Road Trip: Unpacking the Antiques

We arrived back home in Maine Sunday afternoon after an amazing month-long road trip through the Southern U.S.  We unpacked the things that had to be unpacked and then fell into bed at 7:00 p.m, exhausted from the long drive from Tennessee.

Imagine our surprise when we woke up to this.  On April 8th! This should NOT still be happening - even here in Maine. After a month of green grass and palm trees, this is a difficult adjustment!

It was fun to unpack the few antiques that I purchased "down South" though. This vintage pillow is my favorite. It was a bargain at the original price of $10.99 but was marked down to $8.00. Needless to say, I grabbed it. You can't see it in the photo. but there is vintage rick rack around the edges.

I've written quite a few blog posts about my long distance love affair with South Carolina and I have the perfect spot for this pillow. It will remind me of happy times in the low country every time I walk through the living room.

I also was lucky enough to find three Shawnee Pottery miniatures to add to my collection.

These tiny (<3")vases and pitchers were produced from 1937 through the 1940's and given away as premiums at stores and movie theaters. (Back in 2011, I wrote a post about my collection, with lots of photos, which you're welcome to revisit here.)

I can't resist these little replicas of the full size pottery pieces so popular in the 1930' and 40's.  Years ago I found the perfect wall case for them and love the touch of whimsy thy add to our kitchen.

Since we've downsized, I'm very careful not to give in to my love of old things too often these days. But, I did have to have this little oval serving dish.

When my Mom passed away in 2014, I inherited her large California Ivy platter. I love to use it because, when I do, it brings back happy memories of Mom serving meals on it when I was a child in the 1950's . The little oval platter I found on this trip will be a good compliment for the larger platter.

The Poppy Trail California Ivy pattern was introduced in 1946, the year my parents were married, and remained in production until 1984. I was excited to find another piece and at $4.50, it was a good
buy.

There were gorgeous old tobacco baskets at so many of the antique shops we visited down South. These were on the porch of an antique shop in Wears Valley Tennessee.  I love them and wished I could have thought of an excuse to buy them all!

But I bought a HUGE one when we were in South Carolina last year. You can read the story of how I finally got my tobacco basket to Maine here.

As you can see, I really don't have the wall space for two of them. It still killed me to leave such gorgeously aged ones back on that old porch in Tennessee though.

Here are a few of the antique shops we stopped at on our road trip. Especially in Tennessee, they were everywhere.

Here in Maine, many of our antique shops have closed so I was in my glory with so many to stop at.

I loved all of the 1930's green kitchen appliances and cookware displayed in this "kitchen".

And I especially loved antiquing in sunny 70 degree weather!

All of the flowering bushes were in bloom in the states we visited.

And now it's back to this . . . UGH!

It's way past time for winter to go away for good.

Until it does, I'll just have to close my eyes and pretend I'm back down South!

This post is linked to:

Homestyle Gathering #13 at Serving Up Southern

Flaunt It Friday #443 at Chic on a Shoestring

Farmhouse Friday 101 at The Painted Hinge

Spring at IKEA: Cups, Bowls, and Bunnies

It may be February here in Maine but it felt like Spring this weekend at IKEA.

I loved all the pastel colors that were on display.

In the Marketplace, these FARGRIK mugs caught my eye immediately. Not only were they stackable and only $.99 each, there was one that exactly matches the "Oasis" color of the Keurig in my little home coffee station.

Although I really don't need more mugs, I bought three, just for the color. Since I'm "downsized" that means that three of my older mugs will have to find a new home at Goodwill. Thanks to Marie Kondo, there will be no more overflowing cupboards for me!

I also love this FARGRIK color featured by a fellow blogger, Johnna's Kitchen. If you're "into" IKEA, she features her favorite bargains from IKEA in this post.

Here are a few more of the FARGRIK colors.

I also bought a boxed set of four FRAMKALLA mugs for $5.99. I loved the size of these and their colorful graphic designs.

I had purchased a Panera gift card for the upcoming birthday of a coffee-loving friend and wanted a little something to wrap with it. This little set will be perfect!

Since I seemed to have a theme going on this trip, I had to stop in the IKEA Children's section to fill in my collection of Kalas bowls. I love these bowls for visiting grandchildren, and for Jell-O! At six for $2.49, they're always a good buy.

The Kalas line also includes plates, cups and utensils. All are durable, inexpensive and dishwasher-safe. Even the adults in our house use the plates for snacks.

While we were in the IKEA kids' area, I couldn't resist picking up one of these adorable IKEA  VANDRING bunnies (or is it a hare?) for a special someone's Easter basket. At only $7.99, he's just too perfect - soft, cuddly and very cute!

Here he is getting ready for bed!

Photo courtesy of Reddit

With a face like this, what's not to love?

(I just looked to the right as I proofread this and realized that I have the same expression on my face in "My First Selfie" on the Sidebar as this IKEA hare! Scary!)

Hurry up, Spring . . . I'm getting impatient!

This post is linked to:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Flaunt It Friday #436 at Chic On a Shoestring

Weekend at IKEA: Day 2

Sunday morning found my friend Mary Elizabeth and I back at IKEA at 10 a.m. sharp. By Day #2, we were beginning to feel like semi-pros, even though our Swedish showed no signs of improvement.  We had mastered the second floor;  today we skipped the escalator, went backwards through the empty check-outs, and started in the "Marketplace" on the first floor.

