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December 24, 2008

Merry, Merry Christmas Ya'll......






It is always a surprise to me when Christmas seems to come so quickly. It seems that Halloween is no sooner gone than the tree is up and the shopping begins! I was quite pleased this year when my grown daughter announced she wanted one each of the "things" I make under my Heart & Soul trademark. This includes the large tapestry purse, the Victorian sweater, and various jewlery pieces. I was surprised because, simply stated.....she is the Princess of Louis Vuitton and everything it stands for and represents in her life. It's not to say she is a snob by any sense of the imagination....she just loves them. In her defense....she grew up with me making things and has always admired my talent, just being accustomed to it and being able to have these things whenever she wanted. With the store, my lack of time, and the demand for these items she has been forced to the bottom of the list, and quite frankly, doesn't like it much.

I was deeply touched that she equated my items with her "finer" things and would be pleased and proud to own them. Any one that knows my daughter and myself realize what an incredible relationship we have....I tell her she is my heartbeat because she is. So take a peek at a couple of Krissi's presents....I think she is going to be very surprised.....I hope so because they were made "just for her". I love you Babygirl.....Merry Christmas!

December 9, 2008

I've Never Met a Piece of Old Lace I Didn't Love.....


Anyone that knows me very well realizes just how very much I love old linens and lace.....they are so undervalued for the workmanship and beauty. BUT, what do you do with drawers and drawers of this stuff, other than take it out and admire it.
Because I believe in repurposing all that I can, I firmly believe that everything can be reinvented to be appreciated in another form for years and years to come....hence my Bohemian Victorian sweaters. I created my very first last spring and had such a huge reaction to it that I thought I would make them for my shop. With that thought in mind, I started the creative process on my mannequin in the store and simply sewed and created inbetween customers. They were all automatically drawn to the "new project" and I found that I sold them before I had even finished one. I am now to the point where I simply fill special orders with some customers choosing to pick out their own lace from my "stash". I am always left with creative control and have never had even two closely resemble one another.
I am fortunate enough to not be able to keep up with the demand and was even flattered beyond belief when an upscale boutique in Fort Worth wanted to actually carry them. However, I so want to have a rack in the shop for anyone to simply come in and choose from.....that is definitely my goal for the future and one I am going to diligently work toward accomplishing. Until then, I will make them individually and watch as they walk out the door without even staying around long enough for me to complete the detachment process. It is hard to let my favorites linens and laces "go", but to see them appreciated in a different, beautiful way is reward enough.......want a sweater......just let me know and please be willing to wait :)

November 4, 2008

Thank You OK Carter for another Great Article

Excerpt from the FW Business Press Newspaper~November 3, 2008
Arlington/Mansfield
Collection of beloved treasures becomes business
BY O.K. CARTER
November 03, 2008
Standard wisdom has it that the shaky national economy has made the antiques business a tough way to make a living these days, though there always seems to be an exception around businesses like Jana Holland’s Collected Treasures store in Arlington.
Located in a 1940s former plumbing store on West Main Street in downtown Arlington, Holland said on the plus side her business – it starts its third year this month – has just wrapped up its best week and month ever.
“On the minus side I never wanted to work this hard at my age,” said Holland, a Southern style honey blonde with an easy laugh, her age being a highly energized
58 year old. “It’s a good thing I’ve got stamina.”
Holland bumped around this and that antique mall for years before her ever-growing collection of somewhat feminine-oriented antiques – from furniture and ancient lamps to ‘30s and ‘40s era clothing – simply outgrew her capacity to unload it at the small booths she rented in various locations.
“If you keep buying antiques and not selling them it’s not a business, it’s a disease,” Holland said. “I love the stuff I buy or I wouldn’t buy it – but the idea is to sell it. But to sell it you’ve got to have space to show it.”
The solution? She leased her own store, the 406 W. Main St. location, roughly 3,000 square feet. She did so against advice of several friends and associates with expertise in the business.
“Basically they said I was crazy,” Holland said, “though now most of those same people are revising their opinions.”
Holland six months ago bought the building. Besides running Collected Treasures she also sponsors periodic antiques and collectibles-only antique trade days in the half-acre she owns behind the store, the event in October so heavily attended that parking spilled over across the Downtown neighborhood.
On this day, Holland’s all black jeans and equally black blouse sport huge quantities of dust from working in the warehouse section of the store, a space that will soon be converted to a sort of mini-antique mall for half a dozen vendors. Store felines, Marley and Baby, dart about constantly underfoot but somehow Holland never seems to step on a misplaced cat tail.
And yes, on occasion an allergic customer is troubled by the cats. To which Holland recommends that they leave the store – the customers, not the cats. But her demeanor is so warm that no one seems to take offense.
She is clearly wearily, gloriously happy. And busy.
One moment might find her rewiring an antique lamp – it’s one of her callings. Another moment she’s working on altering a 1960s sweater, combining components from several tattered bits of clothing, for a client who wants “A Stevie Nicks look,” or putting together an over-the-top fabric purse, not one single part of which is less than 30 years old.
She consults with outside clients for a sort of reverse interior designer strategy. Instead of telling clients what to buy, she tells them how to make the most of what they already have.
“People buy furniture or a decoration that they really love, then find that it doesn’t really go with what they have,” Holland said. “I find ways to make everything work together.”
When business in the store slumps, Holland hammers eBay for money. Or focuses on her Web site, www.collectedtreasures.com. When the store packs them in, she slacks off the electronic marketing. Main Street in Arlington is not a high traffic location, which is to say
that the happened-by-and-stopped-to-shop customers are rare. It’s more of a destination.
Collectively, Holland shows off a rare montage of talents, albeit high energy absorbing.
“I don’t think sometimes that there’s enough of me to go around – or actually I think that all the time,” she said. “There’s so much I want to do, so little time.”
But Holland’s strategy as to what she puts in her store is simple enough: “I don’t buy things because I think they’ll sell,” she said. “I only buy what I like and trust that it will work.”
That being said, Holland’s business marketing strategy has been constantly shifting over the years.
“I think if you listen to your business, it’ll tell you what to do,” she said.
The idea of converting her warehouse section to a mini-market for others, for instance, is a relatively new concept. Originally the idea was to convert it to a small French restaurant, an idea that bounced around for a few months before Holland “listened to her business” and went another direction.
Likewise she’s now planning a pagoda-style structure behind the building for antique iron collectibles and other yard art.
The ultimate object of any business, of course, is to make money, which brings up a question: Is Holland making money?
“I’m not losing money, but I am investing a lot of profits back into the building and the grounds,” she said. “I’m convinced that downtown Arlington is beginning to really boom and I’m right here with it on the ground floor. I love what I’m doing, but this is not a hobby.”
okcarter@bizpress.net

