Just Some Flowers & Vintage Things

G’day!

I am not sure how many flowers in vintage bottles I can present you with, but really there is no limit to what you can do with them, hence this little display on my deck yesterday evening. 

If you have been with me for a while, you’ll remember that in July I had a vintage bottle haul where I couldn’t quite believe my luck, and right there amongst the grubby old things was this purple one….(here it is when I found it).

  

vintage beach house bottles

And I have to say that I wasn’t quite sure how it was gonna fit in here, I mean, holding my hands up, purple really ain’t my thang, but still, somehow I loved it. 

The funny thing is, that in the general post-Christmas cleansing of this place whereupon most things, including very nearly a child or two, have made their way in some shape or form to Vinnies, this was on the maybe pile.  I was being ruthless with anything stashed in the back of a cupboard or wardrobe without any purpose in life.  And this purple bottle surely was in that category. 

But for some reason I hung onto it. 

And then yesterday buying veggies, there from the flower aisle, calling my name, were beautiful floppy, papery, soft Lisanthus…which have become such a favourite that I can hardly walk past a flower stall without slipping a bunch into my basket…I love their delicate ruffles, tall thin stems and oval leaves…and even more I love the other name they go by Texas Blue-Bells…

…they just seem to fit the bill ’round here…

So at home with my delicate ruffles, the pinks and the purples that old bottle came to mind & so instead of cooking dinner for my family, I cleared a path through the debris that grows hourly via the BC Crew because it is the school holidays and headed out to the deck. 

There I soothed myself by playing with vintage bottles, shells and Texas Blue-Bells.  This past-time has just about everything going for it…low-cost, pretty things and more about the most effort required is filling bottles with water, snipping therapeutically the stems and then the ceremonious stuffing of the delicacies into vintage glass…

And that my friends is what it’s all about. 

  

beach cottage vintage bottle decor

I will catch you all later. 

Be good. 

                

             

 
 
shared at A Time For Tea, thanks! 
 
 
 
 
BC UGGS Giveaway Winner is Lisa with ‘my favorite is the cold, stillness and purity of the air in which I would like to wear these Uggs’

  

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Comments

  1. Lisa says:

    The white and purple work so well together. Gorgeous flowers, I wouldn’t be able to resist them either. (Had a chuckle to myself yesterday, and thought of you – after an awesome garage sale haul, my daughter asked if we should hide the stuff around the place, and maybe dad wont notice – gotta love that in an 11 year old, she’s well on her way.

    Cheers,
    Lisa x

    P.S. – Glad you kept that bottle, and congrats to the other Lisa. She’ll have toasty toes.

  2. Robyn says:

    I love purple, especially the dark shades, and your bottle really stands out against the clear ones. Is that a bit of purple on the tablecloth I see?

  3. Gorgeous photos and gorgeous flowers and bottles! Such beautiful colors :)

  4. Elizabeth (ejay) says:

    I love the purple bottle Sarah, I have one very similar which I found on a remote part of our property….I don’t know the history of your bottle but the one I have started out as being a clear glass bottle….left outside and exposed to the sun over a period of years turned the bottle into a gorgeous amethyst colour.
    Manganese Oxide was used in the manufacturing process to make glass clear, the Manganese ionizes due to exposure to ultra violet light from the sun and turns the glass amethyst or purple. The colour is determined by the amount of Manganese used in the process which, in your case, would have been a considerable amount to make the bottle such a deep purple.
    Manganese was used in glass making in Australia from the late 1870′s to 1915, it ceased after that due to WW1 and the fact that 90% of Manganese came from Germany.

    Interesting isn’t it?

    • Angie says:

      I was just going to bring up about the purple isnt that very interesting….also they are VERY expensive to purchase here in Florida !

