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!