The T-Cozy

Little Vases that are Big on Fun

Whenever I come across miniature vases in my travels, I can't resist the urge to bring them home because I can just picture them filled with tiny blossoms from the garden. And when fresh flowers are harder to come by, I fill them with my hand crafted, diminutive button bouquets. I'd like to share a few with you today. Some are from my Etsy shop and a couple are part of my personal collection.

This cute faux wicker pitcher and it's five cluster bouquet is for sale in my Etsy shop here.

Sometimes the vase is so small, I can only fit a single blossom inside, like the one resting in the (sold) cast iron Scottie below.

It's fun to make the bouquet match the vase, like the burgundy and gold cluster in this Shawnee Pottery piece in my Etsy shop here.

When this kitschy kitty and its matching bouquet sold on Etsy, it was sent off to its new home in Australia.

Talk about tiny! Below, the miniature porcelain vase with its three cluster bouquet measures under three inches tall. You can find it in my Etsy shop here.

Another tiny porcelain piece --- it's a little pitcher with a five cluster bouquet that sold a while back.

This Shawnee Pottery bud vase is also for sale in my Etsy shop. It's shaped like a small cornucopia and is paired with a matching button bouquet in cheerful shades of yellow and orange.

How cute is this (sold) tiny porcelain puppy! Made in occupied Japan, he probably was once a toothpick holder.

Pretty in pink, this small Art Deco vase sold on Etsy just recently. It came with a matching nine blossom bouquet in red, pink and white.

And here are two miniature vases from my personal collection. Both the hand vase and the Shawnee miniature watering can are only big enough for a single blossom. Aren't they sweet?

Tiny pieces like these are a fun accent within a larger grouping of objects. They beckon you closer and are sure to make you smile. So the next time you stop at the flea market or thrift store, be on the lookout for little vases. And if you'd like to try your hand at making a button bouquet, click here to view my tutorial.

Susan

Pretty Patterns

Today, I created this Photoshop mosaic for your viewing pleasure. It's a bit of vintage textile eye candy. Enjoy!

These linens are from my Etsy shop. Some have already sold; others are still waiting for a new home. All have the charm and whimsy that makes me such a diehard fan of patterned vintage textiles.

Susan

My Writing Debut

I'm so excited! An article I wrote, along with three of my photos, will appear in the latest issue of Studios magazine!

My article, entitled Bringing the Outdoor In, is on page 134 of this 148-page special issue featuring 30 inspiring outdoor and indoor studios. Plus, I helped to scout out a couple of those studios included in the issue. A writer (Page McBrier) and a painter (Stuart Carr Ferrell) who live around the corner from me are in the magazine, too. It will be available on newsstands May 18. Click here to see a preview of the summer issue, view its table of contents, or pre-order your copy.

I am so grateful to Studios editor Cate Prato for giving me this opportunity. It was my first foray into magazine article writing and photography --- and it was fun!

Susan

Plant a Seed

It's Earth Day's 40th anniversary today! How will you honor Mother Earth today? I'll be out in my garden planting seeds.

I wish I was able to plant vegetables in my garden. But the canopy of large oak trees produces too much shade to grow them. When time permits, I hope to get a plot in the community garden in my town. Until then, I'll plant what I do every year -- Nasturtium seeds. I love their edible leaves, pretty flowers, and how they'll tumble over the stone wall of my back garden bed.

There are so many simple ways to be kind to our Earth. For more ideas, you can visit the T-Cozy posts that fall under the category "Save the Earth Saturdays" here.

I have the bumper sticker, above, proudly displayed on my Prius. This simple and striking decal was created by painter and sculptor Philip Krohn. To me, it means that the Earth is Art. Just as we wouldn't dream of defacing a precious work of art, we should regard our planet in the same terms and treat it with the same respect. If you'd like, you can order your decal at earthsticker.com. They're only $2.70 each, with a four sticker minimum, so you can share it with a few "green-minded" friends. All net proceeds go to nonprofit organizations working to protect biodiversity and wilderness. 

Happy Earth Day!

Susan

Displaying Vintage Tablecloths

Do you like to collect vintage tablecloths? Me, too! I'm partial to ones with colorful fruit or flower designs. At every opportunity, I'll spread out a cloth on my kitchen table, in the dining room, on a side table, or I'll tote one along on a picnic. And I'm always looking for ways to store my collection and display it at the same time.

This vintage ladder sits in a corner of my studio. It's covered in chippy blue paint and I love how it is wider at the bottom and narrows toward the top. Four of my favorite tablecloths hang neatly from it just because they are so pretty to look at.

Most of my collection resides on the bottom two shelves of my kitchen's pie safe. These tablecloths and tea towels are within easy reach. Plus, they are always on display through the cabinet's glass doors and side panels. When these linens are neatly folded and stacked, the little pattern bits that are visible provide an enticing hint of their pretty designs.

