Old Wood and Rusty Pieces Add Character to Your Newer Homes

So many of us in the Atlanta area live in houses in sub divisions where, as Erma Bombeck said years ago, there is 1 original and 216 copies.  Leading many to ask "How do you make your home stand out among this cookie cutter life style"?  In our eyes, the answer is it's not following the current trends but finding unique and creative ways to display your passions and possessions..   We believe every home should be a mixture of new and old.  It brings character to your house and makes it YOUR home.  If you need inspiration browse Pinterest and then go explore the Queen of Hearts to find similar items and make that pin your own.  I keep a "to create" file on my phone of photos of items that inspire me.  In today's blog we're going to discuss how to use wood ladders as display pieces.

Wood ladders have a limited life expectancy for human use for standing on.  As they age though, they develop fabulous patina's from the weathering of the wood and the paint that is dropped on it.  The pictures above are just a few that I found on Pinterest... for garden decor, for outdoor wedding decor and for bathroom storage.  All add the needed texture and personality to the spaces they occupy.  When we found a 10' ladder in a 200 year old barn up in Jefferson County, we couldn't resist.  It definitely was too rickety to stand on but it has too pretty of color to cut up and burn.  We did cut it down, as very few people have spaces for 10' ladders and it's much easier to manage in 4 and 6' segments.  Use the pieces for displays as in the photos above or as we've displayed in the booth... or use in your garden to create instant planter boxes (another fabulous Pinterest idea),  On our 4' ladder we have books, old blue mason jars, embroidered hand towels and gorgeous teal blue insulators.  We've got about 2 dozen insulators in our booth in both clear and blue... if you're in a really creative mood check out Pinterest for uses for those!!  Oh my goodness, people are making fabulous chandeliers out of them...  Talk about CHARACTER!!!  Perfect for a den.

We brought in other little bits this week that would fit your lake house, garden or simply add color to your decor for Spring.  We love the 1956 Coleman Army Gasoline Lantern.  It's sitting on it's original box and the lantern doesn't look like it was ever used.  The rooster plant hanger (to the right) was just too cute to pass up.  I personally love the old water pump.  If it doesn't sell soon, it's going to become a water feature in my backyard... yet another project for my long suffering husband... save him will you?  :)

This old bird planter... from the colors I'm thinking it was probably used for a baby gift plant.  It's sweet and would look fabulous on a table in your sun-room.  The chocolates are up for grabs... take one as you browse the store to give you energy to see everyone's fabulous goodies... I love the Queen, it's the best antique store around.  So much talent in up-cycling, recycling and saving of our history...  and for me... this is my history... for those that don't know it, I'm a flight attendant too... I LOVE airline paraphernalia and you've got to love our hometown airline...  the shot glasses are from Southern Airways which became Republic which became Northwest which is now... mama Delta...  In my industry it's a constant merger... so saving any history from now defunct airlines means a lot to me.  I've got Pan Am socks in the store too...  Just too cool for aviation addicts!

In our last blog we mentioned the loss of our middle dog Stella... we're all still grieving... but in the constant reminder of our short grasp on this cycle of life... our queen British Shorthair cat had kittens this week... our family is having fun watching these little fur balls grow... This is Cochon, son of Cleopatra Thea d'Chimay... I thought I'd end this on a "aweeeeeee" note... Happy Spring y'all!

It's the Little Things in Your Home...

I want to start this blog with nothing to do about antiques...  It's a reminder to love on your fur babies each day.  We lost our middle dog this week.  She was 14, healthy as an ox... and just stopped...  We are grateful she didn't suffer long and for the many years that big lug gave us her loyalty and devotion.  We're waiting for the clay paw print the vet is making to come to us and we'll be building a barn wood shadow box with that print, her picture and her sterling silver dog tag we had made 12 years ago... additionally her ashes will be under a dogwood tree in our yard... We're looking for the right dog statue to put next to it... if you see any lab type statues let us know...

Anyway, I spent the last part of the week junking - wandering aimlessly- trying to not be home to notice her absence... and by the end of the week I had a load of new smalls that made me smile... I'm excited to bring them to the booth this week.  Some it took all my sheer will power to actually tag... I absolutely love the 1960's Goebel bunnies... I told my mother that if they don't sell they were meant to be ours... we'll divide and enjoy... but I hope that someone else comes and sees the sweetness I did in them.

