Treasure Box Wednesday on Sunday: Time Travel in Blogging

Since I will be heading down to Florida on our usual Treasure Box Wednesday post day, in order to bring my Dad up north with me, I figured I'd make Wednesday come early this week. When ya run a blog, you can do that sort of thing, you know-- make days shift around like dominoes-- and then hope it won't confuse the heck out of the nice people who stop by regularly.

My favorite treasure of this week was this pretty hand-tinted Victorian photograph on glass from We Miss Back When in Apollo, PA...

I had my eye on it a while, and at $8, I finally caved and show them the money.

At the Goodwill in Monroeville, I got this handy-dandy book on British kings and queens...
Now when I have questions about ol' "King Elthered the Unready," "Queen Ethelfleda the Somewhat Snippish" or "King Ferdinand the Impetuous," I'll be able to look 'em up and learn something.

At the same Goodwill, I bagged me a few CDs, too--
And speaking of bagged...
I already had this particular item, but every day I think what a bargain it was. :)

I hope to have a post for you next Sunday. With Dad sick, things are kind of up in the air for me right now, but I don't want to leave you folks with nothing in your blogly goody bags, either. So I'll do my best to keep things rolling.

Treasure Box Wednesday: the Alice in Wonderland Kitchen

Given this particular Treasure Box Wednesday, I have nothing newly-thrifted to share with you all, I thought I would instead show you a room I hadn't really taken pictures of before.

Many of you folks were "with" me as I spent time creating my "Alice in Wonderland"-inspired faux stained glass window. (Thank you for your patience over that lengthy process!) But I never got a chance to show the big picture, and just why this particular theme had taken over my land of cookery.

It was the joy of finding Fiestaware, and integrating that into my otherwise Victorian house that left me trying to blend the streamlined art deco style of the dishes with the William Morris, Arts & Crafts red and green livingroom that the kitchen opens onto.

And one day I got looking at my collection of bright Fiesta candleholders and vases here...

...Thinking, "These Fiesta folks are completely mad! Look at those crazy shapes!"

And that's when something in my brain said, "Hmmmmmm...."

I already had a strange number of pottery hearts hanging around...
And then at Tuesday Morning, I uncovered purely on accident some odd-and-assorted plates, bowls and cups from a British-designed Alice in Wonderland dinner set. Each one had a quote from the book-- and being a writer and a huge fan of the tale since childhood, that was just too much for me to resist!

The timing was right!

Fiesta, it turns out, also made some heart-shaped dishes, a number of which I found in their outlet discount area.


Add to this things like a Humpty Dumpty teapot I had thrifted long ago and put into action now...

And a McCoy rabbit pottery pitcher, well... the whimsical theme has worked surprisingly well without being impractical for kitchen use.
The colors transition nicely from one room to another now, even though the kitchen is a lot more kaleidoscopic than the rest of the house. The pops of red, and an Arts & Crafts rug, really tie it together.

I also had fun with a little, er, prop...Anyway, that's the Treasure Box for this week. Hope the rest of your week is filled with wonders!

Treasure Box Wednesday: the Road Less Traveled

In Sunday's post, we talked about how the Victorian look isn't particularly popular right now, so those of us who love romantic decorating can find some pretty amazing things at thrift stores.

This post will explain where some of that idea came from.

Saturday's thrifting was a late start for me, as I'd met my buddy Scoobie in the Strip District of Pittsburgh (no stripping involved!) for lunch and some wholesale food shopping.

I had thought, given I was hitting the stores in the late afternoon instead of mid-morning, that the thrifts would be as picked clean as road kill in vulture territory.

I have no problem admitting I was wrong.

The first thing I spied at the Red White and Blue thrift store was this small, deep Victorian pickle dish...
Made in Austria and partially handpainted, I had a hard time believing this was just sitting on the shelf with the bakeware and serving bowls, and not nestled somewhere safe on the shelves behind the counter.

Guess our scantily clad nymph was a bit much for the locals...

