Early Holiday Cheer

The photo does not do either of these two justice.  The ribbon is vintage Merry Christmas.  "Sell for 25 cents" is written on the spool as well as 10 cents.  The tree will accent our holiday decorations.

Cool Misc.

Here are some of the junk hunting finds from last weekend.  There's a wooden file box to keep me organized (ha, ha), a silver plated cup to set a pumpkin on, a dish from a local restaurant, and an old toy car.  The wow factor items were the button bouquets.  The woman who made these had an artful eye.  My high hopes are to use some of the thousands of buttons I've been hoarding and make Christmas presents.  Time will tell.   

A Perfect Picnic Wedding

Our fabulous friends, Mark and Sherry, shared their family and hospitality with us when celebrating the marriage of their daughter Hillary to Ansel in August.  
Yup, I know, I'm a little slow on the post, but such a lovely day deserves sharing.  Hillary and Ansel, both outdoor enthusiasts, decided to marry on a rocky overlook in the middle of a nature area.  After the ceremony they rode their bikes to the reception, complete with tin cans trailing behind.  What fun! What memories!  What a cool reflection of their personalities and shared passions.  

Flowers from the Farmer's Market were stunning in mason jars.  Not just any old mason jars.  These jars had been valued and saved.  They had once belonged to Hilly and Ansel's great grandmas as well as Pam's grandma.
 Wild purple asters were added at the bride's request. They grow in ditches and in the woods everywhere here.  As the kids were growing up, Sherry told them that the wild purple aster blooms were nature's way of telling them summer was ending... and it was time to go back to school.  

Everywhere we looked we saw perfect placements of the everything "Boyce", flowers, vintage glassware, antiques, bikes, state fair, and friends.

This great bike also served as the holder for cards.  ALL the bikes were from Mark's family.  They were bikes he and his siblings rode.  The Silver King and Silver Queen bikes were Mark's parents' bikes.  How cool is that?!  

Photos of the happy couple were displayed on bike rims and spokes.  Guests could set their gifts on a vintage blanket.  In the background is a play area for kids.  

Hilly and Ansel arriving in style.  Note the natural bouquet.  

The bride, groom, and guest wore appropriate footwear.

We were so honored to be part of the celebration.  I'm delighted to have permission to share some photos on the blog.  The photos would be better served, however, in Country Living magazine or Cycling magazine.

Cabin Days

We found these bright mugs while garage saling in Green Bay.  Although they are reproductions, we love the graphics and throwback labels.  They are perfect for the cabin.

This cheeky chipmunk thermometer came from a nearby cabin that was going to be demolished.  The owners listed the sale as everything free.
We call this "Betsy's Thermometer" because the needle never drops below 80 degrees...
perpetually hot and humid, the kind of weather Betsy only dreams of.   

In the screenhouse and around the yard we use solar lights on top of Mason jars.  We bought inexpensive solar lights at the hardware store, removed the top, and recycled the bottom.  During the day we set the tops in the sunniest part of the yard then set them on the jars in the evening.  They provide a colorful glow all night.

We bought this minnow bucket years ago and have saved it for a special project.  My handy husband removed part of the inside and then he and Bruce wired it for the ceiling light of the new screenhouse.  Buckets of fun!

Road Trip to Lake City

Last weekend eight of us took a road trip to southern Minnesota to visit our sister and brother-in-law and to celebrate their beautiful new home.  Nancy got us hooked on Redwing pottery __  (Yeesh!  too many to admit) years ago. One of their kitchen cupboards is dedicated to commemoratives.

This antique railing frames the stairway on the second level.  It was rescued by Jim's mom when a local building was being renovated 30+ years ago. The railing has been in her basement ever since, just waiting for a new home.  It's spectacular.

Nancy inherited our grandmother's silver vanity set.  The monogram actually does not have our grandmother's own initials.  The story goes that she received this set as an engagement gift, but decided later not to marry the gent.  Oops.  Wrong monogram.  Lucky for us!

We asked Nancy about the lock hanging from a sconce in the bedroom.  She said, "Oh, that's Jimmy's from when he was a kid.  He doesn't remember much about it, so I decided it's the key to my heart."

Another favorite piece is the shaker cupboard.  Vintage family photos as well as our grandma's porcelain basket line the top.  The long narrow photo shows Jim's grandfather in a group at a logging camp.  They were a rugged bunch.  Only their huge horses and the stacks of lumber dwarfed the men. 

Weekend Finds

We had loads of fun going to local garage sales.  We look for unique items that seem to speak to us.  We don't always have a list or anything specific in mind. We aren't seeking high end antiques, but rather the odd or interesting items. 

These liquor bottles aren't particularly rare, but we're going to print some of the online spooky Halloween labels to set up a creepy mantle this fall.  One of the larger ones is marked "Glasgow - Scotland".  It's a reminder of an amazing trip to Ireland and Scotland about ten years ago.  

When we bought the cabin, there were a few bowls from this line left in the cupboard.  Our cousin, Frances, gave us another one from her cabin.  We found this one last weekend.  It's a perfect salad size.  

