my favorite country collectables & more!

Antique and vintage collectables have always had a dear place in my heart, especially kitchen collectables.

As a part of a series that showcases some of my exclusive projects that I created especially for Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine, I’m starting off with this fun collection of green wooden handled kitchen utensils.

 

Once you start off with a piece or two, the collecting process can be quite fun! It’s always a hoot finding one of these pieces, and they can turn up in some of the most unexpected places.

 

Garage sales are my favorite place to find these goodies, and in addition to the green handled kitchen tools, I’m also partial to the blue ones. The red ones seem to be the most popular, though. 

  

Along with kitchen tools, I’m also drawn to old canning jars. Not only are they pretty, but they are also quite useful! Here I used one of my favorite Mason jars to store my homemade pancake mix.

 

Pretty little teacups are also another fun collectable. I love this light blue one!

 

You can’t go wrong with any kind of vintage pitcher. There’s something homey about their form. That lovely handle place directly across from a cute little spout. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s just feels cozy!

 

They’re quite useful in so many ways and even so pretty on their own or as a part of a larger collection. Blue and white or just plain blue ones are among the ones I like best.

Above, you can see some of my most treasured ones on my family room mantel. Some have flowers, while others don't. All the flowers shown here are cut directly from my garden. I just love the hydrangeas... they keep going and going all summer long! 

 

English, French and American stoneware crocks are also fun to collect. I like the ones with the blue, black or brown lettering the most. Do you have any of these? 

They also make great vases because they’re so heavy and flowers that are top-heavy are well supported. They also make great utensil holders, pencil or brush holders or a just-about-anything holder!

 

Old kitchen graters can be used in so many fun ways. Here I’ve used them to hold a couple of posies of cottage garden flowers from my yard.

 

Here’s one last little recipe that makes the best of day-old bread and your favorite Italian seasoning mix. This homemade breadcrumb mixture will then keep in the pantry or fridge for a long time. 

It's so easy to make and come in quite handy when making our favorite chicken Milanese.

 

ciao fabiana

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

farmhouse style for fall 2023

Have you picked up the Autumn issue of Farmhouse Style yet? 🍁🍂

They’re celebrating their fifth year, and this issue is just filled to the brim with fall décor inspiration, fun DIY projects and yummy recipes.

 

As a regular contributor to Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, I have a few season projects and recipes to show you today…  

 

Check out the table runner. It’s made entirely of vintage book pages. I took a damaged book, ripped out the pages and affixed them to contact paper to create this look.

 

Here’s another view of the table that did not appear in this issue. I love how the patina of the old book pages blends in so well with the rustic autumn leaves.

 

And check out these gorgeous Acorn Leaf Plates from Vagabond House. They’re heirloom quality china, and so pretty! 

Also notice the little DIY Votive. It’s also featured in this issue. Pretty gauzy napkins are from Amazon, and most everything else is vintage.

 

Next up is my fun collection of vintage enamel coffee pots. I really love the ones with curvy spouts and the ones with the little glass percolator knobs on top.

 

I styled them here for fall with sunflowers, daisies and autumn leaves from the garden.

 

Here’s the same look but without the autumn leaves. Which look do you prefer? This one would work any time of year, wouldn't it?

This fall issue also featured one of the first projects I created for Farmhouse style, this apple wreath. I still remember how happy and amazed I was when it first appeared in print 5 years ago!

 

One of the cutest projects are these repurposed glass jars made into votives by simply using old book pages, a little baker’s twine and some mod podge. A little pumpkin cut-out adds fall charm to the whole look.

 

I also used these on the tablescape with the book page table runner that I mentioned above. It all goes together hand in hand with the autumn vibe.

 

A Halloween tablescape is up next. I kept it elegant and slightly spooky all with a farmhouse twist. The Farmhouse Stripe Table Linens is what really gives it that home feel, and I used vintage china for added warmth and character.

 

Bright pops of orange marigolds gives it that fun Halloween vibe and of course the black candles bring it all to life.

 

Back to the “Novel Décor” article, they also brought back one of my vintage projects that appeared in their Kitchen Issue. This one using old books as a knife block is quite cheeky, but it works brilliantly!    

And  check out that preppy madras belt. I stole that from my hubby's closet, but he was happy to lend it to me.

Two of my recipes are featured in this fall issue, and first up we have this yummy dessert. I’ve been making this Sweet Potato Chiffon Pie at Thanksgiving for many years, and it’s definitely a family favorite.

The cute napkin featured above is from August Table.

 

The theme for the recipe article is “Favorite Southern Dishes”, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Another favorite Southern recipe is my take on She-Crab Soup.

 

Back in the day, way, way back in the day, they used crab roe for this recipe, but by today’s standards, that’s not sustainable, so here I substituted egg yolks to give it an extra luxurious kick.

The Blue Crab Cheese Board and Pewter Crab Place Card Holders are from Vagabond House.

