How to Use Pinterest

My name is Annie Lema, and I am a Pinterest addict! :) This is a true story, as many of you have already discovered, if you are a Pinterest user. If not, here are some helpful hints that might get you on your way.

According to Pinterest "Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. Pinterest lets you organize and share all of the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

"A pin is an image added to Pinterest. A pin can be added from a website using the Pin It button, or you can upload images from your computer. Each pin added using the Pin It button links back to the site it came from."

HOW IN THE HECK DO I GET STARTED, WHAT IS PINTEREST FOR, AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ME?

SHARING ♥ Coffee Cup Mom: Summer Heat Wave - Be Smart

Wanted to share some fabulous tips from the Blog Coffee Cup Mom!!!! Since most of us are experiencing some crazy heat wave gig, AND have kiddos to be mindful of, here are her tips:

Coffee Cup Mom: Summer Heat wave- be smart

Thank you for the contribution from Coffee Cup Mom

Quirks' Questions - The Q&A Forum

Quirks' Questions was created as a forum for my customers and/or readers to ask questions about antique and vintage collectibles. I don't claim to have all of the answers, in fact I guarantee that I DON'T, but my hopes are that enough of my friends, followers, and fellow antique & vintage lovers will help me fill in the blanks.

Just launched and I have already received my 1st Question and provide my 1st Answer. Just wanted to let you all know that it exists, and your participation is MORE THAN WELCOME...IT IS NEEDED!!! So come on all you experts, pitch-in and give me and the folks a hand. Thanks! ♥

You can either post a question in the Quirks' Questions widget on the right-hand side of this blog or click this link, Quirks' Questions, and go to the main site.

TOP SECRET: A SMIDGEN OF ADVICE (Tip No. 2)

I know that you have all been on the edge of your seats just waiting for me to post "Top Secret: A Smidgen of Advice (Tip No. 2)". Well here it is. So grab a yummy drink, curl up in your favorite chair, take a cleansing breath, and read on...

October 1947 ♥ Better Homes & Gardens
Ad for Linens 'Cannon Percale Sheets'

TOP SECRET: A SMIDGEN OF ADVICE ON CARING FOR ANTIQUE & VINTAGE LINENS...

Stain Removal:

Example of Linens with
Yellowing Stains on Folds

Quite often you will come across antique or vintage linens that have yellowed along the fold lines. This often happens after years of storage, and those folds being exposed to daily dirt and grime such as dust, nicotine, and other airborne pollutants.

1. It is always best to rehydrate the fabric prior to working on any stain. The preferred way to accomplish this would be to soak the piece in room temperature water for at least 30 minutes.
2. If the fabric is heavily soiled or stained, and does not have colored embroidery, then you can mix lukewarm water with a product, such as OxiClean®, and soak it for several hours up to several days. If extended soaking is required, then every-so-often you will need to check the stain, rinse with cool water, mix a fresh solution, and soak again. You can continue to do this until the stain is removed or diminished enough not to detract from the piece. Occasionally you just have to live with a stain, and accept it as a part of the linen's history, a little character.
3. If you are dealing with a stain such as rust, blood, or any other stain that has a high iron content, you can use a product such as Whink Rust Stain Remover®. Products such as these just take a small amount, and if they are going to work, will work in a very short amount of time.
4.  NEVER use chlorine bleach, products with bluing agents, or whiteners on any fine linens.
5.  Sun bleaching fabric was very common during the Victorian era, but modern textile experts feel that process may be too harsh for the oldest and most delicate antique textiles. Remember, the linens were NEW in the Victorian era. You can, however, place the linens in filtered sun for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, but not longer than that.
6. NEVER wring out old fabrics because it can cause considerable stress to old and delicate fibers.

Vintage Embroidered Table Runner 

General Cleaning and Care:

1. Always wash delicate linens in cold water, hot water running through older pipes releases the impurities in the pipes which increases the risk of staining or discoloring during the washing cycle.
2. NEVER use a harsh detergent, such as Tide.
3. Use a gentle detergent, such as Woolite or Linen Wash by Le Blanc®. Linen Wash® is made especially for vintage, antique, and delicate textiles. Wash on the delicate or hand-wash setting, depending on your washer.
4. You can dry most linens on the lowest dryer setting, removing while still slightly damp. You don't want to dry linens, antique or otherwise, until they are bone dry because it can cause the fabric to pill or fade. Once you have removed the linen, smooth it out with your hands and fold. Or, if you are planning to use it right away, then follow the tip for ironing below.
5. NEVER use dryer sheets in the dryer or fabric softener in the washer. Fabric softener prevents the material from absorbing moisture, which will shorten the life of your textile.
6. If you intend on using the linen right away, then iron while still damp on the lowest setting possible. If a piece is embroidered, then iron it on the reverse side, on top of a towel.
7. DO NOT iron your antique linens until you are ready to use them.
8. AVOID extended exposure to sunlight and moonlight to avoid color fading.

