Antique Road Trip

O'Neil's Antiques

I know when I set out to write this blog I wanted to focus on crafts, family, and life in NYC. Well I can't help it is my love of crafts and family are also tied into my love of travel. This Thursday (yes during the blizzard) my family and I started out on a road trip from New York to North Carolina to visit some family. Since the weather was bad we decided to drive about half way and spend the night near some of our favorite antique stores around the Delaware/Maryland border on Rt. 13. If you haven't figured it out already I am infinitely interested in tradition. I am a firm believer in understanding your roots before you can grow and spread your branches. So I guess it is no surprise that antique store amuse me. Walking through an antique store is like walking through a mini time capsule.

Loving all the books I found

One of our family's favorite antique stops is O'Neil's which is a few miles before you hit Maryand.  We have been coming here for years and absolutely love the big collections of estate jewelry, antique furniture, and treasures spanning a few centuries worth of nostalgia.  We were saddened to see that within the next few weeks the store will be closing.  The lovely couple who owns O'Neil's have decided after over 25 years they will be retiring.  On the bright side appointments can still be made to view their jewelry at their home.  Since everything was pretty much on clearance I went to work digging through each section looking for treasures. (Yes that is me sitting on the floor exploring craft books... the owners did say to make myself at home :)

Maybe I'm addicted, but at least its a healthy addiction

While there are so many beautiful things I would love to buy I decided I would focus this expedition on finding craft books, patterns, tools, and supplies.  I love looking through books to get ideas.  Many of the crafts I grew up with in my family seem to have faded as video games and computers have become the way to entertain so its pretty difficult sometimes to find resources.  Antique stores are a great place though to find these lost treasures.  Usually I feel lucky if I find a book or two but this trip I guess I was rewarded for braving the winter weather.  I  found so many craft resources that I actually had a hard time picking which books to buy and which I had to leave behind. With just two antique store stops I had literally piles of new craft goodies.  If you are looking for a cost effective place to load up on supplies antique stores, thrift shops, and yard sales are a good place to start.

Holding some of the new craft stash!

As for our followers, you can look forward to many new items in our Etsy Shop within the next few months.  The hardest part is going to be deciding where to start!  There are so many good ideas that inspire new items for my personal collection as well as the shop.  I even found some patterns I remember my Nannie working on when I was a little girl.  I love when we find little trinkets that remind us of our past.  Nannie was such an important part of why I am the crafter I am today so those things that remind me of her are extra special.  Antiquing turned out to be a successful part of the trip but we still had a few hours drive until we could begin our weekend getaway with some of our Southern relatives so we once again hit the road.  While flying is definitely a faster way to travel I wouldn't give up our road adventures for the world.  There is nothing like meeting new people, discovering hidden sight seeing gems, and spending time with your family.

We continued driving down south and decided to take a route that would bring us over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  For those of you who have never traveled this strip it is a combination of tunnels and bridges with a beautiful view of the water.  We were lucky enough to hit it just as the sun was setting.  The view was so colorful that we decided we couldn't just quickly pass it by.  Instead we stopped at their rest area.  There is a restaurant there with water views as well as a gift shop and convenience area. It is also a great place to stop and take a few family photos or just enjoy the spectacular view.

After all the snow we have had in New York this year it was incredibly refreshing to stand by the ocean on a warm day, listen to the seagulls and the churning of the water, and watch the sunset.  On that note, I will update our readers next post on the rest of the trip!

A sunset so perfect it almost doesn't seem real

For Part II of our road trip adventures click here!

 

Creative Christmas

This time of year a lot of people reflect on what they are thankful for.  While there is a very long list of things for which I am grateful, among the things at the very top of the list is my family.  For more reasons than I can count my family has allowed me to grow into the woman I am today, they have supported me in my goals, and have shown me unconditional love.  They have also taught me that imagination is not just for kids, dreams can become a reality, and I can create anything I put my mind too.  It is because of this that I have been able to see my hopes for Handcrafted Holidays come together with each piece I create.










My mom is one of the most talented and creative people I know.  She used nothing more than her imagination, a pair of scissors and  floral wire to build Window Designs by RoseAnn (windowdesignsbyroseann@msn.com).  While she exercises her talents year round, Christmas is where she truly shines.  Each tree she decorates is a work of art that captures the fun and magic of the holiday season. Recently, she was asked to do a live TV segment for Arise 360 Entertainment to share some decorating tips and tricks.  Take a look at the Christmas Decorating Segment.

Valentine's Day 2013

Happy Valentine's Day to all our readers.  Maybe I get a little too excited for today but life gets pretty hectic and having a day that reminds us to stop and think about the ones we love is important.  So I hope everyone has a love filled day.  I emphasize love, not just romance, because it seems like so many people are depressed today since they don't have a significant other.  To me Valentine's Day is taking the time to appreciate those you love; that includes friends and family.  Besides why limit yourself to one Valentine when you can have a whole bunch? :)
I am lucky enough to have a great man to share dinner with tonight, but I have a few other Valentines as well. My siblings are now and forever will be my special little loves (yes I know they are growing up but they will always be my baby sisters and brother).  My mom was my first Valentine and therefore holds the title for life.  I know I can count on her being the first person to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day every year. And last but not least my Aunt Maria is my special Valentine.  After a very tough past few years I think she, more than anyone deserves a day to remind her of all the love and support that surrounds her.  So to my Valentine's (and my other family and friends) I love you with all my heart not just today but everyday.

