Collecting Shawnee Miniatures

I thought it would be fun to share some photos of one of my favorite collections.  These Shawnee Pottery miniatures live in a vintage cupboard in my kitchen and I just love them.

The Shawnee Pottery in Ohio started making miniatures of their full size vases and pitchers in 1937 and continued through the late 40's. Each miniature is no more than 3" high but the detail is amazing. They were made to be given away as party favors, premiums and souvenirs.

Aren't these green ones adorable?

The miniatures originally wholesaled for $1.87 per dozen. They are now difficult to find and, unfortunately, no longer cost $1.87 per dozen (just my luck!). I see them on e-bay occasionally for $20.00 to $30.00 each but prefer to look for mine at flea markets and estate sales.

I love the vibrant reds of these...

Since I collect peach McCoy pottery, I was excited to find the miniatures in peach...love the little planter and basket...

This is a tiny version of the popular cornucopia shape made by many of the early pottery companies at the time...

and a little peach polka-dot basket...

Here is my McCoy swan vase next to its miniature cousin...

Each little vase is marked "USA" on the bottom...

My book on Shawnee Pottery (Mangus, 1994) is a good resource...

I love these rich greens...

and sweet blues.

Who could resist these creamy yellows?

These little mini's have captured my heart.  Now I only wish I could have a tiny little tea party and invite all my blog friends to come!

I am linking this post to the following Blog parties:

 Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Show & Share Day at Just a Girl

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Inspiration Friday at At the Picket Fence

                Junkin' Finds Friday at A La Carte.

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House In the Roses

Trinket Thursday at My Cottage Charm

I hope you will consider becoming a Follower of My Sister's Cottage...only five to go to get to 50 Followers and give away this vintage collage magnet!

How Hard Can It Be To Choose a Paint Color?

Much harder than I thought! Why is it that one home project just leads to another...and another...and another? I've come to realize that there really is no such thing as a simple renovation, especially in an old house. Our house was built in 1830 and this room, being the largest in the older part of the house, was probably the original Master bedroom. Along the way (probably in the Seventies by the look of it), the room had been carpeted. Now we're ready to finally tear up the carpeting and put in hardwood floors. After a trip to Readfield, Maine to get the flooring (we didn't even know where Readfield, Maine was!), we thought we were all set. But no..."somebody" (yup, that would be me) decided that, since the floors would be up, it would be a good time to paint. See what I mean about one project leading into another?

The room was a very unpleasant green that was supposed to be Sage but was closer to Grasshopper so I decided that a nice warm neutral would be just right. Clearly, over the years, I had forgotten just how hard neutrals are to choose. I'm sure we've all been there...taping the dozens of paint samples to the wall and staring at them until your eyes go blurry. Does this one have green undertones? Is that one too pink? A person could make themselves crazy choosing paint!

I finally gave up and decided to look at my Pottery Barn catalogue for inspiration. Heck, if my room could look half as good as the ones in that little book, I'd be a very happy camper. And voila, I narrowed down my choices to these...

...and came up with Manchester Tan...not too brown...not too gray...just right!

So after school today, it was off to Maine Hardware, where you can find anything and get a free bag of popcorn from their old fashioned popcorn machine while you shop.

I strode up to the paint counter and , as if I do this all the time, confidently said, "I'll take a Gallon of Manchester Tan, Latex, eggshell finish...with a stir stick, please". I even tried to use my best "I know which beiges have the correct undertones" decorator voice. Whistling in the dark...

And it was done...paint was mixed, I coughed up my $46.95, and was out the door. (Since my Weight Watchers meeting was tonight, I even managed to avoid the popcorn machine!)

 Here's my Manchester Tan...a blob on top and, in a sample room, below. I think I really love this color!

So now, all that's left to do is lay the hardwood floors, paint the room, clean up the mess, make new curtains, replace the bedding, and sew throw cushions...nothing to it. And I can visit all of my favorite blogs for inspiration. See what I mean about one project leading right into another???

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has taken me by surprise...seems I had more ideas for Valentine crafts...thanks to all of my fellow bloggers...than I had time. The craft room is a sea of red...snips of this and scraps of that, buttons, bows and belt buckles (a batch of 72 vintage ones arrived from E-Bay...what to do with them all?)...and only a few things are completed. Back in the basket they will go with the hope that I find myself with more time, and ambition, before next Valentine's Day rolls around. Do all crafters have more ideas than time?

