Growing, growing and finally Grown?

Just one of the rooms in C.J.s Antiques & Collectibles

I remember long, long ago in a galaxy far far away, we decided to take the plunge into the antique business. Well first we actually got our toes wet with a little shop next to our house which was about 300 square feet. Well we were hooked. Next thing you know we had 700 square feet in an antique mall in Ponchatoula Louisiana also know as "America's Antique City" and when we outgrew that we leased a 1200 square feet building. right across the street. Our next move when we saw a great old building on Railroad Ave for sale. We just wanted to take a peak inside but one look and we were hooked. It was perfect we were in love. The great open ceiling with cypress beams, it was the perfect place for an antique store, 5000 square feet we would never run out of space.(the open ceiling had some minor adjustments after two blistering summers followed by freezing winters and the utilities bills that came along with it).  Well 20 years later numerous additions and the acquisition of the building next door and we are now at 15,000 square feet. Along the way our family has grown our grandchildren know every nook and cranny of our shop. We've made lots of friends had loads of adventures and are looking forward to the next 20 years. Don't miss out stop by or make us a destination, we promise you can make a day of it. Bring the family its a great chance to give the kids a hands on history lesson. 

Summer Fun at C.J.s Antiques

Hot, hot, hot but who's complaining after that long icy cold winter I promised I would not complain about a long hot summer! The containers in front of C.J.s Antiques are filling up with new plants as so many of our old favorites bit the dust this winter. Our shop is full to the brim with some great stuff so if you haven't been here in a while it's time for a visit. You can keep up with us on facebook or get our seldom but important tweets. I know I know Antiques and computers unseemly isn't it. Lovers of the past can still appreciate the present. I can't help myself I love old stuff and the internet. I admit it is hard to keep up with both. Blogging, facebooking, tweeting can all become a full time job. But since C.J.'s only connection to the computer is Solitaire and he would still rather do business in person than on the telephone (that tells you where he is on the information super highway). Please, please check us out on facebook, follow our tweets and visit our website at www.cjsantiques.com so I won't feel like all my hard work is for naught.

Gardening & Antiques Go Hand in Hand

Looking for that perfect piece for your garden. Here at C.J.s Antiques we have great garden and porch chairs. We've got some great shabby chic benchs that would look great on a patio and plenty of farm tables made from reclaimed wood. Victorian style wheelbarrows made from reclaimed wood or great for containers. Found treasures that make great planters. Thinking outside the box when doing a container garden can come up with some great looks. Be on the look out for graniteware pots an pans. You can find ones with beautiful swirl patterns and if they have a few rust holes in the bottom you don't feel guilty about ruining an antique but you get to give it a new life in your garden. Cute old chairs with no bottoms make great plant stands just spray them with some clear sealer and they will last a long time. Pieces of ornamental iron make great trellis's or an old window frame covered in chicken wire make a beautiful setting for a fast growing vine like morning glories. If you find a lovely vase that has been chipped beyond repair a diamond drill bit with do the trick in putting a drain hole in the bottom and it becomes a great planter for window ivy. This is just a few ideas. The possibilities are endless. So come on out to Ponchatoula and visit us it's the perfect time of year to start

Ponchatoula Antique Trade Days Nov. 5th, 6th & 7th, 2010

Right around the corner Ponchatoula will be hosting the Ponchatoula Antique Trade Days & Arts - Craft Fair. This will be our biggest ever. Vendors from all over will be setting up Antiques & Collectibles, Fine Art, Crafts, Food featuring local cuisine, pastries, candys, cupcakes, strawberry jellies and much more. Great time to do some Christmas shopping. Children's activities include pony rides, inflatable slide as well as a free petting zoo. Live music on Saturday and Sunday afternoon provided by Rocky Denney & Lagniappe to here a sample of their music visit www.rockydenney.com. Free admission to this outdoor festival hosted in historic downtown Ponchatoula. We here at C.J.'s will be open from 9:00AM to 6:00PM and our porches will have plenty of seating space to relax and get your second wind. Don't miss it come on out and enjoy. For more information contact 1-800-617-4502 or visit www.ponchatoulachamber.com.

