Christmas at Brissonte

C'mon down and get your Christmas on at Brissonte.

Antique radiator ... didn't last in the store but a day!

Just wanted to post a few pictures of a lovely antique radiator that sat on the shop floor for less than a day before being purchased.

Decorative Bird Cages from Brissonte

Bird cages, sans birds, are becoming quite popular in home decor these days. Brissonte's been collecting antique bird cages for awhile now and we'd like to show you what we have as well as how others are using bird cages as accent pieces. The first 5 bird cages are at Brissonte' in Lawrence. Also included some pictures from a few other blogs highlighting bird cage decor.

Enjoy!








This picture below was featured in a fabulous post by Boston's own Marni Katz over at StyleCarrot.

Definitely check out Marni's post on this.



The above picture was on PointClickHome:

Recently, we’ve been seeing birdcages just about everywhere. No longer just a decorative accessory or home for a feathered friend, birdcages are being turned into pieces for a host of other functions. And one of our latest favorites is this chic birdcage pillar holder. At an impressive 31″ tall, this is a dramatic piece for a table centerpiece and a great way to add height and visual interest to a basic console.

Bird Cage Pillar Holder, $31; ConranUSA.com

Check out a new magazine, online called LONNY

Hey there, check out this new magazine online called Lonny, these lovely images came from the home of textile designer Caroline Irving. Many of the homeowners profiled profess to be flea market aficionados.

Guest Blogging at Brissonte: Check out what's in the store

Decorative Anchor Plate from 181 Canal Street, the building that houses Brissonte - there is beauty everywhere!

Crowns have been showing up lately as decorative accents and Brissonte has quite a collection. July 2009 House Beautiful had two pages on crowns, must get that and post it. Click on this picture and you'll get a close up of Colleen's crown collection:

The crown below was on one of my favorite blogs, Desire to Inspire:

Below we have a vintage metal office chair, fully restored with luscious gray mohair from Brissonte:

Shot of chair without Brissonte back drop:

Here are some other chairs that were featured in posts over at Desire to Inspire:

Brissonte's first guest blogger

Good Morning, my name is Christine and I discovered Brissonte' almost two years ago. There are so many reasons to love Brissonte' but my number one reason is the warm welcome you get when you walk in the door. For those of you readers who are local to the area, there are precious few places to shop vintage in Lawrence and Colleen provides a great launching pad for adventurous souls who desire to know the city of Lawrence better. Brissonte' is located in the heart of The Old Cotton Weaving House and is within walking distance to other places of interest: Lawrence Heritage State Park,New Balance Factory Outlet Store and Fisichelli's Bakery, home of the world's best macaroons.

Colleen and I differ on many design choices and I put together this Venn Diagram to help explain where we come together

I have learned a lot from hanging out with Colleen and her cool daughter, Erin. The most important lesson is keeping an open mind, design-wise and other. You never know what you will find there.

I am going to share with you some of my favorite parts of Brissonte' and give reference to some other design/decor blogs that provide my inspiration. Colleen is too busy in front of her sewing machine to read blogs all day. I, on the other hand, have a very bad blog-habit.

Here's the Brissonte'/Lawrence version:

Linen covered settee with two chairs

From the blog SoSylvie, via a mention on Decorno:

I hope to be doing a post on Halloween offering very soon, till then,

keep punching

Things I really like!

Yep, it's been a looooong time between posts again. I am way too busy and need HELP!!!!

So tonight I decided to take a couple of shots of two displays in the shop, then load them and RUN.....

There's laundry to do - MINE! I'm running out of undies! That's never a good thing.

Faux Food

I must confess ......... I LOVE faux food !

My cake stands are filled with yummy faux treats.

Lately I have been sewing cakes for

myself and the shop.

I love the way they look. They make any room feel like company is coming.

Won't you take a moment and share a treat with me?

Vintage Feedsack Tote Bags

Ahhhh ……. We’ve been absentee bloggers for a wee bit. A wee bit! Nope, we did not run away for parts unknown. While running away to the northern hills of Vermont has a certain allure, I do believe I would miss the hustle and bustle of life. Needless to say we have been absorbed with obligations, situations, and sadly a lack of motivation. You know how life can overwhelm even the most stalwart of us.

So…….. Here’s what we have been working on!

These feedsack totes are made using vintage feedsacks. Each is fully lined, trimmed with black burlap and extra long sturdy 40" handles. You can easily use this over the shoulder or across your shoulder. Each one is approximately 13" deep x 18" wide with a 4 1/2" wide base.


Perfect for grocery shopping or for the Flea Market!I LOVE that each bag is unique, recycled, somewhat faded, worn, with a few holes and tells a tale. We just received more vintage bags - no wonder my hands are itching to sew.

