Scott Antique Market | Atlanta

Guess what this weekend is?!
That's right, the second weekend of each month, Thursday - Sunday, is the 
Scott Antique Market here in Atlanta.  It's the World's LARGEST Indoor Antique Show (enough said), but we also LOVE the outdoor market with it's eclectic and industrial finds.  
You'll rub elbows with designers, antique dealers and amateur enthusiasts.  
Don't live in Atlanta?  It's worth the road trip, just be sure to leave enough trunk space!  
Visit their website for hours and additional details.
Admission is $5, for a $1 off  coupon click here.
 
 

Planning on attending Scott's this weekend ~ or any other flea market?
We'd love for you to share your spoils with us!
ironandtwine@gmail.com
Happy Hunting!



Vintage Books

What To Collect Now | Vintage Books
While I'm sure most of you are purging your books, now is the perfect time to define a collection of old, well read hardbacks!  Books, while wonderful to read, also make for great conservation pieces, add color to any bookshelf and are instant decor for your coffee table.  Like any collection, the key is to be organized in your search and have a defined purpose to eliminate (or in my case minimize) unnecessary purchases.  Buy titles you love, and for those you simply plan to use as decor, keep to a theme by selecting a color palette or specific subject to ensure your collection coordinates.  
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When collecting old books I've set the following ground rules:
$2 or less, most have been purchased for $1, and rarely do I go over the $2 limit.
Must be published on or before the 1960's
with the exception of some publications, like my Reader's Digests, 
I prefer to buy older hardbacks.
LOVE, READ, USE, I have to love it and I must have a plan to either read or use it ~ pages from vintage books can also make great framed art!

Here's some ideas to get you started:

Keep to similar subject or topic matter:
The Holy Bible
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Vintage Textbooks
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Vintage Dictionaries
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Travel or History Books | New England
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Vintage Cookbooks
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Vintage Magazine Collections
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Vintage Reader's Digest
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By Color:
Green
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Teal | Light Blue
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Royal Blue
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Navy | Slate
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Red
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Neutral
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Black 



Backyard Update

Recently, we've been putting in some serious time in the backyard.  Removing overgrown brush, mulching, and overall landscaping.  On our recent trip to Lowes we picked up a couple hydrangeas and a few more items for our garden.
 To the side of our back porch we have a huge bare spot that highlights our vintage
 (aka slightly dilapidated) chain link fence.  While the fence is there to stay, 
at least for now, we decided to plant some hydrangeas that will hopefully grow larger in the years ahead.  We're also considering planting ivy or a climbing rose vine 
to grow throughout the chain link fence with the goal of concealing it.  
Anyone who's done something similar with a chain link fence ~ we'd love to hear from you! 
 
With plenty of trial and error with our garden, this year we decided to keep it simple.  
A couple varieties of tomato plants, plenty of herbs including German Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Cilantro, Chives & Mint, Jalapenos, banana peppers, pimento peppers and my favorite cucumbers!  If you live in the Atlanta area, we've had amazing success with our cucumber plants the past few years!
 We also decided to mulch our garden this year ~ after reading some of the pros, like repelling weeds and managing soil water we'll see if this helps yield a better garden.
In addition to our railroad tie garden, we planted a small garden bed bordered by found rocks on our property ~ yes all of those rocks were found hidden under lots of overgrown brush.  We don't plan to keep it this way, but for the time being it's working out great for our pumpkin patch!
 Our backyard is slowly taking shape and for the first time actually looks like a backyard!  
We're enjoying the extra living space and are really excited for our plans ahead.

Last Minute Memorial Day Party Idea | Bring Your Own Blue

BYOB | Bring Your Own Blue
A quick, easy, fun Memorial Day Backyard Bash!  
Whether you're just now deciding on having friends over, or wanting simple decor for your family gathering, this fuss-free idea ensures a quick setup and easy clean up.  
Kraft paper serves as a table runner and brown paper bags for centerpieces.  
Keep the decor to red & white and ask guests to bring something blue, 
either by wearing blue clothing or bringing a blueberry dessert.  
Keep the menu simple with hot dogs and hamburgers, serve root beer floats and have the centerpieces filled with peanuts for guests to enjoy.  Leave crayons out for the kids and encourage them to decorate the kraft paper table runner.
For adults, a bottle of BBQ sauce (Sticky Fingers is our favorite) can serve as a place setting along with a take home party favor.  
Paper plates and disposable utensils ensure a quick cleanup.  A help yourself  bbq buffet allows guests to customize their meal and ensures the host has just as much fun!
For a how to on the table runner & centerpieces see below.

