Monday, August 16, 2010

Etsy Goodness

When I spent a week in Louisiana this summer catching up with my family,  I was quite taken with my SIL's lovely utilitarian gadgets, some vintage, some used in a slightly eccentric way.   Jadeite juicers and beautiful bottles to dispense fabric softener for the laundry, lots of enamel pots and scoops.   I kinda wanted to squeeze lots of citrus fruits and wash loads of dirty clothes. 

 Maybe that was the Tom Sawyer psychology behind it.  Worked on me.
  I sat down at her kitchen table to find my own juicer, by gum.  And Etsy delivered.  This metal stand juicer was from atticfinder on etsy.  I liked the red color, the scratchy paint (which doesn't contact the food )  and the "DeLuxe" promise inscribed.  It works like a vise, clamping down on that lemon and yielding every bit of juice it has to offer.  I've actually had a lot worse results with modern gadgets. 
It's a keeper.

Whilst I was looking for interesting vintage kitchen things, I got completely distracted by sparkly shiny things, of course.  
This beauty is an enamel floral brooch from AllieEtCie.  Allie is a lovely shopowner, also at etsy, who carries all sorts of vintage goodies, including mirrors, porcelain, pottery, and a very retro bar set I have my eye on.  Allie was a great help from start to follow up.  Give her a visit this week.

I'm also collecting old Ball jars with the zinc lids with some idea of putting a pump dispenser in them so that pumping out some dish detergent to tackle a sink full of  bowls and glasses will be a real Martha moment for me.

Vintage, it's a good thing.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Sunny with a chance of Pajamas

Well, here we are, at the end of a long summer holiday.  Next week we officially start school and all the things that go along with it:  making lunches, car pooling, signing long legal agreements so that the kids might play-sports-go-on-field-trips-march-in-band- not-take-drugs-or-wear-spaghetti-straps and other very important things.  I always think I should proffer my own document for the ones-in-charge.
I could just sit here and think of all the things that could go horribly wrong and make some one else entirely responsible.  Such as," If said child does not want pinto beans as a side she may be offered another helping of rice, and we shall presume we understand that NO FOOD SHOULD BE TOUCHING ON SAID CHILD'S PLATE."
or..."if said child's phone loses charge and she does not remember aforementioned guardian's number, ones-in-charge shall unfurl the document that said guardian signed previously with her cell and home phone number, place of work, and six emergency contacts and offer it to said child to call for a ride home after day long field trip of orchestra competition which ended much later than school hours or bus schedules.
and so forth.

Oh, I got on a tangent there, didn't I.
Anyway, although we could have never fathomed it the first week in June, I think we're all about ready for the school season to begin.  There's a certain rhythm to getting up early, having a chaotic whirlwind leave the house and then...the quiet...before scooping them all up again and taking them here and there throughout the evening.  

It's that little slice of quiet I'm looking forward to.  I may stay in my pajamas for a while longer and just have that second cuppa ...alone.

Hope you all are finding some extra time to wear pjs where ever you are.  And if you'd like to make some like these, get 20% off Heather Bailey and Amy Butler's Love fabrics at my shop with the code
pajamadays in message to buyer.