Roses , roses, roses, and good buys

Okay for all of you that will never visit my home:
At this stage of my life, one would think I would KNOW what I like... but most of my adult years have been spent focusing on others, and what would make them happy, so much so that somewhere I lost the ability to KNOW what I like (as in decorating my new living space.) I have a few people to thank..mostly her( Ex: what do you feel drawn to? check out these blogs!, or that looks soo you!) , but also her, and her...they all encouraged me to find me in the midst of my eclectic style. so I listened, and I found there were two things that were constant- RED, and roses.. any in the red family..pink, rose colored, and even yellow. I did not like orange very much, but very much gravitated to the Pink ladies who decorated with rose plates, bowls etc, some lace, but needing some bold red in there too... And I finally figured out that hubby REALLY didn't care, as long as I was happy (why 39 years to figure that one out?) so when we found ourselves moving again (5th time in 5 years...) I knew it was time to take the space from the very beginning and make it mine. Blues are my husband's favorite, so I attempt to bring some blue in to make him not feel over run! Luckily for me Keila had the living room and bedroom with some blues on the walls so I am able to pull things a little together.( those rooms will be another blog!)
Over the last few months I have been to garage sales, flea markets, and doing some ebay to find some new buys and here is how I am putting things together in my kitchen. Last year I started with my little red table (well old white chipped table enamel table that I painted with red, and flecked with white) then I bought some old soda fountain looking chairs with red and white checked seats I loved, and fit right in with my table ..then I bought that green hutch which sat on Ben's deck for a month.

So these are close ups of the items in my kitchen:
This is a bowl I bought in Texas, a sugar bowl from Gma, and a creamer from a garage sale in Texas- they don't match but I love them


Below is picture of two tin plates from a flea market..they have blue back ground and I thought that was a good way to bring in the blues,then there is my mother's plated Tea/coffee set in front. The next picture shows my Goodwill plates behind pics of Ben, Derek and Dee...and my hubby's old silver cup (1889) he found at lake in the 50's, flanked by my silver sugar scuttle, and my unknown metal creamer/gravy server..with beautiful flowers. The picture on right below is red tray with my yellow roses,(ebay) other two rose Goodwill plates, a silver plated fruit plate from my mother's collection - all behind a picture of my sister and I at 1 1/2 and 2 1/2...I am on left .
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Below is my wrought iron pot hanger, now used for decoration with aprons, antique towels, roses from Christmas tree shop..hanging over my new farmer's bench from the Christmas Tree shop. The red enamel plate was $2 at a garage sale, and works well with an enamel tea pot (sl hidden) I purchased on ebay...along with some oriental finds, ebay finds, flea market glasses with painted roses. the final picture is the beginning of my wall with ebay tray, and our antique tea set we purchased in texas. some day I will add more rose plates/trays etc.



Final set is a wrought iron shelf ,with red vase, two lovely old egg cups from my motherin law, and two blue cups with pink roses found at Christmast Tree shop, and finally a little area for the wonderful gifts given to me by my friends at ARC when I left my position



all in all I like my little kitchen...though honestly little finds get lost in the big picture, I have lots more to look for to compliment my look...AND I have fabric I want to add to windows... but I haven't yet gotten to organize my sewing room... but I am looking forward to being a busy little homemaker!
thanks for visiting...please leave me a comment and know you stopped in for a visit.. it keeps me encouraged

Silly Bird

I decided to post the picture of the bird talking and tapping on my kitchen window this morning...silly bird! I think the windows made a great mirror effect because I haven't yet cleaned them...but this poor guy could not understand why he couldn't fly into that which he could see! His mate, or family member could be heard calling him on from the trees to the west

Making all things new

Morning finds me smiling , eager to start the day. I dwell in an old, new surroundings dressed up to look like me, and I am content. Here is a peek at my 'new' kitchen.
Looking in from the front door is my tea area, tins and little box holding my daily drink packets, framed by a tray purchased on ebay, and crowned with my 25 cent at a garage sale -wire baskets (finally something to hold those onions and fruit buys) This picture is looking from the entrance way.. loving my flea market hutch- layered with old pictures, precious silver and pewter, roses painted on china and tin, colors of red, pinks and yellows- ebay , garage sales, flea markets, and from my mom's once held dearly collections- now mine to hold and smile with memories
Over my table is my new little tea set... well old, but new to me... I will take closer pictures another day- this 14 piece set (sugar and creamer on hutch) lost two of its family in the shipping from Texas, and has shown itself to be difficult to find replacements- is from Poland, and has the lovliest burgundy rose buds, and all the edges are kissed with gold... it just makes me smile
and can I forget the Lilacs from the little lilac bush I got for my birthday or mothers day 6? -9? years ago... what a little beauty it is today...and little hands now help me pick these sweet blossoms..hummm
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new

Discards

You know the adage.."one man's trash is another man's treasure" Well - I think I found some treasure in my garage sale, flea market visits- one is a creamer, and the other is a sugar bowl- they actually don't match, I bought them 100's of miles apart- but they both caught my attention, and they are now on their way to my home in upstate NY. Both have raised floral designs, and I bought them not knowing what exactly the base metal was from which they were created. The creamer was heavy and I was pretty sure it was pewter. The sugar bowl was declared to be silver plated by the store's employee, and a view of the bottom seemed to agree with that statement. It showed appearance of silver with black areas that have been chipped away. Both were dull in their appearance.
I got out the silver polish when I got back to Andrea's place, and the creamer cleaned up really nicely. I believe it is pewter and only for a couple of dollars!
Then I was on to the sugar bowl. We did pay more for this..but I have to tell you that the one thing that stood out on this common particular bowl, was its unusual shape, and the fact that it had a tiny baby scoop attached to it. The store clerk called it a 'master' sugar bowl (whatever that means) but I liked it, so my dear hubby bought it for me! When I got home and studied it further, I noted it had what looked like a coat of arms mark on the bottom. now what this mark actually means I have been unable to find out, but what I did decide to do was treat it as if it was silver, not silver plated, and I started using some muscle to rub OFF the black spots, and guess what??? the most beautiful silver did appear!! so I do believe this wonderful sugar bowl is a silver treasure- not necessarily worth a whole lot more than we paid, but certainly more of a treasure to me! (oh yes it is called a sugar scuttle because of its shape resembles a coal scuttle)
Isn't it pretty? I still need to polish it some more, but that is ok.

When I was cleaning these pieces up I was reminded of how God sees us, when we come to him... with all our potential, all that we can be, hidden by the blackness of our sins. Someone once told me that they thought another human being was the devil himself, but I think when scripture tells us we- war not against flesh and blood, but powers and principalities- it means that though the influence might be evil, the source is in the supernatural, and we can pray and believe that God's will be done- even in that influenced one. We don't always know why certain people act the way they do- whether it be an unseen wound, so deep it festers. or a weakness in their fleshly makeup- it doesn't really matter, because my God can get to the source of the problem, and he IS in the business of healing and reconciliation. So sometimes when all we see is blackness- whether it be self loathing, condemnation, or criticism of another- I remember that is NOT what God sees, and I take hope in HIS redemptive power!