This old towel rack does a good job of displaying vintage textiles. I used it at my former antiques shop where it held everything from tablecloths to chenille comforters. At the store, I liked to group linens by color or pattern for more impact. And it's so easy to change them up for a new look. A rack like this not only makes the cloths very accessible, it turns them into wall art. (By the way, the linens shown on the rack are, or will be, for sale in my Etsy shop soon.)

What are your favorite ways to display vintage tablecloths?

Susan

For the Birds

To me, one of the nicest things about spring is that the birds are back. I love waking up to the sound of birdsong in the morning. I also enjoy vintage items that feature these feathered creatures.

 

 

Fun stuff, don't you think?

Susan

Memories of My Parent's Restaurant

Did I ever mention that I grew up in the food business? For 30 years, my parents owned the Express Grill, a neighborhood restaurant in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. I never would have thought that once I grew up, I would be in the food business, too, with my own tea room.

Through the eyes of a child, the “Express” was a magical place. Where else could I walk behind the front counter and select any bag of chips or pack of chewing gum I wanted without having to pay for it? If I was hungry, I simply poked my head in the kitchen to let Mary, our beloved short order cook, know what I wanted. Usually it was a BLT. When my sandwich was ready, I’d hear Mary ring the little metal bell and my lunch would appear on the window that divided the kitchen from the restaurant. And if I still had room, I’d head over to the ice cream freezer and scoop out a sundae or make myself a chocolate milkshake. Heaven!

Hanging out at the Express enabled me to hone the people skills that would serve me well later on in life. Much to the consternation of my parents, I already had developed a habit of talking to strangers. Even as a toddler, my mom would often find me at the bus stop near our house chatting with the folks waiting for the bus. At our restaurant, we had a large group of regulars who knew me as “Susie” and with whom I would chat whenever I dropped in. It was a friendly place where everyone knew everyone.

I clearly inherited my affinity for conversation from my mother. She was well liked by all of the Express’s clientele who loved to talk with her about everything from Cleveland’s nasty winter weather to what went into her homemade “Soup of the Day.”

I had that same easy rapport with my tea room patrons and I think that's what I miss most about my shop. Perhaps I should head out to the nearest bus stop!

Susan

Sunshine Yellow in the Garden

I spent a little time in my garden yesterday. Most of the perennials that are in bloom right now are all a cheerful yellow. 

 

 

When it comes to my garden, I feel very fortunate. Not because I have a green thumb, but because I once had a very generous client who took me under her wing and shared her knowledge and her plants with me.

For a number of years back in my graphic design days, I designed the newsletter for The Garden Club of America. The editor of that publication was an amazing gardener. She had an artistic eye and, like most gardeners, was very generous with her plants. She was also diligent about dividing and moving around the myriad of perennials in her garden, so often times she would show up at my door with her car's trunk full of plants. I would happily drop what I was doing. And then, not only would she help me figure out where each one should go, she helped me plant them properly as well. Pretty amazing!

I learned so much about gardening from her and I'll always be thankful for her generosity.

Susan

Color Your Cares Away

This vintage coloring book, which just sold in my Etsy shop yesterday, is now on it's way to Minnesota. Isn't it the cutest?

 

Published in 1943, this coloring book, which also teaches reading basics, is filled with charming "Dick and Jane" style illustrations. Except in this book, the children are named Patty and Joe.

I don't know about you, but I was a big fan of coloring books as a kid. If I was ever home sick from school, my mom always made sure to get me a nice, new coloring book. It always helped to pass the time and made me feel better. And I remember many lazy afternoons spent coloring with my children, too.

Coloring can actually be very relaxing. When my daughter was a freshman in college last year, her R.A. always left a stack of coloring books and baskets of crayons in their dorm's common room. The students would often take a break from studying and chat while coloring in a picture. For them, it was a perfect stress reducer.

I've had a very stressful couple of weeks. Maybe I could use a little coloring, too!

Susan

The Beauty in Everyday Objects

Sometimes beauty can be found in the simplest things, like these antique spools of silk thread. They were part of the lot of vintage pottery I purchased at that wonderful tag sale a few weeks back. After I brought them home, I had them displayed in an old Fiesta mixing bowl that I also found at the sale. And once I started shooting photos of the spools in order to sell them as a lot on eBay, I realized how interesting they really are. Have a look . . .

From their tops stamped with manufacturer's names to the shiny silk thread in an array of colors --- even simple little things like this can be very lovely indeed.

Susan

Vintage Teapot Ring Holders

Here’s a little peek at one of my favorite personal collections . . .

These tiny wooden teapots are from the 1940s and 50s. They were made to hold one's rings at the kitchen sink while doing the dishes.

I can just picture them sitting on a windowsill above the sink in a vintage kitchen. Can't you?

Each little teapot has a wooden lid. Inside is a dowel on which to slide that precious wedding ring and keep it safe. So clever!

Some of them have little poems on the front. A few have painted flowers. And some have vintage decals. Aren't they dear?

Susan