Oldies But Goodies

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I’ve become obsessed with old things lately. Keep me away from ebay, etsy, and thrift stores.

My latest purchase is this vintage pine cutlery tray with original robin’s egg blue paint from the early 1900s.

vintage blue cutlery tray with two sections

I bought it online so didn’t know exactly what it was going to look like in person until I received it in the mail.

I could not have been more pleased when I opened the box.

I love the patina, charm, character, the color; the whole thing. Like anything artsy, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

vintage blue cutlery tray with two sections

My plan is to keep over-sized spatulas, serving spoons, long-handled wooden spoons, and other random (vintage) finds in it.

vintage blue cutlery tray with two sections

It fits perfectly on the bottom shelf of my new cabinet.

It’s a re-used picture of the cabinet, but the blue box fits like a glove on the bottom shelf.

White hemnes cabinet filled with colorful dishes

Next up, new baking pans. Can’t wait to whip something up in these!

Kidding. Photography-only pans.

More rust and dirt character and charm.

two old rusted baking pans

The baking pans, and this vintage pastry cutter, were sold as a lot of three.

I wonder how many biscuits, scones, and dough were made with it.

Vintage pastry cutter with green handle inside pans

I wonder how many hands touched this handle.

And how much butter this pastry cutter has cut. My guess is more than a stick or two.

Vintage pastry cutter with green handle inside pans

Between my vintage cast iron, the blue box, the pans, and the pastry cutter, I’ve had a good week.

Am I done?

Not even close.

Vintage cast iron and mini pancake making pan

I’ll have to put away the dirty pans for a minute because among other things, one of my Friday kitchen projects includes making a batch of Homemade Peanut Butter

Homemade Peanut Butter and process

Have you bought anything old, vintage, or something with some charm and character recently?

Yes, I’ve had my share and then some, from dishes to 150 year old desks.

Do you collect anything in particular?

I don’t know how to answer this one because I don’t know if I “collect” anything in particular (like some people are into owls or some people are into keychains or old spoons) but after looking around my house, there’s an increasing amount of dishes, both new and vintage, and antique kitchen tools and knicknacks.

If I wasn’t a blogger, wasn’t into photography, I’m not sure if I would have ever just “decided” to pick up a rusty pastry cutter; but I am, I did, and I love it.

Thanks for the Capresso Espresso and Cappuccino Machine Giveaway entries

Have a great weekend!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Comments

  1. I am so in love with old things – and that box is pretty darn awesome.
    I just bought some old barn wood off of Ebay of all places. Strange, huh?

    1. Oh I wish we could swap prop closets! Old barn wood? That would make my day!!! Ebay is amazing – it’s amazing what people will buy or sell, isn’t it!

  2. I love that cutlery box!!! I used to collect pins from different countries I visited!.. however, I have NO idea where they all are now :/

  3. Ooh, that cutlery box is beautiful! I am in love with the color. If I’m ever in SD I am gonna hit you up for some thrifting action!

    1. the box was ebay and the thing about thrifting is sometimes you have dry spells for 6 mos where nothing is great and then bam, you get lucky!

  4. I love the colour of that tray and vintage ! Your mention of owls made me smile – someone gave my sister a pair of really ugly gold owls and they got moved all over the house. Soon everyone was collecting owls from all over and they would appear on mass everywhere. I’d say the “flock” reached well over a hundred before my mother snapped and gave them all to charity.

    1. The flock. Lol

      Owls are really trendy right now, or were so the past few years, seem to be fading a bit, but there’s owls printed on everything from plates to cookie jars in so many stores!

  5. I’m not into anything vintage like that, probably because I’m a bit of a germaphobe. I think pieces like that look amazing in photographs, and I do wish I had a few things of my Granny’s. As for collections, I collect cat figurines. I have them from all over the world, even though I’ve never been outside the US and Canada, and I smile every time I look at them.

