It’s been a great year for us, filled with wonderful adventures: two really great Roses and Rust Flea Markets and some really fun shopping in Europe and South Africa. Here are some of the highlights; Roses and Rust had a happy change this year, we found that we needed more room, so we expanded our […]
Can you believe how time is flying by… it’s only ten days until Christmas! The shop is decked in colorful holiday decor, and spice scented candles make the store smell so warm and cozy. This is one of my favorite times of year. People seem friendlier and more pleasant during the holidays, all smiles and good […]
We all love getting and giving gifts, specially this time of year. There’s the hunt for that perfect gift, the pleasant task (for the most part) of wrapping and adorning the gift packages, and the pleasure of watching our gifts being opened and enjoyed. The tradition of giving gifts to each other at Christmas […]
Lace, the word is derived from Old French “las” in turn from Latin “lacere.” Its origins are wrapped in mystery, for nearly every European country claims to be the first to develop the craft. There are many kinds of lace, and just as many kinds of thread, linen, silk, cotton, synthetic, even spun silver and […]
Clocks, the face of time: past, present, future. There is nothing more grand and majestic than an old clock, the older, the more majestic, right? Well, on a scale from “nice” or “pretty” to “stunning;” our most recent find is off the scale or any chart! We fell in love, instantly, when we saw this […]
There’s something about those special bits and pieces of old furniture or architectural salvage from buildings no longer in use that simply begs to be reborn, to live again to add beauty and interest to our surroundings. It’s the recapturing of art and style (perhaps nearly lost in this modern era) that beckons when we […]
These intricate gorgeous clocks, known as Comtoise, Morbier or Morez clocks, are a style of longcase clock made in the Jura region, mountains on the French–Swiss border. Production of these clocks began in 1680 and continued for a period of about 230 years. During the peak production years (1850–1890) over 60,000 clocks were made each year. […]
The “fleur-de-lis” (flower of the lily) is a stylized lily or lotus flower. Traditionally representing French royalty, this association arose from a legend that an angel gave Clovis, king of the Franks, a golden lily upon his conversion to Catholicism. In the twelfth century, one of the French monarchs began using the fleur-de-lis on his […]
Perhaps to honor French military hero Marshal Turenne this distinctive dish came into use in the seventeenth century in France. Most of the silver tureens of that era were melted down to finance King Louis’ wars and survived only in paintings. 500 years ago, most common meals in Europe we’re stews, chowders, broths or soups…and […]
As is today, early bird cages were built to house, display, keep birds safe from predators and prevent their escape. They were were simple handmade enclosures of wood, rope, woven reeds or bamboo. In northern Chihuahua, Mexico, Paquime Indians bred scarlet Macaws and housed them in elaborate adobe aviaries. Once upon a time tiny cages […]