If I haven't mentioned this already... I have a weakness for vintage hand painted china.  Maybe it's because I have ZERO talent as an artist unless you count stick figures... So much love and deft ingenuity goes into these pieces... I can see the women sitting around a table talking to each other and having their girls night and turning out these cherished items as they speak their minds and hearts...  I don't dare attempt this craft today... before you say I should let me tell you about Mr. Carr and his art class back in oh...  1979... We made hand thrown pottery pieces... He graded it when it went into the kiln and then again after you painted it.  My little inkwell-ish looking piece got a D as it went in... it wasn't even and it was truly a piece only a mother could love... When it was time to paint it I painted it all red with a bunch of little white hearts... When he saw the finished piece he gave me an A... not because he thought it was fabulous but because in his words I "turned something completely ugly into something almost cute"... It's on my mothers window sill bless her heart... but it really is only something she'll ever love... haha... anyway... it's hard for me to walk away from these mini art pieces... so I rarely do...  these are perfect for Spring decor don't you think?

This lack of my own personal talent, along with my love of gardening may also be why I love vintage embroidered floral bits framed...  One on an end table or a bunch in a vignette just adds homey warmth to a room... I'm amazed at the amount of time women have put into these pieces... again my imagination runs to someone in a rocking chair, next to a lamp... pushing and pulling the different threads in and out... and stabbing their fingers if they're anything like me when I tried... and somehow... they finish and have a piece that most women today can not replicate... It's a dying talent...  Next to these embroidered bits of art in our booth we now have 3 bird prints from Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996), the renowned Audubon society bird book author and artist.  His realism has helped us identify birds for the past 70 years.  Amazing!  Again... my stick figures would leave you clueless...

What I can do is see new possibilities for old things...  We had a bunch of old chairs that were falling apart and I told my husband to go ahead and break them down.  I stared at the chair backs and stopped him from completely destroying them... I asked as I always do when inspiration hits... "could you make this into..." in this case, a chalkboard.  We've sold a bunch of them, and this is the last one we've made.  I love the up-cycling process... Less in landfill and more history in your homes.

I can't take credit for the latest up-cycle project I completed today.  I recognized the potential because my bff that I call my "wife" - long story but she's always at my house and when I remarried I put her in my vows with my husband... he knew from the beginning that he had to accept our sisterhood friendship... anyway... she has a horse pulling collar hung over her fireplace and I absolutely love it.  I came across this one with it's hames and an insignia of some sort that I can't place.  I've never seen a brass monogram plate on one of these.  It's a stunning piece of work horse history that would look beautiful in any home.  I decorated it for Spring but it's easy to change out the seasons...

I sold a bunch of vintage clothing for my mother for a while... and now I'm selling the faithful mannequin they hung on.  I actually used this mannequin for Halloween last year... made it look like the head was cut off and had it dressed to the nines next to the jack o lanterns...  they're versatile bits and this one can actually be used as the dress form Acme L&M made it to be.  For now she'll model vintage aprons... another weakness...

The last little bit that is going into the booth this week is this beautiful pedestal end/side table.  I sooo love dark wood and pretty legs.  Put a lamp on her and some coasters in her drawer and she'll keep you happy... as you rock next to her and embroider a piece of fabric next to the fireplace... with a glass of wine by your side.  Someone's got to keep the talent alive right???

Stella Ragle 9/2003-3/2017

That's 98 in dog years... almost an... antique

We Are All of us Stars and Deserve to Twinkle - Marilyn Monroe

About a month ago Bill and I went to an estate sale near us on a horse farm that we wanted to see more of.  It was close to us.  We'd driven by it many times and always wondered what the rest of the property looked like.  Bill made me promise we wouldn't buy anything big because the garage was full (situation normal at our house) and I assured him I'd just get smalls.  We were saving our cash for the cruise we were going on the week after...  I started off with good intentions as we oohed and ahhed over the pond, barns and house... and while my hands shook with desire over many of the smalls, I contained myself admirably... until I wandered into the garage.  Then I saw it...  I looked at my friend working the garage...  looked at the piece and back to him with a give-me-a-reason-to-drive-my-hub-crazy look... he whispered a price in my ear... and I melted (for those that know who worked that sale-that garage, please don't tell him anything he said to me made me melt...  I love to give him grief and he knows it...) but I digress... I dashed in a borderline sashay that tried to express I didn't really care about the price and the piece but more urgently than I should have as I suck at poker and went searching for my husband....

