Monday, July 25, 2011

Vintage Berry Bowls and Berry Filled Scones

                                        
Do you have a set of berry bowls in your china cabinet?  I find them so charming.  It is seldom that they are used for berries at our house, but we do use them quite frequently.  They work so well for condiments, butter and jam.  And they are great for those of us who are working on eating smaller portions!  A friend of mine went on a shopping spree and collected a set of mismatched berry bowls for herself when she started a weight loss program.  I thought this was a great idea.  Starting a diet is never fun, but an excuse to shop for dishes is always a good thing!
My mother-in-law picked these gorgeous raspberries from her garden this week!
We have a few small blueberry bushes in our yard that are just starting to produce a hand full of delicious berries every few days!  Aren't these pink depression glass bowls sweet?
I love my German berry bowls.  I purchased them on EBay ages ago, at the beginning of my obsession with pink roses!
I just polished this serving spoon along with a lot of mismatched vintage flatware to deliver to the shop this week!  So fun!
I have several favorite scone recipes!  The one I used today is Grandma Johnson's Scones.  What I really wanted to share with you here is this great method for adding fresh or frozen berries to any scone recipe.
Pat your dough into 10" rounds (this recipe made 2).  Add whatever berries you like to the center of the round, leaving about a 2" perimeter.
With floured hands, carefully fold the perimeter up to fully enclose the berries in the dough.  (On a side note, I just found these lovely McCoy mixing bowls at a sale over the weekend!  They look so pretty in my kitchen, but I just can't justify keeping them!  They will be making their way to the shop this week!)
Using a sharp knife, cut the round into 8 triangles.  If you want your scones to be pretty, it's best to clean your knife in between slices.
Be sure to serve your Berry filled scone with whipped cream and more fresh berries!  Yummmm!!!
Don't forget a cup of tea!
I've shared it before, but in case you missed it...this is my favorite little tea set, picked up at an estate sale for $10!  It has no markings.  I took it to an appraisal day at the antique shop and learned that it was German, from the late 1800's and worth $200-$300!  It's probably my all-time favorite estate sale find.  Of course I didn't know just how beautiful it was until I brought it home and washed it!  And if it hadn't been so filthy at the estate sale, I'm sure someone else would have snagged it before I did!  Treasure hunting is so much fun!

I hope you had a lovely weekend!  Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!  I did a little painting over the weekend, a few things I thought I was preparing for the shop but as it turns out they look quite at home in our living room...so I think they're going to stay put for a while.  I'll share soon!  Can't wait to see what you've all been up to! 

Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda



Sharing with these fun parties:
Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Just Pruning the Roses and Sharing My Loot!

The time had come to prune back my Bonica rose bush.  It was almost done blooming...and normally I would wait until it was completely done, but the stems were so full of blooms that they were falling over and practically laying on the ground.  I couldn't let the piles of pretty pink go to waste, so I staged them with a few of the treasures that I had already planned to share today!
I purchased this gorgeous sea grass tote with the Pottery Barn gift card I received in the giveaway from the lovely ladies of All That Jazz Vintage.  Thanks again Tara and Michelle!  This bag has been great for estate saling as well as carrying things to and from the shop!  I just love it!
The vanity mirrors were thrift store finds this week.  I love to use them in my displays at the shop.
Another favorite pink rose...this one is Ballerina.
I was so pleased to find this stack of Johnson Brother's Rose Chintz for $3.99 at a thrift store this week.  They are a bit chippy but it doesn't matter...they will have a good home in my china cabinet with my grandmother's treasured rose chintz collection!
This lovely Johnson Brother's ironstone platter will be making it's way to my space at the shop next week...
along with this handsome stack of old ironstone.  The platters are big and heavy!
Do you know what this is?  It isn't a giant tea cup!  This is that perfect accessory to the 1880's oak washstand I had mentioned in my last post!
After it jumped off the shelf of the thrift store into my delighted hands, I doused myself in antibacterial gel and made my way to the nearest bathroom to wash up with soap and water!  Ha!  This porcelain commode dates to 1911!  I was thrilled to tuck it inside of the washstand cupboard (after a thorough cleaning of course!)  My husband thinks it would be great fun to put a couple of unwrapped Baby Ruth candy bars in it for effect.  Of course I said NO WAY!
Do you own an antique chamber pot?  How do you display it?
Cleaning up...after making two very large bouquets to enjoy in the house and several bundles of buds for drying.  Garden work turned fun photo shoot!

Thank you for your sweet visit today!  I look forward to seeing what you all have been busy working on this week or what treasures you've discovered!  Have a lovely weekend!

Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda




I will be joining in these fun Friday parties:
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Treasure Chest Friday at White Ironstone Cottage
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Garden Link Up at Centsational Girl

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Nellie's Washstand and a Whole Lot of Beautiful Iris!

