Spring Is In The Air!

Ahhh... Here in the great state of Georgia it is a warm 73 degrees. Its is sunny, birds are chirping, and I am one happy boy! This winter has seemed to have lasted a year! In Georgia we have had more snow than I can ever remember and temps have dropped below zero many times. Also, lets add an earthquake to the mix of crazy things you'll experience in Georgia (all in one week might I add). 

So with spring time quickly approaching and with this unusually warm weather it has got me thinking of some great design ideas to brighten your house up for spring! 

With Spring comes color. 

The ability to use whatever bright colors you want should be taken full advantage of. I like to get my color inspiration for Spring from the beautiful flowers that bloom during this wonderful season. 

So whether it is a kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom that you are decorating this Spring make sure and draw your inspiration from something you love to look at everyday. 

Just by adding some simple touches to a room can make the biggest difference in the atmosphere of the room. You don't have to spend boat loads of money in a decorating project. To create a simple, yet stunning center piece for you kitchen table hit up The Home Depot or Lowes and buy a bag of spring time bulbs. Plant them in cute containers that you picked up from the thrift store and BAM! Cheap and easy center piece.

Whatever you do in your home this Spring, make sure that it is something you absolutely love. When you wake up everyday you should be excited to look around your home. So this Spring make your house a home. Love where you live.

Love,

The Old Soul

Just Plain Cute! - Paperless Post

I was stumbling around the interwebs tonight when I came across a website I'd never seen before! Paperless Post. Totally cute. Tons of fun and fresh cards and stationary for any occasion or event in your life! 

So head over to www.paperlesspost.com and check it out! 

Love,

The Old Soul 

 

Paint The Town White? Maybe Just The Kitchen

I have been seeing so many kitchens done in white. White walls, white counters, and white cabinets! So here are a few of my favorite types of white!

For the walls I'd have to go with Benjamin Moore's White Dove(benjaminmoore.com). For me personally I don't want to feel cold in any room in my house. This color is clean, but still warm.

Next onto the counters. I found a gorgeous granite that I have fallen madly in love with, River White Granite. The grain in this granite is subtle yet it will stand out again the white of the walls. 

If you don't have room in your for an island, then you can try something portable. This super cute and function movable island by Crate and Barrel(www.crateandbarrel.com) is perfect.

So get out there and paint that kitchen white! A plus to having a white room in your house are the endless possibilities when it comes to accessorizing! Any color! Ah! 

Love,

The Old Soul

Old Fashioned Southern Divinity Candy!

Hi Y'all! Day two rolls in of being "snowed" in.. Cabin fever has set in and so has my sweet tooth! Funny how when you get "stuck" at home you get so hungry(or maybe that's just me..). As we braved the roads today around noon, we were talking with my great friend Cheryl about how we were all craving Divinity candy! The longer I thought about it, the more I craved it. I pulled out old recipes from my grandmother and great grandmother and found my Memaws recipe. So I made it! And today I am going to share this old family recipe with you all!

First you'll need to gather all of your tools and ingredients. I find it is so much easier when you have everything sitting on the counter, that way you don't catch yourself running around after you've already started cooking. Here's what you'll need:

1. 2 quart sauce pan
2. Candy thermometer
3. Preferably a stand mixer(I used my KitchenAid mixer aka lifesaver).
4. You will need the whisk and paddle attachments for this.
5. Wax paper(I covered baking sheets with the wax paper for easier moving)

Secondly, I will go over what ingredients are needed for this. These are:

1. 2 and 2/3 cups of granulated sugar
2. 2/3 cup of light Karo Syrup
3. 1/2 water
4. 2 egg whites from X-Large Eggs or Jumbo Eggs
5. 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
6. Chopped pecans (optional)

First thing you'll need to do is get the water, Karo Syrup, and sugar into the sauce pan. Turn on to low heat or low flame. Stirring constantly until sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved stop stirring. Keep the candy thermometer in the liquid, but NOT touching the bottom of the pan(this will give you false temps). While you are waiting for the candy to get to 260 degrees, go ahead and separate your egg whites into the bowl of your stand mixer. Right before your candy reaches 260 using the whisk attachment on the stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they have reached a stiff peak. Once you have done this you will need to change out the attachment to the paddle attachment. When the candy has reached 260 pour in a thin steady stream with the mixer on medium speed. Add vanilla extract. Continue to beat this until it holds its form and becomes dull. Once you have mixed this to the appropriate consistency use a buttered spoon to dollops of the divinity candy onto your wax paper. I topped mine with chopped pecans! But that is totally optional. Let sit for the longest 12 hours of your life at room temperature. Then, enjoy this old fashioned, mouth watering, nostalgia inducing, and decadent candy.

