Our favorite memorial day weekend hostess gifts...

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Favorite Memorial Day Hostess Gifts:

1. Two piece Melamine Whale Platter $48.00 

2. Brass Lobster cracker from Belgium $60.00 

3. Metal Mermaid Bottle Opener $12.00 

4. Set of 4 Melamine Anchor Coasters $22 (for the set!) 

5. Red Lobster  Bottle Opener $9.00 

6. Moby Dick Whale Melamine Oval Platter $32.00

Stop in & pick something up for the weekend, or give us a call and we can ship for you! 203 344 1707

Eddie Ross pop up Shop in Greenwich CT

I enjoyed a great event today in downtown 

Greenwich Hosted by Eddie Ross!

The event took place at a new coop space on the postroad, just above Greenwich Ave, and next to Patricia Gourlay (cant get much better!!)... it was a beautiful space and you can image with Eddie's talent how it looked once he got his hands on it!

As you can see, refreshments and food was just as beautiful as delicious! (Wouldnt you love a summer dress, or even a table cloth, in the color palette above!!) My Fav: Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes!! 

As expected, Eddie was a wonderful hand picked selection of vintage table top items, I especially loved all of the milk glass & the wonderful punch bowl collections he showed...

Thanks for inviting us Eddie, as always, it was great to see you 

& your wares!

DIY Goyard Stripe Clutch from American Apparel

While on agirlnamedbong this afternoon I came across this DIY project I have added to my list of have to do's asap!!

                      (American Apparel clutch DIY with Goyard Stripes image from gens favorite.)

Do it yourself steps shown below, from Just B.
What you will need:
A leather pouch...
(These are from American Apparel and they come in three sizes and all different colors... 
Small $48.00 Medium $60.00 Large $80.00)


Acrylic paint in white and the color bright color of your choice
Paint brush, Painters tape, Blow dryer & Acrylic coating spray (shown later) 

Step two: Mark off the area you want to paint with painters tape. If you are a real perfectionist you can measure it out to make sure it is even on both sides or trust your insticts and eye ball it like I did.

Step three: Mix white acrylic paint with a bit of water for first layer to help it adhere to the leather. Start brushing onto leather from tape down to avoid too much leakage under the tape. (As tedious as you can be I'm sorry to say this still happens.)

Step four: After the white dries, bring out the neon guns and do the same without water added. The white acts as a primer so that your color will pop bright against the muted leather. I used a blow dryer during this process because I couldn't take the waiting in between layers to paint. Works miraculously to get an even coat.

Step five: When you're finally satisfied with the painted color cover the non painted leather with paper or cover with a magazine of some sort. Last minute I didn't like the feeling of the rough paint so ran to the craft store for glossy acrylic spray coat. This helps protect the paint from water and wear while also giving it a soft smooth finish like the leather!

Let dry for 2 hours untouched and you're done!

Geometric console, perfect for a beach cottage!

Recently I helped a client who was looking for a half round or oval console for a small hallway in their house. There are all types of styles out there (as shown below), and they were not sure the direction they wanted to go in. They decided on a "coastal" theme, and we picked this geometric console in a vintage grey finish. It is made from reclaimed wood which made us think of drift wood, perfect for their beach cottage on the water!

Needlepoint Belt Sale... Plan ahead for Fathers day!

We are having a sale on all IN STOCK needlepoint Belts! 

We are offering 20% off 

(Which we have never done before!!!) 

The following is a list of the belts that are on sale, 

& the size that is available.

Our sale is ONLY for the Belts and Sizes below...

Retail Price: $165.00 

Sale Price: $132.00

The traditional belt is 1.25” in width, and is finished with full grain, chestnut colored leather.   Each belt is elegantly packaged in a handmade wooden gift box.

We have found that these belts run small, and we recommend going one size up from your normal size.

1. Whales Size 38 2. Turtle  Size 40 3. Duck Duck Goose  Size 42 

4. Bill Fish  Size 40 5. Red Fish Size 40 6. Rod and Gun  Size 44

7. Gun dog and birds  Size 36    8. Anchors  Size 40

9. Sailing Scene Size 38  10. Signal Flags (Dark and Stormy) Size 46 11. Golf Scene Size 40
12. Labs Size 40 13. Chair Lifts Size 40 14. Elephant Martini Size 38 15. Tennis Size 38
16. Jimmy Buffet Size Size 40

17. Waving Palm Trees Size 38 18. Birdie, Eagle golf Size 38 19. Lacrosse Size 38 20. Flamingo Size 38 21. Herringbone Size 38 22. Rainbow Fleet Size 40 23. Flying Pigs Size 38 24. Card Shark Size 40

Our needlepoint belts are made by Smathers & Branson. 

