Kettle Korner Kottage

Happy Tuesday!

2012-03-06T11:15:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday didn't turn out quite as planned. I had planned to spend the day working an a project that I have going, but I thought that I had come across a cabinet that I have had in mind for my birthday canisters and collection. Well, it ended up that it would just be another project, so for now, I am just thinking about it! If you know me, you know that I am the Queen of Unfinished Projects. Not that I give up on them, but that life gets in the way and time slips away too fast. If only I had a maid! LOL

But as you see from the picture above that wasn't suppose to post there but insisted that it came first, you can see that my trip into the city to look at the cabinet was not a bust!

I found these wonderful jadeite plates for 15.00 for all 4. I was sure that was a mistake but no, it was all four for one price! I don't buy very much jadeite anymore because of the price, but I couldn't pass this bargin up!

This is what I have been up to lately. I am hoping to spend the rest of the day sanding cabinet doors outside. We are to be up to 72 today but the wind is absolutely horrible outside. That is life in the Midwest, though. You just learn to deal with the wind.

As for the cabinets, I hope to be done with them soon. There is so much to be done outside. I have cleaning, painting, building, and planting to do. Yes, if only I had a maid! Someone to do laundry, to cook, and to tend to cleaning! I would call her Alice, of course! But since it is my job to tend to the house chores, I have to use my time wisely as every housewife already knows!

I have no plans to do Rednesday this week, but be sure to hop on over to Sue's to enjoy the REDS this week!

Blessings

Mecky

Rednesday 2/28/12

2012-02-28T16:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Rednesday!

Isn't this the sweetest trash can ever?

Does he look familiar? He should if you read My Vintage Mending! Renee is the sweetest blogging friend and Kansas neighbor. She knew I really liked it. You can read about this trash can here.

It will have a special place along with it's matching cousins, never to have trash tossed it ever again!

If you want to see more REDS, join Sue and Friends over at It's A Very Cherry World

Spring is on it's way here in Kansas. I found my first spiders already! I just know the bugs are going to be the size of dinosuars this year. But hasn't it been such a nice Winter?

Blessings

Mecky

Don't look too close to my new red step stool the trash can is sitting on. I shared one I bought some time back but then found this one. It will get a new fresh coat of paint soon. I could not pass on this one since it is so much sturdier. Plus the price was so good. I will share it later when it gets prettied up! LOL

Thank you

2012-02-27T12:39:00.000-06:00

I want to say Thank You for the help that was offered to me to fix my blog. Also Thank You to the nice comments.

All is fixed!!
But I want to warn you all, DO NOT click onto the "Try the updated Blogger interface" that is at the top of the page. I made that mistake and wasn't able to get back. When I did, I was only able to view my dashboard. I tried and tried to post but only once did the page come up, only giving me a tiny space to write on. I did download Google Chrome like it suggested but that did not help.

I did search on Google Help but didn't find anything. But then something did come up. This question could of been written by me. I had the same thing happen at the same time. http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=1d958185b14b33f0&hl=en
This helped me alot. So if you do make the mistake of clicking onto the link above, give this a try.

Thank you to the person who posted the question that helped me fix my problem!

One nice thing to happen through this has been my talk with Carissa. We chatted for awhile and she lifted my spirit up. I am so thankful for that! Thank you, Carissa!

Have a great week. I will try to post for Rednesday this week. I have something special to share!!

Mecky

Painting Update

2012-02-23T19:52:00.003-06:00

I am having blogging trouble so please bare with me. I made the mistake of clicking onto the new dashboard look. Since, I have not been able to post or change anything. In fact, I am surprised that this page opened. But it isn't quite right. I have just a little tiny area to type onto. I don't know what to do, so if anyone has any advice, Please share it!

I wanted to update you all on my painting. The walls are painted but everyting isn't back in place. I did do a little painting of the beadboard but the special paint that I am using is so strong that I will have to wait until it warms up alot outside in order to have the windows open so we can breath.
The paint color is a tad lighter than what it was. I didn't think I was going to be happy with it, but I really do like it afterall.

Have a great week.

Mecky

Rednesday 2/15/12

2012-02-14T15:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day

I had a neat vintage card picture for you but apparently it is one of the pictures I lost recently.

So I will move on to Rednesday!

As you may know, I have been on a quest to find matching pieces for my "Birthday" canisters. I have been doing well, but finding a decent breadbox has not been easy. Well, finally last week, I just happend to take another look that day to see if anything new had shown up on Ebay. Sure enough, there one was! It had just been listed and it was a Buy It Now at a very decent price! It wasn't perfect, but better than any that I have seen lately.

Although my camera is showing the color rather faded, it is actually very bright! I know that I need to turn my flash off at certain times, but I honestly haven't figured out how to do that. LOL!

I would still like to find a breadbox in near mint condition, but this one will do for now.

For more REDS this week, join Sue at It's a Very Cherry World.

Blessings

Mecky

I'm So Excited!

2012-02-11T10:04:00.000-06:00

Good Saturday Morning!

I want to thank you all for the sweet anniversary wishes and for the sweet comments on my canisters! Even though we didn't get to go on our trip, we did have a great day out together! Today's post shows how this guy actually pays attention to what I'm looking out for!

Some years ago my neighbor had shown me something she found in her house after they bought it. The couple who lived there before were in their 90's and they didn't throw anything away. She hung it in her laundry room and I thought that it was something I really needed for mine. So I have kept my eyes open.

Yesterday when my husband was on the way home, he called to tell me of an estate sale in Wellington, Ks. It was to be loaded and things were to be 25% off. I didn't really want to drive that far for a sale, but then thought "Why Not?".

I didn't see anything that was worth the price that I wanted. I was ready to go when my husband came up from the basement. I wasn't going to bother with going down there. He said "There is something down there I think you will want". So I went to look and sure enough, there was!! So for a whole 75 cents, I finally have

THIS!!

I really didn't think that I would ever find one. Most of these would of been tossed many years ago. Funny how the smallest things can make me so happy!

I don't know what the K stands for. Any ideas?

As you can tell by the picture, I have not gotten to my walls yet. You can still see drip marks from cleaning off the glue. I have had so much going and have got to get to this today. I started prepping the walls, but haven't had a chance to finish. I have to get back to repairs, sanding, cleaning, taping and painting!! My pantry room is full of old kitchen "goodies" that I am ready to get back in their places.

As for the mop handle, I don't know exactly where it will hang just yet.

Winter has decided to show up this week. Thursday evening, I got caught out in the snow! Huge beautiful flakes fell as I was driving home. Thankfully the streets never did get slick. We didn't get much but there is still some on the ground! This morning the wind chill is 5 below. Probably the coldest it has been all Winter. I am staying in and getting a chance to work on the walls!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Mecky

Rednesday 2/8/12

2012-02-07T20:18:00.001-06:00

I have dated this title as 2/8/12, but in truth it is still 2/7/12. Twenty-Five years ago today I married my best friend! I have done alot of stupid things in my life, but that was NOT one of them! LOL. He has been a great husband and a great father to our children. He is kind to me and works hard so that I could be home with our children and continue to be home to this day. He is a funny, witty man! It has been a great 25 years.

Happy Anniversary, Babe.

This past Sunday was the monthly Flea market in my area. It was early this month plus was held on Super Bowl Sunday, so it wasn't a very good one. But I did find a few things before it was time to leave to get to church on time. This canisters is one of them. Isn't it great? It is almost like new and the price was very decent! I also found some old 40's magazines!

Today my sweet husband took the day off so that we could go have some fun. We had plans to leave town but we weren't able to for now, so we went out to play. We went antiquing. I found a few odds and ends that I was looking for. I also gave in and picked up these canisters that I had been eye-balling for months now. The dealer marked them down, so I thought I better grab them this time. There is a large canister to the set but it isn't in great shape, so I left it out of the picture. These on the other hard are in near perfect condition!

Since it was snowing today and we thought that it was best not to get out late, we decided to go out for lunch instead of dinner. The place we had picked wasn't open yet, so we headed to some place else. On the way, we stopped at a new little antique shop in the Delano distict in Wichita. There wasn't much there, but what was there was nice. I spied a little green knob. My husband spied two more. I asked the owner what he wanted for them. He said "Oh, how about 1.50 each?" Of course, I didn't hesitate. Most of mine are reproduction and I want to eventually find enough old ones to replace them. They usually go too high.

For more Reds hop on over to It's a Very Cherry World.

Happy Rednesday!

Mecky

Rednesday 2/1/12

2012-01-31T12:46:00.001-06:00

Happy Rednesday!

These are a few things that I had stashed away. I use to collect all things Schillings. I packed them away along with several other pieces when I took down the little wall cabinet that I use to keep them in. I need to find a new home for them in my kitchen or soon-to-be Pantry Room.

Remember these cansiters that I bought myself for my birthday? I have been looking for different items that were sold to match. You may remember that I recently bought the cake carrier that wasn't quite as nice, but was brightly colored and not faded. Well, last week I came across this match box holder. It was a Buy It Now off of Ebay. The price was very steep, so I got my nerve up to see if she would go less on it. She did. I still paid dearly for it, but I am sure I will never come across another one as nice as this one. Like the canisters, I doubt it was ever used. I don't have these things displayed in the kitchen just yet. I am wanting to find a glass covered cabinet to display them in.

I should of left this picture out. I do not know how to turn the flash off of my old camera and the light made the red checks look faded. They are nice and bright, not faded at all.

These are some more of the things I came across the other day that I had stashed. This coffee tins is one of my favoites. The red enameled dish was my grandmothers. My aunt gave it to me a few years ago. Grandma kept her butter in it.

I wish that I could bottle up the weather today and share it will each of you. It is warm and beautiful. I have one of my kitchen windows open. This morning, the air smelled of Spring.

Update on the kitchen walls: I have the glue off the walls!! There may be a trace here and there, but nothing bad. I still have prep work to do and as soon as I can, I will paint. My son had surgery and I am getting ready to have the house rewired, so I have had to put it on the back burner. I do have my paint, which I hope I am going to be happy with the color. I was never happy with the color I had but lived with it for 7 years! I won't do that this time!

For more REDS to brighten your day, head on over to It's A Very Cherry World.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You

Mecky

Rednesday

2012-01-24T14:22:00.002-06:00

(I am" updating" this post because I forgot to add this picture of the other side of the tin. I wish it had shown up at the end of the post but I guess I didn't do it right)

I have been debating weather to share this old tin or not. It is so beat up, but it is one of my favorites! I bought it over ten years ago.

Aren't the graphics great? The tin is actually a little more yellowed than the picture is showing.But it is aperfect yellowing!

So what are you having for lunch today? It is after 2 here and I haven't eaten lunch yet. I had no idea what sounded good until I took this picture.

Join Sue for Rednesday this week.

Happy Rednesday

Mecky

Spring Cleaning?

2012-01-21T17:10:00.000-06:00

No, I am not Spring Cleaning, but it may be an easier job than what I am doing? I am still working on the walls in my spare time. I appreciate all of the ideas on taking the wallpaper glue off. The best thing that has worked for me is warm water with alittle wallpaper dissolver and some scraping. Then I have been going back over it with a green scratch pad. Once I am done with that, I will go back over it with vinegar. I absolutely hate the smell of it. It gives me the biggest headache.
Taking care of these walls are doing my knees in. Up and down the ladder is hard on them! It ain't easy getting old! LOL!!!

Since I wanted to share with you my old Bon Ami things, I thought I would slip in this old ad from 1943 that matches the box and bar I have. Now if I could ever run across that great can of Bon Ami in the picture! I have used Bon Ami in the past, but I have to be honest, I prefer Bar Keeper's Friend. It is an excellent cleanser. If you come across it in liquid, grab it! It works wonders on shower walls. For you all that love your enameled cast iron pots, it works wonders on them, too.
I want thank my new followers and I also want to thank you all for the nice comments. I am having such a hard time opening some of your comment pages to comment on your blogs. I don't know if it is my computer or blogger. I hope things get back to normal soon.

I hope you are having a fun. Stay warm!

Mecky

What a Mess

2012-01-16T14:22:00.000-06:00

I have been taking the border off my kitchen walls. This isn't turning out quite as easy as I thought that it would be. There is glue that just isn't coming off. Plus, while fighting to take the molding off, I have created a few extra holes that I have to now fill.
If anyone has a good idea on how to get the glue off the walls, I would love to hear about it.

