Do you remember when I brought home this barrel top?  It is one of my favorite things.  The first place it landed was in the middle of our little round breakfast table.  I had it all decked out for fall with a lot of my vintage items and some artificial stems.  Barrel tops work perfectly for a little centerpiece on a table, coffee table, kitchen counter top, etc.  I have a few more ideas for it, but for now, it stayed on the breakfast table.  And, I added a few more of my vintage finds to it along with a cute little Christmas tree and a set of snowflake string lights.  

Antique Christmas Table Decor

Oh, how I love antique and vintage finds.  I was walking out of the thrift store empty handed and glanced quickly at a table that I walked by earlier.  I saw these adorable little gold cast iron houses.  It took me a few minutes to figure out what they were.  They each have a slot in the back which appeared to be for coins.  I ended up buying them because I knew they would look cute in my Christmas decor.  And then googled them when I got to the car.  It is indeed what they are.

These little cast iron coin bank homes were produced in the late 1800s to the first part of 1900s.  I was online searching for them and found several available for quite a bit more than the $20 I paid.  Cast iron coin banks were made in every form you can think of, from animals to buildings.  I am thrilled that I found these in the shape of a home because it fits my style perfectly.  And I love how they look with my vintage bottle brush trees.

Which by the way I am obsessed old bottle brush trees, too.  I have a few newer ones coming along with some antique ones that I am going to mix within my decor.   Do you know the history of them?  A toilet bowl brush company started dying their bristles green and making them into the shape of trees.  It’s so funny because I have the biggest fear of toilets and toilet bowl brushes. ????  They disgust me so much.   So it is kind of ironic that I love bottle brush trees, that were invented by a toilet brush company.   These little trees are vintage and happen to be displayed in an old knob used as the base.

I bet you didn’t know….

that you were going to get a few history lessons in this post.  I really didn’t either.  It’s just a bit of useless knowledge that stays in my head.. while the important things leave.  ????   

Do you love old things as much as I do?