This post is meant to be a companion to the video I put up a on YouTube a couple days ago… a more detailed display of all the goodies and knickknacks I scored this past weekend at one of my local thrift stores! I will also link the video below, for those interested.
Without further ado, THE GOODS:
For the most part, this website has been devoted to recipes, which I prefer to write in a straightforward style. However, a subscriber on Instagram suggested that I share more house-related posts, so here is my first attempt! I don’t consider myself a decorator, by any means… however, I hope that by sharing photos of my 1960s Dutch colonial, perhaps I can help spread ideas and inspiration. Please bear with my ever-improving photography skills. And boy… is there room for LOTS of improvement!! This room is outrageously difficult to photograph, as it is so small, and right off a narrow hallway. But hopefully you will be able to get a fun idea or two from the glimpses I’ve managed to provide.
The curtain at the window is one I made myself! I used quilting fabric from Joann’s, two different fabrics, actually. I was in a rush when I whipped up curtains for all the bathrooms in the house. We had just moved in, and I only wanted to provide a bit of privacy as quickly and cheaply as possible. The curtains all turned out quite decent though, and have remained ever since (aside from some seasonal laundering)! It is held up by a tension rod purchased at Lowe’s.
Having three young children in the house, step-stools to use toilets and sinks are essential. Ours were purchased at Target. The large bucket in the corner is actually a 5-gallon bucket from Lowe’s that we use as our diaper pail! I have it about half-full of water, with a generous scoop of Borax mixed in. When the baby has soiled a cloth diaper, this is where I plop the liners until it is time to launder a batch (any solid waste gets dropped into the toilet at flushed, first). I launder them every few days, and stench is never a problem. Perhaps that should be my next post: our cloth-diapering routine and recommendations!
As far as tiles, beadboard, paint, etc, it is just as when we purchased the house. Why mess with it, when it is already so put-together? Someday I will likely change the paint, but it isn’t really a priority.
I favor a simple cake of Ivory soap for hand washing needs, accompanied by a pristine white hand towel, and lotion if necessary.
I recently discovered that we have a tiny “Daphne” bush growing in our garden, wedged right next to a wall. How it got there, I honestly don’t know! I am thrilled at having powerfully fragrant blooms available while it is still winter! They are nice anywhere in the house, but I think it is especially appreciated in a space like a bathroom or powder-room. Hopefully the mock-orange bushes I planted a year and a half ago will provide fragrant blooms for us later this year.
I don’t know the technical name for this piece, but it is lovely! I assume it is to reinforce and help protect a heavily-used part of the door from grime and hand prints. This metal piece can be scrubbed without worrying about damaging paint. If anyone knows what this is called, please let me know!!
Estate sales are notoriously hit-or-miss. For some, it’s not worth the hassle. For others, it is a thrilling hunt for rare finds and good bargains. Yesterday, I was fortunate to experience the very best that an estate sale can be. I walked away with a trunk bursting with treasures… totaling less than $30!! The bulk of it is shown in the photo below, but in addition to this, my older two girls used their own money to purchase a plastic wagon (to use for later mischief, no doubt), and several books. I photographed these immediately after unpacking them, so I haven’t cleaned them yet. I hope you are able to appreciate their beauty despite the coat of grime. If you find yourself admiring my table as well, please know that I got my entire Duncan Phyfe dining set for $600 from a consignment store in Delaware called Delmarva Furniture Consignment. You can view their inventory online.
What we dream of when we see a sign for an estate sale nearby!
Three rolls of warm pink upholstery fabric (of unknown yardage) will always be useful in a home with this many girls!
Silver plated bread basket. Shows some age, but in a charming way. I will eventually have it re-plated, but it isn’t strictly necessary.
Silver plated soup tureen (no ladle). The silver needs to be re-plated but it is free from any scratches or dents! I will use my silver-cleaning trick on this and see what can be done.
