There is an interesting article about him here (including the surprising material that the head of his first banjo was made from). He will be missed.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Doc Watson Will Be Missed
There is an interesting article about him here (including the surprising material that the head of his first banjo was made from). He will be missed.
Friday, May 25, 2012
A Peek Inside: Patterns
It's no secret that I love estate sales. That said, the treasures being sold are only half of the joy for me. It's the homes themselves that often hold the greatest allure. Especially if they still have original vintage touches. Admittedly, it's often very hard to take photos because there are other customers around (and who wants to be the freak who gets caught taking photos of strangers?) and the majority of times, the people holding the sales don't understand why one would want to photograph the homes. That last bit is a shame to me. So many times, they just don't get the charm of the houses that they are holding the sales in. Or the history. Or the relevance.
Often, the fact that the houses are being emptied and put up for sale further fuels my fire to document the great old touches in the homes because for good reason, I fear that they'll be removed and thrown away within mere days or months. I've decided that even though sometimes, the photos that I take at the sales are covert and rushed and blurry, I'm going to start sharing them with you all here. Today, I'm pulling from my stockpile of photos from past sales and would like to focus on pattern.
People in past generations were extremely into using and mixing patterns in their homes. Today, it seems like if a pattern isn't carefully coordinated in a bed linen set in a bag or in a matching towel set that a department store suggests, many people fear using pattern in their homes today. It's like people feel like they have to be given permission before bringing a color or pattern into their home. Is it in style? Would my neighbors approve? What would Nate Berkus say? Remember, the home improvement stores may highlight certain colors and patterns because they think that they're the current trend - but if you look further, you'll notice thousands and thousands of colors and patterns displayed mere steps away from what they think we want.
I'd love it if the fear of choosing patterns and colors would go away and more people could just go with their hearts when decorating like we used to do. Sure, people have always gone with trends but it seems to me that we've felt a lot more comfortable veering from and mixing trends in the past. Here are some shots from several different houses that I'd like to showcase because of their use of patterns in the decor.
I love this linoleum. And that harvest gold dishwasher with the knotty pine cabinets with original hardware. It also had the period yellow cracked ice counter tops with metal edging. I recall that everything at this sale was cheap and wonderful. And that a dealer beat us to our dream couch (which we eventually accidentally bought back from him).
This one is a more subtle bit of patterning. The original linoleum goes great with the two-toned paint on the cabinet doors. I love the little bar on the end. The white counter tops might be hard to keep clean but they look really nice with the color combo and help the newer appliances blend.
This was a little funky farmhouse in the country. The woman at this sale couldn't understand my wanting to take photos of the floors but did give her permission. I
I loved this kitchen so much. They put wallpaper on the door fronts, the walls and even on the back door. I really loved the combination of the soft green and orange. And the kitchen was huge and felt so happy and sunny. The rest of the house had a mostly bicentennial theme.
This is Helen's kitchen (whose crafts I showed you on the last post) with a bright flower print wallpaper. It's hard to tell from the sale merchandise everywhere but her kitchen was so pristine. Glossy wood cabinets and the original counter tops. I wasn't able to get a photo of it but there was also a built-in knotty pine wall pantry. I love the unexpected color combo of yellow, orange and periwinkle blue.
And here is a peek down into her basement. Sweet linoleum and a complete kitchen down there. One of the great things about this house was how decorating from many decades happily coexisted. The house was built in the fifties as evidenced by the kitchen, the wood trim and the basement lino - but the sixties and seventies had a strong voice too. There was also an original pink tile bathroom.
That's one thing that we have to remember when decorating or restoring a vintage home. Most homes wouldn't have all things from one decade like a museum. People would have brought handed-down family furniture with them or renovated certain areas of their homes while leaving other areas intact. Don't be afraid to mix and match things that you love.
I hope that you've enjoyed the first in my series of peeks inside of local estate sale homes. There will be more soon, you can bet!
Meanwhile Back At The Ranch: We're still working on the hall and foyer. The drywall is done and cleaned up after, thank goodness! We've got it primed and are now trying our best to pick a paint color. The kitties are still sailing on the rough seas of getting to know the new kitten (who has become quite the biter and wire chewer). The new Blogger format makes posting take three times longer than it used to and I sometimes see coding in my sleep. The kitten likes that it takes me longer because he likes to stomp on the keyboard and chase the cursor. I hope that you all have big weekend plans. Hey, some of you will even get long weekends due to the holiday!
Until next time,
x's and o's,
Eartha
Often, the fact that the houses are being emptied and put up for sale further fuels my fire to document the great old touches in the homes because for good reason, I fear that they'll be removed and thrown away within mere days or months. I've decided that even though sometimes, the photos that I take at the sales are covert and rushed and blurry, I'm going to start sharing them with you all here. Today, I'm pulling from my stockpile of photos from past sales and would like to focus on pattern.