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For the Star Centerpieces, cut brown paper lunch bags in half. 
 To make your star stencil, print a star on a piece of cardstock, or any thick paper, we used an index card.  Then cut is out.  Use white paint for your design ~ a paint brush or sponge will do the trick.  If you have a white paint pen, that would work as well.

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 For your table runner ~ simply roll out white kraft paper and cut to length.
 For our red stripes, we rolled out red grosgrain ribbon.  If you don't have ribbon, you could paint red stripes on, or even better, ask the kids to help by using crayons or markers!

Happy Memorial Day!



Frozen Lemon Strawberry Zinger

Healthy Frozen Drink Recipe
With the holiday weekend about to begin, a frozen drink is in need!  
Trying to stay clear of all the sugary sweet beverages, I stuck to the basics.
Frozen Strawberries, Lemon & water is all that makes up this refreshing drink!
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To Make:
1 cup frozen strawberries
3/4 - 1 cup water (depending on how thick you prefer)
dash of lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
In blender, blend on high until smooth!
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Memorial Day | Nautical Table Setting

Memorial Day 2013
I love trying out new table setting ideas!  
Here's one I'm working on for this Memorial Day.  

After finding this table runner, I decided to go with a nautical theme.  
Galvanized buckets, nautical knots & sea inspired plates pull together this beachy look.  
To make the monkey fist knots (the big white ones below), check out this youtube video.
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How will you show your
RED, WHITE & BLUE this weekend?

Pottery Barn Runner | Thrift Find

Pottery Barn Fringe Natural Fiber Runner
The thing I love most about thrifting is the thrill of the hunt!  Yesterday I found this brand new table runner from Pottery Barn at one of my favorite local spots Attic Treasures, here in Atlanta.  Not only was it $4, but they currently have 50% off everything in store, making my purchase just $2 ~ so if you're local, head over there this week!  

Check out my other 
$5 and Under Thrift Store Finds
And come back later today to see what we do with this table runner!


Flag Etiquette

US Flag Etiquette
With Memorial Day weekend coming up, many of  us will celebrate with backyard bbqs and get togethers! With all the fun festivities, let's not forget the real reason for the day, and remember all of those who died serving their country.  For myself, growing up in a military family instilled a strong sense of Patriotism and flying a flag at home is done on a daily basis.  Whether you fly your flag regularly or on special holidays, keep in mind these simple do's and don'ts when displaying your American Flag.
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Display your flag from SUNRISE to SUNSET, and at night when illuminated by  light.
Don't fly your flag in inclement weather, unless you have an all weather flag.
When flying a flag at half-mast ~ hoist the flag first to the peak, then lower to half-mast.
Flags should not be used for decoration, but rather patriotic bunting of 
RED, WHITE and BLUE
48 star and other historic flags, may be flown with pride.
When flags are hung horizontally or vertically against a wall or window, place the union (the blue field) uppermost and to the flag's own right, or the observer's left.
Flags, no longer fit for flying, should be disposed of in a respectful way, 
preferably by safely burning.

Vintage Metal Glider

Recently our neighbor moved and offered us this Vintage Metal Glider along with two chairs ~ all three had belonged to his mother and he didn't have the space to take them.  I very happily accepted ~ who wouldn't take a gift like this?  They're in need of a little love, minor rust and the glider isn't fully gliding due to a slightly bent frame.  So while we work on restoring these, I came across some inspirational images.  
Should we paint it a bright bold color?  Add a cushion?  
We'd love to hear your thoughts!
1.2.3.4.

Etsy Shop | max & olivia


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I stumbled upon the cutest little Etsy Shop this afternoon ~ max & olivia!
They have a wide assortment of colored twine, wooden utensils & favor bags.
So whether you're planning an outdoor wedding or a picnic in the park
be sure to check out their shop for must have party essentials.
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House Tour Update

We've updated our house tour and would love for you to check it out!
Our humble abode has been a labor of love ~ with a little patience and a whole lot of hard work, we're happy to finally start seeing this house turn into our home!

