Christmas Issues of Home Décor Magazines

What to do with magazines that you enjoy when finished reading them is often a quandary. You may tear out interesting articles or recipes and toss the rest of the magazine. You may also give them to a friend or relative or to a thrift store so others may have access to the magazines. Or, you may just store them away somehow. Well I tend to do the last mostly, and find quite a job in finding space for them as well as trying to keep them in order to facilitate access.

One group of magazines, though, is no trouble for me. This is my collection of Christmas issues and covers the years 1989 to 2006. Just before and during the Christmas holidays, I take out stacks of these magazines and keep them at hand for inspiring reading as I enjoy planning and preparing for Christmastime.



These are those to which I have subscribed.
Country Living
House Beautiful
Traditional Home
House and Garden
Veranda
Victoria [I need only 1992 issue to complete run from 1989]
Elle Decor
Colonial Homes
Early American Life
Metropolitan Home

Of these titles I only bought specific issues as desired, including Christmas issues:
Southern Living
Martha Stewart Living
Victorian Decorating & Lifestyle
Victorian Homes and Gardens
Home
Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion
Mary Emmerling’s Country
The English Home
Better Homes and Gardens
Good Housekeeping
Ladies Home Journal
Women’s Day
Family Circle
Gourmet

I have a list on four 3x5 cards of the above magazine titles indicating the years I have the December issues. That way, when in a thrift store and I see Dec. issues of magazines, I can quickly check to see if that particular one is needed.



My records show that I really went all out in December 1999, buying Christmas issues of all 15 of the following -- except for the ones to which I was subscribing at the time:
American Homestyle & Gardening, Better Homes & Gardens, Colonial Homes, Country Living, Country Living Gardens, Country Victorian, Elle Décor, Family Circle, Home Magazine, House & Garden, House Beautiful, Martha Stewart Living, Traditional Home, Victoria, and Victorian Homes.


Latest Thrift Shop Finds for Collection

Today, Wednesday November 7, I made a brief visit to the Hospital Thrift. Checking the magazines near the entrance I found 2005 & 2006 Christmas issues of two magazines:
Better Homes & Gardens - December 2005 & 2006 issues
Country Home - December 2005/January 2006 & December 2006/January 2007 issues


I also picked up Country Home – August 2006 issue for its articles on antiquing and collectors. Also, 4 embroidery hoops, a small bag with notions, a tiny wood applique of a Scottie, and one paperback book. Total cost was $2.40.

I trust you are each having as much fun anticipating the coming holiday season as I certainly am.

Many Thanks!

I want to use this post to thank all the visitors to Oak Rise Cottage, each and every one. I truly appreciate all the comments that you have left. It has truly been an enjoyable experience to have been in touch with so many interesting, creative and giving women who share in blogland.

Come by for a chat and enjoy a cup of tea any time.

"Friendship does warm the heart"


Many, many thanks, and may you have a wonderful day,Carrie

Treasure Finds at Two Thrift Shops

How has your thrift finding been lately? In this post I’ll tell about my last three shopping trips.
On Tuesday Oct. 23 at the Hospital Guild Thrift Store I spent a total $8.37 (incl. 5% tax) for the following items: a silverplate dish $3, a small covered glass jar/canister, a vintage package of 12 blue and white paper napkins (original printed price 30 cents) 50 cents, and a cotton tablecloth and four napkins for $4.00. The tablecloth is 79"L x 60"W.

Since I didn’t have enough cash the day before, I returned to Hospital Guild Thrift Store on Wed Oct 24 and spent a total $4.20 incl. 5% tax. These are the items I got:
A new red and white cotton apron - $1.00, a Pfaltzgraff blue and white creamer - $1.00, a metal filigree photo frame painted white - 25 cents, a small mason jar with grip lock - $1.00, a small covered glass jar - 25 cents, and a woven Asian style doll chair - 50 cents. The pretty apron, with its rick rack pocket, is what brought me back. But I was glas for the creamer since it is now holding small implements handy next to my stove.

