Santas Under Glass

One of the best things about all the red in our kitchen

is how festive it looks at Christmas time!

I love our red Bella coffee maker,

the buffalo check candle is from Marshalls,

+ I used to sell Hoosier glass jars like this in my old store.

Our kitchen window sill is quite deep,

so I have lots of fun displaying my collectibles on it.

Right now it’s filled with my Santas,

+ this year I opted to display them under glass cloches.

Only one is a genuine cloche, though,

while the others are various repurposed glass containers.

My cast iron Santa from the Sundance catalog

is under a glass globe from an old industrial light fixture.

This small hand-carved Santa

is from a fellow vendor at one of my mid-90’s markets.

His cloche is actually a small glass item

for which I paid $3 just the other day, at a local antique shop*.

We’re not sure what it was originally, but it’s the perfect small size!

* I found a box of 12 red Shiny Brite ornaments

at the same store + on the same day.

My blue + gray salt-glaze pottery Santa

is from Rowe Pottery Works in Cambridge, Wisconsin.

I used to carry their wares in my old store, too.

Look closely at his cloche —

it is actually a small glass measuring beaker that I found at Walmart.

I think it looks vintage + industrial, don’t you?

A similar set of beakers is available online from Walmart.

I call this Hallmark ornament the Paula Deen’s husband Santa.

Seriously.  Separated at birth, or what?

Do you recognize his cloche?

It is a preserves jar from the French company, Bonne Maman.

Notice that Santa’s standing on the darling red check jar lid!

We love the cherry preserves at our house.

And finally, we have the only real cloche of my collection.

I bought it years ago at the late, great Smith + Hawken store.

I’m guessing that Santa probably came from my old shop, too.

Doesn’t the tall, slender beaker look great, with the sun shining through it?

Meanwhile, that’s about it for my Santas collection.

In the olden days, I had dozens more of them,

but sold or gave away most when I entered my less-is-more phase.

Let’s take a quick look at some other (mostly red) things in our kitchen.

 We can discuss said red accents at a later date.

Stay tuned.

 

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Less Is More Fall Decor

Earlier this week, I shared both my current

+ my most-recent-past fall porch steps:

HA!  I must’ve had a lot more time on my hands back then.

Or maybe I’ve embraced the highly regarded

 LESS IS MORE school of seasonal décor.

Let’s have a look at some fall LESS IS MORE happiness inside our house.

Our huge sorter in the living room has had a wee bit of a makeover:

I emptied all the cubbies + refilled them with small pumpkins + gourds.

L O V E !

I’m really fond of these next 2 photos; perhaps I will have one or both framed.

But back to the sorter.

The black books + the red books switched places.

I love black in the fall + wanted the black books to be more prominent.

Speaking of good colors,

I’ve always displayed my yellow ware bowls in the fall.

This year, some of them are marching across the top of our sorter:

I made that silhouette of my grandson

+ wanted its black + white + antique gold for my fall vignette.

Don’t you love the crackled glaze on this vintage yellow ware crock?

We also hung my vintage St. Louis map on the front of the sorter:

Well, this concludes the fall décor portion of my blog,

unless I can whip up a little more enthusiasm.

Stay tuned!

Our Pretty, Simple Fall Porch

All the popular kids are posting tours of their Autumnal homes,

so that means I will, too

Here’s a little something from inside our house:

I’ve had that old lattice for years,

+ this was the first time that we’ve displayed it indoors.

I love the way its colors complement the gray of our walls!

Now, then.  Let’s go outside + see what’s happening on that new porch of ours:

Gone are summer’s hot pink caladiums + vivid green sweet potato vines:

In their place is this urn filled with ornamental grasses,

which are at their peak in Fall:

These pretty blue flowers were near the back porch.

They were so pretty, I thought I’d share them out front.

Sadly, I misplaced their tags,

but I do remember that they are some sort of morning glory!

A terra cotta pot is temporarily our mail box,

as the one we chose from amazon is back-ordered:

So much for the summer plants — the right side of our steps is devoted to Fall!

G.O. brought home some pumpkins the other day,

+ I popped the 2 white ones into my vintage yellow ware bowls.

Disclaimer: one of my friends said that I was being “brave”,

having the bowls out front, so I have since moved them indoors.

I’ll share soon!

For now, let’s get back to those steps of ours:

Another pair of pumpkins are inside our 2 small black urns.

The sweet mums in a basket

are the tiny ones that Home Depot has every September:

Well, that’s about it for our Fall décor on the porch.

I told you it was simple!

My display at our last house, the brick bungalow, was a bit more “busy”:

Those pansies + that ornamental kale are so cute!