October 27, 2008







Fourth Semi Annual Main Street Antique Trade Days
Everything was absolutely beautiful as we started our day at 8:00 am. We had pumpkins, gourds, plants, and baked breads and muffins. The day started early at 6:00 am for some of us getting everything in place for the day. The hussle and bussle of 31 dealers coming together is exciting with it's last minute frenzy and hopes that you have everything you need and that it will be a successful day. Although the work is hard for just a one day sale, I think most everyone will admit that it is certainly fun and can be quite rewarding at the end of the day. I start working on putting the sale together approximately 4 months before it actually happens, so by the time it arrives, I am ready to "get it done" and to get a good night's rest. It certainly doesn't happen by itself or without the help of others. I sincerely thank my beautiful daughter, Kristi, for always being at my beck and call during the days before and during the sale.....she is priceless. Also, this year I had Brenda, my part time helper, to share in the activites of the sale........welcome to "my world" Brenda!!!!!! And, of course, my husband of 40 years for always making whatever I want "happen". I do love that man.

This years dealers were the Best Yet and the Nicest as Well!
















There's Always Room for One More.......

What a day, what a day, what a mighty fine day...........
























I was so excited this year to be going out of the backlot onto the pavement...doesn't sound like much, however, it does indicate we are definitely growing.....and that's a good thing!

September 19, 2008


Main Street Antique Trade Days

October 25th 8am to 4pm

Ya'll Come!

Collected Treasures Main Street Antique Trade Days.....
Goodness, it is hard to believe that six months has passed since the Spring Trade Days Sale, but believe me....it has! We are now preparing for the October 25th sale which promises to be the biggest and best yet. This sale will be the fourth sale within the last two years with dates being scheduled for each May and October. Not only are regular dealers coming back to participate, but several new and wonderful ones are joining us as well. We are planning a small Farmers Market with punkins' and fall produce as well as a bake sale with delicious sweets and treats for everyone.

August 15, 2008

Heart & Soul Table Lamps~Trash to Treasure


Don't pass up those ugly wooden lamps from the 60's, but rather embrace their "ugly" and reinvent them. A simple coat of primer and top coat and a little whimsical painting can bring them back to life. Absolutely precious for a guest bedroom or that little princess in your life (or even YOU). Easy to do....just a little paint, a little patience, and alot of creativy....try it and let me know how yours turns out! :)

July 31, 2008

The Creative Process is a Wonderful Thing......


