Quick Change: Red, White and Blue!

Welcome to my living room!  Well, its not exactly 'dressed' yet in this picture!  I was lucky enough to get new furniture this past year and I decided I would go with a neutral 'palette' that would make it easy to decorate for the holidays.  I LOVE to decorate for the holidays and when the boys were young, they loved coming home from school and seeing the house transformed.  Now that they are out of the house, I needed to find a way to decorate a little simpler, since I do not have so many hands to help anymore!

The neutral couch would be perfect for changing out pillows, the coffee table will get a runner and centerpiece, and the small shabby shelf above the couch, could hold some seasonal trinkets.  The shelf holds small, cherished photos of my grandparents all the time, but it has space for a few treasures!

  I found the vintage bicentennial tin plate with an eagle on it at a thrift store so I put it on the small gold easel.  The salt glazed pitcher and a deep red candle in a pewter candlestick add a bit of color and the metal star from Joann's Fabric Store balances the bright red of the candle. 

The coffee table vignette!  I first placed a neutral linen tablecloth I found at Homegoods, down the middle of the table.  Next came the vintage piecrust pedestal mirror - I found it that day with Margaret at the Sacramento Antique Fair.  I was so excited when I saw it because it was the nicest one I had seen in years, and in years - I had to have it for my collection. The deal was sealed when the kind lady came down $20 from her original asking price!  I added a vase, darling little crystal creamer, apothecary jar and a red vintage candy dish - to which I added (in order!) some flags and a baseball, penny candy sticks, red, white and blue poker chips, and a family favorite - Hershey's Kisses in the candy dish!

Fourth of July is enchanting for children . . .and adults!  It just brings out the child in all of us thus the reason I had to add some of my cherished collection of Boyd's Bears to my decor.  This red bear sits atop a vintage ammunitions box topped with a vintage lace hankie.  I painted the flag table years ago when three other neighbors and I all had toddlers at home.  We did country craft shows together and called ourselves 'Four Friends' - cherished memories!

Now for my quick change pillows!  I took a plain red and white striped pillow. . .

. . . and laid a large star-spangled cloth  napkin on an angle over the top of the pillow.  I folded the napkin back over the top of the pillow and safety pinned it to the back of the pillow, making sure the safety pins wouldn't show. By using safety pins, I can remove the napkin and change it out to a different one for a different season!  I needed to secure the napkin to the front of the pillow so something that will be pretty since it will show . . .

I dug into by jewelry box for some brooches!  I used a vintage sun brooch to pin down the point on the top of the pillow. Luckily, I had two sun brooches for my two pillows.  Star brooches, or even rhinestone brooches would work for the Fourth of July!  Done! You can adapt this method to any holiday.  The red and white striped pillows do triple duty for me - I can leave them as they are for a nautical look or for a candy cane Christmas! But the addition of a colorful napkin affixed with a vintage brooch and the pillows are only limited by your creativity!

Here's a close up of my other sun brooch!

Abracadabra! The quick change is complete!  A tall tin flower pitcher filled with red geraniums and white mums grounds the coffee table centerpiece.  I found the blue denim print pillow at The Tattered House, the fleur-de-lis pillow at Restoration Hardware and the red pillow with the shell accent at Homegoods.

 As empty nesters, my husband and I have lots of quiet times in the house.  The days of three boys running in and out the doors are gone for now and we can display mercury glass candlesticks on our fireplace hearth which we would never have done when they were all at home.  A photo and the teddy bear are reminders of those wild Fourth of July's when we saw sparklers and smoking snakes scar our patios. 

So from all of us, to all of you - have a Cherished Fourth!

Sacramento Antique Fair

In my days as a first grade teacher, I would often read the classic Three Billy Goats Gruff to my students.  The repetitive text was one of their favorites as they echoed the troll "Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?!"  In the case of the Sacramento Antique Fair, they would have to change the echo to "Who's that trip-trapping UNDER my bridge?!!"

Beneath the freeway bridges at 21st and W-X street in Sacramento, there are lots of treasures, and yes, you may even find a vintage troll or two!  Held the second Sunday of every month, The Sacramento Antique Fair has grown to be one of jewels of Sacramento. 

Under beautiful blue skies this past Sunday, I had the pleasure of introducing my friend, Margaret, to the fair.  We arrived early, found parking easily, paid our $3 entrance fee and we were in!  Watching my friends' jaws drop is something I cherish!  Margaret was no exception - she was in awe of the numerous vendors, and the selection of merchandise.  As I was explaining pretty much anything can be found at this fair, we walked by these 4 foot bunnies!

I mean, seriously, where else can you find four foot bunnies?!  They would be great for a store window display for perhaps Easter?  Since Margaret and I were not in the market for 4 foot bunnies we moved on!

