Weighing In

I have a confession.  I don't own a bathroom scale.  In almost 19 years of marriage, we have never owned a scale.

But when I saw this baby at a garage sale, it was love at first sight.  It's a baby scale!

I know that is strange considering I don't own a scale.

I might not like to weigh myself, but I do have need to weigh other things.

I don't have any babies to care for anymore.  Unless you count this "baby".  

Rediculous, I know.  But we do tuck her in each night and cradle her as we carry her to bed.  The weird thing is she lets us!

Back to the topic, I have been known to take my cake stands to the post office just to have them weighed to try to figure out what I should charge for shipping.  In I go, handing the cake stand over to the nice people who work behind the counter, and we make up far away zipcodes predicting what it might cost to  send it to tim-buc-too, or San Francisco, or Miami (notice I always pick somewhere nice and warm).

I had 2 different people in Canada interested in this:

Sadly, once you add the packaging, all of my cake stands weigh over 5 pounds, so that puts international shipping to $45.  Most people don't want to pay that much.

Someone in the UK wanted this:

Again, I ran to the post office and tried all sorts of boxes and options.  We couldn't get it to cost any less than $45.  It was a no-go for the woman in the UK, and I don't blame her!

So, when I saw this old-fashioned baby scale, I thought my local postmaster might appreciate me buying it, so he doesn't have to weigh my candle sticks and cake stands anymore.

And for the real test today, I first weighed this cake stand I sent to Maryland (Hi, Maryland, if you read this!)

It was just over 3 pounds.

Then I boxed it up with bubble wrap and egg shells.

It came to 5 pounds and 4 oz.

I went to the handy dandy USPS website and was able to configure what the postage should cost.

I calculated  $11.17.

Now for the real test- I took it into the post office, and I was pleased as punch-- it came to exactly $11.17!!!!

This baby is accurate!  Yay for 70-year old accurate scales!  Yay for the saying "they don't make 'em like they used to!"  And Yay for those baby boomer parents who wanted to weigh there babies at home.

Now I just wonder why we don't do that anymore?

Only Time Will "Tale"

I have been working hard finding many vintage items and treasures.  I have found so many beautiful plates, pedastals, and linens.  In my searching, as I have chatted with people when collecting these special objects, I think I have become a little too sentimental as I have come to learn stories about people or items, as you can see from this post!  

If these items, sometimes as much as 80 years old, could talk, what would they tell us?

Where have they lived?

What was happening when they were created?

Who created them?

What was the woman thinking about when she crocheted a half-a-dozen doilies hour after hour 37 years ago to give a new bride and groom, that then not only used the doilies, but cared for them well enough to leave them in excellent condition 37 years later.  The doilies "experienced" a whole life with a family that grew from young to mature- some people don't even get to experience that!  And if we do, most of us don't walk around without a few "spots" on us.

What was the worker thinking when he used his hands so skillfully when he hand-blew the glass 50 years ago- did he know his vase would decorate a wedding then AND now 50 years later? Did he find joy in his workmanship?  Did it become mundane?  How would his perspective have been effected had he known the legacy his work might carry?

What kind of day did the mother or father have when they carried their handkerchief with them 70 years ago?  Did they wipe the sweat off their brow, wipe a tear, or tuck it into their purse or pocket to carry to church with them?

I love the stories behind the items that I find.  I love the hand work and labor and time that went into making the product.  I love the quality that so many of these vintage items have that can be hard to find today.  To top it off, I love it when I find so many of these items in such good condition!

And I love it when other's love it again!  Many of these items were loved once, and now get a second chance to be loved again.  I've heard many times that certain items remind them of their grandmother or childhood or some other special memory.

Here is a little preview of some items I've got coming soon to Etsy.  Can't wait to get them posted next week sometime!  Look for cake stands, doilies, handkerchiefs, and a few other things.

And I really will be selling the doilies described above that were hand-crocheted by a family friend 37 years ago as a wedding gift.  They are so pretty and in excellent condition.

A Teal and Green Wedding Rental

Editor's Note:  I did not decorate this wedding reception.  They rented mirrors from me.

