KENTUCKY DERBY

                            Have you ever heard of the Kentucky Derby? Of course you have.
                                              The greatest two minutes in sports!

 

 

 

 

Here is some information on the Traditions of the Kentucky Derby.

 

GARLAND OF ROSES

First established as part of the Derby celebration when they were presented to all the ladies attending a fashionable Louisville Derby party, the Garland of Roses was such a sensation, that the president of Churchill Downs, Col. Lewis Clark, adopted the rose as the race's official flower. The rose garland, now synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, first appeared in the 1896 when winner Ben Brush received a floral arrangement of white and pink roses.

 

THE TWIN SPIRES

Throughout the world, the Twin Spires are a recognized landmark and have become visual symbols of Churchill Downs and its most famous race, the Kentucky Derby.

Constructed in 1895, the Twin Spires were the creation of a 24-year-old draftsman, Joseph Dominic Baldez, who was asked to draw the blueprints for Churchill Downs' new grandstand. Originally the plans did not include the Twin Spires atop Churchill Downs’ roofline, but as the young Baldez continued work on his design, he felt the structure needed something to give it a striking appearance.
Described as towers in the original drawing, the hexagonal spires exemplify late 19th century architecture, in which symmetry and balance took precedence over function. Although Baldez designed many other structures in Louisville, the Twin Spires remain as an everlasting monument to his memory.
 
                                       MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME
In the world of sports, there is not a more moving moment than when the horses step onto the track for the Kentucky Derby post parade and the band strikes up “My Old Kentucky Home.”
Although there is no definitive history on the playing of the Stephen Foster ballad as a Derby Day tradition, it is believed to have originated in 1921 for the 47th running of the classic. The Louisville Courier-Journal in its May 8, 1921, edition reported, "To the strains of 'My Old Kentucky Home,' Kentuckians gave vent their delight. For Kentucky triumphed in the Derby." The story refers to the popular victory of the Kentucky-owned and bred Behave Yourself.
The actual year the song was played as the horses were led onto the track to begin the Derby post parade is also unclear. A 1929 news account written by the legendary Damon Runyon reported that the song was played periodically throughout Derby Day. A report by the former Philadelphia Public Ledger provides evidence that 1930 may have been the first year the song was played as the horses were led to the post parade - "When the horses began to leave the paddock and the song 'My Old Kentucky Home' was coming from the radio, the cheering started."

                                                               MINT JULEP
The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century. Early Times Kentucky Whisky has been privileged and honored to be a part of that tradition. The Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail has been "The Official Mint Julep of the Kentucky Derby" for more than 18 years.

                                                                    HATS
As for the crowd attending the the Kentucky Derby an all important item is of course a stylish, memorable, practical, and sometimes comical HAT to be worn.


PHOTOS ABOVE AND BELOW ARE SOME OF THE COLLECTIBLES OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.

 

Tips and Helpful Information

These are all small posts I have made in the past on our facebook page. Thought it might be beneficial to share again.

Tips--Hanging Pictures

May 9, 2011 at 10:08am

How To Hang Pictures Along a Staircase.
Create a staggered group of medium-sized pictures on a staircase wall. Use pictures with similar frames. Hang one every three steps starting from the first bottom step. Stand on the stairs and hang the picture so it's 60 inches from the top of the step to the center of the picture. This will line them up perfectly. If you are hanging a group of pictures of different sizes, put a large one in the center, then hang the others to follow the line of the stair railing
Hanging Pictures Over a Sofa.
According to decorators, when hanging pictures over a sofa, the bottom of the picture frames should be 10 inches from the top of the sofa. The reason they say is because you can better view from other areas in room, also the height is right for most people to view sitting or standing, and you don't have to worry about them being bumped when seated on sofa. If hanging in a group, hang the lowest row first, and leave at least 2 inches between each row.
Personally I prefer to hang my groupings in odd numbers, they appeal better to my sight than even numbers.
I previously made a note about decorating with collectibles in odd numbers called "Tip of the Week--The Magic # 7". You can read that note or any previous note written by going to my notes tab.

