The Marketplace: Etsy and Boutique Showcase

Hi Everyone and
 Welcome to The Marketplace
If you have an Etsy or Online Boutique, Shop, or other selling site,
then you've come to the right place!
Or maybe you just like to shop...EVEN BETTER!
I'm thrilled to have you come join in!
I just have a few "housekeeping" things I need to mention:

As many of you know my hubby and I have been packing and renovating our home for sale. Weekends are long and late, and because of this, I need till 11:00 AM "ish" Central time on Monday to prepare for this linky party post. I hope this won't mess up your schedule too much, just look for me a little later in the morning.

And also, there are some of you linking up each week that have great merchandise or furniture, you're just not offering any way for us to purchase it. You need to have a price and a link that gives shoppers a way to buy, not just look and wish they could purchase. I'll be deleting links that don't do this. OK, so glad you're here and be sure and check The Guidelines below if you're not sure about requirements.

Just want to share a few great items from last week:

Vintage Farmhouse Kitchen Scales

Forgotten Plum

Vintage French Country Quilt

Western Reserve

Cotton Ridge Vintage

Fresh Eggs Sign

NanNasThings

Vintage Plaid Lunch Bucket

Kathy Creative Home

Nature Collage Wood Box-OOAK

and today's Sponsor is Debbie from

Ribbonwood Cottage

Party Guidelines

This is a linky party that is for items that are FOR SALE only. You don't have to have a blog to link up. If you have a blog post about your items that's great too, but they need to be available to purchase. Please try to link to the individual item that you are selling if possible. Please be a follower of Common Ground and if you have a blog it would be so nice for you to grab the image below to share somewhere on your blog. (not mandatory). Remember the link is up all week, so please stop back by to check out new items being listed. Thanks so much for sharing all your great items with us!

If you missed last week's link up,

CLICK HERE

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Mystery Solved...

There are times when you can look back and see where one small act changed the course of your life. What seems a random choice at the time, turns out to be one of those life altering occurrences. I'm sure we've all had them, but it's up to us, the individual, if we see them as coincidence, totally random, fate, luck, destiny, or maybe it was God moving us in a direction we wouldn't have otherwise traveled.

I'm going to tell you about one of mine...

It was after Christmas about nine years ago that I was cleaning off the downstairs mantel, putting away all the Christmas decor. I totally stripped down the large rustic wood beam that has always been a challenge to decorate properly. I tried several things but nothing seemed "right". I had a picture in my head about some sort of wooden box that would look good up there. I tried a few things we had, and nothing worked; too big, too small, wrong shape...nothing worked. The weekend came and I was on a mission to find "The Box". The "picture" I had was of a smallish box with a keyhole...I would know it when I saw it.

Real long story shorter...my hubbs and I decided to scope out all the antique malls and fleas in the area,. We'd have a fun weekend out and about, but in my heart it was the quest for this special box. So on Sunday afternoon, we happened into an antique mall that we hadn't been to before. Hey, my husband knew the owner from growing up with him and we chatted and reminisced before we checked out the booth spaces. Time got away from us and it was almost closing time when I spotted this worn out and used hard wooden box. Hallelujah, I knew right away that it was THE box I'd been looking for.

The markings on the top were worn out and barely discernible, the finish was rough and flaking, but it was the right size and had the keyhole. I brought it home, ran downstairs to the mantel, placed it in the center and said a "thank you, Jesus" prayer. It worked.

Fast forward, we started several antique mall spaces there, and never looked back. That was the beginning of our business. I'd been buying and selling antiques my whole life, but never had a shop or space. So the search for a small wooden box was the motivation to move us forward for a really wonderful time in our life. The antique malls, flea markets, and small shops eventually led me to this blog, and so here I am having gotten to know you all. And this has been one of the most rewarding times of my life.

Are you still interested in the "mystery"?

Well, we never could figure out what the box had been originally made for. We knew the inner lining and workings were gone. It also had "Switzerland" stamped on the bottom. We now have it setting on the arched opening from the kitchen as a kitty deterrent. Of course the first thing the girls wanted to do was hop back and forth from the sink to the loveseat below the opening. ah no... not happening.

Last Monday night we were watching one of our fave TV shows "The Blacklist", when lo and behold, there was an almost replica of our little wooden box. It was a music box that had been given to Lizzie by her father many years ago. If you don't watch the show, you're missing out. This is one of the best on television right now, so go catch up, it's a totally fascinating story line.

These are some photos from Google when I did a search.

I found examples of many different styles and sizes, each with a somewhat different design or crest on the top. I could barely make out the design on top of ours, which after searching, turned out to be a horn and probably a violin with other musical items. I never would have thought that it was a music box.

So, we finally have the answer to our little mystery after all these years;

A little worn out music box that has changed our lives...

joining in with these parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Knick of Time Tuesday

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,

Be Inspired #186

Hi Everyone, Hope you all had a wonderful Easter Weekend! Ours was warm and sunny, perfect day for enjoying family and friends. There were so many great Easter and Spring posts last week, full of color and inspiration. These are just a few highlights...

