Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Kitchen Kitsch


Hello, Dear Friends! 

I have been busy trying to brighten up 
my kitchen for summer. The weather has 
been very gloomy the last couple of weeks, 
 although today was a beautiful, sunny day, which gave 
me enough light to take some photos. 


I call the changes, 'Kitchen Kitsch'
or 
'Siesta Fiesta'! 

A little bit southwestern, with a vintage vibe. 


It's a chance to bring out all my bright accessories.

I especially love vintage kitchen kitsch.

The 30's, 40's and 50's were my favorite era's.
I can remember the kitchens of my Grandmother's
and Aunt's when I was a little girl.
Back then women would regularly
get together for coffee klatches, which would
give them an opportunity to bring out
all of their kitchen kitsch;
embroidered and printed table-cloths, napkins
and aprons, crocheted and hand-sewn potholders,
and cute dishes and accessories.

My parents were married the same year that
Queen Elizabeth was crowned.
1953


Speaking of the Royals - did you watch the royal wedding
this past weekend? 

It was so romantic.
 A handsome Prince marries his Cinderella.
What's not to love? 

Years ago, I asked my Mother if she watched 
the Queen's coronation as a young bride. 
She laughed and told me that she and my Father 
were too poor as newlyweds to buy a television! 


I have gathered up all things bright for my 
happy, kitschy look. 

Some things were from Christmas,
 some were from Valentine's Day, 
and some were just fun things I had kicking around. 


My daughter, Heather gifted me with 
the wonderful polka-dot mixing bowl. 


The cookbooks were my Mom's from when 
she was a new bride. 
I learned to cook with these cookbooks! 
I still make the beef stew and pasta sauce :)




I found the wonderful 'Mom's Diner' sign 
last summer on a trip to Seattle's Pike Street Market
 with Ramblin' Man, my son, Dustin and his wife, Jenn. 

They also took us to see the Seattle Mariner's play 
the Boston Red Sox that day!
Ramblin' Man and I grew up near Boston and 
were high-school sweethearts. 
xoxo
The lanterns, thermos and Scotty dog were flea-market finds.




Another vintage-style sign and 
my collection of kitschy pot-holders. 

The miniature crates of veggies on the metal
sign are refrigerator magnets. 



I sewed the gingham curtain, with rick-rack of course,
and hung it over the crochet lace panel. 


The hanging wire baskets hold kitchen towels. 


The seating area is the 'Siesta Fiesta' side 
of the room. 



The vintage quilt inspired the color-theme.
I've had this quilt for years and it was
always used as a 'snuggle quilt' when
my children were small. 


Sweet salt and pepper shakers.
The tomatoes were gifted to my Mom from me.
Now they are mine.

I'd give anything to be able to give them back to her.


As newlyweds we moved from Massachusetts 
to Tucson, Arizona. 

We simply decided we needed a change of scenery
and a fresh start......
We bought a little travel trailer and 
went on an exciting adventure! 

We found jobs in the hotel industry and lived 
in a large apartment complex full of other young people. 
It was just like the television show, 'Friends'. 

We had so much fun.
We loved to cook for one another and have weekly dinners
at each other's apartments.  

We later moved into a small adobe house in the desert. 


I put together this panoramic series of photos 
 of the view from our little Casita, back then.

We fell in love with the desert, 
but when we were expecting our first-born, 
we wanted to be closer to family, 
so we moved to Oregon with my parents.
We lived in Oregon 4 years, before we all moved 
to Washington state, where we stayed. 


I bought this little painting to remember our time in Tuscon.  
It was such a magical time. 
We were young and free and also, very brave, 
when I think back on it. 

We left all that we had known, to begin our lives 
together in a new and completely different landscape
without knowing a single soul. 

Sometimes you just have to follow your heart. 
No matter where it might lead.....


I made some pillows from napkins and tea-towels. 
I crocheted the blue pillow a couple of years ago. 

I painted and decoupaged the wall-hung tray
 with a printed paper napkin 
that I found on vacation in Arizona a few years ago. 