What will you be doing to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Mother's Day Celebration Part II

I had every intent of making it online yesterday to post, but I didn't, so I want to start by wishing all the moms reading a Happy Belated Mother's Day.  The unconditional love and support you provide truly makes the world a better place.

Mommy, Me and Stephanie

In keeping with the Mother's Day theme, I finally got the pictures from my sister so I can share Part II of our early Mother's Day celebration.  In Girls Day in the Garment District you got to read about the earlier part of the day.  After exploring some of our favorite shops we stopped for lunch and then began our walk over to one of ABC's studios (of course stopping in a few more stores along the way).  My mother is a fan of the show The Revolution so when the chance to see a taping came up, I jumped at it. 

A friend from High School was able to get us VIP tickets which added to the excitement.  It was the first time my sister or I had been to a TV show tapping and being "VIP" made it extra cool.  Once we were let inside we were met by an incredible staff.  We took an old fashioned freight elevator up to the studio floor and were lead to our front row seats.  When you watch a show on TV it is easy to forget all that goes into making each segment.  Aside from the massive amount of planning, writing etc, the actual tapping requires an amazing level of coordination and skill.  For those of you who have never seen a tapping, if you get the chance you should go.  It will give you a new appreciation for your favorite show.

The Revolution Set

We were able to be a part of the tapping of two different episode segments.  They have not aired yet, but keep your eyes open for my mom, sister and I on May 24th and June 12th.  I would have to say my favorite part of the day was seeing the hosts in person.  Not so much because I was star struck but because it reminds you they are regular people just like us... regular people who were able to see their dream come true.  All of the hosts made it a point to say hello to the audience and make us feel like we really were an important part of the show.

Tim Gunn

Since the episodes have not aired yet, I cant share details of the segments but I can tell you that we did receive a copy of a new book.  I have added it on to my "To-Read" List and I will post a review once I'm done.  And for those of you who treasure fashion design as your craft, here is a picture of Tim Gunn right after the tapping.  While I haven't ventured into fashion deign (beyond accessories) I do love to watch Project Runway.

Anyway, our Pre-Mother's Day celebration ended in true New York style, with a trip to Penn Station.  Since it was rush hour and we didn't want to have to squeeze into a packed subway car we decided instead to have a family dinner in Penn.  Over all we had a great day, especially my Mom, and that was the most important part.

   

Girls Day in the Garment District

Yesterday my sister and I planned a day in the city with my Mom as an early Mother's Day gift.  A high school friend was amazing enough to get us afternoon tickets for a tapping of the ABC show The Revolution.  Since we didn't have to be there until the afternoon we thought a morning in one of our favorite Manhattan neighborhoods would be a great start to our girls day.  

As I explained in my post Picking Up the Pieces my Nannie was seamstress.  It is only natural that the Garment District feels like home for my family.  While we have made many trips just for the fun of creating new projects, we had a mission (or two) yesterday that made our morning in the Garment District even more fun.  Two of my family members have there prom within the next few weeks and there is nothing we love more than unique accessories (Nannie spoiled us).  We arrived in the city early and began our plan of attack to accomplish our mission.  We needed to find trim materials to make a custom headband as well as trim for a custom shawl/pocketbook.   

It just occurred to me that some of you may not know about the Garment District (it is a must for crafters and fashionistas alike).  The Garment District, which is sometimes referred to as the Fashion District, is a concentration of material and trim stores paired with fashion show rooms.  Located between 5th and 9th Avenue from 34th to 42nd Street, this is the place to go to find the tools to create anything fashion related.  For generations this little slice of Manhattan has been a fashion epi-center.  I love walking into these stores and finding myself shopping along side of big time designers.  If you have never been, it is a must see on your next trip to New York City.  Visit the NYC website for some more information by clicking here. 

  

We focused our attention on trim shops and began the search for the perfect finishing touches. There are so many shops, each with their own specialties. Two of my favorites that never let me down are Hai's Trimming Inc. (website offers limited selection of items for those of you too far away to visit) and B & Q Trimming. These shops seems to have the largest selection for the most reasonable price when it comes to trims and appliques.

After a little bit of searching we found the perfect pieces to create the custom hair piece, as well as a beautiful trim for the shawl and pocketbook... Mission accomplished!!! I don't want to ruin either of the girl's big Prom night reveal so you will have to wait until after their special days to see the finished products.  

Happy with our Prom accent finds (as well as a few items here and there for our own personal craft fun) we continued our Pre-Mother's Day Girls Day.  I have to run but keep an eye out for a post about the rest of our fun day in the city (The Revolution tapping etc), as well as pictures of the outcomes from our Garment District excursion.

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