I've never met a lamby face that I haven't fallen in love with.
How can you resist? See all the wonderful images and this Lamb Pastel 
from Violet Skiles at Create Beauty.

Trois Petites Filles has been this week's obsession.
If you haven't yet, you'll want to see Victoria's French Bed
and how she created this ethereal look.

I did a double take to make sure I was actually seeing
Hydrangea Bunnies, from Mary at Home is Where the Boat Is

Barbara from 21 Rosemary Lane has created a fun and fresh

space with her Spring on the Front Porch.

Look at these wonderful colors of Easter Eye Candy.

Teacups from Sherry at The Charm of Home

Take a "Peep" at the Easter Carrot Cake

from Catherine at Living the Gourmet

A big THANK YOU to those of you

 who took the time to join in for the Celebration last week!

and...

If you missed any posts last week,

just click on the thumbnail pics at the top of the post.

Party Guidelines

Please have an individual link back to Common Ground within your post. I'd love to feature you. This is just part of the Party Etiquette.

Please remember to turn off word verification. I've tried leaving comments that didn't go through. I'm sure others have tried also.

Please no direct links to Etsy or Advertising.

Link up to three of your current posts.

Take a minute to visit a few of the other links.

Please be a follower of Common Ground.

Thank you to all of you who come over each week to link up to the party.   You are a never ending source of inspiration to me and others, so just know how much I appreciate each one of you!

thanks so much for joining in

and making this party so much fun,

now, on with the party!

xoxo,

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Today's Sponsor

Bel Monili

Seed Packet Garden Wreath makes a come back...

I learned within the first week or two of living here at the lease house that there were just a few things that try as I might, I would not be able to "change". Not only can I not change them, I can't focus on them... I just need to try to cover them up, and disguise them as much as possible. One such area is the big flat screen TV in the Living Room, that is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door. Actually, it's not the TV itself, but all the wires at the back of it, because the Entry Hall gives full view of all the technical disadvantages I look at every day. But in reality, not too many people have to see it, and if it weren't for that big ol' honkin' TV, hubby and I would probably go bonkers, cause we park our tired behinds there every night for some escapism.

One thing I brought over early on was this vintage folding screen that I made over a few years ago. It hides a multitude of sins...namely the TV, VCR, tevo, sound system etc.

And this iron garden trellis and urn help anchor it and offer some diversion.

I had my fun little garden/flowerpot wreath up there for Easter, and today I took some more photos minus the green wool felted flying bunny, but here are the ones I snapped before Easter, when a plethora of bun buns were roaming the house.

I put this wreath together last year and it was on my old window above the sideboard in the Kitchen Hallway.

These are French Seed Packet Labels attached to tags.

(don't you love his bow tie?)

...and whitewashed flowerpots with gardener's twine tied to the grapevine wreath.

Actually, I have bunnies running around here till summer, 

when I look at them I cannot help but smile.

I have "garden fever" right now, but nowhere to "play". But I do hope to bring over a few of my potted geraniums to make it feel more homey outside over here. I "winter" my many pots of geraniums each year, but hubbs is working on packing the John Deere room, so I have orders that they've gotta go.

I've lost several big shrubs from the harsh winter, and my knock-out rose bush will have to be "amputated" to the nubbs, most of it is dead too. How about you all...did most of your flowers and plants survive? Here's to the warmer weather...70's all week, yay! 

I'll be joining in on these great weekly parties:

Share Your Style Spring Blog Hop

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Swing into Spring at DIY by Design

Blissful Whites at Timewashed

Treasure Hunt at From My Front Porch to Yours

Share Your Cup at Mrs. Olson's

Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Fabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo

Today's Sponsor

Seaside Rose Creations

The Marketplace: Etsy and Boutique Showcase

Hello Everyone and welcome to

 The Marketplace!

Hope you had a beautiful Easter!

Let's see some fun items you all listed from last week:

Junk From My Trunk

Tiny Wire Basket

The Lazy Peacock

Silver Compote

Oh Sister Sister

Sleeps With Dogs Pillow

Vintage Colander Lightfixture

Lavender Garden Cottage

Brown Transferware Serving Bowl

Swanky Safari

Photo Album with Photos

The Zoe Bird

Link-up Guidelines

This is a linky party that is for items that are FOR SALE only. You don't have to have a blog to link up. If you have a blog post about your items that's great too, but they need to be available to purchase. Please try to link to the individual item that you are selling if possible. Please be a follower of Common Ground and if you have a blog it would be so nice for you to grab the image below to share somewhere on your blog. (not mandatory). Remember the link is up all week, so please stop back by to check out new items being listed. Thanks so much for sharing all your great items with us!

If you missed last week's link up,

CLICK HERE

OK, let's see all those fun listings from your shops,

thanks for coming by and joining in!

Be sure and come back by later int the week,

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Today's Sponsor

Timewashed