Collecting Ironstone

When it is too hot in Iowa to even think about going outside, you find things to occupy your time inside!  A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine and I took a little road trip to one of my favorite antique/junk stores.  Sweet Betty Lou’s’ is the cutest little chicken shed I have ever seen.  The two gals that run this little shop are pickers and they seem to love the same things that I do!  Best part about their shop, it is super cheap!!!   So there should be no excuses for coming home empty handed….and I didn’t!

I recently started collecting Ironstone.  Well, I don’t know that I can really say “collect”……………considering I bought my first pieces during this trip!  Hey, you have to start somewhere, right?!  Just above this grouping on my kitchen counter is a bank of three cabinets (which I want to take down) and replace with open shelving.  (Mike is still recovering from a heart attach after I suggested this idea!)  I hope I don’t hate myself for the decision.  Do you have open shelving?  Do you love it or hate it?  I really want to do it………….talk me into it!
My idea is to use the open shelving to display my white dishes and my new “collection” of Ironstone.  I may need to “collect” a few more pieces of Ironstone but I’m not mad about it.  The wooden bowls and cutting boards I have been hoarding will look amazing too.  I picked up this sweet antique scale quite sometime ago.  I love decorating with antique scales and have several of them.  They make great risers when you want to add dimension and height to a table or counter display.

I am pretty sure everything in this photo came from a vintage shop, Facebook swap page or garage sale!  Can’t beat a display that cost next to nothing!  I picked up the Ironstone platter with the number 4 painted for a buck!  (The 4 can be removed easily) but I am kind of liking it for now, it adds character!   And makes Mike ask, “what’s the 4 for?”

So here’s to keeping Mike on his toes and keeping cool in this heat!  It has been hot for days (weeks) here in Iowa, so I have been practicing with my new camera taking pictures of other spaces in our home.  I will have more spaces like this to share with you soon.  Until then – Keep cool!