Who knows?  Maybe I’ll get some if I see them,

+ use them to augment our simple display!

Stay tuned!

 

My Yuletide Powder Room!

I love Christmas!

It makes me so happy to give my homes their Christmas makeovers!

Since this year, we’re in our new house,

it’s like FUN, times 100!

So far I’ve tackled our front porch.

What’s going on inside the house, you ask?

Sadly, not too much, really — until just a few days ago.

This year, I started with our powder room. 

HA!  Doesn’t everyone start with the bathrooms + branch out from there?

Anyway, back to said powder room —

its everyday “look” features both this darling vintage shelf, from etsy . . .

. . . + this sweet vintage photo (circa mid 50’s)

of a 3 or 4-year-old ME,

with our pet Beagle, Scamp.

I know!

ADORABLE!

So.  Check this out:

It’s an ornament that I made,

using an old photo (circa early 60’s) of my sister, Lisa.

OMiGosh, look at the way she was gazing adoringly at Santa!

Priceless!

I liked it so much that I made another one to send to her.

I think I also gave one to my other sister, Kathy.

I CRS (Can’t Remember Stuff), so I’ll ask her later today.

So, anyway.

While I was already traveling down Christmas Memory Lane . . .

. . . I included this pretty glass bell ornament in my vignette.

It reminds me of one that our mom had.

Group hug.

Finally, those plaid circles have a bit of a back story, too.

They’re displayed in a trio of vintage metal embroidery hoops

that I’ve saved for a few years.

I bought the plaid flannel a few weeks ago.

 Here’s one, sewn as a rustic Christmas pillows for my biz,

RedBird Vintage Home.

YAY!  Bells!

Aaaannnnd SO.

Stay tuned for more Christmas photos,

just as soon as I complete a few more vignettes!

Country Bumpkin Christmasi, C. early 90’s

In yesterday’s blog post,

I went down memory lane to my country bumpkin Christmasi of the past.

Here’s the building I bought way back in 1993,

to house my country bumpkin retail store,

Heart-in-Hand:

Christmas 1993
Oregon, Illinois

Just a few years after this,

we built a home upstairs for me, my boys +

Susie, our beloved miniature Dachshund.

Ben, Susie + Jon
seated on an old bench
I bought at auction when I was 19 or so.

I splurged on that gas fireplace

+ am currently obsessing about doing said-same

in our current re-do.

Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, check out my delightful red woodwork

+ my dozens of Santa’s!

* * *

Now let’s back track just a bit, to the BEFORE:

Whoa!  Kind of looks like a bomb went off, doesn’t it?

* * *

Here’s the same shot, AFTER:

Currently, I find myself wanting old school shutters like these
for the bottom halves of our Dutch colonial’s windows.
Stay tuned, part II!

My then-beau, an upholsterer, covered my couch

in that awesome coverlet-style fabric.

It was the height of country bumpkin awesomeness

at the time!

Also noteworthy: the original pressed tin ceiling

+ my hand-stenciled border!

* * *

Imagine that — back then, I was even less skilled

at photography than I am now,

but this does show that pressed tin ceiling:

Here I am in ‘mid-decorating mode’:

I hosted open houses of our pad, all decked out for Christmas,

during our town’s annual Candlelight Walk.

Good X’s.

* * *

My beloved floors were new, wide-plank pine boards,

secured with square-head nail look-alikes.

Here’s a nice view of it:

Susie the mini Dachsie
with my upholsterer beau’s dog Max

These days, I find myself wanting light wood floors like this

for our Dutch colonial fixer.

Stay tuned, part III!

* * *

The main living spaces were all together.

Here’s a photo of Ben, seated at the dining table.

He’s facing the living room + those front windows,

with the country bumpkin kitchen in the background.

Oh, please note the skylight — 1 of 3 (another splurge).

I’m still loving the large buffalo check wallpaper

+ am thinking about using said-same NOW!

YUM + stay tuned, yet again!!

But I digress.  Back to my old kitchen:

Wow, this photo’s bad,

but it does show my antique red workbench

that I thought made the most perfect kitchen island.

* * *

Let’s head down the hallway

to our very country bumpkin bathroom!

I super loved that homespun wallpaper.

There’s the patchwork shower curtain that I made

by sewing together antique 4-Patch quilt squares.

It was always a crowd pleaser during my open houses.

Loving the shelf above this door, behind which

we’d tucked in a stackable washer + dryer:

Just say NO to the tunic-length sweater when one is 5’0″!

Look!  I still clasp my hands together like that in photos:

Ditto on the unflattering blue top, for some reason!?
Somebody call a stylist!
I “keed” (a little!)

* * *

But I digress.  Back to our apartment.

