Yesterday Nora and I spent the day festooning the house in hearts and making some wacky Valentine arrangements.
The wonderful items in this arrangement came in a "take all" box at an auction a few summers ago. There is an old clam shell painted like a flapper lady, a tiny candy box with lid, some beautiful, sparkling tinsel that I think must be made of lead, it's so heavy, a little black cast-iron heart-shaped dish, and the coup de gras--an ancient Lucky Strike cigarette inscribed with a date from 1934 and the names of the guests at what I can imagine must have been a rollicking party--Julie, Ethel, Pauline, Bill, Henry, Percy (!) . . . It's tied up with a long pink satin ribbon. Oh to hear the memories that must have surrounded it!
I added some old buttons on wire and vintage pipe cleaner, sat it on an inverted flower pot from my collection and capped it off with an inverted hurricane lamp then scattered more buttons around the base. It all sits on a pretty glass cake stand I found at a garage sale ages ago.
. . . and then I just couldn't stop, so I grabbed my antique valentines and propped them up like so many posies in a crusty old flower frog along with more button flowers, paper hearts and such.
Sounds easy, doesn't it, but it was really hard getting them all to stand up nicely with just some little wire curlicues. I'll have to think of a better way to do it next time. Suggestions?
We finished our decorating party by taping paper hearts to all the windows and mirrors. Today I pulled out a "new" vintage Swedish Valentine-themed tablecloth I found at a second hand store after the holiday last year.
It looks so sweet on my kitchen table, but it won't be two mealtimes before it will have to be tossed in the wash. That's why I seldom use them, cute as they may be. Perhaps I need to make some place mats. . . yes, right after that ironing-board cover, appliqued t-shirts, tea cozy, coffee press cozy, and commissioned painting. I did make some progress on a baby shower gift today, though. Stay tuned for pictures of the snugglies for the cutie patootie!
