Antiques and Harley’s, what a combination. My hubby’s hobby is riding his Harley and mine is obviously primitive antiques, so we decided to combine the two. The best of both worlds since I have to admit I like being the passenger on my hubby’s Harley and he has been known to enjoy our antiquing hunts. I have to say that there are times that we might be quite the spectacle rolling the down the road with the pack on my back brimming full of items that I have found or like the time we were antiquing in Eastern Washington and my hubby had to also stop by a winery and a fruit stand over there so he filled the back pack with wine and fresh jellies prior to us hitting the antique stores. Well, of course once we started scavenging the antique stores, I found items that i just couldn’t leave behind. So there we were rolling down the highway headed home and I looked like some kind of modern-day knight on his way to a joust holding on to my newly purchased 3 foot long primitive wooden stir paddle(like what a Halloween witch uses to stir her cauldron). We got some strange looks that day. After the fact we both decided that wasn’t the safest thing to do, so we are going to get saddle bags for the bike and on the bigger items we will just pay to get them shipped home. To further celebrate our antique runs on the motorcycle, I am going to post pictures of the the antique shops we visit and tell their story and the story of the towns they are located in. I will be adding these posts over the spring, summer, and fall so please check back often to read about the adventures!
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Think Green!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone and don’t forget to wear a wee bit o’green today!
A Valentine Wish
A Happy Valentine’s Day wish to every one! I hope this day is full of sweet paper hearts and chocolate for you and your loved ones. So, how did this day of hearts, chocolate and flowers come about? Well… to my surprise when I went looking (ie: Google & Wikipedia), I found that there were actually more than one St. Valentines to have lived but the Martyr Valentinus (Latin for Valentine) who was beheaded on the 14th of February in Rome by order of Emperor Claudius II seems to be the most popular. For he went against Claudius’s no marriage or engagement rule and married young lovers in secret. Though it is said that all the St Valentines were “outstanding lovers of God and people, able to hear and to support anyone who is in love”. The Feast of St. Valentine on February 14 was first established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I. There was also some 18th century English folks who thought due to the obscurity of what isn’t known about the St Valentine(s) that Valentine’s Day was invented by the church to supersede the pagan holiday of Lupercalia (a festival of love) which was held in mid February. With this now known I wondered how paper hearts, chocolate, flowers and the occasional diamond became iconic to this day? It seems that the romantic side of Valentine’s Day came about in the 14th century with the help of Geoffrey Chaucer. It is also thought that the the first Valentine was a note that was written by St Valentine to the jailers daughter before he was beheaded. In the 1700′s people started making handmade notes to give to loved ones on February 14th in honor of the Feast of St Valentine and by the 1800′s commercially made Valentine’s started to appear. In the early 1870′s a 19 year old American by the name of Esther Howland brought Valentines Day to America by commercially producing her own cards for the occasion. So, over the many following years flowers and chocolates became part of the Valentine’s Day giving festivities and supposedly in the 1980′s the diamond industries were said to have started promoting giving diamonds on this day of love. What ever the true story of Valentine’s Day is let us be thankful that we have a day dedicated to love but wouldn’t it be wonderful to show our love for our family and friends all year long.
This is a Valentine I made up for a friend. This is simple to do. Just fill a canning jar with chocolates put the lid back on and tie a ribbon or jute around the neck of the jar. I attached small wooden hearts to the end of the jute with glue.
New Years Solution aka My Year Of Change
New Years…the midnight first kiss of the year with a loved one, a happy thing…a toast for health and prosperity, a happy thing…celebrating with family and friends, a happy thing…RESOLUTIONS (Ugh), an unpleasant thing! How come is it that at the beginning of every New Year we set resolutions for ourselves(with good intentions of course) but then they are forgotten by the end of January? I know I silently do this to myself every year, not that I can’t commit to something but with the hustle & bustle of the life that I lead, my resolutions slowly start falling down the priority list. So this year no more weight loss ideas, diets, exercise regimens, or make more money thoughts…I have decided rather than make a New Years Resolution, that I would have a New Years Solution! One word “SIMPLIFY” my life (well maybe that’s three words). Simplify, its a nice little verb that means “to make simpler”. The beauty to this word is that it can be something different to each person who uses it but to me it means de-clutter and reorganize. So in my spare time(which usually is when everyone is in bed or early morning), I am going to look at every room, closet & cupboard in my house and re-home or donate to charity all the items that just aren’t being used anymore which means when I go to the utensil drawer in the kitchen that the big green plastic spoon wont come hurdling at my face anymore because of the force that I had to use to get the overloaded drawer to open or opening that cupboard/closet door and have a tidal wave of objects come walloping down on me…sound familiar? Then when the weather permits, I am going to do the same outdoors. Gone will be the high maintenance foliage and in will be the carefree ornamental grasses and weeping trees. Rather than weeding, I’m going to plant a pretty ground cover. If everything is easier and cohesive, it means it will be a simpler and happier home! I’ll take that. So here’s to New Years Solutions aka My Year of Change! To everyone – A Blessed New Year!