Vintage Embroidered Table Runner

Storage:

1. Always use acid free archival tissue paper for storing your delicate linens when not in use. It is not safe to store these items in direct contact with wood or painted surfaces, since they are highly acidic.
2. If you are storing a table cloth, or other large piece, then simply place a piece of acid free tissue paper over a pant clothes hanger, carefully drape the piece over it, add an additional layer of acid free tissue paper over the linen in order to keep dust off, and then store in a closet.
3. Fold smaller pieces with acid free tissue layered between and amount the folds. If the piece is not used for a year or more, then unfold and change out the tissue.
4. Pieces that are used/displayed year-round or frequently should be laundered or hand-washed one or more times a year to remove dust and freshen up.
5. DO NOT store a piece without washing first, since there could be unseen grime such as grease that can lead to staining.

As always, please visit Quirks By Annie on Etsy. I have lots of antique and vintage linens available in my store right now. Enjoy!!!

Depression Glass: Hocking Glass - Colonial aka 'Knife & Fork'

Let's get back to some glassware identification. I've had a lot of different irons in the fire as of late, so I thought it was time for a good 'ole fashion Depression Glass post. I'm not really the research kinda gal, but obviously one isn't born with knowledge of all things antique and vintage, so I've had to do quite a bit of poking and nosing around. The most interesting part is that I am actually enjoying it. The bad part is that there are many different resources and most of them contain contrasting and inconsistant information, so of course that leads to reviewing 4, 5, 6 resources and then double and triple checking each 'fact'.

I could just go the easy route and continue to perpetuate inaccurate information, but I'm all about 'breaking the cycle'. If you're a seller or collector, certainly you've been on 'those' auction/online selling sites to search for comparabales or that coveted pattern or piece of glassware only to find that 'hey that's EXACTLY the piece I have' and the person selling has no idea either what in the heck they have OR it is identified totally wrong, yet 10 other people have it listed (almost verbatim) the same dang wrong way. Really frustrating for Seller and Collector alike. So, again, I'm doing my best to break the cycle of misinformation and dial in who out there truly knows what they're talking about and collecting information from those wonderful gems and sharing that knowledge here, with you!

Colonial aka "Knife & Fork"

Manufactured by: Hocking Glass Company

Years Manufactured: 1934 - 1936

Colors: Crystal, Green, Opaque White, Pink

Classification: Depression Glass

Pitcher in Pink

Number of Pieces Produced: Approximately 41

This particular pattern is one of the more difficult patterns to collect. One reason is the limited years of production, therefore limited pieces were produced. This leads to reason number two...expensive! The aka comes from the rigid design between the scallops of the rib/panel pattern.

Mug in Green

Green is typically the most sought after color, simply because it is one of the easiest to find. Pink demands close to the same price as the green and that is due to the limited amount of pink pieces available, otherwise it might command a higher price because more available pieces would mean more opportunity to put together complete sets.

Cordial Glass in Crystal

Stems were not produced in pink, so often collectors will seek out the crystal stems to compliment their collection. There were 3 different sizes of footed tumblers produced, along with 7 bowls, and 5 sizes of stems. In total, there were approximately 41 pieces made in this pattern.

Oval Bowl in Pink

The Interview Series: Getting To Know Chef Mum aka Sami Brown (Part 2)

Judging by the numbers, you all really enjoyed meeting and reading about my first muse, Sami Brown aka Chef Mum. So without further ado, Part 2...

Sami ~ Chef Mum

Annie Lema: Is Gavin a picky eater? And if he is, what is the easiest way you have found to combat that issue?

Sami Brown: I don’t think that I would classify Gavin as a picky eater. He will try just about anything at least once. If he isn't interested it will come out faster than it went in. We try not to cater to him too much. I mean after all, we aren't a royal family…per se. If he gets hungry enough he will eat just about anything.

Annie: What is your fave drink to have while cooking? Or does it depend on the meal?

Sami: My fave drink to have while cooking is probably a nice BIG glass of red wine. Ever since I took a 6-month wine tasting course in college I have been a big fan of wine. The best money my parents ever spent and possibly the only class I received an A+++ in. What can I say? I was willing to do extra credit.

TOP SECRET: A SMIDGEN OF ADVICE (Tip No. 1)

NEW WAVE OF INFO COMING AT YOU...

I have decided to start posting tips about random, but useful information that I come across during my day to day research and exploration of the antique and vintage collectibles gig. So far my main focus on this blog has been on glassware, in particularly Depression Glass, but that is not my sole interest or the only topic I plan on covering here. So to kick off my "TOP SECRET: A SMIDGEN OF ADVICE" collection I will start with cast iron.

TOP SECRET: A SMIDGEN OF ADVICE ON CAST IRON COOKWARE...

Cast Iron is an excellent oven and stove-top cooking material. And starting a collection of cast iron cookware can be fairly inexpensive if you know where to look, what to look for, and what to do with that mess once you have found it.

Lodge Cast Iron Chicken Skillet Prior to Cleaning & Seasoning

Honestly, you can get online and go shopping at one of the many auction sites or antique/vintage collectibles sites, such as Quirks By Annie, and occasionally you'll find fantastic deals. But quite often, what you'll find is these sites have already taken the steps to properly clean and season their cast iron prior to listing it for sale. To many of these sellers it does not matter whether the piece is highly desirable or rare, they feel that they can charge outrageous prices, just because they are 'in the know'. Well isn't it time that you were 'in the know'?