I am itching to get to the painting now, but can't until I have the walls prepared. I could learn to have some patience about now! I have a bad cold and am not feeling like doing much of anything today.

I also need to learn how to grow old gracefully! I will be 50 later this year and it is starting to get to me. I honestly don't feel that I can be this old yet. My 40's have zoomed by so fast. It doesn't help when my husband has people telling him that he looks younger than what he is. It started about a year ago when he was with my brother-in-law. Someone he knows asked him if my brother-in-law was his father. Then recently, he was with my son and someone he was talking to said they thought him and my son were brothers.(yea, right. Much OLDER brother) Now as of yesterday, he was talking to our oldest daughter at work and her co-worker said that he didn't look old enough to be her father. I know I should be happy for him, right? It really boost his ego! What guy doesn't want that? I have got to figure out what it is that he is doing right and do so myself. But until then, I guess I will be smearing on the night cream extra thick to hold off the wrinkles. (Let's hope that his youthful looks aren't associated with youthful behavior. hehehe)

Until Later
Mecky

Rednesday!

2012-01-11T19:14:00.002-06:00

It's already another Rednesday! This week I think I will share with you some Ebay finds that have come in the mail! I bought this cake carrier to match my red canisters. I really should of held out for one that was in near perfect condition, but this one was bright and really not that bad. There are some dents, but the paint is great. Now if I could just get my hands one a super nice bread box!!

This red Rooster is another thing that was on my Must-Have list. Only everytime I saw one, which was not very often, they went way too high. I was comfortable with the price of this one. I think he is just so cute!

I also bought this timer recently. You should hear this guy tick! He is solid, unlike new ones.

The reason this guy was on my Must-Have list is because I came across the faded one in one of my favorite shops. He was super cheap because of his condition. I thought I would repaint him, but decided I would look for another one.

For more Reds, hop on over to It's a Very Cherry World! Be sure to wish Sue a Happy Rednesday Anniversary!!!

I am also joining up with http://www.etsycottagestyle.blogspot.com/2012/01/whats-cookin.html for some vintage kitchen fun!

Here in Kansas, Winter finally showed up. Yesterday my computer said 62 degrees. It was absolutely beautiful. Today it is so cold and the wind is blowing. It is lightly snowing. If we had more snow, we would be having a blizzard!

Happy Rednesday!!
Mecky

A Bit of History

2012-01-06T13:26:00.000-06:00

I came across some articles that I am hoping to share from time to time. These give a look into the life of the American Housewife of the 1940's. This article is from 1942.

#4. Yes, you read that right. Plywood Springs. I would like to see a picture of that!
#5. Oh no, not hair pins. If you have lived with anyone who used hairpins, this could of been a blessing!!

I am sorry that I do not have a working scanner in order to bring these to you in a more neatly manner. You may need to click onto the pictures in order to enlarge them to read more clearly.

For the housewives of my generation, we have lived through times of plenty. Having to do without meant that we couldn't afford everyday things, not that they were not available. Our country has been blessed.

I hope that you have a enjoyable weekend

Mecky

First Rednesday of the New Year

2012-01-03T13:34:00.000-06:00

Have you jumped on the "organizing" bandwagon? I have, sort of. Every new year and every new school year, I get so fired up to have everything just perfect. But you know what? I don't achieve it. Not perfectly. I am not a perfect person. I really don't expect things to be totally perfect, but I would like to get close! For once in my life, at least! I do want some changes in my life and having things in order will make life so much easier. So little by little, I can make those changes. Like Flylady says...BabySteps. With BabyStep, I can achieve so much more than if I were to jump in with both feet, only to lose my balance and fall flat on my face. From Rosewood Cottage,(sweet blog), I found this Calendar on her links. I love her ideas to work on each day. Unlike Kelly's Missions from Flylady, these don't repeat over and over each month. She has some excellent ideas to get things in order. Even if you do have a perfectly organized home, her ideas are very useful.

Now on the Rednesday....

I had been looking for this pattern for some time. I found these on Ebay last month. With all of the Christmas shopping, it was nice to have alittle something for me to come to the door. In fact, I also had the yellow bread box come for me, too! I haven't decided exactly where I am going to put these guys just yet. Things will be changing a little bit in my kitchen, so I will be waiting to display them. I wish my changes included new counter tops, but sadly, we are not going to be doing that just yet. I will be repainting and also painting the cabinets. I am so excited about painting the cabinets. I had to do alot of talking to get my husband to agree! I have had to put it one hold, so I am hoping to be able to get to them soon.

I am not sure how old these are. Maybe the 40's? The paint comes off easily, unlike some of my other canisters. The metal is very thin, also. I adore the tulips and enjoy looking at them. Red and green look so great together.

I am linking up with Sue for Rednesday. You can enjoy more reds there if you would like to visit her.

Now, back to decluttering.

Have a Happy Rednesday!
Mecky

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T11:49:00.001-06:00

It is now time to push back the old year and unlock the new. I usually am not excited about the old year slipping away so fast, but this year is different. I am looking forward to it. The past year has been a series of bad things happening to my family. People hurting and taking advantage of us. I am ready to lock 2011 away and opening the door for a new one to begin!
This year I am hoping to accomplish all the things on my list and have those things marked off. Is it wrong to pray that I will not be needed by others as much? I feel selfish for thinking that. But I so want to get to the things I haven't been able to. I pray that the weather will also allow me to work on the things I need to. I have to do my part in accomplishing my goals. I need to use my time wisely. I need to spend money wisely. I need to ask for help from my husband politely and not just expect him to jump in and help me out. But mostly, I pray that things will become easier for my children. I pray that they will be allowed to be happy once again.
This year I need to remember to reflect more on God's love and to allow him to control my every step and not try to walk it alone. In everything that I want to accomplish, I need to remember that He may have other things that are more important for me to do. I need to remember not to find myself upset when I need to do for others. What good are my accomplishments when I push loved ones aside to achieve them?

I pray for a Happy New Year for each one of you and that this new year bring you much love and joy!

Mecky

A New Addition!

2011-12-26T17:06:00.000-06:00

Last week, I gave in to temptation. A friend told me about this breadbox on Etsy. She knew I had the canisters and thought I would like the breadbox, too. Yep, I sure did. But I hestitated to two reasons. One, it isn't in near perfect condition. Two, I really didn't need to be buying myself anything. So I thought I would wait. But I would find myself checking out Esty to see if it was still there. I finally decided that it was non-sense and that I should go ahead and buy it. The seller had it shipped out in no time and I had it by Saturday!! WooHoo! Why did I wait? It looks great on top of the Hoosier.

The hidden corner has a dent and some of the paint is missing on the side. No one can tell. It is bright and not faded like some I have seen. It does have some rust, but nothing that takes away from it.

I bought this matchbox from Esty, too. It is in excellent condition! It is funny that I have some yellow in my kitchen. Green and red are my favorite colors. When I brought home the canisters, I was surprised how well I liked them in my kitchen!

Here is the little corner shelf in the picture above. It is an Ebay find from some years back. I had another corner shelf that matches it up there, but decided I liked this best. I need to find a place for the other one....someday.

I hope everyone reading had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was very nice.
Today the guys are out and about. I took some time for myself. I went to walk around the antique mall. I wasn't looking for anything special. I just wanted to get away. It looks like we will have a decent week. I am hoping that when I am not babysitting, I can get outside.

Happy New Year!

Mecky

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T21:34:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas

I wanted to take a few minutes to come in here and say Merry Christmas to everyone who has been so nice to come and visit my blog. You all have left me some really nice comments and they all mean so much to me. I have enjoyed getting to know so many of you.

The picture above is from a post card that I picked up from my dear friend, Rodgie, at her adorable little shop. I believe it is from 1912 or 1914. It is hard to read the postal mark. The picture certainly doesn't do it any justice.

I want to apologize to any of It's a Very Cherry World readers who may come over here from Sue's blog. I decided to delete my post. I felt it was a little too personal. I hope to bring you more reds next week. I just received something red today that I bought on Ebay that I am so excited about. I hope that I can wait that long to share it!

Today we had some beautiful snow in my area. It wasn't very much, just a dusting, but that is ok. Tonight it is to be as low as 18 degrees. I do think I will bring out my Amish heater to have ready to warm the floor first thing in the morning. I would like to run it all night, but am afraid to do so. I am not comfortable leaving something like that going as I sleep. BTW, how many more days is it until Spring?

I hope everyone have a safe and Merry CHRISTmas.

Mecky

PS. For an update on my late package I mentioned in a previous post. I talked to Amazon and they are overnighting me another item. (I should of called them sooner). I am thankful they were so nice about it!

How to Drive the Kids Crazy!

2011-12-19T15:14:00.000-06:00

Buy yourself some Oldies and play them over and over! The kids will get out of your hair in now time!
Actually my kids aren't in my way at all, but they really don't care for the Carpenters. I use to like them and recently have been in the mood to listen to them again. I decided to treat myself to this cd that I ordered while ordering another gift. This came but the gift isn't here yet. I almost forgot about it. According to the tracking, it has been stuck in Kansas City for almost a week. If it is late, it is for my mother and she will be very understanding. Would you believe that I placed the order on 12/1? 19 days later, it isn't here. Thank you Amazon. I will think twice next year. But then, it isn't their fault for it to be stuck in Kansas City. I have been listening to so much Christmas music on the radio, this is such a nice break. I really have had my fill of Christmas music. See what happens when I start listening too early? The cd has everyone of the old songs I liked except for Merry Christmas Darling. That is ok because that song reminds me of an old boyfriend who was off to college the first time I heard it.

This has been the most stress-free year I have ever had. I have my shopping done except waiting on Mom's extra gift. I am not doing any baking. That feels weird. I thought of doing sugar cookies. My dog will be so upset to not have her cookie. If I have time, I will do a few. My mother doesn't want me to go all out cooking. She knew I was so exhausted at Thanksgiving. She and my sisters are going to do the main cooking! So all I have to do is last minute things to get done. You know what the best part of not decorating is? NOT HAVING TO TAKE THEM DOWN!!!

Things will be changing around my house soon. It is a good thing but on the other hand, Grandma is going to be missing some little ones. I have a list of Winter Projects made out, which I have started on today!! WooHoo! I am so lost if I don't have some sort of project going.

Here in my part of Kansas, we are having a thunderstorm while the west part is having a blizzard. I am really hoping to not have snow here. My girls have to work and I would rather they not be out in it.

Have a wonderful week.

Mecky

Everyone needs A Little Christmas

2011-12-15T13:34:00.001-06:00

I thought I would add alittle Christmas to the cubby of the china cabinet that use to belong to my mother-in-law. In my book, it will always be her's. I bought these at a little shop in Derby, Kansas. They were extremely cheap but are good quality. I wish I could find more. This spot needs something more, but it will have to do for now.

I wanted to show you his cute little face, but he came out a little washed out. It was so hard to get the right lighting.

She's alittle washed out, too.

Since Frosty lost his hat when he laid it on the table across the room, he must of had to make do with this red cap.

He doesn't look like he is complaining, though!

It looks as though everyone in Blogland is busy baking and putting the last touches on for Christmas. I do have my shopping done, but don't have a single gift wrapped. I plan to make sugar cookings next week, but that is all. I usually make several different types of candies and cookies. I am not doing that this year because we don't need to have any of that around here, plus with the Grands, I don't have the time. I really do enjoy all of that baking and candy making, though. So far, this year has been rather Stress-free when it has come to preparing!

Blessings
Mecky

Frosty's Hat

2011-12-09T11:55:00.000-06:00

Today I was Blog Hopping to look at some nice Christmas decorations. This year we won't be putting up the tree. It is starting to get to me but I will survive. My daughter is staying here with her children, so having anything their little hands can grab will have to be out of reach. Not having a tree is so much better than having to chase after them!
Today I decided to pull out Frosty's Hat just to look at it. I bought this from a friend's shop. This year she has more but she has spiffied them up and they are even cuter than this one! Sadly, I have to put this away in a little while. The little ones would love to play with it!
I do have my Christmas shopping almost complete. I was going to finish today but decided to stay home. It is cold and gloomy out there! Yesterday was nice and sunny. I had most of the blinds open to let the sunshine in. It gave me a nice lift. I cannot wait til I am able to have all the windows open to let in the fresh air. If only Spring would arrive the week after Christmas! So while I wait for better weather, I have a list of things to do inside and dream of the things that have to get done outside.
I have new neighbors. I don't know much about them, but apparently they are from this area. We had been fortunate to have a wonderful older couple living there. We really miss them. I don't think anyone could ask for better neighbors than they were. He passed away a few years ago and she is now in assisted living.

