Yes, I am an Ironstone Addict!

My blog time has really had to be compromised lately, there's been so much going on and I just haven't had time to sit.  I figured now that the graduation dust was beginning to settle I could take on my pre-meditated post on my Ironstone obsession.  As you may have guessed, I do have a thing for white ironstone, it figures prominently in my blog name.  So it's time for me to expose my addiction and come out of the collection closet.  Let's start at the beginning.......

I believe it all started innocently enough.....when I was growing up my mother

used a very simple, plain, small ironstone platter at the

dinner table many nights.  I remember it being one of the old "stand-bys" and

held it's fair share of meatloaf, white bunny bread,

and occasionally cut-up melon

no markings, other than the USA imprint on the back

(anyone know what kind of ironstone that is? I would love to know!)

As a young mom years later, I looked forward to a monthly day

out of the house at one of the Atlanta area flea markets.  I was a faithful follower

every month for about 4 years,

 until my favorite treasure hunt, Lakewood, closed down.

  It was during this time I started to amass pieces of ironstone

that were usually cheap and plentiful

(and that's about the same time I discovered eBay too:) )

one small platter lead to another....

and another.....

which led to teapots.......

and more teapots......

and more pieces.....

bowls.......

\

odd pieces.....

creamers.....

vintage plates, cups and saucers

and yes, my favorite, pitchers......(deep breath here)

and more pitchers....

and more pitchers....

(I once had a lady who had come in to do a home show in my house look at

this particular hutch and said "why do you have so many pitchers?".....

I guess it must look like hoarding to anyone but an ironstone freak)

On my parlor room bookshelves the newer ironstone took

space alongside some of my mom's old tureens and heavy Red Cliff pieces

And eventually I decided I liked it so much I started buying

new pieces of Buffalo China ironstone pieces to use everyday

So, there you have it.....yes, I am an ironstone addict, I love, love, love it.  I

don't do much flea marketing anymore, but if I'm out in an

antique shop or browsing a yard sale,

you can be sure any ironstone is going to call me like a magnet....

let's just blame it on childhood memories, shall we??!!

I'm linking up today's post with
Faded Charm
  and White Wednesday!

Here's wishing everyone a great week, and Happy Summer!!!

devon :)

Easy Fountain Project

Things are starting to really buzz around this household;  I've got one graduating this Friday and that means family and in-laws coming into town.......nothing like company to get your house in shape!  The outside has been getting a little more attention too.  I pulled out this old wash stand I bought at Lakewood Flea Market years ago, I've used it for a few things over the years, but I think my favorite project is making it into a small standing fountain to put on the porch.  It's really easy, so I thought I would blog about it and maybe inspire others to try and do something similar.  There's something so soothing about the sound of bubbling water......I know I'm not the only one who finds it relaxing!

Here's the frame of the wash stand, in all it's rusty, green, chippy glory......

Then I had to go raid the enamelware basins that I've collected over the years........

Actually this whole process was delayed;  I started to do this yesterday,

but when I put water in the bowl it started to leak, so I had to detour and

have hubby silicone the bottom to make it water tight

Place bowl on top of the frame.....and actually this one isn't the most perfect fit,

as you can tell it doesn't lie all the way into the frame, but it's all I had and

I don't like things to always be perfect anyway.....

Get yourself a small pond pump.....Home Depot and similar stores

carry them for the do-it-yourself'ers pond people.....and they

usually say what size capacity the pump is made for.

Get the smallest one you can find.......

mine's been around the block a bit, but it still works.......

Find some large rocks, not huge but whatever you want the fountain to

 have in it...I looked around and found some fairly flat rocks about medium size

Place rocks into the basin of the bowl

I create a small space to put the pump in.....

there's no getting around the cord coming up so you just kind of have to disguise it as much as you can or want if it bothers you

Add water.......

Plug in.......

Voila!

What I usually do is buy a couple of small water plants,

which I'm going to do next time I'm near the garden center, and they float

nicely on top of the water.  I don't normally put flowers on top, but it

looked so blank without anything in it......

This kind of thing is so simple to do, all you need is a watertight container of some sort, a small

pond pump, some rocks and a little imagination......and then you've got your own

little bubbling fountain to enjoy and relax too!

Wishing you all a wonderful day! Thanks so much for your visit!

devon :)

Yea!! My New White Chenille Bedspread!!

Wow, where have I been for the past week.....if anyone knows please tell me, I'm still trying to find out where the time went.....:)

So this post is about my new bedspread that arrived last Friday......Every year when the weather warms up I take my favorite old comforter off my bed.  Now, this comforter has been used, every fall/winter, on this bed, for the past 15 years, as long as I've lived in this house.

It's Laura Ashley's Sweet Pea pattern, and my mom bought it for me when we were doing the master bedroom.  We took the same pattern wallpaper boarder and had it custom made onto cornices to go over all the windows............

Never get tired of it, ever, which is really unusual for me.  I think it's just the color combo of the yellow and blue flowers on the little trellis background.........

So since there was matching bedding, my mom bought me the whole ensemble, comforter, bed skirt, king shams.  And every year, I get the comforter out of storage and put it back on it's favorite bed, mine.......

Now this year, putting the comforter away for the season, I wanted to be on the lookout for something different, something white.  I had a matelisse spread that I had been using, but wanted something a little more.....casual?  I looked at the shabby chic bedding at Target, but it was still just a little too formal for me.  When I need some inspiration (as in need to find something asap) I head to eBay.  After a search or two I found a cute chenille spread.  This one was made by Mary Jane of the Mary Jane's farm fame, the lady who makes organic everything look so easy and possible.....the lady who can make staying in a tent look downright luxurious.......the lady who can plow a field of corn in the morning and make polka dot aprons after lunch........I love Mary Jane of Mary Jane's Farm. 

 http://www.maryjanesfarm.tv/FarmRomance.asp

So I was more than excited to see she had a line of home products, including bedspreads.  After zoning in on an auction for a chenille spread in king size (which as many of you probably know, the choices for King size bedspreads is never too exciting, as far as what you can buy off the shelf...........

 I Lost the auction............

Never fear, where there's a will there's a way.........it didn't take me long to google my way over to the official Mary Jane's Farm site.......

With the help of a wonderful guy named Lucas, he was able to pull the exact same spread off the floor of one of the Mary Jane's stores, or wherever it was that he had access to them.......and this is the best part- the spread was last year's pattern, so I got the king size I wanted at half price!!!Within days the box arrived on the doorstop.........

Boy oh boy, I was so excited....(I don't get out much, you see.......)

Shabby, white, new, cute and KING, how great is that?

The only thing now, I need the shams and the bedspread to complete the look.......

So I'm on my way to contact my buddy Lucas...............

And since I've found the hardest thing in a King, I can probably easily find some pillow shames on eBay that would look just good.........

Y'all have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!!

devon :)