Anyway, it was a surprise find, and needed to be rescued.

Heading down to the second level of the store, that's when I came across this large alabaster table lamp...

Ones at 2/3s the size of this go for around $100 at antique malls, and here I found this much larger one-- in pearlescently beautiful condition-- in a thrift store. It was the second find to blow the mind just a bit. It was 3:30 in the afternoon. How could it still be there waiting for me?

And then was my "inkling" find at the Goodwill. By now it was about 5:30 in the evening and I was heading home. A shelf of planters revealed this pretty leaf planter which I had a very good feeling about...
It reminded me strongly of two McCoy pieces I have-- taller ones, but a similar glaze, similar style and color. It wasn't marked on the bottom, but at $1.99 I didn't really care whether it was or wasn't McCoy, because I thought it would look terrific with the other two.

I had a sneaking suspicion, though...
Here you can see it with its buddies.

Upon going home, I sat in my favorite chair and reveled in my good fortune. And then I pulled out my McCoy collector's book. Boy, it never hurts to have good reference books for the things you collect!-- And I was rewarded. The unmarked vase was, absolutely, the real McCoy.

Right now it sits on my mantle, looking very much at home with its cousins. Yee-haw!

Oh, and lastly-- just because I'm finally feeling happy about it (largely because the hard work is done), I wanted to show you all the finished mantle in my one spare room...
All the bits of plaster and grouting and the newspapers and painter's tape (and frustrations) have been wiped away, leaving me with a lovely, calm and quite French sitting room. The cute little blue lamps on the mantle came from the L&L Fleatique in Adamsburg/Jeannette, and the mantle mirror was an Ebay find-- it's a new piece, not an antique, but I think it tops everything off pretty nicely. I'd wanted something that was already painted so I wasn't defacing any antique pieces.

Well, that wraps it up for this Treasure Box! So, here's hoping as you choose your path in your treasure hunting travels, you uncover the things no one else wants-- but which you absolutely love.

Sometimes being eccentric has its benefits!

• Oh-- if you missed Sunday's post on how the Victorians would have loved thrift shopping, click here.

And maybe I'll see you folks on Sunday. That is, if you aren't out scouting for buried treasure.

Decorating Ideas through Vintage Christmas Postcards

Lush landscapes, round-faced, rosy-cheeked children, ornate backgrounds, gold-leafing and glorious color... These things and more are found in vintage Christmas postcards from the early 20th century. And by taking hints from them, it might just be help the savvy decorator looking to add a bit of Victorian-era Christmas charm to their home.

See, what's interesting is, when we look at postcards from around 1910, it's striking to see the ways that Christmas has changed over the years. For instance, how often today do we associate Christmas with images of roses? Yet in vintage postcards, roses abound just like it was summer in bloom. You can see one example of this in the card below, where proud rose topiaries flank a tranquil snow scene...


I actually integrate silk and velvet roses into my decorating quite often around the holidays. In combination with the more traditional boughs of pine and holly, it adds an extra richness to tablescapes.

These kinds of calm, winter scenes were quite common during Christmas postcards of the time. In addition to the use of roses as Christmas decor, we can also see that red and green weren't the sole colors of Christmas. In fact, vibrant purples, as shown through this lovely little church, were a regularly-used shades...

I think folks have more options now than we used to, to decorate beyond the expected red, green and gold shades for the holidays. For instance, purple, within the last few years, has seen a real comeback in department stores as enticing Christmas color schemes. Both royal and ice blue also seem to be used increasingly.

So if you're a vintage person at heart, going with some of these less-used shades really isn't as inappropriate as you'd think. Because my diningroom already has pinkish-purples in it, that room inevitably gets a good dose of Christmas purple each year.

And what has stayed the same? Well, holly and mistletoe are still the symbols of Christmas they once were, as seen in this cheerful postcard from 1913...


Just look at those ripe red berries! (Only, make sure your pets don't get into them, they can be very dangerous for our furry friends.)