I did finish a few more Valentine collage magnets for friends and set out my vintage Valentine napkins for a dinner party (the infamous "Gourmet Gourp") Saturday night.

Saturday's menu was all prepared by my Italian husband, Hank, who did an amazing job. He had to do most of it by himself as I have been under the weather with a cold. I finally got to use the $14.00 blackboard I picked up at a flea market in New Hampshire last month. Rubbed it with a little furniture oil and...Voila!

After the Italian feast on Saturday, and knowing that our Weight Watchers leader, Mary Elizabeth, occasionally reads this blog, here is what I received for Valentine's Day from hubby with a beautiful (but thankfully, not edible) card...

But here is my favorite Valentine gift from  hubby...a purple "Sing-a-ma-jig". Not only does this little guy sing "Oh My Darlin', Clementine" but as he mouths the words, he displays his tongue and lttle white teeth. Hank knew this little guy would be right up my alley!

I only wish Nancy was here to see this. She would have had to have one too and the two of us would have shared howls of laughter as his little teeth moved up and down. Silly, I know, but that's the way we were...

When I woke up from a long nap yesterday (that nasty cold again), these lovely hyacinths were at the door from our grandchildren, Robert, Brian and baby Anna. Just smelling these makes me think of Spring...

 And Anna even "signed" the card!

So, all in all, it's a perfect Valentine's Day. I'm sitting here in my sweats, blowing my nose and nursing the cold, but definitely feelin' the love. I wish the same for all of you. Happy Valentine's Day!

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller

Linked to blog party at Just a Girl

Linked to Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Winter Afternoon

"As I write, snow is falling outside my Maine window, and indoors all around me half a hundred garden catalogues are in bloom."    -Katharine S. White 

"Winter is the time for comfort - it is the time for home."  -Edith Sitwell

“Under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl.  And the anticipation nurtures our dream.”-   Barbara Winkler

"Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do - or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so."   -Stanley Crawford 

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour."   - John Boswell

"February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March."
-   Dr. J.R. Stockton

Honoring the Taken...

Since I posted about Relay for Life the other day, a number of friends have asked about the event. So...here are some photos from our Relay at Windham High School in June 2010 to inspire you to form your own team or join ours.

I love to write creative posts about crafts and flea market finds, fun stuff Nancy and I used to do together,  but Nancy isn't here anymore....because of cancer. When she was first diagnosed, she, and we, had no idea that it would come to this. Now we have to find a way to honor her memory and raise money for other cancer survivors and their families. Nancy worked so hard as a member of the local Relay committee...she would want us to keep going. So, here is the Relay link once more. Just click it and join us...for Nancy.

A Day Out with Kristen and Alvin

If you are lucky enough to have a daughter, you know how much fun it can be to spend a day with her. That's what my husband, Hank, and I did yesterday. Kristen calls these her "special days" and we try to make them live up to their name. Kristen is a special young woman with a great sense of humor who often shows tremendous strength beyond her years. She copes with many challenges each day with a happy heart. She is blessed with being non-judgemental...she loves everyone she meets. She also has a number of soft, fuzzy friends with whom she likes to cuddle and which bring her security.  These include her Cabbage Patch kid and, her recent favorite, Alvin the Chipmunk. Yesterday she decided to invite Alvin along for the day with us. So off we went...husband, wife, daughter, and chipmunk...for lunch at Friendly's and some shopping at the Mall.

Here's Kristen....dressed up, as always.

(And that's her favorite waitress, Patty, in back. Patty always knows Kristen's entire order in advance but takes the time to let her order for herself ...including the "cold ice water with an orange straw".)

And this would be Alvin...making himself comfortable among the condiments.

When lunch arrived, Alvin moved to the booth...

After lunch, it was off to the Build-a-Bear workshop, where Kristen chose to make another new cuddly friend which, after considerable deliberation,  she named "Pinky". 

So, now we are in the Mall with Kristen, Alvin and Pinky!

Pinky and Alvin traveled in this handy box. I guess Alvin was curious about all the sights in the Mall because, before long, he managed to move himself to a window seat.

Needless to say, a good time was had by all, whether real or stuffed!