I see romantic in things of old
He sees “old”
I see winsome treasure from the pasture
He sees “salvage”
I see artistic
He sees “off the wall”
I see a stroke of genius
He sees “retarded”
(the wash tub planters, not the kid!)
I see beauty in the mundane
He sees mundane.
It’s comical really. We were in the quonset the other day when I spotted these old tractor tire rims and my eyes lit up.
“Can I have those?” I asked hopefully. Prairie Guy was working on the boat, he looked up and shrugged. “If you want, I guess.”
I immediately started rolling them out and across the yard. “What are you going to do with them?” He hollered after me. I just kept rolling. I knew if I told him he would shoot the idea down, and I hate having strokes of genius shot down.
So here they sit, rusty and pretty one on each side of the back porch steps. Genius I say, much to his consternation. But I will give him this much. Despite the fact he thought the idea was retarded, he did fill the suckers up with good dark horse fertilized soil for me. Oh the sacrifices of unconditional love.
To his relief I have agreed to permit him to paint the things (shhh…. don’t tell him I was already picturing them a nice clean white or he’ll make me do it myself), but with a garage full of new windows and a house to be sided I do believe that for this year we I, for one, am going to be enjoying the vintage look.
26 comments:
I chuckled as I read your post. I love the Old, Artistic, whimsical nature of your plant pots and the tractor rims beside your steps?....Brilliant.
My husband is a wierdie, himself. He does like old things, but he thinks they should be used for thier intended purpose. Now, who said you have to use things the way they were meant to be used?! That just sets far too many limitations, for me. Gimme some spraypaint and fabric/dirt/paper and I'll give you a better use for whatever you can toss my way. LOL
Very creative Prairie Chick, I like them! I love the look of old & vintage stuff too. My dad was an appliance repair man and he made my mom a water fountain out of an old vintage washer. They planted flowers around it and put a pump in it so it would look like a fountain. It turned out really cool. Oh the things you can create with a little bit of imagination and creativity! lol
This post made a genuine smile and smirk come upon my face. Glad to see these 'things' bring beauty back into the world with their new life. (also taking comfort in seeing things with different eyes than my dear sweet dh)
those are AWESOME! What a great idea!
so glad also you clarified about the child (lol)
I love your style! I see beautiful and creative!! Love the story:)
I couldn't help but laugh a little as I read this post, sounds so much like my husband and I. I see things and he well usually doesn't. I have fallen in love with anything vintage though and your planters are darling, as well as you little tike! He has gotten so big it seems like over night!
Good idea to re use instead of buying brand new!
Joy
I love to reuse mostly because I like the history in a piece. That's when my daydreamer side comes alive - imagining who might have owned it, what they used it for, what their life might have been like. I can invent an entire life story in about 10 minutes! Ha! Bud was into very modern styles when we first married. I've converted him now. Not that he daydreams about pieces like I do, but I think he appreciates the "comfortable" environment that having old items creates.
Blessings!
Oh, so artistic & lovely!! Sounds like my husband and myself, too. LOL Holly
LOL, that sounds just like my husband and me. He likes things that are more refined and include intricate detail. I like to tease him about being "fancy". My tastes tend more toward rustic or just plain rusty. I love all of your old things shown here and how you've chosen to reuse them. The one enamel piece with a handle, though--isn't it a chamber pot? I once saw an enamel bedpan at a garage sale and almost bought it for the same thing, but thought maybe it was a little too obvious, unlike the chamber pot. Right now I've got flowers planted on the front porch in a small wooden barrel like yours, an old red wagon, a milk can, and a surge bucket milker (http://surgemilker.com/).
BTW, Homer Winslow's "In the Mowing" also made me think of the photos of your kids (last year?) posted here. First I thought, "Gee, I wish my kids were small enough and willing to pose for some photos similar to that." Then I remembered your photos and how they were very much like the painting.
I love this. I, too, see flowers sprouting out of almost anything old or broken. A teapot I loved got knocked over by my in-law's dog and now grows herbs. An old toy crib holds indoor plants, and the highchair that my mother was fed in is sprouting flowers. It's frugal, resourceful, and green to keep using things even when they are no longer useful for their originally intended purpose.
You are a girl after my own heart. I have all the old rusted horse and cow water troffs in my yard full of flowers and things, old board and bricks make up my beds and rebar makes my trillis.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
chamber pot??? ummmm.... here's hoping not, LOL! It's on the smaller side, I assumed it was used for heating milk and sauce and such up on the old wood cook stoves, in Italy they still use such enamel "pots" with handles for such a purpose. I'm just going to keep picturing it like that if you don't mind. =D
I do have a couple of those enamel bed pans kicking around here too though. These old outbuildings are just crammed with "surprises".
>>I love to reuse mostly because I like the history in a piece. That's when my daydreamer side comes alive - imagining who might have owned it, what they used it for, what their life might have been like. I can invent an entire life story in about 10 minutes! Ha!<<
Love this Dawn, this is me to a T.
My Dear Friend P.C.,
Oh you surely capture my heart. I so enjoyed these pictures as I am a romantic at heart. I love the things of old as well. You do have an eye for seeing way beyond what is and that is a true gift from God. You are so talented in so many ways and I love coming here. I never know what I'll find, but I do know one thing, He did make each one of us unique and when He made you, He surely made a treasure!
Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers on my site regarding my husband and I. Words cannot discribe fully how I feel in my heart, but He knows.
Love you dear friend.
Hugs, Peace, Blessings and Prayers,
Alleluiabelle
I LOVE the rims. You make much beautiful!
Glad to see someone other than my mother who uses old wash tubs from machines to plant in. She has a beautiful garden that I know from this post is right up your alley. Hey, I like those tire rims...they make the perfect planter...
I just want to say that I LOVE your decorating style. We truly do have a lot in common. :-))
~Brenda
you have such vision!! i wish i had an eye for stuff like that. its always fun when my husband goes along with my crazy ideas (i'm not artistic but i am imaginative)! love your posts :-0
I'm with you. It is all beautifully creative to me too. We are both blessed with men who understand and can turn creative ideas into reality.
I just love the planters, it is so much fun discovering old treasures isn't it, Recently my sister(joy) and I remembered a box of books(like 1905 Robert Louis Stevenson books) that we had found when my mom and dad was remodeling our home, so we went and hunted them up and you just can't believe what treasures we found. Anyways I love old things, they have so much more character than new stuff and they look adorable as planters, I think I'll go hunt up a few to go on my new porch;)
I love all the cute ways you planted things. It fits so well on the farm too (o: I just got back from a week away so i am catching up on everyone (o:
It is a chamber pot. And here's how I know. ... In our family business, we sell them as "popcorn pots." Mind you -- they're brand new chamber pots, NOT USED. :-)
But we take these pots, decorate them with decals and sell them as snack-containers at craft shows. I'm so serious.
Oh dear. Not sure what to do with this information, LOL. Prairie Guy would be mortified! But I have to admit, I still like it!
I am loving those wheels...I wouldn't paint them, they look great!!!!
You and I have the same kind of ecclectic tastes...I bring home the weirdest things (like a rooster made of dry beans and sunflower seeds) But you know what? Everyone loves it...it just works. My husband has expensive tastes so his 3000.00 painting is cozied up next to my flea market finds. They are all loved and noticed! Mixed media finds are incredibly interesting. Let other people buy the matching pots from Home Depot. I like the daisies growing in the chipped tea pot on my deck!
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