Here we see a snow scene done in mint greens and pinks...


That mint green is just about the shade of a lot of fireplace tile (including my own) done around the late 1800s, early 1900s. Perhaps that might inspire your color scheme for Christmas as well!

Now, here we see the kiddies spending a winter day enjoying a good ol' snowball fight. Ah, you can almost envision Randy from "A Christmas Story" so bundled up in woolly things he looks like a tick ready to pop...


It also makes me think-- how about a little theme tree covered in things like warm mittens, hats, earmuffs and scarves? A trip to the thrift store and these things can be found inexpensively, and it might add a bit of whimsy to a Christmas display. A pile of styrofoam snowballs in the corner might also make holiday guests get a chuckle!

Angels, of course, have been important symbols of Christmas for many decades...


The difference in imagery from around 1910 is that the angels were often depicted more like cherubs-- fat babies or children with beautiful faces. Many were illustrated, like the one above, while others were edited, tinted photos of real children, like the ones below...


Again, you'll see pastels at work here as Christmas colors.

"Well, what about Santa?" you ask. (Okay, well, perhaps you didn't. But pretend you did.) Did you know old Saint Nick didn't actually appear very often on Christmas cards in the Victorian and Edwardian era?...


Yep- Ol' Kris Kringle began to be more commonly associated with Christmas items once CocaCola started using the image in their early 20th century advertising. Typically portrayed with a red suit, that's how the Christmas colors of red and green became the traditional Christmas staple we know today.

Of course, the more things change, the more things stay the same. I mean, even pretty children from the turn of the last century were kids at heart....

The little girl here, looks pained and unhappy in her post. The boy in brown is holding his little brother in place in a bit of a vise grip, and little brother himself looks like he's ready to be off and playing-- not sitting here on this carpet bare-legged and bored.

And who can blame him?

Here you get a similar sense from this round-faced Hansel and Gretel...


Gretel looks about ready to come in from the cold, and stop messing around with fir trees, doesn't she? It might be consoling to keep this in mind, when your own family's Christmas memory portraits feel a bit like trying to herd cats.

Lastly, I leave you with this curly-haired moppet bedecked in purple flowers.


No matter what colors you choose, or how you decorate this holiday season, just remember-- do what you love and don't sweat the small stuff. Because really, that's what it's all about!

• For those who missed last Treasure Box Wednesday, when we took a peek at thrifted Florida goodies, click here.

And this coming Wednesday? I'm hoping to have some pics of my lastest Christmas decorating. But we'll see how that goes!

Making a Period Kitchen Really Cook

For those of us with period homes, the kitchen can be among the most challenging to decorate. Our kitchens are often the heart of the house, the place where some serious work is done, where guests linger, and where families spend much of their time. So for folks with older homes, we realize our kitchens need to be functional. But they also need to fit within the flow of the rest of the house. They need to feel a part of things, not just a separate add-on to the overall atmosphere.

And walking that line between functionality and style can seem a little overwhelming!

Like how much period accuracy do you need? Well, would you trade your refrigerator for an old-fashioned ice box, just for the sake of historical correctness? Um... no, me neither. So that's why I thought today it might be helpful to talk about the period kitchen, and how vintage elements can be used to create a kitchen that has an old-fashioned vibe, without losing modern-day conveniences.

In the book "Period Kitchens," by Judith Miller, I uncovered a number of clever inspiration photos. Like the photo below...

Note the painted beadboard walls, and the use of mismatched plaids to create a comfortable, soft, lived-in feel. Also notice the way plaid tiles were used behind the vintage refurbished stove. Furniture here is the same sort of furniture this home might include in its livingroom or on a covered porch. This helps connect the kitchen to the rest of the home, and encourages visitors to pull up a chair and spend some time.

Here once more, tile becomes a central feature of the kitchen. See how the patterned feature wall in blue and white echo the china on the plate rail above, making the wall and accessories become one unified eye-catcher...

