piddlin'

Piddlin’ Decor | Coke Crates

‘pressed in the pauses of a crazy full season of life!

The vintage coke crate.^

There are a great many uses for this quintessential piddlin’ find. Be ‘ware of imitators!

I first brought this crate back to Ryan (filled with cans of RC Cola) + he loved it so much, we decided to use it at our wedding reception to serve them up once again as a parting snack: RC Colas + moon pies.

We also have used a few of these sturdy wooden boxes to organize our movie collection, though I have since consolidated them as a part of the all-important collection culling process I last wrote about. (More to follow on that soon!)

These crates, four or five in all, have also been a convenient home to the dog’s items: his brush, ball, collar, dog bags + leash. They have also served as our catch-all spot by the front door for the last five years, cordially known as “the front box”. Keys, tide pens, lint rollers, mail, sunglasses, Burts’ bees, sunscreen…you name it. It is one of the first antiques I gifted to Ryan to “fill his house”.

Most recently, this same crate has helped us corral + display children’s books + was an instant hit with my toddler who loves to read!

This piddlin’ find has become a functional must-have piece of piddlin’ decor around our nest over the years + could easily be used for even more purposes. See more inspiration for decorating/organizing with coke crates by searching “coke crates” on Pinterest or Google + please do let me know how you would use yours!

(^) “coke” is of course Southern for any type of soda, though I should mention Coca~Cola is #1 at our nest!

| keep piddlin’!

Piddlin’ Decor | Curating + Culling Collections

‘pressed while watching my Seattle Seahawks play the Falcons here in Atlanta–Go ‘Hawks!

Turns out moving is tricky for a “collector”…not only did we have many fragile items to pack, but it has made me even more aware of my hoarder tendencies! …I kid, though I as of the New Year I am seriously re-evalutaing which pieces bring me a sense of joy. I had always heard moving to another state can be a catalyst to fixing this problem + I can see why. In a matter of two weeks, it has turned from heavy stressor to exhilarating opportunity!

My beau + I always loved traveling to football games when we were dating, engaged + newly-married, so piddlin’ happened on our way home from most road trips we took. This hobby really took-off after I was describing my love of old things + how I simply had no room in my apartment to add any “new” finds. All he had to say was “you can fill my house with antiques” + it was off to the races!

Fast-forward a year or so, + it was he who had found so many of the fun things that now furnish + organize our married home including this iron lantern pictured above. The lantern was found by my husband + given to me the day we were engaged; it serves as an excellent reminder to only keep the items that bring pleasure/joy/happiness to our home. See the full story of this sentimental antique here.

As each room slowly gets unpacked here, it is encouraging to see each of these “old things” find new purpose or perhaps a new home while I remember their stories. As each year has its seasons, so too may we all have a time to curate + cull our treasured collections!

| keep piddlin’

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Piddlin’ Wish List | Antique Rugs

‘pressed while snackin’ on Trader Joe’s multi-grain pretzel nuggets + cookie butter

Hello there! It’s been a little while! Our second baby girl arrived in late October + oh, what a morning it was. We’ve been savoring her mellow soul, serene eyes + warm snuggles for the past few weeks in her journey from newborn to infant.

These days there is a bit of a changed motive for me when it comes to piddlin’. After two babies, a recent out-of-state move + the start of a new year, I have been keen to thin out the absurd number of “things” we have amassed as a family in the past few years–despite my best efforts to “tidy” a la Marie Kondo. It has even become terribly difficult to continue to accept gifts of any kind because we as a family just don’t “need” anything! We are blessed beyond measure.

On that note, I give you a post -perhaps the first of many- that is an excerpt of a recurring daydream of mine. It is a vision of a home that is simple, warm + seasoned with love, a place free of judgement + chock full of the most intentional kind of hospitality.

Over time, I have come to deeply appreciate the artisanship of beautifully woven rugs, each from far away + long ago. I have only begun to scratch the surface on the heritage of these incredible works of art, but look forward to perusing many a library book on the subject, soon! Here are a few Persian or Turkish woven wonders that have caught my eye during recent early morning musings. See more antique + antique inspired rugs on my “piddlin’ wish list” via Pinterest.

May your Winter Saturday be full of warmth!

| keep piddlin’!

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Piddlin’ Decor | Gameday Mug

We start our Saturdays in The South with ESPN College Gameday, a strong cup of coffee + the occassional Bojangles biscuit!

