Vintage Dish Towels...Tablecloths...Barkcloth Fabric

For the past two days, my sister Lorraine & I, have been listing & laundering. Laundering old linens & listing them on eBay. We made this fabulous find at an estate. The woman must have had a fetish for linen kitchen/tea towels (there were over 150 of them). I've never seen anything like it. I own about 10 dish towels & use only a few (thanks to the dishwasher). But...as I was laundering these towels...I started to really appreciate the beauty of these vintage textiles. So Pretty...Here are a few of our favorites...

SOUTHERN LADY KITCHEN/TEA TOWEL...

RED ROSES KITCHEN/TEA TOWEL...



In addition to towels, there were about 25 tablecloths. Here is one...we love & think it's from the 1970's "Flower Power Era". Cheerful & Bright & much needed at this time of the year.

FLOWER POWER TABLECLOTH...



The woman must have sewn because there were about 100 pieces of fabric. Barkcloth, linen, cotton from every decade since the 1940's. Here are two of our favorite pieces of barkcloth:

VINTAGE BARKCLOTH...FARM SCENE...



VINTAGE BARKCLOTH...ROSES...



And last, but not least... and sooooo Anthropologie Like...

VINTAGE STRAWBERRY APRON...


If you love old linens check out our eBay Store here: http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/.

Check back daily...We hope to list a few each day.

Laundering & Listing...
Kathleen Sforza & Lorraine Sforza Razzano

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)

http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Headband, Headbands, & More Headbands....

Spring 2010 jewelry is looking very retro to me. Flashback early 80's with a bit of Chanel thrown in.

Today, Me & my girls (my sister Lorraine & my nieces Alexis & Ashley, & Alyssa), spent the day in NYC buying jewelry for Spring. I took my nieces to get a feel for what the 16, 19, & 21 year olds like. Usually they "HATE" going into the wholesale jewelry stores. They are very, very small & there are racks & racks of costume jewelry from floor to ceiling. It can be a bit overwhelming to say the least. I like to get input from them. Shockingly...What I love is not necessarily what they love?!?!?

Like I said, in a previous post...everything is looking Very Coco Chanel. Loooooooong Necklaces. Lots of pearls...ribbons...lace. Over-sized Rings shaped like flowers & angel wings (one of my favorite). I personally like the look of black & gunmetal necklaces. My nieces also seem love everything black. Black a fashion must & is always in fashion.

The girls are really into headbands. The funkier the better! Lots of Jewels...Big Feathers...Touches of Lace.

Here are a few of my Favorite Headbands for Spring...

Retro Black & White Polka Dots...



Large Bold Blue Feather Flower...



Sequined & Beaded Gorgeous Grey Applique...



My Favorite Color Amber...



Black with Amber Polka Dots...



Amber Feathered Flower...



Fuschia Pink... matches nicely to a limited edition VIVA GLAM Lipstick named after celebrity spokesperson Lady Gaga.




All of these headbands are available here: http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com

When I shop for jewelry, I feel like a kid in a candy store. I want everything...but I only have X amount of money to spend. Stay tuned for some fabulous necklaces & bracelets...

Wishing for Spring...
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)
http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Snow Snow Go Away...

Today we are having another snowstorm. So Pretty to look out...but very heavy to shovel. Opened my store today...wondering "Why am I here?" Then, Tony my UPS driver, arrives with two boxes...I rush to open them up & Suddenly Spring has arrived...

The handbags I ordered a few weeks ago at the Accessories Show are now arriving & I'm loving them. I so want to ditch the heavy dark leather bag I'm carrying & fling one of these lightweight fun color bags & fly away (preferably somewhere WARM).

Here's a sneak peek...

iMoshion Bag in three fabulous colors & available right now in my eBay store:
http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com

Beautiful Blue...

Gorgeous Green...



Yummy Yellow...



All trimmed in Chocolate Brown.

Tomorrow I'll photograph some of the fabulous bags made from recycled denim. Love them too!!!

Warmest Regards,
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)
http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

RX for the winter blahs...

Every year, at this time of the year, I start to feel blah... The cold starts to get to me...I can't seem to motivate myself to do much of anything...Half the time, I think I may have some kind of serious disease (God forbid). Maybe, just maybe...I have the "Winter Blues". Symptoms include tiredness, sleepiness, lack of energy, imaginative aches & pains, always hungry, always cold...

My cure...a cozy throw (like the one above "Luxemburg" from Manual Woodworkers & Weavers available for sale in my eBay Store: http://kathleenrosescollection.com, something hot to drink (my fav "Hot Chocolate), my computer (shopping online), a television, a good book (my pick right now chick lit..."Savannah Blues" by Mary Kay Andrews), and of course...my bed.

Maybe the bears have it right...hibernate and..."Wake me when it's Spring."

At my store...Spring is calling & new items are arriving daily.

Here's a sneak preview of the 2010 Byers' Choice Caroler® figurines that will be arriving at my store Town & Country Gifts or in my eBay Store: http://kathleenrosescollection.com

Valentine Girl

Wedding Party



Time for Tea

Looking forward to Spring...

Warmest Regards,
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts,
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
http://kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)
http://lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Love is in the Air...2010 Annalee Valentine Dolls have arrived at Town & Country Gifts

Throughout history there have been many a poet who spoke of love...Yeats, Browning, Tenneyson, Shakespeare... My favorite quotes are more whimsical.

A few of my Favorites...

"All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!" Lucy Van Pelt, in Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz

Soooo True....

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." A. A. Milne, from Winnie the Pooh

Soooo Sweet...

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." Author Unknown

Soooo I don't know...

All this...to let you know that Annalee Valentine Dolls have arrived at our store. They are soooo cute & are selling out fast. Here are a few of my favorites...

Thinking of You Mouse

Victim of Love Cupid



Sweetie Pie Chef Mouse


Sweetie Pie Girl Mouse



and finally...I Love You Mouse

Happy Valentine's Day!

Warmest Regards,
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-827

Websites:
http://kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)
http://lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Accessories the Show 2010

My first show of 2010...Yaaaaaaay...

I always get excited when January comes around...Time for me (the shopaholic) to do what I was Born to Do...SHOP!!!

The first show of the year is one of my favorites. WHY??? HINT...What two items always fit?

Handbags & Jewelry, of course! (Unlike JEANS...I've never found a handbag or a piece of jewelry that didn't fit.) So, the Accessory Show, is "My Favorite Show".

My personal likes & dislikes for Fashion Accessories for 2010...

I'm loving...Pearls, Pearls, & more Pearls. Mixed with some crystal strands in shades of cream, pink, grey & black. Add a little lace...Long & Short. Although...I think that Long is the way to Go! Think Chanel!!!

Headbands, Headbands, & more Headbands...Feathered & Jeweled...very important this Spring! How do I know??? My nieces and their friends all seem to be wearing headbands.





Personally, I do not like handbags that have a designer's initials all over. I like designer bags, but I do not want them to shout who they are. I like a subtle approach, perhaps an initial charm alla Michael Kors has M & K. And I do love his bags!

I also like a little bling...Not surprisingly, people might say it is because I come from Staten Island, NY. So check back to soon to see some of "My Favorite Bags for Spring".

Warmest Regards,
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
http://kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)
http://lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Making Moments...New Year's Resolution

Make each moment special...



Make each moment count...


For happiness comes from... a lifetime of moments.

This year I've decided I will make only one New Year's Resolution.

I will focus not on myself, but on others.

Simply said...

I will live by God's Golden Rule....

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."



Happy New Year!

Warmest Regards,
Katheen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
http://kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)
http://lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)