Time to put Frosty's hat away before little ones find it.

Happy Friday!

Mecky

It's Rednesday Once More

2011-11-30T12:15:00.001-06:00

It's Rednesday and I thought that I would share a couple of dresses I found from a 1942 magazine. The Old-Fashioned Housewife shared how to use pictures from vintage magazines and to add my name to them, I don't have it set up to do so right now. But I decided to share these anyway.
I want this red dress with jacket badly. I wish I was good at looking at a dress and then being able to copy it.

I want this one, too. I love the fabric of both dresses. I wish more women would dress this way. All the way to the hats and gloves. I keep saying that I should of been born when my mother was because I am drawn to the time period when she was young. But the Lord chose for me to be born when I was and I am thankful for that. If I hadn't been, I would most likely not be in good health at this moment. Actually, I would be waiting to die and probably wouldn't of known why. If I were born when my mother was, I would of been a child of the Depression. Although I am sure that it would of been hard, I would of learned to be strong. I would of learn to not be wasteful. I would of learned to be more appreciative of what I have. If I were born when my mother was born, I would of seen the young men I grew up with go off to war. Or I may of had to see my husband or brothers go off to war, who may not be coming home. I may of had to raise my child or children alone. I would of had to ration for groceries, gas and tires. Being from this area, I may of had to work in the Defence Plant. (Which I can say after working for Boeing, I do like the work). If I had been born when my mother was, I may of had to watch my child have polio or any other disease that we are so fortunate to have vaccines for now. If I had been born when my mother was, I may of been able to buy all these vintage things I have now when they were all brand-new, but most likely, they wouldn't be quite as charming to me as they are now. I am not sure on that one, but they would be the norm, so just maybe they wouldn't mean so much. Lastly, if I were born when my mother was, I would be 85 years old. I am not ready to be 50, let alone 85! If I were able to look into the future, being 85 may not be so bad. LOL
I am thankful that I was born in the 60's. I am fortunate to have a bunch of wonderful older sisters who weren't afraid to correct me when needed. I looked up to them and learned from them. I still do. As a child that grew up around Wichita, I was one of the fortunate kids who got to run home from school to watch Santa's Workshop everyday. I knew that Santa was my sisters friend's dad, but it didn't matter. He WAS Santa. If any of you reader grew up around Wichita, you know just what I am saying! Being born when I was, I have been fortunate to be a pre-teen and teen in the 70's. Although in the first years of grade school, I had to wear a dress to school, later I got to wear blue jeans to school. BellBottoms!! Yes, I did say that I wish more woman dressed as they did in the 40's, but come on, who doesn't like to wear jeans? Don't forget the music! I got to listen the Karen Carpenter, Bread, Dan Fogelberg, The Eagles, Boston all the way to Asia. Music hasn't gotten any better than the 70's and early 80's music. (Other than Casting Crown, Third Day and Steven Curtis Chapman). Being born when I was brought my family to the little Mayberry town I grew up in. While some schools in the big cities had policemen walking the halls, we had no need. I doult if we needed to have any police in town. I have treasured memories of the town and the people. I was blessed. I just didn't know it at the time. Being born when I was, I got to meet my husband when I was 10 or 12 for the first time, which lead us into the same path when we were older. I wouldn't have our children which brings me to my grandchildren. So, although there are times when I wish I was born when my mother was, I am fortunate that God placed me at this time and at this place.

Happy Rednesday! Join Sue for more Reds

Mecky

Ma Has A New Kettle

2011-11-21T11:25:00.000-06:00

This is my lastest Ebay find. I don't know why I bought it, I certainly didn't need another green kettle. But the price was only 4.99, so how could I pass that up? (shipping was decent, too.) If you have followed my blog from the beginning you may remember the story of my FAVORITE kettle. The story is here . At the moment, I have that kettle packed away because my grandson was trying to play with it and I didn't want to take a change of it getting scratched or the labels removed.
This kettle arrived with a black bottom and very crusty insides. I took some Bar Keeper's Friend to the bottom being careful not to let it run down the sides taking away the shine. It came off easily. Then I filled the kettle with straight vinegar for two days. I rinsed it and finished cleaning with some more Bar Keepers Friend on the inside. Now I feel comfortable with using it. There are a couple of chips on it, but nothing too bad. I was feeling silly for buying this kettle, but now I am sure glad I did!

Here is a picture of the inside!! Not too bad, huh? I wish I had remembered to take before pictures!

Here is the new with the first one I bought. That's my little matching teapot on the left.

Oops, another look at the inside of the new one!

Another peek of the old. I should of taken a picture of the bottom of the old one. I don't remember it being as bad as it is.

Here is the inside of the old one. I won't bother with using vinegar in this one. It may eat through to the bottom where the rust is! LOL
Now I have got to stop buying these things. I have two more besides the ones I have shown on my blog.

The weather here really bites this morning. Saturday, I was able to get outside and work in the yard. I decided to sit on the back steps and work on a project while it was nice out. At 2, the front came through, but I stayed out as long as I could. I have been freezing since! We went from 70 to 50 somthing in no time. Getting out for church yesterday wasn't easy. I wanted to stay in a warm bed all day! Right now it is 37 degrees. Too cold for me! I am ready for Spring. I will be whinning all Winter until Spring gets here. I just have to keep telling myself that it could be 110 degrees outside instead!

I have a busy week ahead and not so sure I will get a chance to post again. If I don't get back, I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am hoping to make it a nice one here. It will be the first year we will have a Thanksgiving without my father in law. My kids are having a hard time with the anniversary of his death coming up. They were very close to him. He loved them and did so much for them. They loved him and feel as though they didn't let him know that enough. I know he knew that they loved him. Even though he isn't here, we have so much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving

Ma/Mecky

It's Rednesday!!!

2011-11-15T16:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Rednesday! Yesterday I ran across these spice holders that I had stashed. Two of them came from a friend. They had belonged to her mother. One I found for $6.00 at Paramount. I have had them stashed because I am not sure were to hang them. It's not that I don't like them. I think they are so neat. But figuring out the perfect stop isn't easy. Once I get my cabinets painted white, I am thinking of hanging them where my old wooden spice cabinet is. The only bad thing is that I am afraid the sun will come in and fade them. I could hang them where my Martha Stewart spice shelf is, but it holds my spices and is way too handy to give up.

Maybe I could hang my MS spice shelf where the spice cabinet is. That might work, but I think that it might be too large for that area.
So until I figure out a perfect spot, I guess I should leave them out so I won't forget about them!

Hop on over to Sue's for more REDS this week!

Have a Happy Rednesday!!!

Mecky

Can you help?

2011-11-10T20:51:00.001-06:00

Do you happen to have this pattern? I won the bid on one like it last week. The seller forgot to mention that the instructions weren't included. She refunded me some of the money and I thought I might be able to figure out, with the help of a friend, how to put view number 2 together.
If you have the pattern, could you share the instructions with me? I have some questions about it. I am hoping not to have to buy another pattern, but that may be my only option.

Thank you

I wanted to update this post and let you all know that the lady who I bought the pattern from refunded all of my money and told me to go ahead and keep the pattern. I thought that was really sweet of her. I bought another pattern from another lady on Etsy. So I will have the instructions and a choice of sizes.
Thank you for taking to time to read and also leave comments!

mecky

Bakelite

2011-11-08T16:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Rednesday!
I have been collecting this red bakelite pattern for a few years. I was very fortunate last year to come upon several pieces at Paramount. They were in almost perfect condition and much better than the ones I already had. Sadly, the spoons were more of an orangie color, so I passed on them. I have been on the hunt for more tablespoons to complete a set of ten. I found some at another antique mall in downtown Wichita, but she wanted 80 some dollars for all of her reds(about 7 pieces), which didn't match nor were in decent condition. So I found some on Ebay to finish my set. $14.00. I was hoping they would arrive in time to do this post, but no luck.

I sure wish I only had to pay $5.95 for this set of six, but I wasn't around in 1946.

This is the book that I found the ad in. I have had this book for a few years now and still enjoy thumbing through it. There are alot of ads for old kitchen products along with some pictures of vintage kitchens.

I found this little guy in that antique mall in downtown Wichita. He is only about the size of a half dollar. He was just too cute to pass up!

For more reds, pop on over to Sue's and see what reds others are sharing this week!

By the way, did you hear about Oklahoma's earthquake Saturday night? It shook us all the way in Kansas. My washer was on the spin cycle and all of a sudden, the room started shaking. I jumped up thinking that my washer must of been off-cycle and ended up in the middle of the laundry room. My washer was fine. My son came running out of his room saying his tv about fell and my husband came in asking if I felt that. Soon my daughter in Wichita called to ask if we felt it. I knew by then it had to of been an earthquake. Oklahoma had one that morning. I turned on the tv and the news was on saying just what we had figured. It was a 5.6 quake. Would you believe that Oklahoma was hit again last night. Several people here felt it, but I didn't. Poor Oklahoma. Tornadoes and an earthquake the same day.

Blessings

Mecky

Hoosier Saves Steps

2011-10-27T14:27:00.001-05:00

This is an old Hoosier sign that was made to hang on the wall in a furniture store of a Hoosier dealership. It should have the name of the store printed on the bottom but had been cut off. It was found nailed to the back of an old washstand. You can see where water has damaged it. I imagine that there was alot of smoking done around it for it to be so yellowed. The water running down it was the worst thing for it, but I wanted it anyway. These don't come long everyday.The picture is a 1927 Hoosier, I believe. That would make it 84 years old or so. I do wish it was in better condition.
My husband bought it for me at an auction. He was pretty determined for me to have it, since I have had a thing for Hoosier cabinets for years. Let's just say that there were alot of men who wanted it, too.
I had it hung up in the laundry room for awhile, but took it down til I had it framed. I decided I needed to go ahead and hang it back up. The paint is very fragile and flakes off easily and even though it isn't framed yet, it is safer on the wall.

I want to add that you may be able to buy a reproduction of this sign. Kennedy Hardware has had one of their signs reproduced for sale. I had my eyes on it years ago but never bought one.

About the Flour bin "Fluffer" that I mentioned in my previous post. I looked it up in my "Indiana Cabinets" book and it shows a page in a booket that says the "Fluffer" is called an "Agitater." Like I mentioned, it was to help move the flour down to the sifter.

Happy Thursday
Mecky

Happy Rednesday

2011-10-26T13:06:00.000-05:00

This weekend was the big flea market. I almost didn't go, but was glad I did. I told myself that I was not going to come home with things I really didn't need. There wasn't much I wanted so I was glad that I was not tempted! I spied 4 little spice jars. Ever since I redid the ones that I showed in an earlier post, I was hoping to find more so I could use the cherry decals. I first found the two in the back. Then about a month ago, I found the two with the shaker lids. I knew I had to grab those.When I saw the 4 in the front at the flea market, I knew I needed them! Now I have a set to use.
The dish drainer was not a flea market find. I did see one there, but it wasn't as cute, so after we were done, we drove out to Paramount and bought the one I saw first! I was pleased to find out that it was marked down, too. I know it is a silly buy, but I could not get it off my mind. Everytime I thumbed through my old 1948-58 Ladies Home Journals and saw those Rubbermaid ads showing one similar to it, I wanted it more. I usually don't hand wash my dishes, but there are some things that just don't go in the dishwasher. I usually use a drying mat, but this will make dishwashing fun. (or so I am telling myself that)!

This is inside of my 1920 Hoosier cabinet.

This flour bin was given to me before I even found this Hoosier. Notice that there isn't a knob above the hook as you usually see on this style of bin. That is because it actually goes to an older model.

