Its the Berry Best

As some of you know from past posts I have been a collector all my life. As a child I had things I 'kept'.....dolls, Breyer horses, Disney story records..just to name a few. LOL my parents storage closet in the basement is half full of my childhood 'keepers' As I got into my teens thoughts of my 'Someday Home' crept in and I started my Cookbook collection. I was really into decorating at that time too so thoughts of what my 'home' would look like popped into my head. A Sears catalog was cut up as decorating swatches.... while the other girls were cutting paper dolls and taping pullouts from the 16 Magazine to their walls........ I was cutting out furniture, bedspreads, lamps, and taping them on my wall as an inspiration board. Sadly none of those swatches made it thru time...it was changing every time a new catalog would come out, but one thing always stayed the same....I always wanted a red and white kitchen. It was always a happy combo to me. I don't know why, I grew up with the harvest golds, avacado green, and  harvest brown....heaven help me I still like those colors..and yes the 80's blues and muaves. Anyway, as a teenager if I found things old or new, with red or strawberries, LOL..seems they're all vintage now..man I'm old....
I collected them in anticipation  of my 'someday home'. I started with dishes in the late 70's and early 80's.
Corelle's 'Strawberry Sunday', 20-pc placesetting, was one of my first purchases for $12! That tells ya how long ago it was..it wasn't a sale price!!!

         Alas, it's been a discontinued pattern for quite a few years. I found it at the Red Roof Outlet Mall in Pigeon Forge. It wasn't in any of the stores up here.

I use it every day and believe it or not I've only broken one plate. Yes...they say corelle is unbreakable, but when it is dropped from the cabinet to the corner of a stove, to the floor...it will shatter.

There was also a Mikasa outlet store and one day I found a pretty kitchen set with a simple cream and red pattern by Studio Nova called Country Kitchen.........................

Sorry the pic is over exposed, but you can see the pattern.

I have the spice bottles, double butter dish, and mixing bowl. I haven't seen any of these since the 80's, I've checked on Ebay and the Studio Nova site...no one has any other pieces.

In creative inspiration, I made this wall hanging in the late 70's early 80's from a peice of finished lumber, molding scraps and gingham fabric...............

I drew the pattern, carved and wood burned the design, then hand-painted and stained it.

It was the first piece I made for my 'someday home'.

 It would become the motif for the whole kitchen.

   Enough about early collecting.....I went huntin again and bagged some unusul finds recently.

 I found something cute this past weekend........................

A 1940's treasure.....a  vintage wooden shopping reminder board......it has all the grocery items you could think of, but it is missing the little pegs that go in the holes. No problem I can make my new ones ;)

I know, no strawberries, but it was too cute to pass up, and these  wall decor pieces...........

The one the left depicts a corn shucker and on the right, an apple press. They are hand-painted pot-metal and on the back is stamped Homeco 1978. I think these'll go outside on my back kitchen porch wall. Oh, you haven't seen my back porch? I'll have to show you sometime. LOL, no bare wall is safe with me it is one huge canvas waiting to be filled.    

Remember my front porch wall                        

I couldn't end this post without showing what my

  Mom and Dad found while went out  antiqueing the other day and  surprized me with when  they  got home......................

They are 1940's ceramic creamer and sugar. I have a Fitz and Floyd pitcher that works well the them.

This is the berry best!

Well, guess I'll go clean off the kitchen porch  and take some pictures so you can see what else I've been up to.

Whoops, I just realized it's Wednesday!! It's Rednesday!!

Before ya go why not pop over to Susan's It's A Very Cherry World

      HERE   to see all the red hot summer finds this week!

Early Americana 1960's

Since it's still the month  of July and everyone's still showin thier patriotic colors, I figured  I'd show off  my vintage americana memories. 
In  1968-1976 everyone was gaga over anything Bicentennial. The fabrics had an Americana motif like these examples I found on Ebay.....................

Curtains, Couches with wingbacks and lots of maple, oak, or cherry wood, and ruffles at the floor, even wallpaper sported the motif....especially for the kitchen

Being a child of the 60's I'm  always looking for nostalgic things I remember. I loved those couches I mentioned above...yes at 8 I had a definate decorating preference, but my parents would go for timeless not fady....a neighbor had that couch tho and I always loved sitting in the rocker and watching TV.

Well, while out the other day at the local antique mall guess what I found...no not the upholstered rocker or sofa, but this......

A quaint americana doll highchair. If you click the pic it'll enlarge, so you can see the pattern of the oilcloth, yes, oilcloth! My Grandma had a tablecloth like this in her kitchen back in the day. LoL, I certainly did not pass it up, but now I have to figure out where I'm gonna put it...and no ladies sorry not on my Etsy site..... 

Stand back, I'm on a roll, cause when I was at the Antique Flea Market. This called to me from way back on a table..............

an americana motif sewing box and in the colors I remember ! I had seen one at the antique mall for $30, but kept passing on it..it's still there...I got this one for $10!!!