For Your Info---The Magic # 7
by Antiques Attic on Friday, April 9, 2010 at 10:29am

Put seven objects on a table and then ask someone "How many items are there".
You will get the correct answer most of the time very quickly without them counting out. Try again with eight items and most people will start counting "1,2,3..." before answering.
This has been tested many times and an immediate answer usually comes at 7 or any uneven number less (example 3,5). This means the best list for people to grasp quickly is not a "Top Ten", but should be a "Top Seven" list.
Another way to take advantage of odd numbers is in decorating. Place an odd number of things on a table or shelf and they stand out best to ones eye. Same for hanging a grouping on a wall. Try this and see for yourself, first arrange an even number of things, and really look at its appeal. Then try with an odd number and stand back and look. Great way to show off your knick knacks and collectibles !!!
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Another tip before hanging or putting nails in wall to hang pictures etc: I lay the frame on a piece of paper and outline. I then cutout along the outline. Tape these cutouts on the wall to arrange and step back to see how it will look and fit. I have numbered each cutout to match each frame. The sticky note on the framed picture matches the # I placed on the cutout. You can also determine where to place nail by these same cutouts while still on the wall.

Tip of the Week--Wrapping-Storing Antiques & Collectibles

August 9, 2010 at 9:38am

PLEASE do not use Newspaper to wrap and store items. The ink on the newpapers can stain or adhere permanantly!!! It is fine for a temporary form of protection or padding, but never for an extended time.
The best wraps we have found to protect are of course bubble wrap or unused disposable diapers.
Trust and believe us on this issue----we have seen to many wonderful things stored in newspaper destroyed.

Tip of The Week---Removing Hardware on Painted Furniture

July 26, 2010 at 11:43am

Want to remove and restore the hardware on a piece of furniture that you want to leave painted but the hardware is kinda stuck by the paint? The answer is to use an exacto knife and carefully trace around the hardware to release the bond and remove. It should fit right back into place without disturbing the painted finish. Just be sure to number each piece so it will be replaced to the right spot.

Tip of The Week----Cleaning/Restoring Painted Brass Hardware

July 19, 2010 at 8:11am

One of our fans shared this info--Thanks Stephen
To remove layers of paint off of brass you might want to try this 1st before restoring with any harsh chemical removers. The reason you ask: so that you return the brass to an old patina and not have a shiny patina on an old piece or take the chance that a harsh chemical could cause pitting. Never forget also, old paint has lead. Use percautions, below are safe instructions for this process and disposal. This process can be used also on door knobs,knob plates and hinges.

Place the brass items in a can of soapy water(Dawn works well) on the stove (in double boiler but **no boiling**) to steep for an hour or so. The paint should slide off and WALA the old patina!!

DO NOT let it BOIL and vaporize into the air---just let it SIMMER down.
Now you have contaminated lead water and chips to properly dispose of--DO NOT pour down drain or throw on ground--go outside and pour onto towels, wear good disposable gloves to double bag and throw in regular trash.
DO NOT do this if you are messy,pregnant, or have children 6yrs or longer staying or visiting for more than six hours a week

Tip of the Week--Dishwashers & Collectibles

May 17, 2010 at 8:38am

Think before putting your treaures in a dishwasher,because of the heat of the water or drying cycle and harsh detergent. You could possibly cause breakage and/or discoloration.
Examples: Pottery,Fine Crystal,Gold Decorated Glassware or China,Silver(especially hollow-handled flatware),Enameled Items, and anything with an Overglaze Decoration(also called cold paint: painted on top of fired glaze)
I have also found that kitchenware such as Pyrex mix bowls,Character glasses,or anything prior to the 1980's will fade with repeated dishwashing. I have had success with clear glass and crystal when able to turn down the heat but it is always a gamble.