Having a mug with team mascot/logos gets bonus points:

Here’s a toast to your season-may it be better than The Gamecocks’ has been so far + if not, may your coffee be strong + your Saturdays be busy!

| keep piddlin’!

Piddlin’ Trips | Old Haunts

‘pressed while netflixing…and waiting for baby’s any-day-any-week-now-arrival!

After one has spent enough time at any piddlin’ outpost, there may often be a need to take a break to allow for booths to be refreshed + shook up a bit before returning to successfully uncover more spectacularly long-awaited finds once again.

Put simply –it never hurts to give a place a rest–

I’ve been looking back through some of my photo archives + came across these fun piddlin’ sights from some months ago (could it have really been over a year?) + it may be time to circle back for a fresh look!

Can someone explain why these lovely mounted antlers seem to always cost a small fortune? …Also, that round mirror! These two items will both be on my mind for years to come.

A beautiful secretary has been on my wish list for a few years now…though I have been spotting them with more frequency on my piddlin’ trips, I’m unsure I will ever be able to pull the trigger on one as they each have such a lovely, victorian charm about them in so many ways. Some with lattice work atop their glass cabinet, others with intricate drawers + cubbies, + still a great many feature fancy finials on top. I love them all.

A few more sights from our outing:

What a bummer it is to miss your chance to snag a fun find + oh,
how it feeds the frenzy of a good pick to come!

…I always say “nothing haunts like the antiques we didn’t buy”, so when some fabulous find once seen is still there after a hiatus, it’s a sure sign it belongs with you! Otherwise… all you have are the snaps you take while speed pickin’. I’ll be honest, there are more than a few things here that will be haunting me for a little while longer.

| happy ~~haunting~~ piddlin’ to you this october!

Piddlin’ Decor | Boat Oars

‘pressed while singing “Row row row your boat…” (tongue in cheek)

These are one of my all-time-favorites-buy-whenever-you-see-them kind of piddlin’ finds!

Boat oars or paddles are classic antiques to have around the home + porch…below are a few glimpses of the two we have at our nest (an unmatched pair-which adds to the charm in my opinion) as well as a few fun ideas from around the web!

I have always sat these oars together for some added texture + interest in an otherwise boring corner of my home, but I always dream about how I may end up using these in a myriad of other ways! lf baby no. 2 is a boy, I can very easily see them in his room from day one to hold curtains, as I have always wanted to use them for this type of DIY:

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…on second thought, these would certainly be handy in case we find ourselves navigating through “Waterworld” this weekend! I kid–! Though, we will be hunkering down for a good old fashioned hurricane party this weekend.

This is a culture my husband + I have grown up with for the past three decades so we are highly accustomed to protocols and precautions of being in a hurricane’s path. This is not to say we are in some way exempt from the dangers and warnings, rather we have been a part of making decisions like these for sometime and know what sort of safety hazards + damage timeline we are preparing to see. We have family in town–also staying–if things go from bad to worse and we need reinforcements, so don’t anyone worry about us for a second.

So for now, happy decorating!

| keep piddlin’

Piddlin’ Decor | Gameday Chalkboards

Some houses have just one team they cheer for on Saturdays, but in our home we have at least two we follow each weekend in the Fall, so it’s helpful to have a schedule handy! … It also helps us keep track of which team flag we’re to fly out front–best ranked gets the honors.

I love everything about vintage chalkboards, so this is just a no brainer for Gameday Piddlin’ Decor! Class it up with a gold frame, or dress it down with a more rustic or traditional school board frame:

This chalkboard was once used at an area church for Sunday school lessons! I love when I pick up a piece with a story.

This won’t be the last time you see me “talk” about my love of chalkboards! Wouldn’t I just love to find a massive board on a stand with casters?! Ohh-an antique lovin’ girl can dream! Let me know if you see one in your travels–please!

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Cheers to Week 4 of College Football! …as always, may the best team win!

| keep piddlin’

Piddlin’ Decor | Gameday Cowbells

How was your Week 2? Whelp, things around our house got a little rocky…

It was tough enough for our “house divided” heading into last Saturday knowing we’d have two games to watch simultaneously. However, as we have done many times before, we raised our split flag out front, set up our two TVs + settled in for the long night.