It is monogrammed with a W… our last name does not start with W. Hubby said, “W stands for ‘Winners’ so we can still use it.” I’m really excited to put this to use on my table, especially with soup weather soon to return.
They look large here because I was zoomed in so closely, but these demitasse cups are destined for permanent residence in my husband’s office, so he can take full advantage of their espresso machine.
Eight water goblets that are simple and will likely go with any table setting.
These were labeled as a set of “dessert glasses”. It is a rather odd assortment, but I couldn’t pass them up for the price, and they will be fun to incorporate into future tea parties, or use at the children’s table during holiday gatherings.
Lots and lots of sandwich glass!! I haven’t yet taken the time to identify them, but if you have more information about these, please leave a comment!!
I’m guessing these were originally champagne glasses. I may use them for that purpose, or perhaps to serve chocolate mousse, sorbet, or ice cream…
These little beauties are sherry glasses! I’ve never tried sherry (but I’d like to). I may use these at the children’s table, or as vodka glasses. Not at the same time, of course… unless they are getting too rowdy and it’s time to go to sleep. But I would never really do that…
There’s only a few of these, and you can see the one on the right is chipped on the bottom. I would like to serve root beer floats in them. What you think?
More water glasses. We are very thirsty, after all.
Sterling silver has been my metal of choice for most of my life. It’s beautiful, sturdy, and relatively affordable. The only con is the frequent polishing it requires to keep the tarnish at bay. It’s a never-ending battle, if you want your pieces to stay sparkling and bright. Over the years, I’ve spent my money on various creams, baths, cloths, etc. to keep my silver in top shape. I recently happened upon a much easier alternative that I hope will save you time, effort, money…. and fingers stained black from polishing by hand.
I was hunting around the estate sales and antique stores for a silver-plated tea set, and approached my elderly neighbor for advice on how to spot quality quickly. She’s a Southern Belle, and knows silver! After taking notes on her suggestions, and the name of the best jewelers in town who can repair silver-plate, I was floored when she told me how she polishes her silver. First of all, she does it herself!! That alone shocked me. All that tedious scrubbing and polishing must be overwhelming for one person… and her [large] collection is always luminous! As it turns out, there is no scrubbing at all, and I was left lamenting all the hours I’d previously spent on the endeavor, when there was a much easier option.
For the sake of this example, I’m using a small silver-plated bracelet that I’d forgotten about and had developed a grimy sheen in the back of one of my jewelry drawers. (Side note, I bought it for $6 on Amazon. Yes, $6!!). Admittedly, I’m still refining my photography skills, so the tarnish isn’t as visible in the below photo as it was in real life. Trust me. Now put the kettle on.
No seriously, start boiling some water.
Next, line a non-reactive bowl (I used ceramic) with aluminum foil, place silver item inside, and sprinkle with a copious about of baking soda. This isn’t an exact science. Just have fun and go full “Salt Bae” on the item.
Once the water is literally boiling get ready to pour. But before you do, perhaps I should warn you of one of the few caveats to this cleaning method: if your silver contains delicate elements, gems, etc., the introduction of the boiling water could cause some components to crack. If you notice here, I am using a bracelet that is just plain silver-plate. No enamel, gems, pearls, etc. Anyway, if you feel daring, start pouring and stand back and enjoy the explosion.
Once the water has stopped violently bubbling, just fish out your item, rinse, and buff dry!
That’s it! Silver polishing fun for the whole family! My kids immediately went rummaging for every piece of silver jewelry they could find and we spent the next 20 minutes polishing silver and enjoying the froth and foam (and ease!).
My Southern Belle neighbor (I’m tempted to refer to her as Scarlett O’Hara on this blog…) said that when she needs to polish large pieces and collections, she lines her entire porcelain sink with aluminum foil, and follows the same procedure. Albeit with substantially more baking soda and boiling water.
I did end up finding a gorgeous tea set for an absolute steal, and now I’m joyfully anticipating the opportunity to try this method on the set next time the tarnish builds up.
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