Tip of the Week---Glass Care

June 7, 2010 at 8:27am

Never Never Never put a hot glass item into cold water or cold glass into hot!!!!
The drastic temperature change can and will cause the glass to crack. Also if putting a hot food, and especially hot liquid into a room temperature bowl first put a large metal serving spoon in, then pour/place liquid/food. The metal serving piece will absorb alot of the initial heat.

Tip Of The Week---Chlorine Bleach---A BIG NO NO

April 26, 2010 at 9:31am

Do not use bleach or bleach like products on Pottery,China,or Linens. The bleach with be absorbed and cause immediate or long term damage, it will crystalize and break down the piece, causing disintegration. This is true no matter how often you rinse or rewash the item.
Instead soak/wash the piece in a solution of white vinegar and water. Always rinse several times. Sometimes this also can be done to a piece recently cleaned improperly to stop the disintegration. The vinegar helps to neutralize the bleach effect.
Another option is to soak in hydogen peroxide, the kind they sell at beauty stores for bleaching hair.
Whatever you use it is best to rinse/soak afterwards in distilled water.

Tip of the Week---Removing stains from Old Fabrics/Linens

May 3, 2010 at 12:46pm

Mix color-safe bleaching powder (not CHLORINE LIQUID BLEACH) 1/4 cup with dishwasher powder 1/8 cup and warm (not HOT) water 1/2 gallon. Let soak in mixture overnight and then wash by hand or in gentle cycle in warm water. Also best to rinse out in distilled water. AIR DRY, do not put in dryer, the heat is to much no matter how low it is.
Stain still there - try process again and good luck. This does work but not always. Never use harsh detergents for cleaning vintage fabrics/linens because it causes deteriation. If colors on material it is also a good thing to test a small area first for color fastness

Tip of the Week---Furniture Cleaning

April 19, 2010 at 5:57pm

Recently many newspaper articles and magazines have advised going "Green" when cleaning furniture. They have suggested using olive or cooking oils with lemon juice. Some have even said it feeds or hydrates the wood. Guess what---the wood is dead and can not be feed!!! The oil will leave a glossy layer of oil which temporarily might look good, but it helps to attract insects, dust & grime, and eventually will hide the grain and make the wood darken quicker than the natural process. The oil can also become Rancid and begin to smell. Please do not follow the train of belief for this method you will ruin the furniture and devalue it drastically.
The best polishes for furniture, especially Antique, are made of pure wax. It is even a gamble to use spray polishes on the market today whether "green" or not. Some have silicone and other products that will harm the piece. The old fashion way of paste wax and hand buff is the best way and today can not be improved upon yet.

For You Yard Sales Enthusiast's

April 17, 2010 at 8:23am

Its that time of year where the great yard sales etc start happening. If you are not into spiders and such here is a tip for you.
Examine your purchases from yard sales, garage sales, etc. Look on bottom of furniture, between layers on linens or papergoods. Those white fluffy balls are spider eggs. They will hatch in the warmth and comfort of your home. Do not let them detour you from a purchase. Just wipe off and dispose of outside the home. Do the same with any found tiny brown balls or spider webs.


SO IN YOUR MANY YEARS OF COLLECTING WHAT TIPS HAVE YOU LEARNED NOT LISTED HERE?  PLEASE SHARE THEM AND ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS TO THE BENEFIT OF ALL.

 

 

YARD SALES

Yep it's that time of year again. Myself, I do not go to many yard sales, not a morning person. If I happen to wake up earlier than normal and have enough time before opening the store I will consider checking out a few. I have found a few good things to buy that I can resell but usually not enough to account for the gas used.
Many people do love to go and find lots of goodies at a bargain as far as everyday type items that are wanted or needed. The good worthwhile stuff (Antiques/Collectibles) are usually priced a little high for resell, and I have found many items even priced higher than true retail. Having said that, there are a few, and I mean very few, that find that once in a lifetime deal.
Here are some photos and stories to showcase those few lucky individuals that have found the once in a lifetime treasure.