Cabinets are a combination of built-ins and free-standing pieces. This evokes the feeling that pieces were moved in over time.

This kitchen uses some antique seating and 18th century tavern tables to create a unique breakfast nook.

The china-filled cabinet displays pieces that are both usable and decorative. You'll probably notice many of these period-influenced kitchens have open shelving, which hearkens back to earlier times-- and gives a decorator the great chance of showing off some favorite collectibles.

This collection of china really appealed to me, with its different patterns yet cohesive coloring...


You'll certainly never go without a cup or bowl in this house, yet the abundant look displays a really pretty, welcoming collection.

I also thought you might enjoy seeing the way something as simple as a collection of different-shaped cornbread molds could become a pleasant wall display...

You're so busy looking at them hanging there, you really never notice the stove is a modern one. And because the molds are metal, they hold up well to any cooking oils that might splash up from the stove below.

I also drooled a bit over these terrific cabinets with gothic arch windows...

If it were me, I'd remove that distracting navy blue tea towel off that gorgeous cream period stove, but otherwise, the soft distressed blue cabinetry says "old world" while clearly this sort of cabinetry and styling never made its appearance as a part of earlier kitchens.

Here is another way to display a china collection, tying it directly to the colored wallpaper behind...


Now, many of these general ideas I used in my own kitchen. These are not the best photos, and for that I apologize. But this should give you a good idea of how I've been tying in modern conveniences, like my beloved coffeemaker with vintage collections...


A free-hanging stained glass window helps add a period feel to the window over the sink (and means I don't need to look at the big gray wall of my neighbor's house!). I added molding to the plan upper and lower cabinets, painting the upper cabinets white and staining the lower cabinets a dark shade that matched the woodwork around the rest of my home.

All white, and I think it wouldn't have looked as cohesive with the livingroom, from which it extends. And all dark, and I think with the giant upper cabinets, it would have been too dark, and not very fresh-looking. This was a strange, but helpful compromise.

I removed the doors off one cabinet on each side of the sink to create balance and to showcase my green and pink depression glass collections. This way I can reach them easily.

The bright green coffeemaker and toaster match the green depression glass quite well. Here is a little window display of some of my old and new accessories...


And here's the very-modern but plain stove. Nothing special about it, so it doesn't draw attention to itself!


Same with the refrigerator! Simple, and nicely boring!


More Victorian transferware plates and Jadite are displayed on the far wall, on plate rails...

Do you have a period-influenced kitchen you wouldn't mind sharing here? I'd love to hear from you. Kitchens are such a tricky room to decorate, I think we could all learn a lot from each other. Just email me at thriftshopromantic @ mac . com (except with no spaces) if you have anything you'd like to share.

Did you miss last Treasure Box Wednesday when we met the silent butler? Click here.

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone. Don't labor too much now!

Finding Vintage Romance in Today's Independent Art

Folks well-familiar with this blog know I'm a big fan of art. Whether it's framed prints from the 30s in the Maxfield Parrish style, thrift store paintings where good intentions may outweigh skill, or talented artists and photographers working today to express themselves creatively. In fact, I fear my love of art is rapidly starting to exceed my wall space!

Like decorating, taste in art is incredibly subjective, of course. One man's prized collection can easily be another man's creative nightmare. But I thought you all might like to see just a few of the artists and photographers working today whose creative ideas I respect and enjoy. For a lover of things vintage and Victorian, I feel they echo that sense of romance, adventure, mystery and story-telling.

I just thought it might be fun to give them some props today!

Like British artist, Michael Thomas here...


He's a book jacket illustrator out of England and his work becomes cover art, notecards and prints. I have three of his original paintings, and have been absolutely wowed by his skill, as well as how effectively he has embraced the Pre-Raphaelite style for his subject matter and composition. His works are largely acryllic on board. The piece here is Rapunzel, and as I understand it, she is intended to be used in cards and as an illustration within a fairy tale edition.


This one below is called Pices...

I'm not actually a Pices, but I loved the delicate figure and her almost Rosetti-styled face.

