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A Tiny Bit Of Fall Decorating – Fall Vignettes

Fall decorating with a small pumpkin on top of black glass match holder

So. Yeah. I was ready to do some fall decorating. Right. I pulled out my boxes and realized most everything was either Halloween or Thanksgiving themed. Not much was generic fall. So, I have nothing noteworthy. But I’ll show you what I did do.

Some fall colored string balls in the stack of dough bowls in the little dining room:

Fall colored balls of string in stack of antique dough bowls.

In the same room, I put some kind of shedding, dried flower bunches in a brown transferware bowl. As long as we don’t touch them or blow on them, everything is fine. Continue reading A Tiny Bit Of Fall Decorating – Fall Vignettes

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The 4th of July Decorations Featuring a Patriotic Collection

Silk, 48 star, American flag

4th of July mantle decoration

Procrastination. I has it. Bad. I knew I wanted to do some 4th of July decorations on my mantle, and planned to do it at least a couple of weeks before the holiday. Ohhhh, and I’d get some fab pictures, pin them on Pinterest and everyone would oooh and ahhhh and I’d have my 15 minutes of fame. Bahahahahaha…. snort, giggle. 

So. Two days, not weeks, before the 4th, I pulled out the patriotic collectibles box and got to work. We were also expecting company on the 3rd, so that was incentive, even though not one of them cared – or even noticed – nor should they have. But I cared.

It’s been so long since I’ve opened said box, that I forgot I had some of these things! Where did that silk, 48 star flag come from? How cool is that?

Silk, 48 star, American flag

The “Remember Me” thing is a….. I don’t know what it is…. It’s silk and folds over like a book. You’d think it should be a hanky pouch, but there are no openings for a hanky. The inside has a flag and a Doughboy. Whatever it is, I love it.

4th of July mantle decoration

The plate above has presidents on it up to Teddy Roosevelt. The flag thing at the base of the new, Dollar Tree flags is a pin cushion. The spool, or bobbin, of red thread gets used for Christmas and Valentine’s Day as well. 

Close by, on a table near the fireplace, is this real photo postcard of a 48 star flag. 

Real photo postcard of a 48 star flag

I didn’t show a close up of the center because the close ups had the top of my head reflecting in the mirror. It isn’t all that interesting anyway. My head nor the stuff in the center of the display. Maybe if I hadn’t procrastinated so long, I could have taken the time to get some better pictures and had my 15 minutes of fame. Hehe. Ah, but that’s Last Minute Me. At least I did something, though!

 

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This Year’s Vintage Easter Decorations

Vintage Easter Decorations

Woohoo! I’m a tad late getting out the Easter decorations, but better late than never. After years of cramming everything I could onto the mantle and having it look like a giant threw up vintage Easter decorations, I finally realized I didn’t have to use everything I owned. In that one spot. Maybe if the rest of my house was clean and not just the mantle and the couple of other spots I used, I’d spread it out and use it all, but it’s not. So I didn’t. My picture taking skills need work – still – the camera and part of my hand is even in one picture – and in spite of great natural light, that room is really hard to photograph – maybe some little something will inspire you to get yours out or start your own vintage Easter collection.

Vintage Easter telegram

 

An Easter telegram stuck in vintage, crepe paper flowers.


 

Vintage Easter Decorations

Left side of the mantle. The stuffed bunny on the right was mine as a baby. I also had a crank, Peter Cottontail just like this one, but it went the way of a yard sale back in the ’70s. I was lucky enough to run across this one a few years ago at an estate sale and didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg. The little, round box in the middle with the bunnies popping up? It was a cottage cheese container from the late 1950s, or perhaps early 1960s, made into an Easter basket! 


Vintage Easter Decorations

Right side of the mantle. There’s the other cottage cheese container to go with the one above. They belonged to two brothers. 

What happened to the middle of the mantle you ask? My picture taking skills. It was one, big blur. Yuck.


Vintage Easter Decorations

This one is my favorite. We decorated these peat pots a few years ago.  The photo in back is of a child with her (or could be a he) Easter basket. It’s available as a free graphic for you here: Vintage Easter Child.

 

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My Favorite Valentine’s Day Collectibles

I thought today I’d share my favorite Valentine’s Day collectibles with you. Two antique and all three hand made. 

This first one is a large card. Made early 20th century. Plain, gray cardboard was used with strips of colored paper and two chubby cherub cut outs.

Antique Hand Made Valentine

It’s faded and torn and dirty. I had to reglue the bottom cherub and the top piece of paper that had completely torn off. But I love the simplicity of it all. 

Antique Hand Made Valentine

Antique Hand Made Valentine

It has an easel on the back to stand on its on. 

Next is a beaded heart. 

Vintage Beaded Heart

It was probably made in the early 20th century as well.

Then about 100 years later, I made this heart from a Jello mold. I still love it. 

Heart Mold Valentine Decoration