The color and graphics on this cookbook grabbed our attention.  It's funny to see how so many things have changed and yet so many things have remained the same over the years.  Anyone cooking with lard these days?

 

We couldn't resist this vintage apron.  It's most likely from the 1950.  It's a travel souvenir.  The original price is still stapled on the little tag on the waistband, $2.00.  We wish we knew someone from Texas who might like this.

Vintage Cabin

Funny Cabin Sayings

More Cabin Sweet Cabin

David added a shelf above the kitchen window so we could have much needed storage.  The vintage bowls are and a coffee grinder are at home there.  

One morning our cabin neighbor, Judy, was cleaning out.  She kindly offered us this cool doorstop.  We speculate about how the driver lost his head.

Someone along the line stenciled "fire water" onto this old jug.  The fireplace seems a fitting spot for it.  

Unfortunately, the photo doesn't do this needlepoint justice.  It is special to us because we took it from our old Wisconsin cabin.  Our mom worked the needlepoint and our dad made the frame from salvaged wood.  We love it.

Cabin Sweet Cabin

When we bought our cabin nine years ago, my husband said, "What are we going to do to fill it up?"  I laughed aloud thinking that I had been squirreling away flea market finds for the three years we were looking for a cabin. 

At a garage sale we found an old shipping crate that we thought would look much better as an end table.  The original mailing labels are still pretty much in tact.  The antique fishing reel was a garage sale find.  The ink well is from a friend and the feathers were kindly donated by local birds.  We have oodles of rainy days at the cabin, so having a multitude of board games, like Scrabble,  is a life saver!

The antique toy phone is a garage sale find as well.  No child can resist the "Boyce's Bear" puzzle.  It's a favorite (and a challenge).  Cindy and I pick up RCMP memorabilia for David.  The small figurine was a recent purchase from an estate sale.   

We love this great tin coffee can.  A $10 find at a flea market near one of our favorite vacation spots.

No log cabin would be complete without a fishing creel.  We left the original old string which was holding it together, then added a lucky lure!

Weekend Fun

We didn't have much luck on vintage items this weekend, but I did find a dala horse for my friend Sherry's collection.  

This pot holder is much too beautiful to use.  We pick these up because we cannot imagine the work, time, and creativity that went into everyday pieces like this.  I wish the detail showed up better in the photo.

Inspiration from Sherry, Guest Contributor

Whenever I need inspiration, or just a fun afternoon of gabbing about a few of our favorite things, I head over to Sherry's house.  I love it when she says two things, "I'm weeding out.  Do you want to have a look before I have a garage sale?" and "I'm reorganizing.  Let's play with the L.S." (little stuff). 

Someday Country Living magazine should interview Sherry and let the readers in on some really special, unique collections.

This is Sherry's display of garden collectibles on a child's toy cupboard.  The wheelbarrow is filled with odds and ends, including pin-back buttons with a "growing theme".  The garden markers were from years ago when she planted an ABC garden with her kids.  Flower frogs were part of her mother's collection for displaying arrangements.  When I asked Sherry about the brass hose nozzles, she replied, "I don't know when or why I started collecting them.  I just like them."

Sherry and I started a long conversation about seed packages.  She has quite an assortment displayed in a Red Wing spongeware bowl.  

She especially likes the graphics on vintage sweet pea packages. I wish I had taken a photo of the zinnia packages.  The photos on the front of the zinnia packages were taken of her mother's real zinnias at Farmers Market.  The seed company asked Lou's permission to publish the photos on their zinnia packages for the following year.  How cool is that?!

My favorites! Gotta love the 1950's.

Sherry also collects trophies.  This display is part of her larger collection.  They represent her favorites and they all tell a story. Wow, everything from figure skating to state fair hogs.  Hmmmm... I don't see Mark's favorite there.

Weekend Treasures - Let the season begin!

Cindy found this great Red Wing Pottery pitcher at an estate sale on Saturday.  Although it's not in perfect condition, the price was right since it will be used as a beautiful vase or as a conversation piece.  (This is also the prime reason why it's torture to treasure hunt with a sibling, relative, or good friend.  I'm trying to be a good sport but it's tough to miss something you'd really like to have.  She'd be wise to keep an eye on it or check my bag before I leave her house the next time.)

We've collected Shiny Brite ornaments for years.   This little drum was sitting in a pile of misc. ornaments.  Since I don't have this one, I snatched it up.  I'll probably add the top piece from a broken one I have. 

We have purchased Monarch spice tins and cocoa tins, but the garlic salt and celery salt shakers are new to us.  

Who can resist a Red Wing beater jar?  At first we thought it was a reproduction.  After looking at the bottom and the smooth, rounded inside, we are convinced it's the real thing.

Triple B - Beautiful Beaded Bracelet

At a sale last weekend I purchased this intricate bracelet.  The gently worn soft suede shows that this piece was worn and yet well taken care of.  

Only someone who has tried to bead can truly appreciate the workmanship in this.