My New Vintage Etsy Shop

Hi everyone.



I have just opened a new vintage shop, Antiques for Today's Lifestyle by LMACKERELL on Etsy. You can find it at http://www.etsy.com/shop/LMACKERELL .

So far I have only placed one item there, but I will be adding to it regularly. I listed this beautiful berry serving bowl and 6 individual berry bowls by Anchor Hocking in the Royal Ruby Red color with the coronation tab handles. Although vintage, I think they will blend quite well with a modern set of white dishes!





Please wish me luck and success with my new Etsy shop!


Sincerely, Lynn

Blue Plate Special

Hi everyone.

OK, so my sister's blog titles have inspired me to try to come up with more catchy, perhaps corny, titles too!

I will always love blue and white decor. I was gifted three antique blue and white plates by my mother which have hung in my kitchen in a vertical display for quite a while. I recently bought a fourth blue and white plate and moved the collection over the kitchen window in a horizontal display. I think it looks great. The three plates on the left are from Mom and the one on the right is the one I bought. It has a very tiny chip, but you can't even see it unless you look closely.

Here are close ups of the plates. The plate on the far left is a flow blue plate, meaning the blue is "flowing" into the white of the plate.

Plates are a very easy item to collect and display. Although some can be pricey, other single plates can be found at a flea market for around one dollar each, since they are no longer part of a collection. Plates come in all colors and you can be sure to find a few that will match your decor too.

While my plates are hung with individual plate hangers, easy to find at a craft store, you might also like the plate racks available in home stores. I have seen plate racks in vertical and horizontal designs for two, three or four plates.

So why not try some plate art in your home? And please tell your friends about my blog.

Sincerely, Lynn

This Week's Great Find

Hi everyone.

This week's great find is a Singer treadle sewing maching base I found for $25 at an antique mall in Allentown, PA. With a wire brush and can of flat black spray paint this will clean up very nicely. I plan to add a nice piece of stone or wood to make this into a table. Now I will be on the hunt for the table top.

I will share the finished product once I get it cleaned and painted and have added the table top.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely, Lynn

Happy Valentine's Day and American Heart Month

Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day!

This is a beautiful vintage Valentine postcard, though the light colors did not photograph as well as I had hoped.

A very pretty lavendar heart wreath.

The heart wreath I made for my front door.

A beautiful red heart I received in my Christmas stocking!

February is also American Heart Month, sponsored by the American Heart Association. Please be sure to get your annual check-up, including checks of your heart beat, blood pressure and cholesterol. If you are a MacKerell near 50, ask your doctor about a stress test. Women very seldom exhibit the same symptoms as men. As many of you know, I had a triple bypass a year and a half ago at 54 years old. Heart disease runs in our family, but I had no symptoms. My blockages were only caught because I went for a check up and the doctor heard an extra beat in my heart and sent me for further testing. This heart shaped pillow was a gift from St. Mary's Hospital after my bypass surgery to wear in the car under the seat belt to protect the surgical site. It was donated by a women's organization.

Here's to a healthy heart for Valentine's Day!

Sincerely, Lynn

Vintage and More Valentine Decor

Hi everyone.

It is shaping up to be a beautiful day outside. I can't wait for spring!

For this Valentine's Day, I created a little vignette on the top of my china closet.

Valentine colors, for me, are all about red and white, with perhaps some pastels like peach, lavendar or pink. The vintage jar on the left is from Christmas, recycled to be used again. The jar on the right is all red and white.......ribbons, beads, shells, feathers, hearts, flowers, whatever you like will work.

Candles, of course.

This white ironstone pitcher is the same one I used for Christmas, with the same red bow, but red flowers instead of greens.

The table top scene is all set too.

A bird's nest, long since vacated by the birds, serves as a bowl for heart shaped, foil-wrapped chocolates!

Instead of a centerpiece, this vintage carrier is used to hold wine, glasses, napkins and flowers.

All it takes is a little imagination to use vintage items in unique ways in your home.

What did you do for your Valentine decor this year? Please comment to share your idease too.

Please tell your friends about my blog as well.

Sincerely,

Lynn

Refurbishing Vintage Ladies Desk and Chair -- Before

Hi.

I picked up this cute vintage ladies desk with one drawer and chair recently with the intention of refurbishing them. After researching the possibilities of removing paint from caning, I decided to just scrape, sand and repaint them. Removing paint from the caned chair seat is apparently not feasible since the stripping chemicals will dilute the paint but not remove it from the caning.

I think I will be using a cream color paint, perhaps with some brown accent paint. What color do you think would be best for resale? Vote by commenting!

In a future post, I will show you the AFTER refrubishing photos. Stay tuned.

Sincerely, Lynn

Vintage Carriers are Easily Repurposed

Hi.

It's a bright sunny day for a change!

I wanted to share a couple of vintage carry boxes that I found recently. One is smaller with four compartments.

This carrier can easily be repurposed. I was thinking it would be a great centerpiece container for the dining room table. Someone I met at the shop where I bought it was thinking it would be a great wine rack on a counter or table. Use your own imagination as to how you could use a carrier such as this!

The other carrier I found is larger, with two compartments and an attached stand. This is only the second carrier I have seen with a stand. It was definitely hand made, though the stand appears newer to me than does the box itself. I thought this could be a great stand for small plants by a window, or a great table next to a chair, to collect remotes, books, or sewing projects.


Please comment to share your ideas on how these carriers might be used for today's lifestyle.

Sincerely,

Lynn