………………………

I had gotten very good buys at a particular thrift shop, but it had been moved farther up the main shopping street. Having left the Hospital Thrift store, a slowly ambling down the street. An idle glance to the side revealed the words "Hidden Treasures." There it was! I had to go quite a ways to find parking, but then I eagerly walked back and entered the open door to the store. Inside I spent all of $10.76 including tax, for a nice stash:

The green ceramic lamp cost $3.00. Once I get a shade for it, this small graceful design will prove a better fit in my guest room than the brass lamp there now.

The wood recipe box with a cauliflower as a knob on lid was very well made and cost $2.00. A wood 5-peg rack was $1.00. It is a very finely made piece. On the back it is stamped ‘David Emerson/ Canterbury NH’ and the price sticker says ‘Shaker Village.’ For 25 cents I got a brayer roller tool, which should come in handy for some craft project.
The small hand-painted Delft dish 25 cents is a nice little addition to my blue and white Delft wares from Holland. The square white picture frame with the floral picture and the white grapevine wreath can be restyled for my use.

The pink ceramic jar for 50 cents is organizing things on a bookshelf, as is the clear plastic container with three sections - 25 cents. The camera flash looks like there is some damage, but the two fabric swatches are in perfect condition. The blue fabric is 45"W x 96"L (2.6 yds) and the yellow fabric 50 cents is 44"W x 85"L (2 yds +). Total for the two was $1.00. I haven’t decided what to do with the fabric, but they were too beautiful to leave behind. My seamstress sister may have an idea.


Ten Books, One Dollar

Having looked over the books on two bookcases, I went to the desk and asked, "How much are the books?" I was handed a plastic grocery bag and told to fill it up for $1.00. I got 9 hardcover and 1 soft cover books plus a ruled calendar book. I really only want about three of the books. The rest I’ll put on my Amazon.com Marketplace listings.

1. American Silver by Millicent Stow
2. The Good Book: Reading the Bible With Mind and Heart by Peter J. Gomes, Preacher to Harvard University
3. Prevention’s The Healthy Cook: The Ultimate Illustrated Kitchen Guide to Great Low-Fat Food
4. Pond and River – a Dorling Kindersley Book
5. Guide to the Recommended Country Inns of New England
6. Make The Connection: Ten Steps to A better Body and a Better Life by Bob Greene and Oprah Winfrey
7. Why Be Good? Seeking Our Best Selves in a Challenging World by Byron L. Sherwin
8. The O’Reilly Factor by Bill O’Reilly
9. My Golden Lessons by Jack Nicklaus
10. To My Daughter, With Love: A Mother’s Memory Book by Donna Green

Total for the three thrifty shopping sprees was $23.33. Just the tablecloth and napkins could have easily cost me that amount. So I think I’ll visit these shops again when I feel a hankering for a bargain or two.

I hope you have good finds in your thrifting too.

Thoughts on Aging Well

A concern for both women and men is the idea of growing older, and the multifaceted ways this impacts each of us. Here are some ideas on aging gracefully from Dr. Weil.com:
Simple Tips for Aging Well
Fully embracing life can help you to age well. No matter what your current age is, try the following lifestyle strategies to keep your health at its optimum.

- Remain physically active. You will increase and prolong your body's function, strength, endurance, balance and flexibility by following a fitness regimen.
- Make protection paramount. Avoid alcohol (in excess) and cigarettes; wear a helmet when riding your bike; buckle your seat belt; get appropriate vaccinations; and use sunscreen.
- Remain mentally active. Take classes, read books, travel, do crosswords.
- Eat a variety of foods, especially fresh fruit (lots of red and purple berries), dark leafy greens and yellow and orange vegetables. Supplement with a multi-vitamin.
- Make social connections. Expand your circle of friends, make time to volunteer, go to plays or sporting events.
- Be optimistic. Optimism has been shown to improve immune function, lower stress and increase lifespan.
-- DAILY TIP FROM DR. WEIL.COM, 11.13.2003

One of the books on my bedroom bookshelf is this one by Dayle Haddon, Ageless Beauty: A Woman’s Guide to Lifelong Beauty and Well-Being. (Hyperion, 1998)

In it, the author presents informative chapters not only on cosmetic techniques, but also exercise, food, mental health and stress-relieving techniques.
In the Epilogue "I Love the Age I’m Becoming," the author asserts, "I am excited about the future and the possibilities it brings" because of the world of possibilities open to today’s woman.
A significant phrase, "well-being" sums up the ultimate goal of any self-improvement effort.