The first thing we came to was what I go to IKEA for:  Dinner Napkins.  I love to entertain, but big,  colorful dinner napkins are not only hard to find, but expensive when I do find them. The last package I bought was from Amazon for  a special Valentine's Day dinner; with Prime shipping, they were $7.38 for 75 napkins.

IKEA has dinner napkins in almost every popular home dec. color and additional colors for different holidays and seasons (e.g. brown in the fall).  And, they are only $1.99 for a package of 50 napkins. Since I don't make the two hour drive to IKEA often, I load up when I do go. On this trip, I bought so many packages of napkins that the shopper waiting behind me in line asked me what kind of party I was giving.

The Marketplace is as big as the second floor but if you follow "the path" from one section to the other, it's not so overwhelming.

 Next we found ourselves in the Garden department. 

IKEA sells a huge variety of both real and "faux" plants as well as a "farmhouse-worthy" selection of inexpensive pots to display them in.

Their faux plants look real and all are priced very reasonably.  The plants sized like the ones below (I bought four different ones) were $4.99 each; the galvanized pails to display them in were only $.79.

                               

And here is my very favorite purchase (although I have no idea what I will do with them yet):  a set of three FJANTIG wall hooks, each only 5" tall, shaped like three different styles of IKEA chairs. (Some crazy designer in Sweden must think this stuff up just for women like me!)

I love these silly chairs so much that I bought two packages of them.

For only $5.99 per package they'll be fun (and practical?) to decorate with.

Mary Elizabeth fell in love with this KRUSNIG lamp; it reminded her of a cloud! It's made of layers of paper (the small white and yellow piece behind it is a separate lamp. ) and comes in two sizes. The large one is only $12.99. It is packed flat and you puff it up at home when you hang it.  Yup, she bought one for her new apartment.

The IKEA Marketplace has hundreds of styles of pillow covers on display, all 20" square. Both the covers and the "stuffers" are remarkably inexpensive . . .

As are their rugs, curtains, duvets, duvet covers, and bedding. I bought this sturdy indoor/outdoor LOBBAK runner for our back hall.

I also picked up a pair of these NORDRANA knitted storage baskets for $9.99/pair.

Mary Elizabeth loved all of the IKEA "rail systems" for kitchen (and office, bathroom, studio, etc.) storage. The rails and hooks come in white, black or stainless steel and the choices of hanging utensils and containers is almost limitless. 

Another favorite section of IKEA is the Children's department. The kids' furniture is bright, whimsical, inexpensive  and easy for children to move around.

There are many children's bedrooms on display to give parents ideas for storage and maximizing small spaces for kids.

And did I mention the stuffed animals? IKEA's stuffed creatures are the softest ever. They even had a wrinkly piglet, a rat with scary teeth, and a cuddly horse with silly wobbly legs.  As might be expected, most were priced under $10.00. My favorite was this "Big Bad Wolf", who comes with Grandma.  Kids get to rescue Grandma from his stomach - really! (Little Red Riding Hood is sold separately.) 

After the Marketplace, you come to the huge warehouse section of IKEA where you pick up furniture and other large items by their aisle and bin numbers (the reason for the pencil upstairs on Day 1).

I think Mary Elizabeth was feeling a little overwhelmed at first, but she had written down the aisle and bin numbers of her KALLAX shelf and rolling cart so we found them right way. Although it is big, IKEA is well-organized with good signage to help newbies like us figure it all out.

The last stop was the Swedish Food Market just outside of the main check-out area.

You can buy frozen Swedish meatballs just like the ones from their restaurant . . .

As well as Salmon, Lingonberry Jam, Swedish candies and cookies, including the world's thinnest ad best Ginger Snaps!

I bought these KEX cookies for my special needs daughter. Her name begins with "K' so it's her "favorite letter". I can already picture her divvying up the cookies with her friends: "K for me, vowels for you, K for me, vowels for you . . . ". Needless to say, the cookies spell "IKEA".

Our second day at IKEA was almost done and we were dragging. Now, we just had to figure out how to hold on to our "trolleys" on the steep cart escalator . . .

And navigate through the Boston tunnel, over the Zakim Bridge, onto 95 North and home to Maine.

Now that we're back and rested, here are a few of our IKEA purchases displayed in our homes:

Mary Elizabeth's "Cloud Lamp" (she bought the small one) looks beautiful in her bedroom;

As does her little "polka dot" IKEA rug.

She assembled her black RASCOG Cart and it's already in use as a bar cart in her kitchen. She can roll it into the living room for entertaining!  Martini anyone?

After a bit of reorganization, all of my new napkins fit in my under-bookshelf storage baskets. 

I love the colors!

My four faux plants (love the fern!) bring a touch of Spring to "Elmer's tool box" at my house.

And the adorable trio of chairs? 

I'm still walking around the house with them, looking for the perfect spot!

SKAL! (that's "Cheers" in Swedish),

This post is linked to:

To Grandma's House We Go #127 at Chas' Crazy Creations

Talk of the Town #162 at Knick of Time

Vintage Charm Party #170 at My Thrift Store Addiction

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Flaunt It Friday #436 at Chic On a Shoestring