Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Merry Christmas!

Do you have those odd things that make you "feel" like it's really Christmas? I love walking through malls draped in Christmas decorations, old Christmas songs, and a handful of Christmas movies, but more even than watching my kids decorate our own Christmas tree, its the odd's and ends that always make me feel like the holidays are really here.
Shopping in Antique malls during their holiday open houses with Christmas carols playing, Satsuma oranges, Oysters, the smell of pine needles and roses. 
Odd combination, I know.
 

But a beautiful combination just the same.

 
I have a serious oyster addiction.
 

I love the Christmas decorations and candy canes. But for some odd reason, the combination roses and pine or holly, hit me in the feels every time. Strange, I know. I have no idea why.

 
But I love them, roses and pine, such an odd couple, but oh so beautiful together.
 
 
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

Saturday, December 19, 2015

The last few finds for 2015

Honestly, who wants to go into  mall the last weekend before Christmas? Unless of course it is an Antique mall.
 
 I actually snuck out early this morning and did something I have never done before. I hit the December Nashville Flea Market. It was a crisp and cold, sunny and beautiful morning. I had no business killing time at the flea, I have a long pre Christmas "to do" list and a very messy house that needs my attention. But, I just wanted to go. I will end up getting up extra early tomorrow morning to get the last of my house work done, but I think it was worth it.
 
There was less than half the number of vendors that you usually see, and I noticed that a lot of people were charging more than usual for things like Jadeite, trying to price gouge desperate people out shopping for the collector on their list I suppose. But I ended up walking away with a couple fun treasures at good prices.
 
This green bottle caught my eye right away. It has the most beautiful bubbles caught in the glass and is made by "The Standard Bottling Co" Milwaukee Wis. My mom is originally from Milwaukee and I spent a lot of time there as a kid so I thought it was a fun find I could not pass up. I spent 8.00 on it, a lot for me on a bottle, but I really liked it. Then I got home, did a quick check on Ebay and found the exact same bottle listed for 35.00. Um, wow, I guess I got a good deal this one!
 
 
Yet another tray, I have several, but can never seem to pass up a pretty one if it is in good shape at a good price.


I finally found the Pyrex creamer for a price I was willing to pay! I got both pieces for 5.00 But then got home and compared it to the sugar bowl I have,  the creamer is actually red. The one I need is pink. Oh well. The search continues.


I love this milk glass sugar shaker! My kids are cinnamon sugar addicts so this will be our new cinnamon sugar shaker.
 
 
As soon as I got home from the flea, I put on a pot of my "magic broth" everyone has been sick in my office the last couple weeks, everything from stomach bugs to bad colds with bronchitis, to the flu. I have neither the time or the desire to be sick so I have been washing my hands constantly and drinking my broth and orange juice. That with my immunity oils and maybe I will be able to stay healthy. If my team does not start getting better soon, I may ban them all from my cubicle!
 
 
On my way home from the flea, I also stopped and picked up some pretty winter berries for my vintage Milwaukee bottle.
 

I love how it looks!
 
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas week!

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Finally, my kitchen chairs!

Finally, after two months of looking at flea markets and antique stores, then about six weekends spent  working on them,  I have the chairs I was looking for to go with my antique farm table!
 
Forgive the garage shot, I was excited about finding the chairs and did not think to pull the garage door down. Yes, our garage needs a good cleaning.
 

Those seats...ugly, hard, rotting 1960's? vinyl. Not the original seat covers. They were still under the vinyl, a funky old red fabric I could no longer identify. It was nasty and had to go. The seats were in pretty bad shape on two of the chairs. Lucky I have a handy husband, he made new ones. Three of the chairs were in pretty good shape overall, I found a few flaws and damage after I started cleaning them up, pretty easy fixes. But one needed some real help. See that stray one off in right hand corner? It was the odd one the vendor threw in for free, It gets attention next!
 
So a little TLC and some feed n wax later, they were ready!
 

The wood turned out much darker than I anticipated. And the feed n wax brought out some red in the wood that I did not notice before. Oh well, again, you don't collect vintage and expect everything to match perfectly.
 

The wood may not match as well as I had hoped, but the shape of the chairs I think goes so well with the table. I love how they compliment each other!



And comfortable? Yes, these chairs are very comfortable, I doubled up the cushion on the chair seats, and the curve of the back hits your shoulders just right.
 
 
I love them! Bruno approves as well.
 
They fit in so well with the rest of the kitchen style. In my house nothing matches, but everything seems to go together nicely.
 
Perfect spot to sit with a cup of tea and look at the newest Rare Seed Catalogue that just came in the mail, oh and it is so pretty!
 
Hope you are having a fantastic weekend!
 

Thursday, December 3, 2015

I am a winter weather hoarder....

We had beautiful weather on Thanksgiving day. But this week, we are feeling a bit of Winter bite!
 
Years ago, when I first started to get into growing heirloom vegetables from seed, I asked my Father in Law, a farmer all his life, some questions about soil quality and other tips. He happily answered, but told me to go pick up the Old Farmers Almanac and follow it.
 
 
And I have picked one up every year since .
 
According to the old Farmers Almanac, we are in for a snowy winter, which of course sends me to the pantry with my notebook and a pen. In the South, the threat of an inch of snow can cause panic enough to make people clear the shelves of bread, milk and toilet paper. I am not one of those people.
 
 I plan ahead.
 
I inventory the pantry, follow the one in use, one on the shelf rule. Fill the freezer, keep an extra pack of toilet paper, the large bag of dog food and check the forecast daily. It is not rocket science people, snow and ice storms are seldom a surprise anymore.
 
Yes, I am that annoying person stopping into Kroger the night before a snowstorm, breezing past lines of people fifteen deep with their grocery carts over flowing with groceries as I quickly run through the self check line with my Oreos, cheezeits, ice cream, good cheese, summer sausage, crackers, fruit and orange juice, because I have learned to watch the weather and never let my pantry get low between November and March.
 
When we get snowed in, It is a party, and we don't run out of toilet paper, or bread. Although, sometimes we run out of orange juice and ice cream.
 
So bring on Winter! I am ready and really looking forward to it! I could go for a couple days snowed in. Because another nice thing about living in the South? The snow never lasts more than a couple days!
 
So go out and buy a copy of the Old Farmers Almanac and have a great week!