On my study bookshelves is a Harper-Collins book: Stop Aging Now! The Ultimate Plan for Staying Young & Reversing the Aging Process by Jean Carper. 1995.

The subtitle further reads, "Based on Cutting-Edge Research Revealing the Amazing Antiaging Powers of Supplements, Herbs & Food." This brought to mind the thought that no matter how youthful one may appear, what really matters is how well the years one has lived have fortified the person with skills and knowledge to be a blessing to others.
Indeed, to have a face lighted by an aura of youthfulness is to have it announce that the owner has a continuing interest in the human and humane ideas, and in the beauties of the natural world as well.
We might assume that to age truly well means to acquire, with each passing year, more tender compassion for others, more insight into what it means to share the gifts which God provides for each one of us.
As to the face of a loved one, it is beautiful in the eye of the beholder, who relishes the familiar features because of what the person is (his or her character), as well as who they are (the relationship they share).
My wish is that you each may continue to age gracefully in the most meaningful ways.

Of Hankies and Doilies

Hankering for Hankies


Based on comments to my Oct. 21 post, I see that many of us are devotees to the vintage handkerchief. I thought I’d share how hankies are used around Oak Rise Cottage.


This bulletin board in the downstairs office displays crystal angels with hankies and doilies and other pretties.






Here is a collection of six hankies. Each has an all-around design, with the four corners having the same design. I like the sense of completeness this gives.




When I moved into my house in 1991, I did not have money for new bedding or drapes. So I bought peach polished cotton toss pillows and dressed them up with off-white handkerchiefs hand-stitched to one side.


As pictured in my Oct. 1 post, I also selected from my kerchiefs and framed them along with vintage doilies.

On a table in front of the windows in my bedroom I use a monogrammed hankie given to me by my mother. It serves as a napkin for a cream teacup and saucer set in a small brass Chinese tray.


For a new crafter’s group here in New England I was preparing this large yellow pillow by appliquéing the colorful cotton hankie to one side.



Just as the new crafter’s online shop was about to start selling, problems arose with the Internet provider and the venture was cancelled.
[Since I had to register with Etsy in order to buy, I may just put them on sale by opening my own Etsy shop – OakRise.etsy.com. Think they would sell?]

Dallying with Doilies
Right up there with hankies as vintage linens, are doilies. I also collect doilies and have used them in various ways around the cottage.
Here are some other décor pillows I’ve worked on. Also for my bed, I took a lace-edged white cotton doily and stitched it by hand to the back of a little round pillow I had made. The lace forms edging for each side. The fabric matched my bedspread and the edging on the drapes.




In the guest bedroom is a large white pillow with crocheted edging. To this I hand-stitched a five-pointed Battenberg lace doily.

Continuing to make changes, I have selected these white buttons and pearly pin to enhance the pillow.

Intent on putting them up for sale, I took two green polished cotton pillows from Kmart’s Martha Stewart Everyday Collection and altered them with two new Battenberg lace doilies. One doily is round, the other square.



To a large lilac print pillow I stitched a round crochet doily.

For these two other yellow pillows I selected two small embroidered doilies to stitch on them. The third photo shows the rear of the pillows.



The other day I was checking on how to become an Etsy seller. Things seemed pretty straightforward, though generating traffic and sales is a challenge. Do any of you Etsy sellers or buyers think these pillows might sell? Let me know what you think. Thanks for your comments.

Aprons of Friendship

An apron is a domestic garment, which evokes a sense of warmth. This is so because it is emblematic of the kitchen, which is the heart and hearth of the home. It is often an item that can be given as a well-received gift to Mom, another relative or to a friend.
In this post I’d like to share three aprons which were given to me by two friends. The first came from a college friend who sent it for me from Sweden. This apron has two bands of orange geometric pattern on a brown background.

