The banner pic on this page features just a few of the many canning jars I have in stock.  
In general, we refer to them as 'mason jars' but there are actually several brands in the collection.  Crown, Ball, Gem, Atlas, Best, Jewel and of course, Mason are all available.

The jar collection was started many years ago by my Dad.  Over the years, we have used them to store dried goods such as flour, lentils and oats.  At parties we fill them with flowers.  They sit nicely in the snow with a burning candle inside.  They hold paint brushes, nails and trinkets.  The list goes on and on.

For rent, we have crates and crates of beautiful sparkling glass jars in clear glass and that stunning blue / green glass.  There is a secret to making these beauties glimmer in the light. 

Use your fave search engine to find lots and lots of great ways to use these jars at your next party.  If you opt to hang them, let me know.  I'll prep the wires / ribbon for you.  

Brilliant Bash is one of my fave Ontario blogs.  It is such a great inspiration resource for any type of party.  Decor, attire, stationary, themes, vendors and so much more!

Today it might just be my all time fave because Brilliant Bash is featuring Hazlitt Vintage Rentals!  Thanks Laura.

The other day I stopped by our local paint store to pick up 3 gallons for our dining room project.  Right beside the paint store there was a little second hand shop.  My 5 year old son was with me and he was immediately drawn to a coffee grinder on display. 

30 minutes later, I ended up walking out of the store with a chair, a wooden croquet set, the coffee grinder AND this vintage Coke case.  I love it!

Imagine clear glass bottles filled with pink rhubarb nectar or sweet apricot juice with paper straws.  Surrounded with yummy cookies or cupcakes laid out on panes of glass.  Yes, that is beginning of a good thing!

On the weekend I promised to bring you something sweet.  At first I thought it was just going to be one sweet thing but when I started looking at the inventory I realized that there were a few options for adding a touch of sweetness to your party.  

Is there anything sweeter than maple syrup?

I think one of the things I appreciate about vintage items is its story.  Some things are treasured, some things are simply convenience and others served a purpose at one time but no longer know what to do with themselves.

The blue trunk has a story.  One of giving service at an early time and now awaiting a new role.  This blue trunk has traveled.  At one time, it was a gift.  A gift to a daughter who was about to go on the teaching adventure of a lifetime.  In the 1960s.  

That daughter was my Mom!  This blue trunk was a gift from her parents and it traveled with her to the Arctic for her first teaching assignment.  She was barely 20 years old and about to throw herself into an isolated community with a new language and snow and cold and snow and cold.

I haven't asked her what she packed in this trunk.  Maybe books, maybe a winter parka, maybe love notes from my Dad or maybe a box of chocolates.  Who knows.

It has a few dents and a little rust.  The interior is perfect with a great blue stripe paper lining.

At your special event it could act as a table or bench (I will make you a cushion to fit in the colour you like).  It could be left open, stuffed with quilts and blankets for an outdoor party.

The trunk is ready.  Ready for its next adventure.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with joy and the beautiful colours of autumn.

Another beautiful autumn day coming our way.  As soon as the temperature warms up, I will be out the door to work on 6 fab diner bar stools.  I think they will look great with a candy bar theme or imagine a milkshake bar.  YUM!

Take a couple of minutes today to check out Erin's blog.  Yesterday she featured Hazlitt Vintage Rentals.   And you can also check out her shots from Monday's engagement shoot.  The fall colours, plaid blanket, picnic baskets and a young couple in love made for some great pics.

There are so many beautiful ways to direct people to their dining table.  A simple, rustic approach is to use clothes pins to attach name tags to twine laced on a frame.  

Do you like this look?  If so, are you handy with buying wood, using a saw and hammer & nails?  For some the answer is yes, for many the answer is no.

If you answered no but really want the look, give me a call.  I have frames ready to go and I can custom make them if you have your own design in mind.

Add some pretty paper with names scrolled across it  OR  a packet of seeds   OR  sunny fabric with names stitched on it.  It will be lovely!

Yesterday my friend, Erin of A Simple Photograph fame, arrived to start photographing the inventory for Hazlitt Vintage Rentals.  Simply put, Erin is a creative genius.  I can't begin to tell you how invaluable she has been to the entire process of this business.  I can guarantee you that I will be referring to Erin many, many times in future blog entries.

O.k. back to the shoot.  Thankfully it was a perfect autumn morning with a touch of frost on the lawn.  More importantly my mate was home to help us carry/lug/heave most of the inventory for some fab outdoor shots.  While Erin captured shots, Mike and I trotted items around.  Erin would ask, 'do you have....?'  And my reply was usually, 'yes, give me a second to find it.'  OR Erin would say, 'it would be great if you had 30 of these.'  My reply was 'I have 50.'

There would be moments when we would both stare at the collection, dreaming up ways to use it.  Trust me, there are some great shots coming your way as soon as the snow starts to fly.  I don't think I've ever been so excited to anticipate big white flakes dropping from the sky.

After all the running, carrying, heaving, gathering and shooting, Erin had taken a lot of fantastic pics.  We retreated indoors for some apple cider, quesadillas and the last bit of my chocolate birthday cake.  

Browse through the site and see what inspires you for your upcoming event.  
There are many more pieces to come.  I just need to find time to pull them out of storage.

It was a full circle moment on Tuesday.  I went shopping for some vintage decor pieces with my Dad.  I felt like I was 5 years old again.  Except this time I was the one doing the buying and my Dad was the one that had to go keep himself busy while I looked for the perfect piece.  

Dad immediately headed to the book section to hunt for the ultimate find.  I spent time leisurely wandering around the displays outside.  I found a couple of great sun chairs with striped material and a cute potting table with chipped paint on the legs plus a couple of baskets.

I have my eye on some great pieces of furniture from the '50s.  Think of the chair Eddie Flaco sat in during her stint on The Sopranos.  I found it and now I just need to buy it!  I left it behind on this trip because I was drawn to the picnic basket I need for the shoot on Monday and a huge green bottle with a major *WOW* factor.

And my Dad?  Well, he walked away with a book about wild flowers.