Things started out pretty pitiful for The Gamecocks, but they went from bad to worse following a long weather delay in Starkville, Mississippi followed by a flailing, second-half, Hokie team in Bristol + all in all, it made for a rather unpleasant night of football watching.

Despite over 500 miles between our two game venues there was an obvious theme–the annoying reiterance of two well-known + beloved (by many) gameday traditions: the Tennessee Volunteers’ catchy-at-first fight song, “Rocky Top” + the clanging cowbells of the Mississippi State Bulldog faithful. (read more about the cowbell tradition here)

Here’s a screenshot of a handful of the many who were either fussin’ over or celebrating the resounding State cowbells on twitter during our game Saturday …do y’all want some cheese with that whine?!

I have always loved the sound of a simple dinging cowbell–that is, a single bell by it’s lonesome, or even the strands of bells seen around the holidays, mostly for the bucholic visions it brings to mind– however it certainly became it’s own entitity among the crowd at Davis Wade on Saturday. Gamecock fans present, went from outnumbering Vanderbilt at home in Week 1 to fading into the similarly colored sea of maroon–and cowbells! Yikes…rough start to our season.

I believe wholeheartedily that gameday traditions are what they are + if they adequately deter from a game, well then your team should come up with something to overcome it– it’s part of how you play the game– I digress.

This is my antique cowbell that I found in my early piddlin’ days… it is a rusty, perfectly patinated thing of beauty and each time I pick it up, I imagine the farm animal that once wore it. It’s sound is one not often heard much anymore in its original fashion, but it brings an instant smile to my face–as long as it’s not naptime…

Whether the cowbells of Mississippi State have worn on your last nerve or not, you have to admit it’s a pretty unique tradition + a no brainer to share with you here today!

Here’s to another fun weekend of football–

| keep piddlin’

Piddlin’ Surcies | Granny’s Planters

‘pressed while baking my last batch of cookies

Prior to my piddlin’ days, I would see these greek key cement planters + not think much of them. They seemed like they were everywhere-a dime a dozen. Until my Granny passed away + the pair that sat on her ne’er frequented front porch–seemingly year round with potted poinsettias from Christmas past–were gifted to me on my birthday. Because they were once hers, I now admire them + their iconic style with a certain nostalgia each + every time I step through my door.

We filled these special vintage planters with a few of my favorites–caladiums + ferns– on Mothers’ Day with my little girl’s help. I like to think Granny Mabel saw us in action + got a smile out of seeing us finally putting a little dirt in them. Isn’t it funny how something so mundane can become so meaningful, just by using a small ounce of thought or making the simplest of gestures?

I hope I get to hold onto these long enough to pass them on to my daughter + I pray she will learn to recognize value in something otherwise ordinary.

| keep piddlin’!

Piddlin’ Decor | It’s Gameday

Cheers to you, College Football fan!!

Today is the day we kickoff another season on the gridiron, between the hedges, in the grove or in some other hallowed arena. Tonight + all through the weekend (unless of course your team has already kicked off in some far corner of the world), we’ll be cheering, crowing, gloating + perhaps groaning at our teams that represent those assembled + gone before “in the glory days”.

In honor of all those years we spent studying at our alma mater with our fellow co-eds + walking campus alongside the seemingly super-human student athletes, we will watch in hope + we will cheer to see if that “University of”, “State” or “Tech” College will mystify us with an elusive undefeated season + if not, we’ll keep watching in order to hedge our bets on how our odds fare against that big bad rival sitting at the bottom of our schedules.

The magic + nostalgia of each of those worlds we lived in once upon a time, however brief or long the chapters ran in our lives, give us a special feeling about this day. It feels like Christmas with the shiny new helmets + a sparkling clean record to preserve.

No matter how you choose to celebrate today, this weekend + the months ahead, we cannot ignore the time-honored traditions that make the cheering-good, bad + otherwise- a little more bearable. I hope to share a few of these with you through the college football season.

I found this impossibly cute Carolina bobble head in the most unlikely of all places-my brother’s small college town of Newberry, South Carolina. It remains one of my favorite piddlin’ finds of all time + I will relish the day that I finally have a proper place for him to look over us on Gamedays spent in our sports room! As for the signed football- it’s not an antique quite yet, but as of this season, it is well on its way!

May the best team win…stay tuned for more fun piddlin’ finds to use at your next tailgate!
| keep piddlin’