Burning the Midnight Oil at Trish's Flower Shop.

Ad-Free Blog

(Trish has been working very hard and burning the midnight oil to get ready for opening tomorrow, but first she filmed a post for her website.)

Come on in for a sneak peek. Of course we are getting ready for Valentine's Day---but we just had 8" of new snow, it like dusted for 4 days here in Chicago.

I've always loved doing the window first! We have a pink, red, and purple theme going on here.

Glass bottles or Demi-johns are still a great choice for minimalist decor, here just a few roses and some tulips with greens. 

Of course there are lots of ROSES and HEARTS!

I did do a Faux rose wreath for outside, but it's so cold out now!

I try to have one statement piece in the shop---this is also done with faux flowers and some dried products.

My shop is small, but I have a huge backroom and an office to work with clients. Now that Covid is over there is LOTS of Wedding Work...and my dates are filling up fast for 2023.

This display wall has fresh flowers, plants, candles and accessories. Of course we have free cards for any purchase and my wild flower seeds.

The new iridescent vases just came in---as did the candles below. Scents from top shelf, Heartnotes(smells like candy hearts, and lower left to right are 

Hot Heart(Spicy Cinnamon), Kisses in the Dark(Sandlwood and Patchouli), and ForgetMeNot (mixed floral), all perfect for the month of February!

I keep a kettle of fresh flowers here, and that is a very pink metal pot.

The cooler is full of flowers for the theme and ready made fresh arrangements. We will be doing lots of custom work for Valentine's Day, but also for other customers.

My faux tulips and roses make a great statement for the season!

I also have two coolers in the back room, full of finished arrangements and lots of materials and flowers for orders. I have a new gal who has been madly working for me, she's great. So, tomorrow I can man the desk and meet with all my friends and everyone who walks in. 

I think we are ready...all the new electrical in the back seems to be working and the new desk and work wall is a dream. Russell installed more outlets and some new overhead LED lighting which is wonderful, because it is natural and doesn't change the colors of flowers or ribbons at all----YAY!

I think we are ready????

Thanks for viewing on my website, I hope to see you tomorrow!

Come pick out something for your Sweetheart tomorrow!

TONIGHT is my last night in St. Charles, 

tomorrow night I sleep in my new apartment at the GrandView.

Phew, but now a long drive home and special thanks to Ian for taking all the photos my website.

(More SHOP PREVIEWS-NEXT)

The Nitty Gritty: Materials and Sources

Trish's Shop: cardboard, contact paper, scrapbook paper bricks, floor-cut scrapbook paper planks, acrylic windows with wood outside trim, doors hand made and painted, plastic interior trim, lighting a globe mini light strand,  

All fixtures are made by me:

Cooler-a drawer divider with added shelves and lighting. Track is plastic channel with real sliding acrylic doors.

Cabinetry is all made from phone boxes and contact paper, and scrapbook paper accents.

Floral Arrangements: 

Roses and flowers: Paper Roses and tulips(Aliexpress), others are different materials, greens are cut from a variety of faux greenery from Michaels or thrift stores (I also have a huge stash of floral products)

Containers: Glass bottles from $$ store, Michaels or thrift stores, acrylic bead filler (I also use these for ice)

Vases:drawer knobs, bottle caps, glass bottles, tin, and thrifted mini's 

porcelain vases circa 1950 porcelain and red pot from thrift stores.

Candles---(faux) glass, washi tapes, and matching bottle caps trays. 

Printed Materials: printed from the internet, size adjusted to be 1:6.

I use hot glue at the moment and wire, floral foam with moss as a coverup to make my arrangements, because I'm in an unventilated environment. Alene's tacky glue is another possibility. All arrangements are anchored with sticky foam or tape to the shelves---for sanity sake.

Trish (Mattel Jurassic Park) and mis-matched outfit is from thrift store finds. 

If you enjoyed this post(s), please join me by email- at FOLLOW IT---in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or products shown, or from where I shop. 

Please Join me at these Fine Blog Parties!

Metamorphisis Monday

Handmade Monday

Love Your Creativity

Vintage Charm

Wonderful Wednesday

Beautifully Made

Share Your Style

Thursday Favorite Things

Create Bake Grow Gather

Home Matters

Craftastic Monday

 Please do not use my photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi






barbieoldnewgreenredo

Vickie and Trish Wait and WAIT, and now a SPECIAL?

 

Ad-Free Blog

Waiting is DIFFICULT!

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: I'm here today in front of Vickie's Vintage and Trish's Blue Sprinkling Can Garden Center. Twelve weeks ago, two businesses were interrupted by a cave-in exposing a crime scene almost a century old. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: Did you get that, Ian, or should we do it again?