But I found this baby for 15.00 at the flea market. It doesn't have the sifter with the gearbox but it has the fluffer knob. I am not sure that is what it is called, but that is what I call it. It moves a wire inside that moves the flour so that it comes down to the sifter. I will put the sifter onto it and switch it out. Then use the first bin in another cabinet I have that should have this style. But that won't happen very soon. Maybe a Spring project.

I am joining Sue for Rednesday

Best Wishes
Mecky

Meet Mecki

2011-10-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

I have had people ask me about my name. Most people think it is a nickname. It isn't. I am the last of 6 girls.(+ two half-sisters). I am sure my mom ran out of ideas for a name, so she named me after a girl she went to school with, Mecky. I hated my name growing up. I felt like an oddball. When it came to finding anything with my name on it, I was always disappointed.
One day I met a German lady. After I told her what my name was, she chuckled and explained to me about a cartoon in Germany. I found out that my name was German, which was funny because my maiden name was German, too. My dad's grandparents came from Germany in the 1860's or 1870's and my mother's grandparents were from Germany in the 1800's, also. My parents didn't know that Mecky was a German name. My grandfather knew German but wouldn't teach it to his children. I have never bothered to learn. If anyone speaks German, can you tell me what it says on Mecki's tag?

After finding out about the cartoon of Mecki, I found out about the doll by Steiff. I had wanted one since, but never set out to buy one. I thought that maybe someday I would get a chance to go to Germany to buy one. I have never made it, but my daughter did. Two years ago, my middle daughter had a chance to study for a semester in Europe. I told her about the Mecki doll, but I didn't think that she would have a chance to find one. She did and presented him to my on Christmas!! She said she didn't find him in Germany, though. She found him in Switzerland. That is fine by me.

Isn't he the ugliest little guy! He is so ugly, he is cute!

Mecky

I Boo-Booed

2011-10-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

Remember this drainer? I thought it was old because I had never seen one like it. In fact, I don't think I had ever seen one without the prongs on the sides for glasses. Well, since everything was vintage at the estate sale I was at, I thought it was old. I was Wrong. Please don't tell my husband that I can actually be wrong from time to time. I try so hard to convince him I am always right!
Today while at Wal-mart, I went down the housewares isle. There it was! Same pretty red drainer. I should of known. I think all the very old ones had little white feet. Plus the very old ones didn't have removeable flatware holders. I didn't think it was that old, but I didn't think it was new!

So I want to apologize for leading you to believe it was old. Maybe some of you already knew that and didn't want to tell me.

We have finally gotten some cold weather. It was so cold this morning, I had to wear a jacket. I HATE jackets. I took off early to hit a garage sale that had vintage items. I didn't find much. I found some red, white, and blue ribbon and a pretty garden trellis, so it was worth getting out in the cold.

Have a happy Thursday!

Ma

Mixers

2011-10-14T23:33:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago some of you mentioned my mixer in the background of one of my pictures. I decided to post about all the mixers I have accumulated.
Above is the Sunbeam mixer I have shared with you all before. I bought it to have a way to display some jadite bowls I have. Funny that they used green in the booklet, but it doesn't match the green in the bowls.

Here is another view. After taking the picture, I realized that it would had been nice to clean the dust out of the juice spout! LOL

I have shared this Sunbeam mixer with you before. It sits about the cupboards. Again, I bought this to display more jadite bowl I have. I am not sure of the date this mixer is from.

I think it has a neat shape and also a neat handle. I think I paid only 6.00 for it. I need to find a way to clean the yellowing from oil off of it.

This is my Hamilton Beach Model B mixer. My husband brought it home from an auction. He paid a whopping 7.00 for it several years ago. I think it is from about 1928-9 or so. I would like to find out more about it. I am on the look-out for the Owner's Manuel for it.

The beaters come in one piece. They slide into a hole and are screwed in to keep them in place. See the Good Housekeeping Seal?

The believe the reamer is bakelite and so is the handle. I need to find out how to clean the yellowing on this one, too.

Although I don't have the booklet with this mixer, I do have this cake chart! I love the graphics on it!

See how the mixer comes off the base to use as a hand mixer? The Sunbeams do, too.

Although the other mixers work, they are for display only. This is the guy I use. No, he is not the Martha Green I wanted so badly. He is Seacrest Green. Seacrest Green has more of a blue undertone. The canisters are from Martha's K-Mart line and are most likely the Martha Green color.

In this picture you can tell the difference much easier. I would trade this for a Martha Green in a heartbeat, but I doult there is anyone out there who would be willing to let their's go!

In Kansas, the weather has been so nice lately. I should of spent the day in the yard like I had planned but my daughter and I went to Paramount! Of course, I didn't leave empty handed. I spent a whole 6.00!! This evening, I went to the Friday night auction and since then, I have been fighting back tears. Being good isn't always so much fun! LOL. There was the nicest 1950's chrome table and chairs that I have ever seen. I really wanted it. But I let it go for 75.00. If I had bought it, it would of set in storage until I had the nerve to have my island torn out. I enjoy my island too much, but I also want a true vintage kitchen. Complete with stove, fridge and table. There is a woman out there who is very happy tonight, but it isn't me. Maybe some day another will come along. Oh and did I mention it was RED and gray?

Mecky

Happy Rednesday

2011-10-11T17:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Rednesday!
For Rednesday I thought I would share my red dustpan. I bought this at an auction for $5.00. It was very dirty and the paint was worn and splattered with white paint. I decided it needed to be repainted. I haven't decided if I want to paint the handle white or just leave it the way it is. I painted the dustpan with Rust-oleum's Painter's Touch in Apple Red.

Next to the dustpan is this old straw broom that was my mother-in-law's. I have had the wire broom holder for a few years but never found the perfect broom for it until I noticed this one at my in-law's. She gladly gave it to me. The red paint is very worn but I want to keep it just the way it is!

I have shared this canister set on my blog already, but decided to share it again. I bought the bread box at an auction a few years ago. I only paid a dollar for it. It isn't in perfect condition, but I thought it was cute. After I bought it, I thought it would be cuter in my sister's farmhouse, so I gave it to her. The other day, she gave it back to me since she wasn't using it. I recently bought the salt and pepper shakers ($5.00 at an auction), but I am not sure where I put them. I have had to box several things up due to my grandchildren and I must of slipped them into a box without thinking!

I am linking up with Sue at It's A Very Cherry World for Rednesday. Please hop on over there to enjoy more
RED!!

Mecky

Rednesday

2011-10-04T13:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Rednesday!
Last week my husband spied an estate sale down the street. I had no idea it was there since I stopped the paper. It was late in the afternoon when I got there, so I have tried not to think of all the goodies that were already gone. The family was doing the sale, so things were priced to move! I found this dish rack for a dollar! I don't know how old it is, but it didn't look very new. When I was at the antique mall there was a vintage one for 20.00. It was neat looking, but I just couldn't see paying 20.00 for it. This sale had alot of old items and I could of came home with a ton of things, but honestly, I just don't have room for much more.

I bought this blending fork and egg beater for 50 cents each. I have wanted a blending fork for some time now.

This milk bottle carrier came from an antique mall. I thought it would be a great way to carry my milk bottles home from the store. I wish more companies would offer their milk in bottles, don't you?

This is my lastest Ebay buy! I am so pleased with this. If you have not tried a Rival Can-O-Mat can opener, you need to try to get ahold of one. It is one of those items that they need to bring back. The color on this came out a little orangie, but it is a perfect red!

I have a white Can-O-Mat but I really wanted a red one. I have seen them go pretty high. I decided one day to look for a red one. I found one cheap and won the bid on it but sure wish I hadn't. When it arrived, the blade would not move. The blade needs to move to work, plus the blades come out on these to be cleaned. So I decided to switch the insides of the white one with it. It worked ok, but since it felt loose, I decided I needed more grease on it. Somehow I messed it up putting it back together. So I went back to Ebay and found one that was missing the blade and the bracket starting at 99 cents. No problem. I have a blade and a bracket. I won the bid at 99 cents + shipping. It arrived yesterday and I am so pleased with it. It looks almost new and works like a dream. Right now there is another one on Ebay sitting at 26.00. I think I did great. I am so thankful I didn't have to pay much since I wasted money on the first one.

I am linking up to It's a Very Cherry World for Rednesday

Mecky

Paramount Part Two

2011-10-02T19:31:00.000-05:00

This booth is always adorable. They seem to always have a theme.

Another great booth.

This is one of my favorite booths, too. It is the first booth I check out. I love this wicker chair. I should. I have three just like it!

Another look at the same booth.

The lady who has this booth was working on it the day I was in. She sold alot over the weekend and had to restock. Funny thiing is, the person who bought so much lives in my little town!! LOL! She seems to always have such unusual things. If you are in the area of Wichita, this booth is worth the trip to Paramount Antique Mall.

Here in Kansas, we are having Perfect weather. I have been able to get outside and work in the yard. I can't believe it is October already. It will be cold before long, but I am still hoping that we will have a long Fall to make up for all the horrible heat we have had.

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Mecky

Let's Go To Paramount

2011-09-30T10:37:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I decided to take off to Wichita to roam around Paramount Antique Mall. This is a very large mall full of great STUFF!!
Check out this wonderful little rocker. I need that for my grandchildren so they can have a chair like Nana's.

I was stunned when I came upon a booth and saw myself. Look closely and see if you can find me.

This is a great showcase. It is huge. Lots of goodies in there!

This one is full of Halloween decor.

More Halloween.

This booth is always full of great things.

Have you seem me yet?

Here. It's like looking in the mirror. (See Carol, I told you I had a big nose)!

If you are in the Wichita area, Paramount Antique Mall is located on west highway 54. There is a new one opening soon west of August Ks, east of Wicihta, on high way 54, also.

More to come later.....

It's Rednesday!

2011-09-28T14:16:00.000-05:00

For Rednesday, I wanted to share with you what I picked up at the Unique Antique Show this weekend. This is my new micrwave cart. It is a Cosco Utility Cart. I already have two of them, but they are in bad condition. I was going to repaint them, but after spying this, I knew I would never be able to make either one of them look this nice. Isn't that the prettiest red you have ever seen? When I first looked it over, I walked away thinking I shouldn't buy it. But I went back for a second look and asked the lady if she would go lower on the price. Her price was just what I wanted to pay, so away it went with me!

This cart is very nice, but not without a flaw. It looks like something has caused a little of the paint to come off.

There is a closer look.

The white legs are in excellent condition, too. Check out the little red bands at the bottom of them! Someone took excellent care of it and I will do my best to do so, too.

Yesterday I woke up and decided that I wanted to go to the "Big" antique mall in the city. I hadn't planned to, but hopped in the car and jumped on the turnpike to town. As I was looking around, I looked up and guess who I saw? The lady I bought the cart from! LOL. We chatted for alittle bit. She said that at first she thought that the cart might be a reproduction, but she noticed the sticker on the bottom and thought that it must not be afterall. I don't think it is. For one reason is that I don't think they are reproducing them and the other is that it is heavy and very sturdy. I doubt a reproduction's quality would be as nice as this one is.
The cart isn't the only sweet bargin that I have bought from this lady. My favorite apron that hangs on my Hoosier is from her booth!

I am linking to It's A Very Cherry World For Rednesday!

Happy Rednesday

Mecky

Storm clouds

2011-09-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

Last week or was it the week before? Honestly, I am not sure. Things are so busy for me right now. So, anyway, not so long ago, we were under a tornado watch. It seems as though we haven't had that many storms this year. Of course, we haven't had much rain. But last week as the sun was setting and storms were all around, my house filled with a warm golden glow. Outside, the sky was amazing. I snapped a few pictures, but they didn't come out very clear. I wasn't going to show them. I have changed my mind and decided to do a quick post and share them with you.

Fortunately nothing became of the tornado watch. But the sky was beautiful.

Mecky

Wire Ware

2011-09-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

It is such a beautiful day here in Kansas. It is a wonderful 74 degrees. A perfect day to be outside working on projects or working in the yard. But no, I am not out there. I have to go to the city in a little while so I didn't want to start on anything today.
I needed to put my wire racks back up onto of this shelf, so I thought I would share them with you. I had a thing for wire ware for awhile. First it was buying wire racks and then on to egg baskets. I bought the shelf from a friend at her barn sale. As you can tell, it is the trim from a door way. She had painted and sanded it alittle bit. I love the color and although it doesn't stand out on my wall since it matches so closely, I am not about to paint it. I like it just the way it is.

