"Things Go Better With Coke"

Sometimes I look at a treasure and know I want to write about it and know exactly what to say because I am sure (somewhat) of the story behind it.  Not so much about the treasures today.  I know I want to write about them, but I'm not at all certain of their stories.

Kelly helped me put this little vignette together.  I have had this coke carrier all over my house, doing one task or another, but not quite filling the bill.  It has a mate that still has its dividers in it.  I know exactly of several uses for it, but this little gem was a little harder for me to wrap my head around.  It's been on my table holding other little treasures, but dinner always demanded it to excuse itself and that presented a problem for me ~ keeping it all together.  So I would empty it and sit it in a corner or under a shelf or behind something for lack of more creative uses for it.  I hated that it was just being shoved here or there.  So, I hung it.  I wasn't sure of what I would put in it, which worried me because I could just hear Bob grumbling about me taking it down after having driven a hanger in the plaster to hold it.  I had tried those Command Strips before for very light weight, I mean canvas light weight, only to have the picture fall after I hung it.  So hang that up  (pun intended).  I wasn't having this wooden crate and its contents crashing down in the middle of the night and scaring the life out of me.  Not to mention Audrey Dog's food and water bowl are on the floor under it.  Poor girl, that thing would probably do great damage to her little 7 pound frame!  Needless to say, I was fretting over it. 

The coke crates came from my Dad's shop when we closed it down after he passed away.  I got this one and the one with the dividers still in tact. I don't know how he acquired them or why, for that matter.  The top is painted black for some odd reason.  I like that you can see the rings from the bottles from constant use.  One the sides the "Coke" emblem is painted in white and on the inside the emblem appears in a faint red, as if it were over spray.  Never noticed it until I hung it. It is really cool looking.  Dad was creative in the way he used some things.  He had taken two other Coke crates and nailed them together, back to back, and tacked a piece of carpet on one of the ends (there was probably a little foam under there as well) and used it to sit on while he was working on TVs or radios or whatever.  Donna took those.  She said she was going to leave them that way.  I don't blame her.  I would too.

But anyway, Kelly came to the rescue and helped me fill 'er up!  This is the arrangement she came up with:

I like it.  A lot.  The sugar bowl, creamer and platter they sit on were my Mom's.  She had little shelves on each side of her kitchen window and they sat there.  They are a light weight aluminum with a little design embossed on them.  I love them, but I don't know their story. They were just always there.  The S & P shakers are Bob's mom's.  They go nicely with Mom's things.  Then we she ~ Kelly ~ hung a little tin star in the corner.  So cute.  I'm thinkin' of changing it to a patriotic one in July. 

I like the feel of the rustic crate holding the delicate aluminum pieces.  A nice counter balance. Kinda' like life.  Rough and smooth.

I think this crate has finally found a home.  At least for the time being!