silver and blue

These are the things that just happened to come together

for a new display in the hall.

I was sorting through the girls' dress up tub that was stored away in the garage. Sadly, they are way beyond the age of playing dress up. That is one of the little girl phases I will always miss. When I came across the sparkly silver purses they used to fight over, it suddenly struck me that I wanted to see them for a while again to remind me of the more innocent sibling fights they had. Today's more teenage type squabbles are not so fun!!

(A is officially 2 months away from teenager status)

"Why not display them like a collection?", thought I. And so it became.

Looking back, I recall, all the purses were found at garage sales for less than a dollar each.

All the blue crockery was my Mom's. I had been moving them from place to place and they didn't really have a perfect feeling place to rest until I placed them temporarily on the shelf and, as a result, decided I liked them there.
Add in some old books and as the final touch-- a picture of my Dad's Mom at age 3 or 4 in a shiny silver frame. I copied the picture to do this project for the bride that I showed you in a post recently about the Cathedral.
Sometimes a vignette happens without really trying.
Maybe you can look at something unexpected through new eyes and use it for a display--like the silver purses that remind me that my teens were little girls once and I will never outgrow that memory like they outgrew the dress up phase!!

hand me down decorating

My thoughtful friend, Sharon, gave me some hand me downs (hmd) the other day. I LOVE hmd!!
I think it is a fun challenge to see how things will work into your own world when you acquire things from someone else. Here's what I found out...


N. and his friend J. rearranged the doll house furniture and decorated it with some hmd wired mini leaf garland too! I painted the doll house inside and out and added wallpaper, after finding it already built but naked, many years ago.

My milk glass vases on the kitchen window sill are entwined with some more hmd wired mini leaf garland. On my way to Sharon's house to pick up all this hmd bounty, I had to stop at my favorite thrifty shop to see if they had any milk glass. They usually don't disappoint and that day was no exception. I found a perfect Westmorland fan shaped compote for $1.55. I love how they have strangely weird cheap price points like $1.55! I will have to show you that later.

On top of my milk glass cabinet I used the two hmd crackle white candle pedestals as props for my pumpkins and added some silk leaves. You may recognise my tattered dictionary from the Halloween display I showed in another post. This time it is holding up the same twisted candle stick and also another pumpkin.

If you have hand me downs, you should give a few to one of your friends and challenge them to creatively incorporate them into their world. You may be so inspired you just might be tempted to ask for them back!!