Mason Jar Inspirations
Mason jars aren’t just for canning anymore. They make great decorations for your primitive, shabby chic, or country home and in some instances they can even decorate an urban or industrial prim home. If you look on the internet, there are so many craft ideas that can be done with canning jars, the inspirations are limitless. One of the my favorite craft ideas that I have seen just lately is how to make an old fashion snow globe. I don’t have enough time to make them for this Christmas as gifts for family, friends, and neighbors but I will be busy putting a bunch together this spring and summer for next Christmas. I will post a photo tutorial of the first one I make after the first of the year(so please check back). I just love these old jars, especially the antique blue ones. I have quite a few antique and new Mason/Ball jars scattered around my home, each doing their own unique job of decorating.
2 quart jar filled with pine cones and rusty bells tied with scrap of prim fabric and adorned with rusty bells and a faux candy cane
A regular mouth quart jar that is painted and has a glass votive candle holder inserted into its top. Add decorations around jar neck.
2 quart jars placed in an primitive wood tool carrier.
2 quart antique blue jars with flower frogs attached.
Canning jar with wrought iron candle hanger and a battery operated 4″ pillar.
Various size jars in an antique postal cubby holding crafting supplies.
Those are a just few of my ideas of how to use your unused canning jars. For more inspirations just type “canning jar ideas” into your internet search engine or just use your imagination…have fun & as always enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving
From our home to your home, Happy Thanksgiving. Let us all count our blessings!
Let’s Hear it For Candy Corn
Okay people, tell me that the sight or smell of Candy Corn doesn’t evoke some type of childhood memory. I for one didn’t really like the taste of them but as a young kid I loved sticking them over my teeth(orange end up) giving me a pointy candy corn smile. This eternal Autumn candy is a Halloween icon and per Wikipedia was created in the 1880s by the Wunderlee Candy Co. Another fact I found via Google is that over 8 billion Candy Corn kernels are consumed each year. Now a days candy corn isn’t just for eatin’. It is a fun item to use in your Harvest decorating. Some ideas for using them in your decorating is:
- Sprinkle some in with pine cones that are set in a rustic wood bowl for a little pop of color
- Use as a base in a candle safe jar and set a candle on them
- Put some in your Harvest potpourri
- Make a Autumn garland by stringing cinnamon sticks, small pine cones, and candy corn alternating as you go
I have even found craft tutorials on the internet on how to make Halloween charm bracelets and earrings out of Candy Corn. In celebration of Candy Corn, I want to share how I make my Primitive Candy Corn Ornies. These are very easy to make and don’t take much time to put together.
Items needed are
- Muslin Fabric
- Fiber Fill
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
- Needle & Thread
- Fabric Paint in Burnt Orange, Mustard Yellow, & Antique White
- Paint Brush
- Fine Sandpaper
- Grunge Powder (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, & Clove mixture)
- Embellishments if desired
Make a Candy Corn template out of cardboard. Trace around template on double layer of Muslin fabric and cut out
Sew around the two pieces leaving a 1/4″ edge. Leave a 1 1/2″ hole at the bottom of Candy Corn. Turn inside out and fill insides with Fiber Fill. Fill to desired thickness(I fill mine up full so they are not squishy). Then close the bottom hole using a hidden stitch.
Paint on each of the colors allowing time for each to dry. Once all colors are painted and dried, sand it all over with fine sandpaper. Then rub on grunge mixture and attach embellishments if desired.
So have fun and enjoy some Candy Corn!
