Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Happy Friday Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the sights, sounds, tastes and one-of-a-kinds we loved!

There is just something so homey about vintage blue and white china. We understand why it's so collectible!

How much do you love this antique brown transferware butter pat plate! These plates are perfect for corralling the little things: paper clips, rings, pills and they look charming!

As you may know from our previous post, Cooking With Cast Iron, we love cast iron cookware. The history in this display left us in awe. If you own a cast iron skillet give this PureWow Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe a try:

Yum!

While we're talking food, have you heard of LYFE Kitchen restaurants? We are excited to see the arrival of this restaurant committed to intelligent eating, freshness, local sourcing and sustainability. Ready in minutes, LYFE serves up inspired, delicious, good-for-you dishes. It's fast food that takes care of your body!

We spotted this bunny rabbit at a recent antique show and were sad to find him sold. Wouldn't it make a great door decor for spring?

Have a great weekend, friends, and don't forget to "spring forward"!

Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Snowflake pattern seen with the naked eye!

Hi Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the one-of-a-kind finds and winter sights we loved!

Persian rug pillows! We spotted these at an antiques show and were charmed. Love the texture, patterns and muted colors! 

Isn't the patina on these antique turned wood candle holders just lovely!

We couldn't pass up this 1905 Cyclopedia of Law and Procedure set; the leather bound books have such great character! Why not stack a couple in an office or family room for that comfortable, lived in feel.

The snowpack in our neck of the woods is considerable so we spent a day embracing the winter conditions and went snowshoeing. The vistas were amazing! Can you sense the peaceful hush?

 

 

 

Have a great weekend!

Tole Tray Display!

Walls. We all have at least four of 'em. We can paint them and wallpaper them but sometimes they just need a touch of something extra -something that will provide depth and charm, visual interest and intrigue. 

I love displaying collections on my walls - from silver tray arrangements (click here to see my post "Silver Tray Array") to a grouping of mismatched plates to a gallery wall that displays a myriad of pictures and memorabilia. Displaying our collections is a great way to express who we are.

So here's a new idea to spruce up the space between your four corners - a collection of tole trays displayed as wall art!  

It's so fun scouring markets and antique shows for tole trays. Traditional trays were made from thin metal (typically tin) covered in a black coating (originally a mixture of asphalt and shellac) to keep the trays from rusting. Today, you can still find these beauties in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

What makes these trays so spectacular, however, are the colorful designs they feature. Most designs were influenced by folk art and depict floral displays or fruit arrangements in perfect pastels, muted hues and everything in between. Some people collect only fruit designs while others collect only trays with pastel coloring. But most people, however, collect the trays that speak to their heart. 


So have fun scouring, then put your trays on display for all to enjoy. 

Happy collecting!

Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Happy Friday Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the sights, sounds, tastes and one-of-a-kinds we loved!

We have a crush on this vintage hat rack! It's sturdy enough to hold heavy winter gear, back packs and more!

Vintage leather chairs - yes please! And we'll take an afghan, cup of tea and a good book, too! These were spotted at Jayson Home, one of our favorite stops for unique finds.

When we found this large hammered metal bucket we were sure it was copper. Not so! A little polishing has revealed that it is brass. We love the leaf and vine details in the handles! Wouldn't it make a great container for a large plant or filled with fire wood? 

 About the only thing thriving in our neck of the woods is Tillandsia (air plants). We love this vessel designed especially for these botanic wonders. 

Ginger Molasses Cookies - perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Click the link for Georgia's tutorial on making these spicy, chewy treats!

Valentine's Day is next Friday. With that in mind, we wanted to share the late Eva Cassidy's "Songbird" with you. It is a beautifully sung love song from an immensely talented vocalist and guitarist known for her interpretations of the classics.

Silver Tray Array!

Hi Friends:

Ok... So before I get started I should come clean about something: I absolutely, positively love silver in all shapes and forms.

From silver candelabras and candlestick holders shined to perfection to gleaming vintage ice and champagne buckets, gorgeous antique cutlery, bud vases and more. I mean how can you pass up a flea market tent or antique show booth that overflows with silver? Well I for one can't.  And needless to say, my home has quite a silver collection. Sterling or plated, I have bits and pieces of it all.



While many people prefer perfectly polished silver, I have a not-so-secret love for the tarnished variety as well. Especially when it comes to trays that many people call ruined. I call them fabulous. I mean just look at this collection of trays that I picked up from markets!

The tarnish! The patina! The character! 

You may be thinking, this girl has gone crazy. But, before you succumb to that thought and click the red "X" in the top left corner (yes, I am a PC user as well), first check out what I did with these beauties.

I live in a modern loft with high ceilings and WAY too much empty wall space. So to quell the overwhelming light gray that surrounds me, I arranged the trays into wall art and hung them near my dining room table.

Hanging the trays was a snap, literally. I used 3M Fasteners with Dual Lock technology. You can find these at any local office supply store; Walgreens and CVS stores tend to have them as well. These fasteners made hanging the trays a breeze and the strips won't harm walls.

So here's the finished array, what do you think? 

Lisa and Nikki's Valentine's Day Finds!

Hi Friends:

This week's Friday finds is all about getting ready for Valentine's Day! What has inspired and delighted us? Here they are - the Valentine's Day ideas we loved!

I made this crochet bowl from the same old crochet tablecloth I used to make snowflake ornaments! Just cut out a circle motif, dip in fabric stiffener and drape over a bowl to dry. The table runner was made from a vintage Valentine's Day fabric remnant!

Looking for a great gift for your better half? Why not pick up a "Better Half Bar" from Candy.com. So cute!

Don't forget your girlfriends! Make sachets by filling bouquet garni (cotton muslin) bags, with dried lavender. Get creative and decorate the bags before filling! These bags can be found wherever dried herbal ingredients are sold.

Sets of three from Godiva: solid milk chocolate hug hearts and milk chocolate heart lollipops - $15 to $20!

Creative valentines for school-age children can be a challenge. But we found this Swedish Fish valentine from PBJandJ and just loved it! Click here to purchase the printable for only $5. Then, place the print out in a clear treat bag, add a few Swedish Fish and you're set. Adorbs!

You can crochet this classic heart in 10 minutes! Measuring 2 inches by 3 inches, the heart makes a great pin or add a chain to make a gift tag! Click for the pattern from Crochet Leaf.

If you missed Monday's post, click here to see more Valentine's Day inspirations. Have a great weekend everyone!