Collections and A Big Salute On The 4th!

I didn’t manage to put out any 4th décor this year, except for some flags out front, so I thought I’d share a piece that lends itself in a sort of Patriotic way, if you will. One of my favorite things to collect are old clocks – the small vintage metal alarm clocks with awesome faces, worn chipped paint and interesting graphics.  This little one caught my eye as it has the word SALUTE on it.  It was made by the Ingraham clock company in the 1930’s.  Though I’ve sold many of my little clocks, I have kept my favorites and am always looking for more.   This one is propped up on a few of my antique Bibles, another collection I will have to share someday.

Below are a few of my Scottie collections.  Two boot scrapers sit in a primitive child’s wagon with funky unmatched wheels.  Though a bit odd, I thought the wagon would be cute to hold flowers – or, like now, the boot scrapers.  It looks as though the Scots are ready for a ride. 

Hanging on the wall is a sampler that I stitched years ago and framed it in a Victorian wood criss-cross frame.  The little barn house to the right of the wagon was a recent find from a friend’s sale.  It was a one of those purchases that was meant to be put out for sale in the store. Howwwwwevvvvvvverrrrrrr….. When I brought it home, I sat it on the green bench and thought it looked pretty cute there.  It looks similar to the house in the sampler, minus a few windows.  So there the primitive little handmade birdhouse – farmhouse whatchamacallit sits.  And there it shall sit until I tire of it.  Maybe never.  I collect old houses, too.  Another post, another day…..

Below the small green bench sits a Texaco “Look and Listen” Scottie doorstop and a cast metal Scottie figurine that was a gift from my friend Wave.  She also gave me the little blue lunch box with frolicking Scotties on it.  We both are owned by Scotties, so she always has her eye out for those vintage pieces featuring our favorite breed.

Lastly, below the large green bench rests a stack of my brown plaid metal picnic hampers.  I have a fondness for these pieces!  They are great for storage, too.

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th

Next post I will share the funky cabinet redo.

Our Farmhouse Laundry Room Makeover

For quite sometime I have been planning in my head how I wanted to remodel our 1980’s laundry room in our home. 
The quest:  a farmhouse looking laundry room with white bead board on the walls, an industrial sink,
open shelving and a textured ceiling – and accessorized with vintage items.

For about a year I collected vintage bits and bobs
 that were found whilst out perusing flea markets, estate sales and antique stores. 
Some items ended up not being used because I wanted more of a minimal look,
so these will be placed elsewhere in the house –
and some will be given away here on the blog. 
More to follow at the end of this post.

Old galvanized scoops, mason jars, a laundry room sign (that was made by my friend Marcia), and a
funky metal corner
 shelf with lots of chippy paint will find their spot in the room.

Everything purchased was done on a budget
and the IVORY soap box was a score
for $10.00 at a flea market.  It will
sit next to the sink and hold laundry soap, towels, etc.

One of my favorite finds were a pair of
these rusty metal light fixtures that
were a great find at an estate
sale over the summer.  Ready for the price? 
 Just $4.00 each!  LOVE that! 
And the black metal shelf brackets –
including the small amounts of rust on
them – were just $2.00 each.

Here’s the fun part – the homely reveal. 
See the missing door…the doors were starting to fall off – a sign? 
 Yes!  Time to pretty up the room
that I spend a lot of time in.

Below is the finished room with floor
to ceiling bead board, a hand
textured ceiling and open
 shelving that I absolutely am loving.

I didn’t get a picture of the original sink
and laminate as my husband
was quick to rip it out and work on
the plumbing for our new stainless steel sink. 
  I searched for months for a good
industrial sink and found the Griffin
 scullery sink at Home Depot.  It is HUGE! 
The sink stands on four legs, which
 makes the room appear larger, too.  The antique
 mirror over the sink was a recent find for $22.00 – just what I was looking for with the black shabby frame.

You can really see the before and
after of the ceiling…

before…..

..and after! 

 I  love the look of the light fixture (below) against the
 textured ceiling!  The paint that I used on the
bead board is Extra White by Sherwin Williams. 
 I used a darker white on the ceiling called Weathered White,
 also by Sherwin Williams.  The Weathered White
has a bit of gray in it and looks so
 pretty next to the bright white and the rusty light fixture. 
I did use a clear matte spray on the light
 fixture and the shelf brackets. 
It just helps seal the rust and gives a nice patina
to the old metal.

Here’s the corner shelf adorned with some fun
vintage collections.  An old trophy filled
 with 6-inch advertising rulers, old scoops,
and old clock, mason jar, a stain removal pamphlet
 and some ironstone pitchers.

