Take-A-Boo on the Move to 2064 Avenue Road (just across from Bruno’s Fine Foods)

Yikes… we are moving our packed to the rafters (literally) shop from 1927 Avenue Road to a bigger, brighter location at 2064 Avenue Road (just across from Bruno’s Fine Foods) as of June 1st. We’ll be two blocks north on the west side of the street.

We thought we knew what tired was. Boy were we wrong. Martin has been an absolute trooper. I sure don’t have his stamina. He’s been going full tilt for four weeks now.

It’s been a crazy 6 weeks – negotiating and signing the new lease, cleaning up the new place, coordinating the move and the biggest job of all – the move.

The clean up has been extensive as a Chinese grocer was in the space before us. Thank God for Caruso Rentals on the Danforth. They had a great price on a floor maintainer, shop vac and paint sprayer and seem to know us by name now.

A special shout of to our good friends, Barney McNeilly (who declined a CBC interview on a recent high profile crime so he could man the paint sprayer in the new digs) and Rose Davidson. They’ve really pitched. Above and beyond the call of duty.

Plus, Graham Trimble turned up yesterday to help with some moving. 

We can’t thank them enough for their support. I think they felt sorry for us as the job is unfathomably massive for the two of us.

Denis The Mover is the absolute best. His guys have worked into the night getting the big pieces into the shop.

Now we just have to get those bathtubs up the road before June 1st.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

Vintage Jewelry Expert Leigh Leshner guests on Let’s Talk Antiques

Leigh Leshner was a good sport on today’s radio show Let’s Talk Antiques on The VoiceAmerica Channel. There were technical difficulties and the phone connection was lost four times during the one-hour broadcast. One of the pitfalls of live radio.  They were successful in getting in a few words about vintage jewelry.

Martin’s blood pressure was sky high during the whole thing. Hopefully, it will come down soon.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

 

Let’s Talk Antiques Premiering February 5, 2007

We’re looking forward to Martin’s first show next week on The VoiceAmerica Channel. The press release is out.  The link under new shows is up at The VoiceAmerica Channel. The promotion is continuing. Looking forward to next week.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

Take-A-Boo Emporium replates silverplate and repairs sterling silver

We’re back from our Christmas break and looking forward to 2007.

I guess we aren’t busy enough with our cording, rushing and caning repairs, furniture restoration, consulting and custom upholstery because we’re introducing silverplating in 2007.

Why?  Because lots of people have worn silverplate trays, trophies, candlesticks and sorry looking silverplate, and have come in to ask if we can help them. Now we can.

We’ll  also repair any dents that it might have and re-attach any broken handles, feet etc.

Plus, we are able to repair sterling silver; repair any dents or re-attach any broken handles, feet etc. that it might have.

Returning it all to its original sparkling glory.

Phew…looks like it’ll be another busy year.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

Heard About Freddy & Ma from Debbie Weil’s VoiceAmerica Channel The Corporate Blogging Show

I’ve added a Freddy & Ma handbag to my Christmas wish list.

I heard about Freddy & Ma while listening to a podcast that I downloaded to my Ipod last weekend and just got around to listening to this weekend.

It was a VoiceAmerica Channel’s (yes the same VoiceAmerica Channel that our show will appear on in Feb 2007) internet radio show The Corporate Blogging Show with Debbie Weil.  Debbie and her guestTypePad General Manager Michael Sippey talked about ”How to Get Started With A Corporate Blog.”

Michael mentioned a TypePad blog by Freddy & Ma who make custom handbags. Intrigued I checked out their site.

Can’t wait to hang a Freddy & Ma creation on my handbag caddy.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

Country Home features Collins Design books on vintage Christmas ornaments

We’re fans of Country Home’s feature on Ralph Del Pozzo and David High, authors of the books ReCollections: Christmas Ornaments and ReCollections: Christmasland (Collins Design, $15 each).

Why? Because we love vintage ornaments too. We sell them in our shop, decorate our own tree with them and give them as hostess gifts during the Christmas season.

To learn more about vintage articles read A Christmas Tradition: Vintage Ornaments and The History of Christmas Ornaments and Holiday Gift Ideas for Antique Lovers.

Andrea Swinton
website www.takeaboo.com

Handbag Caddy Is The Answer To Home Spa Lady’s “Can Your Purse Make You Sick?”

My first thought was yucky when I read the Home Spa Lady’s post about Can Your Purse Make You Sick? But when I thought about it, I’m not too surprised. I already try to keep mine on by lap on the subway, use hooks in washroom stalls  and when I can I use by handbag caddy, but I’ll certainly be more conscious about where I put my bag.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

Bloggers Like Antique Expert Martin Swinton’s articles

We’re flattered to see bloggers like our articles enough use them. Thanks to Anders, Antiques or Collectibles, Shop Antiques Blog, Antiques and Collectibles and Gift Ideas for liking them so much that you’ve posted them on your blogs.

Andrea Swinton
www.takeaboo.com

Oprah’s 0 magazine mentions Harper Collins author Winifred Gallagher’s It’s in the Bag

I smiled when I read Valerie Monroe’s Reading Room column in the November 2006 issue of  Oprah’s O magazine. It profiled Winifred Gallagher’s book It’s in the Bag published by Harper Collins. She mentions that ”Queen Elizabeth carries a little piece of twisted, S-shaped gold, which she hooks on a table’s edge at formal dinners to hang her evening bag.”

Sounds to me a lot like the handbag caddy that we sell at Take-A-Boo that I’m always raving about. Okay, ours are pewter, not twisted gold. But, swear to God, whenever and wherever I pull mine out in a restaurant invariably women stop to ask me about it.  Didn’t know that I had something in common with the Queen of England - a desire to keep our handbags off the floor.

Andrea Swinton 
website www.takeaboo.com

Take-A-Boo exhibited at Canadian Home and Country Show

We survived our first trade show, the Canadian Home and Country Show this past weekend. We met a lot of great exhibitors – AnnMarie from Camlen, the ladies from Echos in the Attic, the sisters from Something Cozy, Carmen from Caviar and Cobwebs (hope to get out to Port Perry to visit her some time soon) and the Shortbread Lady to name a few. We received many compliments on our booth (that made us feel good since we are newbies at this trade show thing)and handed out more than 2,500 postcards promoting our river cruise antiquing adventure to France next summer. Talked to lots of people, generating interest in the trip. We promoted the furniture restoration and caning, rushing and cording repairs side of our business since caning restorers are particularly hard to find. We expect we’ll get some business from the show just on the caning side of things.  Got a few nibbles on our beautiful antique rocking horse circa 1850s that we featured at the show; one person is thinking of it to hold her riding saddle, another for her palladian windows in her great room. Both would be great uses for this one of a kind antique gem. Martin even ran into Judith Miller . He mentioned to her that items from our shop have been featured in her Price Guides going back to 2003 and invited Judith to be a guest on the radio show he will host on VoiceAmerica Channel in 2007.

Andrea Swinton                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                website takeaboo.com