About Me

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antrim, antrim, Ireland
Hello and welcome to my blog. If you like flowers and gardens, housey stuff, food and banter, then this is the place for you. I am a decorative artist, florist and maker of things. I sell painted furniture, plants and crafts, through a local retail shop, in my native Ireland, and wedding flowers from home. I am married to a lovely patient man and have a smashing little girl. I blog for the fun of it. Thank you for listening.

Thursday 19 May 2011

Hardware, kitchenalia and haberdashery.......you've got to love 'em!


I have always loved going into an "old - fashioned" hardware store. There is something about all those dusty shelves lined up with lotions and potions for goodness knows what, all kinds of paraphenalia hanging from the ceiling not to mention all that iron  and string and zinc. It totally fascinates me, and my mother was the same. I remember as a child watching "Westerns" where they always had the "General Store" ......well.....that's another league altogether, with huntin' shootin' fishin' stuff, and then all those rolls of Indian cotton and French silk, tassels, trimmings and ribbon,my how a girl would love to get her hands on all that stuff!

Paint, what can I say, I adore the stuff, it transforms, cleans, brightens things. I love this paint company especially, gorgeous heritage colours, lovely chalky texture.


My lovely old coffee grinder, which does work, but is a bit of a grind! (Sorry!) In the past I have had the great pleasure of going to auctions in "Country Houses", I love to look at all the fine things of course, but what got my heart racing was the contents of the servant's quarters and the kitchen and the greenhouse. Looking around blogland and the web and magazines, it seems I am not alone in my interest in these things. What gets me now though is the creativity which people show in their use of these old items, and some very clever types even use parts of things to create something new but with a "vintage" look, it's fantastic! It is all part of the re-cycling, up-cycling, make do and mend ethos, which I love.





This turqoise glass is very "in" at the moment. I love the way, in an all white scheme it really draws the eye in to the room, or on a table it seems to add an extra dimension to the flowers.



Who would have thought a load of crochet cotton and string would look so delicious in a big glass jar?


Now what on earth is a load of lurid green buckets doing amongst all these vintage images. What can Linda be thinking of...... watch this space!


I am sooo excited, I went to the flower wholesalers today and found artichokes. I have been asking for them for about a year, and always no,no, we can't get them. Well today, there they were, as bold as brass. I have been admiring the way the Dutch and Swedish use them in their interior design and on their tablescapes, so now I have some. Not quite sure how long they will last, if they will dry out or what, we will have to see. So I wish you all a very lovely weekend, love Linda x

Images via tumblr ,Little Greene and me.

25 comments:

  1. I am crazy about rusty old things and tins used as planters and turquoise tinted glass...sometimes i wish I had lots of different houses to accommodate all my different decor loves.

    Last night I was reading a beautiful book about modern retro design and decor and the clean, minimalism of it all pleased me so much. Yet I also love shabby vintage, and industrial farmhouse and good old classic English. Such a mix.

    Those are cracking pictures. And fab idea for the artichokes - looks tres chic.

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  2. Hello Linda:
    There isn't a single thing which you show here today to which we would refuse house room. Lovely, lovely, lovely. And yes, let us loose in an old fashioned hardware shop and we too would have a ball!

    Now, zinc containers we do have, along with vintage watering cans and florist vases, all housed in our kamra [a Hungarian cross between a utility room and a pantry] on shelves. A possible post?!!

    Your painted buckets are not lurid at all - but very striking - and we cannot wait to know what you plan to do with them. A lot of almost anything, we feel, can look really effective in the right situation and placed with imagination [of which you certainly have plenty].

    And, incidentally, the artichokes look tremendous. May we copy you? Have a really enjoyable weekend and thank you for such an interesting post.

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  3. What a wonderful post, and full of fabulous pictures too. I collect anything and everything, old and new, then wonder what to do with it all... well you have given me some inspiration, so thank you! Abby xx

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  4. What a lovely post ~ such beautiful images to inspire me through the day! Thank you so much for sharing them! I can't wait to see what you do with the buckets! Love Brenda
    (Thank you so much for your lovely comment too!)