One of my favorite pieces is the Watkins
salesman box that was snapped up at
The Alameda Flea market for $25.00.  Next to it are early turn of the century postage scales that
were a find for $25.00 and $35.00.

Skat hand soap?  Had to laugh when I
found that and new it would be a great
addition to the vignettes and add a pop of color as well.

 

Our friend, Don, applied all of the bead board,
textured the ceiling and hung up the shelving
 for us.  He also gave us the old fence board for the shelves. 
 I really like the rustic feel of the raw wood – so farmhouse looking! 

For now I just tacked up an antique tablecloth
 in the window but will soon be making
 some curtains for the window.

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to come back
 in a few days for a vintage farmhouse giveaway to celebrate
 (a wee bit late) my five years of blogging,
 my new blog redo and the completion of our remodeling!

I am linking up today with Kim's Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style Blog. 
Be sure to stop by and say HI to Kim
and be inspired by all of the wonderful WOW’s
being shared for the week.


10-5-12:  Today I am linking up with Claudia for her Favorite Things post!  Please stop by and visit my friend from New York if you haven't already done so.  I know I've had this post up for several days, but really, besides my new laminate flooring, this room is now one of my favorite rooms in our home.  A long desired dream that is now reality.  And yes, it is much nicer to do laundry in here now.  Don't ask my why, maybe because it feels lighter, brighter and more open.


Happy Weekend!!

Layering With Reflections

As I shared in the last post, I love old mirrors and have fun adding them to places around my home.  When displaying my collections, I like to layer and stack and add a bit of the unexpected, such as the “496 CPC” pin that was hooked to the rim of the transferware bowl.

 

These are the mirrors that I had to work with, one plateau, one hand held mirror and one square mirror with a rustic wood frame.

 

The photo below is  what the little vignette looked like before the mirrors.  Though I like it, the pieces are on the same level.  Adding the plateau mirror (of which I found in the Pacific Grove Antiques store) brought the bowl up and the mirror adds a bit of reflection for light.  In addition to loving mirrors, I have a “thing” for metal, too.  Case in point….

….this vintage clock was a find when out junking last month.  These old pieces are just fun to have around the house and I really like the “salute” on the face.  The metal clock and the cast iron plateau mirror are a good contrast against all of the white that is in the cabinet.

The square mirror below was a $3.00 estate sale find.  The silvering is worn on the back which causes the striations in the glass.  Great patina, I must say! 

The placement of the mirror against the platter gives more dimension to the grouping and reflects the chandelier, too.

Even the little creamers sit at different heights by adding old butter pats underneath them.  They now can show off their cute little profiles without having to be clumped all together.  It kind of looks like they are giving us a little modeling pose and some attitude now.  :)

The photos below are other some ways that I have used mirrors in my decorating.  Layering mirrors against each other is a lot of fun.

Using large mirrors on walls can make a small space, like our foyer, appear larger.  And having a mirror in the foyer allows for those “last checks” before heading out the door.

Even putting a mirror behind something and partially covering it up is ok in my books, too.  It just adds one more layer of texture and light.

 

I’d love to hear how you like to use old mirrors, too!

Till next time…..

Trash Talk

About 10 years ago I first heard the phrase “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”  When I am out scouting for items to resell, I think about the friend who told me this and wonder if what I pick will be appreciated and sought after by adventurous shoppers.

The business of buying and reselling is a gamble – but it is something that helps supplement our income.  With the nagging threat of a job loss on the forefront, coupled with the horrific price of health insurance that we pay out of pocket, my little business is not only fun but a necessity at this point. 

 

One rule of thumb that I keep in mind when selecting items to sell is to think outside of my safety zone.  This means that every now and then I need to buy something that I would not necessarily use in my own home. For example, I recently found a Mid-Century modern Starburst wall clock at an estate sale.  Yea, not my style, but a few days later it was purchased by a young couple who loved it. 

I adore old scales, clocks, ironstone, transferware, old floral Sunday oils (with holes, too), galvanized buckets, rusty baskets, oil cans and chippy painted furniture.  Though not elegant and refined, these old pieces have personality with their aged and weathered appearance and fit “my style” of decorating, which I describe as an eclectic mix of cottage and English style decor.

 

The vintage store display below was one of those finds that I thought would be wonderful out on my patio to hold potted plants.  Instead, it is for sale in the shop.  It would be just perfect in a kitchen!  Wouldn’t it be great to display old crockery bowls and neatly stacked piles of French towels?  Or, better yet, use for a little mini bar – after all, it says “Perfect Cocktails Every Time With Holland House.”

