Only in the south: Re-Arrangement

Y'all know I love a bargain. I've even bragged about how my family visits thrift stores in nearly ever city where we've ever vacationed. Sometimes, these thrifting adventures yield wonderful treasures. Other times, they leave me shaking my head.

A recent visit to a Habitat for Humanity Re:Store was a head shaker when I saw this faux floral arrangement a' la compact disc extravaganza.

I am generally opposed to fake flowers because they always look...fake. And unlike real flowers which die and go back to the earth, unwanted fake flowers just get dusty and end up relegated to the shelves and bins of thrift stores everywhere.

But not at this particular thrift store. Someone from the staff (or possibly a volunteer) had taken all the fake flowers in stock and re-purposed them into arrangements. This one isn't even terrible (minus the CDs) but seriously?

This could happen only in the south where, for some reason, we hold out hope that we can take unwanted things, and shine them up or re-arrange them in some way that might make them seem more desirable. It's not even a bad way to look at life, but in the case of these flowers and CDs, I just don't know if there's any hope.

I featured another find from this same thrift shop on the blog a few years ago...that time it was floral guitar-art or guitart as I called it. I really want to meet the people who come up with this stuff. They are the un-sung heroes of my "Only in the south" posts.

How to Shop for Second Hand Treasures

We've all heard that one man's trash is another man's treasure. With budgets getting tighter these days, shopping second hand is more popular than ever! From estate sales to thrift shops, there are lots of second hand treasures out there if you just know how and where to look.

This morning, I'm joining my friends at Knoxville's Fox43 to share some tips on finding great second hand treasures!

My first tip is "Shop Early, Shop Often."

Estate sales and yard sales aren't for the faint of heart...you must get there early to find the best selection. There are some great community sales here in Knoxville put on by local churches and other nonprofit organizations and folks line up before the doors even open!

In the case of yard sales and estate sales, the early bird gets the worm!

Okay, the second part of that is "Shop Often" and this particularly applies to shopping at thrift stores. Thrift stores have inventories that are always changing. You can't visit one time and expect to find exactly what you're looking for. The secret is to drop by frequently to increase your chances of stumbling upon treasures!

Not only that, but you can't be afraid to dig. Second hand stores aren't always organized like traditional retail stores. Sometimes you have to dig through boxes and bins to find the good stuff. I dug a Chanel scarf out of a box in an Atlanta thrift shop once...and it only cost $.99 (yes, that's 99 cents!). But if I hadn't rooted around, I would have missed it!

My final tips for finding second hand treasures involve asking yourself a couple of questions before making a purchase:

1) Does the item have value?

and

2) Does the item have potential?

When I say value, I don't necessarily mean monetary value. It's just about what kind of value it has to you. Maybe the item is something you need or something you've been wanting to find for a long time. Perhaps it's something a friend would love to receive as a gift. We can't buy everything we come across just because the price is right. And this helps to keep that in perspective.

Same goes for thinking about an item's potential. Everything you see in a thrift shop or at an estate sale might not appeal to you at first glance. But it's important to think about what the potential might be...maybe with a coat of paint or a little updating, it would be something really great.

These are just things that have worked for me over the years! What are your best tips for thrifting?

To see more of my WTNZ Fox43 Southern Belle Simple segments, check out this page! 

Collecting: Vintage Ironstone China

I was inspired to write this post because of an earthquake. I know it might sound crazy but there was recently an earthquake in Tennessee. Saturday, I was standing in my living room and all of a sudden, my ironstone china started rattling. Assuming it was fireworks from the football game being played at nearby Neyland Stadium, I just went about my business. Later, when I heard it was an earthquake, I was inspecting my ironstone china collection and that's when I wrote this post.  

I can't remember what prompted me to begin collecting English ironstone china. I don't even know which piece started my collection. Most have been picked up pretty cheaply at estate sales or thrift stores. I even brought an entire thrifted tea set back from Florida in my carry-on luggage. For awhile I didn't have enough pieces to display them all together, but now I've got a fairly sizable collection and I like the visual impact of seeing them in a grouping.  

