[ fab find ]

POTTERY BARN in Dubai is run by a local company {unlike the corporate stores in North America}. And while they may not carry everything that Pottery Barn offers elsewhere, the one thing I love is that when they have a sale, it's a BLOWOUT sale!

I've recently had my eye on these...

...vintage oversized wine bottles from the early 1900s from Europe. Available in a few sizes, the medium size has been retailing for $149 {way out of my price range}. 

Imagine how excited I was to snag one this weekend at... hold onto your hats....$25!

And a rare turquoise glass one at that! With such delicious old grungy patina...

I think it's a pretty addition to my vintage bottle collection...

Have you snagged any fab finds lately?

lisa

[ message on my bottle ]

I HAVE a new addition to my bottle family! I found this cute little toilet water bottle with a ceramic stopper and thought it would be a lovely piece to add to my old bottle collection.

It may not even be old, but I think it's an interesting addition to the group.

Have you added anything to a collection lately?

lisa

[ my matryoshka ]

MY GUY took a business trip to Germany and the sweet guy that he is, brought me a set of Matryoshka nesting dolls. Similar to a set my grandfather gave me as a child, this set is much larger but still painted in the classic style.

a little history

The first nesting dolls actually originated in China and Japan in the 1700s but Matryoshka dolls are traditionally Russian, originating in the late 1800s. Their popularity extended beyond Russia when they were displayed at the Paris World Exposition in 1900. By 1920, exports of these dolls increased and around the same time, were being made by German toymakers near Munich. The name comes from a very popular female name whose Latin root 'mater' means mother. The name was associated with the image of a mother with a big family and it became symbolic of the brightly painted wooden dolls made to stack inside one another.

how they're made

Each set of dolls is made from lime, birch, alder or aspen. The smallest one is made first, with each subsequent doll turned on a lathe by highly skilled craftsmen.

Over the years, nesting dolls have had their aprons painted with historical themes, nobility, fairy tale themes, landscapes and architectural monuments, though traditionally they depict peasant girls in traditional dress.

Many eastern European countries like Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine have their own versions of nesting dolls in their own shapes and motifs, making them a popular souvenir item. 

Nowadays, nesting dolls have become a popular icon, especially in the crafting community. Look at all the fun matryoshka-themed items I found on Etsy...

Do you have any Matryoshka dolls?

lisa

[mine; mine; babytogo; sewingseed; womensgirl; kittycait; walfry]

[ collectors are not hoarders ]

I'M ALWAYS intrigued by what people choose to collect. Maybe it's something owned as a child, or a piece that was given as a gift or something picked up from a memorable trip somewhere that starts it all. And displaying these collections adds a lot of personality to a home.

Apart from my snowmen collection, my small old bottles, some of my grandma's teacups and my birdhouses, I do have...

my small grouping of antique rolling pins...

my jug collection...

and a small collection of antique shoe forms that I picked up in Paris and at the Christie Antique Fair {here are just a few}...

Sadly everything is packed away in Canada right now but I can't wait to get everything out someday and display them in our next home. My collections are small, but it's always fun to add to them as I come across things in my travels.

Do you have any fun collections? And if you do, how did your collection start?

lisa

[mintdesignblog; thebootstrapproject; 30.media.tumblr; newenglandhome; limilee.tumblr; eleoquenceinc; kitschyliving.tumblr; limilee.tumblr; countryliving; casasugar; ffffound.com; myfinerconsigner.blogspot; mine]

[ taken with transferware ]

THERE'S SOMETHING about transferware that brings to mind simpler days and old-fashioned goodness. I think many of us have grown up with transferware at some point - whether a platter for the turkey, grandma's pie served on dessert plates or maybe that special teapot for afternoon tea.

Not only do I love the idea of a wall of these beauties on display, I also love the idea of using them everyday just to add that little bit of pretty to the table.

Do you have any treasured transferware? If you do, what colour do you have and do you use it?

lisa

[via pinterest; maisondecor8; country living; rosegardenromantic; unknown;

warrengrovegarden; theinspiredroom; birchandbird; acountryfarmhouse; leah-theinsidestory]

[ my shopping bag wall ]

IF YOU are anything like me, receiving something from a designer shop is an exciting event {perhaps if I shopped there on a regular basis, the novelty would wear off}. And to me, the shopping bag is just as exciting as what's inside - the giddy knowledge of what treasure it contains.

I don't have many but any that I do have, I've collected over the last few years and haven't wanted to part with them {that's the hoarder in me}. I knew that I would eventually want to display them and have recently come across a few examples of how to do just that:

a framed grouping...

or simply hung from their handles...

or grouped into a collage... 

I decided to go the framed route since I had a great spot in my bedroom crying out for artwork...

I gathered up my collection and decided to add in my vintage advertisements I picked up at the Nice antique market {see post here} just to mix things up a little bit...

Off to IKEA for some frames...

I decided to play around with the arrangement on the bed, trying to get the sizes to fit well with one another...

Then the tedious task of framing them and transferring the arrangement onto the wall {using my favourite 3M Command Strips}...

Finally done!

I'm really happy with the random arrangement which also leaves room in case I happen to receive any others I want to add to the group {are you reading this, hon? hint hint...}

lisa

[house&home; tumblr; swansisland; via alexandrastylist; via inmyownstyle]