Treasure Seeking in a Thrifty Kind of Way!

September 21, 2012

Last week my treasure hunting created a mystery with the large vintage shortening bin I picked up at a garage sale. And Andrea was super sweet in featuring it this week! Thank you so much for the feature, Andrea!

Well my mystery is no closer to being solved, but this week you might think I was becoming a tin collector!

Here’s what came home with me from a little thrifting excursion :-)

That’s right. A vintage Empress jam can, c. 1940s-50s! That’s the tin collecting part, but I’m not actually ‘collecting’ tins… not yet, anyway  ;-)

And this great little piece of vintage luggage. Love the old cardboard luggage!

The glass at the bottom of the old bottle is super thick, and poured on an angle.

I don’t know what it was used for, but I thought it was kind of cool. And I liked this wine carafe because of its shape. Most the ones you find, are round from bottom to top.

So these are my treasure finds this week! A little vintage and a lot of loooove!

When I bought the jam tin, the cashier asked me what I planned to do with it. I told her it might hold pens and pencils on my desk! What would you do with it?

Today I’m heading back over to the Junkin Joe Linky Party, ’cause the last one was just way too much fun! I hope you pop over and check out all the other vintage treasures, projects and thrifty finds!

And here’s a special shout out toAndrea at The Cottage Market for hosting! Thank you, Andrea!!!

This week coming up is going to be a busy one for me. I’ll be getting myself organized to head over to idsWEST in Vancouver where I’ll be joining the DLBwest blogging gang for another blogging gala of fun! And I will be making a quick little ‘vintage’ stop along the way! Watch for that post next Friday to find out why!

Thank you for stopping by!

Photography: Sheila Zeller

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Wire Racks for Organizing on the Inside!

September 17, 2012

Organizing is always a hot topic, so I thought I’d throw a quick and easy idea into the mix.

Live in a rental? This one’s for you. Even if you don’t, it still might be for you!

If your kitchen cupboards have more space inside than shelves to maximize it, here’s a quick solution… and, you can take this solution with you when you go!

Sunbeam Plate Racks

These Sunbeam wire racks are super strong, and don’t cave under the weight of stacked dishes.

Here’s a little look at how I’ve put them into play.

This is my cupboard for everyday dishes, well, except for the top shelf. I have 9′ ceilings, so the top shelf  is like extra storage!

Sunbeam Plate Racks

Can you see how much space there is between shelves. If you own your home, then purchasing extra shelves makes sense, but if you’re renting, that’s one home improvement idea you’ll want to forego.

Here you see a smaller cupboard, so the racks fit almost perfectly. And to protect the rims of the glasses and mugs, I lined these racks with rubberized shelf liner. But notice the circled areas on the photos.

Sunbeam Plate Rack

This shelf was cut slightly smaller than the others, and was just barely deep enough to hold the rack. So I improvised a stopper to make sure the feet wouldn’t slip off the edge. The stoppers are actually Command Strip Cord Clips. They’ve been in place for a year and a half, and so far, so good!

I also put the wire racks to use in my buffet. I was able to put five along the back for an almost perfect fit, and what a difference they make.

Sunbeam Plate Racks

You know how it goes, right? China, special dishes, fragile treasures…

I had to fit all of this in, and still be able to access it. And this wasn’t all of it!

Before the wire racks, everything was tediously stacked, and it was hard to access the things at the bottom not to mention the pieces in behind them.

Here’s a look at the buffet all loaded up.

I like the way the racks safely separate and elevate the dishes now. And notice, no sagging under the weight!

Just in case you’re interested, the racks come in white like you see here, or chrome. The white is not rubber coated, it is the actual wire painted white. There are two sizes in the basic rack – square, 10″D x 10″W x 5.5″H, which I’ve used here, and rectangular, 8.5″D x 16″W x 5.5″H. You can also get a corner rack that is designed specifically for plates, and all racks are available at Canadian Tire.

Here’s a bonus tip for an unlikely spot to use these racks…

Sunbeam Wire Racks

That’s right. The fridge freezer! Doesn’t it drive you crazy trying to place your freshly filled ice trays, you know, so the water doesn’t spill everywhere? That’s what drove me to this organizational solution! Notice, the rack is turned so you can slide the trays on and off!

