Thursday, July 30, 2009

I am off to Grief Camp...Pray for Us and Cooler Weather!


Hey All,


I am leaving for camp and will be gone next week (so no updates)! I am the Volunteer Director of a week long grief camp for children who have lost a parent due to death. We have 100 kids so far (ages 6 to 17), 60 wonderful volunteers and 6 amazing Therapists. This is a truly magical place where kids can come together and share very difficult feelings and emotions about their grief. We try to normalize the grief for this kids. There are 99 other kids who have trouble sleeping, who can't concentrate at school or who fear the death of their surviving parent. We say camp is 90% fun and 10% grief work, but actually the entire process is therapeutic. They don't have to be the "Man of the House" like they do at home since Dad died. It is safe to laugh and have fun without being disrespectful to the person who died. It is safe here to say my Mother committed suicide or my Dad died of Aids. We want them to be kids first and grievers second. They ride horses, go fishing, do arts and crafts, do yoga, attend drama class, go swimming, go hiking, do archery or a variety of other activities. But for 1 hour a day, they attend "Group" where a therapist leads an age specific counseling session. Some kids get private counseling and can talk openly, but most struggle to share and many times just bury their heads and tears in their laps. The fact that we are a week long grief camp makes us unique. Most of the other grief camps are for a weekend, but we get an entire week to build trust and work on these emotions. The camp is in Texas and it is the first week of August....so well over 100 degrees each day. It is a rustic camp with no air-conditioning in the cabins....so pray for cooler weather. I could ramble for hours about this camp, but instead I have tried to attach a video that we had done on us. If it does not work, here is the YouTube address for the video (Kleenex Alert): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v632qGFWG58

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Pretty in Pink...














Spent another day at Lone Star this week working on the Pink Booth. As promised...here are the pictures. I think I spent more time talking to other dealers and shoppers (Lydia and Jan) than I did working...sure makes the time pass by fast. My friends laugh that they could go into business and buy stuff, paint it pink and I would buy it all. Probably true!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

A Blue Re-Do....





























I finally got to spend the day re-doing the blue booth at Lone Star...and it took ALL DAY! The booth was a mess as I was working, but folks came on in and bought before I could get it put up and organized...nice problem to have. I love the blue dresser with lions head legs. Several folks asked if they were original...but I have no idea. I don't think it will last as it had some strong lookers. I really used this as my focal point, so I will have to re-do it again once it sells. I have to work on the pink booth soon...pictures to follow.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A Shabbier View...









Just some pictures from our 3rd booth. I can't wait to bring in some new stuff and re-do all 3 booths...darn work just gets in the way. I will get to Lone Star this weekend and publish some new pics when they are re-done. Have a great weekend everyone!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Old Pastel Pictures...




I love these old pastel colored pictures. They just seem so soft and delicate. I bought some great stuff at the Barns in Fort Worth this weekend, so time for a booth re-do. Got a wonderful old shabbied blue french looking dresser. Can't wait to clean it up and decorate. Also got some great frames...that I can't decide whether to paint or leave. We will post pictures after we get done.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Vintage Ladies...

































Did not realize we had all these wonderful Vintage Ladies until I started taking pictures. They are all spread out among our 3 booths...maybe we should pull them together for a great display?

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Stuff that never makes it to the antique mall...































Okay...we are relatively new to the antique business. Am I the only one who buys stuff for resale and it NEVER makes it to the mall???? Please tell me I am not alone. I walked through the house and took pictures of just a few of the things that never made it. At this rate, I will be bankrupt by the end of the year! My friends laugh when they are with me and make bets on whether I will keep it or not. When you buy stuff you like for your booth, I guess this is the risk that you run. I showed my mother some stuff today that I had bought an estate sale...she just smiled and took some of it home! I bought a lamp a while back and a friend saw it in my car...before I knew it, it was in her bedroom. Oh well, it is fun to shop for this stuff and my house looks great!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Perfume...

Lots of vintage perfume in here. Tiina at Dream in Cream did the case and we quickly snatched it up before she could get it unloaded for display...Isn't she great. Visit her at
http://www.dreamincream.blogspot.com/

Friday, July 10, 2009

Tea Party...


I guess it is a little hot to think about an outdoor tea party, but this would be a pretty one. Maybe you could do it in-doors with some ice cold lemonade instead (or my favorite...Diet Coke). It is going to be hot in Texas, so wherever you are, stay cool!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Wonderul Dishes...


My mother got this pattern of dishes as a wedding present over 50 years ago. She has been collecting them over the last several years and we now realize that we have enough for a sit down dinner for the entire town of Keller...so reluctantly, she is putting some up for sale. They are wonderful!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Dresses
















They just don't make em' like they used to! All of these wonderful vintage dresses. We sold two great ones to girls for their prom. They did not want to have a dress that anyone else had...I think they accomplished their goal. One dress was very small and the girl said she would cut out a rib if need be to fit into it. I bet they both looked beautiful!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Welcome to our first attempt at a Blog! We are Mary and Denis (Mother and Son) and have 3 booths at the Lone Star Antique Mall in Haltom City, Texas (a really great antique mall..with a great Tea Room). Ruby Grace's includes The Pink Boutique, The Blue Venue and The Red & Black Shack. All 3 booths specialize in Vintage 50's dresses, old perfume bottles and vintage linens...with dabbles of jewelry, furniture, lamps, hats, silver and antique accessories (frilly, colorful and shabby...that is us). We look forward to talking with everyone and will try to stay current. Thanks for checking us out and check back regularly.