Blueberries

One would think that taking a few photos of blueberries would be simple.

Not here. 

Oh no.

Gremmie, our busy michievious kitten, started playing with the two blueberries on the towel.

 Batting them about. 

I ignored her for a minute.

That was a mistake because she knocked the entire pint of berries on the floor. 

Then Shelley, our dog, started to eat them.

It takes a while to pick up blueberries my peeps.

All that before my second cup of coffee.

joy and peace

Olive

Thrifty Cafe Curtains

Cafe curtains hang from little clips usually and cover half the window. 

I made the last set for this kitchen window from a twin sheet with hemming tape.

 I do not sew. 

This pair is a simple pair of king sized pillowcases on clips. 

The eyelet ruffle adds a cottage touch.

 The previous look.

The kitchen island is busy and full of transferware as ya'll know. 

The white eyelet is calming in the background.

I found the eyelet pillowcases at a thrift store for one dollar. 

Saves me money for my transferware collection.

Even if you bought new pillowcases it would still be a thrifty window covering.

All you need are tension rods, a set of curtain clips, and a pair of king pillowcases.

linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

joy and peace

Olive

Friendly Village China In A Toolbox

Two of my favorite collectibles are paired here on the bar. 

Transferware and an old toolbox. 

The transferware is Friendly Village by Johnson Brothers.

It has lovely winter scenes on its plates.

The snow on the plates is about as close as I am getting to snow.

Don't laugh at the bow. 

I made it and I am horrible at bow making.

Okay, laugh.

 There is a back story to the long roofers toolbox.

 It was purchased at the Gordon Farmer estate sale.

 Mr. Farmer was on American Pickers in 2010. 

He had warehouses full of antiques at his local business near our yellow house.

The lady I bought it from was happy with my vision for it.

I did not go to the sale because I thought it was likely out of my price range. 

I bought this toolbox, still full of roofing nails, from an antiques dealer about two weeks ago.

Nails out-transferware in!

{That Buddha under glass makes me think of South Korea Girl. 

She loves Asian art pieces.}

The toolbox is a big long piece but I knew immediately when I saw it it was perfect for our bar.

Wishing you a peaceful day.

 I was out in traffic and am beyond thrilled to be home with my fur kids.

Please check out my post: Thirty Minutes In The Day Of A Registered Nurse.

Thanks bunches to all who have already stopped by.

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

Be Inspired

Happy Christmas

Olive

Kitchen Island: Christmas

Our kitchen island is the heart of our small kitchen. 

It's filled with trasnferware. 

It could stand to be thinned out but not today or even next month.

Gremmie dines on top of the island and that way her food is usually safe from Shelley.

The Maxine nutcracker cheers me no end. 

I found her in an antiques booth a long time ago.

I hope you are enjoying the beauty of Christmas.

To see the front of this island with it's old window click here.

Linking@Be Inspired

Happy Christmas

Olive

Gremmie Takes The Island

The kitchen island has been taken over by The Grim. 

It's hard to think of potato salad in this bowl from this point on.

Gremmie is a mess.

 She is into everything and keeps us entertained. 

No surface, newspaper, or bowl is safe from her.

In Olive Out news I am recovering from a minor surgery done on Friday, in the doctors office, to my ear. I was deaf all weekend in that ear but the packing is out today and I no longer feel like I am underwater. I am definitely ready for an uneventful fall.

happy fall y'all

Olive

Kitchen Island With Vintage Dish Rack

  I ran into this metal and wood piece in an antiques store today. I thought it might hold dishes. Do you think it is an old bill collector? If so that is a lot of bills.

I am proud to say I have numerous collections of tranferware now. We use them all the time. What you see in the island is for display because the kitten climbs around in here. She is a busy and industrious  toddler.

Shelley is lounging underneath the window. Cindy Lou is underneath the island. So far no plates have been broken from dog cat shenanigans.

 This is the view of the island that is composed of two old windows.  

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

Inspire Me Tuesday

joy and peace

Olive

Platters

Good Morning Friends.

 I am taking a gardening break and hanging out at the old house, 

with Joe and Shelley, the rest of the week. 

Time slows down here and that is good.

Speaking of hanging out...look back there on the wall of the yellow house kitchen. 

I hung three thrifted platters on the wall. 

 Two are ironstone and one is a Wedgewood piece.

The kitchen is getting a definite cottage look.

I used English invisible disc plate hangers to hang the platters  

and they worked beautifully.