This recipe is idiot proof basically. If I could make them, anyone can! So go create some delicious treats!

Happy Thrifting and Cooking, Y'all! 

Love,

The Old Soul

We Are "Vintage"!

I've had quite a few things on my mind today, being stuck in a house during a winter storm will do that to you. I write my blog entries on vintage materials things, but aren't we somewhat "vintage"? Maybe not in the sense of being old or out of date, but in a sense of being worn down, weathered, and maybe a little cracked. 

In life you have ups and downs, there's no surprise there. But what you do is what defines you. How you overcome adversity and ridicule is what builds your character. Like an old weather, worn, and cracked piece of vintage pottery. Though this piece of vintage brilliance is blemished and been through hell and back, it still holds it's beauty and stands tall in a world of shiny new things. It is our choice whether or not we get thrown into a "junk" pile or showcased on a shelf. Whenever people or things in life wear you down, show them how strong you truly are by getting right back up! 

I have said many times that I love vintage things because of the stories they hold. Well, we all have stories. Good ones and bad ones. Good stories bring us happiness and joy and fulfillment. Bad ones can bring us pain, sorrow, and regret. Break free of those regrets. Break free from the pain and sorrow. You are not your past. You may have a few dents and cracks in your heart, just like that old piece of vintage pottery, but you are still beautiful. Think of your cracks, dents, and blemishes not as wounds, but as battle scars! They show that you have stood the test of time and you don't plan on backing down or giving up anytime soon. Be proud of who you are and what you are. Because what you are and who you are is perfection in the eyes of the only One who matters. 

So be proudly "vintage". Do not let this world or the people in it throw you into the "junk" pile, push yourself to the front of that shelf. Own your battle scars and let them be a warning to the ones who may attempt to attack who you are. You may have blemishes, cracks, and dents but you can always shine. 

Thank you all so much for you continued support in my blog. Each and everyone of you have had a hand in making a dream of mine come true. I pray that God will bless you all. 

Love,

The Old Soul

Kim In The Kitchen: Interview!

Hi Y'all! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Kim Teasley, owner and operator of Kim in the Kitchen! She talked to me about all the services and tasty products she offers!

Kim has been cooking her whole life, but really took a true interest in it around the age of 15. As any Southerner has, Kim grew up in the kitchen and learning all the tricks of the trade from past generations. Kim had a restaurant in our small town of Hartwell, GA. The restaurant closed due to economic struggles. Kim took this opportunity to pursue her true passion in life, cooking on a more personal level. Around 2008 Kim started a small catering company, Kim in the Kitchen. As it is with any small town business, start up can be a daunting task. But Kim held true to her passion and is still cooking her heart out!

In our interview Kim discussed with me the importance of adding that personal touch to her cooking. Family is number one for Kim, so it was only natural that she would want to help families make their lives easier. Kim offers a wide variety of products and services. These include: catering, meals-to-go, canning, jarring, candies, and more! During the interview Kim told me about one specific product that I am particularly dying to try, Apricot and Habanero Pepper Jelly! One thing you need to know about the south is that we LOVE pepper jelly! Lay out a block of cream cheese (room temp), then pour the pepper jelly over the top, and eat with crackers!

Kim in the Kitchen is featuring their Sea Salt Dusted Caramels($5 per bag). I had the wonderful opportunity to try these decadent delights and I can tell you first hand that these candies are no run of the mill candy. They are top notch. Fine ingredients are used in making these along with skilled cooking ability. These are made fresh to order! They were the perfect mixture of salty and sweet. The caramel was creamy and cooked to a gooey perfection.

Kim in the Kitchen will ship to you! So don't worry if you aren't local, you can still have a chance to get your hands on her product! They offer a flat rate shipping and remember when ordering to allow enough time before you actually need them. Kim in the Kitchen makes everything fresh to order, so make sure and allow them the time to perform their magic! You won't be disappointed!

For more information on the variety of products offered at Kim in the Kitchen visit their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/KimintheKitchen) or email them at KimintheKitchen@gmail.com.

So why not surprise your sweet heart with some home made caramels? Don't wait until last minute to get your orders in!

Thanks for "tuning" in today! Leave a comment below or email me with your thoughts on my first interview blog entry!

Love,
The Old Soul

DIY Pom Pom Flowers!

So I have been wanting to do Pom Pom flowers since I saw them in Country Living Magazine! Well I did them! And I am totally obsessed with them.. Great, another obsession.. Sigh. On today's blog I'm going to give you a quick tutorial on how to make them for yourself! So let's get started!

