Pussy Willow's

I just love pussy willow. I had to share with you these fun pussy willow dishes from W. S. George circa 1954. The W. S. George Pottery Company was a United States pottery manufacturer with facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania between 1904 and 1960.






From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pussy willow is a name given to many of the smaller species of the genus Salix (willows and sallows) when their furry catkins are young in early spring. These species include (among many others):

•Goat willow or goat sallow (Salix caprea), a small tree native to northern Europe and northwest Asia.

•Grey willow or grey sallow (Salix cinerea), a small tree native to northern Europe.

•American pussy willow (Salix discolor), native to northern North America.

Before the male catkins of these species come into full flower they are covered in fine, greyish fur, leading to a fancied likeness to tiny cats, also known as "pussies". The catkins appear long before the leaves, and are one of the earliest signs of spring. At other times of year trees of most of these species are usually known by their ordinary names.

Did you know in The Sound of Music when Maria asks Marta what one of her favorite things are, she replies "pussy willow" (during the song "My Favorite Things") ?

My "Deer" it's finally spring.

A sure sign that the long Northern Michigan winter is finally ending is when the deer come out of the woods and into the open fields to graze upon the grass covered in snow for many months.


This was my inspiration for this centerpiece. I created this as a celebration of the new spring season using the following items.

The base for the centerpiece is a found piece of driftwood.
(I use this all the time and change with the seasons.)

The faux birch bark candle is from Target.

Deer moss for the forest floor,available at any craft store.

Several collected rocks from my daughters.

And a charming family of vintage celluloid deer I acquired from an antique auction.

Happy Easter from Antique Living

Just wanted to share with you some of my favorite Vintage Easter finds from the Elk Rapids Antique Warehouse.


A rusty iron basket with a folk art chick and a lovely Easter egg candy container from Western Germany.




A couple of charming Egg Cups.

The Thrill of the Hunt

Over the past week, my daughter could hardly control her enthusiasm as she looks forward to the Easter Egg Hunt at Lakeland Elementary. Every year I watch with amazement as the excited children frantically scramble to find their Easter treasures. How can plastic Easter eggs filled with candy bring so much joy for these children? I call this phenomenon "the thrill of the hunt," i.e., the joy of searching for and finding a “treasure”, that certain something you have been looking for.

Working in the antique business, I am often witness to that same excitement in adults. Like when an avid collector of Roseville pottery acquires that rare Della Robbia pattern for their collection, or someone finally finds the perfect size antique table for their home, and there is always the person who is looking for the replacement piece of Spode china they broke last Thanksgiving. That moment of discovery, when you cannot believe your eyes, an endorphin rush takes over your body, and you experience the triumph of holding the elusive object in your hands. The only thing better, really, is when you find that item at a bargain price!

The “thrill” of the hunt is not always guaranteed, as anyone who has ever visited a dark and dirty antique store, traveled to a bad flea market or waited in a long line for a disappointing estate sale already knows. Who knew there were so many coffee mugs, plastic toys and tired doilies in the world? However, more often than not, I find fascinating items, a handcrafted wood dough bowl, a gorgeous piece of costume jewelry, or a fantastic mid-century lamp. Browsing antique shops, estate sales and flea markets is as much for entertainment as it is for consumption. I find myself easily entertained by the history of all the antiques and there is always something that sends me traveling down memory lane. When life was simple and finding great joy in a few Easter eggs filled with candy was the “thrill of the hunt”.

Here is my list of favorite places to hunt for treasures.

In the right frame of mind

One of my favorite “up-cycle“ projects are the transformation of antique frames into pretty and practical works of art.




Custom cut a piece of foam board to fit your frame. Using spray adhesive apply sheet of cork to foam board. Place board in frame; secure in place with angle brackets at each corner. Finish off the back of your frame using brown craft paper. Cut the craft paper to size and apply the craft paper with a glue stick.

Here are two large ornate frames transformed into cork message boards. These would look lovely in a chic home office or studio.




I applaud the person who came up with chalkboard paint. There are so many items that can be transformed using chalkboard paint (this subject itself deserves its own post).
Custom-cut a piece of hardboard to fit your frame. Spray on chalkboard paint, applying at least three coats; let dry between coats. Allow paint to dry for 24 hours. Once cured, prepare surface for chalk by rubbing side of chalk over entire surface and erasing. Place board in frame; secure in place with angle brackets at each corner. Finish off the back of your frame using brown craft paper.

I use this chalkboard at the shop to relay messages to our customers.



