Shop At Moxie

Vintage Christmas - My House - Part Two

As Promised here are a few more photos of our vintage holiday goodies.  We are all done decorating for the year....now if I can keep it all dust free until Christmas day when I host the family for dinner we'll be good to go!

 

 

 

 

 

So that's the highlights for 2009.  I am hoping that 2010 will bring me the opportunity to find a few more vintage Christmas finds to add to our collection.  And of course I will be sharing most of what I find with you thru the shops.  I can't keep it all!  For those of you who remember the post about me face planting on the sidewalk and breaking my elbow this summer....well the Santa painting in the white frame was found that same day by me after I hobbled into the sale totally in pain and not realizing I had broken something.  I was determined to keep shopping after I had driven for an hour to get to the sale.  I walked into the first room and there was the painting.  For a moment or two I forgot all about my pain and was completely happy.  That's what life as a vintage junkie is like.  Really.  
 
 
 
 
 

Decorating - My House - Part One

If you've followed this blog for any time at all, it's likely you've heard me talk about how much I adore vintage holiday decorations.....especially Christmas ones.  I've been slowly building up a collection of things I love for the last 19 years.  I sell more than I keep for sure, but I do add a couple of items to my own collection each year.

The favorite item I found and kept this year is a small painting of a church and winter scene done on wood.  It is so sweet and signed 1973 by a Mildred Swan.  I have no idea who Mildred Swan is, but I love having her folky little painting hanging on my wall.  

 

 

Here a group of vintage angels perch happily on a wall molding.

 

The wonderful painting that is the centerpiece of this setting was done by none other than our friend and wonderful co-worker Pat Kirk.  The ice-skating girl is called Mabel Snow and is based on a vintage illustration I found in one of my old magazines from the 1920's.

 

My decorating style is free form and I never really think it thru too much.  I love, love, love multi colored glass garland and this year some of it adorns an old column in our library.

Little houses, trees, baubles and more set upon a vintage oval mirror from the 20s that my husband always refers to as the "skating rink."  He becomes more quirky like me every day.  That's what happens after almost twenty years of marriage!

 

My collection of vintage paper mache and plaster nativity figures numbers in the hundreds.  It breaks my heart to see them bagged up and just sitting around at estate sales so if they are affordable I almost always take them home.  

Thanks for sharing a look at some of my vintage Holiday collections.  I'll post part two in the next day or so.  If there is anything special you do with your Holiday decorating please feel free to share it with me in the comments section!
 

 
 
 

Tall and Skinny Please

That was my directive to Bob as he went off to look for our Christmas tree this year.  I love a tall and skinny tree.  

Since I have worked in retail for the last 10 years, the tree buying and decorating has become Bob's job.  He does it well!  Every Thanksgiving weekend as I go off to work long "Black Friday" hours, he puts a lot of effort and energy into finding us the perfect tree.  After finding the perfect tree, he spends the day dressing it up for the holidays in it's vintage ornament frock.  15 years of collecting vintage ornaments of all types gives him plenty to work with.  Of course I have the perfect excuse to keep buying more because sadly several of them meet with an untimely demise each year.  Accidents happen.  Did I mention Bob puts all of the very fragile ornaments on the tree?  Oh I did.....then I probably should mention again that accidents happen.  That's ok Bob.  I love you no matter how many precious, one of a kind, I doubt I'll ever find that one again, ornaments you break.  Really.

So by the time I got home this past Sunday night, the sun had gone down and the tree was all lit up and waiting for me.

 

 

It's almost as pretty by daylight.

 

Thanks Bob.  I think you truly outdid yourself this year!

 

 
 

Come To Our Party and Bring Friends!!!

Don't miss our most popular event of the year.  This Friday December 4th, gather your favorite pals and come out for shopping, goodies and wine.  On that day, both MMHG and Moxie will close at 5pm and reopen from 6pm to 9pm.  The pesto, shrimp and chardonnay make this party too delicious to miss!!

While we always see lots of women at this event, over the years the amount of men visiting has really increased too!  As it turns out, men really love to enjoy appetizers, wine and shopping too.   We've spent the last week re-stocking after the Open House and the shops are ready for another event.  Sure hope you can make it!