Take a second to read their description of the product below...

"Each one of our needlepoint products is entirely hand stitched & therefore each one is unique. We use only the best materials from around the world and thoroughly check each belt to ensure that it is not only beautiful, but also durable enough to survive the test of time. Our needlepoint belts add unique character to your pants, shorts or skirt. Once you wear one you’ll realize that, "anything else is just a waist!"  Please call or email us to place an order.  203 344 1707 abigailfoxdesigns@gmail.com Please note: SALE items are NOT returnable or Exchangeable.  All sales are final.  Shipping for one Belt in a box is approx. $8.00

Friday May 13th 2011 #Brimfield treasures and new Friends...

Friday May 13th was my last day of Brimfield. 

As mentioned above, the morning started off meeting a great group a men at breakfast who entertained me with trade stories, advice and a few secrets from their 30+ years in the industry. Making these random connections is one of my favorite things about Brimfield, and makes it worth it for me to get there at day break! 

This particular morning I learned which dealers to stay away from (one because he doesn't bathe and one because he's a "crook"), the best place to "pick" if I am ever in Ohio, and a source for a certain mid century treasure I have been looking for and what to offer for it in order to go home with it. Someone from the group pointed a man out in the line for coffee who was a picker from a well know Auction House on the east coast. Lucky for me he joined our table, introduced himself and shared his stories and finds from the week. He had found a Mody Dick bank (I had seen a few fakes throughout the week) but he found a real one and made an offer of around $9,000. The dealer wanted $14,000... He was headed back to pick it up for $11,000 and is expecting it to go for $24,000+ at the next auction. My new auctioneer friend gave me his card and told me to send him a picture if I ever had any questions of what something was worth, and of course if I wanted to sell it, or if I ever had any questions. 

We headed over to J&J and everyone split with their eyes on something different.  As expected, I had some great finds at J&J. Throughout the day I ran into a few of these new acquaintances in the crowd, and was greated as an old friend... which comes in very handy when you need help packing heavy items into your car!!   

From J & J's I headed to May's Antique Market which was just okay. Next time I think its best to wait until Friday afternoon as it does not fill up with dealers early like the other fields. I did manage to leave with a wonderful vintage brass bar cart though. 

Friday was also a chance to meet many new friends from the "social media" world I know very little about (but am slowly learning). About a month ago through Twitter and blogging, I was invited to a two day "Tweetup" event. The event involved furniture & paint demonstrations, lectures, food & wine, a place to relax in the shade, a wonderful dinner hosted by Benjamin Moore and a chance to meet a great group of men and women all with similar interests and unique talents. The event was organized by Gretchen Aubuchon of Aubuchon Design (@gaubuchondesign) together with @WykehamGirl, Cynthia Bogart @thedailybasics and  Kelly Ryan Kergans @dhatfield of Better Homes and Gardens. Sponsored by Aubuchon Hardware and Benjamin Moore the "tweet up" had its very own tent to relax and meet in, and it also included amazing gift bags filled with goodies that came in very handy while shopping! (thank you thank you!!)

I did not know what to expect and basically went in to the event blind. It was a great experience. I loved meeting everyone and learned a great deal in the process. I was only able to attend the Friday events, which included a wonderful dinner, and was very sorry to miss the Saturday lineup... which leaves me looking forward to next years event even more. xoxo to all my new friends!


As for the first three days my 6+ posts of pictures pretty much tells the stories of what I saw, bought, liked and questioned. This season my favorites were the Meadows, Quacker Acres, J&J and Heart of the Mart... but its hard to say as I felt like I saw great stuff in all the fields! Happy shopping everyone! Stop in the store if you are in the area and take a look at our new items. And as always, I would love to see pictures and hear about your experience and finds from Brimfield!! xoxo

brimfield may 2011: trends, observations & ... part Six, Garden Statuary

I love all types of garden statuary and relics... there are loads of beautiful antique urns and whatnot at Brimfield, but there are also some great new pieces as well... like these.

brimfield may 2011: trends, observations & ... part Five

More "Vintage Industrial" Displays... Saw lots of fans, globes, leather trunks... I loved the Wheel sculpture above and can imagine it filling a wall.

I'm always a sucker for a huge Birdcage...

And anything and everything turquoise...

brimfield may 2011: trends, observations & ... part four

 More inspirational "Vintage Industrial" displays and goods I loved.

