Favorites of the Week(FOTW): Each Monday I feature a number of items on my FOTW page. I might choose 8 favorites or it could be 28. A portion of those items will be featured on the Home page on Mondays. The favorites for each week will remain on my FOTW page until the following Monday. Hope you enjoy. I’m sure these shopkeepers would love for you to visit their stores and see their other great items! ♥
Fall is finally in the air here in NW Georgia…at least from sunset to sunrise, then it shoots up into the 90’s! But we’ve learned to take what we can get! Anyway, the cool evenings and mornings are enough to put me in the mood for all the wonderful things that are Autumn:
County fairs…with livestock blue ribbons, farm fresh yummies, rides and cotton candy;
Arts and crafts festivals ….went to my first of the season yesterday and will tell you all about it tomorrow;
All things apple…harvests, cider, pies, candles, jelly and don’t forget candied;
Pumpkins…pie, visits to the pumpkin patch, picking just the right one for the jack-o-lantern;
Hayrides and campfires and toasted marshmallows;
Photographing fallen leaves and watching kids play in the piles that someone else raked…(okay, that’s much better;)
And for me there is always a bit of nostalgia and a slight aching for loved ones gone, friends unseen but not forgotten, youthful carefree days, all of which lead me right to some of my favorite autumn things– primitive and folk art lovelies that speak of yesteryear and simpler times, when people seemed to realize there was something greater than themselves and that a thing of value was worth the effort it took to make it well, and that freedom isn’t free and all those other things that seem to be disappearing before our very eyes…okay ignore all that…this isn’t that kind of post…
So here are my somewhat nostalgic favorites of the week. I hope you will take a moment to visit the shops represented and if you should happen to buy something that you first saw here or in a shop that you first discovered here, please, please let the seller know that you saw it here on my F.O.T.W. page! Thanks!
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| Meet Oscar…I love him…he definitely earned that 1st Place Ribbon! How do these artists come up with these wonderful ideas for these delightful characters? Wish I knew! Oscar the County Fair Pig $21.95 Wandering Whimsies |
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| A beautiful reminder to count our blessings. Perfectly simple, perfectly beautiful! And yes, the lovely, rustic frame is included with this one! Always be Thankful $14.95 Wood Stitches by Jodie Leavitt |
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| This lovely bag looks just the right size to fill with all those goodies from the county fair or the trip to the apple orchard! Oh, you know you’ll get carried away, don’ you?…So at this price, you should buy two! Country Toile Reusable Shopping Bag $11.75 Prairie Wind Designs |
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| The photographer’s desire was to evoke memories of county fairs in this fine art photograph and I would say she nailed it, wouldn’t you? Be sure to click on the photo to see the detail in the larger version. Stacy has many beautiful photographs in her shop . Some are printed on metallic paper. This fairly new choice for photographic prints produces incredibly beautiful results for the right photographs. I recently experimented with some of my own photographs and love the results so far. If you visit Stacy’s shop be sure to check out her profile page to find out more about this talented photographer and the quality of her work. County Fair Midway $20.00 Stacy M. Smith Fine Art Photographs |
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| I love the simplicity of this lovely print, compliments of the leaf itself! That’s right! Robert Fagg takes the things of nature and lets them speak for themselves…he orchestrates the whole process by applying ink in all the right places and knows exactly how to get that beautiful impression for you to enjoy in your home! He also does paintings and lino cut prints … don’t be lazy…go see for yourself…they’re great! Little Red Oak Leaf $9.00 Reddog Roads Art |
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| Robert Frost, one of my favorite poets! I believe he would agree that this photograph is appropriately titled! Wouldn’t you like to take a walk over that hill to see what’s waiting there? Of course, you would! Many of Bee’s photographs have this same romantic feel…so, if you like this one, you MUST visit her shop. You will not be sorry. I promise! The Road Less Traveled $20.00 PhotograBee |
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| Okay, at first, I too thought this was some delectable thing to spread on my pancakes. No, it’s not but I bet it will make you wish you had some! Maple Syrup scented candle…how yummy is that? Flap Jacks Maple Syrup Cowboy Candle $7.25 True Texas Scents Candles |
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| You didn’t think I would leave real vintage out of this nostalgic collection, did you? Of course not! You know me better than that. I love this little coal pot and I really hate to even show it to you because I know someone is going to snatch this beauty right up and give it a place of honor in an autumn vignette. I would do it, but DH and I agreed, no more, no more…we have enough. NOT! But to keep the peace, I’ve decided to share this lovely pot with my graceful readers instead of being sneaky and keeping it all to myself. You deserve it…really, you do. Oh, and don’t let the name of the shop fool you… there’s much, much more there, than fibers and photos…you need to go there to see for yourself. Vintage Coal Pot $15.00 Foot Hill Fibers N Photos |
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| I love blocks. I have since I was a child. Of course, now I prefer the grown-up blocks, like these beauties. Perfectly lovely wooden blocks with vinyl letters that can be used inside or out! I have the perfect little shelf for these…oh well, you probably do too…that’s why I included them! Autumn/Fall Wooden Blocks $29.95 Little Block Barn |
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| Now who in the world would think to take a photograph of fair ribbons? Mary Vican, that’s who, and isn’t she the creative one? I love the colors…some faded…some still bright…it is even better framed…go see this item in her shop and check out the last photograph…you will see what I mean! Fabulous! You know this would be perfect right over that chair…yes, that one! Too large, you say? Well, duh, you can get a smaller size! Yes, I know you can, cause Mary said so! Vintage Fair Ribbons 8×10 Photograph $15.00 Mary Vican Fine Art Photography and Photo Jewelry |
