Ball Jars

In my basement there are shelves and shelves of Ball Jars.....

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

(Hubby and I bought their estate in 1993. The house has been in the family now for over 65 years.)

Grandpa gardened and Grandma canned all the wonderful veggies she could. I've never noticed the headline on the newspaper lining the basement shelves until I took this pic.

Can you read it?

Hint: the newspaper is dated 11/23/1963.

Since I work in Muncie, Indiana, I am close to all things Ball.....Ball jars, Ball State University, etc. Everyone loves Ball jars and they have so many uses ..............not just for canning anymore.

The five Ball Brothers.

The original Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company.

Both sides of the historical marker for Ball Brothers Glass.

This home is where one of the Ball brothers lived.

The above Ball home burned down in the 1960's. The front columns were saved and stand on the original property.....which is now Minnitrista Cultural Center.

Another Ball brother lived in this beauteous home.I love this balcony and columns.

This home, Oakhurst, was another Ball residence. This is the only Ball home that I've had the pleasure to tour. It even has a secret room! Elisabeth Ball was an avid gardener and the beautiful Oakhurst Gardens are well kept by volunteers. This is a must-see if you ever get to Muncie. Elisabeth Ball loved faeries and had lots of garden tea parties.

I'm sure we would have been the best of friends but I was born too late.

Next post.....how to date your Ball jars.

Seed Beauty

My package came on Friday..........full of beautiful seeds! I'm so excited to grow some new veggies in my garden this year.

Here is what all I got..............

I know.....isn't it awesome?!?!?

I would love for my garden to be as beauteous as the one pictured here, which is at HOMETOWN SEEDS.

I'm even envious of the fence and would DIE for a garden shed!!!!

Crafting Inspiration

Loving the 'couch browsing' sessions I've been able to do lately since I (FINALLY) got a laptop. I'm checking out all kinds of sites. Found this one and am being inspired by a project I saw there.

I LOVE this adorable suitcase......

Here are the instructions. You can even get some of the supplies from them. I will use this project as inspiration to decoupage some small boxes I have.

If I ever find an old, round suitcase at a yard sale/flea market/auction, this is what I would do to it. The scroll work on the edges add such charm. I'm going to my craft room, The B'Hive, right now to do some supply gathering and get started on thoses boxes. Of course, I'll share when finished.

What are you crafting today?

Hometown Seeds

Don't these tomatoes look so yummy? Soon it will finally be time to plant seeds and watch them grow....seeds from HOMETOWN SEEDS, that is.
I love these lupines. Would love them growing in my yard.

And these cheery Johnny-Jump-Ups?.....Can't wait for their smiling faces to appear. I love that once you get these started from seeds, they reseed all over and make me guess where they will come up next.

I also LOOOVVVEEE beets. My mom makes the best pickled beets and I have loved them since I was a little girl.

Purple Ruffles Basil is another favorite of mine. I love to mix it in salads. It also makes the prettiest flavored herbal vinegar that is pink in color.

What do all these lovelies have in common?

All are grown from seeds at Hometown Seeds.

You have to check them out.
Oh.....and the background picture on their website is of calendula!!!!!!

Perfect for Calendula Court!!!!!

Auction Time of Year Again

A couple of Sunday's ago, I went to Emily's Auction Barn with hubby and some friends. Hadn't been there since about this time last year and as soon as I was surrounded by all those beauteous, mysterious antiques and uniques, I was thrilled! I'm always especially attracted to the linens, mirrors, silver, ephemera, jewelry, old books, lace, and china. There is usually old sheet music, old postcards, doilies........now you see why it's so fun to go see all this stuff

from estates here in Indiana.

There are some awesome treasures packed away in these old attics around here.

Here is what I got ..............................

A metal tole tray that is huge! Here it is in a dining-room chair to show it's size.

I've never seen a tray like it before.

Also lace...................All kinds of lace..............in all colors!Boxes and boxes of lace that I've sorted through. Some I am keeping and some I will be selling soon .....either Etsy or eBay.Even Eyelet by the yards.......................These vintage flower pics were in one of the boxes.......didn't even know it till I was sorting through it all. These 2 lace tablecloths were also a surprise to me.

Aren't they so pretty?

I love auction treasures!

Pink Paris Roses

These flowers are from Rue Cler Fleurs in Paris.

The Rue Cler is an absolutely wonderful neighborhood to peruse......................(more on that in a later post)

The flowers were blooming in the brightest colors and displayed in the prettiest presentation I've ever seen.

I actually got goose pumps!

Here I am on the left with Liz, and we are speaking with a shop staffer.

I haven't yet seen the pink roses that are behind me in this picture.

Here I turn and spot them..................

And now..........MINE!They were also a really good deal compared to what the price would be here in the USA.

How pretty is our shopping bag for the day in Paris.

I knew I wouldn't be able to just toss the pink roses when we departed Paris for home so I hung them up to dry in the window of our apartment.

So pretty there in our window all the time...................Some of the pink starts to change and show tinges of yellow...................View from Rue de la'Universitie, our Paris address.............

When I packed for home, I sprayed the almost dry roses with hair spray and tucked them gently in my carry-on bag.Now I'll have my pink Paris roses for a long long time.

English 1893

The holidays are over, the ground is covered in snow,.......finally, time to create!

I've been inspired to recycle Christmas cards received and have decided to make bookmarks. I'm also recycling an Indiana school English book from 1893 picked up at an auction for mere cents. It was in sad shape when found at the bottom of a box. The book was signed by student, Edna..........1895.

The patina of the pages is great so now they will be preserved in the form of a bookmark.