 

A British businessman bought five pieces of art for $5 at a garage sale in Las Vegas. It turns out that the yard sale was thrown by a man whose aunt had been a care taker for Andy Warhol, and this signed drawing was probably completed by Andy Warhol when he was only 10 years old. The sketch is worth upwards of $2 Million. 

 

 

This huge folk art jug in the Pennsylvania / Ohio style was acquired at a Shriner's yard sale for less than $50. It's marked with roman numerals to indicate it's capacity -- 20 gallons! It's from the 19th-century and has a current appraised value of $100K-$150K.

 

 

This 18th century mahogany card table was snagged at a garage sale for $25 and sold at a Sotheby's auction 30 years later for $541,500. It was one of only six intricate tables made by legendary Boston furniture makers John Seymour and Son.

 

 

A man bought two boxes at a garage sale for $45 after bickering the seller down from $70. He kept them under his pool table for several years before opening them up to find he had acquired 65 glass plate negatives from Ansel Adams' early days of nature photography. The collection of mostly Yosemite photos is worth $200 Million.

 

 

This record was snagged from the bottom of a heap of vinyls for only 75 cents at a Manhattan flea market in 2002. It turned out to be an in-studio acetate made during Velvet Underground's first recording session. The lucky finder put it on eBay and ended up fetching $155,401 for this rare 12-inch LP. Now that's what we call super groovy.

 

 

 

This beautiful antique mirror was purchased at a yard sale in New Mexico for only $2. It's an intricate piece made by Tiffany Studios in 1905 with an original Tiffany's glass inset and an appraised value of $25,000. What a find!

 

 

A retired truck driver bought this abstract painting for $5 (down from a listing price of $7) from a thrift shop in San Bernardino, California in the early 1990s. It turns out it could be a real Jackson Pollock piece with a value of nearly $50 Million. The owner more recently inspired and starred in a documentary about the painting called "Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock".

 

 

When an Ohio woman bought this sparkly piece at a yard sale for $5, she thought it was costume jewelry. She later had the pendant appraised and found out it's worth nearly $10,000. 

 

 

This might be the best return on a $3 garage sale investment... ever. This 5-inch bowl that a family bought back in 2007 was appraised by Sotheby's at $200K-$300K, but a London dealer ended up buying the 1000 year old bowl for $2.225 Million. It's one of only two known pieces of it's same design and size made by the Northern Song Dynasty. The other bowl is displayed in the British Museum's collection.

 

 

 

WELL maybe I should reconsider the wee hours of mornings and hit the trail a running.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Springerle Cookies

The first day of spring and what do I think of, the tools used for making springerle cookies. These cookies are a favorite for making at Christmas time. So why do I think on this on the first day of spring? Well, no logical reason other than I just added some of these tools to the inventory and decided to share some history and photos of such.

 

Springerle are molded cookies with often intricate pictures. They are popular around Christmas and other holidays. Most often flavored with anise(licorice), sometimes with lemon.

Some history;  No one can pinpoint the exact historical origins of Springerle so here is what we do know.

Anise Cookies North of the Alps

Anisgebäck (anise - flavored baked goods) are hundreds of years old. "Aniskringel" were one of the early sacrificial foods after anise became available north of the Alps . Anise itself was prized as a spice and a medicine and grown in cloister gardens. This links anise to "Bildergebäck" or baked goods with pictures, which have been around even longer than Christianity. Church hosts (the bread the church gives out at communion) were a type of "Bildergebäck" in monasteries where Springerle possibly developed.

 

 

Springerle became popular in the 16th century, when white sugar became affordable due to European sugar plantations in the New World. The models were made from clay or stone and were already used for hundreds of years for decorating Lebkuchen, marzipan and objects such as beeswax candles and a type of salt dough decoration.

The name, Springerle possibly stems from the way the cookies rise in the oven - to spring is to jump, the same as in English.

"Änisbrötli" (Anise cookies) or "Springerle" have been baked in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Alsace ever since, with the molds most often cut from pear wood.