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| Okay, here we go…a folk art print…well, you knew there would be at least one, now didn’t you? Of course, you did! Isn’t this gorgeous? It reminds me of childhood trips to the Blue Ridge Mountains (part of the Appalachians) with my parents. We went each year to pick out pumpkins, buy some special jams and jellies, a jar of chow chow or two (it’s a type of relish we love in the South) …such precious memories! This beautiful painting brought them flooding back. Walt Curlee paints folk art scenes and Americana farm landscapes but he’s really, a fine art, artist. I won’t hold it against him and I know you won’t either! Appalacian Mountain Farm $23.00 Walt Curlee |
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| This photograph reminds me of every county fair, every carnival, every fun park I’ve ever been too! Yes, the roller coaster is great, but give me the ferris wheel. Up, up, up and you can see for miles…the harvested fields, the sunlight on the tin roofs…I love it! Carl Christensen is another one of those photographers that knows how to take you back in time and make you love every minute of it.A simple dandelion becomes a precious childhood memory when his eye meets the viewfinder and his artistic talent meets paper. His photographs are a delight for the eyes. And if that’s not enough, he makes frames too! Yep, that’s right and they are beautiful too! Think I’m exaggerating? Fine. Go see for yourself. Ha! I told you so! Grand Wheel Photograph $30.00 Integrity Studio aka Buck County Frames |
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| You just never know how you are going to discover a favorite on Etsy. I rarely go to the Forum on Etsy…it can get a bit weird there sometimes. But I did this morning and I met this talented Texas mom on the forum today…well, it was really later, when she used some of my artwork in a treasury and then told me how my work inspired it and complimented me for what I said in the thread. I though that was a really sweet thing for her to do. It made my morning! I had actually already checked out her shop along with a couple of others who were in that thread and had picked out these beauties for my FOTWs. So, I told her I had picked her earrings for a favorite in my FOTWs and we had a a mutual admiration thing going on for a while. Hey, I’m from the South, she’s from Texas, we have to love each other…it’s a big hair and cowboy boots thing, okay? Anyway, the funny thing is, I had already picked these as a favorite before she picked my artwork…but I didn’t want to be rude and correct her…she thought I did it in return for her kindness …but I’m really not that nice (I want to be…but I’m just not. ) I have to really love something to put it on here. That’s just the way it is with me. I cannot be bribed (but you can try if you want…jk) Anyway, I think these are beautiful earrings and I love the color and the oxidized silver and I think they look like pumpkins instead of melons and those are the real reasons that I picked them. Truthfully…I mean that…all of it! Frosted Apricot Glass Melon and Sterling Earrings $22.00 Glitz Glitter |
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| Okay, this will be quick. The reason I picked this bowl is because my grandmother, Effie Ellington Lee, had a set of Jewel Tea, Autumn Leaves and whenever I see a piece, it reminds me of her. I loved her and I like to be reminded of her, so it stands to reason I would love this. I have a few pieces and think this is a great price. If I weren’t on this blasted budget, I would buy it but since I am, I’m telling you about it instead. See, I am nice. Of course, if you were to buy something from me, then I could maybe sneak this into the miscellaneous category of the budget… Okay, okay just kidding…I know this is not about me…but it is my blog, so it could be…just sayin‘! Jewel Tea Autumn Leaves Small Round Mixing Bowl $30.00 Calico Cat 34 |
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| Yes, more folk art…primitives…I think these girls are grand! If you want to read a great story read the profile of this shop and if you like what you read, be sure to visit the website. There is so much more in this painting than first meets the eye…click it to enlarge it and enjoy the county fair! County Fair Girls Print $35.00 Pinky and Lilly |
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| Each season is a good reason for me to visit Catherine’s Etsy shop. I love to daydream about her paintings and all the delightful imaginary folk who live and work and play in her paintings…and don’t get me started on the cupcakes from the bakery…they are so very yummy! Autumn is my favorite time of the year in the world that is Catherine Holman’s.The first time I wrote about her beautiful art was in the autumn. She has become a part of the fall season for me. She can stir the nostalgia like no other artist I know. If you want to escape for a half-hour or two or three, just browse through her shop and read about the lives of these wonderful folk who live behind the walls of her paintings. Want to see what Catherine is up to lately? Visit her beautiful blog and find out! Copper Hills Folk Art Print $14.95 Catherine Holman Well, that’s all I have today. You can see them for the whole week on my Favorites page. Tell your friends to do a little shopping on Etsy and tell them to start right here. Sorry, didn’t mean to sound bossy…but do it anyway…pretty please with sugar on top?
Hope you will stop by tomorrow to hear about my visit to the Pine Log Arts and Crafts Fair…met a beautiful lady from Etsy…lots of photos! ‘K. Bye.
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VElish Art Studio 
What wonderful fall picks! I'm honored to be among them! Thank you.
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What an outstanding collection you have put together for Autumn! It's definitely tough to even begin to choose a favorite and I'm honored that you included Oscar! Thank you!
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What an amazing collection you've put together here. And I am so glad we found each other, even if you found me first, lol. You made my day today, Vicki 😀
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This is a great set of favorites and I'm honored to have my vintage coal pot in it. Beautiful colors, great work!
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thank you soooo much!
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