Ian: No, that is good, keep going.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: Here on the Northside a cave-in disrupted two active businesses as their parking lots, basements, and work areas fell into prohibition tunnels which labyrinth under the quiet streets of this near  north side neighborhood of Chicago. 

At one time this neighborhood had a thriving 'mob' culture with a speak-easy on every corner, illegal liquor distribution, and several gangland shootings.  Eyewitness News was here on the spot when these tunnels were first discovered as well as two deceased victims. The history of those victims found in the tunnels is a story in itself. 

I'm here with Vickie of Vickie's Vintage which has been closed all this time while the deaths and the tunnels have been investigated and the damage repaired. Vickie, when can you expect your establishment will be able to reopen?

Vickie: This has been quite the experience, my staff and I wish to thank all of our loyal customers for continuing to support us through- out this ordeal. We hope to be able to open by February 1, meanwhile the website is still up and running bringing you as much merchandise as we can possibly list and ship. We do still have some delivery services available.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: Was it hard to not be open for the holiday season?

Vickie: It was different and interesting, but so many of our customers on-line shopped, we were very busy.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

But in person is always the best way to shop our vintage and new clothing and accessories. So come on down, when we are open.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Vickie: Carly, Zoe, El and myself can't wait to see you all.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: I'm also here with Trish from Trish's Blue Sprinkling Can and Garden Center. Trish, I'm sure the neighborhood missed your wonderful selection of holiday decorations and Christmas Trees. 

Trish: Thanks, Teresa. We still had several locations connected to my family's farm in Chicago. We were lucky enough to find a lot nearby for all the extra trees we weren't able to sell here. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Trish: Like Vickie, we were able to carry-on with special orders, as well as all the weddings, parties, and events we had booked. 

Teresa: Well, that's good. What kind of damage did your shop and work area sustain from the cave in?

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Trish: Our delivery van had to be towed out of one of the holes and had some damage and a wall was totally compromised and had to be rebuilt in my workroom. Most of the damage has been to the back of the building and not visible from here.

Teresa: Thanks again, Trish, we will all be ready to shop when you are open. This is Teresa for Eyewitness news Channel 7, Chicago. 

If you are interested in this Northside tunnel mystery, visit our website for updates and my special,  The Valentine's Day Tunnel Sweethearts, which will be broadcast on February 13th at 8PM. 

A few minutes later, Detective Joe greets Teresa.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: Hi, Detective Joe. Are you finally wrapping up your case? We are so anxious to get in and get some more film for the special. Are you able to take us down tonight? Ian is here, we could do it now?

Joe: Yes, the case is a wrap, and now is good. The tunnels have been repaired and will  be sealed up again, tomorrow. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Joe: I'll meet you at home, this shouldn't take too long. Don't you want to come in too?

Vickie: Noooooo! I'm still too creeped out to go down there again, until that wall is sealed off. Good luck, and I can't wait to get back to normal, with the shop open and your overtime hours, cut!

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Joe: Yep, I don't know whose career this case is going to make, mine or Teresa's. But, ya, gotta love the press; good, bad, and well, she's not ugly.

Vickie: No, she's not. Teresa's a sweetie, so behave and be nice! 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: Ian, we can go into the tunnels tonight. Please check all your gear, and Joe says the work lights are still there, so we don't have to drag any lamps in.

Teresa: Joe, can we just do a few quick questions for the special out here?

Joe: Sure, Teresa. Fire away!

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: I'm here with Detective Joe who was first on the scene of the tunnel collapse on the near Northside on November 5. Detective, can you describe to me the scene and damage you found last November.

Joe: I was just a block over when we felt the ground shake, and then a call went out to come to this address at Vickie's Vintage. Arriving here, we found the shop as well as the garden center vacated and all the staff and customers standing safely outside. Firetrucks and firemen had been called to the scene to appraise the situation and make sure that there were no gas leaks.

Once the scene was declared safe, we entered the lower level of this brick building and found a wall partially collapsed which exposed a dark space, later assessed to be one of almost a mile of prohibition tunnels.

Teresa: Did you know tunnels from the 1920's were common in this area?

Joe: Not at that time. We knew there were some along the alleys behind Green Bay Road, but not really here.

Teresa: Are you going to be able to show us this tunnel?

Joe: Yes, tonight will be the last time these tunnels in this neighborhood will be accessible. Just follow me.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Teresa: So let's follow Detective Joe, and step back in time to 1927 and visit the tunnels of prohibition Chicago, northside mobsters and molls,  and step into gangland life from a century ago. 

Cut.

Ian: Looks, good Teresa, let me get a few things from the van, and we are ready to go. 

(To be Continued)

If you enjoyed this post(s), please join me by email- at FOLLOW IT---in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or products shown, or from where I shop. 

Please Join me at these Fine Blog Parties!

 Please do not use my photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi






barbieoldnewgreenredo