Of all the wire racks I have accumulated, this one is my favorite. I have some new ones from WilliamsSonoma, but they don't match up to the charm of the old ones!

For you jadeite lovers out there like me, I want to share with you a blog that I came across. She has a charming kitchen and a wonderful collection of jadeite! Check out Paka's Collection to see her sweet green colection!

Best Wishes
Mecky

Much Better.

2011-09-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Labor Day. I hope you are enjoying this day. In my part of the country, it is a beautiful day. This cooler weather is so welcome.
I played around with my cabinet and I think I am happy with it this way. I thought that I would keep the other Royledge on and put the things that I had on it before back on top. It wasn't much better. Plus, I think the yellow canisters are so much more cheerful. So I decided to change to this yellow Royledge. I wish the yellow was just a bit lighter, but I am ok with it. Please tell me what you think!

If you click onto the picture, in the left hand corner, there is a picture of my husband. This was taken 25 years ago. Look at all that hair. Would you believe after 25 years, he still has a full head of hair? Just shorter.

Blessings

Mecky

Hoosier Step Stool

2011-09-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite step stool. I know that the red Cosco step stools are great, but honestly, this one can't be beat! My husband bought this for me on Mother's Day about 10 or 11 years ago. It had a fresh coat of white paint on it, so the first thing I did was strip it and repainted it. Of course, I couldn't have it all white. I found a color called Green Chives that matched my green utensils. (The picture above is a picture that I took about 5 years ago. It is needing repainted now)

The step stool was manufactured by the Hoosier Manufacturing Comapny that makes the Hoosier Kitchen Cabinets.

The small label on the top step says Patented Oct. 16, 1923. The label on the bottom is a Hoosier label that is only half there now. I tried to preserve it. The steps should have runners on it to avoid slipping. I have finally realized where I can find replacement ones, so I will do that before long. Only I won't be stepping on the steps. They are rather narrow. Besides, I don't want to take a chance of breaking it!

Here is an ad that was published in a book about Hoosier cabinets called Indiana Cabinets.

These step stools aren't easy to find, but if you do find one, you might want to grab it. I was fortunate to come across an oak one 4 years ago! If you have ever watch American Pickers, they visited two men that had a warehouse full of goodies. The only thing the AP guys found to buy was a white eagle, but didn't buy it since it wasn't what they thought it was. They didn't buy from the guys because the guys were pickers, too and the AP guys were looking for things they could get for cheap. Well, the guys who have the warehouse are great guys. They come to our monthly flea market and they have some of the best stuff there. Plus, they have good prices. I can not believe that the American Picker guys didn't find some great stuff to buy. I have been to their warehouse and I wanted it all!!! Anyway, the guys had an Oak Hoosier Step Stool. They had 55.00 marked on it, but sold it to me for 45.00. It wasn't in perfect condition, but I was ok with that. It was still in good shape. So I get home and look up on Ebay to see if they had one on there. Sure enough and what was weird was that it looked ao much like the one I just brought home. I put it on my watch list and that stool went for over 200.00 dollars!! My husband wanted me to put mine on there, but no way!LOL!

Here in my part of Kansas, we have broken our long standing record of days over 100 degrees. That record was rom the Dust Bowl days. We have cooler temps on their way finally. WooHoo!!!

Happy September!

Mecky

So Disappointing

2011-08-30T16:47:00.000-05:00

I bought this Royledge some time back. I wanted to use it on a shelf and also on this Hoosier shelf. I thought it was perfect with it's green and touch of Red! I never got around to putting it on the Hoosier shelf until I decided to play around with it today. Sadly, I cut it too short and also didn't notice that what was cut before was crooked. That is ok since I have plenty, plus found more on Etsy.
Then I decided that I wanted to use the new Royledge that I received with the canisters I bought for my birthday. Only, I have another idea for it, so will wait. BBBBBut........

I hate the way the Royledge looks with these canisters. I like the canisters being on top of the cabinet! So now I have to decide which will go! (I just moved the canisters around, which looks silly being backwards!)

To update on my last blog post. I have decided to take the border down. I can't say that I love it up there. I do dread the thought of all that work to take it down, but that is ok. I wanted to put up better crown molding, so now I won't have to be concerned about the size of it! Thank you all who commented and helped me make up my mind.

Here in South Central Kansas, we are very close to breaking the 1936 record for 100 degree days. We have past the memorable 1980 record. It is right now 99 degrees. We are most likely to reach 100 tomorrow and the next day, but we need to reach 100 today or Friday to break the record. After that, our weather is to change. Seeing 80's in the forecast is such a blessing. This heat has been something else. I am so hoping for a long Fall so that I can try to mark off some of the projects that I had planned for this Summer.

Mecky

To Spry or Not to Spry

2011-08-22T13:16:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about this for some time and I thought that I would ask you all what you think.
My kitchen needs a fresh coat of paint. Just one of the many things on my To-Do List.
Notice the border that I have in my kitchen. If you look at it closely you will notice the Spry can. That is one of the reason I bought the border 6 or 7 years ago. I have a few of the things in the border in my kitchen. But now I am thinking that it is boring and outdated, although I still like it. Even though it has vintage things in it, I don't think it looks vintage.

Do I keep it and paint around it since I will be using the same color? Do I take the time to take it down? Oh I dread the thought of taking it down. What a pain. If I take it down, I am afraid it will look bare, although I will get use to it.
My vision of the kitchen is to put beadboard on the ceiling, paint the cabinets white and have them trimmed out. We have been putting off having them trimmed out because one of the walls will be taken out and rebuilt. After many years, my husband has given me the okay to paint my cabinets. I am still working on the beadboard!
I would appreciate your opinions on the border!

Mecky

Pantry Cabinet

2011-08-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share alittle more of the cabinet that I bought recently. It needs to be painted badly and I will get to it soon. Honestly, it needs stripped and repainted, but I don't have time for that for now. I am the Queen of Unfinished Projects, so why I bought another project piece, I don't know! This cabinet is nothing special. It just tugged at me when I seen it! Anyway, I will slap a coat of pain on it for now.

As you can tell, the bottom doors aren't the original doors. They don't sit right. I will have to have new doors made. That isn't going to be a big problem. Just a hassle.

Here is the pink insides. I think I will leave that paint for now.

I was told by a follower that she wasn't able to post a reply on my last post. I am sorry if anyone else has had a problem. I hope I have that taken care of now.

Mecky

BTW, please ignore that the Pantry sign above isn't straight! Just turn your head abit! I knew that I would mess that sign up when I put them on.(it's from Uppercase) I guess it could of been worse. I can't seem to get anything staright anyway. Have you noticed my pictures aren't straight either?

2011-08-14T16:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday!
We are fortunate to have a very mild day today. 86 degrees. It has been so nice to have these cool temps after the blistering heat we have had lately. It takes those bad days to really enjoy the good, right? The grass is greening up, but as for my tomaotes, they might as well be pulled.

Today I thought that I would share some green. I bought this shelf many years ago, but only put it in my kitchen 3 years ago. Last Christmas while working in the kitchen, out of the blue, on side decided to fall. I lost one of the plain green jars and a green Kellogg's measuring cup that was on top. I was surprised that more didn't break. I was also surprised that I was so calm about it. I was able to buy another jar, but haven't bothered to find another measuring cup/glass. But I do have the shelf very secure now!

Here is a peek of a wide pantry cabinet that I bought Friday. I went into an antique mall to pick something up for my mother on Thursday and saw this cabinet. It really called my name or something! I can so see this at my Aunt's old farm. Friday morning, it was still on my mind, so I called to make an offer. It was accepted so I went back to pay for it. It is not in perfect condition, so I will restore it later on. I am thinking that this cabinet is from the late 50's. It is pink inside and surprisingly the handles are turquoise. I have never seen turquoise handles before! I would like to get started on it right away, but at the moment, there are too many other things that are more important to get done!

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Mecky

Rednesday!

2011-08-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

As you may know if you have been reading my blog, I am more of a green person instead of red, when it comes to my kitchen. It hasn't always been that way. I use to have a kitchen full of apples. I had collected them since I was married. Soon after I decorated my kitchen with those apples, I decided that I really wanted to paint my walls to match my jadeite. So I did and even though I am more into green, I have not lost my love for red! Besides, a green kitchen needs a touch of red, don't you think?
My husband bought me a box of aprons at an auction recently. This was in the box. At first I thought that it was hand-made and that someone had spray-painted the pans onto it. But if you look closely, it is too perfect for that. Now I am wondering if it was a premium from Better Homes and Gardens. If anyone knows anything about that, please let me know.

For more wonderful REDS, join Sue as she host Rednesday.

Mecky

Vintage Vegetable Bin

2011-08-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

Last week after having lunch with some friends, I decided to go on out to the big antique mall in Wichita and look around. I didn't really find much, but one thing that caught my eye was a vintage vegetable bin. I keep my potatoes in a crock and my onions in a smaller crock. I never really thought about buying a bin for them. I felt the bin was way over priced but thought that I would think about it for awhile and if it was there later, I would buy it.

On Saturday my husband I went to different antique malls in the area to see if they had any bins at a better price. There were none, so we went to the big mall and I showed it to him. He actually gave me his opinion on it. He liked it!! I decided to show him the other one that I had seen at that mall. I like it real well, but it was even higher than the one I had considered. My husband liked it better, too. He thought I should buy it instead of the first one. So I decided to ask the woman at the desk if I could make an offer to the dealer. She did, the dealer came close to my offer and away it went with me.

It looked really dirty and I knew I would have to paint it. No way would I want to use it in this condition. I loved the vintage green, of course, and had hoped that the new paint that I found would match. It seemed very close. So I covered the decal and manufacturer's label with blue tape. I sanded it down as best as I could, cleaned it and then painted it.

Sadly, I over covered the decal and too much of the old paint and scratches showed. I decided to give it another try. This time I covered most of the decals and then tried to use vaseline. After I was done, I didn't think it worked, but after wiping off the vaseine, it did work. The manufacturer's decal/label didn't do as well, but still is fine.

Here it is finished. I wish the color was just a tad lighter, but it was a very close match. I used the Satin , but wish I had bought gloss. The satin has a texture that the original paint didn't have.

Here is the decal before.

Here is the decal now.

I used Rust-oleum's Painter's Touch in Leafy Green.

On the weather. We are to finally get a break this week! We were to be at 103 today. Now they are saying our high is to be 95, but it is 88 degrees!! This is such a blessing! The heat as been horrible for so many of us. I hope you all are getting a break, too.

Mecky
Please disreguard the orange thingie under the cabinet! I hid something from my grandson by tucking it under there and forgot about it until I saw it in the picture!! I also see dust!

It's Rednesday!!

2011-08-02T19:19:00.001-05:00

This Rednesday I want to share with you this set of canisters that I bought myself for my birthday. I already had the two smallest canisters but knew that finding the two larger ones would take too long, so when I saw this set on Ebay, I knew I needed to try to win the bid. As you can see, I won and I am more than thrilled with them. Have you seen vintage canisters in this good of condition? They have never been used. I understand that they were in the original box, but that the box was in very bad condition and was tossed. That box did help protect them. The largest canister's lid isn't perfect, but very close! I should of shared a picture of the canisters opened. There are no scuffs on the rims from being opened and closed several times.

The lady also sold me some of the vintage Royledge that she had. I had tried to win the bid on some of this paper on Ebay recently, but was sadly outbid. She was so sweet to share some with me.

She also shared some of her matching shelf paper. I have never seen this before. Isn't it neat?

The Ebay seller and I have been chatting back and forth. I have enjoyed getting to know her. She shared with me her Flickr page and has told me that I can share it with you. I am hoping that she will decide to start a blog. Her pictures are pure Eye Candy!! Visit her at: RedKim62

Also, be sure to visit Sue at It's a Very Cherry World for more Rednesday!