We will be listing them at our Etsy shop www.brissonte.etsy.com. Of course, you can always contact us directly at brissonte@gmail.com

My God richly bless your day.

Colleen

For thy weary head...Pillows!

It's hard to believe that it has been so long since our last blog update. Does anyone know what happened to February? Unfortunately for us, we have been trading illnesses for most of the month, which is one of the reasons we have been mia. Apologies! We are so touched by all of you welcoming us so warmly to the blog world. Thank you!

I have a “thing” for pillows. At home each sofa has its very own assortment bought or created by me expressly for it. Needlepoint is a favorite and I have collected numerous finished vintage needlepoint canvases just waiting to be fashioned into beautiful pillows. Then there are those opulent silk pillows that beckon....relax with me and don’t forget your book. Let’s not forget those new fabrics made to be oh so soft. Those pillows beguile you to rest your head for a moment. "Zzzzzzz....", excuse me, was that me snoring??? Since I cannot get enough pillows, we decided to create them for the shop. Enjoy these photos of our beautiful new pillows designed exclusively for Brissonte’.

I am in love...IN LOVE...with this pillow. For a while now, making pillows out of vintage feed sacks has been all the rage, and I must admit I love the look. So last summer I went crazy locating as many vintage feed sacks as I could find (a task much more difficult than I expected it to be). After much searching we finally amassed a small collection that we are now making into pillows and handbags. So chic! $79.00

Here at Brissonte' we are currently obsessed with brown and blue. Love this color palette!

These pillows have a lovely sheen to them. Anything shiny and sparkly is good in my book.

This color scheme is so French Country.

This vintage cross-stitch was too lovely to let fade into obscurity. Now it finds new life as a pillow. Rescuing and up-cycling vintage items is one of our favorite things to do. $49.00.

~Colleen & Erin

For information on purchasing any of the pillows shown above, please contact us at brissonte@gmail.com.

All images copyright Colleen and Erin Perry. Please do not use without permission. Thank you!

Extra-ordinary Pincushions

Pincushions! I have never met a pincushion I did not long to pick up and examine and think about purchasing. The more unique the cushion, the more attracted I am. I have several books about them on the bookshelf too. Recently I went through a bag of orphaned china pieces thinking I would create something really cool. So there I am staring into the bag, and my brain is perking, the smell of coffee is in the air, and eureka! Those poor orphaned teacups, creamers, sugar bowls, and planters have found new service as Pincushions. Each one is unique. All are decorated with handmade ribbon flowers, trimmed with vintage beads or charms and individually decorated. Wow, don’t you just love them? Please let me know what you think!

~Colleen

This pincushion is available for purchase at our etsy shop: www.brissonte.etsy.com

This pincushion is available for purchase at our etsy shop: www.brissonte.etsy.com

This pincushion is available for purchase at our etsy shop: www.brissonte.etsy.com

For information on purchasing one of the pincushions not listed on etsy, please contact us at brissonte@gmail.com and we will be happy to assist you. Thanks very much!

All pictures and designs copyright Colleen and Erin Perry. Please do not reproduce without permission. Thank you.

Moments that bring joy to your soul....

It's snowing out today here in Massachusetts....again. It's February, which means that the moment I hear the word "snow" my face immediately scrunches in displeasure. Gone is the wonder and beauty of our white christmas, and all that seems to remain is ice, slush, and sand. The snow banks on the side of our driveway are already taller than my 5'6", and the driveway itself is covered in a 2 inch layer of ice from a previous storm. Shoveling at the Perry household is now a circus act, clowns included, and we're considering taking it on the road. Might as well make some money if we're going to be breaking ankles.

In spite of all of the cold, gloom, and cabin fever, there is an undeniable beauty to winter. I love the stillness that envelopes the world in the midst of a storm. Outside my window the snow falls quietly, no people, cars, or animals to disturb the peace, and everything feels so serene. These are moments of reflection and prayer. Looking out at the cold, I can't help but feel thankful for my warm home.

I am thankful for our neighbor, who saw us struggling and rushed over to rescue us with her kindness and giant snow-blower. Without her help, I fear we might still be out there, shoveling away. I am thankful for our two beautiful cats, who love us unconditionally and never cease to drive us crazy meowing for attention when we get home from work. And I am thankful for all of the truly beautiful people in this world that never cease to inspire me to be a better person. Several days ago my mother and I were leaving our favorite McDonalds and saw the scene pictured below: an employee carefully leading two elderly ladies over the ice in the parking lot. Truly beautiful.

~Erin