 

My favorite egg basket sold the other day and now I am having seller’s remorse for putting it in the shop to sell.  That’s how it goes though – can’t keep everything!  One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  The search is on for another one!

Tick Tock

One of my favorite idioms is “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” – meaning different people have different ideas about what they find to be beautiful. That is what makes us unique from each other.

Some folks think that old things should be tossed away in landfills, like these old clocks. I love them and have them scattered around in my home for display. Someone else may think they are hideous because they don’t work or have a rusty and worn metal body and might ask what good are they if they don’t keep time? Sure, I guess that makes sense, but look further than their intended purpose. These old clocks gleam in the light and have bright and cheerful faces – almost as if they are smiling back at us. They are handsome, sturdy and a tad bit whimsical.

Marvel, Ring, Tix…..perfect words for old clock faces. In a group they make for quite an impressive vignette, lined up like a chorus line, ready to break into a rendition of “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by WHAM. Their metal frames are pitted, worn and a bit wobbly, like a tipsy seaman. But I love them, they are imperfect and get better with age. (Like us!)

Beautiful little pieces of art from the olden days. This little charmer is from Germany and has the most adorable chipped enameled sides with a scattering of delicate flowers. And it doesn’t work, but it’s perfectly beautiful nevertheless.I am nostalgic when it comes to old bits and bobs. They are beautiful to me and that is that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will leave you with this today:

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oh, and don’t forget to “spring forward” for the time change tonight.

Till next time….tootles.

Hibernation Mode

The coolness of the mornings makes me want to sink myself further under the mounds of quilts, blankets and squishy pillows – feeling quite like The Princess and The Pea. Alas the smell of coffee fills the air and beckons a lazy head to rise and shine.

Time to set the clocks back – “fall” back, as mom used to say – and “spring forward” for setting the clock forward in spring.

Gone are those long summer days and warm nights…

that seemed to linger until the moon arose to remind us that the sun bid us adieu for the day. Now that the skies turn dark sooner, it really feels like winter is soon approaching.

I feel the hibernation mode kicking in as I hear the pitter patter of the rain hitting the windows and the coolness of the house air soaking through my jeans as I type this post. Time to gather the sweaters, woolen blankets and stock the cabinet with hot cocoa, puffy marshmallows and stack up the books to read at night under that warm and cozy blankie!

melancholy

 

My thoughts today are on the words to the lyrics of this song.  If you don’t wish to read a melancholy post, then just click on out.  I understand.

However, life is life and these words struck a personal chord with me – and I know that others who read my blog can relate. 

 

I am the third woman in our family to have lost a child – my grandmother lost her daughter at the age of 28 and my aunt lost her daughter at the age of 17.  If only they were still here so I could spill my heart out to them….I know they would understand. 

   Though I am at peace knowing my son entered the gates of Heaven wearing white, I still miss him.  Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him or pray for him.   Some people say that “life gets easier” after losing a loved one, however I do not agree with this at all.  Life is just a different normal, if you will – never the same as when our family was a complete family.

Life’s roads are never easy – nor seldom seem fair, but there is peace knowing that God shines on us and loves us so much.  It is about having my favorite word of all time: FAITH.

“He has engraved us on the palms of his hands and will never forget us.”  Isaiah 49:16

 “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”  Matthew 5:9

Last week I met a woman at the cemetary.  Her son was in the Navy and passed away last year at the age of 25.  I did not ask why…I do not need to know why.  The simple fact is that her beloved son is gone.  Seeing the pain on her face was like looking into a mirror.  All that I could do was hug her and listen to her telling me about her beloved Christopher.

 Life is a precious gift that at any given time can be swept away from us.  Our daily mantras of doing the usual and customary things can be halted with a quick jolt of the unexpected.  That phone call, that knock at the door…..the unavoidable bad dream, if you will.  Wishing I could turn back the hands on the clock to start over…wishing I could somehow change everything back to normal.  To be able to hear him laugh, to see his smile, to share chicken fried steak at Chili’s or just simply hug him.  God I miss this!

Though each day has its peeks and valleys,

…I know my son is always with me.  He is now my guardian angel and I feel thankful for that.  We used to watch sunsets from his bedroom window….

 …but now I look up to the night’s dark sky and say goodnight….I love you, son…sleep with the angels and give everyone a hug from me.

I thank God for the double rainbow over the cemetary the day that Jordan was layed to rest under military colors…  And as the song says:

“Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother
She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and
Life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no
Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby"…”

Just melancholy today…that’s all.

*peace out*