Thursday, October 24, 2013

General Store Vignette Vintage Can Labels and How a Tornado gave me a Nest

Something about old time-y general stores appeals to me greatly. Maybe because it is the polar opposite shopping experience to the modern grocery store. Creaky wood floors, natural rustic grains, sugars, coffee and produce nestled into neat rows of barrels. Jars of peppermint sticks behind a bead board counter and fresh meat wrapped in butcher paper and twine. And of course canned goods and household necessities lining the tall shelves around the rest of the one room display. 

I borrowed this Library of congress photo from HERE, a great blog post about the history of the antiques inside CB restaurants and how they are acquired. 


It's no secret that I haunt my local Cracker Barrel restaurant. True, it feels a little kitsch and granny-ish, but it's the retail equivalent of the food they sell- pure comfort. If my kids knew I was in there without them they'd be pretty upset. Maybe I can get a seasonal job there doing displays? Have I told you that my dream pantry will look like a general store?

♪♪♪ Ok so before you read on, press play and turn on the music . It enhances the experience of old time-y ness. I I just love this song...♪♪♪

 As a kid did you ever imagine being locked in your favorite store overnight? I think there was a movie like that. Anyways, this is where I'd want to be locked. I could be blissfully content with the nostalgic candy, plush country blankets and glittery candles and lights and bluegrass cd's to entertain me. And then there's the lovely porch full of rockers and chess boards...ahh.


I wonder if I can rent it out for slumber parties. Slumber party in the Cracker barrel gift shop!! Who's with me?

Ok,ok. Stay with me here, there is a point to my Cracker Barrel ramblings. I made a little vignette in the corner of my kitchen dinette area that I'm calling "the general store". It all started with these vintage can labels. 







These can labels are actual real food labels from the 1940's and 50's. I recently acquired a bunch of them. A factory went out of business back in the day, and somehow some stacks of these labels ended up stored away all these years. I have enough extra ones, in fact, that I'm going to sell them in my etsy shop, for those of you who are into these also. But of course I'll be saving a bunch for myself. They are just too authentically cute!! And this is only a third of the designs I have. 




So "Driving Miss Daisy" dont'cha think? I simply attached them to new cans of green beans. Some are empty and I think they'd look darling with little flower arrangements in them, or as herb planters lined up in a window over the kitchen sink, or holding bright yellow pencils on a desk...






Squeal...clasp hands next to face...






Tell me this isn't Cracker Barrel General Store worthy! 











Disclaimer- no biscuits were harmed during the shooting of this post. In fact they were quickly devoured 2 hours later with our Pioneer Woman chicken and rice soup. And yes, eating it in "The General Store" did make it that much more scrumptious.  I made everyone wear bonnets and petticoats...







MMMM- Little House on the Texas Suburb Prairie...







Do you like this polka dot towel? I received it from Aunt Ruthie of Sugar Pie Farmhouse. It was made by Sweet Magnolia Farms Etsy shop. Thanks to Aunt Ruthie I am hooked to SMF now!







Better use a flame-less candle inside an old wooden pie safe. The key word is "safe" after all...





Now...I took this next photo AFTER dinner. 

I wanted you to see how the display will REALLY look on a daily basis. I can't leave a colander of fresh baked biscuits out everyday for heavens sake! Our baby fur monster (aka Junebug, the 17 week old yellow lab) would help herself to every last biscuit in about 5 seconds flat...




...and then would probably help herself to the flour sack dish towel...and the pie safe...and anything else that had the faintest molecule of biscuit scent on it.

And because I know you are extremely concerned about what I did with the little white shelf that had been in the dinette nook before,  I included a photo of it in its' new home. In the "White" dining room.





See that big birds nest? It fell out of a crape myrtle at our last house during a tornado. We lived in Bedford, TX at that time and a small F0 tornado came down our street. I was in the closet with the kids and dog, we all had helmets on, and we were watching David Finfrock (I sure do miss my old news crew on nbc5i DFW. Isn't it funny how you feel like you know them after watching them for so many years?). Anyways, he was actually showing the rotation and saying our street NAME. That is SO SCARY, let me tell ya! We could see power lines breaking and I thought I was going to have a heart attack!

Luckily it only blew down trees and fences and unfortunately, beautiful bird nests. So every time I see this nest it reminds me that God protected my nest and my baby chicks that day. And that we are extremely blessed and lucky to have such wonderful shelter in a world full of disaster and uncertainty.





Wishing you warmth and love and beautiful shelter in your nest today!

Love,
Linsey

*I was in no way reimbursed by Cracker Barrel for this post, nor am I affiliated with them in any way.

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18 comments:

Unknown said...

I love your *general store* vignette, and yes it is Cracker Barrel worthy.

Living in Montana, we are blessed to have several ghost mining towns and ghost towns that were created by settlers coming here for the gold rush. Our vacations were all about exploring them. One year we stumbled upon one that I will never forget. It was tucked away 5 miles off the road so we had to hike to it. But let me tell you. . . It was so worth the hike. This town was abandoned when the gold rush ended, the story goes that the husbands returned home from mining and told their wives the were moving on. They could only take what would fit in the covered wagon. . . So this quaint little village was left perfectly in tack. The general store was full of all the necessities, much of what you mentioned. The church, the hotel, the school house, just as they left them. The streets lined with little houses that still had old childrens bikes in the yard, the most wonderful swinging gates. Once inside there was still shoes by the door, food and kitchen wares in the to*die*for pioneer kitchens. The beds were still made with handmade quilts.

