New Arrivals at the Pink Pig

With the long winter days I have been working hard and searching for new items to introduce to the store. I am excited to mention some new arrivals at the Pink Pig!

Cori Dantini, who is responsible for the new pig illustrations, has agreed to do some original works for the store. Her talent is amazing and I will be featuring more of her works in the near future.

I also found a fabulous new line by Biggs & Featherbelle! This is a health conscious company that promotes the healing elements of Mother Nature by creating body care products free from synthetic fragrances, dyes and additives. Yummy soaps and their Sugary Nut Scrub with raw sugar and almonds - perfect for that dry winter skin!
This company was created by two sisters, Kelly & Kasey Evick, in January 2003. Today, armed with the collected experience and knowledge of essential oils, their mission is to create products with a purpose. Their great attention to detail and packaging make their products a perfect gift for anyone on your list!

I am also excited about a new line for the store by Sweet Grass Farms. This is a company focused on creating natural, useful and affordable products for everyday life. Products I have recently added to the store are their Farmhouse Shea Butter Lotion & Soap and their natural soy candle both in a wonderful clean Lemon Verbena scent. Also, their Farm Baby line features a gift caddy set with natural products. Treat your little treasure to a nurturing and wholesome bath time.

Pretty new heart charms by Cathy Penton are now in the store and I am such a big fan of her work. Her sweet little inspirations in glass, using old linens and paper, are unique and one-of-a kind.

Spring is near ( I think) and the store will be featuring more new goodies soon including a new apparel line that I am very excited about. Take a peek in my store and let me know your thoughts on all my new products.

Farmhouse Style Living Simple and Easy

Few dreams of home are as pure and sweet as life in the country. Casual does not have to mean sloppy and beautiful "country" design depends on
the country you're talking about. A well designed anything, made by hand with care, beats out everything made any other way.

I took a few more photos of the barn and an inside peek of what the carriage house, which is the Pink Pig, looked like this past season.




I love mirrors! The larger the better! So we placed this large 7x5 foot mirror against the far wall to capture some of the old with the new. This charming sofa was new, but I found a way to surround it with old pieces we found at a nearby farmhouse which was filled with treasures of the past. I love the old coffee table with it's old chair rail legs and painted green top.


























Morning sun pours through the windows of the second floor of the carriage house which is filled with antique iron beds with wonderful vintage quilts that sing to each other across the room and are cherished by me for the graceful connection to the past.











My favorite barn is this small yellow barn which originally was a Blacksmith Shop on the property. In the summer months it is surrounded by beautiful wild flowers which grow taller year after year.

I have been busy this month searching for new items of interest for the stores so I hope you will visit again soon as I am just finishing up some wonderful pieces of Victorian Wicker which will be on the site soon!

Antique Ceiling Tin - Fabulous Tin Whimsies

I love old ceiling tin found in many old homes here in upstate New York. During the Victorian era ceiling tin became very popular with the initial design style taken from Europe to emulate the look of sculpted plaster without the high cost. In the early to mid 1900's there were eventually 45 companies located mostly in New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, most located near railroad lines that served as main routes for delivering their pressed product directly to their customers.

At the Pink Pig we have found some unique ways to make use of antique ceiling tin and I thought I would share with you.

These tin whimsies are a popular item at the stores and I decided to do a few in pink and white for Valentine's Day. After painting these tin hearts, we finished with a pearl glaze and then hung vintage chandelier prisms to give them that extra special touch.

These decorative hooks were featured in Romantic Homes Bed & Bath issue and were simply cut and adhered to wood with some old decorative hooks with a little patina of their own. Perfect bath decor and they are available in soft shades of green, pink and white.

During the summer we had fun making these decorative shelves in three sizes. Perfect for displaying photos! Our latest project was taking old recessed doors panels and adding a bit of character to small cabinets.




We are in the process of renovating our kitchen in our old farmhouse, so stayed tuned as I show you ways I have decided to use these old tiles with a bit of history in my old, but soon to be new, kitchen.