P.S.  Vintage Santa letter alphabet just in at MMHG.

 

My stomach hurts. It hurts so good.

First off....Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I just got home from my sister Courtney's house and my stomach is full and happy. I am really grateful for sweat pants right now.   My mom and sister spent all day nurturing the 25 pound turkey for the family. My sister Lara spent hours making Ambassador pie and all I had to bring was the BLT dip, which by the way is a crowd pleaser and with only 4 ingredients....well even a child could make it.  Now I'm wondering if that is why it was assigned to me.......hmmmm.  The meal was delicious and lots of laughs were had during our time together.  I am so thankful for my family and friends.  I hope you all had a wonderful day as well!

And since  Bob is watching Angels and Demons in the other room (no interest here) I thought I'd sneak in a quick post about the super cute stockings we are bringing in tomorrow.  Now that the big open house weekend is over we have more room to bring in additional one of a kind and vintage Christmas items.  I plan on unpacking goodies throughout the weekend at MMHG.  

Check out these funky hand crocheted stockings.  I love the traditional with a twist color and pattern.  Right up my alley they are.  Alas, I must let them go to some other home because my Christmas decor is starting to need a storage room all it's own.  Some for me and some for you.  That's what I tell myself as I divvy up my Holiday finds.  Sharing is good for the soul.  I love it when you come into the store and get as excited by a vintage find as I did when I first found it.  Makes me happy.  

 

 

 

This great little pop open tissue tree with paper garland will also be awaiting a new owner.  

 
 
 

The Giving Tree For Safe Passage

Hello Friends.  Just wanted to let you know that this year we are hosting "Giving Trees" to benefit the women and children currently working with Safe Passage of DeKalb County.

At both Moxie and MMHG we have a little tree set up which is filled with the first names and ages of moms and their kids.  You simply pick a name or two off the tree and bring a present back for them to either store by December 15th unwrapped.  We pass them back along to Safe Passage.  

If you are unfamiliar with Safe Passage here is their mission statement as posted on their website.

Mission Statement:

It is the mission of Safe Passage to reduce or prevent domestic violence and sexual assault in DeKalb County. This will be accomplished in the following ways:

• providing immediate safety, supportive services and transitional assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault;
• providing responsible, appropriate, and effective services to perpetrators of violence;
• promoting community awareness of the causes and effects of domestic violence and sexual assault;
• effecting changes in the laws and practices that perpetuate domestic violence and sexual assault.

The Thankful Cookie

I'm not a thankful cookie.  Although once some guy on the street called me cracker.  I am however very very grateful that so many of you came to our Holiday Open House Yesterday.  We had a great time seeing you all and can't wait to do it all again today.  Stop in for cookies and cider or hot chocolate.  10 to 4 today!

Just a bit of what you'll see this weekend at our Holiday Open House

 

 

 

Yea!  It's our 10th Annual Holiday Open House this weekend.  Sat and Sun.  Cookies, music, happy faces, and lots of fun!  We sure do hope you can make it.  Don't forget that everything will be 10% off in both stores during the Open House.  Sweet.

Look What Bob Made For Me

My vintage shoe buying had spiraled out of control in recent months.  I think in the month of September alone I bought one hundred pairs of them.  So cute and so much fun.  How could I leave them behind.  Problem was....how to display so many at one time in a space efficient manor.  I took my problem to Bob and voila....this is what he made for me.  And believe it or not it was made in about an hour with parts he found in the back room.  He made me a shoe wall.  Now that's a gift that keeps on giving.  Thanks Bob!

Here's the Free Gift I Was Telling You About

A couple of days ago I mentioned that in honor of our 10 year anniversary at Megan Morrison Home and Garden we were going to be giving away a little festive something to the first 50 customers who spent 20 dollars or more at the Holiday Open House on Saturday.  

This is the little festive something.

 

A sparkly tree pin to wear or share.

We really hope you can make it to the party.  Bob's making his famous (in his mind everything he makes is famous) chocolate chip cookies.  I'm making my grandma mimi's Swedish Butterballs, Desa is making oodles of cookies and Courtney is making up a bunch of the Wind and Willow cheeseballs for your sampling pleasure.  How could you possibly resist!