Happy Rednesday
Mecky

Flour Sacks

2011-08-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I found these flour sacks at an auction. They were in a box of outdated material that seemed to be from the 80's or 90's. I was hoping no one noticed them so they didn't go too high. I got the box for 5.00. Not too bad. It is my understanding that ladies would try to get several bags in the same pattern in order to make garmets out of them. Some of these are matching sacks.

There is only one sack like this. Unfortunately, this is my favorite of all.

There is also only one like this. This one is badly stained and faded.

I like this one. It reminds me of vintage wallpaper. There are three of these sacks. I am thinking this would be a cute full apron with ruffles.

There are 4 of these sacks. I think this one looks like it should be a dress.

There are three sacks of this fabric. I am not sure if I like this one. It is very 60's to me.

These didn't come from that auction, but I thought I would show you these, too.I found another Oxford's Best flour sack at an antique mall for 2.00. Of course, I won't be taking the label off of this. Isn't it a pretty fabric, though?

I found this Hudson Cream Flour sack at the same mall the same day. I paid 6.00 for it. I wish someone hadn't tried to take the label off. I use Hudson Cream All Purpose Flour and their bread flour. It is milled here in Kansas. Very good flour. As for flour for biscuits and pastries, I use White Lily. I have to have it special ordered because it is not delivered in Kansas. For my wheat bread, I go to the Amish Community and buy Prairie Gold Wheat Flour. It is milled in Montana. Shhh, don't tell the Farmer's around here. I live in the Wheat Capital of the World but I really like the Prairie Gold wheat flour best!

Stay cool
Mecky

Dispenser

2011-07-24T16:56:00.000-05:00

Here is one of my favorite things in my kitchen. (My sister has tried to talk me out of this, too!) It was an Ebay find.

This is the before picture (taken from the ebay listing picture). It looked pretty bad, but I knew I was going to paint it. I really liked the decal.
The first thing I did was to wipe it down. Then I took some tissue paper and lightly outlined the decal. I cut it out, laid it down and very carefully took strips of blue painter's tape and laid them over the tissue paper. I cut the blue tape closely to the tissue paper leaving just a tad of tape along the edge. I made sure it was sticking to the metal but not the decal. I then spray painted it white. It came out almost perfect. THEN it dawned on me that the trim in my kitchen wasn't white, but cream. So I redid it and repainted it. That didn't come out as well. I can see white along the decal. I should of left it white because I have my trim white instead of cream now. Not long ago, I was watching a show on HGTV and they mentioned that you can cover a decal with Vaseline then spray paint it. I wish I had known that before hand! It would of been so much easier!
This dispenser hold wax paper, foil and paper towels. It is so handy! I don't use it for my paper towels, but I do for foil and wax paper.

Like so many of you, we are having extrememly hot weather here in Kansas. So much for getting alot done this Summer. It is just too hot to be outside for long. We have been working inside, though. But it wasn't anything that was on my list. My husband went to fix an area on the floor. We found out that we had water damage. We have had to replace my sink base, sheetrock behind the sink and some of the floor. I have had to order some flooring so my kitchen floor still is not done. Sadly we damaged a couple of spots on my counter top. I am hoping to replace it and the sink soon. But honestly, there are more important things to be done, so I don't think I will push that idea for now. I am so thankful to have my sink and dishwasher back!!

I hope everyone is able to keep cool. If you have to be outside, please be sure to drink plenty of water and to take some time to cool off. A man in my area died last week from the heat. I went to school with his wife. My heart goes out to her.

Mecky

REDnesday/Mini Project

2011-06-28T16:03:00.000-05:00

Here is a peek of my mini-project. I bought these jars on Ebay so that I can use these cute decals.

They looked rather shabby, but the jars are not cracked and are in great condition.

I used some stripper to get all the old, nasty paint off. I then primed with Rust-oleum's Clean Metal Primer. Then I painted with Rust-o-leum's Painter's Touch Gloss Apple Red spray paint. I used an SOS pad to scrub the paint off the lids and also painted them Apple Red.

I found these decals on Ebay from Lake Forest Kitchen Lady. She has the cutest things. Brightly colored things! She has more adorable decals. I was rather afraid to put the decals on, but it was really easy. All I had to do was cut the decals out, dip in water for 10 seconds, drip alittle water on the jar, slide out the decal onto the jar. Then I needed to use my fingers to push out the air and water, making sure they were even. After they were allowed to dry over night, I than covered the threads with tape, lined them up next to eachother and sprayed a light coat of Rust-oleum's Crystal Clear Enamel/top coat. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!

Be sure to check out Sue's Blog It's A Very Cherry World for more RED!!!

Have a Great REDnesday!

Ma

Happy Sunday Afternoon

2011-06-26T13:17:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday Afternoon.
It is sure a hot one here. It's already 90 with a heat index of 95. We are to be on our way to 102 today. It seems like it was just snowing out not long ago. I believe this year, Spring went by the fastest I ever remember.
Sunday lunch is going to not be very traditional. I will cook some chicken and noodles later. I would like to bake today but it is just too hot to do so. Plus I am still trying to keep from baking much. None of us in this home need to be eating any baked goods.
I thought I would share with you a sign that I have had for several years. It is a 1927 Pet Milk sign. Although I don't have blue in my kitchen, this is an exception.

This little guy is an old photo that my sister found at a garage sale and gave to me. Isn't he cute? I have him sitting on the spice rack on my Hoosier door. I wish I knew the story behind the photo. He doesn't look too happy about being in that outfit! I need to think of a name for him. Any ideas?

I have a list of 30 some things to get done this Summer. With this heat, some things may have to wait til Fall. I hope not. My project right now is power washing the porch to get all the old paint off of it. Then I will etch and repaint it. Not all the paint is coming off, so I hope the etching will take care of that. I have never done it before and I am nervous about it. Then I will make new cushions for the wicker, paint the door and screen door and hang my trellis. It seems that whenever I start a project, something slows me down. Nothing ever goes smooth. I borrowed a power washer from a friend. It is his old one. It is now leaking gas. Pa is taking it back to him this afternoon since he is a machanic. I should of rented one. I may be done by now. But no. I had to be cheap. Why not, though. He said I can borrow it as long as I want! I have got to get one of these things. I LOVE it. It is so fun and it makes a big difference on my sidewalks. I can't wait to use it on the patio. I was hoping to get on to the potting shed but the porch comes first!
I did complete a mini-project that I will share with you for Rednesday!

Hebrews 13: (1)Let love of the brethren continue. (2) Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

I hope you all are having a sweet Sunday
May the Lord Bless You and Keep You.

Mecky

REDnesday

2011-06-22T13:28:00.001-05:00

(I had trouble earlier trying to post pictures, but it looks like it is now fixed. Plus it seems it will be easier to use!! Yippee!!)
Two weeks ago, I headed to Newton, Kansas for fun. I went through their antique mall and found this Robin Hood flour recipe box, full of recipes! I then headed to their flea marlet and bought this cute red checked apron. I had spied this apron in the Winter, but passed on it. When I got home, I regretted it. It was still there this time, so I just had to but it!! The two canisters are the ones I found at the monthly flea market north of Wichita on Sunday. They aren't as nice as the others, but I couldn't resisit.

Here are the canisters that I bought at the monthly flea market. They were only 5.00. How could I resist that price?

Here is a closer look at another apron I bought. If you click onto the picture to enlarge it, you can see the rick rack on the trim. It is adorable.

I must now get back out into the garage and finish cleaning up from the sale. I am also rearanging in order to set up a better work area for me. I hope to get at least one Hoosier restored this Summer. I am in need of a house keeper so that I can spend more time doing the things I want to. HAHAHA-like that is going to happen! I sure do miss my girls living at home. They use to help me out alot. Have you ever had one of your children thank you for making them do chores? Both of my girls have thanked me for making them learn to clean house and do laundry. They are amazed that some of their friends don't know how to keep house. When we don't make our children work around the house, we are not doing them any favors. My children didn't always like to have to do dishes and such at the time, but they have benfited from it now.

Be sure to join Sue at http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/ for more RED!

Mecky

Mater and Garage Sale

2011-06-20T10:12:00.004-05:00

Good Morning
Today is the day I have been looking forward to. The day that the garage sale is over, the house is quiet and I can get back to normal. Today I have time to Bless my house! But first, I wanted to show you this old tow truck we drove by yesterday afternoon while we were out playing. How cute is this? After the movie Cars came out, someone had fixed up this old tow truck. We have driven by him many times, but I have never stopped to take a picture. Well, he has been repainted and I had my camera with me, so I snapped a picture to share. Can't you just hear him talk?

The garage sale was great! We did really well and unloded alot of junk. Sadly we still have alot of junk left. I did have to say good bye to this stove. That was not easy. I have had it for 12 years, but after I bought the woodburning cookstove, we put him in the garage. I have tried to sell him before and although people told me that it was a good price and they really liked it, it didn't sell. I decided to go ahead and lower the price a bit this time and it sold in no time. It is now living about 1/2 mile from the house I grew up in!! The lady who bought it had been looking for one!! She seems like a very nice person and I am so ok with selling it to her. She wasn't able to pick it up until after the sale. People oohed and aawed over it during the sale. I think I could of sold it several times over, but I am glad it is where it is now. She is going to be using it. The people I bought it from were using it, too, but I never did. I would of liked to, but my stove is in the island and I wasn't giving up my island. I was very happy how my sale started off. The first guy started grabbing things and making a pile! He spent ALOT! Then he came back the next day and bought more! I had a few people come by twice!

Pa and I went to a flea market yesterday and then went through two antique malls. I found some great goodies that I will have to share later.

Now I have to play Little Susie Homemaker. I will actually cook a meal today. I think I have gaind 5 pounds on fast food this weekend.

I hope you all have a wonderful day

Mecky

REDnesday!!!

2011-06-14T17:52:00.004-05:00

Today I thought I would show you something that I picked up recently. Years ago I bought a Cosco red stepstool like this one. I only paid a dollar for it! It has a few paint splatters but nothing too bad. My sister has tried her best to get me to give it to her. I just couldn't do that!! So I have kept my eye out for one for her. While in my little Mayberry hometown, I ran across this one at the antique shop there. It was nice and also a great price! After talking to the guy who has the shop, I found out that it came from an estate of a long time resident of the town. Well, I just can't let this one go, so I am giving my sister the one she has been asking for all these years! This one is alittle nicer except the seat is badly stained. The tread on the steps and the chrome are in excellent shape. I guess I can live with the seat!

These canisters are a recent Ebay find. I first saw one on Carissa's blog "Stella's Apron Strings". I thought it was so cute, plus I have a thing for red checks. I have kept my eyes open for a canister, but I found a set! I almost passed on them because they were badly stained. I didn't know if I would be able to clean them up. But I decided to take a chance. Besides, if I couldn't, at least the small one was decent. The canisters arrived and I was so ready to start in on them, but I have a WW meeting and then had to get back to fix dinner. After dinner, Wichita was under a tornado warning. My girls live in Wichita and one was in downtown Wichita at the River Fest. I sat down with the phone next to me and my eye on the tv. Thanks to the Good Lord, my daughter ran into a friend from work who happened to live close by. They went to his families basement! Not much became of the tornado. There was one, but it was short lived. Anyway, I spent the evening cleaning up the canisters. I was so excited because they did clean up nicely!! I am so happy I didn't pass them up.

See how great they look!

Here is the listing picture! See why I had to think about it?

This weekend is my garage sale. Oh my. Why did I decide to do this? It's been alot of work. It will feel good to have things out of my garage. But I have a hard time letting go of vintage things! I have to keep telling myself, I can't keep it all! It's just material things. If I am not using it or enjoying it, I need to let it go and let someone else enjoy it!

Have a Happy REDnesday!
Be sure to visit Sue at It's a Very Cherry World!!

Mecky

Vintage Finds

2011-06-09T13:44:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I took my mom antiquing in the city. She found some Wade figurines that she collects and I found these yellow canisters. This is one of my favorite vintage designs. I have a couple of the red set and need to find the rest. Maybe someday! The yellow ones really brighten the kitchen up! The sifter that matches is an Ebay find. So is the green scales. I was looking for one and when I saw the red numbers on this one, I thought it was perfect for my kitchen! I really like the yellow against the green walls.