Wondering where the kitchen or mudroom photos are?
We've added a floor plan so you can see what we're working with and know that with any fixer upper there is always a room to redo.  
So we hope you'll join us on our little adventure of first time home ownership!

Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment, share a story or say hello! 

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Our 1950's bungalow has been a labor of love!  We're no experts, just newlyweds enjoying the adventures of first time home ownership.  With help from family and plenty of google searches, we're learning as we go, and working hard to turn this house into a home!

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Living Room

One month after purchasing our first home we moved in with all of our furniture ~ most of which resided in the living room.  Yup, that's it above!  Like most first time home buyers, we weren't completely sure where to start, so it took us 6 months of focusing on other home projects before we re-focused our attention to this room.  First on our to-do list was to brighten up the dark khaki walls.
Before:
After:
For paint we used Benjamin Moore's Hush.  We also purchased three Allen + Roth roman shades in honey for $25 a piece.  It's amazing what a little paint can do ~ by brightening up the space, it seemed so much bigger!  Now with all that room we worked on making an area that would help keep us organized.
In the corner behind the front door, we built our Custom Ikea Expedit.
To see that project click here.
Then it was time to start updating furniture.  I knew exactly what I wanted ~ neutral pieces that could easily transition from season to season that would keep our small space feeling airy and bright.  We quickly started having sticker shock when we saw how expensive furniture can be!  So when we came across these West Elm Sweep Armchairs we fell in love with their sleek lines and neutral texture.  We completely lucked out when they happened to be on sale ~ and on top of that, our store was willing to sell their floor samples at an additional discount.
I was (and still am) ~ so proud of these chairs ~ mainly because they were by far our most expensive purchase to date.  For curtains we hit up our local Ikea and purchased two sets of sheer white.  Black cafe curtain rods were purchased from Target.
We then set out to save more pennies to purchase a couch.  I knew I wanted white and quickly decided on a slip covered couch.  Slipcovers allow for easy cleaning and would give us the option to change it out entirely in the future.  We decided on Pottery Barn's Basic Sofa in Brushed Canvas, Natural.  After reading reviews online, I saw that PB typically had an annual sofa sale.  We waited for this and purchased our sofa on sale.  We've been very happy with this for the past two years!  Surprisingly, it has held up very well ~ typically I'll vacuum it with a brush attachment to clean off any dog hairs and dirt (our pup is known to put muddy paws on it from time to time).  And when needed will throw the slipcover in the wash.
So one year after purchasing our home, our living was slowly starting to take shape.  In search for side tables I found this Crackle Lattice Garden Stool from Mecox Garden.  The exuberant price tag made me determined to find an affordable look alike ~ so you can imagine my excitement when I found one at Decor Decor here in Atlanta.  And the most exciting thing ever?!  I found this one in their scratch & dent section for $25!  It had fractured slightly during the firing process, but had since been re-glazed!  Best score ever!
The rug is West Elm's Jute Bolce in Platnum.  And the industrial inspired coffee table was another scratch & dent find from Decor Decor.  
Two lamps were purchased from HomeGoods.  The Vintage Map along with the Antique Hutch were thrift finds.  And there you have it ~ the current state of our Living Room.  
We still plan to re-do the ceiling and add a salvaged mantel to the fireplace.  
But more on that later!

Before & After




Cassette Tape Chair

Cassette Tape Chair
This past weekend, my brother graduated from college!
He's a music enthusiast, so we wanted to give him a gift that was as creative as he is. 
I came across this idea last fall when we saw a cassette tape chair in Greenville, SC by Maritime Supply Company ~ shown in this pin here.
And with today being
over at Young House Love, we thought it was the perfect time to share our DIY.
We found this vintage aluminum chair at Scott's Antique Market last month for $15.  
We started by removing the faux leather to discover the base of the chair 
was made of wood.
Once we removed both cushions, 
we realized our chair frame was not connected by aluminum.
 A simple solution was to add two wooden slats to the base and paint them black.
Then to the fun part ~ we created our new cassette tape seat and seat back by using old cassettes purchased cheaply from thrift stores and zip ties purchased from Lowes.  After creating our pattern of mostly clear cassettes with a couple black and white ones mixed in, we used the zip ties to connect them together.  
Once finished we connected our seat and seat back to our vintage chair frame.
We were thrilled with the final result 
and more importantly excited to share it with my brother!
I'm thinking a Cassette Tape Coffee Table for his birthday? 
Let's not get carried away!