I think it's fun to collect things...as long as it doesn't take over your life. When I first started collecting, I was always on the lookout for pieces of ironstone, ready to snatch them up. Now that my ironstone china collection has grown, I try to pass on pieces unless they are really unique or different from what I already have. I don't want to end up with so much that I can't really enjoy it because my house is overrun with it. 

Most of my ironstone china pieces are Johnson Brothers or Meakin. I prefer the solid white pieces but some of mine are ironstone china transfer ware and I like those too. I think I'm drawn to ironstone because of its history. I love that each piece was created so long ago -- made to withstand years of use.

Some of my pieces are a little cracked, either from the previous owners or from my own klutzy use (and now they've survived an earthquake!). I don't mind this because I think it adds to the unique story these pieces have to tell.

Do you collect something that holds a special place in your heart? Are you a new collector or is your collection fairly developed? I love hearing your stories about this sort of thing!

Blooms on a Budget

I'm joining my friends this morning on Knoxville's Fox 43 for a segment about blooms, more specifically blooms on a budget (You can view the segment at the bottom of this post or check out others). There's nothing better than having fresh flowers around the house, but when budgets are tight, this luxury often gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list. I wanted to share some ways that you can still enjoy beautiful flowers without breaking the bank.

1. Give Fillers a Chance - Gypsophila or baby's breath, as it is commonly known, has long been considered a filler flower. A few sprigs of it are usually tucked in around roses as an accent and it can look old-fashioned and outdated. But a large, full container of Gyp by itself has a lovely simplicity, especially when paired with a industrial container for that rustic chic look. I purchased a couple bunches of Gypsophila for $4 each and re-purposed a metal container I already had. Total cost for this arrangement: $8

2. Choose Unexpected Colors - When we think roses, red or pink is usually what comes to mind but there are so many other color options as well as varieties to choose from. These orange spray roses were $6.99 at my local grocery store and I arranged them in a pitcher I picked up for around $10. I love to present something like this to a friend because the flowers are a sweet treat but the pitcher also becomes part of the gift.

3. Get Creative with Containers - There's no rule that says flowers must be displayed in a vase, especially those blah, plain vases that often come from florists. I like to use all sorts of containers for my flowers, from antique jars (like the blue Mason jars shown here) to vintage tins and canisters or even pitchers and bowls. I created a tulip arrangement in a trifle bowl once and was quite pleased with how it turned out. You don't have to spend a lot of money on containers...pop into your neighborhood thrift store and see what inspires you. I bet you'll find something that fits your style in no time!

4. Small Groups, Big Statement - Instead of creating one large arrangement, you can also make several small ones and group them together for visual impact. I collect Ironstone so I pulled a few pieces from my collection and used them to hold these pink carnations. The whole bunch of carnations was just $3.99 at the grocery store and by cutting them short, they make a sweet centerpiece that won't obstruct your view. You could also put one of these beside each plate and let your guest take them home at the end of the evening.

5. Go Green - Maybe flowers aren't your thing or you want more of a long-term investment.  Treat yourself with a little arrangement of green by having some cute plants around the house. The plants I found were $1 each and I re-potted them into some fun containers I already had lying around. These would make a wonderful housewarming gift or a little something to show a friend you were thinking of her/him. {image via}

I hope some of these options serve as a reminder that you don't have to spend a lot of money to add a little beauty to your life...it's all about how we look at things!

Want to view more of my Fox43 segments? Check 'em out here! 

Nashville Adventures: Antique Archaeology

I spent the day with my mom recently and we decided to visit Nashville, a short 70 miles from my hometown. We mostly hit up some thrift shops and just enjoyed our time together but at the very end of the day, we accidentally stumbled upon a wonderful place.



