Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day, but we started our celebration a little early. Last night we had some friends over for dinner. I went a little crazy decorating for the occasion, but the results were well worth the hours spent preparing for the event. Our guests were greeted at the front door with this:A giant, red tin heart, with streams of pink satin ribbon and beaded hearts.

Here is a shot of the dining table and the centerpiece.

How fun! The 'love birds' were a 25th anniversary gift from my mother (Lladro) and took center stage, perched upon a glass pedestal cake plate. Beneath the pedestal is a Brighton glass tray with silver hearts for handles. I scattered pink and red glass hearts over the tray top. A variety of glass candlesticks added to the festive look. I placed bobeches over the candlesticks for additional bling. Red candles were inserted into the taller candlesticks, white candles stand in the shorter ones. Red silk shades with a glass bead border adorn the tops of yet another pair of glass candlesticks. You can see only a bread plate of the dishes I chose to use. It's Shakespeare in the Country and is a red transferware pattern that once belonged to my grandmother. It's colors offered the perfect backdrop for a Valentine dinner. For my flowers I chose tulips and roses and arranged them in silver cups. They almost look as if they were planted there! The red goblets were purchased at Dillards several years ago, but I can't remember the pattern name. The glass coasters were scored at Goodwill years ago and there were twelve in the set. What a find! I used my kitchen island to serve as a buffet. This photo is before the food was set out. (No time for pictures once the food was ready.) The white ironstone pitcher was a flea market find and is filled with pink tulips and pink stock...love the fragrance of stock! I spread a cloth of joined yo-yos over my granite countertop. Each row of yo-yos is made out of a different fabric, all in red and/or white.

And the food...delicious! I cut heart-shapes out of wheat bread, spread them with cream of mushroom soup and tied a strip of bacon around them. After baking at 250 degrees for almost 2 hours, they were just the right crispness and filled with flavor. Our main course was an unbelievable chicken casserole, wild rice and cranberry salsa. For dessert, I served Chocolate Ganache Cake. Yummmm!

Hope your Valentine Day is as wonderful as ours!

Busy Bee a Buzzzzzzing

I have been so busy lately. One project seems to lead to another, then another, and yet another. I crocheted this afghan/throw for my daughter and her new husband. It's actually the second one I've made in this pattern, and I have to say I love it! The pattern is free and offered at the Lion Brand website. The name of the pattern is Crochet Sampler Afghan. It's made up of three different patterened squares, then joined together, with a picot added around the border. I've also busy at my booth in Paply's Antiques. This is a picture of a lampshade I made out of tulle and ribbon, tied on a vintage shade form. The ribbons create the perfect spot to slip photos for display.

I just added this vintage fireplace mantle to my booth today. This isn't a very good picture, but I wanted to snap one quickly before I left. There is a mirror inserted where the logs would be, so that it can be used as a faux fireplace. It's simply beautiful with a cluster of lit candles placed in front.

And here is something else I recently added to my booth. Isn't it wonderful?! I don't know it's age, but I believe it's from the 1950's. It currently is painted beige, with chrome legs and handles. That's the way I found it, and I left it that way, thinking someone would want to paint it to match their personal decor. If it doesn't sell soon, I may paint it myself. What color, though? A warm yellow? Fire engine red? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
And did you notice the shelf or tray that raises for an serving area? The second photo displays it in its lifted position. This would be a wonderful piece to add to a kitchen or a patio and used to serve food and drinks.

While I've been in crochet-mode, I whipped up several bracelets for my daughters and nieces for Valentine presents. I used an ecru thread on some and adorned them with vintage buttons---think charm bracelet, as that is the effect of the finished product. I also placed a couple in my booth at Paplys Antiques. If you're looking for a Valentine present for your sweetheart, it would certainly be a treasured gift. I also have these in my booth...

Sequined slippers! I have them in pink, yellow, blue, green, ivory and peach. There may be a pair in UT orange left, though that particular color sold really quickly.

Well, I better buzzzz on out of here. I've got a Valentine dinner to prepare!

Crowns for a queen...or a king

My latest addiction is crochet and I found the neatest kit on, of all places, Anthrologie's website. The yarn used is tricot, which I think closely resembles T-shirt yarn, which is the latest craze. How cute is this?! I can see it holding a potted plant, jewelry on my vanity, and a zillion other uses! The yarn is cushy soft and washable, a double-bonus in my book. There was enough yarn included in the kit to make TWO of the square shaped baskets, plus some left over. I experimented with the pattern and leftover yarn and made a round basket. The kit's name is "Lace Basket", but I think it looks like a crown, don't you?

I just checked Anthropologie's website and, unfortunately, this kit is no longer available. Bummer. If it makes you feel any better about missing out on this kit, I will tell you the pattern was unbelievably HARD to follow. I can't count the number of times I pulled out stitches and started over.

I mentioned in my very first post about my shop within the walls of Paply's Antiques in Killeen, Texas, but failed to mention that I also have an etsy shop. You can find it here. In my etsy shop, I list vintage items, with a focus on vintage linens. I adore all the handwork comprised in vintage linens...the tatting, crocheting, hemstiching, embroidery, etc. Here's an example of one of the vintage hankies I currently have listed in my etsy shop.

If you look closely, you can see a name sewn into the corner of this hankie. Ida Paisley. Hmm. I wonder where she lives/lived, and if she made this hankie for herself? The history of an item intrigues me, and I love it when I can tell the 'real' story behind a piece I've purchased. Unfortunately, I know nothing about this hankie's history...only that it is beautiful!