I used to go all out decorating for Easter, but, as I’ve gotten older and wiser, I’ve learned to say no to Pepto-Bismol pink plastic baskets and bears in rabbit ears.
I haven’t been able to kick the seasonal decorating habit altogether; but (I like to think) I’m a little more discerning in what I collect and keep.
I have a little flock of oddball sheep that, like a lot of the things that I collect, are not particularly old or valuable, but I absolutely love them.
They all came from thrift stores and garage sales.
I think it’s their quirkiness that appeals to me.
That and the fact that none of them is Pepto-Bismol pink.
I have few rabbits that I’ve rescued from thrift stores that I have a soft spot for, too, including these wooden ones …
… and this metal hoop:
This moss-and-chickenwire-covered pair is a recent new addition…
… and by “new” I mean “new,” not just “new to me” (which is what I usually mean when I say something is “new.”) My general rule is that I only buy holiday decorations secondhand, mostly because I prefer vintage, but also because I don’t want to spend a lot of money on seasonal items that I’m only going to display for a few weeks a year. So when I break my secondhand rule, it’s on something that I really love.
In addition to my sheep and rabbits, I have a few chickens I set out in the spring.
The green glass ones (above) go in a hutch in my dining room.
My Pot Rooster (below) goes on the stove.
I used to leave him out year round, but I’m kind of a messy cook, and after one too many pots boiled over, the back — which was in perfect condition when I bought it — started to look like this:
Grrr.
I just bought this little seasoning can at a thrift store recently:
It has a plastic top, so it can’t be all that old, but I love the graphics on it.
I also have a few paper mache German eggs with lovely cartoon images on them:
I bought them from the Pamida store I worked at when I was in college in the late 1980s.
The insides are just as beautiful as the outsides.
The type says “Made in German Democratic Republic” (which we knew as East Germany back in my college days). The Berlin Wall fell in November of 1989, and Germany was officially reunified the following year. So, even though the eggs were new when I bought them, they have a bit of history to them and would probably be considered “vintage” today.
Also vintage: these cookie cutters, which I framed in a shadowbox and hung on my wall:
I would love to find a lamb and a duck that I could swap out one of the chickens and one of the rabbits with, so the pyramid doesn’t have duplicates. But until I find them, these will do.
Happy Easter from the flock.
That's a really cute collection and even better if it was thrifted. Affordable collections make me happy.
I enjoyed meeting the flock . . .and chicks and rabbits . . .
I like your style! Thanks for sharing.
~Laurie
What cute collections, I loved them all! The cookie cutter picture made me smile, I have those same child play size cutters from my childhood. Thanks for sharing your flocks!
Gina
Very, very cute collection, Lisa! My daughter actually has that sheep on the far left 🙂
Wonderful little animals!
I'm not really into sheep…but your quirky collection has me rethinking that! What fun! 😉