You might be familiar with the popular television show “American Pickers” in which one man’s trash is truly another’s treasure. Picker Mike Wolfe has opened a second location of his retail shop in Nashville and my mom and I ran smack dab into it while heading to the Bang Candy Company for some homemade marshmallows.



Located in the old Marathon Automobile factory, Antique Archaeology is a fun stop for pickers, antique lovers and fans of the History Channel show.



Antique Archaeology features wall-to-wall memorabilia and oddities galore. Some items were ‘picked’ during episodes of the show. Most of the antiques in the store are just for display, but fans will be happy to know that lots of fun souvenirs are available, from t-shirts and caps to other collectible trinkets.



We were in a hurry but there was so much to explore. Leave yourself plenty of time if you decide to visit Antique Archaeology. Located a few blocks from downtown Nashville’s Gulch, you won’t run out of things to see, taste and enjoy!



Do you consider yourself a picker? My family has its fair share….my uncle even started his own site/group for pickers in and around Tennessee. You’re welcome to join the fun!

Happy weekend friends!

Only in the south: 10 Bucks for a Buck

While visiting my parents recently, my mom and I stopped in at one of her favorite hang-outs: the local Goodwill. We’ve been shopping at Goodwill (or as we sometimes refer to it, GW Boutique) for as long as I can remember. I'm not opposed to retail shopping, but I prefer thrifting. When I do shop retail, it's usually because I've scored some amazing coupons to help save money. Before my hometown got a Goodwill store of its own, we’d make regular treks to the next closest location, about 50 miles down the road.

Some people travel to sightsee or gain cultural experiences. My family travels for thrift shops. You’ve heard of people will innate extrasensory perception? I believe my family has that for thrift shops, junk stores, estate sales and flea markets. My mom even sniffed out a Goodwill while we were in the quaint hamlet of Franklin, Tennessee recently. Yes, we stopped. It was $.99 day, after all.

When I saw the lovely latch hook rug (pictured above), I couldn’t help but share it here on the old blog. Latch hook is one of the under-appreciated crafts, I think…based on the amount of time and effort that goes into creating them. I tried doing one as a gift for a friend years ago and never actually finished it (sorry Rach).

The deer one above probably took many hours to complete and I’m sure someone loved him very much. Hopefully he won’t have to live at GW for very long before another proud owner takes him home.

Have you found any thrifty treasures lately? Do tell!

Junk Store Treasures

Rummaging around a junk store is one of my favorite pastimes and this weekend the southern beau and I did just that, at a local shop called Nostalgia. Packed to the brim with every sort of collectible or antique item you could dream up, this shop is always uniquely curated with goodies that represent a wide variety of styles and eras.

If I had a bigger house (and wallet), I’d have definitely brought this antique locker cabinet home with me. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful place to store and organize all sorts of household things? It looks straight out of Country Living.



The next thing that caught my eye was this mid-century oyster plate. Since I’m usually scouring the shelves for pieces of ironstone china, the white platter grabbed my attention. Also, I’ve had oysters on the brain because Knoxville has a new-ish oyster bar called Shuck that I’ve been wanting to try.

I always say no southern home is complete without a deviled egg plate…maybe I should add oyster plate to that must-have list as well. If you’d like one of your own, here’s a link to a few ebay options.

Finally, this adorable little cocktail tray would add some pizazz to any bar cart. It feels very Mad Men-esque with the clever drawings and recipes. Now, who wants a Pink Lady?

Believe it or not, none of these items actually made it out of the store with me, but it’s fun to look! I typically stumble across my most treasured finds at estate sales and thrift stores, but I love a good antique shop all the same. Have you added any thrifty treasures to your collection lately?

{Wishing you a Happy May Day}

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 Traditions: Napkin Rings

I ran across this little treasure while thrifting recently with my momma and I wanted to share. Miller’s was an iconic southern department store with flagship locations in Chattanooga and Knoxville, TN…both of which were established in the early 1900s.

