Cake is the dessert of choice for many occasions, and has been the crown jewel of many feasts, banquets and parties for centuries. But do you know the origins of cake stands, pedestals, savers and carriers? Each of these items were designed and developed for a very specific purpose - and for some of us, we have sweet, fond childhood memories that flood back when we see a fancy glass cake stand or painted carrier like the one we remember.

As Murfreesboro's favorite place to buy paint, we get a TON of questions about painting furniture. Often the question is, "Should I paint this piece?" - which is subject we covered here. 

But the question we get most often, is "What color should I paint this piece?"

It's a great question, and it deserves a thoughtful answer. Ultimately the choice is yours, but here are three questions that will guide you to the perfect color....for you. And keep reading, because at the end, we'll reveal one of our fresh-painted new arrivals this week. If you caught our recent Instagram or Facebook stories, you saw the before and during the updating process.

Kermit the Frog once famously lamented that iI's not easy being green. Sorry, Kermie - we love you, but we have to disagree; we think it's actually pretty easy to be green, at least if you are a particular hue known as jadeite green. This enduring, soothing color has been a mainstay in kitchens for decades, and it's still just as home in today's modern kitchens as it was in the country kitchens of our mothers and grandmothers.

​Let's explore the origins of this lovely glassware, and what is - and isn't - jadeite.

March is when Spring Fever starts to spike, especially among house-bound Southerners. By now, winter has overstayed her welcome and we're all itching to get outside and enjoy the warmth of the sun on our backs and feel fresh dirt between our toes and fingers as we start filling containers and getting garden patches ready for tender new plants. But Mother Nature can be fickle, so if it's not quite time to get out in the garden, look around your garden shed or some antique stores for a few old garden tools and make them into decorative items while you wait for warm temperatures to arrive.

If you've seen American Pickers, you know how Mike and Frank scour the countryside for vintage and antique finds. Their travels have taken them to far-flung places across many  states.

​In case you didn't know, Mike has become a bona fide Tennessean, with a residence in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee and he's often spotted hanging out with our friends at Blue 32 in Columbia.

So how did Sherri and I get started picking? And do we pick like the American Pickers? And where can YOU find great picking spots?  

Valentine's Day conjures up memories of grade school: blunt-tip scissors, pungent paste and a classroom of children cutting and pasting paper doilies onto construction paper hearts under the watchful eye of our teacher, and proudly depositing those handmade Valentines into brightly festooned shoebox "mailboxes" for each other. 

Paper and crocheted doilies have been around since Victorian times. The introduction of mercerized cotton thread made it possible to gussy up napkins with beautiful, intricate embellishments. Even if we aren't from the era that made our own doilies by the dozens, we have all seen them in our mother's or grandmother's homes, protecting furniture and cushioning delicate baked goods.

But don't keep those keepsakes in a box or trunk - break them out and let them have a new life in your home. Here are some ideas on how to collect, care for and repurpose crocheted doilies.

The obvious answer: you haul it home, of course.

If you know me, you know I have a thing for anything with drawers and cubbies - the more, the better. (And a rather serious vintage mixing bowl fetish....but that's another story.) I've traveled hither and yon across the mid-state for card catalogs, usually just the 18-drawer stacking cabinets. hefty, but manageable, especially if you remove the drawers.

​Last week, a grand-daddy of a cabinet came my way, and to be honest, I'm still not sure how two of us actually loaded it in my Armada.

Adrenaline, baby. Now the question is, what to do with this 400-pound beast?

Last month, we explored the fabulous world of vintage drinking glasses - from swanky swigs for your morning juice to tumblers and goblets gracing your dining table. Barware encompasses some very specific and fanciful glassware, as well as other fun accoutrements like shakers, stirrers, measuring jiggers and zesters.

​Whether it's the novelty or nostalgia drawing you in, it is hard to resist the allure of a freshly made drink measured and poured by your favorite mixologist.

​As we ring out the old year and welcome the new one, we're resolving to make 2021 a year filled with more festivities and reasons to celebrate, make great memories, and share more joy and laughter.

We are all about old school. Or vintage...whichever you prefer to call it. But this time of year, "old school" encompasses an array of memorabilia that brings up memories of school days' past.

​From vintage globes and maps, to felt pennants and vintage lunchboxes, we can remember and relive the best recollections of our childhoods with a few simple additions to our home decor.