    • Tiff says:

      Thanks for explaining that. It is fascinating. Now I’m off to place some old bottles in a sunny spot ;)

    • sarah says:

      yes it is fascinating, thanks so much for taking the time to leave that information…I am going to get the bottle and look into it on the net cheers xx

  5. Kimberly says:

    What a gorgeous floral display, and I am personally glad you kept that purple bottle because, well, its a keeper for sure! Looks so lovely with the pinks and greens and whites, and yes, purples of the flowers!

    Congratulations to Lisa, winner of the UGG boots! I’ve never owned a pair, but they seem to me to be the most comfortable shoes on Earth. I fear if I did have a pair, no one would ever be able to pry them off my feet!

    Kimberly

  6. Simple Daisy says:

    Your pretty flowers are just what I needed to see today!!
    I love the purple bottle….but i’d be more happy with an aqua blue one:):):)

    Congrats to the winner of the UGG boots!! I know I sure could use a pair! It just won’t stop snowing here!!!

  7. Hi Sarah-

    Can I please have that purple bottle??? Oh I love it. It is surely unique – what a great find. The clear ones are quite irresistable, too. Your photos are divine. I am intrigued by what Elizabeth commented on above – pretty cool to have a clear bottle change color due to the magnesium oxide.

    My best- Diane

  8. Angie says:

    It’s such an interesting bottle…love the shape..you better keep it or since we all love it so make it a giveway ! Think you need to do this with all your cast offs ! I went around doing some plundering of shops over the weekend. I did find two bottles for 2.00 each…but the very pale green ones I like were over 15.00 each ! I refuse to pay that !

  9. Jennifer says:

    Just discovered your site.. can’t wait to have a little bit of quiet time to look back at some of your older postings…. ..Jennifer

  10. Bev says:

    It’s so interesting that every time I buy Lisanthus, I get them home and in two days they start to wilt ……. any help ?

    • sarah says:

      well I keep them in the cooler rooms and try to change the water…but they don’t last that long…tho I kinda like them when they droop too! ;-)

  11. Anne says:

    Congratulations, Lisa!! Enjoy the fun in the UGGS!!! :)
    Love the purple– so February amethyst!

  12. Loribeth says:

    It looks really nice with all your white things. Isn’t it fun when you find a little something that calls out to you. You would have regretted it if you hadn’t snatched it up.

  13. So lovely!!!

  14. Ldom says:

    Beautiful flowers Sarah… as always! I post a Friday Flower each week with a link up… I would be honored if you had a chance to share your post there… no harm in trying right? Lx

  15. marylou says:

    Congrats Lisa;-)

    Love these flowers Sarah, may have to find me some at my local flower shop also known as Costco ((*_*))

    Now, if I only had a purple vintage bottle…..off to Etsy and Ebay;)

    **smiles**

  16. Kirsty says:

    Wow these photos are amazing Sarah! Very very nicely done!

  17. Gorgeous, Sarah. You know if it’s an old purple bottle, they say they turn that color. I was over at 52 Flea blog and she had shown her purple bottles and someone commented how they used to leave them on the roof to darken the colors. It’s so pretty here with your collection. And the flowers are beautiful. I love the vintage quilt or table cloth they’re on. xoxo tami

  18. Jess says:

    Beautiful.

  19. Roberta says:

    hey sarah, love the sweet shape of your purple bottle! just toss it into the ocean when you’re ready to part with it and I’ll hope it reaches me at my beach cottage on the east coast of the usa! xo Roberta

  20. The purple bottle is just so sweet, a keeper for sure. and paired with the pink and purple of the flowers its just so pretty.

  21. Tiff says:

    Sarah you are in good company with the relaxation benefits of flower arranging. Apparently in Japan many wealthy men are taking to flower arranging due to its stress relieving potential!
    Nice job of it too!

  22. pamq says:

    Well, if you ever change your mind and decide that purple bottle has to go, you know where to reach me……….

    ;-)

  23. Kelly Ash says:

    Oh what a pretty display! I am so envious of your bottle collection – that purple bottle is a wonderful find! I collect jadeite, and just about anything green.