In the late 16th ceentury the molds were often self-portraits or portraits of royalty. City and family coat's-of-arms were also popular. Also biblical scenes became popular, Christmas scenes especially. These scenes were often round and surrounded by a wreath of leaves. This was again divided into four parts by flowers, a grid of some sort, or pomegranates. This created panels for telling a story.
The period was a time where picture cookies and molds really expanded. To own beautiful models meant that a family could present their guests with beautiful baked goods, which may have helped their community standing. Competition developed whereby the families in a neighborhood tried to have the best cookies and molds.

This one-upmanship drifted over to governmental offices. Guild officers and administrative officials commissioned wooden molds for anise cookies, in order to properly represent their office or country. These models were highly decorated and had many details.

Other subjects were richly dressed women with fans and headdresses, cavalry officers in full regalia and pairs of lovers. Everyday events were also being depicted: woman with a spinning wheel, woman with her hens, maid with basket, hunter with game, animals and flowers. Some of these models were meant only to be fun and stylish.

Love motifs became popular: hearts, lovers, wedding coaches, babies in swaddling, fecundity symbols. They were given as presents to godparents and fathers.

1800s through Modern Era Motifs

 

Meanwhile, Springerle were baked year-round for every feast. Accordingly, molds were carved to show all kinds of events. The late Barock, known as Rokoko (ca. 1715-1789), was a time where a lot of decoration on every surface seemed to occur. More intricate molds were created, with rounded corners and graceful lines. The molds became smaller and daintier. Lovebirds, garlands of flowers and cupids also stem from this era.

During the Biedermeier period (ca, 1800 - 1850), household happiness became a theme. Simple and dainty motifs, friendship, love and naïveté were used. Because more people were using them, uncomplicated molds and less expensive production methods were needed. The molds depicting several motifs at once were created, with a simple frame as a guide for cutting. Manual laborers were also depicted.

Around 1849, new technology was used as inspiration. Steam engines and ships, and hot air balloons were popular motifs. But soon after, the handwork production of the cookies started to lag behind industrially produced sweets and chocolate products. It wasn't until the 1970s and the first plastic molds that Springerle made a comeback. Many of these molds are perfectly formed reproductions of the old, pear wood models.

 

 

Photos are Springerle Boards and Rolling Pins we currently have available.

Link for Springerle Cookie recipe:
http://germanfood.about.com/od/cookies/r/Swabian-Springerle-Recipe.htm

Collections

Can you ever have too many collections? 
 
Some might think so, but I am constantly looking and finding things that speak to me. But as we all know, we have limited space to display past colletions and then add new collections, so how is it possible?

Well somehow, if you are like me, you move one item and it starts a domino effect and new vignettes are created. Plus I sometimes just need to rearrange things around the house for my own viewing pleasures. Amazing how some of the goodies have a totally new look and feel when placed in a different location or way.

Then you discover that a new goodie that was just found seems to belong in this new display, and of course where the item was before now needs a refreshing and affords more opportunity there also. 
 
An example, find some inexpensive old frames of various sizes and make a new vignette. Or how about several identical frames in varying sizes hung inside of each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then again you could hang a frame on the wall and hang a fancy plate inside.

 

Perhaps you have been looking thru some magazines and  saw where

 a small grouping of trophies are displayed and you love the feel and look so now you have the desire for a small display in your home. Have you convinced yourself yet that it won't take up to much space?

 

 

 

        

Never ever ever be afraid to mix different collections together for an interesting vignette either. Items that normally wouldn't be combined can make a thought provoking moment for the viewer and a good walk down memory lane perhaps.



Not sure if items will look good together, than do a trial run and step back to inspect.

 

unframed Oil Painting, Mini Oil Lamps, IronGrate used as a shelf, and a Mini Pot filled with Beaded Flowers etc

Minnow Bucket, Wire Basket, and Marble Eggs. Normally not related but warm together. Maybe memories to the owner of growing up on the farm doing chores and fishing with Grandpa?

Just have an open mind, display family heirlooms, be creative, re purpose, enjoy change, make a personal statement, or just fill your home with what speaks to you.