People in past generations were extremely into using and mixing patterns in their homes. Today, it seems like if a pattern isn't carefully coordinated in a bed linen set in a bag or in a matching towel set that a department store suggests, many people fear using pattern in their homes today. It's like people feel like they have to be given permission before bringing a color or pattern into their home. Is it in style? Would my neighbors approve? What would Nate Berkus say? Remember, the home improvement stores may highlight certain colors and patterns because they think that they're the current trend - but if you look further, you'll notice thousands and thousands of colors and patterns displayed mere steps away from what they think we want.
I'd love it if the fear of choosing patterns and colors would go away and more people could just go with their hearts when decorating like we used to do. Sure, people have always gone with trends but it seems to me that we've felt a lot more comfortable veering from and mixing trends in the past. Here are some shots from several different houses that I'd like to showcase because of their use of patterns in the decor.
This house belonged to a local politician and his two story home was packed full of historical and travel mementos. This wallpaper was in his Den. We stayed at this sale for three hours because there were just too much wonderful things to see and go through.
I love this linoleum. And that harvest gold dishwasher with the knotty pine cabinets with original hardware. It also had the period yellow cracked ice counter tops with metal edging. I recall that everything at this sale was cheap and wonderful. And that a dealer beat us to our dream couch (which we eventually accidentally bought back from him).
This one is a more subtle bit of patterning. The original linoleum goes great with the two-toned paint on the cabinet doors. I love the little bar on the end. The white counter tops might be hard to keep clean but they look really nice with the color combo and help the newer appliances blend.
This was the inside of a basement pantry.
Pristine old atomic patterned shelf paper in pink and gold.
Pristine old atomic patterned shelf paper in pink and gold.
This was a little funky farmhouse in the country. The woman at this sale couldn't understand my wanting to take photos of the floors but did give her permission. I
I loved this kitchen so much. They put wallpaper on the door fronts, the walls and even on the back door. I really loved the combination of the soft green and orange. And the kitchen was huge and felt so happy and sunny. The rest of the house had a mostly bicentennial theme.
You can see here that the house even had the original floor and metal edged counter top.
This is Helen's kitchen (whose crafts I showed you on the last post) with a bright flower print wallpaper. It's hard to tell from the sale merchandise everywhere but her kitchen was so pristine. Glossy wood cabinets and the original counter tops. I wasn't able to get a photo of it but there was also a built-in knotty pine wall pantry. I love the unexpected color combo of yellow, orange and periwinkle blue.
A closer look at Helen's wallpaper.
This is the breakfast nook with vintage dinette and off of this room was a little knotty pine den.
This is the breakfast nook with vintage dinette and off of this room was a little knotty pine den.
And here is a peek down into her basement. Sweet linoleum and a complete kitchen down there. One of the great things about this house was how decorating from many decades happily coexisted. The house was built in the fifties as evidenced by the kitchen, the wood trim and the basement lino - but the sixties and seventies had a strong voice too. There was also an original pink tile bathroom.
That's one thing that we have to remember when decorating or restoring a vintage home. Most homes wouldn't have all things from one decade like a museum. People would have brought handed-down family furniture with them or renovated certain areas of their homes while leaving other areas intact. Don't be afraid to mix and match things that you love.
I hope that you've enjoyed the first in my series of peeks inside of local estate sale homes. There will be more soon, you can bet!
Meanwhile Back At The Ranch: We're still working on the hall and foyer. The drywall is done and cleaned up after, thank goodness! We've got it primed and are now trying our best to pick a paint color. The kitties are still sailing on the rough seas of getting to know the new kitten (who has become quite the biter and wire chewer). The new Blogger format makes posting take three times longer than it used to and I sometimes see coding in my sleep. The kitten likes that it takes me longer because he likes to stomp on the keyboard and chase the cursor. I hope that you all have big weekend plans. Hey, some of you will even get long weekends due to the holiday!
Until next time,
x's and o's,
Eartha
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
What Would Helen Do?
A couple of weekends back, I went to a great estate sale in a charming little rambler of a ranch house. The sale was super heavy on handmade crafts which of course, tickled me to no end. The lady that had lived in the house was named Helen and she was a serious crafter. Popsicle sticks and felt. Styrofoam and sequins. Crochet and pom-poms. The whole nine yards. Yep, I was in Heaven.
The Can Man 
I hope that you've enjoyed this little tour of Helen's creations. I think that she did herself proud. I wish that I could have met her before she passed but in owning her handiwork, I feel like I know what was in her heart - joy and creativity. And those two traits tell you an awful lot about a person. I always research the people whose estate sales that I go to and Helen's obituary said, "She was kind, gentle and warmhearted". I have no doubt that she was.
