More below. . .
We aren't quite ready for the big picture yet (and may never be), but little by little our new home is coming together. Joe's brother, who is a professional painter, was here visiting from Ohio for the past week, helping us check a few more jobs off the final construction list. Among other things, we now have 17 beautiful white windowsills!
Meanwhile, eclectic vintage is our decorating theme: easygoing, comfortable, beautifully designed, fun to look at, well loved, useful. Prized posessions that have been tucked away for far too long have new homes alongside recently found treasures.
The cat rug, a gift 20 years ago, has been rolled up in a closet for the last 10 years; it now sits on the oak floor next to my side of the bed. The embroidered coffee pot tea towel has been in my collection for ages; the red cart it's hanging on was scored last month. I discovered vintage enamelware three or four years ago and am now enamored with it. I use it all over the place.
The Pyrex nesting bowls are part of a set that were my grandmother's. The red bakelite flatware and white Bauer flowerpot moved with me from California to Missouri (17 years ago today!), as did the Art Deco chair 16-year-old Molly Doodlebug is sitting on—all favorite finds from my years as an antiques dealer. The red-rimmed bowl was a $5 splurge because it made me so happy when I first saw it sitting in a display case—and still does.
The battered old cheerful yellow dresser, pretty table scarf, hand painted child's chair, and cool 50s lamp sit at the top of the stairs and were found during four different trips to my favorite junk mall over the past two years. Total cost: $43. The glow of the lamp is so cozy that we've been turning it on each evening.
Old glass jars are perfect for laundry soaps, and the $1.25 white Fire King mug I keep in the shower for rinsing my razor (next to the $1.50 Fire King 'soap bowl') is such an improvement over the old cottage cheese container I was using!
All of it makes me smile. The little things really can bring us so much joy each day.
What makes you smile when you look around your home?
Love vintage?
(click here to see all these posts on one long page)
6/22/09: Vintage Laundry Line
7/26/09: Going Vintage Green
8/2/09: A Beacon in the Light
8/17/09: A Peek Inside My Potting Cabinet
2/18/10: A Nice Day
5/24/10: Two More Vintage Quilts!
8/13/10: Another Vintage Quilt
10/13/10: Vintage Quilt Love (Again)
10/23/10: These Blustery, Mustery Days
12/20/10: The Case of the Bizarre Vintage Blanket
7/12/11: Going Vintage Green Again
10/17/11: Hanging Up Spring in Fall
10/26/11: Organizing the New Pantry
10/17/11: Hanging Up Spring in Fall
10/26/11: Organizing the New Pantry
© FarmgirlFare.com, reused, upcycled, aging well, and a real classic—not to mention cute.
Wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteIt all looks lovely! Love the Pyrex and Bakelite- and what a beautiful view out your window!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I'm so glad you are in your new place. I still daydream that someday you'll host farm "vacations" for blog readers with loads of money, and that when you do I will suddenly come into loads of money to spend on one :) But sharing pictures and stories of the farm & farm critters is very generous all on it's own.
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic little tour, and I must say, I swooned when I saw the cat rug....oh my....I am so happy for you that you have that treasure. All your things are those on my fave list, too. Beautiful things. So happy for you that these treasures can come out of hiding. Enjoy your new home. You and Joe have earned it.
Marcia
OK it sorta hurts to see things I think of as "my good baking dish" labeled as vintage. But reality is - I AM vintage (over 60) - love your stuff and especially Molly Doodlebug - a classic.
ReplyDeleteI just went back to see your new pantry. You have the fire king with the red flowers. I still have some of these. During the summers while I was in college, my mom had me do the grocery shopping. A store that she seldom used had some kind of offer where you could get these ovenware pieces. That was 50 years ago. It was so neat to see how you are using these classics.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love those vintage containers! Lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteI love your collections. The red and yellow handled cutlery particularly caught my eye and the cat rug! So glad it is finally seeing the light of day. Looks like Molly Doodlebug is enjoying the new set-up too. Feel free to show us more any time (and don't worry: No One is ever ready to show the whole picture!)
ReplyDeleteI love your pictures! The enamelware is beautiful. It is so nice to be able to enjoy all the things we have packed away.
ReplyDeleteoh my that was fun. i love your stuff!!!!
ReplyDeletemy favorite things right now are my vintage paint by number geisha paintings. and my vintage hanging glass lamps.
Great to see you are settling in!
ReplyDeleteSusan, What fun to see your favorites! The cat rug is wonderful and I love the old dishes. I have old bowls from my grandmother that I use all the time and I smile every time I pull them out to make something. There's something about the continuity of women using special dishes to create food and happy memories for their families that I hope will always last. Sharon from Maine
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!Gorgeous!Georgeous!
ReplyDeleteI love it when you share this part of your life. I know all too well about the things hidden away because there was no place for them at the time. Now that my life has been distilled down to four rooms and a bath, all the things I've loved and cherished have come out of the closet and fill my corners and walls with love and nostalgia. My friend, who decorates with great femininity which I love, always says when she comes that my apartment is so 'homey'. I take that as a great compliment. Thanks Christy.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I hope to live in the country some day in the future. We now live in a very small town of 150 people surrounded by corn fields, so it is close to country living for us. Seeing your pics and hearing your stories keeps me in that mind frame! Thanks for sharing your life with us:)
ReplyDeleteThese small glimpses make me want to move right in! I am so thrilled that YOU'VE gotten to move it; yeah for family with practical gifts!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your pictures. Some of the items took me back to the home I was raised in. It is good to hear that you are getting settled in your new home.
ReplyDeleteI luv antiques and vintage things.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
I love the red rimmed bowl and your "updated" soap dish! I have a four-piece set of those Pyrex bowls in yellow, green, red and blue that I bought 25-30 years ago at an antique store in Bakersfield, CA and I LOVE them!
ReplyDeleteWow. You have nice pieces. I especially like the enamelware. And really especially like the green and black! Thanks for giving us a peek into your home.
ReplyDeleteReally love your cat rug! How nice that you are finally using it, and in a special place, by your bedside. And, of course, the cat is lovely, too!
ReplyDeleteI love the embroidery, almost a lost art.
ReplyDeleteYou and I like a lot of the same vintage things! I love all the items you photographed.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 17th anniversary in MO! Perhaps someday you could let your faithful readers in on how you and Joe met - in CA? In MO? Curious minds want to know! And love your stuff - I've never seen a pink enamel saucepan, fabulous! And Molly...SO sweet.
ReplyDeleteI may only see parts of your new home, but as far as I can see, it has the makings a lovely home. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteHi Everybody,
ReplyDeleteBelated thanks for all the fun and enthusiastic comments. We are loving life out of The Shack! :)
Oh gosh, your enamel collection is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of Pyrex. I just cannot stop picking up pieces. I have a pretty open shelf that most of my pieces fit on, and they just make me so happy. I think of them as the dishware equivalent of Pez candy. Bright, cute and they stack!
I also really love vintage sheets - usually floral patterned. Sheets from the 60's and 70's just have a softness that I will take over the highest quality Egyptian cotton.