Last Saturday, Pa and I went to the city and ended up going back the the same antique mall. I didn't think I would find anything since it wasn't that long since I was there with Mom. I was wrong. I found this wire holder for my Seller's sugar jar! See the chipped green paint? How perfect is that?

Another view.

I decided to put my mother-in-law's coffee grinder next to the Hoosier. Remember the other one she gave me along with this one? I still have not found a place for it. I did have a wooden one with a glass front in that spot. This one looks so much nicer.

This is a picture of my Grandma A standing beside her Hoosier that I keep on my Hoosier. Grandma A died when I was a month old, so I never got to know her. Her old Hoosier was given to my cousin, who has passed away. It now resides with her husband and his new wife. I certainly hope that her boys will have it in their home someday. I so wish that I knew my grandparents. On my dad's side, I am the late in life child of a late in life child! Grandma H was 44 when she had my dad and he was 42 when I was born. Would you believe that my Grandma and Grandpa H were born in the 1870's? (my great grandpa H was born in 1834) Grandma H died when I was 2 or 3. I don't remember her. Both grandpas died before I was born. It is a good thing that I broke the cycle of having a child late in life or I would have a little one running around. I am not so sure I would have the energy for that. I am so happy that my children have grown up knowing their grandparents. Although they don't remember my dad who passed away when they were babies. They are so blessed to have been able to spent alot of time with my husband's parents. We recently lost my father-in-law, which has been hard on my children. He spoiled them so much. They loved him dearly. I pray that I can be the Grandmother to my grandbabies like my mother and mother-in-law has been to my childen.

I hope that everyone is getting some relief from the heat alot of us have been having. Have you heard of a Heat Burst? Wichita had one last night. They said it was about 84 at midnight and about 12:43, it was 102 degrees. The downburst was bad enough to take down trees and damage roofs. It is just alittle cooler today here, but still rather warm for June. We need rain badly, except the lack of it is helping the farmers get to the Wheat harvest. Another things that is too early for me. I love the wheat fields. They don't stay golden long enough before they are cut down.

Have a wonderful day and try to keep cool!

Mecky

REDnesday

2011-06-07T23:11:00.002-05:00

Happy REDnesday!

Here is a little RED from my kitchen. I have had this teapot thermometer for several years. My sister found one at a garage sale and I thought her's was so charming. I was thrilled the day I found one sitting up high on the wall of an antique shop. The potholders came from an estate sale a block over from my home. 10 cents a piece!

I am more or less linking up to It's a Very Cherry World for the Rednesday. Only I really haven't taken the time to learn to link so all you have to do is click on her name to take you to her blog. If anyone would like to give me directions, I would appreciate it.

I am still having problems posting to some of your blogs. So many times I have tried to leave a comment and it won't allow me to. I am able to comment on some blogs and not on others. I hope that blogger works this problem out soon.

Have a Beautiful Day

Thank You, Ann

2011-06-03T12:29:00.004-05:00

(Edit: I added this picture to show the nice bookmark Ann sent with the book!)

Thank you, Ann, for the lovely book. I won this book on Ann's blog "Tin and Sparkle". I was so surprised since I don't usually win things and was so excited!!! Who wouldn't be with a book like this?
There are so many cute ideas and alot of projects to do. Since my husband is an auction-o-holic, there are so many things in this book that I have and can use! Ann, this book arrived just in time. What if I had sold some goodies in my garage sale that I would had needed!! LOL!

Look at this potting shed! I heart jumped for joy! (check this out, Lea)!! Look at those hooks. I know I have seen them before, but have no idea what they were for. Having a daddy who would be 91 this year, I grew up with all sorts of old goodies like that. Anyway, those hooks would be perfect to have flower baskets out in this Kansas wind! Well, they would need to be set out from the wall more, but with that nice dip, Perfect! I wish my walls were in as good of shape as these walls in the book.

I have to show you this garden cart, too. How cute is that?

Ann, also sent me a book mark. This picture of it didn't show well. It is so cute. I will have to edit later to show it! (done above)

Again, Thank you, Ann.

Please hop on over to Tin and Sparkle and visit Ann. She has a cute blog and lots of "Dorthey" to show you!

(A Happy Ma!)

Rednesday

2011-05-31T11:30:00.004-05:00

This Sunbeam Bread sign was found nailed to the roof of my potting shed. We had the roof of the shed, garage, and house replaced last year. I was at the dentist when they roofers showed up and began work on the shed first. My husband had taken the day off and was outside with the guys when he noticed that they were tossing some old signs away. He pulled them out and knew I would want them. He called to tell me about them as I was leaving the dentist, so I bee-lined it home. Only one sign was worth saving. The rest had been cut into pieces to repair holes. Funny how people use to use scrap metal to repair holes. Little did the previous owners know that the apparently brand new advertising signs they used on the potting shed would be worth anything someday. Even though this sign is full of holes, I have given it a home in my laundry room. The pieces will be hung on the walls of the shed someday.

This is what the sign looked like before I was able to get the tar off of it.
As you can tell by my thumb in the picture, my hands were going to be black by the time I was finished. I was trying different things and nothing was working. Until my husband remembered that a friend had told him that if you get tar on your car from road construction, WD-40 will take it off. Yes, WD-40 took the tar off easily! (excuse my mess around my sink in the picture. Goodness. I even had left that Mom's Kitchen sign up that I only set up there until I found a place for it., which I never did)

I am hoping to soon get to my shed and bring it back to life. There is so much that I want to get done this year. Things are going slowly. We have had such a cool Spring and now the weatherman is calling for 90's all this week. Even close to 100. I am not ready for it. When I get to the shed, I will share it with you. For now, here is a peek:

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Take care

Rednesday

2011-05-18T10:46:00.002-05:00

Today I am going to try to link up with Sue at It's a Very Cherry World for Rednesday! My Favorite day!!! I wanted to show you the cake carrier that I found on Ebay this past week. It isn't in the best condition, but I wanted it to go with my matching bread box. (I even have a canister, but it is trimmed in green) I pulled down the bread box from the top of my fridge to share with you, also. At the moment, I am not sure where I am going to put the cake carrier. I will have to think about it for awhile. The potato masher is something that I bought many years ago. There was a green one, too, but I passed on it because they had it priced much higher. I regretted that. But isn't the red one sweet? I found the red apron at a little shop in the Mayberry town I grew up in. It has litte white cherries on it! I have used it to make a pattern from. It's a very easy apron.

I want to apologize from not posting much or showing many pictures. Right now I have been very busy. I have decided to pass on a vegetable garden this year, except for a few tomatoes. There is so much I want to accomplish this year and I know that canning every other day, I won't have time for anything else. We will have a Winter of store bought green beans, I guess! We will survive.
I am glad to share that I have my loft organized. My loft is my attic above my garage. It was to the point we couldn't find anything. Or even walk up there. I now have a pile of things to sell at a garage sale. Yes, I am giving up vintage items. That is if I will let them go when the time comes for the sale!! I have a vintage stove, Hoosier cabinets, wood iron boards, etc. that I just have to get rid of. I am thrilled to have this done because I only have a short period that I can stand to be up in the loft. It gets too cold or too hot. This Summer I am hoping to paint my front porch, put up my new trellis after I finish painting it, put my vintage garden fence back up(took it down for the roofers last year) and to restore my potting shed. I have been putting that off and the poor things is almost gone. It is cute but is in need of alot of TLC now. It received a new roof last year. I will have to share with you what was found under the old shinkles in another post!! The shed is about as old as my house.

Today is my nephew's birthday. Happy Birthday, Benny!!! It is also the 30th anniversary of my high school graduation! Wow, 30 years. I am not old enough to be that old!! We should be having a reunion but nothing has been said. Probably because only a handful came to the 20th.

Have a Happy Rednesday!

Ma

Where I Get My Hair Done

2011-05-06T18:03:00.002-05:00

Today I went to my friend Cindi's to have my hair done. I brought along my camera so that I could share some pictures with you. Cindi and I use to work in the same salon. Cindi's salon is in an old house. Above is a photo of what the house looked like long ago. I forgot to take a picture of what it looks like now.

Come on in. Isn't this door great! It has the original etched glass. Would you believe that this house was rented out to some college boys before and the glass was never broken? The original etched glass is still intact on the dormer window's too.

Here is where I check in. Have a seat.

No, you don't have to sit in this chair. Unless you want to! See the clock above? It almost came home with me. It will before long, after it is priced. I didn't mean to cut the top off the clock off. It is metal and very pretty!

Here is where I will sit to have my hair done. Isn't that the cutest idea to use an old vanity dresser for a station?

Hum. Should I have my nails done OR.........

do a little shopping? Just check out those goodies? See those doors? Cindi usually has the parlor open, loaded with wonderful vintage goodies!

I would be so happy to live in this house! Just look at all that original charm that is still intact! The walls aren't really brick. It is wallpaper. But isn't it neat? I wish I would of taken more pictures. Maybe next time!

Rednesday

2011-04-27T10:07:00.004-05:00

Sharing a little red today. I found these canisters in Blackwell, Oklahoma for 9.00!! I found the dish towel at a flea market for 3.00 sitting with the same type of canisters and knew it needed to come home to my own set!

Funny how when you take a picture, things look different. See the end of the counter? Yes, there is plenty of room to walk through there. But it doesn't look like it at all!

Ma

Koffie, Anyone?

2011-04-20T14:39:00.002-05:00

I was so excited to finally bring these sweet Koffie grinders home with me last night. I have admired them in my mother-in-law's kitchen for 27 years. Several years ago, she told me that I should put my name on them. I never did, but she never forgot I liked them and she sent them home with me last night.
She bought the grinders in Holland in the early 70's from a neighbor's estate, along with many lovely things. One being a tea cart that was also to come home with us, but a family member decided to take it behind her back. (Yes, it seems everyone has one in the family like that, even us. Only we didn't expect it)
The green grinder will go in my kitchen, of course. The other, I am not sure of yet. I will share photos when I have time to hang them.

I hope everyone is enjoying the nice Spring weather. My area of Kansas has decided to be rather chilly today. Kansas has very fickle weather. It can snow, storm, and we can melt all in one day!!

Ma

Planting and painting

2011-04-01T17:58:00.006-05:00

(photo from White Bridge Bulb Company) I am sorry that I haven't had a chance to take pictures or post this past week. I have been trying to paint the spare bedroom, which has caused a mess around here. But then, how do you paint and keep things neat? I was hoping to have it finished tomorrow, but I was called to do something else. That is part of life, I guess. Or at least, my life! Spring had finally shown back up yesterday. Today the weather is awesome. I bought some peony trees a few weeks ago. I needed to get them in the ground but was afraid to do it too fast. Then the cold weather came back. Would you believe that they started to mold? I should of opened the package but I thought they would stay moist if I kept it closed. Well, I washed them and was finally able to get them into the ground today. I called the Extention Office and the Master Gardener that I talked to basically said Good Luck. They may live and they may not. So I am praying that they make it. I posted a picture of a peony tree above. I think they are beautiful. Next week will be crazy and I am not sure if I will be able to post, but I will try. Have a wonderful weekend. Ma I don't know why the above is posting all together with no paragraphs. That is not the way I typed it. It hasn't done that to me before. I will leave it for now)

Copper Clad

2011-03-23T11:28:00.003-05:00

This is my old woodburning cookstove. My husband bought this a few years ago at an auction for a very good price. Before I could have the guys bring it into the house, I did alot of scraping of old baked on grease. Then I painted it with high heat paint. The decals are in excellent condition!

I would love to have it in my kitchen, but since I don't have the room, it sits in my dining room. I don't have it vented, so I can't fire it up. It comes in handy for holding pies and deserts on Holidays. Other than that, it just takes up space! But that is ok. I enjoy looking at it.

Oxford's Best

2011-03-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

Sunday afternoon, my husband and I went to a large antique mall. We like to go together, but we always end up going our own ways. Usually he is faster than I am and will be waiting for me. Not this time. He must of been looking around very carefully. After we left, I was telling him how hard it is to find flour sacks anymore. He said that there was one from the Old Oxford Mill. I told him that I would like to have it. We decided not to turn back around since we had to be somewhere soon. So yesterday, I took my mom out there and I found the flour sack! First off, my husband said that it was red checked and I thought he said it was at the front of the mall. I had to call him to find out for sure. It was in the back and it wasn't checked, as you can see. He must of been looking carefully because it was folded and had a book sitting on top of it!