This pillow sewn from a vintage tea-towel
 perfectly captures the theme. 

I used up my stash of rick-rack :)


I sewed the gingham curtains and found 
the cute dishes and tea-towels in Arizona.
Can you see Whitey Bear lying on the deck?


I do love a Margarita
every now and again :)





Chili lights, a pinata, and sombrero make things festive. 


I found the rolling cart at a flea-market last 
year and painted it, using paper doilies as stencils.


I found this little basket of vintage tomato pincushions
at the flea market we recently attended.
The sweet vendor had about a dozen of them.
She said that she finds the pincushions at every estate sale.
Oh - so sadly sweet.
I was happy to adopt one!
xoxo



I sewed these kitschy strawberry sachets
myself. They are filled with lavender. 


I had a lot of fun gathering, sewing and decorating
 for my bright new look.
Ramblin' Man likes it, too! 
He's mentioned it several times :) 

I hope that you enjoyed my quirky, kitschy 
re-style, Dear Friends. 

I hope this inspires you to add a little Kitchen Kitsch of your own! 

xoxo

Some of my favorite sites for Kitchen Kitsch :

The Pink Rose Cottage

Virginia Retro

For some reason my blog is not updating on blog rolls.
Please delete and re-add it for current updates!
Thank-you, Dear Friends.
I don't want to lose touch!
xoxo

30 comments:

  1. Hello Karen, it was such a pleasure scrolling down and looking through all your treasures and reading about your memories that inspire.
    I love the splashes of red and of your time living in your desert home. It's fun to recall the adventures of times back.
    The red gingham curtains took me right back to our first little rented unit as a married couple.
    Cheers and thanks for the delightful joy that you share :D) xx

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  2. You put love on what you do. It all looks beautiful!!

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  3. You have fabulous quirky, kitschy pretties, Karen. I love your restyle. How cheery your fun kitchen looks and I love the pop of colour with colourful pillows and quilts on your sofa. The gingham curtains are pretty. I too love the 30's, 40's and 50's...such fun and carefree times. Such a delightful post!

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  4. Beautiful! Just like stepping into a movie set of the old west. If I am not mistsken, I could feel m
    Maureen O'Hara & John Wayne at the table!

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  5. So many lovely, special touches! Loved reading about some of your experiences too. The polka-dot mixing bowl is great. Enjoy your refreshed space!

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  6. Such wonderful pictures, your home always makes me think back to my childhood. My mom embroidered tea towels, made quilts and crocheted hot pads.

    Hugs Diane

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  7. I just love your new look in my favorite color...RED!! It all looks great. I just love the red gingham and the rick rack....what a great throwback to kitschy stuff. My mother was a sewer and rick rack was a staple. The tomato pin cushions are especially sweet.

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  8. Thanks for the shout out and link to my shop and blog!!!

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  9. Karen, what fun! I loved seeing all your kitchen kitsch. Your home is so homey and charming and I love all the red. Thanks for your visit. I really enjoyed the wedding and seeing that darling couple. She is the cutest little thing and their respect and love for each other is evident..Happy Thursday..xxoJudy

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  10. What a cheerful and cozy kitchen...Great treasures here...Your post always enchants me!Love so much those crocheted potholders!Hugs,dear Karen!

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  11. Yes, I did enjoy seeing all your happy, fun colors,for summer, Karen. The gingham looks so pretty, and I love taking a peek around your cheery home. The quilt looks so nice with your array of pillows. I especially loved your crocheted one! I'm still learning new things about you! I never knew that you went to Arizona and Oregon first, before going to Washington. Life has been good to you! xx

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  12. I love seeing this beautiful glimpse into your life and your home. (And I know I've told you this before but I adore your pine walls!). The red is wonderful and I love your quilted sofa and the bright pillows. Our worlds are filled with memories and places and people and I love seeing the things that make you smile, that you remember, represented in your wonderful home.

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  13. I just love 'Siesta Fiesta'!

    I watched the Royal Wedding from start to finish, it was wonderful.
    I wish them every happiness.

