tell). But it steamed cleaned up nicely. So there is always a silver
lining! And I'm ording pizza for dinner!!!!

PS We are under a Tornado watch! What do you think my chances are??????

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Through The Eyes Of A Child


Today was a lousy day. It was awful hot, sunny, and humid. I am
sunburned and my lips feel like they are going to fall off of my face.
No kisses for my sweetie tonite!!
The sale in West Chester was different, the vote is still out on whether
we sell there again or not, to hot and no one was buying anything. I
paid for my spot and that was about it. By noon, Connie and I were
packing it in.

Today was the best day of my Antekin Days. The reason is; this young girl, a cute little blond
has just like totally re-decorated her bedroom. All by herself. She is
about 13. She fell in love with all of my hats. She is now the proud
owner of several and my best hats too! Who in the world could not give
them to a child who gets it !!!

I wish her all the luck in the world, she made my day, and who knows, someday I may see her on HGTV!!! You know what? Today was the best day ever!!

Friday, June 6, 2008

Sleeping In, I Don't Think So!









This week at work was really busy. I've been working
on the website for work and revamping the Welcome packages, ordered
T-shirts for the kids. A very long week, but a lot of fun too.

This
morning I decided to sleep in, at 7am I woke up, sat up, and remembered
there was an estate sale down the street. Was going, was not going, was
going, was not going! Then at 8 I decided to go. Well I should have
gone at 6:30am. Not 8:30. It started at 8, they were giving everything
away. All the furniture was sold but I still managed to pick up a few
items. Really neat hats and beaded bags, and a bamboo bird cage.

I fell in love with a shawl, but when I pulled it out of the box, it screamed at me " WINDOW TREATMENT ! " So a window treatment it has become.

Tomorrow there must be a hundred advertised yard sales within a 20 mile radius. Where will I be, I will be at the West Chester Annual Flea Market selling my finds. Dumbo me.
I
broke my no selling rules, only buying on Saturdays. But the really cool
thing
is Connie
will
be with me. So we will just have to call it an
early day and sale on the way home. That is, if we sell enough to make
room in the cars for more.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Powder Room Pizaaazzzz






My powder room is small. Big enough to do what you need too. And a
window to open when the time comes. This is a very nice feature I must
admit to when entertaining. You just know that window is going to fly
open!!!. The other nice feature my powder room boasts is a fan in the
ceiling, also a nice feature when entertaining during the winter
months. Enough of the pleasures of powder rooms. To make mine pop with pizazz,
I added some soft yellow paint. Very soft. Then added wains coating
painted white. But the crowning feature to me is my collection of
antique medicine
mirrors. I have picked them up over the years, removed the mirrors and
then stored for the perfect place. I hope you enjoy them as much as I .


PS The window is open, for now ti's spring. Do what you need.