 

  I found this vintage train case at the Sac Antique Fair months ago and I bought it with the intention of reselling it at Melange but . . . I loved it so much I couldn't give it up!  So when I came across another one I had to check it out to see if it was better in anyway.  The new one has initials of the previous owner as well as the original 'Samsonite' label on it's underside so you guessed it!  I bought it to keep for myself and now this one is on sale at Melange!  I have an affinity for old suitcases but I'll save that story for another post!

Vintage dresses, hats, purses are plentiful!  If you ever need the perfect costume, this is the place to come!  So many decades are represented, 

from the gold rush days to "Mad Men" days!

We saw vintage fur coats, stoles, jackets, hats - you name it!  There were all kinds - rabbit, mink, sable, and even those little scarf like ones with the fox heads and feet still attached - decided not to take a picture of those!

Its always fun to treasure hunt for a particular item!  Margaret searched all the tables filled with vintage dishware for candlewick crystal and Fostoria!  

She found a beautiful candlewick relish dish and a candlewick tab handled dish from two different vendors.  These will be cherished reminders of her first visit to the Fair!

Antique and vintage furniture is everywhere to be found down under the freeway! Dressers, mirrors, beds, cafe sets, armoires, bookcases - some with the original finish, some have been refinished - I plan on painting this headboard I bought. If you like super chippy style or refined, you will love the variety the Antique Fair offers.  Even if you don't need furniture, it is fun to look at!

My oldest son, Max, came with me one day and looked at all the vintage guns and tools. Alex, my youngest, came with me to the May show and found a vintage Bourbon decanter to celebrate his 21st birthday!  One look at the picture above shows the variety of treasures to view - a chest of flatware, a vintage scale, Chinese checker board, wicker and bamboo side tables, and a bobble head dog like we used to see in the back of cars!  Just goes to show you, one man's trash is another man's treasure!

See that little sailor boy riding that seagull?  I found him on a previous visit!  He won my heart and I bought him but had no idea what I was going to do with him until I got home.  Somebody was kind enough to bring him to the Sac Antique Fair 

instead of tossing him in the trash. 

 Now he resides over the vignette that includes a photo of my three sons when they were much younger.  He reminds me of how I used to dress my boys in cute sailor outfits to take their picture.  I wonder - what is his story?  Just a fleeting glance over a vendors table and the sailor boy jogged a memory of the day I took Max, then 2 years old, to get his photograph taken. I'll post the picture when I find it!!

Margaret and I had a great time that day. As Margaret walked the aisles at the fair, she spotted numerous items that were inherited by her generation from her Aunt Celie or Grandma Erica - the items were once cherished by them, and now remained with a new generation to be part of making new memories.  And that's why I cherish this show - from the vendors, to the shoppers, to the merchandise - so many treasures waiting to be found and so many stories waiting to be told!

Melange - Historic Folsom

Historic Folsom is a quaint little area just east of Sacramento, California. There are numerous antique shops, gift shops, art galleries and eateries. Melange does not fit in any of these categories and can only be described as unique! Melange has vintage, antique, re-purposed, handmade and new items but the overall look and feel in the store is shabby chic with a french twist.

I rent a room in the back of the store where I set up vignettes, tablescapes, and arrange my furniture and other vintage items for sale. I will be posting new additions to my space as well as feature some of the other creative women and their wares here on my blog! So click the "follow me" button or sign up for email - you will get a message telling you I have a new posting! Meanwhile, check out these great furniture pieces that just came in Saturday!

This sweet rocking chair used to be pale yellow and had a worn fabric seat - I sanded it down, painted it antique white and added the pink paisley fabric - now it is ready for a little princess! I also have two vintage white hobnail glass lamps with shades I covered in the same paisley fabric to match! The pedestal table was found with worn and cracked varnish on the tabletop - lots of sanding and three coats of fresh paint and this 42" diameter table is ready for a young family or kitchen nook.

This vintage cupboard has all sorts of storage space - two large drawers on the bottom as well as the three smaller drawers inside make this a great piece for someone looking for extra storage. I love the detailing at the bottom and the vintage glass hardware. Use it in a room where there is no closet, to store scrap booking supplies, or even a kid's room for toys and books. Kelly was so excited when she found it and almost didn't bring it in the store to sell!



Stacy just brought in this huge beautiful chest of drawers! This is a statement piece that would definitely add that "WOW!" factor to any room. I could see this piece in a bedroom with either French, Victorian, Coastal or even Colonial decor. It would be a beautiful wedding gift for a new couple or gift for a recent college grad with her first job!


Lastly - a beautiful re-purposed piece by Jennie! Jennie transformed this vintage window into a display cupboard! The chipped window frame has worn edges with multiple colors showing through that add to the character of this piece. Jennie built a box with weathered boards and added two hinges to make this cupboard. It is a perfect for a shabby chic room to display a collection or even to store perfumes or accessories in a powder room!

All of these pieces can be seen at Melange - 307 Riley Street in Historic Folsom, California. Store hours are Tuesdays - Sundays from 11am - 5 pm.

If you need any more information about any of these pieces you can email me:
susan@cherishhome.com or call the store (916)357-5800