Hello, Friends,
How are you? I hope you are well. I have not fallen off of the face of the earth but it has been a long while since my last post.
This year, I felt like pulling out the Valentine's Day shoe box. Typically, I don't do a lot. I decorated for the kids when they were little and I decorated for the blogging world when I was immersed in that. As we thought about moving permanently to the smaller house in the country, I'd purged a lot of my seasonal decor because we wouldn't have room for it but we (initiated by Bill) have decided to add on to that house. It will still be smaller than our house in town but it's not going too small. We should have all the space we will need by enclosing the back porch and carport and by adding on a small addition. This has taken away a lot of the pressure I felt to minimize my accessories, so I've been thrifting and crafting which feeds my creativity.
The white mailbox was a Christmas decoration. It holds poetry from my husband. He writes coffee poetry and leaves in front of the coffee maker. I've tied them up in lace and ribbon.
The little dog below belonged to my mom. The blocks belonged to Bill.
It's been gloomy for days which makes photos difficult. It's a break from our long hot summer so I'll take it.
The garden room cabinet got a few little displays.
Whitman's Candy boxes this year seemed classic looking so I picked up the small one to use as decoration. I found the larger size at another store so I got that too.
I'll probably keep these to use from year to year.
I shopped the house for anything sweet, romantic, or vintage inspired.
My baby plate hasn't been on display in years but I held on to it. My mom was the original thrifter, so it probably wasn't new when she bought it. I think it's from the 30s but I could be wrong about that.
I saw a fabric envelope on Etsy and decided to try to make my own. I made two trying to perfect the technique.
Really, it needs a piece of cardboard sandwiched in between the fabric layers but I wasn't about to undo it. The little vintage Valentines with the bears were from my antique store. They were from two different individuals but they match perfectly.
I found a miniature house kit at the thrift store for 75% off after Christmas.
$3.75 seemed like a lot of fun for very little money.
The church was easy to put together. I did it during the arctic blast.
The red convertible was Bill's when he was a kid. I came across it in his box in the garage. Such a fun little display for Valentine's Day. I kept humming, "Going to the chapel and I'm going to get married." The doors are glued open so that fairy lights could be tucked inside. The heart banner can be easily pulled off and replaced with something for Easter.
I've collected vintage valentines over the years but some are from my baby book.
My mom was great about saving ephemera for us.
This kitty from my aunt and uncle is just precious.
I was born in 1959. Ice cream chairs from the turn of the last century must have been trending when this card was printed. I think it's so sweet. I just lost my aunt last summer.
The kitchen cubbie came from Target ages ago. It had numbers to label each slot but I took those off and sanded it down.
The little cottage was a CVS Christmas item. A pink roof and wreath transitions it into a Target Dollar Spot dupe.
I love the gingham dog and calico kitty in a valentine from my grandparents.
A cyclamen from Christmas is about to re-bloom. It will add some winter cheer.
When I unearthed the valentines from my baby scrap book, I found The Betty Crocker coupons. They were tucked into a note of congratulations. My mom must have been collecting these as we had the Queen Bess silverplate and the Twin Star stainless. Rather than tuck them back into my scrapbook, I popped them in behind a cookie cutter.
The baking theme continues in the opposite corner.
I'd given away most of my cookie cutters and my heart pans but I was able to snag the appropriate accoutrements at the antique mall and at the grocery store.
I'm embracing tiny cabinets and cubbies.
An old wooden cabinet in our laundry room is a sweet place for a couple of vintage cuties.
The tiny phone was mine as a child. It has been tucked away in my craft closet. The pink just looked so darling with the cards that I popped it in the cabinet. It's called The Princess Phone. It used to light up.
Red transferware is a great backdrop to all of our displays.
My mother's Japanese bisque doll was missing her arms. In a flash of insight, I knew I should make her cloth arms. I've seen her labeled as a flapper doll, frozen Charlotte or a Kewpie doll so I'm not sure what she was called originally. The porcelain couple was a thrifted find years ago for $3.00.
Paired with a red and white checked lunch box and mug they are perfectly at home for Valentine's Day.
That is about it for now.
I'll pop on here again to give you an update on our other house. We have enclosed a porch before but we have never done an addition so it's all new to us. All that information deserves a post of its own.
I hope you got a little vintage Valentine's Day inspiration. I had fun putting my displays together.
Blessings,
Katie