 Did you notice the patch work tin floors above? 

brimfield may 2011: trends, observations & ... part three

As usual lots of vintage and antique dressers and furniture. I should have known better but am still kicking myself for "losing" the blue dresser above. You cant "think about it" at Brimfield, you just have to pull the trigger!! I am a sucker for everything orange and loved the Tray table above. I saw loads of vintage flash cards this trip and liked how these were made into greeting cards and hang tags. 

Signage of all shapes and sizes was out, I particularly liked this old screen door with the Bond Bread logo on it. Can you guess what the box with the mannequin head is? Its a peep show box, a penny a "peep".  Lots of animal heads...

This season I saw a lot of vintage circus themed items. I loved the iron tables above, they are made from vintage circus stakes (the white legs) and I loved the round iron detail in the middle that had a flower inside. These will be amazing with either a glass or mirror top made for them. Lots of Sterling and plated silver around. I love this antique Sterling Army/Navy trophy... I also loved it a month ago when I saw it sell at an auction... I am friends with the dealer who "won" it and it was a treat running into him at Brimfield!

Industrial displays were great and are always very inspirational for me. I loved all the old ribbon spools, and really loved the thread case with all the colors inside. I hope Sheriff T.W. (dodge) Ferguson isnt looking for his cards...


Stay tuned for our next bunch of photos from Brimfield and please share your thoughts and finds with us! 

brimfield may 2011: trends, observations & ... part three

As usual lots of vintage and antique dressers and furniture. I should have known better but am still kicking myself for "losing" the blue dresser above. You cant "think about it" at Brimfield, you just have to pull the trigger!! I am a sucker for everything orange and loved the Tray table above. I saw loads of vintage flash cards this trip and liked how these were made into greeting cards and hang tags. 

Signage of all shapes and sizes was out, I particularly liked this old screen door with the Bond Bread logo on it. Can you guess what the box with the mannequin head is? Its a peep show box, a penny a "peep".  Lots of animal heads...

This season I saw a lot of vintage circus themed items. I loved the iron tables above, they are made from vintage circus stakes (the white legs) and I loved the round iron detail in the middle that had a flower inside. These will be amazing with either a glass or mirror top made for them. Lots of Sterling and plated silver around. I love this antique Sterling Army/Navy trophy... I also loved it a month ago when I saw it sell at an auction... I am friends with the dealer who "won" it and it was a treat running into him at Brimfield!

Industrial displays were great and are always very inspirational for me. I loved all the old ribbon spools, and really loved the thread case with all the colors inside. I hope Sheriff T.W. (dodge) Ferguson isnt looking for his cards...


Stay tuned for our next bunch of photos from Brimfield and please share your thoughts and finds with us! 

Brimfield May 2011: Trends, Observations & ... Part Two

 This season I noticed loads of vintage printing press blocks. I loved how one dealer arranged all the same blocks together in all different sizes. Lots of clock faces and gears, vintage keys of all sizes, saw all different size shoe molds, and loads of vintage dice.  I recently "won" a huge lot of vintage printing press blocks and am feeling very inspired after Brimfield to do something with them. 

 Lots of vintage tin chocolate molds, not necessarily a new trend, but it is a collection I have not noticed before and loved looking through. I really liked these baguette boards, they were reproductions but still very nice and usable. I loved this little bistro table and two chairs, The old paint was a pretty turq blue and it had pretty metal flower details in the base of the table.

Carousel animals are always out and about at Brimfield, but I had never seen an ape carousel animal before. I thought this guy was very unique, and according to the price tag it was.
Who doesnt love a brass bar cart? And... you can image how excited I was when I finally came across this beauty. I have had a 12 foot tall "bird" wearing knee socks & pink converse on my wish list for as long as I can remember. Which leads me to this wonderful vintage monkey... 

(Published in The New Yorker 4/11/2011 by Bob Eckstein. Image Via Cartoonbank)

Brimfield May 2011: Trends, Observations & ...Part One

I saw loads of really cool Vintage pieces that looked like they came straight out of a science professors office. Big comfortable leather chairs & sofas, test tubes in all shapes and sizes & re finished industrial chairs (Ranging from $25 to $1400). The strangest of all, seen in "Heart of the Mart" on opening day, Monkey Brain Slides. 

 I saw lots of great lighting. From candle votive holders, mid century orb chandeliers, to iron/industrial lighting, and my favorite, an ET Lamp. I picked up a brass standing lamp I am so excited about and will be dropping off for some repairs Monday morning. Stay tuned for the big reveal!

One thing I did notice this year, was loads of bicycles built for two.

Maybe its a hint?!?!

Part two coming soon... Please share your thoughts and let me know what you like... or what you found at Brimfield or wherever you like to shop!