Until next time,
Here are some of Helen's crafts that I brought home with me:
You guessed it! He's made out of an old pop-top beer can and might I say, a wonderful application of felt. He might have been intended to be a bank as Helen was careful to felt around the can opening. His face is creepy in a way that I can appreciate greatly.
Sequined Sun
Super cheerful refrigerator magnet. I like his little half-cocked smile as if to say, "I'd never tell anyone that you're snacking again. Have pudding and a grilled cheese!"
I love you, Sequined Sun. Thank you for not judging me.
Caterpillar Carl
This guy is a refrigerator magnet and note clip.
I can not get over his tiny top hat! He's puttin' on the ritz!
I imagine him speaking French, don't you?
Fancy Turtle
Made from an old egg carton with sequins and glitter. Razzle Dazzle!
I especially appreciate the delicate glitter application on the feet.
Bunny Basket
Little handmade basket with wire hanger handles and will you look at those eyelashes!
She's missing some of her aqua sequined toenails but she's still perfect to me.
Bunny in a Cup
I can not reason why this bunny is shoved in this cup like it is but I'm not one to question Helen's vision. Once again, the eyelashes! Sweet pom-pom nose and those perfectly crafted ears.
Easter Bunny in Easter Bonnet
This one has seen better days but I think that it's still so lovely with it's little netted flower hat and chenille whiskers. (Mr. Kitten Pants thinks so too.)
Glitter!! Kapow!!
If there is anything that I love as much as finding vintage handmade kitsch crafts, it's finding the original supplies used to make them. I like to think that I'm channeling wonderful ladies like Helen when I use their very own supplies for my own crafts. And I can't resist glitter. I've tried.
The thing about glitter is, if you get it on you, be prepared to have it on you forever 'cause glitter is the herpes of craft supplies. - Dimitri Martin
The thing about glitter is, if you get it on you, be prepared to have it on you forever 'cause glitter is the herpes of craft supplies. - Dimitri Martin
Tuxedo Cat Painting
All over the house were paintings that Helen had done. The person running the sale gave me her scoop on the paintings saying that Helen's brother was actually the "true artist" and that Helen's paintings weren't "quite as good". I'd have to disagree. I loved every one that I saw. Sure, they're not the stuff of prestigious art museums but they're the kind of thing that I really love and I can picture Helen just painting away on this one. It was unfinished and only had black spots for eyes so in a move that I'm pretty sure that Helen would approve of, I added some old faded googly eyes.
I hope that you've enjoyed this little tour of Helen's creations. I think that she did herself proud. I wish that I could have met her before she passed but in owning her handiwork, I feel like I know what was in her heart - joy and creativity. And those two traits tell you an awful lot about a person. I always research the people whose estate sales that I go to and Helen's obituary said, "She was kind, gentle and warmhearted". I have no doubt that she was.
Until next time,
x's and o's,
Eartha
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Tomorrow Is Another Day
Looks like I'll be showing you all my estate sale granny crafts tomorrow. There will be no pleasant photo taking as today is sanding of the drywall day at our house. I'm locked in a room with a kitten who is scared of the enormously loud noises booming through the house.
He's freaked and biting. I've got a headache. The Mister is out in the yard hacking at something with an axe over and over and over in a way that I am trying to convince myself does not remind me of "The Shining".
The walls and floors are vibrating. Drywall dust is flying. I think that the whole lot of us are about to go insane! I want my house back! You know those makeover shows on TV where a huge crew of people show up and send the family living in the house on a glamorous vacation so that they can later return and ooh! and ahh! over the perfectly clean and organized after of it all? Yeah, right.
Just because the timing seems right, I'm including a little short film that the Mister and I made from still shots one Halloween night with our mannequin boy, Jack in tribute to "The Shining".
Until next time,
x's and o's,
Eartha
He's freaked and biting. I've got a headache. The Mister is out in the yard hacking at something with an axe over and over and over in a way that I am trying to convince myself does not remind me of "The Shining".
The walls and floors are vibrating. Drywall dust is flying. I think that the whole lot of us are about to go insane! I want my house back! You know those makeover shows on TV where a huge crew of people show up and send the family living in the house on a glamorous vacation so that they can later return and ooh! and ahh! over the perfectly clean and organized after of it all? Yeah, right.
Just because the timing seems right, I'm including a little short film that the Mister and I made from still shots one Halloween night with our mannequin boy, Jack in tribute to "The Shining".
Just picture "Renovation" written backwards instead of "Redrum" and
you'll have an accurate picture of today at the ranch. I'm pretty sure
that the cleanup of drywall dust after the worker leaves will be a lot
like that scene from the film where Jack chases young Danny through the
shrubbery maze in the snow with very, very ill intent. May the good Lord (and the shop vac) have mercy on our souls.
Until next time,
x's and o's,
Eartha
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)