"Oh Bill!!!!  I need you to come look at something..."

"Please tell me it's small..."

"Um... just come here..."

"That won't fit in the jeep"...

"I measured already it just fits..."

"It does have sexy lines..."

I RAN to the front of the house and got a sold sticker before Bill was even done feeling the piece to ensure it was sound as well as lovely...  Then I kissed him and hid while he got it into the car.... I know better than being around him when he's about to kill me...

Flash forward to this past weekend.  I had to work for 4 days and Bill had quiet time to play in the garage... and he started on my baby...  He needed something to occupy his time... he's 3 weeks into not smoking and it's amazing how much he's getting done to not think about smoking.  Win WIN!  It's a complete sidebar here but I'm soooo proud of him for doing this...

Back to bringing new life into my find from a month ago.  It's a 6' sideboard that we decided would be a beautiful wine bar.  Before I left for work we went shopping for colors and then I left Bill to his artistic genius.  All weekend long he sent me pictures of his progress.  Even my crew kept asking what he'd gotten done each day.  It was exciting to see the transformation.

It was done by the time I returned home Sunday.  Bill was treating it like a piece of porcelain.  Don't scratch it.  Don't touch it.  I don't want to put it in your car it might get damaged.  Let's put it in the living room (where the kids and animals won't???)...  With kid gloves I handled my husband again and suggested the safest place for his museum worthy masterpiece was... the store... and we brought it there today.  Even in the parking lot people were stopping us and ogling the piece.  It's amazing.  My husband never ceases to surprise me with his talent.

Our 6' sideboard now winebar holds 12 glasses on racks behind the doors and 21 bottles of wine.  We have it priced at $475.  As is everything else... it's at the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta.  We're at the front of the store to the right of the cashier counter... right behind Joyce... the gal who has been selling china for as long as I can remember... I'll give her a shout out here... If you're looking for transfer-ware of any color... Joyce probably has it.

And while I'm at it... I just wanted to give props to CCA- the dealer that is across from me on King and Queen Streets... I LOVE her cow paintings...  If they fit my decor one of these would be mine!  So... if any of my fabulous friends love cows and need a painting, you should go visit the Queen and see CCAs booth... so I can visit the cow and blow it kisses whenever I want forever... Aren't these just fabulous???  I so want the one on the left.  It screams my sort of crazy love...

With that... I must go back to putting new tags on a stash of vintage handbags I have... Prom season is coming and who wants a bag that you can get in every store when you can get a vintage bag that no one else will have...???  Peace and vintage kisses to all!

"Hope is Not a Dream But a Way of Making Dreams Become Reality" - Suenens

When I was a child my mother gave me a "hope chest"...  we're talking kindergarten age ~ probably 5 years old... she spent every birthday and Christmas adding items to that hope chest.  When you're 7 years old you look at these items and say "ooh nice" and think "where's the book/doll/bicycle" - the items you'll use THEN.  As I got in to my late teens I added things I purchased while traveling... china, crystal etc...  In my early 20's I started calling it the "hopeless chest"... as I was the last of my friends to get married...  Yet I remember pulling out the items when I purchased my first home... and I still use many of these items 25 years later...  they were and are thoughtful little blessings given to me throughout my life...  my mother has my chest in her home today... it's been painted and covered with a cushion and she uses it as a window seat in her spare bedroom - which is yet another historical use of these beautiful chests.

Cedar chests have long been used for storing special items for brides to be.  The cedar repels bugs and mold... with the added benefit of making linens smell fabulous.  Many women use these chests long after their "hopes" became reality... and store blankets and other linens in these year round.  The chest I currently own keeps my larger pieces of fine china (turkey plates, et al) safe year round.  They are practical as well as beautiful...  thus you can imagine why my heart strings pulled when I saw this poor baby abused and needing love.  I sent this picture to my husband and said as I always do... "I found a new project for you..." 

"Heather the garage is filled with a lot of old projects for me..."

"But this one should be quick and easy and she's got so much potential..."

Famous last words from me... those are the projects I image that one day his head will explode and he'll be found running down the highway mumbling "she said it would be easy" over and over again...

