Tag Archives: ironstone

Patriotic Décor ~ Three Cheers for the Red White and Blue

4th of July is now a memory, a very good memory of grandkids cuddling while oooing and ahhhing at all the fireworks, tons of good bbq, and yard games with family and friends. The two weeks leading up to the 4th for me were spent 1) getting ready for and having a garage sale, then 2) being sick with upper respiratory junk and getting over exhaustion. I felt great by the 3rd so I managed to sneak in some last minute patriotic décor before guests arrived.

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A partial view of my dining room/kitchen buffet.

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Ironstone and transferware lend a festive feel paired with blueberries.

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For a bit of whimsy I added a white metal medallion and some vintage ribbon to a military hat worn by my handmade mannequin head Miss Mood.

I think the hot item for fireworks this year were the big floating lanterns. Launching one is sort of a trick but very fun to watch. We saw them lighting up the sky all night long. The next morning we found three of them had landed in our yard.

My daughter made a festive three layer scratch cake.
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The middle layer was cheesecake! Yum!

It was the first time in a long time that we hosted the event. I’m still picking up the after effects from all the outdoor festivities but I thoroughly enjoyed hosting and look forward to doing it again.

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Let freedom ring!

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My Ironstone Bowl Has a Secret

I have loved and collected ironstone for several years. My collection is a moderate size because I rarely pay more than $5 for any one item. Many of the pieces I have bought can be easily found at a higher price but if I’m patient I can find the types of pieces I love in that price range.

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This bowl is just such a piece. I purchased it last month at the flea market for $5. Oh happy day! I almost walked right past it. I was on the lookout for plain white ironstone and this bowl was not that.

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This bowl had big red flowers on it ~ poppies I believe? Not a problem I told myself. I will just place it on a shelf with the flowers turned to the back, or as my friend suggested sand the floral design off. Are you cringing? Would that be a terrible thing to do? I don’t think so. On the other hand there might come a day when the floral design works in just the right setting. What would you do?

I’m very happy to say that my breakfast nook makeover is (basically) complete. Monday I’ll show you before and after photos of the space. Woop!

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My Flea Market Finds

I’m getting ready to have a yard sale at the end of the month and will be clearing out a bunch of stuff! I will be making room for some of the new old stuff I found recently at the flea market. Twice a year, in the spring and fall my friend Joyce and I have a standing date to hit the flea market together in the nearby town of Sparks, KS. Here are some (almost all) of my flea market finds this spring.

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Kitties always find the smell irresistible. My neighbor’s cat, Bella comes to see me almost every day. Sometimes I think about getting another cat but Bella’s visits give me the benefit of enjoying her company without the responsibilities that cat ownership has.

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I don’t have a “Bethany” but for $1 I wasn’t about to pass up this ironstone plate. The name + the cracked place + the brown staining add tons of character!

bottles_flea_market_findsThe bottles and rusty iron screen will easily find their way into the rustic French farmhouse style I’m bringing into my décor.

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If only my feet were a size 6! I would wear these vintage rubber boots in a heartbeat! I’ll have to display them instead. I think they’ll be perfect in one of the guest bedrooms when we get around to that project.

There’s a lot of cleaning to be done to these dusty treasures, especially the rustic wood box. It will make a great magazine or tp holder in the bathroom. Or maybe filled with flowers for a table centerpiece.

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My irises are in full bloom now. They bloomed just a few days after I showed them in their budding state. My peonies will be in full bloom in the next day or two. What perfect timing for Mother’s Day weekend! My mother is not living but if yours is I hope you are able to enjoy the day with her. I will enjoy the day with my kids. Happy Mother’s Day!

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