link round up

this week i found some new sites and revisited some old favorites..
the web seems to be a normal part of the day...now including facebook
SO ENJOY..

1. HERES SOME GREAT INFO FOR ANYONE LAUNCHING ANYTHING ON LINE.... my fav blog and tekk person http://www.ittybiz.com/


2. i love this site...and wish i had some of her jewelry skills ...http://www.artsyfartsyfinds.blogspot.com/


3. usually im not much for self help or improvement things... have laughed at way too many of them...and the whole self esteem movement seems like bunk to me...but i like this site ...she seems cheery and nice http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/


4. more fun guys.... this one is in the junk business up in minnesota http://www.hogsandroses.blogspot.com/ andi would love to meet him.... in real life!!!


5. this one is one of the most inspiring people and sites i know... shes fun too...and has a great eye as you will see here http://www.peacockparkdesign.blogspot.com/ she featured her visit to our store on her blog too!! she likes the same kind of stuff i do...big and georgous and old

6... LOOK HERE FOR GREAT CHRISTMAS IDEAS WITH YOUR FAMILY PICTURES... http://sassytrash.blogspot.com/ SHE HAS SO MANY good ideas and is great with a camera...

our kirkman grand piano

you never know what will turn up at an auction....this big beauty is about 7 ft long.. a pre 1900 grand piano, made by the kirkman company in england...we did come to a price....4000$ and hope to sell it here at the store....
its just beautiful...

good grief....my son jon, who bought the above piano, and hauled it home... ....now has a blog..

..whenever he brings something home thats really great he calls it decorator approved...we joke about it but being an auction buyer he knows the huge value and influence the decorators have on our world and the prices... .... heres his blog..on its first day... http://jonsdecoratorapprovedpicks.blogspot.com/

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probli--tunity

heres my biggie of the day....we bought something big and beautiful....i have someone coming to see it.....the value is between 500 and 40,000.....i need to pick the right number by noon today.....
if the appraised # is 40,000 i figure the green oak number would be 1/4 of that....

so my job this morning is to get the right info....as fast as possible......i dont want to be greedy or stupid....and my best buyer has already seen its feet,its still on the truck, and is sending her dh....
this job keeps you humble...theres always something you dont know about!!!
the item was bought at auction....the people were world travellers and rich.... back in the 1800s....when this big concert grand piano was born....
pictures later in the day..

..UPDATE... its a kirkman concert grand piano.

its pre 1900...exotic wood, and imho...prettier than lots of the $$40,000 ones we saw on line..but in the same big gaudy style of the day... its 7 ft long.....we didn find the exact piano....it plays but out of tune.... my guess...is restored and at a big piano dealer it would be at least 20,000...if its way more i couldnt find that....there is hardly any in this age under $20,000...that makes the green oak price/ our very wild guess.... about $4000....unless we find out more......our guy didnt come yesterday...so its out on the floor....if we sell it for that and find out later we messed up it would be part of the experience.... i should feel lucky that jon focussed on it and went for it...and that we can handle something that big....we had to call in our other box truck...since we had bought a whole truck load already...lots of cool garden stuff mainly...and some down filled love seats...and a whole lot more...

...and now for something completely different....WE ARE ON TV....who knows if it will work...its just in rochester but take a look... our winter wonderland commercial

the faces around the store

dh....our hero....

this is our newest member....terri, jons wife....she does our website and mailing list and etsy and lots of other tekkie stuff and now shes helping behind the counter 3 days a week.... we are trying to teach her to fluff as well as all her other jobs...

the faithful wade....here in his yardsale duds..... and on the floor saturdays and sundays....

wade has been here for about 20 yrs!!! and we are so thankful.....

carol and i... at the garden party...

lisa and ruth....the fluffer and the flopper can be friends...lisa is my right hand ..she has mechanical abilities, can carry, and does so much of the heavy ikky work with a smile.... and makes our big junk signs...and shutter shelves...

jon and john....so good they can move furniture without unloading it....dont try this at home!!!

ruth, the master of the lanterns , and so much else around the store........these are so neat....and you can take out the winter scene and make a spring one later...
the battery candles in them last so long!!! several weeks...

and carol...dressed up for the open house.... and the master of the big christmas ball wreaths. ....these beauties are kind of tricky to make!!!!! but carol manages them... and the counter!! a BIG JOB...
you can see her at the counter all summer and fall...then she DESERTS US for the winter. and goes south..