But I did have the good fortune of being able to attend the reception for this beautiful bride and groom.

First off, tell me this bride and groom isn't adorable.  Look at their shoes in their wedding colors!  I love it- a mix of elegance and fun for their special day (and that is my little antique mirror).

Their back drop was a little bit shabby chic.  Very charming.  Those green frames are available to rent as well.

Have you noticed the chalk board yet?  Cute!

Here it is with the lights dimmed.  Such a tender moment- the little girl looks in awe from where I am standing.  The bride and little girl look so sweet sharing a special moment that I am sure the little girl will never forget.

The refreshment table.  They did a confection bar full of candy and sweets and little baggies to take some of the yummies with you.  They made their own cake stands and managed to pull more green and blue in with the cake stands.

 Hmmmmm.... I wonder how many times this little guy wondered over to the confection bar???

The table that greets everyone when they walk in with the guest registry.  So charming (well, when I'm not standing in the picture it is).

Don't you love their wedding picture when the lights are dimmed?!  Blissful!

It was a special night for the bride and groom and it turned out just lovely!

Here is a list of what she rented from me:

• Large and small antique mirrors
• Table Mirrors
• Blue and green frames and chalk board

Table Mirror Update

Here are the pictures of the table mirrors I've got for rent.  I have 9:  7 are a full rectangular octagon, and 2 are half octagon's.  They are high quality mirrors that reflect light beautifully.

The fee is $25 to rent all of them along with a refundable deposit.

Here are the close-ups from a recent wedding:

And here it is from a distance:

You can't see it in the pictures, but she has little lights in the plants, so when they turned down the lights during the reception, the plants lit up.  It was a nice touch, especially with the mirrors!

Cake Stand Special Order for a College Graduation Party

(Note: If you are interested in a special order, please e-mail me at jlplatesandplatters@gmail.com, or go to my Etsy Shop at JL Plates and Platters.)

What an undertaking!  A challenge is so motivating for me and I loved putting this order together.

I got a call from a woman in New Jersey who wanted something masculine for her son's college gradutation party.  She had a strong vision in her head of what she wanted for the cake stands: blue plates that were large enough to hold a candy pyramid with gold pedestals that were at least 9-10 inches tall.

She contacted me because she found this listing on my Etsy Shop.  So this was the inspiration piece, but she wanted them taller and she wanted 8 of them:

I began my treasure hunt.  I scoured many resources locally and On-line for plates and vintage items.

I found this UGLY stuff....

 ....and turned it into this gorgious stuff.  Ugly as they were, I could see their potential and what they could become.

I managed to find 8 pedastals, and we staggered the height just a little.  Most of the plates were identical with the exception of just a few.  

I thought it turned out beautiful.  I was so happy to make something so lovely for this New Jersey family's special celebration.

Announcement: We now have mirrors added to our wedding rentals!

Pictures coming soon, but I've got about a dozen beautiful table mirrors with a lovely finished edge to rent for wedding and parties to add to my supply of candle sticks and milk glass vases.

They are $25 to rent alone.

Scroll below for the entire selection.

"Hello Yellow" Treasurey List Featured on Etsy

When I opened my e-mail this morning and saw an e-mail from Etsy that I receive daily featuring different products, I found something I had not expected.

I noticed it was all about yellow.  Then I remembered a few days ago I had a note from someone on Etsy saying they had made a treasury list called "Hello Yellow".

Sure enough, when I clicked on the link to the Yellow Treasuries that Etsy was featuruing today, right there on the first page out of over 200 pages, I found "Hello Yellow"!

And there was my sunshiney candle.  What an honor!  Sometimes you wonder how you will ever get noticed when there are 200 pages to choose from and thousands of listings.  I don't know how it happened, but I felt thankful.  I needed some "yellow sunshine" during this terrential down poor we're having in Minneapolis right now.

If you like eye candy, here is the link: 
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjAyNTM2MzF8MjcyMDIwMzc3OQ/hello-yellow?index=15

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjAyNTM2MzF8MjcyMDIwMzc3OQ/hello-yellow?index=15