Have you ever tried these wire racks? What other solutions do you use to maximize spaces like this behind closed doors?

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

P.S. ~ Just to make sure there’s no confusion, this is not a sponsored post!

Photography by Sheila Zeller 

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Vintage Swift’s Jewel Shortening Bin

September 14, 2012

When we were in Victoria last weekend, I just so happened to stumble upon a garage sale… and coerced my family to stop! Actually, they were indulgent. Hubs wandered with me, and teenage daughter, well she stayed in the car ;-)

So I have another semi-mystery for you.

This is the vintage bin that caught my eye… and ended up coming home with me!

Swift's Jewel Brand Shortening Bin - Swift Canadian Co Limited

I call this a bin instead of a tin, because it’s 15″ high x 12″ in diameter. And if you look closely, there’s a faint black 50lb mark on the label. Do you think 50lbs of shortening would fit in this bin?

Anyway, I asked the gentleman if he knew how old it was. He told me it belonged to his mother back on the Prairies, and that it originated in the late 1800s.

The stamp on the Canadian label might be a clue.

Swift Canadian Co - Shortening Bin 12"x15"

I have done a bunch of searching on line since, and I can’t find an.y.thing. on the Swift Canadian Company. It’s hard to even find any bins that look like this one.

This is the closet I could find, and though it’s similar, it’s the American Swift Company’s bin.

Log Cabin Antiques

Notice the difference in the labels?

Here’s a close-up of Swift Canadian Co.’s label.

Swift Canadian Co Limited - Shortening Bin

The Canadian label is without the jewel symbol, and its layout and font are different.

From what I could gather based on trademark information, it seems US Swift and Company was the original registrant, later replacing ‘and’ with ‘&’. According to this information, I learned the name ‘Swift’ had been in use since 1890, and ‘Jewel’ since 1902. Swift’s Jewel Shortening was noted as the pseudo mark, and its trademark details filed in 1940. It appears the trademark events for Swift & Company – Swift’s Jewel Shortening – were renewed in 1981, and expired in 2002.

And that’s all I could really find out!

This scenario is kind of like the vintage case I wrote about here, which this bin is sitting on in the first photo. I never have gotten anymore information on the case of the vintage case!

So, tell me. Do you know anything about this bin? Anything about Swift’s Jewel Shortening history at all? How about the vintage case? I’d love to learn more!

Today I’m linking up to the Junkin Joe Linky Party!

 Thank you to Andrea at The Cottage Market for hosting!

And, thank you for stopping by!

Photography by Sheila Zeller unless otherwise stated. 

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A New Touch for a Touch Lamp

September 12, 2012

I have been working on a redesign project, and this is one of the lamps that was in the mix…

Exactly as is. Apparently the original fluted ruffled glass shade got broken, and was just never replaced. Since redesign is working with what you already have, we knew we’d need a shade for this lamp.

I popped into the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Langford and found a one-off that would be perfect, but… forgot to bring the lamp to make sure! Handy, right? When I got home, I was pretty sure the shade would fit. For a whole $2.00, I’m not sure why I didn’t just buy it on the spot! Honestly.

It just so happens hubs was  in the area the next day, so based on my description he stopped in and made the purchase. And then decided to make sure it was right before leaving!

This is the phone shot he sent :-)

Can you see the very light orange tint to the glass? That’s what sold me on it. I’m repurposing a piece for this project, and the new paint colour will work perfectly with the tint in this glass.

This is what the lamp looked like with the energy efficient bulb turned on.

I’m not a fan of these compact fluorescents… in fact, you can read about why here. But what you don’t know is this lamp is a touch tri light. So even if I was a fan, I would still opt not to go with this bulb.

Here’s a peek at the new shade on the lamp along with a small 60 watt incandescent bulb.

So pretty. It sure makes the lamp look different, doesn’t it? Oh, you’re dying to see all of it?

Click here and you’ll get to see both!

So what have you been fixing up lately? Any parts and pieces given a new life, or did you have to buy new to get the job done?

Thank you for stopping by. I’m so glad that you did!

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And The New Black Is…

August 29, 2012

We’ve all heard this before…

[Blank] is the new black.

And I bet you can fill in the blank.

Well, here’s the thing. The other day a mystery envelope was left on our porch. I recognized the sender’s name (thank you so much, Alicia), but had no clue what might be inside.

