A few posts from the August archives

Graphic from The Old Design Shop

Here are just a very few posts from the August archives here at my Christmas kitchen.  I suppose that, at least for the past few years when I've been doing Christmas in July, I have a good excuse for August being rather a lean month as far as postings are concerned. 

How I adapted the “Christmas in a Can” idea might give others some inspiration for gifts to help with a family's Christmas celebrating.

A dollar store find inspired me to make this Quote Journal for a friend.  If you can find a pretty, small blank book or journal, you might like to do the same.   Give her God’s Word in your handwriting is a post I found by Karen Ehman that presents a similar and very good idea for friends.

Candied Walnuts are a wonderful kitchen gift in their own right, but also great topping a salad of spring mix, dried cranberries or blueberries, and feta or blue cheese with a fruity vinaigrette.

Photo from Taste of Home

Have fun with these ideas!

Thrift store finds with a Christmasy look

When we visit our daughter and her family in Elko, Nevada, I always enjoy visiting the local thrift stores.  I didn't get to all of them this time, but I did visit several. 

In one of those, I found two plates that will likely find their way into my Christmas decorating. (The photos were taken with my tablet so they came out rather faded-looking.)

 

The above plate is part of the Old Curiosity Shop line by Royal China.  It is called a handled cake plate.  I have a few other items from this line, so I thought this plate, in perfect condition, would make a great addition to my little collection.  I paid $3 for it.  As you see, these plates are selling on eBay for anything from $4 to $16.

The second plate, which is also shown at the top of the post, is a vintage pine cone Melmac plate made by Boontonware.  The Etsy listing has a set of 7 plates (with scratches and discolorations like mine) for $30.  Mine is a bit more faded; someone had tried to clean it, I suspect with a magic eraser.  I erased a bit more when I got it home.  Since I only paid $1 for this, I'm not too worried about it.  I think the colors of this plate will make it a fun addition to my fall decorating as well.

Hope you've enjoyed seeing these thrifty finds!

A Christmasy find in Idaho!

Photo by Parlor Antiques

We just got back from a wonderful vacation to parts of Utah, Idaho, and Nevada.  I wouldn't have thought such a summer trip would generate any content to share on my Christmas blog, but yes indeed!  In a shop called Parlor Antiques in Buhl, Idaho, I made such a fun Christmasy find that I just had to share it with you all.

This shop has loads of beautiful vintage and antique items spread throughout several rooms and the basement (which I didn't get to visit due to time constraints).  The items I looked at were very reasonably priced.

I spotted a bowl full of vintage paper milk bottle caps and began looking through them just for fun.   I had never realized that these caps were made in special holiday designs.  (I'm well within the age range that remembers when milk was delivered to homes in glass bottles, but I didn't know or remember any special holiday bottle caps.  Our local dairies probably used them, but I didn't drink milk as a child and thus would never have been the one opening the bottle.) 

Back to the antique shop.  In a short time I found three pretty Christmas-themed designs.  The caps were priced at 25¢ so I bought four, in the three different designs.  What fun!

The one with the little red cottage is my top favorite.  Which one do you like the best?

I actually own a Christmas-themed glass milk bottle from the 1990s and I like to bring it out at Christmas time.  I had made my own paper cap to use when storing it, but now I'll be able to use a pretty vintage one. 

What a fun find!  I wish now that I had purchased more of the caps, as I can think of several ways they might be used in crafting and decorating.  Hope you've enjoyed this look at an unusual vintage Christmas item!