It contained 3 bedrooms.

Each boy had his own, but for some reason,

there are no photos of said-same.

Here’s mine:

I seriously wish I still had that pencil post bed,

but NOT those swag + jabot curtains.

I did love them at the time (Country Curtains catalog).

Another of my splurges: the wood-clad, vaulted ceiling,

with its (not shown) skylight.

* * *

Isn’t it funny that, while I poke fun of my fondness

for the country bumpkin décor . . .

. . . there are still quite a few things I did here

that I am considering doing again, TODAY!

Stay tuned!

Less-Is-More Christmas Decor

My motto for Christmas décor always used to be:

the more, the merrier!

Not so much now.

While I still super love Christmas,

I’ve scaled way back in recent years.

Instead of a houseful of yuletide happiness,

we’re now down to this tiny tree

on our enclosed front porch:

I bought the tree years ago at the old Eddie Bauer Home store.

Remember those?

They had everything my then-country-bumpkin heart desired!

At one time, my little Eddie Bauer tree was one of 3 or 4 trees

I’d have up + running throughout the house.

Our kitchen would often get its own tree

decorated with old tin cookie cutters, like this one:

eBay

Or this:

eBay

Since the business I owned in the 80’s + 90’s

 was called Heart-in-Hand,

I collected cookie cutters with that motif.

See?  Here’s my logo:

My hand-stenciled store sign (1988)
+ my framed business cards.

Here’s the front of the building I bought

for my retail store (+ later, our home, upstairs):

My retail store,
Christmas 1993

* * *

But back to this year.

Our tiny Eddie Bauer tree looks great

inside this old wooden box that I just bought:

.

Don’t you love it?

I bought it at our town’s French Hens Holiday Market in November;

I blogged about it here:

https://redbirdv.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/only-2-days-until-our-christmas-cabin/

It came from Jeanine Burkhardt of (very quaint) Cedarburg, WI,

whose cool blog is a MUST-READ:

www.chippyshabby.blogspot.com!

If you live in the Midwest, you’ve got to catch her booth

at one of her many shows.

* * * *

But once again, back to my Christmas:

I kept the rest pretty simple,

sticking to a red + gold color scheme, which I love:

Those primitive mustard stars

+ that red, wooden bead garland

are both relics from my country bumpkin era.

Then I added some fairly plain Jane red + gold balls

+ forced myself to stop.

A few other country bumpkin favorites

also made the cut this year:

My friend, Alan, gave me that sled years ago,

our neighbor, Scott, gave me the old water cooler,

+ our birch tree surrendered a few branches this year

‘for the cause’.

Oh, here’s my Pottery Barn Santa pillow,

out on the front porch, as well:

And, finally, just outside the front porch:

Does that vest make me look ‘fat’?

Here are G.O. + me,

with just a few other yuletide accents,

like my favorite electric candles in each window.

* * *

Disclaimer:

while I have gone way less-is-more at Christmas,

what little decorating I did do made me as happy as a school girl!

Hope you’re feeling the same way!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Cruising

All I want for Christmas . . .

ginmar.tumblr.com

Mid-Century Modern Christmas

I’m ashamed to admit that we have NO Christmas decorations

up + at ’em here at our house.

How’s that possible?

Meanwhile, my more ambitious friend, Alan, just completed his.

Here we are in front of his late, great Chicago antique store, PATINA.

Let’s take a look-see at Alan’s + his partner, Keith’s, wonderful mid-Century modern house,

all decked out for the yuletide!

Like many mid-Century modern house plans,

Alan + Keith’s house is designed with privacy in the front,

 + with the main living spaces + lots of glass facing the backyard.

Alan’s said he’s never met a hide rug he didn’t love;

I think this zebra might be new.

Loving the Eero Saarinen tulip table, the George Nelson light fixture,

that tabletop easel + the ginormous fig tree.

Here’s another shot of that living room with its diagonal fireplace.

Note, please, the awesome wood ceilings + beams.

Hey!  There’s more hide happiness — a rug + a pair of chairs!

At one time, Alan wanted to tile over the brick of the fireplace,

but I did everything I could to dissuade him.

I love the mid-Century modern-ness of that original brick!

It’s also on the exterior of Alan + Keith’s home.

Interesting original artwork, no?  That’s a charcoal drawing, I think.

Please notice Alan’s recycled wood Swiss cross artwork,

displayed on a wall with an antique, wooden clamp!

Genius!

I also love a metal medical cabinet, but not as much

as I love those adorable Papillons — Sophie + Frankie.

Here’s the warm + cozy TV room.

I’m a fan of wreaths in windows, aren’t you?