First you'll need yarn, any color you want, and any type you want! I went with some of my favorite colors, mustard yellow and a light teal. The mustard yellow was a regular yarn, the light teal was a wooly thick yarn. 

Step two of this process is to figure out what product you'll use to make them. I used something called, Doodle-Loom by Bucilla. You can find these at Micheals or Hobby Lobby and they cost around $10. You could probably get them for less on Amazon. This tool made making these Pom poms super easy and quick! 

Obviously the instructions on how to make the Pom Poms are with the package. Don't get discouraged when first attempting them, it gets easier once you've made a few!! The smallest "loom" was my least favorite, because I could never get the Pom Pom to look right! However, the medium and large sizes worked like a charm! 

I made my mom Valentines Day "flowers" instead of buying the typical roses. Here is how they turned out: 

Of course they were showcased on the mantle in a vintage Floraline pottery piece! Cute and vintage seem to go hand and hand perfectly! 

Here are the ones I made out of the original yarn I got: 

They turned out great! 

Step three is to go outside and find some smaller twigs. I used these to give it a rustic feel. Then I simply hot glued the Pom poms onto the small branch. See, super easy! And cheap! 

Of course once I got into the rhythm of making these cuties I went a tad bit crazy.. 

You may want to use more spring type colors. I prefer teals, grays, oranges, and yellows! 

So guys, I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any questions or comments on tonight blog entry please comment below or feel free to email me! 

Happy thrifting, Y'all! 

Love,

The Old Soul

PS - make sure and be back here tomorrow night at 8PM for my first ever food blog! We will be joined by Kim Teasley, owner and operator of Kim in the Kitchen! She will be talking to us about her newest item, Sea Salt Dusted Caramels! Yum!! Perfect timing for Valentines Day, right?? :) more info tomorrow night on how you can order these for your sweetheart! 

Pottery, Chalkboards, and Spoon Rest. Oh My!

So today I spent the day with my grandmother. The things the two of us get into... :) While out and about we stopped by my favorite thrift store, Haven of Rest. I woke up this morning with a mission, to see what all I could buy with a $15 budget. So off we went to the thrift store.

Once we got to the thrift store my eyes immediately went to the "glass and pottery section". I usually luck up and find a few odds and ends. As I walked over I noticed a very cute vase. I could tell by the color, texture, and shape exactly what it was, Floraline pottery. It was $1, how could i pass that up?! A little back history on Floraline. They started in June 9, 1960. Nelson McCoy(founder of McCoy Pottery) wanted to create a line of inexpensive pottery that could be directly sold to florist. Little did he know that those "cheap" pottery pieces would one day be somewhat valuable and would make a total statement piece in someone's home. Here is the piece I found today: 

And here it is in full decor effect: 

I also have a few other Floraline pieces that I've found over the years:

Any Floraline you come across will be marked on the bottom with their stamp shown here:

So as I wondered aimlessly through the thrift store, peeking inside of different isles and shelves I spotted what in my opinion was the FIND of the day! And that would be this small vintage chalkboard:

I couldn't wait to get home to clean this bad baby up! And so I did. As I was looking at it wondering what I'd like to do to it, if anything. And then I suddenly remember, "Martha freakin' Stewart stencils!" So I pulled those stencils out and paint and went to town giving this little cutie just the facelift it needed! Normally when choosing paint colors for projects like this, I generally play it safe. Teal, yellow, etc. but today I wanted bold. Something that could stand out of this dark and dull chalkboard. Orange. Orange is the new black, right? So I laid my stencils out and painted away. This was the final product: 

I thought it turned out fabulously! And not to mention it looks totes adorbs on my desk. This chalkboard was $.50. May God strike you were you stand if you would pass by this in a thrift store! It's basically thrifting blasphemy. I want to know what you would have done with this chalkboard had you came across it! So make sure and leave a comment below or if it doesn't let you leave a comment(an issue that has been brought to my attention, my "tech team" aka boyfriend will have to help me figure this out!) then please email me! Just because the comments are on the fritz doesn't mean I don't want to hear your feedback! :) 

Okay, onto my last little find. It was $.75, and when I saw it I thought immediately to myself, "bff needs this! It can be a surprise present!" Well, I can't keep a surprise from someone to save my life. So naturally I bought it and sent a picture to my best friend saying, "I got you a surprise!!!" Followed by the picture... Sigh. Her response was, "you can never keep a surprise!!" So yeah, there you have it. I am unable to surprise anyone. Anyways! Back to the actual surprise itself! My best friend is from Sylvania, Ohio. She has lived in Atlanta, Ga almost as long as she lived in OH(which in my opinion makes you a southerner, though she'll never admit to it and she still to this day refuses to say the word, "y'all"). So anytime I am out thrifting I always keep an eye out for anything to buy my bff. So here is here surprise: 