    1. I wish I had my grandma’s collections of things, too. If only I knew then what I know now…sigh.

  6. i love the color! the bright blue just pops! i need to hop on the etsy train:)

    1. yes – you do. It’s mindblowing how many things you’ll need that you didnt know existed :)

  7. that new utensil tray… i am obsessed! Averie, you have the BEST eye for shopping for vintage-y finds. My photos and kitchen need some character. I’m waiting until I move next Spring to begin to stock my kitchen with nicer things. :) And that desk you always shoot on is gorgeous. I always notice the dark, beautiful wood in your pictures. I need something like that OR I might have Kevin build me a wooden tabletop backdrop thing that some bloggers use. Thankfully he LOVES building stuff lol :)

    1. Scott is the opposite of Kevin so if I wanted it, I had better figure it out on my own :) If you go on ebay or etsy, there is so much to be bought, it’s mind-blowing. I could drop 5 grand in an hour and I’m not even kidding – and I’d use every single thing! There is just….so much!

  8. So cute! I love the worn-out blue color on the wood! It would be great as a paint or jewelry bucket, too! Or for serving condiments in?

    1. Eeek — as a paint bucket. The finish on it is about 110-120 years old and so I will not be getting any “new” paint on it :) But as a serving tray or little storage tray, sure!

  9. What a cute little tray: everything, especially the color, my favorite! I do love antiques and vintage kitchen stuff, and have my own little collection. When the price is right I just can’t pass it! :) My other little obsession is cookbooks and anything food: history, science, technology, photography, you name it! :)

  10. I love antiques – maybe that’s why I live in a house built in 1890! Hard to get much more antique than that ;-)

    1. Girl I didn’t know your house was old! I lived in a 1920s spanish mission revival here in San Diego when I was pregnant with Skylar and she was a newborn and the house had been beautifully (cosmetically) rehabbed. The “bones” of the house? Not so much. Plumbing from the 20s that every time you flushed the toilet you could potentially have the water in your kitchen sink back up…it was just…too much. So many structural issues and what a money pit! I can only imagine how much time/money you guys spend on your house!!!

  11. Wow, that peanut butter image is so beautiful! Well done :)
    Also, love your cabinet filled with your blog props. I have an entire room dedicated to blog props and it’s a total DISASTER. Oh my gosh, looks like a bomb went off all the time. I clean it up, and it just gets dirty again. Where did you get that lovely shelf you keep all of your dishes in? It’s so stunning!

      1. Thanks, Averie! I love the Hemnes series… but of course, they don’t have that one in Canada. Shoot! Thanks for the link. Perhaps I’ll have to drive down to the states to get it, it’s SO nice!
        Blog room – sure, it’s awesome but it gives me an excuse to collect mounds of things I don’t need. Something to be said for a small space!

      2. there’s an ikea 5 mins from me and you know what, i ordered it online and had it delivered! i dont have a truck so going to the store would just necessitate coordinating delivery anyway – I highly recommend just ordering it if they ship to canada, and even to me, delivery was pricey – but worth it!

  12. I really don’t collect anything, but I should. Love all your stuff. My daughter collects snow globes which i think is such a great idea! Always a token of remembrance of travel

    1. And with all the great trips you go on, and living in the South, you are in the PRIME spot for picking up the most amazing things!

  13. I’m making some nut butter today too. I have peanut butter but am in the mood for some cashew-macadamia butter. I “collect” stones and beads to make my jewelry and always have more than I really need. But–they don’t take up much room. My jewelry making journal collection is a different story–I really need to go through that and thin it out. I know I can’t possibly make every project or even remember which ones inspired an idea….but I keep adding each month’s mailing to my overflowing file cabinet.

    1. The thing about sewing or jewelry making or any type of crafting related hobby, the supplies & raw materials just multiply – but in a good way! So much fun to open up your stash and know that when you’re feeling inspired and have the time, that you have a whole treasure trove waiting for you! Same with baking and a well stocked pantry :)

  14. I have to stay away from Etsy. I go crazy with all of the gorgeous stuff. I love these photos, they’re tempting me.

    1. Me.too. I told my husband I need to stay off ebay! He’s like, really, you go on that site? If he only knew :)

  15. Wow, I absolutely love that cutlery box! And the pop of colour on the pastry cutter handle. I’m a sucker for cool old things- I was talking with my husband last night about doing some refurbishing of some old wooden furniture- but in a way that we maintain the classic look and feel of it, since it really has such charm.

    Homemade peanut butter… YUM!!

    1. oh refinishing furniture was a hobby of my parent’s and back then, I didn’t get it. Now, I do! Hope you end up doing it!