    All the best Jan

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  14. hi karen...you have such a great eye for decorating. once i decorate a shelf, it tends to stay that way forever. i always enjoy seeing the big cabinet in your kitchen and how you switch it up, i wish i had the energy!!

    this is a great theme for the warmer weather and the colors are great. i have read that some peeps don't even know what those pin cushions are...i am still using mine!!!

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  15. Karen, I love your kitschy kitchen summer makeover! Love all that stuff! Hope the weather brightens up for you soon.

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  16. Hello Karen, oh I love how you decorated the kitchen and house for your fun summer theme. I really like the crocheted pot holders and all of your handmade things you made. You are so talented and you made the house look bright and cheery.
    Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.
    Julie xo

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  17. Glad you were able to get a sunny day, that always helps to brighten your mood! You have done such a pretty job of updating your kitchen.
    Isn't it something how we are so brave when we are young to jump to do new things, everything seems like a such an adventure. I think the older we get the more we think things through. So neat to have things around the house to remind you of your early married days!

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  18. Everywhere looks so fun and cheerful. You were very brave to set off on your own to find pastures new. I'm so glad you rescued thar poor little tomato pincushion. 😊 x

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  19. Your new look is happy and colorful! I also love a margarita. :-)

    Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

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  20. Sweet and beautiful friend, you never cease to bring a smile to my face. I am loving your "new" kitchen look. It's so charming and cheerful.

    Wishing you a wonderful weekend. Love and hugs to you!

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  21. Love it Karen! Especially the bright colors. A taste of the southwest in the northwest. ;) Love the stories about your early married days too. Definitely the adventurers!!
    Have a blessed holiday weekend ahead. xoxo

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  22. Oh, Karen, I loved reading your blog post and seeing all theses photos which took me down memory lane. My Mom and Grandma had many of these same kitchen items. You've done a lovely job redecorating your beautiful home. Thank you for the kind comments you left on my blog. Wishing you a safe and happy weekend, Pat

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  23. What a fantastic, welcoming kitchen. I loved looking at all your treasures. It must be the one room in the house where everyone wants to be.
    Amalia
    xo

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  24. yes yes yes! How pretty it all is. This is my fave era for stuff. The polka dot bowl is great! I want one! I grew up in a kitchen with a red enamel table, and turquoise accents and I am still in love with the combo.

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  25. I love seeing pictures of your home, your kitchen looks so cosy and warm and I love how all your gorgeous bits and bobs have their own stories attached to them xx

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  26. Lovely post Karen..
    Enjoy your week...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  27. So much fun, Karen! I love vintage things also and the 20s and 30s are my favorite eras, but I also have a lot of nostalgic love for the 50s. I love that you remember your romantic, young married time in Tucson with some souvenirs and paintings of that time. You sure did a stretch from Massachusetts to Tucson and then to the Pacific NW! :-) I always love your style and enjoy seeing your decorating ideas. I am trying to get a shelf up that will display more of my "breakables" but now that we have a cat things are harder to set out and display! Once we get a cat tower hopefully he will be happy with that when he gets the climbing urge! Hope you have an awesome week!

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  28. Your red and yellow flowers is very beautiful. Beautiful pictures. Have a happy day. Hugs.

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  29. I really like how your kitchen looks like right now :) It's so cozy!
    And these cute crochet cup coasters!! I like this first one from the left side!
    Living in a travel trailer sounds like an adventure! We were thinking about it after we got married, but we finallhy resigned, because we have cats. It wouldn't be comfortable for them to be in such tiny area.
    The house on the beach sounds so romantic! I would love to live in such amazing place with sucha amazing view!
    But on the other side - I really love my city. I'm not sure if I'll be abl to leave it forever.

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  30. O MY!! I just fell in love with EVERYTHING in this post!! Absolutely adore this area of your Kitchen but you know I LOVE red and I LOVE vintage so what is not to Love!!! Your kitchen is filled with bright and cheery color!! So welcoming and charming!! Thanks for sharing!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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