I was so curious.

When I opened it, these fell out!

How cool are they? Don’t they just make you smile?

My hubs is a social media guy, so the top pencil was for him. Skill testing question: Which SM platform does this apply to?

The other two were pour moi! :-) By now I’m pretty sure you know this about me: I’m good with old black, new black… any kind of black, but to see D.I.Y. and Upcycling coined the ‘New Black’, well what’s not to love about that?

Can I just say,

Hello Audrey…

Bead Designs by K

Hello Jackie…

Oh No They Didn’t Live Journal

Mind if we join you?

Do you know what the difference is between D.I.Y.ing and Upcycling?

D.I.Y. stands for ‘Do It Yourself’, and it literally means to build, modify or repair something without the help of experts or professionals. Did you know the phrase,”do it yourself” became common in the 1950s? I know, right! I thought it was newer than that! See, what’s old is new again ;-)

Upcycling is all about finding a new purpose for things instead of throwing them out. And usually this means you will be D.I.Y.ing whatever it is you’re upcycling, but not always. You can also hire someone to do the upcycling for you!

But did you know that upcycling, though a form of recycling, is in fact a greener way of recycling? That’s right, they are actually different, because recycling requires energy and resources to collect, sort and process unwanted items and waste in order to turn them into something useable in the future. Upcycling does not.

The ottoman below is an example of an upcycled project that was D.I.Y.ed. What do you think it was made from?

That Was A What Blog

Would you believe me if I told you there’s a tire inside that forms the shape? And the feet are repurposed from another piece of furniture?

Just in case you’re wondering about the value of D.I.Y. projects, especially ones that are upcycled… well, when I pinned this ottoman to my Pinterest board just 5 days ago, I was able to read all the ‘how to’ steps, you know, in case I want to make my own. Today when I put this article together I discovered this ottoman has been trademarked the ‘Ottire’, and will be hitting the market soon! And I bet you’ve already guessed, the ‘how to’ steps have been removed! This is such a great story, and the perfect example of finding value in upcycling through the power of D.I.Y.ing.

To see some examples of how recycled tires have been put to use, I featured a few things here.

So, you heard it here, D.I.Y. and Upcycling are the new black!

Did I mention how much I love black? And how about you? Do you love black, too???

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

PS – did you get the answer to the skill testing question? If you said, Twitter, you’re right!

Photos by Sheila Zeller unless otherwise indicated. 

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Simply Spectacular… Totally Affordable!

August 20, 2012

Adding a little touch to your space doesn’t have to be costly or time consuming…

Have you got a second?

 

 

Hydrangeas picked fresh from my Dad’s garden…

Displayed in a vinaigrette bottle thrifted for $1.00.

Simple, affordable style.

Created in minutes, enjoyed for days!

How about you? What’s your favorite way to add a dash of style to your home?

Sometimes it’s the smallest things that bring the greatest pleasure. I walked around my Dad’s yard with him while he cut some of his flowers for me. We wandered and chatted, and like always, bantered a bit, too. ;-) When I got home, putting the flowers into vases was a nice extension of the time we spent together. And now as I enjoy them, these moments are imprinted with this little added touch of simple, affordable style!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

All Photos by Sheila Zeller

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The Story Behind the Scrolls

August 13, 2012

I teased you in my last post by promising a little story behind these two scrolls hanging on our wall.

Do you remember them?

Well, to tell you the truth, the story isn’t anything mind blowing. It’s just an example of how a moment in time was preserved, another fibre woven into a tapestry of stories whispered in a space.

You see, these scrolls came from Korea, a business trip my hubs was on a number of years back. Only then, we weren’t an official Mr. & Mrs., just a couple figuring it out! So he brought home one scroll for me to hang in my home, and the other for his. A pair, even though they lived apart.

This is the background on the scrolls, which was included inside the box with each one…

So when you know this piece, it suddenly helps you see the scrolls from a much deeper perspective.

I’d like to show you a close-up of the Jeon-gak of each scroll.

This is the one that hung in my home first.

And this is what it means.

Jeon-gak 'A Beautiful House'

Can you see the house in the red square? Hubs picked this out for me because it spoke to him of creating beautiful spaces, and making a home.

Here’s the one that he picked out for his place.