Remember at the Pink Pig... It's a Stylish Blend of Old and New!

At Home In The Adirondacks

Westport is an Adirondack community proudly perched on the shores of Lake Champlain. A coastal community to the east, it is embraced by the Adirondack Mountain range to the west. Experience incredible sunrises and the shimmering Green Mountain vista of neighboring Vermont.

I thought I would share a few photo's of my life here in the country in the Adirondack Mountains. It is certainly winter here and the cold, sometimes below zero, temperatures have left us with plenty of snow. Here are some views from our farmhouse, my first store which is a former carriage house and my studio.

Cabin style living and Rustic Retreats are plentiful here in the Adirondacks where decorating your personal retreat includes Lodge Style Furniture and Vintage Beacon Blankets. Here is a rustic cabin taken from the woods. Now a studio of Barbara Smith, she has found her style creating decorative pillows using vintage Camp and Beacon Blankets. Barbara's pillows are available at the store.

With both my stores closed now for the winter months, my favorite past time is now taking photo's of some of the fantastic farms here with here with their livestock in the fields and their fantastic old barns....full of history I'm sure.

I hope you enjoy viewing my photo's of my life in a small town called Westport, NY


[Westport][antiques][Adirondacks][New York]

Cherubs To Make You Smile!

My love for cherubs began at a very early age. As a matter of fact, my love for cherubs began in the first grade. I grew up in Bucks County, PA and attended Catholic school until the eight grade. I remember my first grade teacher, Sister St. Clair who spent much time with me helping a left-handed child make those circles you drew in your black and white copy book slant to the right. Mine always somehow looked better to the left and time and time again my teacher reminded me of what I was doing wrong. So each night I went home and practiced and then practiced some more. Each morning Sister St Clair passed through the class to review our work and today was my day! I saw the smile on her face and watched her as she placed a tiny sweet cherub sticker on the top of my page and said "Well Done". Hence my love for cherubs began and I can remember that day like it was yesterday.

I am always on the search for cherubs as I find much joy for each one I find. As an Antique Dealer, I am always searching for Cherubs with some history, yet at the Pink Pig you will find a collection of old and new. A bit of history on an old beauty I found is the center painting in the picture which is titled "Cupid Awake & Sleeping - 1897." This famous photograph was taken by a well know New York photographer in the late 19th century and early 20th century by the name of M.B. Parkinson (Morris Burke Parkinson). The model he chose was Josephine Anderson who was the daughter of a friend who worked for him and left her child in his care. Josephine was 4 years old in this photo and continued to model for him for years to come. Josephine Anderson died in 1970.

I hope you enjoy this Stylish Blend of Old and New at the Pink Pig and your search for your special cherub makes you smile as well.



[cherubs, antiques, school, photographs]

A New Look For The Pink Pig

The Pink Pig has a new look with the help of two very talented artists I would like to thank.

Sara Duckett of Sadie Olive Design www.sadieolive.com was responsible for my new site design. Sara is a woman of many talents and I am very grateful for the work and advice she has given me in creating a new look for the Pink Pig. Her site is unique as she features a boutique with beautiful items for your home....A Website Designer with a style of her own ( please take a peek at her portfolio) and a Photography Site filled with photographs that I am sure will make your smile. Sara has been featured in several national magazines and has recently been name one of the "Top Romantics" by Romantic Homes Magazine.

I would also like to thank Cori Dantini who is an illustrator I found while searching Etsy one day. I was immediately taken back by her work and contacted Cori about creating a new logo design for my website. Cori gave me two illustrations to choose from and I found it so hard to choose one so we decided to use both. Her work will be featured on my website in the near future. Please view her wonderful illustrations on http://www.corid.etsy.com and I am sure you will find her work as amazing and unique as I did. Visit her blog also http://www.coridantinimakes.blogspot.com and tell her the Pink Pig sent you!



[antiques]