TEDDY BEAR YARD ART

You never know what you'll find at estate sales. This house was totally trashed, walking over mounds of junk and garbage, nothing marked as there was little worth pricing, no electricity in the basement, so you had to get out your handy flashlight. I couldn't wait to get out of the house so I went out the back door so I wouldn't have to walk back through the house. There sat my treasures in the back yard. A 2 1/2 foot cement bear with his baby climbing up the tree. I fell in love immediately and started wheeling and dealing. Hubby happened to be with me, and bless his heart, he got that 300 pound bear into the van. He wasn't in perfect shape...hubby had to make him a new foot and he needed some touch up paint. Then we were determined to get him a big stump to sit on...another 300 pound venture. Baby bear decided to climb up the architectural column in the yard as it all came together. 

ANTIQUE BING TEDDY BEAR WHEELED TOY

I was so thrilled at one of my newest acquisitions, a most wonderful antique pull toy. Most surely made by Bing, dating to 1900. The little bear is covered in mohair and is attached to a metal bell toy on wheels. The first time I saw one of these was at the Chelsea Teddy Bear and Toy Museum in Chelsea, Mich. I took pictures, and actually, this little toy was in one of my pictures on a previous blog about the museum. I was so excited to actually find one.

KITTIES HAVE THEIR OWN ANTIQUE FAINTING COUCH

Ohhh, those bad kitties. They just can't leave my antiques alone. They cuddle with the bears and play with the toys, thankfully, they're very gentle. Recently I was getting ready to attend an antique show, taking the antiques off the shelves, deciding what to take. The doll fainting couch never made it to the show and quite frankly, I don't think it ever will. I thought it would be a novelty for them and they'd never look at it after the first day. Never think you know your cat. Both kitties have totally taken over the couch, using it every day. I couldn't think of selling it now (unless they give it up). You must admit...it fits them perfect. They also love the raggedys, and the rocking horse, and the checkerboard, and... pretty much anything they shouldn't be in to.

ANTQUE TEDDY BEARS HAVE A NEW CHECKERBOARD

While down in Florida this past winter, I came across this wonderful antique child's checkerboard table and chairs. I just knew the teddy bears would love it. I even found some old wood checkers for them. Made in Germany, I'm thinking early 20th century. All wood, and the chairs are covered in velvet. Too cute!

ANTIQUE TEDDY BEARS LOVE THEIR KITTIES

The antique teddy bears have two new friends. After losing our best buddy of 19 years, Calvin the cat, we recently rescued two new kitties. I know, they don't look like kitties, but Ollie and Otto are 10 month old brothers and best buds. Watching their crazy antics, tearing all around the house and getting into everything, I was a bit worried about the teddy bears. As it turns out, the kitties are so gentle with the bears. Of course, there's an occasional mishap of knocking one off his rocking horse, but luckily they don't view them as their toys. Instead, they like to cuddle up with them. My house has bears everywhere, not in glass cases where I know they should be. But this is my bear family...that's just the way I roll. Guess the kitties know that (they're so smart!).

VINTAGE SOCK MONKIES

My collecting habits are ever changing and after I acquire a new item, it seems like it starts a new collection. So be it with the vintage sock monkeys. I see them in an all new light as I realize that the vintage ones are all different. Being homemade by mothers, every one is different and so charming in their own right. Even though they're made of basically the same sock, they all have different expressions... fat, skinny, long tail, short tail, hats, clothes... on and on. The little green girl is a little different, made of men's dress socks and dressed in a vintage dress. The bears like to snuggle in with them as well as the cats. I'm sure there will be more to come.

ANTIQUE SHOOFLY ROCKING HORSE

I always have a hard time buying in Florida, but I always find a few fun things. At Mt. Dora, selling was good, buying was challenging, but persistence found me a couple of great things. My favorite was an antique shoofly rocking horse, early one. I love these rockers and I do already have a few, but this one I particularly liked due to its smaller size. It also has wonderful stenciling and remains of red paint. I guess I just can't resist these wonderful little rockers, and the bears just love it. This same dealer had some wonderful primitives and I also purchased (among other things) an early abacus. I've never seen one quite like this...I'm wondering if it's a homemade one. This will look great on the bears old school desk along with their bear books.