Olivetti Typewriters and Instructions for the Lock

The Olivetti shown is the Lettera 32 in blue. The lock is on the right. You simply move it up or down as needed. I have also had the 22. I think the lock was on the left. It seems Olivetta puts the tiny little lock in places that are hard to find but your typewriter DOES work you just need to find you lock. When you find the lock and unlock it your carriage will move.

Mason Jar Soap Dispenser Instructions

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As seen in Country Living magazine 9/10. Remove glass insert from lid and drill a half 1/2" hole to fit pump insert. Inserts can be found at onedreamdesingn.com for $3.75.  I have loads of jars and lids in many styles so come shopping or send me an email. http://www.etsy.com/shop/ingenuityondisplay

Ideas for Vintage Show Ribbons

Ribbons are beautiful, satiny and colorful. There will always be one to match or coordinate with your decor. They are beautiful together or all alone. I have had several customers buy them in groupings to decorate their offices. Below is the same idea in a bedroom.

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Another fun idea is dressing up a mannequin. LOVE this! I have a relative that has a mannequin in her hallway and she dresses her up for every season. How fun "she" will look with her daughter's ribbons on there. 

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By some ribbons and enjoy making your space colorful!

I Do Believe Country Living Missed the Mark with Horse Ribbons

Country Living is my favorite magazine by far but horse ribbons were really hot a year ago. I just received September's issue this week and there is a horse collecting theme. Horse Show Ribbons are one of the featured items. The price for ribbons can range from $9.99 - $20.  I think they also had had a beautiful display of vintage ribbons in a frame last month. Here are a few of the vintage ribbons I have sold.

 A year ago my ribbons were selling like hot cakes but now not as quick. I hope Country Living makes a new interest in all show ribbons! Not only are horse ribbons beautiful but dairy and dog too.

Vintage Western Electric Phone Ma Bell

The joy of my job, being out on the road and hunting for treasures, is that I get to bring home whatever suits my fancy for the day. Yesterday it was phones. Actually, I have been looking at phones for awhile. I grew up with the original Ma Bell phone even though it was the 80s. WOW! As a teen that was an awful phone. Cool to look at and I always loved the rotary dial sound but it was heavy and the pointed handle meant I couldn't talk for hours. I also loved the ringer! 


Theses are 2 different model 302s. The top phone is made out of thermoplastic with a bakelite handle. The bottom phone is steel with a very hard rubber handle. Both are early 50s. Both can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/yegnpz5


 If you are old enough to remember Ma Bell would charge her customers $4 a month to rent these phones. I think that is about $50 in today's money. Can you imagine?!

Crates for Organizing

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You can hang crates! Don't just think horizontal. You can buy any square crate and they don't have to be the same size to hang the wall for organization. All you need is to make sure that they are sturdy. But my favorite idea here, from the gypsydaisyblog, is the Coke soda crate or organize books. Here at home we use these low crates to organize canned food and other pantry items. I have tons of theses crates and others for sale. 

http://tinyurl.com/yegnpz5   If you don't see the one you want just email me from my etsy site. I also have mason jars for sale.

Antique Sewing Drawers Uses

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Sewing drawers are fantastic organizing tools. The top picture is from Blueberry Cottage Primitives. Makes a cute basket and an easy way to carry. But if you don't want to buy or to create one yourself just use a drawer as is. 

You can use for socks in child's room, storage of folders in an office or hold meds in a bathroom.  Get creative!

A Fabulous Professional Picture Using One of my Vintage Cameras

One of my customers, Meagan, bought this camera from me on my Etsy shop and took this amazing professional photograph. It is just begging to be displayed! To see more of her fabulous work visit  http://www.meaganhildebrandt.com and for more camera ideas please keep looking through my blog!

Time for Another Suitcase Showcase!

All these pictures are from Country Living Mag. but you can easily do this yourself! Suitcases have SO many uses. Decorate, store things in, display, make a pet bed. I have a GORGEOUS set of suitcases listed on ebay (ingeniouslycreative) and some listed on etsy. Just use the link on the right. Or if you have some laying around the house use them and send me some pictures and I will post them! I love new ideas! KW8M2CXCVH42 

A Litte Break from the Typical Work

Too hot to do much of anything lately and not enough rain so I spend a LOT of time watering and in the garden taking care of things. In the first picture I got the homemade trellis at an estate sale.  

In the last picture is an antique lawn jockey. I have had a few of these in travels. Google and see the interesting history on these. This little man isn't too old (40's) and his electric has been cut so he isn't too expensive. A true original will be over $1000. There is a milk can with original paint in front of the door. My cats use that to peer in the window and let me know they are home. On the right is a 6ft bench I "rescued" from a barn and a barrel with a wandering jew on it. 