But wait I didn't look inside until I got to the van...............................

needles, threads, rick rack, laces, scissors, and a box full buttons...

happy van seat dance goin down the road :-D

I've even found an americana curtain panel and used it to create this inset  on the pocket..........

If  you're interested in purchasing this tote let me know in a comment!

It's Rednesday Wednesday so I think I'll join Susan over at It's A Very Cherry World Here.

And, if you're wondering about the Kermit song at the opening of my blog......it's a Vintage Alphabet Party over at the Etsy Cottage style Blog.....go thru here to see all the vintage finds that begin with the letters L and M. Here is my vintage alphabet  finds, which includes my red and white vintage lamp. If you'd like to do post to join the party, the post is up til' Sunday.

Hope you all are having a vintage week!

Melody

A was for Apron, D was for Dolls,

Well, if you can't tell by Kermits ABC song, it's time for the Vintage Alphabet Party at the Etsy Cottage Style Blog. I can hardly believe we've been doing this for 7 months!

This months letters are L and M. Hmmmmm........................................................................................
I could put a few pics of my favorite vintage things I have framed around the house.

Log Cabin photos from Cades Cove Tn.

But, then I  thought about my vintage Lamps.

                                                    

This is a Hobnail Milkglass and Cranberry Glass lamp. It was an oil lamp that was converted to electric in  the 1930's. It belonged to Jim's Grandma.

 

This little oil lamp is from the 1950- 60's. It's a  ceramic conastoga wagon with a very think wood grain plastic shade.

This is a fun nightlight that I created and is available on my Etsy Site. It's a 1960's plastic doll with spun plastic dress and parasol. I embellished her with a 1960's hankie I hand-embroidered and accented with a 1940's doily.









Of course I can't forget my Linens

This monogrammed teatowel and hand-tatted lace table topper are from the 1940's from my MIL.

This is a 1940's Swedish Emboidered Dishtowel

        I use this 1970's woven tablecloth as a wall hanging

and then I have a few vintage linens I use to incorporate into my designs, like this 1968 pillow case I

hand-embroidered.......

             I also have vintage Hummel Music Boxes

 I have  begun creating keepsake music boxes using vintage components like this one......................

And lastly, I couldn't forget my collection of 1960's  Mochaware. It's a mix of McCoy and Hull pieces, but the differences in the glazes aren't really noticible.

As you can see in the overview of the table this was a tablescape for Fall,

but I do use these dishes all year round.

Well, these are my entries for the Vintage Alphabet this month. I thought this would be a hard alphabet segment to fill, but one I got to going it filled in rather nicely I think.

If you'd like to see some of my other designs that I've placed in this post just pop over http://www.brownginghamcreations.com/ or http://www.brownginghamcreation.etsy.com/

Now, let's go over to the Etsy Cottage Style blog and see what the other party-goers have showed for thier Vintage Alphabet!

 

Vintage Treasures

Last week I showed you this tablescape I saw at the Lawrenceburg Antique Flea Market..................

This vintage inspired luncheon tabletop showcased a whole collection of  plates and cups sporting a classic rose motif so popular in the 40's ...Anchor Hocking I think, but I could be wrong.....and coordinated vintage plastic placemats. As soon as I saw these Rosy plates with the lacy placemats, I knew I had to have them, but alas, I had to pass on this find due to the price.  

You see I had an idea for a great set I could offer on my Etsy Site.

First, I found this wonderful vintage  1940's American Beauty Rose tablecloth..............

 and then these perfectly vintage rose glasses in a 4 set!

To complete the themed set I couldn't pass up this little number........

It's a 1940's sheer red and white apron. Matching roses from another tablecloth are used to create appliques on the pockets so it'll match the other peices. Now you see why I was so excited to find those luncheon plates, but I think the glasses make the set a bit more unique.

I envision this set used for a small gathering of gardening friends...a small buffet table in a kitchen nook or secluded part of the garden. The hostess dons her apron and gathers some of her back issues of Country Living Gardener and the latest floral design book. They all love to be inspired. She also collects some of her  floral motif serving peice

 Like this hand-wrought aluminum rose footed dish and prairie rose pitcher

A vintage rose doily, potholder,

and a matching spoon rest of the same era

A beautiful china cakeplate with gorgeous old fashioned english roses, her Grandmother's German porcelain flower basket candy box, and......

.....a small beeswax heart with a rose motif her husband gave her. Just cause it's pretty.

Add some ivy and roses of course and voile......................................

A pretty buffet of sweets and flowers.

I hope you enjoyed this stroll around the garden inspired tablescape. I had fun in this scavenger hunt for vintage treasure. If you are interested in the 'Garden Party' gift set to create your own garden inspired table, please let me know in a comment below.

Speaking of inspiration lets head over to Susan in her Very Cherry World, cause it's Rednesday Wednesday

and then on Thursaday we'll follow the path over to  Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday. See ya there!