Vintage Grain Sack Spices Up My Kitchen

I traveled back to Pennsylvania from Washington DC for the Thanksgiving holiday last week. I love going home to my parents house because my mom and I get to hunt around thrift stores and flea markets for antiques. This visit however, I came up with a great find straight from her basement! Sometimes the best finds are already at home.

This feedsack, that held grain for hens, was manufactured in the city I was born in; Allentown, Pennsylvania. I also went to high school in the town of Northampton, Pennsylvania which is also stamped on the bag. The patina and wear on the bag is perfect while the screen print is still crisp. I currently have it hanging in my kitchen in DC and it reminds me of home.

DIY Paperweight Gifts

 

I am ashamed that I have not posted anything in two months! To ramp up again I thought I would share a really fun DIY project I made this morning. Over the summer my mom found for me some glass paperweights at a yard sale. I have had them hanging around until this morning when I finally found the inspiration to fill them. They were easy to fill and turned out nicely. I think giving them for gifts this holiday season will be nice.

What you need:

empty glass paper weights
images or vintage fabric
thin cardboard to use as a template and backing
hot glue gun

I filled the paperweights with vintage photos and scraps of vintage fabric (both of which I have a lot of laying around). You can use any paper ephemera you have or any special image you like. First, make a template from thin cardboard hat fit snugly inside the paperweight. Next, lay the template on your fabric or photo and cut around it. Last, pop the photo or fabric inside the paperweight and run a thin bead of hot glue to seal in it.

  

Catherineholm Lotus Bowl!

 

I was lucky enough to source a vintage Catherineholm vintage lotus bowl last weekend! It is so beautiful. If it matched my decor, it would be staying with me! The bowl is a great size, great for fruit or serving a side at dinner. Made from an aqua blue enamel and printed with the iconic lotus pattern. It is in the [shop] now!

Here are some links to more information on the Scandinavian company Catherineholm.

Baked Parmesan Garden Tomatoes

My mom has a nice little garden this year that is just exploding with tomatoes! She picked a few for me when I was in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Back in DC I was wondering what to do with them and decided to try out [this] recipe.

 Instead of using oregano, I used fresh thyme from my porch garden. The tomatoes were awesome, I loved the flavor and freshness of them! Next time I would love to add them to a grilled pizza with goat cheese and shallots. I think it would be perfect.

 

 

Basil Walnut Pesto

  

It wouldn't be summer without a batch of pesto! Fresh and green and so yummy. I made this particular batch with walnuts instead of pine nuts to try something new. The results were great! I did, however, add too much garlic, so I will be sure to cut it down to one clove instead of two next time. I adapted Martha Stewart's Every Day Food recipe found [here]and added lemon juice as well.

Vintage Fabric Stacks

I will have a few fabric stacks hitting the shop in the next few days! The set pictured here is full of fun novelty fabrics and oodles of lovely prints! All of these pieces are larger and size. You can find the listing in the shop soon! I will also have four listings of cute charm packs of smaller sized pieces. Perfect for crafting!

Thrifted Umbrella Stand DIY

Today I did a quick afternoon DIY project. I found this metal umbrella stand at the thrift store yesterday for $4.99 Naturally, I scooped it up right away for that price and made a mental "to do" to pick up some cheap black spray paint. So, this morning I walked to my local hardware store and picked up a $2.49 can of matte black spray paint.

Back at home, I tapped off the top of the can where I didn't want the black paint to be. I could have been a little more creative here with the design, but I wanted to stay simple. After tapping off the top section of the can, I took it outside, placed it on a tarp, and lightly sprayed layer after layer of the paint onto the can using the same direction. (side to side)

 

 

In the end, I think it came out nicely. Next time, I would opt for the $3 more for better spray paint. But, me being thrifty for this project, I am happy with the total of $7.48!