My Favorite Haunts

Recently, a lovely reader asked me for recommendations of my favorite places to shop. 

My reply was: antique stores, estate/yard sales, thrift stores, and I just had to add . . . alleys! 

Some of my best finds have been while riding my bike down the alleys in our old neighborhood. 

And now that it's spring-cleaning weather, people are obliging me 

by kindly putting their unwanted items in the alleys for my perusal. 

So, I'm dusting off the bicycle and looking forward to adding to my Ethan Alley Collection.

You just never know what you might find cruising the alleys. 

Can you believe we recently found this discarded Adirondack set,
complete with table and foot rest? 

I spent two days scraping and painting but didn't it turn out nice?

Sometimes it's a big item like those chairs and we need to pedal home and get the car; 

other times it's something tiny that fits in my bicycle basket. 

Like these sparkly crystal doorknobs.

Another place I love to shop are antique malls. 

Recently I found a beautiful small demijohn (left) wrapped in wicker. 

Although I love the big boys, they're out of my price range so I was delighted 

when I found this one that was just right to add to my collection in the foyer.

This gorgeous copper tea kettle caught my eye at a vintage market and it was calling my name. 

I think the reason copper is so popular is it evokes the feeling of a hearth in the kitchen. 

Every time I walk into my little kitchen, it's the first thing I see and it reminds me of old kitchens where everyone gathered close to a roaring fire to keep warm, eat dinner and talk. 

I love its warm glow and many well-loved patches.

Estate/yard sales! Yippee! It's sale season again. 

Yard sales are starting to pop up all over our neighborhood. 

Although you can find some great bargains at yard sales, the real treasures are at estate sales. 

Check out estatesales.net for weekly listings in your area. 

My most favorite estate sale find was this beautiful old clock for $5!
It needed some TLC but was well worth it.

Yard sales are a great place to find vintage linens, dishes, old books and silverplate.
I lucked out when I scored this beautiful floral print for a few dollars.

Thrift stores like Goodwill and ARC can be amazing sources although you do need 

to check back often. We swing by our thrift stores about once a week. 

Fridays seem to be a good day because they're stocking the shelves for Saturday sales.

One of my favorite thrift store treasures is this amazing chair. 

An antique dealer told me it was probably 1800s English. $13. Sold! 

And, if you're feeling adventurous, you can keep an eye on construction dumpsters. 

Remember this chippy column I retrieved from an overflowing dumpster?
Be still my heart! 

Happy Sale-ing!!

***

CABIN QUEST UPDATE
Still looking for the perfect mountain cabin.
It's been a week of highs and lows, literally.
I found an incredible cabin that looked a lot like my Pinterest favorites.
But it went under contract almost immediately. I was so bummed.
Then, I found a hunting cabin near Rocky Mountain National Park
but it was on the worst road I've ever driven on and then,
when we finally found the cabin, it was just a disappointing mess.
So, still looking.

***

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French Wine Crate Find

I would have missed this beautiful French wine crate at a recent estate sale

if Ron hadn't spotted it hiding in the corner of a dark basement laundry room. 

The wood looked old and, when I saw it was from France, 

I went a little crazy and plunked down $7 for it!

I love all old crates but this one had such a warm honey tone,

fancy writing, and even wooden slots for twelve bottles inside. 

It knew it was special but couldn't begin to guess just how special it was. 

When I took it home, I looked up Chateau la Fleur Petrus and found out

it was a fancy Bordeaux wine from a vineyard near Petrus on the famous Pomerol plateau. 

The estate's original French Country chateau was built in 1782 and 

the wine traces its history to the late 1800's. 

I thought the engraving on the front was gorgeous.

I think the little critter may be a wild boar's head???

If the 1962 date is the age of the crate, it's 55 years old,

thus the mellow aged look. 

We thought it might be fun to go to our favorite wine store and buy a bottle to display in the crate. 

Are you ready for a shocker?

A very knowledgeable man there told us they didn't carry this wine because 

it was usually only available at auction and went for between $220 and $3,500 a bottle!

He said people who bought it often rented an armored truck to have it delivered.

So, I guess we'll probably just put something else in the crate. 

(Internet photo)

I wasn't sure how I would style it so I began to layer things to create a pleasant design.

I started with some white flowers in a white vase for height

then added some teal-colored bottles and mason jars for sparkle.

We'd just trimmed the crabapple tree in our back yard so I snagged some branches 

and added them to the design to fill in the gaps.

My big white Limoges platter with pale blue flowers was the perfect backdrop

for the arrangement and the crate's bottle racks worked just like a plate rail. 

I don't claim to be a floral designer

but I think it makes a pretty Spring centerpiece.

