Fall Fun in the South

It was one of those perfect fall weekends with just enough productivity to make you feel accomplished, but also enough frivolity to give your mind, body and spirit a little refresh.

Friday evening I enjoyed dinner with my brother in which he kept me utterly entertained with his colorful commentary on religion, politics and other current events. It’s so strange for me, having always seen him as my ‘little brother,’ to think of him as a grown-up, but I’m so proud of the grown-up he has become.  He’ll be graduating from college in a few weeks and my family is looking forward to celebrating the event.

Saturday morning I ran some errands and then met my sweet friend Hannah B. (from Secrets of a Belle) for lunch and an estate sale. For someone like me who comes from a family of hoarders collectors, it’s safe to say I probably visited my first estate sale in utero…but Miss H was more of a novice. Have no fear though….she got right in and found several treasures that I hope she’ll feature on her fabulous blog sometime. My finds were a couple random kitchen items, including a vintage FireKing relish dish (like the one pictured, which is available on Etsy). 

Sunday, the southern beau & I enjoyed a fun day together which started with a ‘Dixie biscuit’ {see below} and ended with watching a silly 90s movie on Netflix. All in all, it was a great weekend. 

  

I hope yours was fun too. As always, I’d love to hear about your adventures, so fill me in either here in the comments, on the SBS Facebook page or @sthrnbellesimpl on Twitter. Sorry for the lack of posts lately….after 7 years working at the University of Tennessee (my alma mater), I just started a new job with a public relations firm and I’m still getting settled into my routine.

Happy Monday friends!

Southern Collections: Sterling Souvenirs

Some people go on vacation and relax by the shore…I do enjoy a bit of relaxing, but my favorite vacation pastime is thrifting!  This way, while those relaxing, shore-sitting people come home with a t-shirt or mug, I come home with vintage ironstone and silverware. My most recent trip resulted in some new-old treasures I wanted to share.

I was attracted to the spoon because of its twisting design and thought it might be perfect for serving some type of sauce or jam out of a little dish (condiment jars never go directly on the table…per my southern belle grandmother’s way).

I snatched up the silver plate butter spreader because of its S monogram (for my last name) and the simple pattern allows it to easily mesh with my other silverware.

The relish fork is a piece of ‘hotel silver’ (presumably from the Hotel Rowe in Grand Rapids, Michigan) . I don’t have any particular connection with the hotel, but I liked this piece because I’ve always wanted some hotel silver and never stumbled upon any ‘til now.



The finds of the trip were these curious little forks which I think would also have been used for pickles or other relish items. The one on the left has a golden tint and is marked “Montagne Italy.” The back has a tiny fleur de lis, but these boogers were just so hard to photograph.

The right fork is my favorite…only about 3.5 inches in length with a small figure on the end. It sort of looks like a mermaid (or perhaps a baby, wrapped up?). Anytime I find something so unique, I am intrigued about where it came from and who might have used it. Have any of you seen any utensils like these before? I’d love to know more about them.

Easy DIY Chalkboard Gifts

I’ve played around with chalkboard spray paint in the past…once turning an average wall mirror into a cute kitchen message board. This time I used chalkboard paint to make a few easy gifts and I think they turned out pretty cute.

First, these little gift tags. I guess I should share that all these items came from the clearance bin at Hobby Lobby. The tags started out with different kinds of veggies painted on them, but since I liked the shape more than the original design, I decided to make them chalkboards instead. These could be used as actual gift tags or I was even thinking personalized Christmas ornaments.

Next was this metal wall art…once again I wasn’t a huge fan of the original painted design, but, spray-painted with chalkboard paint, the metal makes a nice little message board, both for chalk and magnets.

I love how chalkboard paint makes it so easy to create a new use for something, especially when it’s a steal of a deal. I’m always on the lookout for items I can transform. Have you made anything crafty lately?

Jacketed

We’re all roasting in the summer heat, so the thought of putting on a coat is the last thing on our minds. But you might want to think about jackets a little right now as many styles are currently in deep clearance, what with stores trying to make room for new fall items.

I’ve always believed outerwear is one arena in which the Europeans have us beat…they tend to look so polished and 9 times out of 10 it is because they are wearing a chic topper or wrap. Let’s give them a run for their money and amp up our own style with classic outerwear!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This navy trench, similar to the one sported by Duchess Catherine, is currently on sale at Land’s End, along with many other cute styles, including the green gingham trench and black quilted topper pictured above.

This sweet yellow raincoat is less than half of its original price at Eddie Bauer along with some pretty blazers.

I know we’re smack dab in the middle of summer, but is anybody else stocking up on coats? On the first crisp day of fall, you won’t regret it! Happy Monday friends!

The Things We Keep

This weekend, after many weeks of cleaning out all the nooks and crannies in my house, I had a garage sale. It was actually a joint-effort with a few other lovely ladies and I think we were all pleased with the results. I don’t know about you, but for me, having a garage sale can be a sobering experience. When I see all the excess things I’ve accumulated, laid out on tables for strangers to pick through, it makes me ask myself why I thought I needed those things in the first place.

This is not to say that I won’t end up accumulating more things over time and ultimately, have the need for another garage sale. I just want to put more thought into my purchases. In the south we attach a lot of meaning to the objects in our lives. This can be a good thing, but not always. I’d rather enjoy what I have (dishes, silverware, etc.) and get some use out of things than keep them packed away for “someday.” Do you struggle with this too or are you the ultimate minimalist?

[images are of my grandpa’s collection of things, including his many license plates…not part of the garage sale!]