Heather Bullard

Christmas Collections

 

Do you have a special Christmas collection? Maybe it's reindeer, santas or snowglobes? For me, it seems the only Christmas item I can hardly resist are vintage ornaments. Everything else has been pared down over the years and my ornament collection is the only one that has grown. I bought a box of vintage ornaments at the flea market a few weeks ago and thought I'd show you a few of my favorites.

Some are a bit tarnished or chipped or even slightly broken but I still find beauty in them. And don't you just love the old shapes? It's like they say...they don't make 'em like they used to. This little mushroom was my absolute favorite find in the box.

Notice the ombre top? I love how the color fades from dark to light. It's surprising how many vintage and antique ornaments have survived over the years. They are still readily available at antique stores, flea markets, garage sales and online thanks to Ebay and Etsy.

This is the exact box they came in. It was sitting under a table with the lid still on. I'm so glad I didn't pass it up and was curious enough to wonder what was hidden in it. They were destined to come home with me. So tell me...what do you collect for the holidays?

Repurposed Utensil Holder

 

One of my favorite purchases at the Junk Bonanza was this vintage German utensil holder. Originally it was meant to hold ladels and spoons near the stove but I thought it would make the perfect jewelry holder.

It has a small tray at the bottom which is perfect for holding rings, bracelets and pins. One of the reasons I loved it so much was because of the black & white calligraphy. Such a timeless combination. 

Does anyone know German? I tried to translate the words but only came up with roast, roasing, fry, pan, cook and bake. I can barely remember my years and years of French in school and think I would have failed German miserably. The words seem so hard to pronounce.

Although these pale blue enamel utensils were not part of the holder I thought they would be nice to serve jams, jellies, chutneys or nuts and their color was so unique. I'm looking forward to using them. It's funny what you end up with when you're at an antique show. You never know what will strike your fancy and in what ways you'll be inspired to use it. 

The Bins

Have any of you heard of the Goodwill Bins? I never had. Absolutely no clue such a thing even existed. On my recent trip to Washington state I had the opportunity to see what it was about. From the outside it looks like a regular Goodwill store but inside is a different story. There are gigantic plastic bins on rolling carts all lined up like little soldiers. And swarms of people standing in lines waiting for the cart to stop before they take a dive in them to see what they can find.

Apparently they are filled with things the Goodwill stores don't want. Interesting, yes? For me, I couldn't handle the pressure of bumping elbows and jumping in line so I wandered over to another corner of the store and looked in the "book bins". No one was swarming this area at the time. I was able to find this big pile of vintage sheet music. The calligraphy was beautiful. L-O-V-E me some great script. I carried my stash to the register where the lady rang me up a sweet deal. Can't say that I'll go again, I'm just not that agressive. But I am completely thrilled with what I brought home. So....maybe, just maybe with some elbow pads and a bodyguard I might just take the plunge again. 
 

Would You Like To See Some...

Here are a few highlights of the Junk Bonanza. I hope it gives you a feel for what the vendors had to offer. Really, there was so much great stuff. I saw lots of towering displays, big furniture pieces, galvanized everything, letters and more letters, really awesome clocks, jewelry galore and row upon row of fantastic finds.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour. If you ever have the chance to shop the Junk Bonanza you won't be disappointed or come home empty handed. Everyone of us were loaded down with treasures to bring home. Here's Nancy Soriano in her killer vintage dress wrapping her goods to be shipped home.

I can't wait to tell you the funniest story about how we all wanted the exact same item. It can get dicey when you're shopping with folks that love the same things. Guess I better edit those images next!

Vintage Horse Show Ribbons

     Two months ago at the Rose Bowl, I brought home this GIANT box of horse show ribbons from a dealer who did not want to pack them up at the end of the day.

     There was a minor amount of negotiating before a deal was struck. I think he was happy to see them go since he closed the box up with tape and put it in my cart. Customer service is alive and well at flea markets.