I grew up in Oxford. It was like Mayberry. I thought it was a boring place to live and wanted to move away so badly. I didn't know how fortunate I was. I would love to live there again.

My mom always used Oxford's Best Flour. If you talk to older woman, they will tell you that it was the best. I believe that it was in the 30's that the old mill stopped production when they built a newer mill next to it and that it was the 80's when they stopped complete production. The old limestone mill is still standing and has been restored. The Oxford High School students have now started a restaurant in it. I haven't been yet, but hope to soon.

I think I will frame this flour sack. What do you think?

I am going to try to link this to It's Very Cherry World. If I fail, please google her and join in with her.

Itching to Bake

2011-03-10T14:36:00.000-06:00

Do you like to bake? I do, but I also like to eat. Therefore, I have been avoiding it. I am about to cave in! I can't. I really can't give in. I want chocolate cake or a pumpkin pie. But I am not willing to pay for it, so I will just dream for now!

Isn't this a cute cookbook? I love her green kitchen cabinet. You know that is what I bought it for, don't you? Isn't that a sweet apron? If you look closely, she is using the same cookbook with her picture on it, showing her using the same cookbook with her picture on it! LOL! Doesn't looking at the picture make you want to bake? It doesn't help me one bit.

Eagle

2011-03-08T14:39:00.000-06:00

A week ago Sunday, it was extremely foggy outside. I didn't venture out all day, but later in the day as the fog lifted some, my son and husband needed to go my mother-in-law's. They took the back roads and on the way home, they noticed that The Eagle was back. He has probably been there for some time, but we don't usually go that direction. My son took a couple of pictures for me. You may have to click on the picture to get a better look at him.

Isn't he beautiful?

Remembering Joyland

2011-03-06T14:05:00.000-06:00

Last Monday, I was out antiquing and stepped into a booth that was selling items from this old amusement park. This place was the place to be back when I was young. Then when I was in high school, I had a chance to stay with my older sister during the Summer and work at the park. I had a great time working there and made some great friends. I worked there for two Summers.

The park has been closed for a few years now and is in ruins, thank to some people who don't have anything better to do with their time than to break in and distroy some of Wichita's best loved places.

The train in the above picture is the first thing you come to as you walk into the park, complete with railroad crossing lights. The train will carry you completely around the outskirts of the park.

This picture of the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe is displaced, since it didn't show up where it belonged as I was posting pictures. It sat at the entry into the kiddie part of the park. When I was very little, I loved to walk through this shoe. There was a lady spanking her child behind that door.

Now back to the front of the park. This is Louie. He played the Wulitzer organ. The music from this organ filled the entire park. Isn't Louie scary looking? I always thought so. He freaked me out, but he was also well loved. I would love to hear the music from that organ again. I understand the organ has now been sold. I thought Louie was stolen but I understand he is with the man who kept him painted.

This is the wooden roller coaster. It is one of the last surviving wooden coasters. (but for how long?) I think the scariest part of that coaster was that it was wood and old. I remember a child falling off of it that led to seatbelts finally being installed. Not too long ago a guy was killed while whacking weeds by the coaster. I understand he was too close and was hit. I recently found out that he was the little brother of a friend of mine from back then. Very sad.

The ferris wheel.

Now back to Kiddie Land. Don't you wish you were young enough to hop in one of these and ride?

These, too?

Here is another of my favorite things in the park. This was one of the smartest ideas to get kids not to litter. We would place our cotton candy sticks or snow cone cups to his mouth and he sucked them right up!

This trash can could be yours. He was on sale at the antique shop.

Here is an old view of the park. I am not sure when the picture was taken. Check out the roller coaster. It doesn't look too scary compared to the ones there are now. I rode it a few times. The first hill was the worst. The rest, not too bad.

This is an old photo of the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe. This picture must of been taken when the park was at another location.

Joyland was built in 1949 and remained open until 2006.

If you would like to find out more about the coaster, train and organ, check out Wikipedia (Joyland Amusement Park Wichita).

(I want to add that these are not my pictures, but I do have permission to post them here)

(Update: Kake News reported tonight that a Wichita teen is wanting to bring life back to Joyland. There are plans to go in front to the City Council to make it a Non-profit in April. I do hope that he can achieve this but so many things have been distroyed and sold. Best Wishes to him.

I also wanted to add something that I forgot to say earlier. After my week of having Joyland on my mind, someone had broken in on Friday, I believe, and set the restrooms on fire)

Green Utensils

2011-03-02T23:19:00.000-06:00

I was dusting these the other day and thought I would share some of my green utensils with you. Some of them look as though they were never used.
See the two small scoops? I am glad that I have those. They were at a garage sale for a few of years. The woman who had them, had her sale set up exactly the same every year. She had them marked extremely high, so I had to pass them up. Finally one year, she decided to sell them 1/2 off. I bought one of them, even though the price was still high for a garage sale. Then I decided to go back and buy the other. They look as though they were never used.
I have slowed down on buying any old utensils, even though I did buy the large ladle last week. I think I have enough!

Ma

Wind At My Back

2011-03-02T10:43:00.000-06:00

I use to watch a certain Soap years ago, but decided some time back that it was time to get away from it. One reason was because it was taking my time and the other was because of the content. But now I am back to having to make sure I was another show. It is "Wind At My Back" in INSP. The good thing is that if I miss it, I can catch it later that day. Or wait til it comes back around. INSP airs it 3 times a day.

The show is set in the 1930's. Honey and her husband Jack lost their hardware store. Then Honey lost Jack. She had to turn to her Mother-in-law, who is a very harsh woman. Her mother-in-law, takes charge and takes her children from her, telling her to go back to her own family. The story goes on to show how Honey struggles to get her family back together. I think they did a really good job on this show. It was originally aired from '96 to '01. If you are looking for a decent family show, check it out.

(insp.com)

Ma

(sorry for no picture. I did post about this yesterday but deleted it since I had used a picture from the website and felt I shouldn't had done that)

Ma's McDougall

2011-02-27T12:00:00.001-06:00

This is my McDougall kitchen cabinet. It is the first one that I refinished. I found it at a Flea Market in 1999. I had been looking for one like in the TV show "The Walton's". It had been painted cream and the hardware was painted red.(the hareware is copper) It was down right dirty looking but that painted helped saved the wood. The cabinet wasn't a matching set. The top is a McDougall and the bottom was a Seller's kitchen cabinet. The bottom was very nice except for damage to the back legs. I finished the cabinet, brought it in and set it in my dining room. I kept the back propped up alittle and hid the prop so no one could see it. Then finally I found another McDougall. Someone was selling their grandmother's cabinet, cheap. I was floored. I would love to have my Grandmother's cabinet. I bought it, which came with the original sugar jar. You can see it peeking out from behind the flowers in the picture. Although the bottom that I bought isn't a perfect match to my top, it is the same brand. I have stored the bottom's top incase I ever find a true matching bottom for my top. Then I will put the lady's grandmother's cabinet back together. But for now, it holds my top!

You may notice that there is an open space at the bottom of the top section. That is where the tambour door belongs. It rolls up. Not all of the slats were with the cabinet when I bought it. I have searched since 1999 for some oak slats. These slats aren't reproduced and are different than other tambour doors. Even different than the lady's grandmother's top. But recently I found some, only now I am still missing the top slat, which I hope to have made.

Please excuse my ugly walls. Like I have mentioned, there is so much to be done to this house. Those walls included. Whatever possessed me to paint them that color, I don't know. But it is so much better than the dusty pink that was here when we bought the house! I have been tempted to repaint, but I am hoping that soon we will have the walls done.

Today we have some very dense fog. In fact, since we couldn't see across the street, we stayed home from church. The weather is warming up this week. Like most of you, I am so ready for Spring. But before it gets here, there are still several things I want to accomplish inside before it is time to start planting and canning!

Have a Blessed Sunday.

Ma

Thank You

2011-02-24T19:39:00.001-06:00

I want to thank everyone for such a warm welcome to Blogland and for leaving such sweet comments.

God Bless You All

Ma

Red Bakelite Radio

2011-02-20T23:37:00.000-06:00

This weekend my husband, son and I stopped by a friend's antique shop. This radio caught my eye. It was a decent price but he offered to come down on the price even more since the cord had been cut off. That was ok. It is red. It is bakelite. And I thought it was just so cute! When I told my mom about it, she asked me why I would want it if it didn't work? Well, Mom, I 'm not going to be listening to AM radio anyway! I would like to see if I could have it rewired, but if not, that is ok. Tucked inside of it is the Owner's Manuel.

I need to find a permanent home in my kitchen for this radio. In old pictures they show where the homeowner's would place their radios on a small shelf on the wall. I do have a small vintage shelf that would be perfect. I just don't have room on the walls for it!

Ma's Kettle

2011-02-17T10:03:00.000-06:00

Back in the 90's as I was watching Martha Stewart Living, I noticed her green tea kettle. I flipped! I just had to find one just like it! That didn't happen until about 2002 when I came across one on Ebay. It wasn't in the best condition, but I didn't care. I finally found one. It also came with several other green kitchen items and the bid only started at $10.00. I won that bid with no one else bidding. (You can see that tea kettle in the picture of my last post sitting on the Hoosier.) The day the package arrived, it was like Christmas. It was full of goodies! I was ok with the condition of the kettle, but told myself, if ever another one came up in better condition, I would try to get it. One did, but it went for more than I wanted to pay.

I am glad I wanted! Not long ago, I came across the one above. I knew I would have to pay more than I wanted to, since it had it's original labels and came with the box! That's right. This baby had never been used! It was a long wait until the auction was up. Don't you just hate that? Anyway, the day came and I sat myself at the computer watching and waiting. I won that auction, BUT, didn't met the reserve. I was so crushed! I talked to the seller and she told me what the reserve was. My heart sank. It was way more than I was able to pay. I told her that I would only be able to pay such and such! She replied that she didn't want to take a loss on it and couldn't go that low. Later that night, I received another e-mail. She was willing to let it go at my price!!! Yippee!! The kettle sits with pride on my Hoosier along with some of my other green goodies, never to touch it's bottom on my stove's burners! The box is wrapped and stored away. An interesting thing about the box. It has a label on it that states that the color is Lettuce. Not jadite, but Lettuce!!

(I added the first picture last, but it ended up on top. Oh Brother. I'll figure this out someday!)

Hoosier Cabinet

2011-02-15T22:10:00.001-06:00

Here is my 1920 Hoosier cabinet. I purchased this cabinet in 1999. It had 4 layers of paint. White, Green, Blue, and finally gold and chocolate. It had all of it's shelves, but was missing it's tambour doors, flour bin/sifter and sugar bin. I happened to have a flour bin for it and came across a sugar bin not long after buying it. I was also able to find all of the spice jars, rack, and salt dish. Unfortunately, the tambour doors and door charts are reproductions.

Can you tell I have a thing for green?

Ma

The Beginning

2011-02-15T16:52:00.000-06:00

Hi

I was encouraged to start a blog, so here goes. Bare with me. I don't have a clue what I am doing. I hope to figure out how to add to this blog to make it look more appealing.

What to write about? Alittle about me? I am 48, married, mother of 3, Nana to two adorable babies, and a Christian. I enjoy decorating, refinishing old furniture, alittle gardening, although I have more of a brown thumb. I enjoy scouring flea markets and antique malls for vintage treasures. I do enjoy going to auctions from time to time, but hate the waiting.

One of the things that I have enjoyed for the past 11 years is to find an old Hoosier style cabinet and bring it back to life by taking layers of paint and grime off of it. I enjoy trying to find the correct "goodies" that once came with the cabinet and having it look as it did the day some housewife of the past brought it home and into her kitchen. Pa enjoys picking up cabinets for me at auctions, but I am afraid that I have become the Queen of Unfinished Projects. I hope to reclaim the garage once again in the near future.

I live in a small house that is in need of alot of TLC, which has been a slow process. Pa isn't as handy as I would like him to be, but he does what he can. Once again, I have become the Queen of Unfinished Projects inside the house, too. That needs to change soon.

Welcome to Kettle Korner. I hope you come back soon.

Ma

(Mecky)