Cute little vintage Ohio spoon rest! Totally cheesy and was probably bought at some rest stop in Ohio, but I knew right then and there that she would love it! And she did! :)

So that's my little adventure of the day, folks! As always, I hope you found some inspiration through my words and advice. Please leave comments below on what you thought of today's blog and maybe throw in some suggestions as to what you would like to see in this blog! I love/need feedback. Good and bad! And like I said earlier, if you can't leave a comment just hop over to my "About Me" page and click the link at the bottom of my bio and that will direct you to send me an email! I look forward to hearing from you. 

Happy Thrifting and Much Love,

The Old Soul

Rainy Day Finds!

It is a gloomy and rainy day here in northeast Georgia.. So of course, I went antiquing. What a better way to spend a rainy day?! 

I woke up feeling nostalgic, thinking of past rainy days. Thinking of rainy days as a child and how they were miserably boring. Thank God for being an adult and having interest that don't revolve around being outside, although I do still enjoy getting lost in the outdoors sometimes. Sometimes I like to think I am very outdoorsy, but if I am honest with myself I am only outdoorsy in a sense that I get drunk on patios. But this is all beside the point! 

Back to my finds of the day! Here is one that I particularly fell madly in love with:

A complete set of vintage glasses WITH the original carrying tray. Um, do you see them?? They are fabulous! Perfect addition to anyone's bar or if you're serving lunch on the patio with friends! I think they'd make great Bloody Mary glasses, right? Or maybe just sweet tea. But this was a bargain for only $15! Plus I have an in with the owner of this antique store so after haggling I could probably get them for $10(or less!). 

Next up on the rainy day find is: 

This vintage metal record case is PERFECT for storage, picnic basket, or if you're a teacher, a teachers bag!! $10 is a small price to pay to be fabulous, right??

Sigh.. Old theater folding chairs. They stand alone in any room. I've even seen people hang them in laundry rooms and use them as places to hang drying clothes and extra shelving! Talk about cute and functional!! These were a bit of a budget breaker coming in at $185 for the row. But they were too awesome to pass up sharing! 

This small stool would be perfect for a kids craft area! It was $25. I couldn't get over the detail in the center holding the legs together! Totally adorable. 

For that special coffe lover in your family or friends this is the perfect vintage gift! This vintage enamel coffee pot was in great shape and still completely functional! In my home we use a vintage coffee percolator and it makes the hottest coffee ever! And at $8 it won't break the bank! 

Is anyone else out there a lover of vintage stained glass windows? I sure am! These windows make perfect wall art with little work to do it! In my home I have mine hanging above the kitchen sink. By hanging these in front of ordinary windows in your home, you are adding character! While these are generally a pricey item, this particular one was only $35.

Who remembers going to your grandparents or great grandparents house and seeing these cuties hanging?? I know I do. These are a total nostalgia inhibitor, and for $2 a piece you can have that nostalgic look in your kitchen anytime you want!

This vintage clothes hamper snagged my attention right away! Now a days clothes hampers are so modern and so blah. So instead of paying an arm and a leg at Target or Walmart just stop by a thrift store or antique market and pick one of these babies up! $20 was a total steal in my opinion. The bones of this hamper were in amazing condition and the teal paint adorning the outside would make the perfect pop of color in any drab and boring bedroom! Who said doing laundry can't be fun?? 

So my thrifty friends, these were my finds of the day! I hope that you can take what I've told you today and make a statement piece in your own home. Try seeing the world through the eyes of an old soul, you'd be surprised what you'll find. Happy thrifting, y'all! 

Love,

The Old Soul

Photos From My Trip To The Car "Graveyard"

So a while back I stumbled across an old abandoned lot of vintage/classic cars. They were worn, weathered, and rust covered but there was beauty in this heap of rust in the small town of Lavonia, Ga. As a lover of all things vintage and photography, how could I pass up this chance to photograph these once beautiful automobiles?! As you all well know by now, I love the thought of a story. While I was photographing these classic cars the thought was reoccurring in the back of my mind, "Who did these belong to? Was it a family or was it someone who had moonshine stashed in the trunk?" So take a look and comment on what car you like the best!

Thanks for reading you guys! I appreciate the support and devotion each and everyone of you has given me! And as always, happy thrifting, Y'all!

Much Love,
The Old Soul