That signage is uber cool, as is the dark wall color,

striped rug + all those pillows!

* * * *

Wasn’t that fun?

I might be visiting Alan + that groovy house before Christmas.

We want to go see the movie, American Hustle, together!

Stay tuned!

SHOPPING + MAGAZINES, ONLINE!

I just realized there are just 22 more days until Christmas!

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?!

I’m spending my days sewing like the wind,

making pillows as fast as I can

for the galleries + shops that sell them for me.

Like this, for them:

Co-op 28 Handmade + Vintage
1728 N. Vermont
Los Angeles, CA

https://www.facebook.com/Coop28handmade

* * * * *

Meanwhile, I steal a few moments at the bozoputer when I can,

as I’m trying to handle Christmas online.

Look at the old-fashioned gift stickers I ordered from an etsy seller,

MollysScrapbooks:

Christmas

Everyday

www.etsy.com/shop/MollysScrapbooks

People.  I am mad about their slightly industrial, retro office style — aren’t you?

My plans include using these with some kraft paper gift wrap

+ lots of red + white baker’s twine:

Speaking of etsy + baker’s twine, I also ordered some small cookie bags:

www.etsy.com/shop/thebakersconfections

I know!  How adorable!

Maybe we’ll bake Snickerdoodles

from my 60’s 4-H cookbook.

Stay tuned!  I could possibly take some photos + share the recipe!

You’ll thank me.

* * * *

Back to shopping.

Here we have the swell banner-style return address labels

I ordered for our Christmas cards, from another etsy shop,

PumpedOnPaper:

www.etsy.com/shop/pumpedonpaper

Aren’t they wonderful?  They wrap from the front to the back of the envelope!

Genius!

For our monogram, I asked for OK, which is kind of our ‘trademark’.

Get it?  Ole Olson + Kay?

* * * *

Last but not least, I ordered myself an early Christmas gift yesterday,

+ the UPS boy dropped it off at our porch just this afternoon!

Hey, look!  More baker’s twine!

Barr-Co.
apothecary candle
K. Hall Designs
St. Louis, MO

http://www.khalldesigns.com/products/barr-co/

Of course, I wanted this candle because of its vintage apothecary style,

+ because they’re made in my beloved St. Louis.

The good news is that the scent I ordered — their new Fir-Grapefruit — is beyond divine!

In fact, the November ’13 issue of  Lonny magazine named it their SEASON’S BEST SCENT!

http://www.lonny.com/magazine/November+2013/PKNA7_-nAsm/1

You have heard of Lonny magazine, haven’t you?

It’s online.  It’s free.  It’s the BEST THING, EVER!

Go there now + thank me later.

http://www.lonny.com/magazine/December+January+2014/G4ACFTKNUUI/1

You’re welcome!

 

HOLIDAY SHOPPING VIA COASTAL LIVING MAGAZINE!

Hooray!  It’s mid-November . . .

. . . which means that my mailbox is overflowing

with the highly-anticipated December issues of my favorite magazines!

Yesterday, I received these 3:

SOUTHERN LIVING!

COASTAL LIVING!

ELLE DECOR!

Of course, of course — just like everybody on the planet,

I enjoy seeing the uber-fab holiday décor of the uber-fabulous.

elledecor.com

Even better?

I get to go shopping!!!! — vicariously, of course —

via these mags’ annual holiday gift-giving guides!

elledecor.com

Let’s have a look-see at this year’s favorite gift idea . . .

. . .  from yesterday’s COASTAL LIVING magazine:

I KNOW!!

Razor MD Popeye Shave Collection

How vintage!  How whimsical!  How adorable!

How red + navy blue!

I just have to get this for G.O.!

Of course, he’s not going to WANT IT or DIG IT,

but sometimes, isn’t that beside the point

when it comes to the yuletide gift exchange????

* * * *

HA!  I “KEED” because I LOVE!

* * * *

Anyway, I searched online + found it here for a mere $58-ish:

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Razor-MD-Popeye-Shave-Kit_p_2006.html

Here’s how West Coast Shaving Co. describes it:

This kit is a collaboration between Razor MD + King Features,

owner of the Popeye brand.

Popeye + his clean-shaven face grace all the packaging

of these shaving products.

The sandalwood scent is fitting for a sailor such as he.

This limited edition kit is packaged in a vintage-style Popeye signature tin.

2 oz. pre-shave oil

8 oz. shave cream lather

4 oz. post-shave lotion

All “keed-ing” aside, G.O. IS getting this!

If not for Christmas, then possibly for his 60th birthday in early December.

WHAT . . . A . . . LUCKY . . . GUY!!!

Stay tuned to see how it’s received!