WILD IDEAS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS....

TODAY I HEARD 2 FUN. WONDERFUL trash to treasure IDEAS FROM PEOPLE IN THE STORE...

1.....BOYFRIEND SKIRTS..... this creative person made skirts out of the boyfriends flannel shirts.... she said they turned out great and looked so cute with leggings.... i think she cut them off at the pockets...and added eLASTIC

2....i cant believe i never thought of this one.....a 5 $$$ item.... CONSOLE RECORD PLAYER CABINETS.....lets turn them into tv stands....they are the right height and shape..just empty out the mechanical stuff and paint...... it would be so easy ...they would be nice and low...i have seen so many go for nothing at sales!!! ill be trying that one!!!...WE WILL PAINT OURS BLACK OF COURSE...

IN THIS WEEK....STAINED GLASS...

A BIG POTTING BENCH

HARVEST TABLE

HALF MANTLES

LITTLE VICTORIAN FRAMES

GERMAN STEIN

NICE BLACK BUFFETS

and so much more....all spread thruout the store.... come see for yourself.... lots and lots of stuff....maybe the biggest pile of antiques in northern indiana.... just north of indy and south of south bend...

OPEN HOUSE...

if you came to the openhouse

we thank you so much....it was great to see so many people having so much fun..and liking the big selection we tried so hard to figure out for you.... for a while there it was kind of a dull roar!!.

the winner of the 100$ gift certificate..is .sue alexander.....

and we raised 100$ for the local ministers with our be an angel for christmas promotion...5% of candle sales..

.....we tried to get more email addresses thru the drawing....when we send things by snail mail...just the stamps cost 900$$$$ so we want to use email more....but we arent droppping regular mail for our main events...

the MOST POPULAR THING seemed to be the battery candles ....they run for weeks....and our lanterns....original here i think... and definitely our word plates ....

coming up ....WINTER WONDERLAND ~~~PART 2~~~

featuring a TRUNK SHOW on saturday.... with a jewelry artist i think everybody will really like.....and some other goodies....that is the weekend of dec 6..more on that later...you can see her work here http://www.vintagekeepsakejewelry.com/ ...

NEW FOR NOVEMBER...OPEN WEDNESDAY NIGHTS TILL 7..... STARTING TONIGHT...

thats for all you working girls who dont get off till 5... so keep us in mind....

one more piece of news.... carol has left for key west for the winter,,,we will miss her....but she will be back with the robins...

..and dont forget we are on facebook...come be a fan... its greenoakantiques....

again thanks for supporting us and keeping our store in your mind for your christmas needs....

as always our goal is to help you DO YOUR OWN THING!!!!

christmas

if you came today....THANK YOU

after a hectic week we are all ready for our annual
WINTER WONDERLAND OPENHOUSE...STARTING TOMORROW

LOTS OF COOL LANTERNS TO PICK FROM....THESE ARE FULL OF CHRISTMAS ...AND BATTERY CANDLES...

the word plates...lots to pick from...

one of the white sections.... some nice angels in here...

happy holidays....

furniture right now...

these are our idea of chair benches....we made them out of 3 old chairs.... great for a harvest table...and lots of our big oak fireplace mantles....

one of our big counter/islands, totally recycled and repurposed.... trash to treasure... we made this out of an old door...and other old parts.. and 2 harvest tables.... jon gets the old legs and the amish carpenters make them for us...

this is one of our big chicago cupboards...turn of the century oak..we have 3 right now...all different..but all big and georgous and rehabbed by our carpenters

a nice hall mirror and a small european china cabinet...

we have several oak church pews... from 150 to 350$....and several corner cabinets....se the red one 170$, small oak commodes...

link roundup

THIS WEEK WE ARE TOTALLY INTO TRANSFORMING THE STORE INTO ITS
WINTER WONDERLAND PHASE.... our big openhouse is this weekend...nov 6.7.8. ...we have a storewide sale for you...and a little present ...and lots of nice easy on the pocketbook gifts to go......plus some big fabulous things..our theory is SAVE MONEY WITH STYLE...
.AND WE KNOW YOU CAN DO THAT AT GREENOAK.... .
TODAY THE STORE IS A BIG WRECK....BUT WE ARE OPEN..

