It has been awhile since I did a “Fresh Finds” update. So, this seemed like a great opportunity to give you a sneak peek of some recent finds.  This summer has kept me busy with other projects, like working on a Victorian Vanity and an Antique Sideboard, so I did not have as much time to get out and find inventory. 

Summers are always like this – trying to fit 10 pounds of sand into a 5 pound sack.  There is so much to do but simply not enough time to do it all.  This is particularly true in the northeast where you have a few glorious months of nice weather where you can be outside. 

This past weekend, Mr. SLH and I did find some time to visit the Madison Bouckeville Antique show.  It’s about a 2 hour drive west of where we live.  As an added bonus – we get to drive through the most beautiful farm country to get to the show. 

This year, due to COVID and the Delta Variant outbreak, there weren’t as many vendors.  Also, this event had been going on since the previous Monday so it’s possible that by the time Saturday rolled around, some vendors packed up a bit early to head home.  

There was plenty of rain during the week which made for muddy fields and roads.  It’s always a good idea to wear boots to this show regardless of the outside weather and temperature.  On Saturday it was in the mid eighties and it was humid.  We stayed for about 3 hours and then we had to head back home –  we drove back with the air conditioning in the car on full blast.  At the end of the day, we both had sunburns on the backs of our necks.

For the most part, I was thinking “autumn” when I was shopping but there were a few things that really spoke to me that clearly weren’t in the autumn theme. First, I found this wooden tool carrier.  It even has wooden compartments on this inside that act like pockets. It’s a very generous size and I thought it would make a great center piece filled with fall florals. 

It can also be used to store art supplies – perfect if you have creative kids.  I knew someone in Maine who used one of these to hold her mail that she collected from the mail box.  She had orderly stacks of mail put into different sections. 

Then I found more of these white ironstone butter pats.  I love when these little dishes have a back stamp on them!   The dealer said she thought these were made in 1910.  Most of them are back stamped “Johnson Bros” – although I have three that are back stamped “Alfred Meakin”.  Each little pat was so carefully wrapped in its own protective layer of bubble wrap.  It’s so obvious that many dealers love the stuff they sell because they take such care of their inventory.

I also recently acquired this large ironstone bowl. It’s in perfect condition and I love the steep sides.  To the right of the butter pats are two early bottles that I also acquired.

There were also some other small items I found that were reminiscent of fall.  

Stoneware crocks are always fun to fill with mums and pumpkins.   The one on the left is the oldest of the three crocks. The Indian clubs have such a great wood tone for the coming season. 

Of course I had to buy this basket with the carved handle.  It’s in perfect condition – no broken corners.  You can see that I also couldn’t pass up a few more small vintage flags.   Antler sheds are always popular in the fall and are so easy to incorporate into your household decorations. 

Finally, one of my most exciting finds is this brown transferware platter with a pattern known as Furnivals Quail.  The image is so charming.  

Even the backstamp is cute!  It has a tiny little quail on the interior of the stamp.  After doing some research, the registration mark indicates that the platter was made in England in 1921. So, it is exactly 100 years old!  Think of all the meals this platter has seen. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!  These items should be in the shop by September 25th. I can’t believe fall is just around the corner.