     There is around 100 or so ribbons with most being from the Santa Barbara area and from the late 50's thru the 60's. I love all the muted colors together.

     They've been stored away in my warehouse waiting for an idea to strike me or an opportunity to use them and sure enough one has come along. So now I'm going to be ironing all of them for a photo shoot this week. Funny how you pick something up at a flea market without any reason other than because and eventually find a way to use them. Something to be said for tucking things away. Now let's hope I just don't burn any. Ironing isn't my strong suit.

On the Bookshelf

    Amazon makes monthly deliveries to my house. They're nice that way. For some reason, no matter how hard I try I cannot keep from buying books. It's getting out. of. control. They are stored in every room, under beds, on bookshelves, in the garage, at the business warehouse, in the kitchen cupboards, you get the picture. Here's what came in the latest doorstep delivery.

White on White- what can I say? It's like 3 bucks or so. How can you go wrong? So many shades of lovely white. It's a great book to keep on hand when you're completely smitten with the color.

Thrifty Chic-lots of fresh ways to use and reuse chic vintage pieces throughout your home. They have a great mix of modern and romance. Right up the alley for those who love decorating with antique store finds.

Provencal Escapes-stunningly beautiful. The author gives you a tour of the most amazing homes in France. The outdoor stone room on the cover is reason enough to buy it. I will never forget that room. Make yourself happy and add this book to your wishlist.

And I saved my very favorite for last.............

  The New Eighteenth-Century Style- Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. That about sums it up. I could study the photos in this book for hours. There is so much detail in each room. From the paint to the tattered books to the old linens, it is all so inspiring. I want to recreate the vignette shown in the photo below.

    Don't you just love the concrete urns, the shells, the dried hydrangeas, the manzanita branches? Oh my word. I showed this photo to The Man and said, "I'm on it".  My summer project!

   And would you believe that under all these plump pillows of antique linens lies an army cot? Leave it to the French to make an army cot look like it's fit for a queen.

   And I love the garden conservatory feel of this room. And those giant shells piled up on the side table are so beautiful. Really, do yourself a favor and just go buy this one today. And when it comes, sit down outside in the garden with a glass of wine and savor it. You'll thank me later, I just know it.

In other news I've done a couple of recent interviews. Not that I presume everyone is sitting on pins and needles wanting to know more about the tickings of my mind. It's mostly lots of continuous rattling up there. But my sweet peep Carol asked me a few questions about my business to celebrate the relaunch. She always has wonderful interviews with shop owners and inspiring women across the globe not to mention the genius projects she shares. And the delightful Shawn had a phone interview with me about all sorts of various blog and business related topics. Lucky for you she condensed it into written form here. She's in the middle of a barn restoration project and I can't wait to see the final reveal. I know it will be spectacular.

Well that about sums it up for now. Thanks for reading this really long post but as you can see I'm pretty passionate about my books and could probably go on for hours and hours! Have a great day everyone!

Color Obsession: Neutrals

    I'm still loaded down with my to-do list. Slowly making some progress. I've been completely smitten with neutral colors lately and thought I'd share a few photos of what's been inspiring me.

 

 

 

    What colors are inspiring you? I can imagine some of you are loving all the bright colors of spring. Now if only I could sneak away for a picnic. Maybe I should put that on my list! Have a beautiful week everyone! Smiles, H

Bringing Home the Goods

   Well, I took some pics of some of the things I've found while flea marketing. While I was snapping away I realized it was wayyyy too much stuff to photograph so I narrowed it down to these photos. Seriously, you would be scrolling down for weeks. And I know you have more important things to do. Above you can see I am really into tarnished metals right now. I'm going to use the box in a small powder room downstairs and don't you like my new coin purse? I'll feel so glamorous when I'm pulling out my pennies.

  And I've been collecting odd teacups because I am going to do this project. I've been wanting to do it since the article came out in 2002. This needs to be the year I actually make them. I think 7 years of procrastinating is enough, don't you?

