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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Family Treasures and Thrifty Finds!

I found so many great vintage items this past weekend that I felt that it was time to do some rearranging.

The table in our entryway has pretty much looked the same since after Christmas.

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The only thing that has really changed is I added the shell dish and starfish a couple of weeks ago.

The only thing that really needed to stay was the lamp.

So I took the soup tureen from this post.  I wanted to use it with something in it.  I went to my yard sale stash of artificial flowers and just dumped them out on my lawn.

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I started with a base of floral foam that was left over from other projects some more that I recycled from yard sale finds that were made over and plastic grocery bags to fill in the rest.  I also stuck the lid in.

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The next step was to add greenery for a base.  I used a bush in the front and some eucalyptus in the back.  I then added in some white.

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I then found this flower and knew that it would be my primary color.  I then just kept adding things till it looked right.006

Once I got that in place, I added my vintage Underwood typewriter also from this post.

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To the typewriter I added a letter from my great uncle to my Grandparents.   I have a special little stash of letters that he wrote to them in the early 1930's.  I originally selected this one because it was written in August and was written on stationary from Lake Tahoe in California.  Afterwards I noticed it was dated August 18th 1931.  This is special to me because my youngest child was born last year on August 18th.  I put the envelope in a carpenter's ruler which is very fitting because my Grandpa was a carpenter.

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I love that you could mail a letter from California to New York with nothing more than a name and city and state!

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I put back the starfish and shell dish and added some shells to the dish and some roses that I ripped off the topiary in this post.

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This also came back.  Just a yard sale apothecary jar filled with dried hydrangeas that were in a free pile at a yard sale.

The little blue and red tins are old typewriter ribbon tins.

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The photo of the two gentlemen is not my grandfather and uncle but two strangers from my bounty of photos from Saturday which can be seen here.  It is sitting on an upside down Weller pot that I got in a bag sale at a rummage sale.  It ended up costing me about a nickel!!  The books were all yard sale finds.  The Great Expectations is not old but that is my Dad's favorite book.  I didn't pay more that $1.00 for any of them and I am pretty sure they were each a quarter.

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Here is a better shot of the blue tin it was $1.00.

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The black shell belonged to my Grandparents.

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The lamp was a quarter from a yard sale.  It is a vintage glass lamp.  The lamp shade I won in an eBay auction from the Nester!!!  I won three of them for $7.50.  They are really nice quality silk.

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  The vintage American Rifleman also came from a yard sale and was $1.00.   I am really happy with the way this turned out.   I think that it will carry me into fall when I will get the urge to shake things up again. 

My husband thinks that I am crazy to display pictures of people that we don't know.  I use photos of our family that we have but like to fill in with ones that I have adopted.  What do you think do you buy photos of people that you don't know?

 

Linking up to:

Vintage Thingie Thursday@Colorado Lady

Show Off Your Cottage Monday @ The House in the Roses

20 comments:

  1. I love this and you have inspired me to do a vignette with vintage items from family! I would rather use photos of people I know but hey if the others fit into your vignette then go for it.

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  2. Your vintage typwriter is very pretty. Happy WW! olive♥

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  3. Hi, A pretty vignette... I love to collect old photos too:-)
    Bella

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  4. Your vignettes are charming, Michelle! I love the old photos and letters, not to mention the typewriter..all favourites of mine!

    So glad I stopped by...

    Lynette

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  5. Wow what wonderful buys you got. You cannot beat the prices at yardsales. Your viginette is lovely. I use pictures of unknowns in my house too and my grandchildren are always asking who they are!!! Thanks for sharing.

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  6. I love it that you try to use all your things in a way so that you can see them every day. Love all the wonderful shells.

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  7. You are very creative. I love how you displayed everything. Love the old photos and typewritter.
    Blessings, Vicky

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  8. Pretty vignette! Love the flower arrangement and the typewriter and letter.

    We live in such a small village that we get our mail if just our name and the village name is written! :)

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  9. What a typewriter!!! And the letter is a sweet touch. Im a collector of tins and your little blue one looks great.

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  10. I have a few pictures of people I don't know, but I don't display them.

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  11. I love what you did with the typewriter. What a cute idea to put the letter from your grandfather in it. And the camp logo is so summery.

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  12. I love all of your charming touches! Your typewriter and that letter are treasures!!

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

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  13. Why did you put a handwritten letter in the typewriter? I know both are treasures, but it just doesn't make sense.

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  14. Very nice display! You have quite the eye!

    Happy VTT! :)

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  15. Dear Anonymous,
    I actually thought of just that problem for a moment. I put a hand written letter in the typewriter for several reasons. First because it is a family treasure and I wanted to be able to see it everyday. Secondly I really liked the logo. Third it was written in August and we will be in August in the next couple of days. The fourth reason is that it is of the same era as the typewritter. Lastly I don't have a typewritten letter from the same era. Thanks for asking.

    :) Michelle

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  16. Well, I just love everything about this post...the letter best of all! How ingenious to put it in the typewriter!! I am a bit late this week...forgive me!! Hope your weekend is great!

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  17. I love your old letters! What a true treasure you have here! That typewriter is very cool too. Hugs Anne

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  18. Very pretty... Thanks for participating in our "Show Off Your Cottage Monday" and letting us into your lovely home and garden...

    cielo

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  19. This is quite a beautiful display! The flowers turned out perfectly. I love how you've grouped things that have a sentimental touch.
    God bless,
    Kathy

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  20. The strawberry pie looks delicious!
    Kim Harris

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