Friday, April 25, 2014

Storage solution becomes trip down memory lane!


We are back home after a 5 day trip and 700 miles
with lots of stops along the way.

Traveling along Highway 65 along the Arkansas and Missouri
line, you go through

small town USA.

It is a two lane highway with lots of curves, steep hills and dangerous downgrades with escape routes for run-away trucks. At several high points you can see for miles and miles. 

The view is beautiful. 



It was my favorite kind of trip, slow and easy, stopping when we want, curious to make new friends and discover new places. We will make this trip again in June with more plans to stop in and visit with friends along the way.

I found inspiration in the many
“Mom and Pop” shops,
little diners and
remote grocery stores.

Today I have to share some inspiration
I found and was able to fit into my budget.

I fell in love with this.



I am always looking for storage solutions that allow me to display items that I use. I have inherited several sets of dishes and I love them but I don't have the space to keep them on display. So I had to choose one piece from each set, that I use regularly, and that was the platters.

If you can picture me on my hands and knees unloading a china cabinet so that I can reach for that special platter, it isn't pretty, it isn't practical and I avoid it. Well no more, these platters are going to be at my hands reach and displayed with the respect they so deserve.

I remember having a makeup suitcase just like this one when I was young. It held all of my important

“girlie” stuff.

So I bought one, just like the one I had so many years ago, 
ahhhh...
a trip down memory lane feels so good.

And here it is, a quick put together after I got our suitcases unpacked. All of these items, I use often and will be so easy to get to when I want them. 



Now...
onto the 7 loads of laundry
I brought back with us...

Have a Greatfull Day!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I am linking up with Cindy over at


My Romantic Home Blog


and

Megin over at





Hop on over and see all the
talent at these linking parties!

and
Marty

over at


214th Inspire Me Tuesday

14 comments:

  1. Yeah, I know what you mean...we have to 'choose' what to buy because of storage space. I love how you displayed your gorgeous platters, just in reachs way, as I hate the hand and knees situation every time...great idea! What a wonderful trip you had!
    Thank you for visiting me and now I'm gonna follow your blog, this way it's better to reach each other.
    FABBY

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    1. Thanks for coming by Fabby, it is so nice to meet you! I will be a frequent visitor at your door too!

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  2. What a GREAT idea. I absolutely love the idea. I have a whole set of dishes "hidden" on the bench at the end of our dining room table. That is really cute and perfect! Glad you had fun. Those are my favorite kinds of trips, too- xo Diana

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  3. fantastic idea... the little suitcase in the first photo is exacty what i got for graduation from my parents.. 3 pieces just like it and same color. that was in 1962 which means the case and ME are now antiques... love your platters.

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    1. I just loved mine when I was younger too. It was an old hand me down but it carried my treasures, and I loved it. I plan to play around with it a bit more and I might even take it on a trip or two. Thanks Sandra!

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  4. forgot to say, those roads withe escapes for big trucks scare me silly. i drove for JB Hunt trucking and the first time i saw them on a steep West Va mountain, i freaked out

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    1. We go right by JB Hunt each time we travel near Lowell, AR. We are just about an hour north of Bentonville so it makes a good day trip to come down to Rogers for the day. Thehubs gets his cancer treatments in Little Rock so I get to see AR about three times a year. Those escape routes are scary, the grade is so steep!

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  5. That is a great idea! Love it. I have 2 of those over night suitcases. One I picked up years ago because it reminded me of my mom's. If went on every vacation and was always the last thing packed in the trunk so she could get to it easily. My peptobismo was in there and I needed it a lot. Then I got the other one when hubby's dad died. It had been his mom's. Both of mine are white/gray color. They both sit on top of my grandmother's secretary in our bedroom, filled with treasures from all of those past now.
    My dad was born and raised in Alton, MO- 8 miles north of the Ark line. Know those kind of roads all too well...but it is the most beautiful place. Clear springs and its always like walking back in time.
    I have a variety of platters and many sets of dishes, too...that might look good on my counter.

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    1. Tete, sounds like they hold so many memories for you, me too! It reminded me of those days before love, marrriage and that baby carriage, and before rent, utilities and taxes. When life was innocent! LOL! We have been to Alton several times as we have family in Thayer. It is a great place, we use to eat at a place that had teh best homemade hot rolls! mmmmm....

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  6. I love the idea of displaying your platters that way! It is so funny, but i have been cleaning our bedroom ~ as in every single square inch today. I have several vintage train cases and a couple of suitcases. I have decoupaged Victorian things on some of them and store party purses, make up and nail polish in them. I am so going to use your idea about the dishes!

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  7. what a clever idea!! i get so many wonderful ideas from little stores and waesome blogging friends!! it looks like a shade of blue that will work great with all your other new finishing touches!!

    on recent trips to home goods and pier one, i pass on so many beautiful dishes, platters and serving dishes that i really love, simply because i don't have the room to store them!!

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  8. Debbie I do too, then I think about that platter, or pitcher for days, wishing I had brought it home with me! I dream of having a large, luxurious dish room, full of shelves with glass doors, floor to ceiling, displaying all these beautiful dishes that I have collected in my travels... oh, what a happy feeling I get when I close my eyes and dream!

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  9. Pretty and functional! PERFECT! I love it!

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