   Black and white always calls to me when I'm at the flea market. Not sure where I'm going to hang my new instant ancestors but I'm sure I'll find a spot.

And I completely love this horse/bridle/English thingy with the crown. Not the official name I'm sure, but that's how it was described to me. I'll probably remove it from the leather strap and frame it or tie a length of ribbon and hang it that way. We'll see.

  And I love my antique bicycle photo because I am secretly coveting this bike. But in these economic times I think this one might be more cost effective. I have a super cute beach cruiser that has no gears, which is no fun in my neighborhood.

  And I found this beautiful velvet jewelry box and look what was inside.....

  A sweet little dried pansy. Who knows how long it's been waiting for someone to discover it. I just love surprises.

  And then there are these killer barstools. I'm calling them French Cowgirl Chic. That's real cowhide on them. Please don't tell me how wrong this is. I feel bad enough on my own. Just take a look at the faux bois details:

   Do you think Martha would be jealous? You know how much she love faux bois. They are a little big for my counter but I'm thinking I might shorten them a bit just to keep them. What do you think? Don't you think they will add some pizazz to my kitchen?

Embroidery Art

 There were quite a few movies in the stockings this year and with that comes a lot of idle time. I usually have a hard time sitting through one without getting up to clean the kitchen, do a load of laundry or sort through the mail. But this time I decided to put the extra hours to use making myself some new artwork for my office.

 I bunkered down with the family and a scrap of old linen, my needles, a treasure trove of broken bits of jewelry, watch faces, buttons and trims and got to work. It was one of those projects that sort of evolved over time. No set plan except for the regal shield border I stitched to restrain myself. And as they say, more is more.

 And over the course of a few evenings I added, and added and then added some more until there was no more room left to embellish. It was so enjoyable that I was sorry to see it finished and secretly wished I had created a larger canvas to work within. For now I'm going to stretch it on a deep 8x8 frame to keep it simple and the focus on the artwork. And I've been busy planning a large one to turn into a pillow for our bed. That should take some time and hopefully I'll be more ready to see it completed.

So if you're snowed in and feel like watching half a dozen movies or so I hope this inspires you to pick up some busy work and see where it takes you. Or if you're more inclined to clean your kitchen, I'm sure no one will stop you. At least they never have in my house!

Festive Finds

  This adorable snowman wand was made by Colleen Moody. She makes the most charming dolls and Santa's. You can see more of her work here. I bought this one when I was up visiting the Tinsel & Treasures show in September. So happy to put him on display!

  And I bought this glitter box ornament from Iva Wilcox along with a few other treasures. I just love the sweet face on the little girl. Iva makes so many wonderful nostalgic keepsakes be sure to stop by her blog to see for yourself.

I found this sweet surprise gift in my mailbox last week. It was such a thoughtful gesture from Jackie Peters. She teaches a class in Oklahoma on paper dolls and they are so detailed! Thank you dear Jackie!

I love this simple flash card garland I purchased from Cari Kraft. She adds pretty vintage paper to the back and distresses the edges, adorable! You can see more of her handiwork here.

  There were so many wonderful vendors at Kim's Artistic Affaire and lots of unique treasures to bring home. I bought this miniature paper mache bucket from Candice Carpenter along with some of her cool scrapbook goods. I tell you she and her Mom are the cutest, seriously. They looked like they have a ton of fun together.

  And I bought this royal bracelet from my dear friend Jamie. All of her jewelry rocks and it is really hard to choose a piece. See for yourself here!

   I don't remember where I bought this beautiful leaf but I hung it on one of my back doors before Thanksgiving and it's still there. I just think it's so simple and pretty and don't know if I'll ever tire looking at it. Something to be said for simplicity. 

Oh, and let's pretend I don't need to paint the french door while we're at it. I'll be sure to add it to my spring nesting. But that's another day....far away!