And what it means…

This meant to him that you need to be surrounded by that which is important to you.

And now, the scrolls hang together in our home.

The rest they say, is history!

And yes, a part of our story that is shared in our space.

How about you? What special moments have you featured in your home?

It’s a great time to assess those things that are special to you. What things have you got tucked away? Anything you can think of off hand? Why not pull them out, and give them a chance to shine?

Thanks for stopping in!

All Photos by Sheila Zeller 

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The Makeover of a Clothes Valet

August 6, 2012

In a home, it’s the little things that make a difference, and that’s what inspired this makeover.

I’ve wanted to paint the clothes valet you see here for awhile now, even had the paint to do it…

Maple Clothes Valet

But I use it to display my Grandmother’s quilt (I wrote about the quilt here), so the valet is usually tucked behind a patchwork of colours!

Vintage Handmade Quilt, Maple Clothes Valet

And you know how it is. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Originally my thought was to paint the valet in black… and I still think black would look good. But I decided to lighten things up with Benjamin Moore’s self-priming Aura paint in Tapenade CC-694 instead.

My biggest procrastination, honestly, was the sanding! Who enjoys sanding, anyway? And I know… if I used Annie Sloan’s chalk paint, I wouldn’t have to sand… but my motive was to try and use up some of the paint I already have! Besides, you’ll see I used Annie’s clear wax for the finish!

DIY Clothes Valet Makeover

I was pretty happy to forego the primer. Have you ever used self-priming paint? One less step, and you’ve got my attention!

Here’s how BM’s Tapenade CC-694 fits in.

BM Tapenade CC-694 Bedroom Story Board

It works with the green stripe in the drapery panel (I wrote about that DIY here), the hints of green at the base of the flower petals in the duvet… and also, Tapenade is a gray-green.

Here’s a look at my Gran’s vintage quilt back in place.

Vintage Handmade Quilt on Quilt Rack

I like the way the green works with the colours in the quilt. Notice the large paisley in the bottom left corner?

Here’s one more look back at the ‘Before’…

Vintage Quilt on Maple Clothes Valet

And another look at the way I’ve finished styling this little corner space.

Vintage Handmade Quilt

This is an example of working with what you have, and adding a little DIY twist to make what you have work even better. I didn’t buy anything… not even the basket filled with scarves that’s sitting under the quilt.

And if you were to ask, everything in this corner has a little story, even the basket! Did you notice the scrolls hanging above the quilt? I’ll tell you all about them in another post! Yup, they have a story, too!

How about you? Have you made any changes in your space lately? What tips do you have to share?

My thing is working with what you have to pull a look together. By tweaking a few things here and there, even the smallest changes can make a huge difference. It’s once you’ve done this that you’ll know if, or what new pieces you might like to add. Because the other part of working with what you have, is knowing what’s not working anymore, and letting it go. But wait, you might want to give it a DIY makeover first! You’d be surprised what you fall in love with all over again!!!

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

All Photos by Sheila Zeller

 

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Sunday Brunch on a Wednesday!

June 20, 2012

Okay, I’m a little late getting this post put together, but when it comes to Sunday brunch, it’s better late than never don’t you think? This past weekend we raised a toast to a milestone birthday for my Dad, and were joined by family and friends. Then on Sunday hubs and I hosted Father’s Day brunch at our place for everyone. Do you know, we had 5 dads and a dad-to-be around the table?

Here’s a little look at our Sunday brunch…

Cheery flowers and colourful napkins brought in some festive fun.

Vase Wrapped With Twine

And we joined two tables together so we were able to seat 12. It was set with china plates my hubby grew up with, and that his mom passed on to him about 6 years ago. We really enjoy using them, and love that there are enough to go ’round when we are hosting a gathering of this size.

Table Setting for Brunch

Can you see the vintage butter dish between the vases? The black and pink one? My sweet hubby gave that to me for a surprise Valentine’s gift one year. It matches a square cake plate my Mom passed on to me a long time ago… I also got to use our little tiny glass butter dish! And our very cool blown glass salt & pepper dish.

Table Setting for Brunch

Want to see them up close?

Glass Butter Dish, Salt & Pepper

You might remember my butter dish discovery, but I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned the salt & pepper dish. See it at the top right? It’s made by G.B.S. Glass Blowing in Shawnigan Lake, and was given to me by my Auntie Ada a few years ago. She was one of our out-of-town guests, so it was fun to use it while she was here!

