NumberNineteen

Easter Table 2018

It's become a tradition for me to come up with a new Easter tablescape every year and share it here. Though I've been absent from the blog, I thought that this would be a good time to come back and share this year's table.

Every year I've got a starting point, whether it's an inspiration photo online or a tablecloth.  This year's starting point is the cabbage plates that I picked up last year.  

I found an April Cornell table runner that I knew would look great with the plates and napkins with the sweetest matching blue edging at Home Goods.  I love April Cornell table linens.  I have several table runners and I love their beautiful designs and quality.  I embroidered the napkins with our monogram to give them a bit of personalization.  

And, of course, flowers.  The one time a year that I do a big arrangement.  Although, I can I do a little flower-related vent?  I always go out, looking for gorgeous magazine worthy flowers in the stores and I can't find them.  Even at the nice grocery stores like Wegmans.  Grocery stores: please stock something besides roses, tulips and hydrangeas -- at least at Easter.  First world, ridiculous issue, without out a doubt.  

It's just going to be the three of us for Easter this year.  Glenn's mother was planning on visiting, but she came down with the flu.  I hope that all of you have a wonderful Easter!

Hello Again! ~ Number Nineteen Vintage

ll!  I'm so sorry for my extended absence!  I have been incredibly busy with Number Nineteen Vintage over at Etsy. I am having so much fun with it.  Finding English antiques is the best treasure hunt that I've ever been on but the best part is finding other people who love all things English as much as I do.  

I've been concentrating on transferware, ironstone and royal memorabilia but I'll snatch up any English antique or vintage that catches my fancy.

Recent transferware finds

Some of the English royal memorabilia currently in the shop

I hit the ironstone jackpot recently and it's now listed in the shop

I spend almost all of my weekends at Estate Sales and flea markets, scouring Craiglist or listing items.  I spend a lot of time on Instagram as well, both let people know about my business and what's generally going on with me.  It's become such a great place to find other people with the same interests AND the eye candy!!!  It reminds me of the old way of blogs, where there is a sense of community.  Of course, anyone who is familiar with Instagram knows that there is another side, full of selfies and fakery, but I've found that it's easy to find the good folks.

A recent inspirational photo that I posted on Instagram

If you would like to see what I'm up to on a daily basis or what is inspiring me, follow me on instagram: Kflemingantiques

 

 

Nana's Christmas Present/A Weekend in Happy Valley

My mom's big Christmas present last year was tickets to a Penn State football game.  But, not just the tickets.  It was a promise for all of us to be together, back in State College.  This was her gift weekend, for the Indiana game. 

Being back in State College was wonderful.  It's called Happy Valley for a reason. It was cloudy all day Saturday until the game was about to start.  Then, the sun came out and it became a perfect fall day.  We had great tickets -- 15th row near the endzone -- and it was a great game for Penn State.  There is such a sense of excitement and fun and community during the games.  

The best part was family time.  Being back in our home town together was very special.  There was a lot of hugs and cuddling.  Then, there was even more family time with my aunts, uncles & cousins on Sunday. 

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Not only did I have an amazing weekend, but my shop officially opened today! Check it out at www.Number19vintage.etsy.com!

Hope's 12th Birthday Tea Party

I'm back friends!  I took a short break after my big announcement to work on the shop. It's been so much work but I know that it's worth it.  

In the meantime, Hope turned 12 years old! (Reminder -- she was 15 months old when I started this blog!)  We celebrated with a tea party -- she's becoming a chip off the old Anglophile block ;)

I had fun searching for mis-matched china for the table this summer.  Any excuse to treasure hunt, you know.

The girls crafted facinators and then posed with their creations.  Because you need a facinator for tea, of course.

The main event -- eating!

The girls had so much fun and Hope was in sparkle-ly happy mode.  I love who she is right now and who she is becoming. I hope that she always stays true to herself and confident in her individuality.

Big Changes and a BIG Announcement!

You've probably noticed a pretty big change around here -- the blog has a new name!  I've thought about changing the name of the blog for a long time.  Vintage Pretties was a good name for the blog when I started it eleven years (!) ago.  However, I think that the name should reflect what the blog is now -- about my love of vintage but also about so much more.  Why Number Nineteen, though?  The number 19 has always been my lucky number -- I was born on the nineteenth and Chanel No 19 is my perfume.  

The new name goes with a big announcement -- I'm opening a new shop on Etsy -- Number Nineteen Vintage!

Number Nineteen Vintage grew out of two of my loves -- for England and antiques.  About two years ago, a germ of an idea came to me -- how could I combine those two things?  Two years of planning, dreaming, sourcing stock and working hard are about to come to fruition on October 1st, when the shop is launched.  I am so excited about this venture -- it truly is a labor of love.  

What will you find at Number Nineteen Vintage?  Here are a few sneak peeks...

Antique English crocks

Beautiful ironstone pieces

Scottish tartans

English Transferware

English cottage style art

Coronation Memorabilia

All of these things and much more.  The shop will officially open on October 1st at Number19vintage.etsy.com.  To see more of what is in store, follow me on Instagram for previews and an exciting giveaway!  I do hope that you'll stop by!

First Day of 7th Grade

Today is Hope's first day of 7th grade! Can you believe it?  She was 16 months old when I started this blog.  She is friendly to everyone she meets, marches to her own drum and is the sunshine in any day.

On her first day of 7th grade (less than one month from her 12th birthday), these are her favorites:

Food: Cheese, shrimp, rice, ice cream, cookies & cake

Clothes: Dresses

Color: Purple

Books: The Warriors series, Fairy Tail series, Wings of Fire series and manga in general

Subject in School: Social Studies

TV/Movies: Anime

Youtube (she is really into Youtube): Seri!Pixlbiologist and StacyPlays

Favorite things to do: Play with our new cat, Lucy, read, dance, and draw

I know that you are going to do amazing things this year, my Hope!