I can just imagine this crate in the winter,

filled with big pine cones, some tall candles and a bottle of wine or 

stacked with old books, an ironstone pitcher and some vintage linens in the summer. 

Definitely, one of my favorite finds!

***

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French Country's Friend : Ironstone

Hi Everyone! Before I get to this week's post, I have a little announcement.

I have finally figured out how to post a link to Pinterest on my blog so you can see all of my favorite photos on my Pinterest boards.  I hope you'll follow me to check out all of my French Country Decorating and Garden pixs. Just click on "Follow on Pinterest" in the right column.

Thanks so much for reading my blog. I really appreciate your loyalty and friendship and I love hearing from all of you. Blogging has given me an unexpected creative outlet that has truly enriched my life. So, let's connect! And, please do let me know if the Pinterest button doesn't work for you. Thanks so much. Now, on to this week's post . . .

***

When I first started collecting ironstone, I couldn't help myself. 

I couldn't resist the creamy white dishware and bought every piece I saw that I could afford.
I started out with tiny milk creamers.

And added more substantial pieces as I found them at estate sales and thrift stores.
When you hold a piece of ironstone, you know you're holding something with history.

Pitchers were always my favorites but platters and bowls and tureens called to me too.

Ironstone always looks so fresh and appealing.
It's the perfect accessory for a French Country look --
that timeworn feeling of simple comfortable elegance.

Like white fabrics, ironstone captures many different tones of white

from almost-pure white to mellowed ivory with tints of brown. 

Now that I'm beginning to have a decent little collection,
you'd think I'd be able to resist but I still can't seem to help myself.

Anything with a crest on the bottom finds its way home with me. 

I can always make room for a little milk creamer or a petite egg cup.

The Charm of Imperfection
Even things that aren't in perfect condition are irresistible.

In fact, I'm finding I'm most drawn to things that show signs of wear.

Those pieces with a crazed surface
(those little lines that we all develop over the years) call to me.

And a gravy boat that is missing the tip of its spout
holds untold stories of family holiday dinners long gone by. 

My favorite piece to date, is this little pitcher.

I found it at my local Goodwill and almost didn't bring it home because
it had obviously been dropped and had shattered into several pieces.

But it had been lovingly repaired. 

Someone had painstakingly glued all the broken bits back together and
it made me think of it having had open-heart surgery. And surviving! 

Now it has pride of place in my kitchen.
I love the sweet little lattice design around the bottom.

What is it about ironstone that calls to so many people?

Is it because it complements any style from Farmhouse to French Country?
Or is it its humble design?

Is it its pure white tone that goes with any color scheme?
White is so easy to live with. It calms a chaotic room and soothes our busy minds.

For me, its always about the history of a piece. 

I love fancy antiques but my heart is always touched
by the simple things that people used every day.

Those well-loved pieces never go out of style. 

And will always find a home with me.

***

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A Stroll thru Life, Botanic Bleu, Savvy Southern Style, A Delightsome Life,
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson, 21 Rosemary Lane, Peonies and Orange Blossoms,
Adirondack Girl at Heart, Charm of Home, French Country Cottage

Five Tips for Your Best Yard Sale Ever !

Sometimes you have to let something go to make room for something new.

Sometimes it's a relationship. Sometimes it's a chair.

Are you spring cleaning?

Time for a yard sale!

Here are five tips to help you have a successful yard sale.

1.  Start early.

If you have the space, store everything you might want to sell there throughout the year.

Big plastic tubs work great. When it's time for your sale, you'll have everything in one place.

You can always retrieve items you've decided to keep.

Check with your local city government to see if there are any restrictions on yard sales.

2.  Be organized.

A day or two before your sale, get everything out where you can see it.

Price items with sticky circles or masking tape.

If in doubt, check Ebay and Craig's List to see what similar things are selling for.

Adjust for yard sale bargain prices. Make sure you have lots of one's to make change.

3.  Advertise.

List your sale on Craig's List the day before and be sure to include your address.

I can't tell you how many sales I've read about but didn't know where they were.

Make large signs on bright heavy paper with the address clearly shown.  BIG.

Make your sign stand out. Post at major intersections in your neighborhood.

Did I say make it BIG?

4.  Start on time and have everything ready.

You'll miss the early birds if you're not open when you said you'd be.

Set out your tables early and arrange things neatly.

Move your cars so people can park conveniently in front of your sale.

A few colorful tablecloths covering the tables, balloons, or bright flowers attract attention.

5.  Be friendly and willing to bargain.

Approach people with a smile and a friendly greeting.

Price items a couple of dollars more than you want so you have room to negotiate.

People love a bargain.

Don't forget to take down your signs after the sale.

Happy sale-ing!!

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