The barrel is an item I will ship from my etsy shop but the other items are pickup items due to size. 

Decorating with Vintage Telephones

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There is just something about the sound of the rotary phone as the dial slips back into place. A very nostalgic sound! The stand is sold by Moxie Thrift on etsy. Nice simple display with a Kodak Brownie, can use any vintage camera and I have loads in my shop, and the vintage phone on top. I happen to like the blue crackle phone that I have for sale in my shop!

This last picture is a phone sold by KlassyKlassics' on etsy. Not super old just a nice phone from the 70s.

The Iron Bed Search---Redecorating the Guest Bedroom

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I love cast iron beds! Great vintage/antique item. I think every house should have one. We bought a full size for my daughter's room and repainted it and it is absolutely beautiful! Now I am on the hunt for a twin for my guest bedroom and will put a trundle underneath. The top photo (countryliving.com) is lovely but I do like them with a foot-board and I think I will be using a vintage chenille bedspread.  I will post a picture of the final product. Won't be until August when the oldest goes back to college.

Get out Your Mason Jars!

  Go ahead and get them out! If you aren't using them for storage start using them for flowers. Garden season is upon us so start cutting those flowers and put them in jars. Any old jar will do. For my peonies I used a small Ball bail jar because the stems aren't long. I liked the clear with the white flowers. Maybe for my pink peonies I will use my green jars....

Decorating with Nail Barrels aka as Kegs

It was very hard to find any pictures with a nail barrel but here are 2. These old barrels are great to decorate with. Most are a nice table height. You can have a piece of glass cut, like the one on the right, to make a larger surface or leave as is. 

They make nice planters by just setting a basket of flowers into. Just make sure to remove the hanger. You should also put a drainage hole into the bottom unless you have something to catch the water.

Ideas for Decorating with Vintage Suitcases

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I love old suitcases and I sell most of them on ebay and from sales it seems that others do too! So here are a few pictures of different ways to decorate using them. Top left is courtesy of Country Living. These are just mismatched basic tweed cases. The next picture uses vintage LV but you can use any old suitcase. I like that there is a tray used on top. In the last picture 3 very worn suitcases are used for storage at the end of the bed.

All terrific and beautiful but now you have to find the suitcases!

Idea for Decorating with Mason Jars from Dominion Blues

I just received this picture from one of my readers...Dominion Blues. She did this mason jar work to her on mantle and it is so gorgeous!! Thank you so much for sending in the picture!

Ideas for Decorating with Mason Jars 2

Two different jars with two great ideas. The picture on the right the jar has a zinc lid (glass removed) and has been made into a lamp. You will need a drill bit meant to be used with glass. The lilacs on the left a from a neighbor's bush and I put them in a 12" tall wire ball mason. Visually the tall jar supports the height of the flowers.

Idea for Decorating with Mason Jars

I love mason jars and their many uses! Usually they come in green and clear and they can be found in many different sizes. Currently I have a 12" jar filled with lilacs on my table. 
Great ideas: Floating candles, floating flowers, hanging lights,storage jars, drinking jars. 

One Last Word on Crates

I have had a few requests for newer wine crates set up on the floor that I have pictured in one of my posts. Since I only sell antique and vintage I can't provide you with the newer crates. Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of what the antique crates will look. You provide all the goodies to go in them.

Ideas for Vintage Cameras Part 2

What terrific ideas! A vertical shelf is really unique looking and makes the column not look so distracting. The second picture has a Polaroid 360 (or similar) in the center of a bunch of books on a window sill. The last picture is full of Twin-lens reflex cameras. Neat little cameras that usually are only good for decorating and hiding a little something in.

Ideas for Vintage Cameras Part 1

Anyone who looks at my shop knows I have a thing for old cameras! Fun to play with and for some fun to use. I am going to do a few posts with pictures for ideas on how to decorate with them.

These 3 pictures are all from one man's apartment using vintage cameras. The display looks great and wasn't expensive until he bought the cameras. There are some expensive cameras in the collection. There is a nice Polaroid SX-70 in the middle shot! Take a look around a see if you can spot a few and send me a message.

Ideas for Crates Part 3

I just love these ideas!! You will need to be a little handy to make the pet dish holder but what a great use of a crate. I think it would be a good idea to seal the crate with polyurethane so it doesn't get ruined by the water.

The middle crate is a Coke soda crate but a Pepsi, Atreat (I have loads!) or any other brand would work just as well.

The last crate on the bike is a beautiful wine box. I LOVE wine boxes. That aren't that easy to find but they are almost always beautiful and worth the search!