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  5. Hi Linda. This is my first visit here. Diane over at Southampton Darling referred me over after featuring your blog and presenting you with an AWARD. Congratulations!

    I really enjoy "treasure hunting" at Salvage shops, antique stores, thrift stores and yard sales. Your ideas are very creative.

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  6. Such a fun post! I love to eat artichokes! They are our movie night fave drenched in butter with a glass of wine!
    ~Lynne
    [w/l]

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  7. Inspired, as always Linda. I love all that stuff, and I adore Kitchenalia. I love it how all this vintage stuff is around at the moment. It's wonderful. Have a lovely weekend over there my friend. Hope the sun will shine on you!

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  8. Love ALL the photos Linda we are on the same wavelength and one of my favourite place to shop is an old hardware store, I have one just around the corner and I buy all my kitchen tinware there. Can I ask what paint you use, I have been looking around for chalky paint, I use Dulux at the moment x

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  9. HI Linda, artichokes are brilliant for flower arrangements! together with some white, lilac and pink become a stunning decoration! wish you a relaxing weekend!!! kisses

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  10. Love zinc planters especially with all white flowers.
    What are you going to do with those bright lime green containers....intriguing!
    Julie x
    Sorry Linda, no french tape at the moment...

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  11. A real feast for the eyes Linda - love your images today!
    Artichokes are brilliant, lovely colours and the lime buckets are intriguing!
    Thanks for your comments - yes family first for sure!
    Gill xx

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  12. What I love about the real hardware store is the smell... paraffin, candles, metal, used to also have the odd whiff of pipe smoke or a cigarette lingering. A sort of male man's shed kind of smell, lovely. And all those wonderful wooden handled tools, trowels and other gardening paraphernalia, handles for fretsaw blades, balls of string. I love looking at old tools in antique centres and such like too.

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  13. I love all your pictures in this post. Old hardware items appeal to me too, and I always rescue anything I can like that. They make great planters and useful storage and they look sooo lovely..Love the lime green buckets too and I look forward to seeing your plans for the artichokes!
    Helen x

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  14. I was so surprised this was all in your home - I am new here and this has blown my mind - awesome. I love the colored glass too. Love it all.

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  15. Isn't it amazing how this blogworld can be so inspiring? I have so many ideas for so many things I want to do in my home since reading blogs. Now that you've started yours you are also inspiring so many with your gorgeous images, arrangements and ideas - just lovely.
    Have a great weekend.
    x

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  16. Hi Linda, Thank you for visiting! I love this post and those zinc containers and old wooden boxes are absolutely wonderful. I love those paint colors...interestingly I just ordered Anne Sloan's Chalk paint and can't wait for it to arrive. I will be hoping over to view the paint company you shared with us! Thank you for
    such a wonderful post.
    Wishing you a lovely weekend...
    xoxo
    Debbie

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  17. Thanks Linda, that was a big help, I checked out all the sites (love the names for the Francesca's Paints.. 'Pigi's Piggy Pink' :)..).

    You must of read my mind because 'French Grey' was the colour I was after and I'm going to try a pot of the Little Green paint, thanks again! x

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  18. Hello Linda, I was just revisiting some posts and was so sure I had left a comment on this one. Am I losing my mind, or is blogger playing tricks? Hmmm, not a good sign!
    Anyway... a beautiful and very inspiring post. I am so looking forward to seeing the outcome of those green buckets.
    Hope you have a lovely weekend. Abby xx

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  19. Preciosas latas de te en la ventana,una idea original y que queda muy bonita,
    Bss

    Cecilia

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  20. Sorry Linda.
    It wanted to say to you that I have liked the little tea tins with herbs in the window, it's a beautiful and very practical idea.
    Hugs

    Cecilia

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  21. Everything is lovely...one day I will have my own house and all the designs will be inspired with this blog:)

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