The T-Cozy

Just Add Pumpkins

I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of the color orange. But at this time of year, there is no avoiding it. It's not easy to decorate with orange. However, I came across some autumn inspiration at Bella Cucina, a beautiful food shop I found while in Atlanta last week. 

Bella Cucina is clean and elegant, in a rustic sort of way. 

The proprietors use lots of pumpkins all around their store, but in an understated fashion that doesn't overpower their wares. 

Most everything at Bella Cucina is neutral in color, so the pops of orange are lively and fun.

Doesn't this old farm table look great with a simple row of pumpkins down the center? Perfect!

Not only does Bella Cucina sell artful food, they definitely have an eye for display, as well.

Yes, you'll find orange pumpkins everywhere these days — except on our front stoop. You see, for the past three days, John and I have been in Philadelphia (once again, business for John, tagging along and pure fun for me). So with two trips recently, we haven't even had a chance to buy a pumpkin, let alone carve one.

We'll be driving home later today, hopefully arriving in time to hand out candy to the throngs of trick-or-treaters that come through our neighborhood. Until then, I'm off to explore Philly!

Susan

Cut, Fold and Paste

Feel like getting crafty with your kids this Halloween? If so, here are some ideas from The Home Educator, a 1931 book for sale in my Etsy shop. Along with good advice about raising happy and healthy children, this fabulous vintage book offers instruction for handmade toys and holiday-related art projects.

Love these simple, low-tech projects! Happy Halloween!

Susan

Vintage Person-ality

There are many reasons I have a fondness for vintage items. I especially like that they have a history and aren't afraid to show their age. The more dings and worn spots, the better! These relics have survived the test of time, and if they could talk, I'm sure they would have interesting stories to tell. I often wonder where they have been and who their previous owners were. So I am always thrilled when a vintage piece provides a clue into its past, like the ones shown below.

This darling toy dresser has the original owner's name written in pencil on the back. Dorothy E. Rice must have received this piece for Christmas back in 1916. I wonder just what treasures she kept inside its tiny drawers?

The hand-tinted photo, below, is not a long-lost relative. It is a flea market discovery of Vivian French Shores in her lovely garden. 

Signed and dated 1933 on the back, this picture was given to someone named Bert for Christmas in New Hampshire that same year. Who were Vivian and Bert? Were they courting? Married? Brother and sister? 

I purchased the item, below, without knowing what it was. I was intrigued as to why a floral, hand-shaped mitt was sewn onto the center of a large square of white cheesecloth-like fabric. What is this item? I got the answer when I found a small envelope tucked inside.

It was the original gift card! Someone named Elizabeth Banks gave this little treasure as a Christmas gift to her friend Marie. A hand-written note revealed that it is actually a dusting cloth. Elizabeth's poem to Marie reads, "Put your hand inside this mitt, and dust up your house a bit. For I know you love to do it!" So sweet! Did Elizabeth sew this dusting cloth herself? I bet she did.

A recent find is this 1955 chapter book with a western theme. Titled Six Gun, it is a story about the Texas Rangers.

After I purchased the book, I found a sepia-toned photo of a dapper boy inside. Perhaps he is the book's original owner! The inside front cover has a bookplate with the name David Anderson typed in. Is that David in the picture?

I guess I'll never know the answers to my questions about these vintage goodies. But it is nice to peek into their past lives and find a hint or two about the person who once enjoyed them. 

Susan

Just Peachy

One of the benefits of empty nesting is that now I can be more spontaneous. So you may be surprised to learn that I'm writing this post from The Big Peach. John has a trade show in Atlanta and I decided to tag along. I've never been here before and I'm having a wonderful time so far. 

We headed to the High Museum of Art yesterday to view an exhibit called "Picasso to Warhol, Fourteen Modern Masters." 

Here is a peek at a few of the more than 100 works, all of which are on loan from The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Next we strolled through the beautiful Atlanta Botanical Garden where we spotted amazing orchids, tropical plants, roses, and more.

Today, I went on a fun tour of Atlanta in an electric car. Tomorrow I'll be touring CNN and Coca-Cola. What a great city! 

Time for us to head out to dinner. I'll share more of my peachy trip to Atlanta with you soon.

Susan

Judging a Book by Its Cover

The saying goes, "You can't judge a book by its cover." But when it comes to collecting, displaying, and selling vintage books, that is exactly what I do.

When shopping a flea market or thrift shop, I am always on the lookout for books with lovely covers. Displayed face out on a shelf, they liven up any vignette and you'll find them sprinkled throughout my house. In our family room, old books are the perfect compliment to my pottery collection.

Just yesterday, I found a 1939 reader titled We Grow Up. What a great cover! This one is destined for my Etsy shop. Wouldn't it look great on a shelf in a little boy's room?

