Get out from that kitchen!! Treasury fun!

Just had to show you this awesome treasury! My tea kettle leads the way!! (blush blush)


I love it! Especially the aprons! I just love vintage aprons, but not to wear! For some reason I've never been an apron wearer, but I sure do like them! I do have one that has a dog holding a kettle with a kitty in it that I wear for messy work (for Pete's sake, don't tell Oliver -- I don't know what he'd do if a dog put him in a kettle. Probably Mr. Dog would be in his own kettle soon enough!!)

Oliver says, "I'll give that dog the evil eye and he'd for sure high tail it outta here"   

♥   >^.^<   ♥   >^.^<   ♥

And the Tupperware funnel! I've got one somewhere; I'll have to hunt it down. Have you ever made a giant Hershey's Kiss using that funnel? I have, lots of fun! Wrapped it in aluminum foil.

Every now and then I'll post a treasury that I especially like or one that I've created. I do so enjoy them and want to pass on the fun to you!

This treasury was made by gingerakesler2 who has a terrific vintage shop on Etsy. Here's the direct link to the treasury or you can just click on the title up there on the treasury!

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and

Remember When ~ Mama's Candy Dish

This  candy dish is sitting on my "listed" shelves and I got to looking at it and thinking about the memories it brings back.

Glass Candy Dish

My mother had one just like it -- when I found it at a garage sale, I just knew I had to have it! It belonged to the "garage sale lady's" mother too and we reminisced a bit about our moms.

It was always on the coffee table filled with different candies. I had to be very careful when taking the top off -- I didn't want to drop it! I remember that I would always line up the scallops so that they fit together perfectly -- even at an early age I couldn't stand for something to be out of line. I've had to work very hard on not having everything perfectly symmetrical in my life!

Have you ever run across something that brings back special memories? Leave a comment and let me know!

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Remember When ~ Summer Vacations at the Grandparents

When I was a kid, every summer vacation was spent with both sets of grandparents. Occasionally, there was an additional side trip to the beach or to visit friends of my parents. But mostly we went to visit the grandparents.

I have lots of good memories associated with these visits -- long walks in the woods, going to "the country" to see (really old) relatives, playing with my cousins, swinging in the hammock, going to the outhouse (at one grandparent's; the other had indoor plumbing, and a very scary basement).

But that's for another time, today I'm talking about getting there.

I grew up in Louisiana; my grandparents on my mother's side lived in Alabama (in Tuscaloosa where that tornado hit -- but the house is OK) and my grandparents on my father's side lived in a tiny town called Bascom in Florida. Its claim-to-fame is that Faye Dunaway was born there -- her grandmother and my grandmother tried to get Faye and my brother together (he's 12 years older than me) but it never worked out. Whew!! I hope you followed all of that!

So, every summer it was Alabama and Florida.

We would leave very early in the morning because we would drive all the way through to Alabama. I don't think my mother ever drove -- my dad was a real "50's kind of guy" and it would never do to have the little woman drive.....  Anyway, there would be a thermos full of coffee and another with water.

Retro Thermos Collection by Inspired Salvage.

My mother always packed a picnic lunch to eat at the roadside tables. We didn't have a McDonalds on every corner like now, or those signs that say "Food, Gas, Lodging." This was back in the dark ages of the mid-50s, you see.

Traveling Family Photo by Vintage Warehouse.

I can tell you this -- my mother would have been in a dress and my dad would NEVER wear a tie!!

I would play in the backseat with my cars, racing them over the hump that was part of the floor board. No seat belts back then -- how on earth did we ever survive??! If it rained I would race raindrops -- pick out one and watch it all the way down the window, seeing how many others it would gobble up in its path to the bottom of the window.

The main thing I remember on these trips is The Boat.  We would go through the tunnel at Mobile, Alabama -- it was big and round and silver. It made a weird scream as you drove through. I was never comfortable with that tunnel! Either before or after the tunnel (I don't remember which) we would look for The Boat.

Retired Fishing Boat by Michael Prior Photography.

Every year we would look for that boat. Every year it would look more and more beat up. Every year it would sink lower and lower. Until one year, it just wasn't there. I was so disappointed. I really looked forward to seeing The Boat .....

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You Crack Me Up -- The Sometimes Humorous Side of Crackers...

OK, I'm finally getting my toes wet! Just made my very first Etsy treasury!!
I hope you'll take a look, click and comment!



I had a super good time creating this one -- think I'll be doing more!!

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Mushrooms Galore!