 I am off to the consignment store to drop off items. 

See y'all in a little while.

Linking@Be Inspired

joy and peace

Olive

Twenty Five Cent Kitchen Finds

 I went to a sweet country place estate sale, not far from here Friday, and all kitchen gadgets and flatware were four for a dollar. The pie server and chippy red handled items are vintage. I also bought beautiful hand tatted linens that I will show another time.

Joe took today off so we can fiddle with our taxes. The romance is intense I tell you.

Be sure to check out my Poise review and sweepstakes here. Since I rarely discuss sex, don't miss it. 

Linking@Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday's

Happy Monday

Olive

Displaying Lemons

Lemons are an integral part of our culinary life. I slice them into iced tea, bake them over fish, and zest them into all manner of dishes. Why not display them beautifully? Here I have them paired with my favorite color of blue pottery. Lemons also look wonderful in clear glass dishes or hurricanes.

I have had this blue pottery compote, tray, and large Italian tray stored for a while but decided they needed to be on the kitchen island. Now, I should make lemon curd again. I also have red potatoes in a dough bowl and onions in another blue bowl. I like fruits and vegetables sitting around in bowls. It looks warm and cozy. 

Please consider following me with Bloglovin on my sidebar. Bloglovin is easy to set up and provides a reader and imports the blogs you already follow for you. Google Friends Connect is being discontinued sometime soon. 

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

Tweak It Tuesday

joy and peace

Olive

Hotel Sign

Since making these cabbage rose cafe curtains the spot over the frame less window seemed bare. I had looked at this metal Hotel sign in an antique mall near CC's university two times, over a period of a year, before I finally bought it. I thought it would fit above the window and it did.

I sanded the edges to expose the metal. I thought about painting it but then kept it this grey. It is of undetermined age. I do not think it is vintage but Joe and I like how it looks in our small kitchen. It brings an industrial edge to all my florals.

I had an interesting time taking pictures of the sign. I ended up sitting in the floor. Shelley thought I was there to wrestle with him. This household revolves around that adorable German Shepherd of course.

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday

Be Inspired

joy and peace

Olive

Coffee Station

Welcome to the dark underworld that exists under my kitchen cabinets. Taking a photo here is a hoot and a half. I called it the Coffee Cave in yesterday's post. In the McCoy cookie jar, on the left, are coffee filters. The coffee is in the coffee canister that I recently found at a thrift store(it hails from Pottery Barn originally). It has a tight seal on the lid that works well to keep air out.

The coffee pots sits on the right there by the sink so it is easy to fill with water.

Splenda and Sugar in the Raw are in these two containers. They are Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Salsa jars. I love TJ's graphics and never discard their jars or bottles. I keep these in the cabinet over the coffee maker. I may move them to the counter if I can find a tray that will hold every item.

I am so CraZy this week that I auto posted this for February first instead of today March first. Still some commented. Y'all are on top of things and clearly I am confused:}

hoping coffee brings you warmth today

Olive

Cabbage Rose Kitchen Curtains

I made these cafe curtains from a twin sheet for our yellow house kitchen. I do not sew other than hand sewing and embroidery. I used fusible webbing to hem the raw edges. I found the twin sheet, with cabbage roses, at the Catholic Thrift Store for two dollars. My previous Ikea black and white cafe curtains were also from that thrift store. I find terrific new and vintage linens there. These curtains are perfectly imperfect and will be  fine here for a while.

The blue painting I had here did not work so I hung this floral oil painting I found at another thrift store for ten dollars. Forgive my lack of sun as I quickly snapped these images in the little bit of sun we had yesterday. It has been raining for ages here.

A view from the kitchen island. It looks as if I am running a china shop. A cake pedestal for twenty dollars anyone?

I had fun with .99 cent pineapples from our new Aldi's. I place the rinds and core in a jar with water and refrigerate it and drink the juice after a couple of days.

 I found the cafe curtain clips at an estate sale on Saturday, new, for $1.50 a package.  I left the curtains this longer length so that I can raise and lower them. We watch birds and can easily see them when the curtains are in the middle of the window. Total cost for the simple sheet cafe curtains was five dollars.

Thank you for your encouraging comments on my food story in the last post.

 I shall post another food story this week.

Clovis and I traveled to the old house yesterday and all things here are tricky. 

It is difficult to post, comment, heck it may rain in the bedroom or pantry any minute.

 Life sweet life.

Linking @ Be Inspired

joy and peace

Olive