    I too cannot walk by a flower shop or stall without some hopping into my basket! I only wish we had some Lisianthus at this time of year. Last week I picked up this amazing orchid (I actually just blogged about it!) and its so beautiful – I already can’t wait for for it to bloom again.

    Your Lisianthus are so beautiful, you are making me yearn for spring!

  24. Karen says:

    Love Lisanthus! There is something about that purple bottle that begs to be kept. It’s that special. Can’t wait for warmer weather here too!

  25. Camilla says:

    My mother got some pale pink Lisanthus for her wedding anniversary bouquet last summer. In Swedish we call them “praire roses”, which they really look like. Such beautiful flowers, especially in your arrangement of them.

  26. IAMSNWFLAKE says:

    Hang on to the purple bottle. Thanks Elizabeth for the clear glass exposed to sun turning purple explanation. I’d never heard of that before and I like learning something new. Lisianthus are such pretty papery pastel looking flowers. Love their color and texture.

  27. *Tasiaa says:

    flowers and colours
    colours and flowers

    so pretty

    especially on a cold dark winterday in Germany!

    Salut!
    *Tasiaa

  28. Michelle says:

    Love this idea! We’re looking for some ideas for my friends wedding..and this might be great inspiration!

    • sarah says:

      thanks Michelle…this would be lovely for a wedding…and if you go to a flower market super budget too…and easy!

  29. Jaimie says:

    That purple bottle is stunning!

  30. Thank you for the beautiful post. I love those vintage medicine bottles, the Lisianthus look amazing in them, so delicate. Now I have inspiration for the floral table centerpiece that I need to work on! Thank you so much!

  31. Maria says:

    Gorgeous! Lovely! Congrats to Lisa too!

  32. I love lisianthus! I buy flowers every week and whenever lisianthus are available, they are the one I pick. I love how slightly wrinkled their petals are, plus they seem to last forever! Very nice pictures with your bottles… Looks like a page from a magazine!

  33. Barefoot Liz says:

    I love purple! That purple bottle is fabulous!

  34. Sarah, these are gorgeous. As usual. I’m just going to go ahead and move into your house and soak up the awesomeness, ok? Cool. :)

  35. Melinda says:

    Beautiful flowers and glad you kept the bottle because it looks great, of course I am a lover of purple so I may be biased… (smile)

  36. Jan J. says:

    That top photo should be a painting! I HEART that purple bottle – it looks so lovely with the whites, pinks and purple flowers. Just beautiful!

  37. i’m so glad i discovered this place thanks to a comment you left on my blog.
    i love this place. it’s beautiful!!

  38. Annie says:

    Sarah, how pretty! It’s one of those warm winter days here in Florida and these photos make me feel like spring is here! I love the pink and purple flowers together and the purple bottle is a jewel, for sure! Thanks for brightening my day! :)

  39. Lisa says:

    Sarah,

    this website has certainly brightened my day – (I live up in Mackay and getting ready for a cyclone to hit later today) – this certainly inspsires me. I’ll be rummaging through garage sales and the op shops that’s for sure!!

    Thank you!!

  40. love lizzies – my fav and the look fab seperated out in your wee bottles – best le xox

  41. I’m so so so glad you kept the purple bottle! It is gorgeous! The flowers look so sweet in the bottles.

    I don’t think you can have too many vintage bottles…..

  42. Wow I love the pictures on your site! You have a fantastic eye for colour and arrangement! Thanks for the comment and hope you will come visit across the ditch to NZ some day soon!

  43. Fiona says:

    The purple pop is magic1 Fiona

  44. Pam says:

    Love those flowers! You have me longing for Spring to arrive….{sigh}.

  45. I love love love that purple vase! How sweet is that!

  46. karen says:

    i know…purple, especially eggplant and plum, have been creeping into my decor lately too. so pretty. make it a great week!

    karen

  47. Amada says:

    Such a lovely collection of bottles, the flowers are the perfect touch!

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