I don't usually blog about treasuries I'm in for either of my shops, feeling that it's a lot of "toot your own horn" syndrome. But I got to thinking about that, and it is promoting all the other shops featured in the treasury -- so I think I will share them from time to time : )

I've always thought mushrooms were so cool -- from the 60s and 70s kitsch to the cute felted and sewn ones for gnomes and fairies to sit upon. When we moved into our present home, there were a couple of mushroom plaques left behind -- one painted and one made from decoupaged 3D card cutouts. At the time, I did not want them so my kids took one each to decorate their rooms. (My daughter, especially, is a throwback to earlier times!) And, alas, when they moved out to being on their own, they took their mushrooms with them!!

So I was more than pleased to be included in this cute mushroomy treasury created by Refindlings. You can also see her mushrooms in her shop! To see the actual treasury, just click on the title, and you can also click on the individual photos to go to each shop. And leave a comment if you'd like!



See the trivet? It's mine (well, in my shop!). I also found a mushroom mug which goes with it. They are part of the "Merry Mushroom" line which was a Sears exclusive from 1970 to 1985.

Of course, now this has again sparked my interest in mushrooms so I'll be on the lookout for them at garage sales, etc. I started crocheting real looking mushrooms as part of my food line in Magnolia Surprise, but they fell to my "I'm bored with this, think I'll start something new" habit. I think I'll just have to dig them out and finish the little fungi!!

And I'll be sure to show you more treasuries every now and then -- and not just to "toot my own horn" either! Please be sure to visit that cute mushroomy treasury and check out the mushroomy shops!

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Sunday Sneak Peek

It seems that my vintage hunting has leaned toward the kitchen lately. Hmmm, maybe somebody's trying to tell me something -- like cook something sometime, why don't ya!!

These are some little goodies that should show up pretty soon in my shop (if I can ever get out of the kitchen, that is......all that cooking you know!!)

I fell in love with this little enamelware coffee pot as soon as I saw it! I just think it's precious! Of course, I can't say that I'd trade it for my coffeemaker, but it would be great for camping....if I camped anymore, that is!

And this sweet enamelware tea kettle! It's so bright and cheery; I love the colors! It would definitely look charming sitting on my stove. It's by M. Kamenstein and was manufactured in 1983.

A tea pot -- this one Corning Ware in the Wildflower design which was manufactured from 1977 to 1986. The really cool part is that it has an aluminum lid and not a plastic one! I had a teapot like this except in the Cornflower design. I wonder whatever happened to it -- maybe gave it to a kid or other. Hmmm, I'll have to look for it!

And the best -- a Sunbeam electric hand mixer! And it works!! I had one similar to this one, maybe a bit newer. But the same Harvest Gold color -- everything was Harvest Gold and Avocado Green in the 70s, including my kitchen!!

So there you go -- my latest kitchen finds! Now I'd better go cook.....

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Remember When ~ My Childhood Library

This being the month when the first US public library was opened in 1833, and with a tap on the shoulder from the EtsyBloggers team, I have been thinking about my childhood public library which was established in 1939. It was located in the Downtown (always capitalized, you know!) area in my hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (And, no, I was NOT one of its first visitors!!)

Main entrance -- looked mammoth to me!

As I remember it, it was a vast expanse of books, card catalogs and librarians shushing me! But I got a good start on reading there and am now never without a book.

There was a special children's area where I would spend my time -- it was located downstairs which was not really a basement, and not really on the ground level. Somewhere in between.....

See the window? We were in the 'neither here nor there' region of the library! Really looks cozy, huh?

Do you remember the old card catalogs using the Dewey Decimal System? I pity the librarians who had to type up all those little cards with all those strings of numbers and letters!

And we checked out by writing our names on cards, one of which would go in the book, and the other for the library records. And I think my library card was orange!

Inside, with the librarian's counter to the left, Mr. Dewey Decimal to the right, and the spooky upstairs...

There were also these poles with newspapers draped over them and huge gigantic albums of various articles.
(So pre-internet!) 

Upstairs.....spooky..... 

I wasn't allowed up here until I was probably Jr High or so!

The architecture on this building was magnificent. 

Quite a change from today's!

This library memory is part of the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival which is being hosted by Storybeader. One of the topics to choose from was to post about fond memories of your public library and reading. I immediately stepped back in time to my childhood library. 

Now, when I take Noli (age 5) to the library, it is such a vast difference in atmosphere and design. She has computers to play on and, when she's older, to do research on; comfy seating; games and stuffed animals to play with -- and nobody's shushing her!!

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