🍁🍂 All-in-all this is a great issue, 

and given that I love fall soooo much, 

this one definitely has lots for seasonal inspo.🍁🍂 

 

  

 

ciao fabiana

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

 

weekend round up

How is it possible that it’s the weekend again? Here we are almost halfway through the year, so I thought it was about time that I share a weekend round up feature. It’s been a while, so here goes with a few of my favorite things.

 

Let’s start with this pretty bunch of flowers that I collected from the garden. I was working on a fall project for Cottages and Bungalows and needed some kind of autumn floral statement.

This big handful of blooms from the garden may not be wildflowers, but they sure give off that vibe. This is just a bunch of sage, pink grasses, nandina and yellow aquilegia and are so perfect for this big ironstone pitcher that I love so much.

 

After photographing my fall project, I moved the flowers out of the way and set them on these books in front of the window. The sunlight coming in from the garden was so pretty, I had to capture this moment.

Sometimes, it's those unexpected things that are so pretty. I was putting off going to the store to buy sunflowers, and then just went out and gathered what I thought would be a sentimental autumn look.

And speaking of this fall photo shoot, I wanted to share with you how I simply styled this little wooden shadow box. I used it to add some texture to the background of my pictures.

I found it recently at my neighbor’s estate sale. She said she stripped the finish off and never finished the project, but I love it just the way it is. 

A few of my favorite little vintage stoneware crocks fill out the cubbies. I'm not sure if I have room for this piece as a permanent display, but I think it'll be fun to style it seasonally. This little gem is one of my most favorite finds ever!

 

Summer essentials for sure! These two Vagabond House items are my most recent additions to my coastal collection from them.

 

First up is the Sailboat Decanter made with beautiful and heavy Italian glass and topped with the cutest pewter sailing sloop finial.

 

This decanter style actually comes in three different shapes and sizes, and I’m kind of obsessed with collecting all three to display on our bar cart.

 

The cocktail glasses you see here are a pair of Nautilus Double Old-Fashioned Glasses. Check out the base of these beauties. That’s a solid pewter base with nautilus shell motifs circling around the whole glass.

 

I think these would make beautiful votive candle holders as well! I’ll share more on the decanter and the glassware soon.

 

This red, white and blue table I set recently features a tablecloth and napkins by Solino Home. This Navy-Blue Capri Stripe Tablecloth is so versatile, I styled it three different ways, using three different Solino Home linen napkins.

 

I’ll be sharing all three of these looks very soon, but today I wanted to highlight these adorable napkin rings.

 

I just got a set of 12 of these Rattan Napkin Rings on Amazon, after searching high and love for something that was chic and that have wonderful texture.

 

Some of the ones on the market look so cheap, but these are exactly what I was looking for. I love how they look with my favorite Serena & Lily raffia placemats and my Serena & Lily light fixture.

Lastly, I want to share a couple of pages from Country Living UK magazine that I recently spotted. This red, white and blue little baking scene has all the hallmarks of my style and the things I love. 

The gingham, the china and the little stoneware crock are some of the things I love most. This was styled by Alaina Binks.

Also from Country Living UK, this home and bike epitomizes the perfect summer day. I hope to take a leisurely ride on my bike this weekend. It’s been too long!

 

Happy weekend to you all!

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

6 ways to style flowers in vintage tins

Do you collect vintage coffee or tea tins? They're just so cute, and I love the way they can add a pop of color to any table setting.

Today, I’ve gathered a few fun looks for using some of my favorite vintage tins and cans at the table, and I 'm sharing them with you now... 

Above you can see a collection of coffee cans in different sizes that are united by the same color palette of red, white and yellow. Roses and pretty chamomile flowers complement the colors of the coffee tins.

 

Tea tins are another favorite way to coordinate a cohesive look. These red and white tins have a nice square shape and sets the tone for this table. 

The vintage Twinings tins are my favorites, and they come in all sorts of colors, flavors and sizes.

Isn't this is a fun look for a tea party or book club?  

 

A battered but loved Uneeda Cookie tin has a few dents, but I adore the soft blue colors and graphics on it. Soft pink roses are a fun choice to balance the muted tones.

 

The artwork on this Amaretti tin really spoke to me. Maybe it’s the texture and colors that I love so much, and it’s nice contrast to the woven look of the basket of geraniums.

 

I filled it with a small bunch of sweet blue forget-me-nots from the garden, and they help to unite the subtle tones of the tin with the tablecloth.

Yellow daffodils and nasturtium brighten up these two blue vintage cans. Don’t you love the graphic nature of this look? The lettering on the tins has such a nostalgic look.

 

A vintage Cracker Jack tin infuses just the right amount of summer fun to the summer clam bake table I set last week. Simple white hydrangeas do the trick to fill this oldie but goodie.

 

The subtle red, white and blue colors of the Cracker Jack logo strengthen the theme of the patriotic tablecloth and napkins.

 

Here are just a few of the dozens and dozens of  fun tea tins I've collected over the years. They're perfect to use for flowers and add just the right amount of whimsy to any table.

Keep a look out for these little wonders. You never know where you might spot a cute one. Even the grocery store or specialty market have ones that are fun to collect.

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.