Claudia — Page 1486

Vintage Kitchen Towels

August 2, 2012 at 10:56 am by Claudia

What is it about these vintage kitchen towels that attracts me? One word: cheery. I love everything about these cheery retro prints and have been collecting them for a long time. Whenever I see one that is in good condition, I grab it. Come to think of it, I think I began to collect these when I was living in Boston. In those days, I collected Fiesta pottery. The bright, vivid colors seemed to go perfectly with my Fiesta.

I eventually sold that Fiesta collection, but the love of these vintage prints remained. How can you not smile when you look at these?

I have quite a few and I use them in different ways. They can appear as a dresser scarf, like this one in my bedroom:

Or they can be turned into a valance, like this one in my studio:

Of course, they can also be cut up and used as napkins or pillow covers or any number of things.

Just a peek at another one of my collections. Do you have any of these vintage linens?

Collecting McCoy Pottery: Some Tips from a McCoy Lover

August 1, 2012 at 8:48 am by Claudia

I’m trying to remember what, exactly, triggered my need to collect McCoy pottery. I’m usually pretty good at remembering that kind of thing…something tells me it might have been a photo or two in a magazine. I’d seen it before, of course, in antique shops and tag sales. Funny, isn’t it? You can see something fairly frequently and virtually ignore it and then suddenly you see it with fresh eyes and pow! You’re gone.

Initially, I was drawn to the colors: aqua, pink, yellow, sea-foam green, cream. Wonderful sherbety colors. Then I fell for the birds, which are often found on McCoy pieces, like this Arcature vase.

And on this whimsical cuckoo clock wall pocket.

I’ve lost count of just how many pieces I own – well over 60, I would think.

Here’s the wonderful thing about collecting McCoy pottery: it’s still fairly inexpensive. Occasionally I’ll run across a piece that is rare and, therefore, pricier. Or, I’ll run across some pieces that are ridiculously marked up in price, as I wrote about in this post. But, for the most part, there are lots of pieces out there. McCoy was very moderately priced in its heyday and made its way into countless American households.

Where to search for McCoy Pottery

1. eBay – I admit it. I found a lot of my pieces on eBay, especially when I first started collecting. There are tons of listings each and every day, with a wide variety of prices. Compare prices – if a certain style has multiple listings, chances are you will be able to get one of them for a song. I’ve had good luck with eBay and have found sellers to be very honest about condition and flaws.

2. Antique/collectible shops: Seldom do I wander into a shop where I do not see a piece of McCoy. Now, I concentrate on a specific area of McCoy’s pottery. So I’m a bit more particular in my choices. But McCoy designed and produced lots of different lines of pottery and there should be something out there for every taste. I found this very early Nelson McCoy water pitcher when I was on a coaching job in Owensboro, Kentucky. There it was, hidden away on a shelf, a bit worse for wear, but collectible nonetheless.

I found this planting dish in one of my favorite shops in San Diego. I also have the same dish in aqua.

3. Resale shops, like Goodwill or the Salvation Army: You’d be surprised how often someone’s grandmother decides to get rid of all those old planters and pots collecting dust in the garage. And they usually end up at the Goodwill. I have less luck with this kind of shop because the ones in my area of the country are pretty pathetic. I don’t seem to find the deals that bloggers in other parts of the country encounter. But I know they’re out there.

4. Garage sales, tag sales, estate sales: I’ve found some nice pieces at garage sales. And the prices are usually very cheap – you can bargain a little or a lot and get a piece for a song.

5. Auctions: There was some McCoy up for auction at my favorite auction house the other night. I couldn’t make it to the auction, darn it. I’ve found several pieces at auction, along with other wonderful designs, like some of my Roseville. You can usually get a great deal at auction. It all depends on the night (or day) and who your bidding competitors are.

6. As gifts from friends and family: one of my favorite ways to accumulate McCoy. Tell your friends and family members that you’ve begun a collection and that, if they are so inclined, McCoy would be the perfect birthday or Christmas present. I’ve received pieces as gifts from my husband and from friends, like Heidi and Brenda.

If you’re interested in learning more about McCoy pottery, there are several different price guides out there which are regularly updated and are full of helpful information. I have several of them and they have been invaluable to me. The prices listed are for mint condition pieces, so if you are particular about condition, these guidelines will be right up your alley. I’m fairly particular but not always. That Nelson McCoy water pitcher I referenced earlier in this post is fairly rare and it has a few nicks and chips. In this case, I felt it added to the patina of the piece and I was more interested in owning this hard-to-find piece than I was in the odd ding.

I love this pottery so much that it inspired many of the colors I use in the decoration of my home, starting with that perfect McCoy Aqua. My living room and kitchen are done in McCoy colors, with the additional splash of red. So is my studio. And my bedroom.

See? You never know what might happen when you fall in love with something and just have to collect it. You might end up re-thinking everything!

Happy Wednesday.

Life Updates

July 31, 2012 at 8:33 am by Claudia

Time for some updates about life here at the cottage;

Riley: Life revolves around my boy for the present and that’s just fine. Often, I am awakened at 4 or 5 in the morning by his bark. I run downstairs, lift him up and help him make his way outside where he takes care of business and then gets a nice drink of water. I put him back on his bed, go upstairs and usually, not always, go back to sleep for a while. Since I never had babies, I think this has become my time to experience middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes.

This weekend, on Saturday, he got up by himself 4 different times and walked around the room endlessly. It must have felt so wonderful to be able to walk on his own after being bed-bound for so long. On Sunday and Monday he got up one time. Today, he’s already been up twice!

This is good news. He’s still frail and needs to be carefully watched but the fact that he was able to use his weakened muscles to get up is heartening.

He’s such a stoic, determined boy and I’m proud of him.

Don: Don came home for a few days and it was so nice to have him here. He goes back to the Berkshires this morning. We had a really wonderful weekend together.

I know some people scoff at the idea of a husband also being a ‘best friend.’ Sorry. I’m here to tell you that my husband is my best friend. I’m not just repeating some Hallmark card sentiment because it sounds cute. As you know, I’m careful with my word choices. The fact is, I am extraordinarily lucky to have found a life partner who is the person I most want to be with, the person I most want to talk to and feel safe enough to confide in, the person who makes me laugh and who I trust completely. We have a really healthy, solid marriage and I don’t take it for granted. Remember, I waited until I was in my mid-forties to marry.

And, boy, did that patience pay off.

Mom: Today is my mom’s birthday. She is 85 years old. Mom, I know you’re in a nursing home, but no matter where you are or what your circumstances, you are still the same wonderful person you’ve always been. I celebrate you and all you’ve given to our family. I am grateful every day of my life for you. I love you. Happy Birthday!

Happy Tuesday.

Vintage Kitchen Towels

Collecting McCoy Pottery: Some Tips from a McCoy Lover

Life Updates

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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