It felt as though the family would return anytime and find us standing in their house. Luckily the town was snatched up and preserved by the forest service so it is still in tact.

I get lost reflecting back on that unforgettable experience. I, like you dreaming of being locked in your favorite store, I dream of being the first one to discover that town and just moving in.

Thanks for letting me ramble, now back to reality. . . *sigh*

Pamela said...

I am in LOVE again! I swear you need to come and accessorize my house girl. Just sent you a text about the labels.

Anita Diaz said...

Oh my goodness, squealing with you!! How lucky can you get! I LOVE country stores too, and the one my grandparents had here, and some things left form it, were the inspiration for my vintage style. Love how the labels look, and such fabulous vignettes. Love, love, love this look:-)

Elma said...

Oh this is so awesome!! I so love those labels and that pie safe!! Will you be selling any extra labels??

THE FARMHOUSE PORCH said...

I will be selling some of these labels! I just need to photo them and add them to the shop today. I will post them on fb with a link to buy by tonight!

Thank you all SO much for the sweet comments! I never know if my weird nostalgic style is going to be received well...haha

Melissa said...

OMG! I love this!!!! There is a place here in Michigan called Crossroads Village. Historic buildings from all over the state were moved to this park and set up to look like a village from the 1800's. There is an old general store with the high floor to ceiling shelves filled with authentic goodies. It's one of my favorite buildings in the entire park. I love the history and the nostalgia. I wish we still had things around like that today! Beautiful post, Linsey!

Melissa @ Shabby Love

Aunt Ruthie said...

OH MISS LINSEY LOU!!! WE MUST BE SISTERS!! I love everything you love! Don't even get me started about Cracker Barrel! I want to live there but they won't let me! Seriously! Okay! First of all, that pie safe!! Oh my goodness...sooooooo adorable!! I want one...no, I need one!!! And those adorbs canning labels!! LOVE! I have a few vintage labels on cans too! See! We ARE sisters! And you know I love the old timey General Store look! I loved this post! The music was perfect too! Thanks so much darlin' for the shout out! What a blessing you are to so many! Sending you some sugar and hugs! ~Ruthie Lou!!

GennieG said...

Hi Linsey!

I loved this post. Love the grocery store vignette too! What a great idea. All of your decor is awesome, love your style. I remember the old time corner store where I grew up. I loved that place. I could still remember the sound of the door when it would open and they had a bell attached to it. I'd go in for candy. I have a thing for old time stores, old time anything. I hope I don't miss out on your labels. I love Sweet Magnolia's Farm too. I just ordered a kitchen towel myself. I got the Christmas Blessings one. I already have it out even though it isn't Christmas but it's just so darn cute that I couldn't wait. I'm going to order the cow one next.
Have a great night!
Blessings!
Gennie

Adina said...

Linsey,
I just love your style and both of the vignettes in this post. I've thought about creating the same vintage cans to display in our kitchen. I absolutely adore them. We have our dry goods in mason jars on a shelf around the top of our kitchen in our little log cabin because we do not have a pantry. Maybe I'll add some cans now too! Thank you for sharing. I'm off to check out the labels in your Etsy shop!
Adina @ Simply Country Life

Candy S said...

Linsey, It's funny how memories come back to you. The particular day that popped up in my mind would be nearly 60 years ago. My cousins, my two brothers, and I were walking up the stone road from my grandmothers house to the small country store. It looked pretty much like the one in the picture. Plus the old gentlemen that were sitting out front of course. I was barefooted and I distinctly remember the stone bruises on my feet from that walk. I also tasted my first moon pie that day. I wish they would make moon pies like they did back in the day. Thanks for prompting such fond memories..... Candy

Linda@Coastal Charm said...

Darn cute old labels (lucky you). Extra special bird nest indeed:)

Blessings,
Linda

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

I found your lovely blog through Brenda at Cozy Little House. Love what I've seen so far.

I'm a CB fanatic. Is there a support group for us?

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

Thanks for the link to the article about how CB acquires their decor. The Man and I were just talking about that very thing this week, while eating in one of the many CBs we eat at while on road trips.

La Petite Gallery said...

This was so interesting, went to site also. Thanks.
yvonne

Sherry at The Rusty Pearl said...

Just beautiful --Love that little pie safe too. Love the details down to the milk in the jar. GREAT JOB SISTER ..as always .. WOULDNT EXPECT one thing less from you my friend... YOUR a ball of talent sister .. HUGS and have a blessed new week

Anonymous said...

That corner vignette is very nostalgic and wonderful!

Jeanette@Creating a Life Studio said...

Love it from beginning to end, including the music :)
The nest is such a sweet reminder of all we are blessed with <3

Debra@CommonGround said...

oh Linsey, this is so wonderful, can you hear me squealing? Love this farmhouse/general store look!

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