The box alone is a blast from the past, but the napkin rings inside are simply precious. They probably weren’t expensive, but I’d like to think they made a sweet wedding present or housewarming gift for a local belle.

I’m guessing they are from the 50s or 60s, but they could be newer. It’s so strange how the simple act of using a cloth napkin makes a meal feel so much more special. And dressing up my cloth napkins with a little something shiny only adds to that special experience.
What ideas do you have to make regular old weekday meals feel a bit fancier?

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.

Farm Fresh + Fancy

I recently picked up a set of vintage silver-plated flatware for a steal. The pattern, from 1936 by Wm. Rogers, is called Fascination. I like it because of the art deco design and I plan on using it as my every-day silverware.

My favorite thing about this particular set is it came with several serving pieces, including the one above which I was able to identify as a tomato server. It certainly makes farm fresh ‘maters feel a bit more fancy!

My friend Mollie posted a lovely tomato tart recipe on her blog today, but plain old tomato slices make me just as happy. How are you enjoying the season’s bounty?

Monday Mishmash

It was one of those truly lovely weekends…when time moves a little slower and the calendar is packed to the brim with activities you wish would last forever. I whipped up a batch of my great-aunt Geneva’s famous fruit salad (to be featured in a future anti-recipe post!)

I attended a special banquet honoring members of my college sorority (I volunteer as an advisor and it has been oh so rewarding). After the lunch, each alum was gifted a centerpiece…gorgeous southern hydrangeas, white roses and daisies.

Egg-shaped Reese’s pieces in perfect pastel colors fill my great-grandmother’s prized carnival glass candy dish. Try walking by without popping one or two in your mouth!

A single rose in the most breathtaking shade of coral…isn’t it amazing how color can speak to us?

Finally, a brass tray I found at a church rummage sale for $4…there’s nothing better than rummaging with a best friend! You might recognize those birdies from a previous post….one special reader picked them up for me as a birthday surprise! So sweet…or should I say tweet?

Happy Monday Friends!

Sideboards: What’s your style?

A sideboard is a type of furniture that became popular in the 19th century when folks’ homes were afforded the luxury of rooms used strictly for dining. Used for storage of dishes and silver as well as buffet-style food service, sideboards currently abound in antique shops. You can also find their reproduced counterparts in retail furniture stores. The first image is a traditional sideboard in its original state. I wanted to include it as a reference.

This is my sideboard, painted black by my grandfather because the wood was not in very good shape. It is one of my favorite pieces of furniture and serves as a wonderful storage space for my collection of dishes. I love how he left the top unpainted. {picture taken last year during Halloween…I love the holiday, but I haven’t decorated quite this early!}

 

This is a sideboard I photographed in a quaint restaurant in New York’s Little Italy. My mom spotted it as being very similar to mine, except painted white. Sorry it’s a bit cluttered, but clearly this piece is fully functional as a serving station. I love the distressed look of it, but I can’t see myself doing this treatment to my beloved sideboard any time soon. How do you feel about furniture such as this? Do you prefer it left in its original state, painted a dark color (like mine) or distressed in a light color? I’m curious as to what you think.

Strike while the ironstone is hot

I think I’ve alluded to my pack-rat tendencies here on SBS, especially in the area of tabletop goodies (aka dishes, linens, glassware, silver, etc.). My latest obsession is ironstone pottery. I guess I like it mostly because it’s old and every piece tells such a story. 

While tooling around a few local antique shops this weekend, I came across so much gorgeous ironstone, all of which I really wanted to bring home with me. Why it is that I feel the need to add one more thing to my vast list of collectible must-haves, I will never know. The problem is that when certain items become more desirable, they become less affordable as well. I'm not a total cheapskate, but I always think I can find a better deal at the proverbial 'next place.' So I mostly just window shopped and ended our shopping excursion empty-handed...ok I bought one thing, but no ironstone.