Just last night, I added this sweet little 1880's oak washstand to my space at the shop!  I am so intrigued by old old furniture...and love to imagine the home it started in and the people who enjoyed it long ago.  This piece makes me think of Little House on the Prairie.  Can't you just imagine Nellie Oleson standing at it, washing her dainty hands in a big ornate bowl? 
Before I loaded it up in my truck, I set it out in front of the house and created this pretty vignette just for you!
My mom and I hit up a community yard sale event on Saturday and had a blast hopping from one sale to the next...over 40 in all!  This washstand was my big purchase for the day!
Of course I also came home with a lot of dishes...  I will share more of them with you in another post this week!
I wish I'd taken a photo of the dove-tailing to share with you.  Identifying the type of dovetailing on a piece of furniture is a great way to find it's age.  This washstand's drawers have pin and cove dovetailing which dates it to the 1880's.  Here is an example I found online...
At the end of our yard saling spree, we stopped in to see my mom's friend who is an Iris expert extraordinaire!  He was hosting an open garden!  Prepare to be amazed...
Have you ever seen so many iris in one place?
Want to see more?  Visit Chad and Dale's website, Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm.   They have an online catalog and ship their iris bulbs all across the U.S.!

I did a little thrifting today...and I found something I can hardly wait to show you.  It is the perfect accessory for my little washstand!  I wish I'd found it before I hauled the washstand to the shop...but it will still be fun to share with you later this week!  Can you guess what it is???

Thank you for your sweet visit today!  I hope you are having a lovely week!

Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda

I will be joining these fun parties:
Wow us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Share the Love Wednesday at Very Merry Vintage Style
Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Transformations and Treasures at Pink Postcard
Treasure Hunt Thursday at Blue Creek Home

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Vintage Country Style Wedding at Lac de' Fleur Gardens

The day was warm and bright with the slightest cool breeze blowing by at all the right moments.  The bride had chosen a relaxed, vintage country theme for her decor.  Her dress was elegant with touches of lace and sparkle.  The bridesmaids wore different styles of dresses all coordinating with soft muted pastel colors.

A sweet rustic potting bench held the guestbook and homemade jams and rolls for the guests to take home at the end of the evening.
Bouquets of wildflowers in vintage bottles and vases gave each guest's table a different look, keeping with the relaxed style.
A vintage dresser beautifully refinished by the mother of the bride was thoughtfully positioned under a tree next to the old water wheel to display the charming cake and cupcakes.  Antique windows hung from the tree branches above to create a fun and whimsical backdrop.
A friend of the bride created the most adorable little bird bride and groom out of modeling clay...a precious keepsake!
Vintage style postcards were scattered on each table for guests to write notes of encouragement to the bride and groom...yet another creative and sweet touch.

Thank you for your kind visit!  I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of last weekend's wedding at Lac de' Fleur Gardens!  The photographers who shot this event were probably some of the most talented we've had.  They have posted a few of their favorite photographs on our Facebook page as well as a link to their blog where there is a video as well.  You can find us on Facebook by following this link...if you'd like!

I hope you are having a lovely week!

Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda

sharing with the following fun parties today:
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

All Moved In!!!


I am so thrilled to be all moved in to my new space at Camas Antiques!  It was a tiny bit sad leaving my cozy little room in the back corner of the shop after five years, but I was ready for a change and I couldn't be happier with my new location!  I didn't expect the furniture I planned for it to fit as well as it does...even though I measured and drew up a design for it.  Generally my sense of space is a little off!  A special thank you goes out to my sweet husband (the hunky Sherpa) who patiently helped with the loading, unloading, moving and shifting of the heavier pieces!  I don't know what I would do without him! 
The little dark wood table against the wall is actually an antique dining table that shrinks down to the size of a console or sofa table!  I have to give my hunky Sherpa the credit for that discovery!  It can seat up to 6 when the 2 leaves are in place.  How perfect for a tiny cottage or studio apartment!
I spent a couple of hours last week papering the inside of this cabinet with vintage hymnal pages.  The sheet music was perfect for achieving the overall look I was going for, but I really love the tender words that serve as a backdrop for my found treasures.  I feel that it gives my little space a peaceful and spiritual ambiance.  It was no coincidence that I happened upon a box of vintage sheet music from a church just a few weeks ago.  Isn't it awesome to think that God intervenes in our creative, crafty endeavors...even those that we consider insignificant in the eyes of our creative Father...the one who hand crafted the heavens and the earth!  Amazing!

I have a few photos of the wedding decor from our event at Lac de' Fleur Gardens last weekend to share with you too...but I think I will save them for another post as I have three little ones here who require my attention at the moment!  Thank you for your sweet visit today!  I look forward to seeing what all of my blog buddies are up to this week! 

Have a lovely day!
Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda

 


I'll be joining in the White Wednesday party at Faded Charm today!