Pick a Peck of Pretty Pumpkins
Autumn breeze… the fall chill in the air…nope not this year! My family and I went to go find our Harvest and Halloween pumpkins in a nice summery 80 plus degree weather. Now, not that I am one to complain about sunny hot weather but I look forward to October so I can pull out the ol’ sweaters, scarves and warm boots. Something that I have come accustom to living in the Pacific Northwest like we do. Instead of starting the day with a cup of Hot Chocolate or a nice steaming Latte, it was iced coffees and juice except for the hubby who is a die hard and went with the steamy cup of hot coffee. This year was to be extra special in the pumpkin pickin’ department because it was the first time out for our 3 month old Grandson. Being the camera in hand Grandma that I am, I had all these ideas of must have photos of the grandkid in the pumpkin patch Hah… Delusions of Grandeur! What I got was photos of our fair skinned, blue eyed grandkid under wraps so he wouldn’t sunburn and the rest of us with sweat rolling down our fore heads as we forged our way through the pumpkin fields. We still had a lot o fun and each of us picked the perfect pumpkins and some nice gourds too. We will have “warm” memories of this day to reminisce about on our future pumpkin picking expeditions and isn’t that what it’s all about any ways? Have fun in the moment even with the unexpected happenings, like a very hot October day. Enjoy…
FILLIN’ the WHEELBARROW
A TRUNK LOAD OF PUMPKINS
HAPPY HARVEST TO ALL!!
A New School Year
Well, it’s that time of year again! Where we send our children off to school for another fun filled year of new friends, homework, PTA, Soccer practice, Dance Recitals, and the list goes on. I remember my school years fondly, and one of my favorite things to do at the beginning of the school year was to bring my teacher flowers. Now I have to admit, when I kissed my mother good bye to venture forth to the old brick school house, I did not have any flowers in my hands. But I had a pretty little bouquet by the time I entered the class room, much to the chagrin of the neighbors along my walking route. Now, I am not promoting any one to take their neighbor’s flowers, so I have a fun and quick project for those first of the year teacher bouquets. It is easy enough for the kids to help and inexpensive too! Here is a list of what you need:
- 1 empty can from vegetable/fruit (emptied & cleaned)
- 33 new yellow #2 pencils
- twine
- 3 rusty bells
- rusty craft wire
- glue gun
1. Set can on flat surface. Then use your glue gun and start attaching the pencils to can with eraser side down. Be careful to glue the pencils straight up and down, making sure the erasers are flat to the surface.
2. Only glue on lower portion of the pencil. Make sure that the embossed lettering on the pencil facing out to be able to be seen.
4. Once the “pencil vase” is finished you can put fake flowers, real flowers, or some pretty branches with leaves in it. Then it will be ready to give to that favorite teacher.
3. After finishing attaching the pencils, Wind the twine around the middle center of the “pencil vase” making sure to keep the twine flat and not over lapping. Make about a inch band. Carefully glue the starting end of twine and the finishing end of twine down to the pencils. Start and end on what is going to be the back side of the “pencil vase”. Then use a second piece of twine and make a bow in the center of twine band. Take about a 3 inch piece of craft wire attach 2 bells to one end, then put the other end of wire through the bow knot and then attach the remaining bell to the other end of the craft wire. Twist the two ends of the craft wire together. I also put a dab of glue on the bow knot to keep the bow from not coming undone.
Antiquing in New England
I have been lucky enough to be able to have had two trips to New England in my past. For those of you who like the hunt of primitives and antiques there is nothing like a slow drive through Vermont, New Hampshire, and all of the other states that make up New England. My favorite place is Vermont in the colors of its Fall foliage and then throw in some old barns and buildings full of primitives for sale…it’s Heaven on earth! My first trip to New England was only with my hubby and we stayed just in Vermont. Since we flew the friendly skies, I was only able to purchase smalls that I could fit in my suitcases and my hubby’s suitcase too! He was such a good sport about it. We had four glorious days there and we didn’t waste any of it. The second time back, we again flew and made it a family vacation and took along our adult daughter. The states we hit that time were Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Again, I kept with only purchasing the smaller items. Though I have to admit that I made a promise to myself that if I ever get to go back to New England for a third time, I will go for some of the absolutely fabulous primitive cupboards that can be found there and just have them shipped home. Now I know that you can find beautiful antiques and primitives in any of our great 50 states but there is a certain romance to be had in New England, especially in the Autumn months. So, take a suggestion from me and if you are able, try an antiquing trip to New England, I know you won’t be disappointed.
