Nellie's Barn Sale

12/19/2024

FINALLY SATISFIED.

I've struggled for years with being satisfied with the right piece of furniture in my front hall. I live in a 1970s one story ranch. None of the rooms are overly large. This front entry is only 10 ft wide by 3 ft. deep at best. And it opens directly to the wide doorway to the front living room (lovingly called the Frunch room). There's not a whole lot you can do with 3 ft.

Over the years I've had many different low dressers, tall cabinets, and other odd pieces of furniture that didn't work. After browsing IG for the right look I decided to emulate the gorgeous hallway belonging to Bambi . It's so fabulous you'll find it on the cover of Country Living's Vintage magazine this month! Her home is one of my favorites on IG. Be sure to take a peek.

I love my entry now. It's the perfect spot for not only seasonal displays, but for guests to drop their coat in purse on the bench. My favorite tidbit is the soft pink plaid scarf that belong to my mother. My 1800s dress form (appropriately attired in her turn-of-the-century velvet cape) stands guard quite nicely don't you think?

12/18/2024

FIRST REAL SNOW...

Now it feels like December.

I do believe it's the perfect day for Christmas music, some gift wrapping, and writing out the grocery list. I'll have to do a bit of pretending... that I don't have a dentist appointment this afternoon. Ugh!

Swipe for close-ups of a few vignettes in my dining room. Oh wait, I forgot it's not a dining room anymore. It's the library. 😉 📚

Enjoy your last minute preparations!!

12/11/2024

THE CHOIR IS GETTING READY...

Only 2 weeks until the glorious holy day. Are you ready?

12/10/2024

15 DAYS AND COUNTING...

I'm headed out today to find a Grinch T-shirt of all things...for party attire.

What's on your agenda?

12/05/2024

CREATE EASY GINGERBREAD VILLAGE WINDOW ART...

Okay, are you ready for a simple project? This adorable gingerbread village is easy peasy. It's a window cling from Amazon!!!

Yep.

A few weeks ago I was helping my bestie, Kim from with Christmas decor at her house. She wanted to do original art using a paint pen on the windows. We ran out of time so we did the next best thing. Check Amazon. She bought two different sizes including this large village and a smaller one for her paned windows. I decided to try it out in my kitchen. What do you think?

I don't share a lot of photos of my kitchen but I'm feeling pretty good about it. I recently purchased the two Danish/MCM style swivel chairs, and swapped out the wall sconce lighting. Previously I had vintage glass shade lights with cords. These fun fixtures are rechargeable battery operated!!

For those of you who have followed a long time you know that almost every single item in my home is vintage. It was a bit out of my comfort zone to get 'new' chairs--but I had no luck with finding a pair of vintage chairs that worked in this space. I'm really happy with these. They are stylish,comfortable, easy to keep clean and they swivel!

Now go and order yourself some window clings. Just search on the words 'gingerbread house window cling'.

12/04/2024

GUEST ROOM READY... ✔️

Neutral decor does not have to be boring. Changing over to Christmas decor in my guest room is fairly quick and easy. Having white coverlets and neutral sheets on the beds makes for an easy transformation. All I do is change out the blankets at the foot of the bed and add a Christmas pillow.

What do you think of my dust ruffles? They are lace tablecloths. And the art above the beds? Simple $3 large gift bags from .

One of my favorite items is a little bit hidden...the NORTH directional highway sign sitting atop the cubby unit. I actually own two of them. The other is 'up north' at the lake. It's also a nod to my maternal grandmother whose name was Nellie North. My business is also named for her!

What's one of your favorite Christmas treasures?

11/29/2024

6 REASONS TO SHOP LOCAL

Buck the box stores. Take a break from Amazon. Shop local. Your community will thank you for it.

1. More money kept in the community 🌲

Shopping locally means that more money will stay in the community. For every $100 spent at a local business, around $73 remains in the community, versus roughly $43 when shopping at a non-locally owned business.

2. The personal touch 🦌

Local business owners typically are inclined to go the extra mile for their customers and are personally invested in the services and products they are selling as opposed to big box stores.

3. Lines are shorter ❄️

Waiting in long lines for checkout or to pick up merchandise ordered online can drain consumers’ energy and contribute to stress. Local businesses tend to have short lines and small crowds, which can lead to a more pleasant shopping experience.

4. Generates tax revenue 🛷

Local businesses generate more tax revenue per sales dollar, according to Rubicon, a digital marketplace for waste and recycling businesses. Taxes paid by local small businesses go to support schools, parks, roads, and other programs that benefit the community.

5. Supports local nonprofits ⛸️

Local businesses often support good work in the community, such as nonprofit groups. These can include schools and sports teams, among other groups.

6. Support other local businesses ⛄

Local business support other local businesses by buying and selling among each other. A local, independently owned restaurant may source its ingredients from local farms, which means visitors to such eateries are supporting multiple local businesses each time they dine out.

GET A LIST & MAP...
If you're in the Northern Illinois or Southern Wisconsin area, I have a list of over 400 small businesses including vintage shops, antique malls, home decor stores, ladies boutiques and upscale consignment shops. It's housed year round on my blog and you can find it here: https://vintageshophop.blogspot.com

11/25/2024

OH SHINY BRITE, OH SHINY BRITE...

🦌 I started decorating two weeks ago because I'm not hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I had to take a break twice. Being retired afforda me lots of time to decorate...and last week two separate girlfriends asked if I could help them with some holiday decor.

❄️ First up was a Snow Village and a Grinch village for my sweet friend's kids. Then a two night sleepover with my longtime friend Kim to help with multiple vignettes throughout her home. Be sure to click over to take a look at her festive holiday decor.

