CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

I love my vintage Christmas decorations! Here are some of them displayed.

I moved my pretty white sideboard into the living room and brought the console table into the kitchen. I am so loving having the extra window "open". I only have four large windows and a french door in the kitchen so I have LOTS of light! So this table gets my egg nog set and extra egg nog mugs.

I like to line my kitchen window ledges (in the middle where the locks are) with my vintage tiny houses!

I love pulling out my vintage Christmas records each year! My favorite is the 78rpm of White Christmas.

A stack of vintage wrapping paper and greeting card boxes.

The hutch is all lined up with a variety of figurines:

Go, Santa! Get down with your bad self!

SUMMER POSTCARDS

I have been putting up some of my summer decorations this past week, and was delighted to place my Summer Postcards around. A few years ago Elizabeth, of Creative Breathing, had a swap where you made a postcard of your state. That was one of my favorite swaps! So here are a few photos of some of the cards.

 (china: Homer Laughlin 'duBarry' pattern)

(my collection of red Restaurant Ware)

REDNESDAY

I swear, kids have much better fashions these days than adults! I'm always finding the cutest outfits in the Girls section at stores. Jade showed up yesterday with this adorable red hoodie, covered in bling . . . soooo cute! (beside it is my red coat and scarf)

Last night I made a cat house for the cats. Chloe decided to take up residence in it, so Becky moved it up to her room, because Chloe is her cat. Here, I took a picture of Becky taking a picture of Chloe!

So far, we haven't seen much snow this year - this little guy will have to do! We had six inches (15cm) of fluffy white stuff on Saturday, which is almost completely gone today. Yesterday was 45F/7C and today will be 50F/10C. The china set in the cupboard is Homer Laughlin 'duBarry' pattern.

When I was at the thrift store a few weeks ago, I found this canister on the floor in one of the back rooms filled with utensils. I asked if it was for sale, and they said yes! The tin money box was an eBay UK purchase a year or so ago - love the graphics!

GOT MY BADGE MADE & MY DISHES DISPLAYED

Finally got around to making my blog badge, in the manner of Magpie Ethel's.


I had to include the little girl (from a paper doll) - she's my trademark! Why a ferris wheel? I dunno, just thought it would look cool with cherries hanging off it. Even though it's not a merry-go-round, I think I'll call it my "cherry-go-round"! I hate working with crepe paper - there must be a simple and easy way to fold it!


Here are my dishes all washed up and in the china cupboard ~



What did I do with all the stuff that was in the cupboard before the dishes? Well . . . nothing yet!

As you can see, I still haven't done anything with this hutch top either. I was planning on setting it on top of the kitchen "island", which is against a wall; but, when I told Mister my plan, he got the idea that he would keep cereal boxes in this piece. Oh, no he doesn't!

HAPPY MAY! TAG AND CHINA

I am so excited that May is finally here - almost a guarantee that they'll be no more frosts (almost)! Here in Massachusetts, as in other states I'm sure, our unofficial last-frost date is Memorial Day (May 31). That's too far off - I can't wait that long!

So, I made my May Tag-A-Long this week. After I saved the photo, I realized that both April and May have green backgrounds. Oh well, I liked this paper because it looks like a trellis.
I am an avid gardener, as most of you probably already know. Not the best, mind you, but avid! And May is the month to get those veggies going! That's why I haven't posted since Wednesday, because I've spent so much time in the garden. My motto is "Gardening forever, housework whenever"!

But, on Thursday after school, Teen and I stole away to my fave thrift shop and McDonald's. God showed His favor upon me that day. Don't know what I did to deserve it, but I'm so thankful anyways! There was this huge selection of my "formal" dish pattern, 'DuBarry' Eggshell Nautilus by Homer Laughlin, I just stood there with my mouth to the floor! I couldn't find a price so I had the worker come help me. He found a sticker on a teacup that said $30 for the lot. He looked at it, then said, "For you, $20". Yahoo! (That's probably because Mister helps them out all the time.)

I was so excited to share them with you that I didn't even wash them or arrange them.
I couldn't even get good lighting for a photo, but who cares? LOL! Can you believe this? A TEAPOT, Gravy Boat/Saucer, 3 serving platters, 1 oval veggie bowl, 7 teacups, 9 saucers, 12 dinner plates, 7 square luncheon plates, 9 bread(?) plates, and 2 berry bowls. Pretty much just need the sugar and creamer!

I only had 6 dinner plates and a small platter before this big score. Now I get to take everything out of the hutch and redecorate it with DuBarry! Then I can have fun finding new homes for all my knick-knacks!
On a side note , besides the fact that this post is getting long!, see the weird item on the top left shelf of the hutch? Pre-Teen made it a few years ago for New Year's Eve - it's the ball dropping in Times Square, New York!

QUEEN FOR A DAY

I've just got to learn to write things down. Two or three weeks ago, on Vintage Thingies Thursdays, someone showed their Royal plate (EDIT: It was JewelGirl of Sandwiched Mom!), and I commented that I was about to show my Queenie stuff. Well, I finally remembered.

So here is the sandwich plate/cup/saucer that was my grandmother's. She lived here in Massachusetts, but had relatives in England, so they probably sent the set over to her. It's made by Alfred Meakin, and she always kept it in her china cabinet and, now, it's in my china cabinet!
This regal mug I recently acquired from eBay. Mister and Teen laughed at me when I said I bought it because it was pretty. Well, it is! I keep it on the shelf over the sink, because I am the Queen!
Here's a few other Queenly things I have in my files! (First one from CafePress, second Google, third Mary Engelbreit.)

I hope you all have a royal Sunday!

VTT - There's Gold in Them Thar China Cabinets!

I promised Elizabeth of "Home Is Where The Heart Is" that I'd show my 3-legged tea cup today. So I'll show a few other golden items from the china cabinet as well!

The 3-legger is a big cup - coffee size.
This one, also, probably holds a good 8 - 10 ounces (283 grams).
And this one is a petite 1-1/2 inches tall (or short) (3.81 cm)!

Now, go visit Suzanne's blog to see all the other VTT's today!

Vintage Thingies Thursday

Graciously hosted by: coloradolady

I have fond memories of my parents' New Years Eve parties in the late 50's/early 60's. The kitchen and living rooms were kind of like one big room, and when the furniture was pushed against the walls they had a decent little dance floor. My mom was one of six kids, so her sisters and brother and their spouses came, along with a few close friends.

Me and my siblings (six of us also) couldn't wait for the morning after to glean through the left-over snacks, party hats, noise makers, (edit) swizzle sticks, streamers, and what-not. My favorites were the tin noise makers that spun around as you held them, and the swizzle sticks. Oh, the swizzle sticks! They were like magic wands to a six-year-old! Different colors of hard plastic or glass that had sparkles in them, some shaped like a cane with little whistles or other novelties hanging from them.

Every New Year's I've remembered them, so a while back I started looking for them on eBay. I have found enough to satisfy my yearnings, so I'm sharing them here today. Of course, I am always open to more variety!

I love these little white vases also - they remind me of loving cups (trophies).