Thursday, August 30, 2012

Georgia's is Going on the Road


The crew of Georgia's Home Inspirations are setting off to do some vintage shopping!

With the grand opening of our online store materializing in the not-too-distant future, Georgia's is beginning to stock up on unique, useful items from flea markets and antique shows.  As is our nature, we're always looking for pieces that have time-worn beauty and create relaxed comfort and charm

With this in mind, we are heading first to the Kane County Flea Market in Kane County, IL, said to be "The Best in the Mid-West." This monthly flea market has been around for over 40 years, and we have high hopes of discovering vintage treasures to re-purpose or simply pass on to you in their natural state.  

Immediately following our warm up at Kane County, we are on our way to a huge event, the Brimfield Antique Show, in Brimfield, Massachusetts.  This is a big one, friends, with 5000 plus dealers selling their goods over 6 days. The show, which began in the 1950's, has become the largest outdoor antique market in the country. Needless to say, Georgia's is busting with excitement over the opportunity to scour this gold mine.  The show starts September 4 and runs through the 9th.

Get an inside look at our buying experiences by following us on Twitter and Instagram; we'll be posting regularly.

Georgia's crew would love to hear from you!  Email us your favorite re-purposed item, decorating/gardening tip or most inspired recipe and if we love it, we'll feature it on our blog!  

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Herbalicious!


By now your herb garden is abundantly giving back or you are finding a profusion of fresh herbs at the market. Sweet basil leaves are large and pungent, oregano is lush and rosemary is highly aromatic. If you're like me, you are scrambling to take advantage of all this flavor. Nikki recently shared a recipe with me for Grilled Bread with Rosemary-Honey Drizzle from Vegetarian Times. I've had it three times in the last two weeks as it makes a simple and delicious accompaniment to a variety of dishes! And...you can use the grill! Enjoy!



Grilled Bread with Rosemary-Honey Drizzle

8 slices crusty artisan bread, such as ciabatta sliced 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick
3 Tbs. olive oil
coarse sea salt for sprinkling
3 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. sherry vinegar

1) Preheat gas grill to medium. 2) Brush bread slices on both sides with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Grill bread, covered, 2 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown on both sides. 3) Meanwhile, warm honey, rosemary and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle warm honey mixture over warm grilled bread. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Dishing on Dishes

Sometimes style and function are born out of practicality.


When it comes to dishes, I have used everything from the indestructible Corelle dinnerware to fine china. I have always felt like service for six was sufficient as we are a family of four. Without fail, however, pieces went missing like socks in the laundry. They were broken, ended up under my son's bed or even went out the door transporting brownies to a neighbor. Finding replacements was always a chore and often meant buying another set. While browsing around in Crate & Barrel, I came across a set of white stoneware dishes in a casual cafe style that I loved. Be honest, it all comes down to the bowls. You need a cereal bowl that isn't cavernous and a soup bowl that isn't shallow and all rim! I started from square one again, bought a full set, and got rid of my remnants. These dishes have been great; I think white makes the best canvas for food. After a few years, though, my inventory began to dwindle. I immediately went back to Crate & Barrel to buy more only to find that they were discontinued but might still be available in their outlet store. Oh you know I Googled the nearest outlet and rushed over. Luckily, they had them and I bought another set, service for twelve this time. At last, I could relax as I had a substantial stash of replacements stored in the basement. That was five years ago and I have since made a serious dent in my stash.

Not long ago, while organizing and rearranging my kitchen hutch, I pulled out what was left of a white ironstone set of dishes given to me by my mother as part of a hope chest before I got married. I love these dishes and decided there was no reason why I couldn't use them along with my Crate & Barrel stoneware. Since then, I keep my eye out for white dishes at flea markets or tag sales to add to my mismatched collection. I don't worry about the diameter or pattern as long as they are white. I now have a stack of pretty white dishes on my hutch to supplement those Crate & Barrel favorites in the cabinet and my table has charm.  



Friday, August 24, 2012

Re-Purposing Vintage Tool Caddies

Hi Friends:


Welcome to Georgia's Home Inspirations first blog post! Over the years, while sifting through treasures at antique and flea markets, I have often come across vintage tool caddies. I am always drawn to their craftsmanship and time-worn patina. You can't help but wonder about their age, who made them and how they were used.  These caddies range from the truly rustic to works of art with lovely detail including dove-tailed corners.  As I have a small kitchen, I bought my first caddy to hold cutlery. It has worked out so well! I was able to save drawer space and can also transport cutlery from the kitchen table to the coffee table to the patio. (We eat everywhere!)   
Cutlery Caddy
A second tool caddy was purchased to corral all the pens, pencils and markers that were scattered throughout the house. This has been an organizational gem. My third caddy (yes, I have three) resides in my bathroom and holds cosmetics and toiletry items. I have a very small bathroom, too! 

Tool Caddies Re-purposed for the Office and Bathroom
Is there a fourth caddy in my future? I can't say no! I love them! I think they would be great for sewing, pet or cleaning supplies, needle crafts, toys, gardening tools, storing fruit or just used for decor filled with pine cones, gourds and greenery.

Have you found a great tool caddy and re-purposed it in a fun or useful way? Tell me about it!