Exquisitely Shabby Vintage Hats

Hello!

 

I hope the weather has warmed up wherever you're at. It was one chilly week here in the Copper Country. It was lovely being able to stay home and not have to brave the cold and wind and icy roads.

 

I'm already lovin' retirement!

These hats were from a partial estate that I purchased a couple of years ago. The gentleman I bought them from told me they belonged to his deceased mother who had been a milliner in Chicago for several large department stores.

I know what you're thinking....I'm sure few of us would sell things that belonged to our mother, especially if she had made them herself. Believe me, not everyone is sentimental.

The hats were stored in this fabulous, fabric covered, oval box with a pretty, paper illustration on the lid. Though I've already sold quite a few of the hats, I still have several, plus loads of trim and ones she never finished. I just love the soft faded colors, don't you?

In addition to hats, I also purchased vintage dresses, beaded purses, furs, vintage children's clothes, and several Victorian pieces that I think are museum-quality.

 



I will, as time permits, show you some of the other things that came from this estate. Of course, they will eventually all be sold. I must also make money (translate: I can't keep it all). It seems with most things--though there are a few exceptions--I am satisfied to enjoy these wonderful, old treasures for a bit and then let them go.

If you haven't entered my giveaway, please check out the previous post and leave a comment. I'll draw a winner on Feb 1st.

Stay warm.....

~Diane

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{ Grow Your Blog } Valentine Giveaway

Welcome to the Grow Your Blog Party and My First Giveaway....

 

 

First, I want to thank Vicki at 2 Bags Full for hosting this awesome Grow Your Blog party. Without Vicki, no party. I know what a huge undertaking it was for her to put this together, as there are 420 bloggers signed up (you can find the complete list here on Jan 19th).

So what is this blog about? My profile pretty much sums it up: I love old stuff.  I'm living my dream life with my husband of 30 years on a hobby farm in the north woods. I love traveling, photography, music, literature, graphic design, gardening....my interests are continually evolving and endless. I'm passionate about things I see in the world that are not right, and though I sometimes feel powerless, I am never without hope.

Many of the blogs participating in GYB are having giveaways, mine included. As a newbie blogger it's my way of saying thank you for stopping by and getting to know me.

Words of wisdom from my mother: give a gift that you would like to receive.

For my first giveaway, I'm giving a pretty pink, mini-Reisenthel collapsible basket. I've used these baskets for years and have several of them in different colors and sizes. The basket in the photos is mine, but the winner will be sent a brand new one in its original packaging.

I also need to include something vintage--'cause that's my thing--so I'll also send the winner this pair of pinky-peachy, hand-crocheted pillowcases. Wouldn't this design make luscious frosting on a wedding cake?

Okay, here goes....

Giveaway Rules:

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post. That's it!

*You do not need to have a blog to win, but please be sure to leave an email address where I can contact you if you are the winner.

*You do not need to follow my blog to enter or win, though I'm not turning away any new followers!

* This giveaway is open to everyone, no matter where you live.

I will accept entries through January 31st, and the winner will be drawn on February 1st. Your gift will be shipped as soon as I have your mailing address.

Thanks for visiting and Happy Valentine's Day!!

~Diane

For the Love of Linens

I'm working in the junk room today--going through boxes and deciding what needs to be stored here and what can be moved out to the loft in the garage.

 

 

To be honest, I've never really considered myself a 'collector' in the same way as someone who collects Roseville Pottery, or English cups and saucers, or music boxes, or Fire King, or whatever.

I have a lot of stuff, don't get me wrong, it's just that there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the madness, nor is a lot of it particularly valuable. I don't know why I'm attracted to the things I collect, all I know is that I like them.

I especially like ephemera: old photographs, vintage greeting cards, correspondence, receipts, road maps and travel brochures, Valentines, and odds 'n ends.