The Bunny Brown series books have the sweetest covers. I have a couple in my personal collection and three of them for sale in my shop here.

Vintage cook books like this one are fun to display in the kitchen. I like how they look sitting in a big old mixing bowl on the counter.

These two books with wonderful covers, above and below, sold a while back. Love them both!

This 1923 copy of Andersen's Fairy Tales belonged to a relative of mine. Now it graces a shelf in my family room.

My husband, John, is a fishing enthusiast. I gave him this book with a fabulous cover for his birthday several years ago.

This tiny 1903 chapter book tells the story of Beautiful Joe, a dog rescued from a brutal master by a loving family. I like its simple cover and the way it looks displayed on a stack of larger books.

Stacked books can be the perfect pedestal for other objects. This Book House set, below, is just that.

I like to group books with a similar theme and color. This garden book trio in shades of green works well together.

I am such a fan of vintage books, especially ones with beautiful covers that are worn, frayed, and show their age. So sometimes it's okay to judge a book by its cover.

Susan

The Collector's Shopping Bag

While rummaging around under the bed the other day, I came across a large envelope. Inside were these . . .

This collection of shopping bags dates back to the 1980s. They were from Bloomingdale's, a Manhattan department store that, in 1961, made retail history by introducing the first designer shopping bag. For three decades, Bloomie's produced an ever-changing series of shopping bags featuring the work of famous and fledgling artists, architects, graphic designers, photographers and fashion designers. Raising the medium to the level of fine art, these bags came into their own as highly collectible design objects.

Aren't they fabulous? These bags won awards and attracted press attention, and various examples can be seen to this day in museum collections around the world. Photos of them are featured in Bloomingdale's stores nationwide adorning hallways, elevator lobbies and executive office areas.

I kept my small array of Bloomie's bags all of these years with the intent to mount them on a wall one day. I'm not sure where to hang them just yet, so I guess they will head back under the bed for now.

Susan

Fondant and Friends: Making a Birthday Cake for Jeff

Our good friend Jeff turned fifty a couple of days ago. His wife Keri threw him a fabulous party, complete with this homemade fondant covered creation . . .

This is the third cake that I've decorated with my friend Sherri. Remember John's fish cake from his 50th? Or how about Hannah's flower cake a couple of years ago? This time we teamed up with Keri, too, and had lots of fun making a cake that celebrated one of Jeff's hobbies — gardening.

Keri baked four cakes so that we could layer them into a tower. Sherri whipped up butter-cream icing to go between each layer while Keri and I worked on the faux vegetables.

We formed the veggies out of Rice Krispy treats. Then we covered them in fondant.

Sherri rolled out fondant to cover the sides of the cake tower and applied more frosting to fill in any gaps. She cut the fondant into strips and placed them around the sides to resemble a bushel basket. Then she scooped out a bit of chocolate cake from the top to make room for the vegetables. 

Here is what Keri and I made — an ear of corn, cukes, an eggplant, tomatoes, a carrot and pea pods.

And here is Sherri's bushel basket masterpiece . . .

We placed the veggies in and around the basket. The finishing touch was a sign just like the one Jeff has in his real garden.

The cake took about four hours to complete and we were all very pleased with how it turned out. Jeff loved it. And it was a hit at the party, too!

Susan

In 1492 . . .

Here's a little Columbus Day kitsch, courtesy of my Etsy shop. This tiny wooden boat is sailing on a "sea" of blue clay. I'm not certain if it is the Niña, Pinta, or Santa Maria, but it sure is cute.

Happy Columbus Day!

Susan

Butterflies and Apples

I passed this beautiful Monarch butterfly on my walk this morning.

This lovely specimen is probably heading south to Mexico for the winter. With over 2,000 miles to go, it was taking a rest on some Nantucket Daisies, one of the last blooming flowers of the season. 

On a different note . . . Because of my background in graphic design, I jumped on the Mac bandwagon very early and have been an Apple computer user and fan for over 23 years. I am so sad to hear about the death of Steve Jobs. The world will be a little less brilliant without him. My heart goes out to his wife and children. 

Susan

Our Cozy New Couch

At last! After almost three months, our new sectional sofa has finally arrived. Covered in buttery, indestructible micro-suede, it is super comfy and oh-so-cozy. With the cooler weather approaching, this is the perfect place to snuggle, read a book or watch a movie.

It has been ages since we've had new furniture, so this couch has inspired me to cast a fresh eye on the room. I'm having fun tweaking its different areas. Plus, we are still awaiting the arrival of a reading chair that should be here by the end of the month. I'll share much more of our newly improved, empty-nester family room then.

Susan