Then as we were heading back home, my mom spotted a Goodwill and wanted to stop. I swear to you, if there is a Goodwill within 75 miles of anywhere, she'll sniff it out. We left my dad sleeping in the car and started making our way around the store. In the far back corner I spotted a stack of dishes on the bottom shelf and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but 21 pieces of ironstone transferware!

All clearly marked Johnson Brothers in the pattern Staffordshire Bouquet, the set included 3 dinner plates, 9 bowls, several smaller plates and 2 cups. I was already willing to pay the asking price of $25, but since it was half-price day I brought all the little darlings home for $12.50.

 

I'm not trying to take my good fortune and rub it in anyone's face here, but I think this is just more evidence to support my claims that thrift store shopping can yield some wonderful treasures. I understand there might be certain qualms that people have about buying someone else's "old stuff," but don't blame me when you realize that you're missing out on some great goodies.

Bag or bargain?

{a loverly bag I might scrimp and save for}

This past Saturday was a great day for junkin' in my small southern city. My faithful yard sale buddy and I turned up lots of treasures in just a few short (HOT!) hours. At one particular sale, the guy in charge of the goods tried to convince me to buy a "real" Coach purse for the low, low price of $30. I knew from a quick glance that it was, in fact, a fake Coach and a poor fake at that. But this got me to thinking about the idea of real vs. fake.

I would rather buy a cute purse that doesn't break the bank even if it's not a well-known brand. I have a couple of faux designer bags (bought out of cardboard boxes on Canal St. while I was in my early 20s...when that sort of thing seemed to matter a lot  more). At this stage in the game, I just don't care as much to have the status bag. Maybe I'm just fooling myself because the truth is I can't really afford to drop a few hundred or even a thousand bucks on a purse. But even if I could, I'm not sure that I would.

I love luxurious beautiful things and I certainly don't begrudge anybody who has them. I'm just curious about what y'all think on the matter.

I’m all earrings

 When I was six or seven years old,  my mom and aunt convinced me to get my ears pierced by bribing me with a trip to the Hello Kitty store afterwards. Or at least that is how I remember things. The piercing wasn't so bad...nothing a little Spottie Dottie and Keroppi couldn't fix. I was probably too young at that point to take good care of my ears and I ended up letting them grow back. Eventually I summoned the courage to get them re-pierced when I was about 11 or so. Since then, I have amassed quite a hefty stash of earrings. From those sparkly tween jewelry stores in malls (which I totally love) and yard sale finds to earrings I have been gifted or those handed down, I have a very nice collection. That isn't to say that I won't always welcome more and probably can't pass up a great clearance rack, but anyway.

When you have multiples of a certain thing, storage can become an issue. I used to keep all my jewelry in a little plastic tackle box with individual compartments. But I found that it was hard to see it all and when you can't see what you've got, you probably won't remember to wear it. I saw this cute idea in Real Simple magazine and have been saving the page for awhile now, but only recently scored a bundle of wooden picture frames for less than a dollar at a rummage sale. One of the frames was the right size so I decided to attempt this crafty little project. All you need is a wooden frame (or at least one with a wooden underside so the little screws can be installed) and a picture frame hanging kit. Every picture frame kit I've ever seen has the wire and eye screws. I hate dealing with numbers, but I broke down and used a ruler to determine where the screws would go so at least the wires wouldn't be all slanting down on side. I estimated the length of my longest earrings and left room for three rows of that size, then one extra row of shorties at the bottom. Obviously this type of earring frame hanging thing wouldn't work for earrings that are on straight posts. But I was thinking it could be altered and instead of wires, use wide ribbon. Then the posts could go thru the ribbon with the backs on the other side. Another variation that might look interesting is to use a really tall narrow frame. It might be time consuming putting it all together, but once all the earrings are hanging there, it is sort of like a piece of art. All I know is that it corrals my earrings and displays them in a way that I can easily glance over and decide which ones to wear without having to dig through a bunch of little boxes or compartments. Cost = practically free; Difficulty = a cinch;       Other = very little math involved (yay!).