Which brings me back to collections. As I sort through this menagerie, I'm finding lots of linens and buttons and lace and patterns. I don't even sew, so I'm not sure how over the years I have amassed so many of these things. Some of the more utilitarian linens I use, such as ticking pillow covers. They are simply the best if you have down or feather pillows, as the quills don't poke through. But all the other stuff? Is it the color, the graphics, the texture, the history? Or am I just a hoarder? That isn't even funny.

As I'm rummaging in my own junk room, I'm looking for something special since I'm participating in the Grow Your Blog party starting this Saturday. In keeping with my collecting pattern, I guess I'll know it when I see it.

Stop back on Saturday morning to see what I've decided upon. This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere with one caveat....you have to tell me what you collect!

~Diane


  savvysouthernstyle.net

Just a sunny winter day

I'm so happy that my junk room is now primed and on its way to being somewhat organized. I'm going to live with primed walls for awhile. I have so much to do in the upstairs of this house: walls to rip out, windows to replace, floors to refinish, shelves to build....for now, done is better than perfect.

 

I wish I had taken before photos, as this room and our upstairs hallway were painted glossy, dental equipment green. My daughter's school friend called it 'The Emerald City.'

I had no sooner put my paint supplies away and the sun came out, so I grabbed my tripod and camera and tried to capture the lovely light that streamed in through the south window. I already love this space! It was a bit hard to move around because I have boxes and bins stacked up in the middle of the room and along the walls you can't see.

I took a bunch of photos using different ISOs, shutter speeds, and f-stops. I'm strictly shooting on manual, so it's pretty much trial and error. I was into photography many years ago, but that was long before digital. I think manual cameras, like my favorite Pentax Spotmatic with a broken meter, were easier to operate. My New Year's resolution is to learn how to use this camera!

That's a vintage SS Queen Elizabeth candy tin in the wire basket. In the woven basket underneath, I store fancy linens: doilies, wedding hankies, etc.... I paid $1 for it on the second day of a yard sale. The roses oil painting was from one of my estate sales, but it didn't sell.

The three chromolithographs (one is sitting on the wooden Finnish suitcases and the other two are on the floor) are my latest Goodwill finds. They are marked: Copyright 1898 The Ullman Mfg. Co. New York. I left the stickers on and was going to zoom in and show you what I paid, but then they might end up in my future Etsy store, so maybe I'll keep the price a secret for now. Etsy store: another New Year's resolution.

I picked up this pretty print at the Goodwill a couple of months ago. The colors are so gentle. I really don't have wall space to hang art because my house has too many south facing windows and anything exposed to strong light fades. I do love sunlight, though, especially during our long winters.

I'm looking forward to showing the other side of the room, but first I have to figure out what to do with the piles of stuff. HA!

Hope you're finding wonderful treasures. Thanks for reading....

Diane
 

St. Vinnie's Thrift Finds

In which thrift stores do you find your best stuff? If you're smart, you're probably not tellin'.

I have favorite thrift shops in every city I visit. Over Christmas break I found this three piece, brown transferware bowl and pitcher set at St. Vinnie's in Drayton Plains, Michigan. It is marked in script "Virginia" on the bottom of each piece. The pitcher has a good chip on the rim, but the bowl is nice. The small cup on the window was a bonus.

The set was marked $25. Since it had sat unsold in the store since October, it was marked down 25 percent. It cost me less than $20 including sales tax. I just liked it....so it came home with me. :-)

 

Now for my secret: If you're ever in the Pontiac area, be sure to check out the St. Vincent dePaul store on Dixie Highway in Drayton Plains and also The Salvation Army on North Perry Street in Pontiac. Sadly, I only get down that way a few times a year, so I won't mind if you snap up the bargains!

Happy Hunting!

~Diane

Linking up at:

Melancholy....taking down the tree

Just a quiet, winter evening at home. Our daughter has gone back to Boston, my husband is in bed nursing a cold, and I'm lovingly wrapping ornaments to put away for another year's Christmas tree. The tree is again as bare as the day we brought it in.

Here's wishing everyone a healthy and Happy New Year.