The last of his works which I own is what he refers to as his Art Nouveau angel...

This, the artist indicated, was one of the more decorative pieces he'd done. The elaborate background detailing does remind me of some Burne-Jones pieces, while the figure complements the Pices painting well. I have these on either side of my Victorian pocket doors.

You can check out more of Michael Thomas' work-- I believe he currently has prints available of Pices and the art nouveau angel-- in his Ebay store Fresco Art by clicking here.

Another artist currently doing work which reflects his love of Pre-Raphaelite art is American artist Patrick Lynch out of Kentucky.


I met Patrick online a few years ago due to a mutual appreciation of the Pre-Raphaelites. Patrick balances his art career along with a full-time job-- no easy task-- but has been passionate about his painting for decades. His work uses paint as well as colored pencils to create the vivid shades you see above-- a feat made more remarkable as the artist works to find the right balance in spite of being color-blind.

His paintings typically incorporate Victorian or medieval-Gothic styled ladies with wistful expressions. Imagery tends to emphasize his love of the gramophone, river scenes, and statuary. The painting below is one of my personal favorites in Patrick's online gallery. It's called First Night of Autumn. The hats are based on the work of one of his friends, a Kentucky hat designer.

You can check out more of Patrick's work at his site The Lost and Beautiful Past.

My most recent art purchase was from a shop at Etsy, called Audrey Eclectic. Artist Heather Van Winkle uses the "whimsy folk art" style to create pretty, quirky portraits with a gentle storybook feel. Using mixed media collage, large eyed lasses stare demurely at the viewer, infused with layered details that sneak up a bit of the viewer the more he or she looks. What I appreciated in particular was her work involves more than pretty images of old-fashioned girls, but little tales to support each one.


This is "Elerey," a "Hallowed Hall girl"-- one of three sister portraits, each with a fun little history to accompany her. You can read about them on Heather's blog. Elerey was a toy maker-- and her creations tended to demonstrate some very mysterious and unusual behavior! I liked her Wednesday Addams style.

Another interesting feature is, Heather's work is done on scrap wood, cleaned up and repurposed. Talk about your trash to treasure!

In terms of less Gothic, more Shabby Chic art, I also became taken with an artist named Carole DeWald. She sells on Ebay, in her shop Carole's Cottage, and does still life floral work which puts a particular emphasis on roses, hydrangeas and lilacs. This particular painting is in my dining room.


Another Ebay artist of the genre is Mary Ann Mayer. Her lilac painting-- with its impressionist feel-- made an impression on me. I love that it looks like it has some real age to it.


While we were discussing artists, I'd also wanted to draw your attention to two photographers that capture the natural world in remarkable ways. It's patience and perseverance that make their work so awe-inspiring-- waiting for that perfect glow of a sunset, capturing the right angle of a Western mesa, or sitting in a boat on a Norwegian lake for the just-right shot of the Aurora Borealis.

If you're a fan of nature photography, I think you'll really enjoy the work here.

Rodney Lough is an American photographer whose work my friend Scoobie is addicted to. His love of nature shines through with every photograph, and honestly, once you've seen Rodney's treatment of a particular area, it never seems the same again. He makes our world truly magical. Check out his site, TheLoughRoad, and I believe you'll see what I mean.

Photographer Thomas Laupstad is a fellow I met online through blogging, and like Rodney Lough, he captures his own country-- Norway-- with a keen eye, a love of color and a lot of waiting around for the perfect moment. You can see Thomas' work on his blog here.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this little dip into the world of independent art today. I know there are a lot of talented people out there, but I thought it would be nice to discuss just a few whose work has become a part of my life.

• If you missed Treasure Box Wednesday, where the mantle gets a new look, I get a few thrifted goodies and you all get some vintage tunes, click here.

• If you missed last Sunday's post on Giggles over Wiggling, Jiggling Jell-O recipes, click here.

And I hope to see you again soon! Thanks for your visit.