🌲 I'm pretty much done with my decorating. I change up locations of decor within my house every Christmas season. I typically have a seasonal message on a chalkboard over my stairwell year-round. But I wanted to change it up. I came across a big box of Shiny Brites I forgot I had. Because they are so beautiful I was determined to use them somewhere. A simple project with big impact was to string picture hanging wire back and forth across a very ornate shabby frame. Ta-da!! What do you think?

Now it's time to concentrate on Thanksgiving appetizers! I thank each and every one of you for following along this past year. Stay safe everyone!
🦃

11/11/2024

MY VERY OWN HERO.

Over 50 years ago my nineteen year old husband boarded a plane for a country he knew nothing about. He left a new wife behind, traveled 8,400 miles away from home and served 13 months in Vietnam enduring situations that we can't even begin to understand...daily loss of life, unbearable heat and humidity, a stench that he can still smell, setting and breaking camp every other day to hide from the enemy, the bombs and air raids, burned villages, the rats and snakes, new friends and profound sadness of lost friends, all while trying to preserve freedom and protect citizens of another country. As he ages, the memories affect him more and more. He doesn't speak of his time there often nor does he talk about his Bronze Star. He's our hero and we're proud of him every day.

We stand proud of all veterans every day of the year. Thank you Jesse and all veterans who put their life on the line for us.

11/01/2024

DIA DE LOS MU***OS....

Although my mother-in-law never knew who I was (as she was at the end of her battle with Alzheimer's when I met my husband)--I love all the stories Jesse tells of her. Lorenza grew up in Hicks, Texas and met my father-in-law Joaquin when her family prepared meals for railroad workers. Joaquin was born in small village in Michoacan, Mexico. Lorenza on the left, her brother Marcos, his wife Anita, and sister Gabriella, circa 1931.

What is this Dio de los Mu***os?

The Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de (los) Mu***os) is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember amusing events and anecdotes about the departed. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed, and is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage.

Nellie's Barn Sale is an event production company. We host two Vintage Shop Hops--a mega self-guided

10/23/2024

THIS IS ALL OF IT.

I do love my fall decor, but I don't do a lot of Halloween. Now that my son has flown the coop this is the extent of it. I bring out the cape, the black crow, the broom and the rockin' witch boots. This year she has to wear a black top hat since I can't find her witch hat! Come on! Where could it be?

Writing this post reminded me of the Macbeth poem. This should put you in the mood. Don't forget to enjoy the falling leaves. 🍁

🧹🕸️ 🧹🕸️🧹

Song of the Witches: “Double, double toil and trouble”

By William Shakespeare

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

🧹 🧹 🧹🧹🧹

10/16/2024

IN MY EYES, THE PERFECT VIGNETTE....

Adding personal family items and heirlooms to a display gives me warm fuzzy feelings when I walk by. I rescued this church pew a few months ago and stripped it back to its original wood and topped it with a flat finish. It's an easy way to swap out seasonal displays at my front entry.

What makes it so special?

-My dad's outdoor yard jacket.
-Hydrangeas from my yard.
-My favorite rusty crusty cow tag.
-Garage sale whisk brooms.
-Wooden hanger from a defunct clothing store in my hometown.
-Picnic basket filled with doilies and linens I've collected over 35+ years.
-Basket filled with embroidery floss and a partially completed project that I started at least 30 years ago.
-Dress form I acquired while on the road back in my tourism days.
-Portion of my vintage rosary collection.
-My uncle's walking cane.
-My son's fuzzy leopard baby blanket.

What's your favorite thing to display with?

10/04/2024

Today's the day! Get up and get going. Support small shops today and tomorrow.

EASY TO USE: ZOOM in close to see all the stores in a neighborhood...towns with multiple shops within close proximity of each other are stacked. Click or tap the icon to open detail of any shop. Colored icons represent the 5 different "shop types". LEGEND: Vintage Shops/Antique Malls = Purple Home D...

10/03/2024

Where will you be shop hopping?

BUCK THE BOX STORES.

ROAD TRIP TO THE VINTAGE SHOP HOP.

EVERY INCH OF IT IS BUYING LOCAL.

EVERY INCH OF IT IS SHOPPING SMALL.

DO YOUR PART.

KEEP YOUR DOWNTOWN STRONG.

Never shop-hopped? This is the motherlode of all road trips! My "Fall 2024" version of the popular Vintage Shop Hop is right around the corner.

On October 4 & 5 find 350+ vintage shops & boutiques throughout hundreds of towns in Illinois and Wisconsin...rolling out the red carpet for you.

Get the Master List of Shops here:
https://bit.ly/GetTheList_and_Map

Find the Google Map here (be sure to log in to a google account first to get the full benefits of the map):
https://bit.ly/VSH_MapOfShops_Oct2024

GRAB YOUR FRIENDS.
HIT THE ROAD.
SHOP HARD.

10/02/2024

Pick It Fence Estate Sales in Rockford this weekend--check it out while you are Vintage Shop Hopping

09/30/2024

TOUCHES OF FALL...

Enjoy your week.

09/22/2024

BEST. ROAD TRIP. EVER.

Use our Google Map to plan the YOUR route for the Vintage Shop Hop on October 4 & 5. TAG your friends NOW!

Jump to the Vintage Shop Hop page to FOLLOW along!

EASY TO USE: ZOOM in close to see all the stores in a neighborhood...towns with multiple shops within close proximity of each other are stacked. Click or tap the icon to open detail of any shop. Colored icons represent the 5 different "shop types". LEGEND: Vintage Shops/Antique Malls = Purple Home D...