He tried to save the veneer because I asked... and then we finally agreed to bring life back into the top and paint the bottom.  The perfectionist in him probably fell to sleep nightly dreaming of smothering me with a pillow...  because he kept finding one more little thing that he wanted to tweak...  in the end it was all worth it.  she's beautiful again... for storage for your home... or for a young girl in your life that needs to start her trousseau... 

As with everything we are blogging about... this beauty will be in our booth at the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta March 1st.  Come check her out.

Creativity Is Intelligence Having Fun - Einstein

In the 80s Rachel Ashwell became a well known designer by showing us how to love our old chippy things.  She let us know it was ok to not have everything in your house all matchy matchy like the stores wished we would do.  She embraced the concept of using everything you own everyday.  No longer were we to keep our fine china in our cabinet for the holidays only.  These items we bought over our lifetimes showed who we are as a person.  Vignettes of those items around our house made our houses feel like home versus a showcase.  I don't believe in catering to trends.  I only buy something if it makes my heart skip a beat.

I absolutely loved the Shabby Chic concept and still do.  We have totally opposite styles as she's pinks and whites and all light.  I'm Victorian lovely ornate dark carved wood.  That said, I immediately got rid of the boring everyday dishes and pulled out my transfer ware.  We have one of two sets that we eat off of nightly, along with a set of plain ironstone that doesn't put me in a panic when my kids walk around with it in their hands.  Everything is used in our home.  Everything rotates through the seasons.  You wander through our house and you see our passions.  Our history.  Our story. 

Figure out how to use things that you had stored in unique ways.  My husband loves cute frogs.  We have them in the house and garden.  I've embraced that whimsy of his because it makes us both grin.  My 60s froggy planter that was in the closet became a coffee scoop holder next to our coffee pot.  He fits perfectly next to a vintage hand painted plate.  Our kitchen can never be said to look sterile lol. 

There was a wee bit of time that my mother and I collected transfer ware chamber pots.  Yes, I can always say I have a pot to piss in...  My favorite is displayed year round.  I have it by our front door and every time my family comes home from ANY beach, we toss the shells we lovingly picked and brought home into the chamber pot.  This pot is full of so many happy memories for the kids and I...

From now til December I'll have fresh cut flowers in my home every time I'm home for a few days.  As a flight attendant that's not every week but I try.  Walking into the home and seeing the flowers brings instant cheer to my heart.  I used to keep them in a vase (there's nothing wrong with that but I needed more color where it was placed) and then I found this beautiful 60s jug.  I could save it and actually use it as a water pitcher for family events but I just can't bring myself to put it away...  So a flower frog was put in the bottom and now it graces my foyer table with an understated elegance.

So lets talk about todays treasures that I picked up for our booth... This little lot has tons of potential.  Every time I see crystal creamers I smile and think of my mom and step dad.  They set their table daily like they are in a five star restaurant.  Linens, candles, crystal.  There is nothing shabby to their chic but they too embrace the idea that Rachel started years ago.   Can you see sitting down with coffee for you and your spouse and serving the milk in something this pretty?  As for the hand painted egg...  I have had one for years in my office that holds my pens.  Its a touch of feminine that I can't deny.  You could use the porcelain candlesticks on a table or... on a birthday cake... how fancy would that be?  Smalls in antique stores are a bit of every dealers whimsy... an inside look to the little things that person loves to cherish.  Come check out these whimsies in the last photo, along with the others I've collected over the years... I think you'll love them as much as I do.  They'll be at Queen for our debut on March 1st.

That Moment You Breathe New Life Into an Old Piece

Have I mentioned lately how great Bill is with his hands?  I've got the husband that all junking loving souls dream of.  I figured this out early on in our relationship.  I'd say I had a vision for something in my home and it would be done a couple of hours later.  I don't know about y'all but I've been in plenty of relationships where someone would say they "could do it" and six years later I was still waiting.  Thank you Lord for giving me a man that takes my vision, runs with it immediately and knocks it out of the ball park. 

