Collections: Vintage Avon

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="1939,1936,1937,1938"] These Avon pretties have been in our family since the 1960s. I'm not sure if they were originally purchased by my great-grandmother or grandmother, but I remember seeing them at Joan's house throughout my childhood. When Jonathan and I moved into our first apartment, the bath oil bottle was the very first thing of Joan's that my mother gave us. We inherited the powder box a few years later. It is particularly special to me because I can remember it being filled with Joan's curler pins. She curled her hair every single day, and I can still remember the way her curlers smelled as they were heating up. As I child, I loved to watch her at her makeup table -- curling her hair, applying foundation, mascara and lipstick and spritzing herself with her favorite perfume -- O de Lancome. It has been more than 10 years since I watched her with awe, but the image in my mind is still very vivid and will always be one of my favorite memories of her.

I would imagine that many women across the country have similar memories of their mothers and grandmothers, thanks to Avon. If you frequent estate sales or antique malls, then you’ve likely seen quite a few of their pretty bottles and boxes. Avon is one of those nostalgic brands that still feels very current, but it has actually been around since 1886.

Their story is pretty inspiring. Avon's founder, David M. McConnell, started his career as a traveling bookseller with an entrepreneur’s intuition. As he was peddling his books, he noticed that his female customers enjoyed his free perfume samples (that he made himself) more than his books. He also recognized that many of these customers were struggling to make ends meet but that they would make excellent salespeople. With these thoughts in mind, he launched his California Perfume Company.

Mr. McConnell’s ideas caught on like wildfire because he fulfilled a need and genuinely cared about his products and his employees. The California Perfume Company followed simple but very important principles that remain in place today – it brought jobs to people who needed them, recognized that each employee could bring something special to the table, gave back to the community and offered great products with a satisfaction guarantee. By the turn of the century, Mr. McConnell had recruited 5,000 salespeople. In 1920, his company’s sales topped $20 million. Today, sales have exceeded $11 billion. In recent years, the company has been through numerous financial struggles and scandals, but the Avon name still holds special meaning for generations of American women.

Also, if you’re curious about the company’s original name, Mr. McConnell chose the California Perfume Company to honor his business partner friend from California. Although the company began using the Avon name (a reference to William Shakespeare's home Stratford-upon-Avon) on packaging as early as 1930, it officially changed its name to Avon in 1939.

To see more vintage Avon beauty products and ads, visit our Vintage Beauty Pinterest board.

Do you have a favorite Avon memory?

Family Memories: A Birthday Post

Our patriarch and namesake, Gerald Hardin, is 79 today. He shares his birthday with his only granddaughter, Julie (How cool is that?). Over the weekend, four generations gathered together to celebrate their birthdays. We enjoyed dinner and cake, and then Gerald requested that Jonathan and his brother Larry play their guitars and sing. During their show, our seven-year-old niece Eliza started dancing and everyone else was smiling and laughing. From my front row seat in the living room floor, I recognized what a precious moment it was.

There is nothing quite like family. When we're caught up in the daily grind, it's easy to forget how important these little moments of togetherness are. We need to make family memories every chance we get, and they deserve to be bottled up and treasured for lifetimes. They are the most important heirlooms we have.

Thank you, Gerald, for giving us so many beautiful memories. May you and Julie have the happiest of birthdays.

We love you both so very much.

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Collections: Franciscan Desert Rose Ceramics

Franciscan Desert Rose ceramics were first introduced by Los Angeles-based Gladding, McBean & Co. in 1941, along with the company's Apple pattern. They were manufactured in L.A. until 1986, when Wedgwood, Franciscan's owner since 1979, closed the Los Angeles plant, discontinued all of the patterns except Desert Rose, Apple and Fresh Fruit, and moved the remaining Franciscan dinnerware production to England. Both Desert Rose and Apple are now owned by WWRD - The Luxury Lifestyle Group (Wedgwood Waterford Royal Daulton). They are two of the most popular china patterns in American history, and they continue to be produced to this day.

Ironically, my great-grandmother used Franciscan Desert Rose dishes in her L.A. kitchen in the 1960s and 1970s, and my mom began collecting her own Desert Rose dishes while living in England in the 1980s. She now has all of my great-grandmother's original pieces from California as well. When Jonathan and I got married, we decided continue the tradition and register for some Desert Rose dinnerware. As luck would have it, everyone bought us Desert Rose dishes. We have 12 place settings, plus most of the modern serving pieces. I love comparing the '60s Franciscan to the modern pieces. As one would guess, the original details are much nicer, but I love that you can still buy Franciscan Desert Rose ceramics at your local department store. Of course you can also find it on Ebay, estate sales and at most antique stores.

You can learn more about the history of Franciscan ceramics (and see more photos) here.

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Collections: Vintage Embroidered Linens

I can't get enough of these embroidered linens that I've collected over the past five years. What makes them so special is that someone's granny put a great deal of time and love into each delicate piece. If you like the look of embroidered linens, I recommend you visit an estate sale. At every estate sale I attend, I peek through sewing rooms filled with embroidery floss, needles and fabric and see the pretty evidence firsthand. Once you find linens, how do you use them? When paired with hand painted dishes, vintage embroidered linens make a lovely addition to a table. They also look sweet on a bedside or dressing table. Embroidered pillow cases add personality to a guest bedroom, and hand towels liven up a boring hall bathroom.

If you find a stained linen with a lovely motif, you might consider using it for a sewing project of your own. Check out my "Granny Chic" Pinterest board for some ideas.

I'd love to see the lost art of embroidery make a comeback. The details are so charming and add personality and warmth to so many simple items.

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