Decorating for Christmas with Vintage

A couple of years ago here I gave a tour of our house at Christmas. Given that we decorate pretty much the same way every year, this is basically what it looks like again right now as we await the big day.

This year I thought I'd pick out some of my favorite ways to decorate with vintage from my Pinterest board, named, not surprisingly, "Decorating for Christmas with Vintage."

I love this use of a vintage scale and bowl, along with greens and pine cones and what is probably a vintage carved Santa, to create a festive look:

And here's another vintage scale that's topped with a wire basket filled with ornaments:

I've sold a lot of vintage scales over the years, and here's one in my shop that could work for either of the above decoration ideas:

And here's a way to use vintage canning jars:

I do want to get some bottle brush trees and try this! Meanwhile, I've sold a lot of vintage canning jars in my shop this year, but have a few left:

Here's another creative way to use canning jars, filled with candles and put into a vintage box with greens and pine cones:

A fun way to decorate with vintage in recent years has been to find old, rusty Tonka trucks and fill them with greens, Christmas ornaments, pine cones, or, as in this one, the ever-popular bottle brush trees:

I've got one Tonka truck left in my shop:

For those who live in cities, I've even got pine cones from our 25 wooded acres here in New Hampshire:

 White milk glass, which I've blogged about before, is also great when filled with greens:

And a few pieces of milk glass are still in my shop: a trumpet vase, a group of four vases, and a pedestal vase:

I also like the vintage medicine or apothecary bottles, which are painted white and filled with greens and small glass ornaments:

If this works in your decor, here are some vintage bottles in my shop, which I filled with greens: 

There are so many great ways to use vintage items in your Christmas decor. Right now the only vintage Christmas decorations I have left in the shop are an angel ornament and a group of molded ornaments:

However you decorate your home this year, I hope your Christmas is a joyous one and that your New Year overflows with blessings!

Bring on the Vintage Baskets!

I'm a huge antique and vintage basket fan and collector. To prove it, here are several pictures of my kitchen ceiling, where we hang some of our finds (along with pots and pans):

Bring on the Vintage Brass!

Vintage brass adds a sparkle and vitality to any decor.

Made from two natural elements, copper and zinc, the similarity of brass to gold in both flexibility and color accounts for its popularity from Medieval times to today.

Once, highly polished brass was the most desirable because it looks like gold. But today, with the surge in decorating with vintage, brass with aged patina is also sought after. And the question becomes: to polish or not to polish?

Actually, I think it's up to the preference of the owner--and the type of item. Some items I polish and some I think look great just the way they are.

Collecting Cast Iron

Every day I use cast iron pans in my cooking. Couldn't do without them.

Collecting vintage cast iron has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Not only are cast iron pans and other cooking utensils handy in the kitchen, but they're also wonderfully decorative when displayed on the wall.

Musings on Vintage Milk Glass

I didn't always love milk glass, as pretty as it is.

I knew that some people collected it, but I was into blue and white, my own personal collecting passion.

Musings on Vintage Mason Jars

I love vintage Mason jars!

If you came to my house and saw how many I have you'd realize what an understatement that is. I started out years ago collecting the big aqua ones with the zinc tops.

I use them in my kitchen pantry to store dried beans and peas and flour and sugar and various cooking needs.

Selling on Etsy: A Frustrating Lesson

It was one of those days....

Last Friday I photographed a terrific vintage glass cloche and gray marble cheese server for my Etsy shop:

I filled out most of the necessary listing forms: title, description, tags, etc., but ran out of time to finish it completely, since we were heading out to a football game in Vermont and I had to pack and otherwise get ready to leave.

A Hurricane, A Broken Mug, and Etsy

Last week most of the world was watching as one of the largest hurricanes on record, Irma, headed straight for the Caribbean islands and Florida.

Since we have friends in the USVI, Puerto Rico, and throughout Florida, including my brother in Tampa, our concern, focus, and prayers for all in Irma's wake was intensely personal.

Fortunately, all our loved ones were safe, with only minimal damage, but the devastation throughout this region was massive, to say the least.

Just after the worst of it had passed, I heard a "cha-CHING" from my iPhone, signaling a sale in my Etsy shop. I looked to see what had been sold:

Fabulous Finds & A New Friend at the St. James Fair, Woodstock VT

My daughter, who lives in Woodstock, Vermont, said I absolutely had to come. The St. James Fair there, now in its 92nd year, was something not to miss.

We live about an hour and a half away in New Hampshire, so it's not a long drive. And since it was a great excuse to spend the weekend with the family, we drove over Friday night for dinner.

But on Saturday morning, at 9 a.m., my daughter and I were there, scouting out what we wanted to make a mad dash for once the ribbons encircling the tents were cut precisely at 10 a.m.

The Unexpected Journey of a Kentucky Derby Hat

When I found it, I had to buy it. Even if I would never make it to the Kentucky Derby.

Maybe one of my Etsy shop customers would, I thought. It was definitely an amazing vintage hat!

Etsy Changes: New Shop Look, New Seller Websites

Changes abound on Etsy today.

Well, they were rolled out a few days ago and most of the sellers are still reeling from the shock of  so much newness confronting them all at once: new shop looks and now "Pattern," a previously un-announced "stand-alone" website being offered, for a monthly fee, to sync in with each seller's Etsy shop. 

Vintage Hats and Etsy

This week some of my vintage hats were featured in "50 Gorgeous Vintage Hats" in a fun blog
called "We Heart Vintage," written by Mary, who--according to her bio--is "a mum, web designer and vintage-addict from a small village in the UK":

You really should take a look at the amazing array of hats featured here--such a wide variety of colors and styles, really interesting!