Thrifty China and an Even Better Find

Hello my sweet friends.

I'm afraid I haven't been 'round much this week.

I've been busy gathering,

focusing on details,

and working on the big picture.

Taxes are done. What a relief. Now I can get back to playing.

I got a great deal on this china set at an estate sale last Friday but my thrifty find is nothing compared to Mona's. She spent $10.00 and got...well I let her tell you. Click here to read it in her own words. As her title says, it was "The Yard Sale Find of a Lifetime". You won't want to miss it!

Wordless Wed.~ Bummer! ~ and REDnesday!

Dixie in French Lique, Texas is taking a break so it's blogger's choice for Wordless Wednesday. Today my choice is

"Bummer!"

Please visit Heather as she guest hosts "Wordless Wednesday" and Sue Loves Cherries at My Secret Garden for "REDnesday" as I'm joining in the fun at both today.

Blue Monday ~ Dinning Room Got the Blues

It's Blue Monday and this is my first time joining in the fun at Smiling Sally's. Please remember to visit Sally and see who else has the blues today.

I recently shared some rooster plates that had beautiful blue borders in different patterns. They were the added to tie some blue and white salt and pepper shakers into my red, green and yellow color scheme. You can check them out by clicking here. I was really trying to stick with those colors but my rooms seem to take on a life of their own and before I knew it blue had become the main accent in the dinning room. These are some of my favorite blue and white plates that hang over my hutch.

This one hangs high on the picture rail to cover where the pipes from the original wood stove in the kitchen sent warm air to other rooms. It had been removed long before we moved in. The picture rails had been cut around the duct work so the top of a circle is missing from half of the rail here. The hole itself was covered by what almost looks like an upside down plate. If you look close you can see part of the rim under my plate.

My hutch is always evolving depending on what new treasure I've found, the seasons and if I need extra storage for groceries. It's not uncommon to find a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos wedged in there "for now". Our dinning room is the middle of our home and open to several other rooms. We have a small galley kitchen so we eat here every day and use the table for everything from paperwork to crafts. Some day I'll get all the rooms clean at the same time, have the puzzles, bills and smore's maker cleared off the table and the curtains back up. Then you can see the whole room, but don't hold your breath! That's why I covered the mirrors inside the hutch with wallpaper. Mirrors are great at doubling space but they also double clutter!

One my favorite collections is my Tracy Porter Stonehouse Farm ceramics. It has a quirky mix of great colors and patterns. Some pieces are mostly dark, dark blue, almost black, with just a little of the red and cream plaid. Others are just the opposite. Throw in a rooster, some almost pastel veggies and a bright green accent and they're perfect for someone like me who likes everything and can't make up her mind what direction to go!

You can see the rooster plates next to the hutch. Not much is left of my original color scheme except a few table clothes but they can only be seen at dinner time when the rest of the day's accumulation gets cleared away!

The yellow and green have taken a back seat to the blue and red.

And Bessie is looking girlie in her blue toile bow!

I don't mind though, sometimes Plan B works out for the best. That's Plan "B" for Blue of course!

Have a great Blue Monday.

Dawn

Three or More Tuesday ~ Rooster Plates

Today I'm joining Tam @ The Gypsy's Corner for my first Three or More Tuesday. I suspect it will probably always be "or More" for me.

I'm sharing 4 rooster plates that set me on a new path for a color scheme in my dinning room. I started out with a soft red, green and yellow palette and was trying to keep to it, something that's hard for me to do. I was doing great until my sweet son bought me blue and white salt and pepper shakers. Foiled again. I had to find a way to make them feel like they belonged. Can't have our salt and pepper shakers feeling like they don't fit in now can we? It took a long time but I finally found these rooster plates in a Williams - Sonoma catalog. I know, I know, not exactly thrifty. But they saved my sanity so they were worth it. Each plate has the same rooster in my original colors. But each plate...

has a different...

graphic...

border...

in blue!

Here's all four together.

They just make me so happy.

Silly, huh?

Now strut on over to Tam's place and check out all the other Three or More participants. I hear she purged her closets so we'll all meet at goodwill when we're done!

Dawn

Milk Glass and Scotties ~ From the Attic

These are a few of the things we recently pulled down from the attic.

I could not believe it when my dear mother-in-law showed me this gorgeous fabric. There is a about a yard and a half. It's actually a curtain panel with lining but the lining is coming undone. It may become a chair pad for my big rocker on the porch. Now that my daughter is doing better I need to get back to work out there. We'll be having temps in the 90's this week so I'll have to get up early...he he he...slim chance when I'm blogging and it's almost midnight! Anyway, there are tons of other fabrics up there but this is my favorite so far.

These plates are adorable but didn't clean up too well. They have a lot of crazing and stains. They are still sweet to decorate with though.

I just love the unusual color combination on this child's teapot. Well, maybe not so unusual for the time, it's blending with the fabric just fine.

These milk glass pieces reminded me of Mary at Little Red House. I actually gasped when I spotted them because she aways sets such a pretty table with her milk glass collection.

I don't know much about milk glass.



These don't seem as detailed as hers.





So they may be less expensive reproductions.




Here's the label still on one. It says:


Milk White Anchorglass, Anchor Hocking Glass Corp. Lancaster, O. USA

Maybe I'll drop by Mary's and see what she thinks.

Those of you with a good pair of bi-focals may have noticed the milk glass vase was filled with some strange little creatures in the first photo on this post.

Know what they are?



Vintage cake decorations/candle holders! Little pink birds...

...and the cutest little Scotties you ever saw! Now, I know there are a few Scotty fans out there. But have you ever seen a yellow Scotty? Or a blue one? You have to see these guys close up. By the way, the macro setting isn't just for flowers! Don't you just love it?

So here he is, one ear up and one ear down. He looks a little sleepy to me. Probably ate a little too much frosting and needs a nap now that the sugar has worn off.

Oops!Dog Pile! Bad dogs!

See the little holes for candles? OK, back in the box. I promise you won't have to stay there for another 40 or 50 years. Does anyone have instructions for making those faux cakes? I don't think they would be good for a real cake any more, the metal sticks are a bit rusty.

Speaking of vintage...

This vintage, red rose, flour sifter makes me want to re-model my kitchen. Shhhh...don't tell hubby!

I think maybe just changing the wallpaper to a nice vintage pattern...did you hear that Sis? Ha, Ha, I think I still have glue in my hair from when my awesome sister helped me wallpaper the walls and ceiling! I have never laughed so hard in all my life! I better quit now before I get into real trouble with my hubby and sister!

For all you Western bloggers looking for the cowgirls I mentioned, hold that thought. I had trouble getting a good photo but will try to get them up soon. And please forgive me if my spacing is all goofed up on this post. I was playing with photo placement and things kept moving on me...I finally gave up!


Dawn