The second came some time later from the same friend when she went to live in Norway. This cotton fabric has an abstracted floral pattern in green and orange on a white ground. It has a heart-shaped pocket outlined in the orange piping, which borders the entire apron.

A co-worker gave the third to me in the early 1980’s. This design has a bib to protect your top. The white quilted ground has a circle with three sprightly daisies, and a red barn in the background. Another daisy decorates the bottom of the apron below the verse. Brown piping frames the entire apron and serves as ties as well.

The verse on the apron expresses the beauty of friendship:

I would like to dedicate this verse to all the bloggers who care for the well being of others, and who do all they can to offer support in times of difficulty.

The garden of friendship’s
a beautiful place
Where it’s sunny and bright every day
And good friends who care
Can always meet there
For it’s only a memory away.

My wish is that you each will have a wonderful day.

My Points

I just recently received a J.C. Penney $50 Gift Card from My Points.

Have you heard of the My Points program? It offers free membership, which consists of visiting merchant and other web sites. Just clicking to visit the web site gives a few points. Making a purchase, joining an organization such as AARP, signing up and making a bid on eBay, or requesting a quote of some sort gives additional points. In the case of my $50 gift card, it took a while since I mostly visited sponsor websites rather than shop or order services from them.

A review of the program at their website will reveal a very wide range of merchants, organizations, and services. Some merchants are: Brookstone, Barnes and Noble, Circuit City, Dell, Home Depot, JC Penney, JoAnn, Lillian Vernon, Linens 'n Things, Macy’s, Overstock, Sears, Target, Terry’s Village, Wayside Gardens, and many more. Among services are insurance, home improvement, survey panels, DVD rental, and cell telephones.

Having been a member for a few years now, I have used My Points for gifts such as $25.00 gasoline cards or Barnes and Noble gift cards, etc. Other times I have gotten Home Depot gift cards to buy needed supplies for myself.

If anyone is interested in becoming a member, just let me know and I’ll send you an invitation to join My Points. For each person referred a member get 100 points and the friend 125 points for joining. During the month of October the points for shopping are doubled.

You or a friend may wish to check it out when you have time. You may find that a site that you use is one that is included in the points reward program of My Points.

Friday Finds

This summer, each time I had tried to visit a particular antiques store it turned out to be closed. On Friday Oct. 19, however, the side trip after delivering my mail to the post office was successful. During the course of my stay in the store I was told by the owner that she was selling the business to a gentleman whom was there at the time. He is a very pleasant personality and quite friendly as the still owner is. She said she would continue to work there, and to find merchandise, but not be in charge of the whole thing. Therefore, lots of things were on sale – “cheap, cheap,” she assured me.

While I did not find the tablecloth I needed for the kitchen, several other items caught my eye. There were loads of linens and handkerchiefs. Four of the hankies I got were 75 cents each and three were $1 each. They are quite nice designs with embroidery, lace and crochet details.







The teapot is a vintage design, but is a new dishwasher and microwave-safe reproduction. The teapot and matching mug cost $10.




The $1. red and white towel is USA-made of Belgian linen.



My selection of three books cost $4 total: Garden Style: Decorating Ideas for Indoors and Out, The Complete Guide to Gardening and In the Kitchen With Rosie: Oprah’s Favorite Recipes.



An addition to my blue and white teacup and saucer collection is a Limoges in pale blue. The store owner-to-be pointed it out to me, among several others. From a distance away, the current owner quoted us a reduction from the marked price of $11 to $7. However, when she was ringing it up, she exclaimed, “This is a Limoges! Oh, well, I am glad that it is you who’s getting it.” The wood cup and saucer stand was reduced from $6.95 to $2.00. Actually, looking carefully now at the cup and saucer it seems to be hand painted.



She also stalled a little in looking over the last three of my pick of handkerchiefs, saying “These are very well made; they usually go for $4…” -- and put a cost of $1 each.



The little crochet dress ornament was tossed in for free.



So my week-end shopping left me some quality items to add to the eclectic mix at Oak Rise Cottage.