Decorating with Collections

When I am out shopping at the flea markets, I tend to shop without an agenda.  I just buy what I love and in doing so, I have small collections of lovelies here and there from stacks of old quilts to vintage glass jars.  Does this happen to you as well?  Do you find yourself gravitating toward what you love only to find yourself bringing home another vintage pot to add to your ever-growing stash?  The fun part is taking the "new" treasure home and incorporating it with all the others.  I love not only to display my collections but use them throughout the home as well.  For instance, vintage tea-towels hangs at my stove for hand drying and pictured here, I took down my old marmalade pots off the shelf to make a pretty centerpiece on my kitchen island.

I stuck them in an antique french water glass carrier from the 1900's.  Waiters would use these wire trays to carry drinks to the outdoor terrace.

I cut some blossoms for the pots from my mom's tree (oh you should see her trees, so, so pretty with their spring blooms!)

These blooms smell so wonderful!  Their scent fills my whole living room, it smells like spring in here!

Sometimes, it's just as pretty to see them displayed all together on the shelf of my chippy-white country hutch.        

 What do you like to collect?  What do you like to do with your collections?  Do you display them so beautifully on a shelf in your home or do you like to get them out to use, or both?  I would love to hear about it!

Remember there is still time to enter for your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Post Road Vintage (thanks so much again, Heather!) and a one-year subscription to Romantic Prairie Style magazine.  Just *Click Here* to enter.
Thank-you to everyone who entered.  It is such a blast to read what you are putting in your gardens and hearing about your al fresco dinner plans!

 On a final note, I want to thank the girls over at French Charmed for this adorable ruffle umbrella that I won from their giveaway!  What perfect timing for a new umbrella, with all the nice spring rain showers we have been getting!  It sits in an old milk can placed by my front door in the entryway.  My sister, Carla, gave me this wonderful can for my birthday.  She sure knows my style!  Isn't it so pretty?

I want to wish all you mothers out there a wonderful day!  I hope your day is filled with love (and pampering!)  God has not yet opened that door for me, but I pray someday soon!  All in His perfect timing.


I will be back soon with more collections, some spring garden shots, and of course, a winner!




 Thanks so much for coming by,




Maria ~Rusty Hinge






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Happy Anniversary and a Giveaway!

Today is my anniversary!  I have been blogging for one whole year!  Can you believe how fast it flew by?  The saying is so true...'time flies when you're having fun!'  And it's all because of you, so I have a very special treat!  I am excited to announce my very first giveaway here at Rusty Hinge!  My wonderful blogging friend, Heather from Post Road Vintage, has so generously offered all of my readers a chance to win a $50 gift certificate (thank-you so much, Heather!) to her lovely shop.  What perfect timing, Heather just released her new spring line called, Whispers of Spring!  Here is a peek at it, in all it's awesomeness...

 {Medium Chippy Green Coat Rack}

{Antique Industrial Bread Pan}

{Vintage Green Folding Chair}

{Pair of Stone Pink Bowls}

{Mason Jar Soap Dispenser} -my favorite!  

(I love these soap dispensers and am looking to purchase another from Heather!  I want one at all my sinks!)
 *Above photos courtesy of Post Road Vintage*

All you have to do to be entered in the giveaway is leave me a comment letting me know what you are planting in your garden this year (because I love to garden!) and if you don't garden, let me know who you would invite to your warm-summer-night alfresco dinner party if you hosted one tonight!  It's that simple!  

For additional entries, you can Facebook, Twitter, pin on Pinterest, or post on your blog about this giveaway.  AND for an extra bonus entry, please sign up for Heather's fabulous quarterly E-zine, Homebound (or tell me you already subscribe.)  You can sign up for Homebound *Here* or in my sidebar as well.  Please make sure that you leave a separate comment for each one.

On a final note, I just picked up my copy of Fifi's Romantic Prairie Style magazine and love, love, LOVE it!  And I know without-a-doubt that you will love it too, SO to sweeten the pot, I am going to include a one-year subscription to Romantic Prairie Style magazine in the giveaway!

One winner will be drawn at random and the giveaway ends on May 15 at midnight.   

A HUGE thank-you goes out to you!  Let's celebrate one year together, shall we?  I am so grateful that you chose to stick around!  

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Maria ~Rusty Hinge

  

French Harvest Trug

Good morning!  How are you?  I hope all is well!  If you are curious to know, I did get outside to enjoy working in my garden this week.  Although the snow hasn't shown up again, it has been quite a cool week with hard frosts most nights.  Hopefully, my flowers took it in stride and I didn't lose any of them.  The sun peeked out during the day and it sure felt wonderful!  There is nothing better than the sun on your face!

Today, I would love to show you my antique French grape harvest trug.  These wooden trugs from the south of France were carried on the arms of french vineyard workers while harvesting grapes.  This one, was found hanging on the wall of an old barn at an off-the-road french brocante.  Don't you just love the perfectly weathered gray wood?

I stuffed it with vintage french torchons and some tiny clay pots.  I got the inspiration to roll the towels from Tracey at French Larkspur.  It all makes a great display on our coffee table!

And of course, it is never complete without a bundle of the best smelling lavender!  Thank-you, Maria!  

I have a bit of exciting news for you!  My dream has always been to start up a store to sell my vintage finds.  I love hunting down treasures and collecting to decorate in my home, and I am always moving things around.  When I am finished with it, it just packs up into storage until I think about it again, so why not let it move on to display in your beautiful homes?  Karl promised me that if my blog ever became big enough, with maybe 500+ followers and lot's of daily pageveiws we could purchase a domain and set up a little online store for a start.  Vintage items, like this trug for example, will be available for purchase.  I am getting very excited about the prospect of it!  Please stay tuned for updates!

Thank-you so very much again for your continued interest!  When I started this blog last year, I never imagined that it would spark so much attention!  I am more than blessed to have formed such wonderful relationships with you and developed some amazing friendships through it all!

A huge thank-you to the girls over at Ivy and Elephants for featuring my bedroom chandelier!  They made my day with their sweet comment!  Thank-you Paula and Patti! 

Maria ~Rusty Hinge

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Is it Really Snowing?

 It has been snowing here on and off the past couple days and even though it isn't sticking to the ground it nevertheless pains me to look at it.  The cold wind just took a huge bite out of me when I stepped outside this morning and my trellis just blew over.  With a sigh, I head back to the house.  It looks like I'll be working indoors for now.  Maybe later in the day when it warms up a bit, I can try again.

Here an old french wire basket holds some more bright blooms from bulbs.  This will have to do until the real thing outside!

I have to confess that at the moment I am behind on replying to your comments and leaving them on your lovely blogs.  I feel horrible and I am very sorry.  But please know that this does not mean that I have not visited and I do read and cherish every comment you leave me as well!  Thank-you very much for your continued support!

On another note,  some of you have been asking about Romantic Prairie Style magazine since Fifi and Mark were here in March to photoshoot our home for the magazine's winter issue.  You can read about their visit *Here*   Even though our little farmhouse won't be featured for several more months, I have been excitedly waiting for the arrival of the premiere issue.

  Great news!  Fifi just announced that it will be out on newsstands in two weeks!  Look for this cover next time you are out and pick up a copy!  I can not wait to read it!  It will be filled with decorating ideas, stories, gardens, projects, prairie-style recipes, and much more.  Like everything else Fifi has put her hand to, she poured her heart out on it and it's going to be wonderful!  To learn more  *Click Here*



Thank-you again for stopping by!  I hope you all have a wonderful week!





Maria ~Rusty Hinge