Very Vintage Back to School

Once again, the summer slipped past me and blogging went to the wayside.  It was a good summer, though it felt shorter than usual.  It seemed like I was just starting to relax and then I had to go back to school.  

I've been back to work for about two weeks (the kids first day is this Monday) and I'm starting to look forward to fall.  The light coming through the windows is at a certain fall-ish angle and every so often, we have a cooler day.  I'm starting to think about making stews and casseroles and pumpkin bread.  

I was in a particularly back-to-school/fall-ish spirit this afternoon and pulled together a few things to get the house in the proper mindset.

The dining room table is all ready for studying.

An old globe, ruler, vintage primers and scrabble pieces cover the main subjects.  Yes, I happen to have these things just lying around my house.

Can't forget the kitchen table.  Because who knows when you might need a pencil during breakfast?

 

My next post is likely to be on the first day of school.  My baby is going into 7th grade.  7th grade.  Someone slow down time, please.

Vintage French Seed Packets

Hi all!  As I'm getting settled into summer vacation, it seems like it is rushing by so quickly!  Slow down!  Today I'm sharing a fantastic gift that I received  -- completely original, vintage AND French.

My sister is lucky enough to have a sister-in-law who lives in the south of France (I know, right???). When said sister-in-law had a baby last summer, a visit was in order.  Before she left, I asked her to bring me something wonderful home from France.  She delivered beautifully -- she brought back six vintage seed packets that she found in a Paris flea market.  Even writing "found in a Paris flea market" sounds amazing, right?

They are so beautiful.  I'm in love with the bright illustrations and French text.  She gave me four flower and two vegetable packets.  We hung the framed flower packets in my craft room, at the entrance.

You can see here that there is a short angled wall that serves as sort of an "entrance" into the room.

The vegetable seed packets still have the seeds in them.  Look at those beautiful radishes. 

We placed the vegetables in the kitchen, right beside my aprons. 

She gave them to me last Christmas and I think that they were my favorite gift that I received. 

New England Vacation

We've arrived back from our travels to New England.  A week of cool breezes, water, Bostonian sites and shopping, and family.  If you been around here for even a little while, you know that I love Boston and New England.  Visiting is one of my favorite traditions of the year.  We started out in Boston with my sister and her family.  We spent the first day in Harvard Square, checking out numerous book stores.  

The next day, I left the family in Massachusetts and drove up to New Hampshire to see one of my oldest and dearest friends.  We've known each other since we were 14 and spent our single years being great girlfriends. We went out on the weekends, discussed clothes, men and decorating and pulled each other through some rough patches.  How I wish that we still lived close together! I didn't get any good pictures of the two of us (I'm not counting the incredibly goofy selfies that won't be published here!), unfortunately.

The next day we spent in downtown Boston, starting with Mommy shopping in Beacon Hill.  My dears, if you are ever in Boston, please make a point to go to Charles Street and specifically, Holiday.  

Holiday is the prettiest little gem of a store.  Step in and you just feel pretty!  

The loveliest clothing, the most precious decor and changing rooms.  I found a beautiful pale rose dress with cutwork all over the bodice and hem which I couldn't resist.  

Of course we went to the Public Gardens for the annual duck photo.

Then onto the gorgeous Boston Public Library and Italian dinner in the North End.  With a stop for Italian cookies at Modern Pastry, of course. And, a second stop at Modern Pastry because I wasn't sure that we bought enough the first time.  True story.

The next day, onward to meet up with Nana & Grandpa in Maine.  After a stop at one of my all-time favorite antique stores (Cabot Mill in Brunswick), we met up for lunch in Bath.  What a cute town!  We found an amazing used book store called The Open Door (their website) and got coffee in an adorable old store turned coffee house.  I'd love to stop in Bath again when we are up there next time.

 After enjoying Bath, we headed further north to the cottage in Boothbay Harbor for a few days of relaxing.  There was a lot of reading, hanging out on the rocky shore and searching for sea glass.  We became well acquainted with the timing of the tides.  

We spent plenty of time in the village of Boothbay as well, where we caught their annual Windjammer Days parade, complete with Shriners in little cars, clowns, a bagpipe group, colonial militia re-enactors and lots of kid's groups.

As you can see, it was a jam-packed trip.  We are already missing New England!

 

Living Room Lighten Up

Guys, you know that I cannot let well enough alone.  Take my living room for instance.  I recently decided that it is just too dark for me (for the moment at least).  Too red (for now).

 You know that I love red and love cozy warm colors but recently, I've wanted fresh!  Light!  Pretty! Maybe it's summer or maybe it's all of the English country cottage pictures that I've been enjoying online.  

In any case, I'm not about to replace our couch or deep red rug -- Glenn wouldn't let me anyway because he knows how quickly I change my mind -- but I'm thinking about other ways that I can bring that cottage charm to our living room.  

My idea board for the living room.  I found the quilt on ebay & scored it for a song.  It's in very, very shabby condition but perfect for covering the back of the sofa.  I'm thinking of adding throw pillows covered in Liberty prints and that adorable pastel Union Jack pillow from The Little British Cottage Company.  Decoupage plates would be so pretty on the walls, so I'm thinking about doing a little John Derian copycat.  And finally, ironstone and a few other pottery pieces that I have hanging around.

I'm pulling inspiration from You've Got Mail, one of my favorite movie sets of all time:

Last summer I changed it up to reflect my New England seaside experiences.  This year, English country cottage.  Who knows what the following year will bring.... ;)