The Real Deal....

Will the real depression glass biscuit barrel please step forward.....

I was window shopping in Lake Placid, NY a few years ago when I saw this cute little jar in the window.  I went in to check it out and found myself in a cute store that married antiques and reproductions nicely in a general store type setting.  I was hoping my find was the real thing.  When I asked to see the cookie jar, the sales lady said "let me go get a fresh one from the back".  My first clue that it was a reproduction.  The $12.50 price was my second clue, but I was already smitten with the little jar and bought it.  I have enjoyed using it instead of just displaying it, which I would have been tempted to do if it was the read deal.  It is a nice little reproduction of the Mayfair pattern from the 1930's.

This past weekend I found this pretty piece of depression glass at my favorite consignment antiques store and couldn't resist.  I could tell at first glance it was authentic.  The glass is very delicate and there is a mould circle on the bottom.  I think this is the princess pattern made by the Hocking Glass Company in the 1930's.  The term biscuit barrel and cookie jar seem to be used interchangeably for these jars.  I paid $30.00 and have seen similar jars on Etsy and ebay for twice that, so am happy with the price.


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I (Heart) Blanket Stitch

I had hoped for a productive Sunday.  We had finally gotten our first real snowfall and it was the perfect day to play with the kids and sneak in a little crafting.  I got out my sewing machine, my fabric stash and my crafting "to do" list and then.......... nothing.  I started, I stopped, I changed my mind and moved onto another project, I got distracted, I played with the kids........  Nothing really came together all day.

And then after the kids went to bed and my husband was happily watching the Giants game, I went upstairs to my cozy little corner chair and decided to add some blanket stitch to an appliqué.  And I felt productive and relaxed and peaceful.  

  And as the Giants went into overtime, I stitched and stitched and stitched and even patched my daughter's jeans because I wasn't ready to call it a night. 

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Developing an Eye for Vintage

This past year, I've enjoyed trying to further develop my love of vintage and make time to enjoy, display and research my collections.  Blogs and Etsy have been a great resource as I click from one site to another doing the dance that we all find ourselves doing as something catches our eye and we click through to something else, to something else, to something else......  Where does the time go?  There is so much to see and so much inspiration and information available.  I have filed away many "wish list" decorating and vintage items that catch my eye online and I'm always on the lookout to spot a vintage treasure for myself when I'm out thrifting.

This week I stopped in a local thrift shop that doesn't usually bring me luck, but January is the month to clean out and donate, so I was hopeful.  I spotted these vintage "salty & peppy" shakers and snatched them up.  I had seen something similar on Etsy during one of my clicking journeys and knew that the $1 price was a super deal.  It was such a thrill to find something I had admired online and dreamed of adding to my vintage kitchen.  The wording on the chef hats is almost completely worn off, but I love the pop of red and white and will treasure this happy pair.  And the next time I find myself clicking around endlessly on blogs and Etsy, I will remember that it is a valuable part of my journey.

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Apron Love

This is a purely hypothetical question, but if you could only collect one thing, what would it be?  I would be hard pressed to come up with just one category.  If I look at my stash, it seems that I have a thing for vintage aprons.  It doesn't matter the size, I love them all, big OR small.  The newest addition to my collection is these mini bottle aprons.  I found them on ebay and the asking price seemed too high.  I saw there was a "make an offer" option with this listing and that is what I did. Within a few hours, the seller had accepted my offer and they were on their way to me.  I love these little aprons!  Wouldn't they make an adorable wine bottle wrap for a hostess gift or a cute dish soap bottle cover in a vintage kitchen?

I knew I had "won" four of these aprons with my ebay purchase, but I could only find three when I went to photograph them.  I guess with a five year old in the house, you never know where your vintage finds are going to end up!



So, if you could only collect one thing, what would it be?

My Word of the Year~2011 & 2012~Create

 I have enjoyed reading the many blog posts out there about choosing a word of the year for inspiration and motivation in 2012.  It is a welcome new take on the good old fashioned challenge of making (and keeping) New Year's resolutions.  It also encourages us to look within ourselves to figure out exactly what it will take to create positive change in our own individual lives.  "Get organized, eat less, exercise more, take time to give back" are on just about everyones list and almost too generic and overwhelming to create lasting change.  I didn't "pick" a word last year but, as I look back on 2011, I realize my word was "create" and it came out of a process of renewal and change in my life that was long overdue.