Railroad Tie Garden

Railway Ties
Yesterday's Mailbox Makeover was an easy DIY, today's feature...not so much.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of DIY, but I'm going to keep it real when I say we were ill-prepared for this project!  The number one thing we would do differently is to 
HAVE MORE HELP!  We completely underestimated their weight ~ on average railroad ties can weigh 100-200 lbs each.  The project itself is pretty straight forward, but if we did it again, we would have more than just two people moving those suckers!
The idea started when we decided to build a retaining wall in our backyard to house our vegetable garden.  Our backyard is two-tiered (see photo top right), so this project would allow us to maximize space.  In keeping this budget-friendly, railroad ties were perfect.  At only $11 a piece they're affordable, durable, sturdy and strong.  
We first leveled the slope then set our first lincoln log.  
Getting the first one level and straight is key.  To reinforce the foundation, Brian drilled holes then hammered in re-bar to secure the first railroad tie in place.  
He then repeated the process for the cut pieces on the side.
Once the foundation was finished we continued to stack railroad ties one by one.  Alternating them in the same way you would with lincoln logs.  This was the hardest part of the whole project!  The weight of these guys was so significant that holding them was hard let alone lifting them up high to stack on one another ~ four body builders would have made this go a lot quicker!
Once they were all cut and stacked, the easy part was reinforcing the structure.  
Brian used additional rebar and galvanized metal tape to secure the frame from the inside (see photos below).
Once the structure was complete all we had to do was fill it up with dirt, then top soil.
 It's now been two years since we built our railroad tie garden and even though there was a lot of moaning and groaning, we now fully appreciate all the heavy lifting!

A Safety Note Concerning Creosote & Railroad Ties 
This is a very controversial topic with very conflicting statements about whether or not to use Railroad Ties in and around garden beds.  We believe this is a very personal choice and each individual should do his/her own research.  In making our own decision we couldn't find a definitive scientific study confirming one way or another.  It seems to us the concern is over how much creosote is still on and within the wood, and whether or not it directly affects the soil and plants.  A lot of other opinions we came across debated that the real concern was over the handling of creosote itself  and therefore would be an issue on new railroad ties but not old worn ones.  We're believers in "rather safe than sorry",  however in this hot-button debate we have opted to use railroad ties.  Ours weren't seeping any sticky substance, nor did they have any odors similar to gasoline.  In the two years we've had them, none of the surrounding plants have died or suffered, we have azaleas surrounding the structure and if anything they've flourished.  Also, surrounding grass has grown on and around our railroad ties.  Here are only a couple articles we came across, but again, we strongly urge you do your own research to come to your individual conclusion.
BHG
Garden Web

Mailbox Makeover

Mailbox Makeover
When you buy a fixer upper there are always things on your to do list and inevitably there are projects that stay on that list way longer than intended!  
For us one of our biggest eye sores has been our mailbox.  
It's funny how you can see something every day and choose to completely ignore it.  
Well no more of that!  In one afternoon we gave our little old mailbox a face lift, so quick and painless I'm not sure why we put it off for so long.
Originally we planned on a wooden post, but after living with the original wrought iron I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it (weird sentiment, I know).  And in order to save a little extra dough we decided to first try to revamp our mailbox, rather than throw it away.
First we removed the mailbox, and used a simple solution of water and dish detergent to clean the post.  A wire brush was used to remove as much rust as possible.
Once our post was clean and dry we laid out paper bags 
and spray painted our post with a textured black Spray Paint.
Next was the mailbox.  Another good cleaning with soap and water.  
Then goo-be-gone and a wire brush were used to remove the sticky numbers.  
The mailbox was then spray painted a medium shiny black.
 Once the post was dry, we used an edger to make a square around our mailbox 
and a shovel to remove excess dirt. 
 Because our mailbox is on a small incline, we placed reclaimed bricks 
on three sides to create a border.
 
We ran to our local Lowes and picked out two bushes and one rose bush.
 Top soil followed by mulch was added.
 And in one afternoon our mailbox makeover was finished.
 

What projects have you put off for too long?
You know we LOVE comments!