I had a two car garage that I could get both cars into once.  Then we started As The Crows Fly.  Bill would get the garage half empty and then go off to work for a couple of weeks imploring me not to fill it while he's gone.  I'd give him that "I wouldn't dream of it darling" look that all wives perfect...  Then of course I'd go junking over the weeks he was gone and quietly fill the garage with pieces that I just can't imagine society losing forever.  I'd pick him up from the airport and drive him home.  He'd open the garage door to get into the house, see the wall of furniture, look at me with a stern "what the heck did you do look", (my eyes responding with a who me?) sigh, close the door and head to the front of the house... where really... civilized people use the front door right?  Yeah that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

Bill lamented sometime last year that I don't leave him love notes anymore... so I pointed out that I do... look at each of the pieces of furniture in the garage "Honey, I'd love you to do this..."  Thank God he loves me because he puts up with my crazy...  but he secretly loves playing in the garage... he plays music, pours a drink and gets crafty... AND my obsessions allow him to have his... TOOLS.

So we were really busy over the holidays and I didn't really have a chance to continue my hoarding in the garage... somehow Bill has gotten to pieces I shoved in there last year and is currently making them fabulous!!!  While I was working on the patio set, he was painstakingly taking apart this old vanity, gluing, doweling and fixing all her joints.  We agreed we wanted to keep some of her wood stained but other parts of her needed to be painted.  I heard him scream in the garage a few times in frustration so I'd go and give him a kiss and say "I believe in you baby I know you can do this!!!"  He would give me the evil eye but continue on with his project.

Today he finished that project - a creamy painted and stained beauty that would look lovely in anyone's bedroom.  We kept her with all of her original hardware... but we kept the bill of sale for two Herndon cows we found in her from 1960.  Those little scraps of history make us giggle.  But I digress... this beauty too will be available at the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta on March 1st!  Stay tuned... he's already got another project up on the bench.  I'm soo excited!!!

It's True... Beautiful Things Have Dents and Scratches Too...

My husband will tell you that I can not pass up a cute vintage patio set or chairs... I'm an avid gardener and I'm always putting something in our back yard when he's not looking.   Right now we have two patio sets, a glider, two wood benches, a peacock chair and 3 rockers... all have been lovingly restored or given a wee polish and a clear coat to enhance their lovely chippy selves...  When I brought this one home in November he drew his foot in the grass.  "Heather... there is no more room on either our front or back patio... none."


I knew he was right but when I saw it at an estate sale... way in the back yard with ivy growing up around it to the table top... I had to rescue it.  I was halfway to it knee deep in ivy when I had the good graces to wonder if there were any snakes out there... we DO live in Georgia after all...  I started making tons of noise, clapped my hands, stamped loudly... and prayed...   I got to the first chair, pulled it out with a few vines and saw it was in great condition and did a little scream of joy...  grabbed the other and gave it a yank and it too was in fabulous chippy condition.  I hiked through the overgrowth making noise on the way back to safety with my chairs... and went back for the table... trying not to think of any other creepy crawlies I was walking next to.  I'm a pansy when it comes to bugs and snakes... but I was determined to get my prize...  the table came out with a little more effort and it too was great... I oohed at the rosettes on the legs and marched my brave big girl self with the set to the front of the house... and sat down on it with a satisfied grin.  Victory was mine!!!

While my ever suffering husband is quite supportive of my vintage finds, I knew he had a point and I agreed to bring her back to life in the late Winter for us to sell in our booth in the early Spring.  Today was such a glorious Spring like day in Atlanta that I decided to tackle my project.  Sanded down the chippy spots and put a coat of primer on the set.  With projects like this you get almost immediate gratification... She looked lovely in her grey primer.  I was tempted to paint her a robins egg blue but decided she'd appeal more to the masses if I went white.  Whoever buys her may have a different color for her in mind... but maybe not... because I had an itch to add a bit of whimsy to her... you'll see in a moment...

I remembered half way through painting her white why I don't tend to buy wicker to refurbish... It's hard to cover all the detail...  The iron latticework on this piece was making me go blind with the minutia of verifying I'd gotten it all complete.  I kept itching to get to the wee bit of whimsy but that falls under the final touches.  I'm not a patient girl.  She's back to her vintage glory now though I'll think you will agree. 

All you need to make her complete, is a splash of color with a small pillow or seat cushion (unless you like iron patterns on your legs when you're wearing shorts), a bottle of wine, two glasses and a friend to toast to patios in the Spring!  Got to love the weather in the south.

You'll find this lovely set at the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta the first day of March... Here's to our upcoming Spring!