As I settled into my 40's, I felt that something was "missing" in my life and couldn't quite put my finger on it.  Life was full with my kids, family, friends and an accumulation of volunteer commitments I had found over the years to keep me busy.  I had found the "me" time that mothers are told to hold onto so we can keep the balance in our lives.  My volunteering was my "me" time and was very rewarding.  Organizing events and raising my hand to do the jobs no one else finds appealing come easily to me and I enjoy being busy.  But, I really needed to slow down and evaluate if I was really fulfilled by my "me" time, or just keeping busy.

I was working on projects that required creative thinking, but I really missed the good old fashioned art of creating with your mind AND your hands.  I realized that, as a creative person, I needed to make more time in my life for actually creating in order to be happy.  For years, I  had spent time in craft and fabric stores, admired projects in magazines and online, yet never made the time to create anything of my own.  The years passed quickly, and the extent of my creative time had evolved into knitting on vacations and making my kids Halloween costumes.  In the Fall of 2011 I made a conscious decision to make more creative time for myself.  I cleared space, got my sewing machine out of the closet and made time to create.

 I surrounded myself with the things I had accumulated over the years like vintage linens, pages ripped from magazines and craft supplies.  And then I made stuff!  It was fun, challenging (nothing ever turns out the way you want it the first time) and the "me" time that I was able to squeeze in while keeping life going for my family, now gave me the balance I needed.



I am going to hold on to "create" as my word for 2012.  I still need to work on making this a priority in my life.  But, I am going to expand on my need to physically create something with my hands and mind and layer on the challenge to "create happiness" in my life.  Life gets busy and it is easy to pass over everyday opportunities to stop and appreciate the little things.  I am going to follow the lead of my five year old, who greets each day with a smile and sees every moment as an opportunity for happiness and fun.

Shopportunity~Ballard Designs Coupon Code

I was looking through my February issue of Country Living magazine and saw a large ad for Ballard Designs with a coupon code, so I thought I would share.  Use coupon code CL2FEB15 when you place your order for %15 off through February 29th.  I love looking through the Ballard Designs catalog when it comes.  They do a nice job of "replicating" some of the vintage looks I see in the pages of magazines and on some of my favorite design blogs.

It's a quick fix for a vintage look when you don't have the time (or money) to track down the real deal.  I am particularly drawn to their organizational accessories at the start of the New Year when sorting out and organizing are back at the top of my "to do" list.

Growing Paperwhites

I love starting Paperwhite bulbs indoors this time of year.  It's a quick, easy project that yields big time results and a little reminder that Spring is around the corner.  Paperwhite Narcissus are members of the Daffodil family, so are hearty little bloomers.  5 bulbs is enough to get a nice group of blooms.  Just fill a dish with 2-3 inches of small stones, push the bulbs in (roots facing down) and add water to just above the base of the bulbs.  They grow quickly and within a few weeks you will have lovely, fragrant blooms to brighten your space.  For more detailed instructions, click on this link for White Flower Farm.

My Paperwhites have really taken off since I started them a few days ago.  And, since I always root for the underdog, I am cheering on this little guy in hopes that he can catch up with the others.

A New Year~A New Tradition

The last week of school before Christmas break, my son's fourth grade class had to write about their family Holiday traditions.  A reminder of the importance of creating special memories for our kids and how we all appreciate the efforts our parents made over the years to preserve and pass along family traditions.  Of course, all traditions need to start somewhere and there are always opportunities to add your personal touch to your family history.  With three young kids, we tend to stay in on New Years Eve and it's an easy night to overlook after a week off from school and many days of keeping the kids occupied.  I wanted to create a new tradition for New Years Eve that we could all get excited about and be a part of.  The kids aren't interested in staying up until midnight quite yet, so I thought a special family meal would be fun.  Fondue crossed my mind, but it seemed a little rich after weeks of overeating, so I settled on homemade pizza.

I have never attempted to make my own dough (I will save that for next year), so bought dough from our local pizza place and gathered some nice mozzarella, sauce and pepperoni.

The kids really enjoyed helping roll out the dough, spread the sauce, rip the cheese into tiny pieces and top the pizza.

It was a huge success, kept their little hands busy and turned out pretty well for our first try.  A new tradition for our family, that I look forward to building on in the future.  Do you have any special New Years traditions?