End of the Summer Retro Picnic Revisited!

This post was actually done last fall, but in honor of the 4th of July, I thought I'd revisit it.  So if you are in the need of any decorating ideas for your holiday picnics, here are a couple of ideas!  Most importantly, have fun!
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It seems this summer I accumulated a bit of retro pieces. They all seem to fit together so nicely. But as you know, I'm more of a black and white kind of gal. So with summer vacation coming to an end, I decided to do up our family Labor Day picnic in a retro theme and change things up a bit. I think it adds a bit of "punch" to my table setting, dontcha think?

I think this carrier was actually used for vintage glass oil cans with the metal spouts. But I like using and repurposing it as a glass carrier. Don't ya love the red!

This vintage cooler was a little worse for the wear on the outside, but I loved the cute saying on it. And even though the outside was a bit banged up, the inside was still able to hold ice cubes. How perfect is it was for our retro table setting? It certainly was a "pleasure" to use!

Isn't she a cutie pie! Somebody, probably in the '50s, was very creative with a vegetable can now weren't they. It works perfect as a silverware server!

How fun is this piece??? It's a vintage ice cream maker. And what great graphics it has! I love using it to hold flowers!

This Pyrex bowl is perfect to hold the strawberries. Don't they look nummy! Get 'em while they're still in season!

I think this is a pharmaceutical beaker. I purchased it at Sue's garage sale. Love it for my ice tea. Sue has one, a smaller version, that was for urine specimens. She likes to use it for apple juice. Eeeuuww!

This table cloth was a perfect backdrop to my table setting! And even though it had a little hole, no mind. I love it's imperfections!

So with all this food, are you ready to eat???

I love using restaurant platters as our every day dishes. They can hold a lot more food. And if you know my hubby, he eat's a lot!

Last by absolutely not least, is this cute little black and white kettle given to me by Kathy on her recent visit to Minnesota. It works perfect for the brown beans! Thanks, Kathy!

Oops! I almost forgot a little candlelite on the subject! This piece was given to me by Ms. Candy. It's from a Salad Slicer/Grater/Cutter. Works great with a candle. Love it, Candy!

Graduation Decoration - The Inside Reveal. . .

That's my girl!  The proud graduate!  You may remember me talking about her in previous posts, but if not, here she is...meet Rebekah.  Not Bekah, not Becky, but Rebekah.  You won't make the mistake of calling her anything else or she'll correct you.  Only if you're family or a hockey friend will she let you call her Beks.  And she was so thrilled and excited to have all those people come and see her.  I mean, I did try to talk her into taking money versus an open house, but she just wouldn't buy it.  It was her moment and she wanted to bask in ever moment of it!  And if you know Rebekah, you'll understand it completely. What a gal!

 
But to continue on with my graduation decor home tour...as you entered my home you're greeted by a large white square pillar.  Some have wondered why it's sitting there.  I've heard it doesn't attach to the ceiling...so what's the point?  But to me, it does greet you.  And the patina...superb!   Does it have to have a point?  Anyway (don't get me started).  But I did embellish it with signs created once again from my computer and card stock. They were simply attached to the pillar with tacks.  And that's is the good thing about this chippy worn piece. You don't have to worry about adding any more holes!

I also found my mannequin to be the perfect model to display Bek's cap and gown.  Isn't she lovely?  And since we now own the cap and gown (say goodbye to $75), I might as well get some use out of it, now shouldn't I?  The only unfortunate thing?  She had no head!  Poor gal.

I found from doing my son's open house, my front room is the perfect room to display all the treasures and pictures.  It actually became kind of a shrine to them.  And Rebekah had quite the array of jerseys, trophy's and ribbons to be displayed in it from all her years of hockey.  I almost didn't have enough room!

By beautiful baby's graduation pictures, along side her hockey plaque given to her for "the most dedicated player" on her high school hockey team!

Here is a prized possession of hers...an actual letter jacket from the Mighty Ducks II movie given as a gift...thanks, Sue!  Her Special Hockey jersey is signed by professional hockey players she met at a Special Hockey fund raising event.  She also had her high school hockey jersey and jerseys from the Special Hockey tournaments she attended playing with the New Jersey Dare Devils and MN Special Hockey.  Like I said, quite the collection.

This heavy iron urn makes a table with just a piece of glass.  It displayed pictures of Rebekah.  The small planter, given by another Sue friend, was made from a piece of metal, distressed to look old and stenciled with our last name.  Perfect addition to the Rebekah display!

Maybe not the most attractive mantel, but hard to vignette with this large collection of trophies and ribbons!

This metal fire screen I had hanging on the wall was perfect to hold more pictures with magnets on the back.  The magnets were purchased from an office supply store, and were made so they just stuck on the back.  Very easy.  Again, anything metal was fair game.

 

My collection of flower frogs worked great to hold pictures.

These painted pots (made by my friend Julie) for my son Zach's open house, look so cute on my vintage scale.  And of course, more pictures in them!

 My favorite tin piece...honoring my graduate!

Alongside one of my favorite architectural pieces.

 And where would I have been without the help of my sisters?  I would have been sunk without them!  Thanks a ton!