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im trying to start a new thingy on my blog... JUST TO SHARE SOME OF THE GREAT PLACES OUT THERE ON THE WEB....
a WEEKLY LINK ROUNDUP
so here goes..MY FIRST LIST OF GREAT CYBER SPOTS...

1. i bumped in to this fun site this week..i hadnt been there for months..... http://www.theoldpaintedcottage.blogspot.com/ I LOVE SEEING HER COTTAGE OF THE MONTH.


2. the travelling life...i love to go here http://www.rhubarb-reign.blogspot.com/ for links to all kinds of show dealers....and to read her fun reports on kane county, allegan and other midwest shows... the gypsy life....wouldnt it be fun ...


3. JUNK..recycled, refurbished, repurposed...this world is a big part of our whole idea.... .. . so i love going here to see what others are doing in the world of junk.. tons of pictures and lots of fun talk... http://www.robomargo.com/ and if you want even more junk ideas and chat go here http://www.junkrevolution.com/


4. all time favorite eye candy site would have to be http://www.ullam.typepad.com/ aka ullabenulla....she can take you so many places!!! its about art...and imagination


5. something completely different... http://www.lillysoflondonish.blogspot.com/ i dont get most of this but sometimes thats good...


6. armchair travel...roundtop TEXAS i want to go sometime!!! http://www.roundtop.com/ ITS A HUGE SHOW...AND SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS SELL THERE..


7. cyber friends id love to meet in person http://www.redneckchic.blogspot.com/ http://www.thedutchrose.blogspot.com/ http://www.justabedofroses.blogspot.com/


8. to check on my daughter i go here http://www.bellachicinteriors.com/


9. blogging and web help.... http://www.small-business-forum.net/ there Are some great blogging and facebook convos going on over there...

keep calm and carry on.....chaos reigns

i love this picture....its so calm and beautiful...we have a big 5 ft angel too...and smaller iron angels..by next week we will have a whole angel display in the white room....
BE AN ANGEL FOR CHRISTMAS....at the openhouse we raise some money for our local ministers who help so many at christmas....5% of candle sales will go to them....they are such a good group with much need and no overhead...and its local

this is a super busy week at green oak.,,,, we are starting early on all the displays....the store should look completely different in a week...today we will be packing up the little present that everyone who comes will get....its a suprise.
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THE WEEK IN REVIEW .......

got some little robots...like hanging off of our guardian mascot...made in indiana, by a disabled vet.....we used one for a jewelry display....
see above..

if you were here sunday you might have noticed 2 giant renegade st. bernards in the rough room..... big and scary..... they had escaped from the neighbors....also in the rough room, the walnuts are falling on the metal roof....it isnt gun shots....

chaos reigns....we are working behind a barricaded area getting our christmas out...dh bought 3800 stamps today for our big mailing for the openhouse...so i guess i will be sticking them on the postcards tonight.....

our hottest thing last weekend....lanterns...

big ones and small ones....one guy was going to drill a hole in the bottom and fill with lights or outside....many bought our battery tapers for them

some of ruths fun lanterns...these have the battery candles too....nothing is glued in , so you can make your own display next spring.....

my fun lately has been around our

steampunk love signs..above...... i lay it out and lisa fastens it all down....see them under the awning....or on our etsy.... http://www.gypsymarket.etsy.com/

heres one of our suppliers....a fun guy who always has more junk to sell me......he stops here on his way to the scrap yard....old and still working...and loving it..he brought giant chains ....made to pull trains...and lots of parts for our junky birdhouses that we will make for next summer.....

we are so glad when we get to see

what our customers do with the good parts we sell....like this wonderful garden house one of our customers designed and had built for her back yard....full of antique stained glass windows..

busy busy busy....trying to figure and where to put everything.... for our big christmas season.....OUR WINTER WONDERLAND is coming up fast....nov 6 7 8......

we have lots of help this year....and are working like mad getting ready....

carol made this fun wreath below...with beautiful vintage balls.... we should have several done for the season......

so much we are enjoying now is recycled, repurposed or just plain fantasy.....

in this week...

..more windows, salvaged

a little white corner cabinet

3 big counter/bar/islands.... 2 with tin....made by our carpenters

several tables under 40$

big beautiful stained glass lamp....carmel slag

large old iron pot....cracked

shutter cupboard...made by our carpenters using salvage shutters....nice big one...

more sugar molds

chair benches....one with arms...amish made..out of old chairs

big shipment of lanterns