Holy Bobbleheads Batman!

 Girls, you may want to have 'your sports dudes' take a look at this.

I don't feel too bad collecting vintage tablecloths and pillow cases

 when The Cabinet Maker has this goin' on in the basement:

He's collected all baseball team's bobbleheads going back to 1964.

Every team "except a few expansion teams" - he says.

  

He has most of their original boxes. They're cool and he loves them. 

Content to be collecting dust, they keep on bobbing and smiling.

So you see why I am a plate-oholic. 

When you've got this happening in your house - plates are easy to store.

 Clearly - he's got me beat in the collecting category.

Dude's think their cool.

{I think their cool in the basement.  ha!}

xo Jeanne

(yes, in the 1st pic - those are his glass baby bottles that his mother saved.)

Gift Basket Idea

I made a gift basket for a colleague at work who recently had surgery.

I had a theme of 'comfort and get well soon.'

Hopefully this will help her to feel better in a jiffy.

To make it thought of these things:

• her favorite color
• yummy scented soaps we don't usually buy for ourselves
• nice lotion & body wash
• a book and a movie
• a few comfy pairs of socks
• big cozy towels
• chocolate!
• a journal

I went with an orange theme (her fav).  

It was easy for me to collect stuff in the same hue.

Sticking to a color theme always makes a basket look fab.

Wouldn't this be fun to have delivered to your door?

{I hope she likes it!}

xo Jeanne

Vintage Tablecloths and Pillow Cases

{vintage linens}
 Wanting to take inventory, I hauled out my vintage pillow case stash.

 Then I hauled out the vintage tablecloths. 

 I kept them in 3 different places. This is just silly. 

I found they needed some love, a good refolding and to be stored together. 

the tablecloths: 
  

It was actually fun laying some of them out to take pics.

 Perhaps if I get the motivation I'll soak a few in Biz to whiten them up.

Then, when I am crazy motivated or a maid shows up at my house, they'll be ironed.

Here are the Christmas ones:

the pillow cases:

Turns out I have way less then I thought I had.

We use them daily. A few are in the wash. We love how soft they are.

 And, because we use them- they don't hold up too well sometimes.

 Sadly, they need to be replaced. So my supply has dwindled.

The bright spot is that now I can scout out some more!

 I hope you enjoyed my vintage linens tour.

I found them at garage sales, thrift stores and occasional sales.

I use the tablecloths as curtains, on my mantel and pull them out for birthdays & holidays.

Or use them whenever I just plain feel like it!

I'm glad I pulled them all together.   Also to.....

put them in one place!

xo Jeanne

Sunday Thrift Store Stash

This weekend I didn't paint one single thing.

Instead, decorating co-captain Linda and I went Thrift Store Sailing.
Designed to ready us for garage sale season, we grabbed a cup of coffee and were off.....

We sipped, we shopped. 

We ate french fries.

In between we laughed, spotted deals and gave each other crap

if we didn't agree that an item up to snuff.

It was great fun.

It was my day to find 'J'.

I spotted the Lawrence Welk 45's.  .80 cents each.

Not sure what I'll do with them yet but I couldn't pass them up.

The silver coffee pot was $6.

The dandy sugar and creamer a bit more at $5 each but too fab to leave behind.

The Mother cup and saucer will come in quite handy in May with a flowery plant inside - $1.70

The baby dear book end was found at a boutique - $5.

Total, I spent about $40.

Shame on me!

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera so I don't have pics of Linda's stash.

(perhaps Quandie will send them....)

yes? no.
Alas, it is not to be.
Linda's things are already neatly tucked away.
sigh.

xo Jeanne

Gettin' Fresh in the Bedroom.

Silver, chenille, paint.  Better!

Fab Finds helped me to make our room a bit more cozy.

Once I painted the stripe on the dresser,  the rest of the room was blah. 

So I got to work, painted a few more things and found some fun finds.

First,
What I really want to tell those of you who are afraid of painting wood paneled walls;

"People, paint your paneling."

 

The SHH letter hooks were on clearance at Michael's for .50 cents each. Score. 

I hung the plates earlier and showed this tutorial.

• I painted the headboard white, raised it up about 10 inches and nailed it to the wall.
• I painted the dresser with the glass knobs white. This dresser has matching mirror, just not using it.
• I switched out some of the red saucers and replaced them with the brown transferware I found last week.
• I moved the floral pictures. 
• I hung silver platters - I found them at thrift stores. $2.99 to $5.99 each.

• The lamp is from Target on clearance at $11.80.  I painted on the '2'.
• I wanted to go a tiny bit modern on the lamp style.
• The nightstand is an old chippy stool I already had.
•  I added a silver platter to hold the 'night stand stuff'.

I still love my girly shelf.  I hung the floral pictures under it.

The completely darling little wicker chair

is a fantastic find this week at $4.99 . Yay! 

Over summer, I may spray paint it.  A pale robin's egg blue?

I free handed and hand painted the j & p and relax pillows.

(any help I can get to remind myself to relax is good.)

*Clarification upon further inspection*

The j&p pillow says 'j&p est. 1988' 

NOT meant to be  j & pest.... although totally hysterical!!

*I crack myself up. Poor Pest  (oops, I mean paul)*

I must show you my rug.

I  l-o-v-e my rug.

I bought it about 3 years ago at Goodwill for $20. 

Smile.

Here's the other end of the room with the striped dresser.

I added the mirrored doors last summer to bring in some depth.

Oh!  I almost forgot the new fabulous pillow.

I'm not a fan of having tons of pillows on a bed.

The look - i like.  Arranging them every morning - ick.

(Plus the kids still throw everything not tied down.)

But this big fab one, I can do.

Marshall's - $20.  At a boutique, it'd be triple.

This was also my exercise in monotone color decorating.

I really tried to stay in the cream/clay-beige motif.

I pulled in reds to match the platter on the wall  & color in the rug,

otherwise I controlled myself.

A challenge I wanted to tackle. Touchdown!

you like?

xo Jeanne

Linda's House: The New Pantry.

Decorating Co-Captain Linda recently re-did her pantry. 

 She was kind enough to take me along for the ride.

It's dreamy.

Her home was built in 1904.

The pantry space is in the spot where her basement stairs lead down to the laundry room.

The spot she had to work with is only 13 inches deep.
There's not much space, but she didn't let that stop her. 
See this fabulous transformation in the before and after pics:

 {During} The walls and ceiling were re-plastered and painted.

The wall color is Martha Stewart's 'Rainwater.'



Linda's very handy neighbor built the shelf. 

Linda painted it before installing it.  Martha Stewart's 'Glass of Milk.'

Then she did her magic with great placement of so many wonderful things.

How about storing your candles in a vintage pitcher?

Or your soaps in a cool glass vase? 

 On the opposite wall facing the new white shelves is a wall where Linda painted a chalkboard.

This was my cue to step in.

 Literally.

I painted a twist on her last name - standing precariously on a plank.

    

 With the shelves against a wall and above a staircase, you may be wondering -

How does she reach the stuff?

Linda & her husband are tall.  Reaching is not a problem.

This is a great spot to store entertaining dishes and supplies (wine).
 Now so fresh and bright.

Last but not least..

This is the adorable doorknob that opens the door to this pretty space.

The other side says "IN."

Going to Linda's is always a pleasure.
(really truly!)

xo Jeanne.