Antique & Vintage Jewelry Tips on Wearing and Displaying

Wow it has been a while since I have had a chance to blog. We just finished with our Ponchatoula Antique Trade Days & Arts -Crafts Fair this past weekend. It was a great success. We had some wonderful vendors with great items from all over the US. Don't miss this show always on the first full weekend in March and November, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We had some great vintage and antique jewelry dealers set up. Personally I love rhinestones and bakelite and have come up with some ideas to display and wear. Bakelite dress clips come in a variety of colors with some beautiful carving and because they do have a pinback they can be kind of difficult to wear. This usually makes them less expensive than pins. Try clipping them onto a cloth or leather necklace and they make beautiful pendants. You can also do the same thing with rhinestone broochs. Have you ever run across some gorgeous single earrings. You can find those very inexpensively at most shops and unless you are Melissa from Thirty Something it looks kind of funny to wear one earring. However it just takes a minute to snip the clip or screwback off and glue a pin back (you can get at any craft store) to the back and you have a beautiful little scatter pin. Try it with a few and wear them together, they look great. You can really dress up a little cloth purse with these or sew them on for a classy clasp. Have a lot of beautiful brooches sitting in your jewelry box so you can't really enjoy them. Buy a small pillow and pin them on it sit it up on your dresser. You can change colors for the seasons or your mood. Also I noted that chains and pearls together are going to be a hot new look. Antique stores are a great place to find long strands of faux pearls and chains at a great price. Many vintage strands of pearls have beautiful rhinestone clasp so wear the clasp to the front to show it off. . Personally I love rhinestone bracelets I think they look great with jeans wear more than one. They add glitz and glamour to any outfit. They also look great lain out on a vintage mirrored tray just sitting on your dresser. Vintage jewelry is so beautiful and versatile it just takes a little imagination to create a fabulous new look. Keep watching for more tips on your treasures. Visit us at http://www.cjsantiques.com/ We have a great selection of vintage and antique jewelry.

Stress free Holiday Shopping

Want a stress free shopping experience this Christmas. Come to Ponchatoula " America's Antique City". Not only do we have great Antiques & Collectible shops in Ponchatoula we have some wonderful boutiques and art galleries. Boutiques ranging from religious gifts, gifts for the Red Hatters, personalized embroidered gifts , handmade children's clothes, jewelry. Don't miss our jewel of a bead shop great prices on beads and findings to make your own creations this Christmas. Coming in on Railroad avenue check out the great selection of Fleur De Lis's in concrete besides all the wonderful garden statuary. Shops featuring original Art Pottery and original art. Have a budding artist in the family buy a gift certificate to take a class or visit the retail store an give them a gift basket of art supplies. Got a sweet tooth stop in our local bakery for some delicious treats or the cafe on the corner for some strawberry beignets. Local restaurants featuring the best of our local cusine. Visit our great open air produce market featuring wonderful gift baskets, already have some of our local strawberries in season. And don't forget a present from the past is always welcome. It's time to kick back and relax enjoy all Ponchatoula has to offer this Christmas season. All withing walking distance. Friday December the 4th the City has their annual Downtown Lighting many of the shops will be open late and serving refreshments. A special visitor will be at the Collinswood Museum he will be coming in on the fire truck at 6:00PM so bring the kids and your camera's.

Antiques Recycled Treasures Great Prices

You hear a lot of talk about going green, recycling and buying down in this economy. Probably one of the most overlooked areas is Antiques & Collectibles. What better way to save a tree than buy a piece of furniture that was built to last. When antique furniture was built or even manufactured natural resourses were plentiful, craftsmen were abundant and furniture was purchased to last a lifetime or more. This is what I call a two fer you get the oppurtunity to buy something that not only goes up in value but also is enviromentally friendly. Comparison shop old and new example we have a 5 piece depression era bedroom set (not technically an antique for about 21 years) with a double bed, vanity with stool, chest of drawers, nightstand on sale for $695.00 made from solid wood. This would make a great set for a guest room, teenager or newlywed. Now compare the workmenship to a new set with the same quality you have to be diligent in your homework when comparing to a brand new set, is it solid wood are just solid wood veneer over pressed wood. Is it really mahogany are just a mahogany finish. Some people shy away from antique furniture because most antique shops don't have the space to set the pieces up with mattresses and bedspreads pillows etc so you have to visualize what it will look like in your space. So use your imagination, save some money and buy quality at a much lower price. One of my favorite new trends is recycling wood you can buy some great pieces of furniture (we happen to have some) made from old wood. Another trend which is I like is buying individual chairs for a dining room vs a set. You can get some great buys on individual chairs that are not part of a set. Don't let chairs that has been repaired underneath scare you away if it is good repair and the chair is sturdy. Most guest won't be turning your chairs over to have a look. A tip when purchasing individual chairs for your dining room table measure, measure, measure. Insure the seats, backs and leg width of different chairs are the correct width to fit together at your table. Seat height is also important as this gives a more pulled together look. Remember if you have children think sturdy. Don't shy away from upholstered seats these are one of the easiest problems to solve don't like the fabric with some new fabric and a staple gun this is a simple, inexpensive do it yourself project A handy tool when shopping is bring your own measuring tape most shops provide them however just in case its nice to have your own. September is great time to visit us as we are kicking off Labor Day Weekend with storewide sales from 15-75% off. Check out a sampling of what we have to offer at http://www.cjsantiques.com/ 15,000 sq feet under one roof, open days a week 9AM - 6 PM including Labor Day. Until next time, keep watching for more tips and info.