I am so excited to finally be in the production stages for my special line of altered couture clothing "Heart & Soul". Having created a sweater for myself and having such an incredible response to it in customers wanting one what else could I do but start my own line! They are sold under the "Heart & Soul by Jana Holland" label and consist of the most delicious of my antique laces, trims, and buttons. If I had to put them in a category, I would call them Bohemian Victorian. They look divine with long velvet or lacey skirts or with blue jeans. There are no two alike as each is an individual creation depending on what I have available....the problem is deciding which one you like the most. I have several customers that buy a couple as they just can't choose. I personally create and sew each one, so inventory remains low as they seem to sell as soon as they are hung on the rack. I also have a vision for altering denim skirts as shown and they look beautiful with the sweaters as well........I absolutely love the creative process and hope to be full scale within the next month offering them on my website as well.......





July 15, 2008

The Best Chandelier Lampshades Made Easy!



Want the very latest in gorgeous mini lampshades at a fraction of their designer cost? It's as easy as a pair of chandelier lampshades, a blouse from your local thrift store, and any ribbons, trims, buttons or jewelry you will to use for embellishment.....
Sound too outlandish to work....well, it's actually very simple.

Choose a blouse with long sleeves that is preferably made of a fabric that has some stretch to it. If the ends of the sleeves are frilly, then alot of your work is already done for you. Follow the simple directions below and see how beautiful it can become.


1) Cut the sleeves at a straight angle at the bottom of the armhole.
2) Slide the arm piece down over the shade with the cuff at the bottom of the shade. If there is not enough "give" to the fabric, simply turn it upside down to have more fabric to work with.
3) Glue the edge of the fabric around the bottom of the shade not allowing the fabric to turn to inside of the shade....neatness does count here!
4) At the point, decide if you are going to use the remaining fabric for a "scrunch" effect or if you want a more tailored look. If you are scrunching, work the fabric down onto the shade until you can glue the top edge at the top of the shade....again, neatness counts. If you want a more tailored look, cut the excess fabric and proceed with the gluing process as stated.
5) Decide what embellishment you desire....fringe, lace, flowers, buttons, crochet edges, etc. and the sky is the limit.

Who wouldn't know these shades didn't come from a high end designer's shop.....they are little pieces of art!

July 11, 2008

I'm Ready to Blog........

I have been working on customizing my blog for what seems likes months now....never finding the time to give it the time it truly deserves, but always enjoying reading what other's write.

I am finally here, yet I don't know where to start. Maybe just to tell you what I want to do as time goes by. I hope to share the events of my wonderful retail store in Arlington, Texas......it's challenges and it's growing pains so as to encourage other women that they can have their very own business, both online and storefront. The incredible treasures I find along the way....and the journey in finding them as well. I hope to share my successes whether they be personal or professional, as I find they are really the same, aren't they?

You will find my love of animals outshines my love of antiques, and my love of family outshines them all. My only child has married this month for the very first time and she hopes to start a family right away so there will be many changes in our lives before too long.

I hope to share my creative ventures with you as my head is so full of ideas I think it will sometimes burst. I, like others, struggle with time constraints of doing all I want and am afraid I will run out of time before I run out of ideas. Perhaps by simply sharing what I want to do it will somehow feel as though I have completed that project and can move on to others. I have long believed you do not have to spend a lot of money to live beautifully.....simply to see the beauty in those things around you and know where to shop!

I will leave you with one of my very favorite quotes from someone I'm sure was very profound, I just don't know who.

"Give without remembering and take without forgetting"

March 5, 2008

I have had a love affair with old things and antiques for as long as I can remember. I was always the one to want to explore old barns and abandoned buildings hoping I would find some wonderful treasure someone else had overlooked. I believe in recycling and repurposing things I find, creating interesting "marriages" and unique furniture pieces and accessories. I have often told friends you don't have to make alot of money to live well. You just have to be resourceful and creative and find beauty underneath layers of dirt and look at what something "could" be, rather than what it is.

I shop flea markets and estate sales choosing only the things I love, knowing someone else will love them as well. I specialize in the unique and different, and never the obvious, as that is just too easy. By doing this I can offer a wonderful eclectic mix of antiques and collectibles that seemingly touch the heart and feed the senses. I do believe if you surround yourself with things you love, you will find security and inner peace within the comfort of your home.

My website is just a small sample of the inventory I carry in my 3,000 square foot store in Arlington, Texas. I only sell things that touch my heart, and I refuse to sell anything that is not vintage or antique.....I hold true to that and you will never find a "Made in China" item in my store. I also reinvent old things with paint, mosiacs, or altered art as I am an artist as well, loving all thing roses. I have trademarked my own line under the name "Heart & Soul" so look for these one of a kind items in my store soon!

My husband and I renovated the 65 year old building and it has been my "playhouse" ever since. I am so fortunate to get to do what I love each and every day and that I have found my true passion. I hope as you view my site you either have a rekindled fond memory of something from your past or that you are inspired by something you see.

Collected Treasures....for the home, heart & soul!
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