The possibilities are endless when using fabric to make a message board. You can use a fun retro barkcloth and paint the frame to match for a teenagers room or maybe a beautiful floral print for a garden room, or use a leftover piece of fabric from your decorating project to coordinate with your new space. I could go on and on.

Cut a 3/4-inch-thick Homasote fiberboard to fit a large frame, or have your hardware store cut it for you. Cut a piece of fabric and batting 2 inches larger all around; place face down on work surface. Center fiberboard over batting and fabric. Wrap one side of fabric and batting to the back. Using a staple gun, attach fabric and batting to board, beginning with one staple in the middle of the side, 1 1/2 inches in from the edge. Wrap fabrics over opposite side, and secure to board with a staple directly opposite the first. Repeat with other two sides. Continue stapling fabrics, working out toward the corners, always adding staples in pairs on opposite sides of the board, ensuring fabric stretches evenly. If you want to add another layer be creative and add a coordinating ribbon in any pattern on the surface. Use upholstery tacks to secure ribbons. Place board in frame; secure in place with angle brackets at each corner. Finish off the back of your frame using brown craft paper.

Here is a message board using some fun vintage fabric.

Love From the Past

My love of ephemera naturally attracts me to old Valentines. I would like to share with you some of my favorite Valentines. Lets escape back in time and take a peek at the culture, style and language from the past. These Valentines give us a glimpse of our ever changing society over the years.


This is an example of a pop-up Valentine from 1900 and printed in Germany. The forget-me-knot flowers, birds and ships were common themes for German made cards of this time period. The red heart was rarely used.



A later version of a pop-up Valentine also printed in Germany with the following sentiment on the underside.
To My Valentine!
I love you and you love me
But let me say it once again
I am yours and you are mine
Sweethearts- all the time!


An early "mechanical" Valentine with a moving sail was printed in Bavaria for
Ernest Nister, London. Early 1900's



This Valentine was made by the Whitney Manufacturing Company of Worchester,Massachusetts, an early American manufacture of children's Valentines. Grace Gebbie Wiederseim Drayton drew children such as this one for the Campbell Soup Company from 1904 to 1924. As a very prolific artist, her work often appeared unsigned. Her sister, Margaret Gebbie Hays, wrote the verses that accompanied her work. This design is very similar to Drayton's work, if not her work.

The verse inside reads:
Dear little Valentine speed on your way
Carry a message for me to-day
If only the postman could take me too
Dear sweetheart, how quickly I'd come to you.



This Valentine was printed in the USA and signed 2-14-36.
The inside sentiment reads:
Dan Cupid's dart has pierced my heart-
And you're the reason why;
That's why I wait without your gate,
And hope for your reply!



A vintage ski motif printed by the Carrington Co. of Chicago, ILL.
signed 1933 says:
Don't keep your heart clear out of reach
I want it to be mine
Because I think you are a peach-
So be my Valentine.





These 1930's Valentines depict adorable children and animals. All printed in the USA.



A stand up Valentine with a red-cheeked little girl baking some sweets for you.



A mid-century Valentine featuring a book of matches , a time when smoking was glamorized.
The inside verse reads:
We'd make a fine " Match "
My Valentine!


A little Valentine History...

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

Reprinted from History.com

One of my fondest memories around Christmas was baking in the kitchen with my Mom. While growing up my mom would bake all of her favorite cookie recipes to give away as gifts. My mother accumulated many amazing recipes over the years from old cookbooks and magazines, by asking her friends for their cookie recipes, and of course, from my grandmother. Another great way to find fabulous recipes is through a cookie exchange party. It's a great excuse to get together with friends and family, enjoy new cookie recipes and catch up over a glass of milk.


Here are some ideas for a Cookie Exchange Party “Antique Living” style.




Invites

Well in advance, set a date for the cookie exchange and send invitations to as many people as you can comfortably accommodate.


Guests will get a hint of the theme for the party.


Details

Have everyone bring 3 dozen cookies.

Keep a master list of cookies so everyone doesn't bring the same thing. There's no point in holding a Cookie exchange if you all bake sugar cookies.

Recycle vintage cookie tins lined with wax paper for your guests to take home their cookies.






Refreshments

Keep it simple. Serve coffee, milk and a sampling of the guest’s cookies.

Set up a buffet table with retro kitchen ware.

I set up this table with items from the store.



Favors

Have everyone send in their cookie recipe in advance. Print all the cookie recipes on photo copied blank vintage recipe cards. At the end of the party give out a Cookie Recipe Book with all of them bound together with holiday ribbon attached to an old cookie cutter.