Also on the table were these vintage cut-glass salt & pepper shakers. They were given to me by Kaleigh almost 7 years ago, and were purchased with her very own hard-earned money.

Vintage Cut Glass Salt & Pepper Set

She was barely 10 when she purchased them! Aren’t the memories behind special pieces the best?

We served three kinds of quiche made by hubs, and got to share some of the sweet basil we’re growing this year.

Fruit Platter, Quiche

I put together 2 fruit platters, and was super pleased at how fresh and tasty the fruit really was.

Fruit Platter

And we shared some local Cowichan Valley treats.

Fresh bread and pastries from True Grain Bread in Cowichan Bay…

Eccles Cakes, True Grain Bakery

Here you see Eccles cakes and pain au chocolat. Eccles cake is one of my Auntie Sharon’s favorites. We were so pleased that she and my Uncle Ken also joined us for brunch that day!

And French pastries from Saison Market Vineyard.

Saison Market Vineyard Pastries

Are you saying, mmmmmmm, yet?

I can’t even tell you what my favorite treat was, because everything was so good. The pastries and bread were baked fresh that morning, and hubs was there right for opening at each place! True Grain opened at 8am, and Saison at 9am, so the timing to hit both couldn’t have been better!

It was so much fun to do all this…

Table Setting

And enjoy it with some of the special people in our life, using special pieces we’ve acquired throughout our life. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

I love getting the house ready, and setting the table for occasions like these.

How about you? Is this something you like to do, too?

Thank you for taking the time to stop by!

Photography by Sheila Zeller

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Vintage Linen Tea Towels

May 22, 2012

Linen tea towels are a kitchen’s delight. Did you know that linen dries faster than tea towels made from other fabrics?

Linen can last a lifetime, and if you’re asking me, I say it’s the way to go!

Source: The Kitchn

Here’s a look at some antique and vintage options that caught my eye.

Love these ones in plain white French linen.

Source: Heather Bullard Blog

Notice the tone-on-tone monogram? Monogrammed tea towels were very common back in the day!

And these antique linen tea towels will suit any decor with their slubby texture, and buff colour.

Source: Pale and Interesting

They are hand woven, and what’s so cool is no two are alike, because they are hand made.

It’s their unique imperfections that make them perfect, give them character and add to their appeal.

Source: A Beach Cottage

Wouldn’t it be the best day ever to stumble upon a stack of treasures like these?

Here, the linen tea towels you see are made from French grain sacks. I wrote about repurposing vintage grain sacks here, and the history of grain sacks here.

Source: Greenstead Boutique

The really great thing about these linen tea towels is their thickness. Not only are they incredibly durable, but they can be doubled over for a pot holder, and used for a trivet, too. And… in spite of their vintage, these repurposed grain sacks can be machine washed (at 60 degrees) and tumbled to dry!

The 2 blue striped vintage towels have been paired as a set.

Source: Found Style

If you love them, you’re in luck because they’re available to purchase! Found Style has a whole assortment of vintage items to choose from, and the tea towels are just a sampling.

These vintage purple striped tea towels have been home loomed, a craft that is no longer widely practiced, and a process that is very time consuming.

Source: Parna

If you look closely you can see some uneveness in the weave. This not only adds to the character of these tea towels, but also gives them a very special feel.

I love green! And look at the assortment of patterns here.

Source: Eddie Ross Blog

So cheerful, but functional, too! Did you know that linen is best for drying glasses and china? Can you guess why?

It’s because linen doesn’t leave any lint!

Linen tea towels…

Antique, vintage, or new.

Source: House & Home

They’re practical, and beautiful too!

Do you use linen tea towels?

I have a few older linen tea towels, but I’d love a collection of vintage ones. There’s something about them, their look and feel… And I’ve learned that for light stains and discolouration, Borax is a linen tea towel’s best friend. Test a small spot first to make sure your colours don’t run… and then soak your tea towel for a few hours in tepid water (some say to use distilled water) with a little Borax and a mild laundry detergent. Rinse and hang to dry. And of course… press out those wrinkles if you must ;-)  

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

xo

It’s about coming home… and home is a special place that tells your story! 

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