The sweetest time of the year is here.
I hate to admit it, but I DO love a box of Valentine's chocolates. Of course, a bouquet is lovely too, but I have a real love of chocolate and I'd never turn that down. I get excited over which one to choose first, and the surprise it brings. Forrest Gump's momma was a wise woman. I'm switching out her quote of "Life" to "Love". Sometimes love is a bit of a surprise too.
During my years buying and selling vintage goods I've seen several lovely vintage chocolate boxes, but somehow I've only ended up with a few. They are hard to store away when they have elaborate bows, netting and flowers. Now they are wildly expensive, so I'll share the few I have, and a few of my vintage Valentine's in the Holiday Cupboard.
During Christmas through Valentine's Day the Red Transferware takes top billing here in the cupboard. Some of my smaller ironstone tureens and platters are also in the mix with a Churchill teapot, and two lidless vintage sugar bowls. Once I have the basics, then I fill in with Valentine mementos and old postcards and school days Valentines.
Mixing and matching old transferware and china is such fun. You can see in my dish stacks I have a variety of dessert and salad plates in florals and patterns with reds and pinks.
My little lamb/mouse? is dressed in red so he fits right in.
Another lamb has perched in a tiny Royal Albert creamer from England.
My Bethany Lowe Valentine Buddy is next to a vintage cottage red/green box which I think at one time may have contained candies.
A few years ago I bought a precious paper heart garland, but after this last year the string was in a horrible jumble. I literally spent hours trying to unravel it, but finally gave up and cut it apart then glued the individual hearts on a ribbon.
I stitched this little angel back in the early 90's when I had a cross stitch
mini project going constantly.
I had never heard of "Nunnally's" Candy Company, but found one like it on Etsy.
Goodness, you never know how much something you have might be worth!
Vintage Bingo card Valentines I made about 10 years ago.
Love this Pink and Gold filigree looking heart box and my vintage
Lefton Valentine Cupid box.
I found this monster size Valentine's candy box years ago. It's cardboard and had water marks on it from years and years ago, but I finally decided to refresh it with paint last year; so glad I did because it looked so bedraggled. Now it's not perfect but so much prettier!
Here are previous fun themes in the Valentine Cupboard...
and the original...
This is so darned cute and cheerful, Debra. I think I could spend an hour just looking at all the cute things in your cupboard and the red and white is so fresh. I love it!
ReplyDeletethanks Jeanie, I call it my therapy cupboard. It's fun to putter there and get away from stress!
DeleteVery cute Debra. I always admire how you decorate your cupboard. That piece alone is fabulous and then when you decorate her up for the holidays she is spectacular. I am decorating a little for Valentines day with some vintage cards. Yours are amazing. Have a great Wednesday. Hugs. Kris
ReplyDeletethanks so much Kris. Holiday ephemera is such fun for me. Have a great rest of the week. Hope you're weather is a little better!
DeleteLove the old vintage cupboard and the super cute decor inside. come see what we shared at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteVery SWEEEEEET! Lol. enjoyed and cherished, grins, Sandi
ReplyDeletethankyou dear Sandi. always love it when you stop by!!
DeleteLove your Vakentine decor, Debra. That was smart how you ended taking the hearts from the garland and putting them on the ribbon! That little Mr Mouse is so adorable.
ReplyDeleteI am not big on collecting ephemera, but sold a fantastic scrap book of a woman's estate we fell into recently. It was dated from 1931 (she was born 1930), and had all her cards - birthday, Valentine, Christmas, etc. It sold right away so I know there are ephemera lovers out there. We had some early 1900 cardboard candy boxes from another estate several years ago with great graphics, and they were stolen!
I have my hearts on display, but am secretly wishing Punxsatawney Phil's prediction is true for an early spring!
I fell in love with ephemera when I would play in my grandmother's upstairs closet. It was full of cards and papers and all sorts of paper goodies. It was heavenly. I'd have loved to see that wonderful scrap book! boo on people stealing Valentines! ps I know you're itching to get back out in your garden!!! xo
DeleteHi Debra - I always love how you switch up your cupboard for the seasons and holidays. Also, I love Bethany Lowe items. I am always on the look out for them. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Cupboard!
ReplyDeleteDebra, I love all the vintage Valentines you have! The chocolate and candy boxes are wonderful, aren't they? I have my mother's black tole candy box from the 1960's and I still remember looking at it and taking it to store my sewing supplies in it. I was around age 7 or so. It's happily up on a shelf in the Craft Room and still holds her carbon paper, the little tracing wheel, button snaps and snapper, patches and other goodies!
ReplyDeleteOh, and your little lamb looks very jaunty with his red sweater on! Perfect for Valentine's Day!! Happy to have featured your post and another of yours at this past week's Share Your Style #417 for you. <3
Happy Valentine's Day hugs,
Barb :)