Decorators like to follow the latest trends. A recent list suggested these: “In” are dark interiors, “Out” are all white walls. Taxidermy birds are “in” but antlers are “out.” Throne-like wood chairs are “in,” and modern plastic furniture is “out,” etc. I wonder where these trends are followed, because none appear where I live. Is it really true that the “Dark Ages” or the “Medieval look” is replacing “white and minimal”? I am happy with “hodgepodge eclectic.” My house is filled with furniture and accessories found one-at-a-time at flea markets and auctions.
Mailboxes with personality are becoming more popular in the suburbs. We have a brass hotel mailbox, the kind that was used near a drop-down chute next to a hotel elevator. A home builder near here gives his customers a special new mailbox, shaped like the house, when they’re ready to move in.
One way to date mid century jewelry: white gold was first used in the early 1940s. Pink gold also became more popular around that time. An iconic piece from that era was a bow-shaped pin in yellow and pink gold with small rubies set to look like the ribbon that forms the bow.
Tool collectors seem to change focus from decade to decade. Hand-wrought iron tools were popular in the 1950s. They represented the early history of tools and looked great in the then-popular room with the “Colonial Williamsburg look.” Coopers’ tools were wanted in the 1960s for Arts and Crafts rooms. Braces intrigued the 1970s collector, and wooden planes were hot in the 1980s. Now it’s tiptop condition that attracts tool collectors (see Warman’s Tools Field Guide)
The fabrics of the 50′s are coming back in style and are even being reproduced. Barkcloth with traditional patterns is back.
Frisbee collectors want advertising Frisbees made in the past 25 years. Look for frisbees that have ads for McDonald’s, Kodak, Keebler, Coppertone, Tony the Tiger, movies and the Olympics. Prices for mint Frisbees range from $20 to $30.
Uniforms are becoming popular with companies and schools and the look is becoming fashionable. Vintage clothing stores report brisk sales in low-priced uniforms from service station attendants or delivery personnel. Military uniforms have always been in fashion.

TIPS:
Save your broken dishes, vases and other decorative china to make mosaic stepping stones or tabletops for your garden. Chipped vases can still be used for flowers, or turned upside down to make toad homes.
Never store an iron pan while it is damp. To be sure it is dry, heat it on a stove burner for a minute.
If a thread in a woven fabric, carpet or sweater pulls or tears, do not cut it. Get a crochet hook or large pin and weave the thread into the fabric.
If you are buying a safe to store coins, jewelry, valuable papers, paper money, rare sports cards or other valuables, don’t forget that a thief can just carry the safe away if is is light and not bolted to a wall or floor. We laughed at the full-page ad in our local newspaper that shows a mailman carrying a boxed new safe to the buyer’s front door. A large safe, however, may be too heavy to put anywhere but in the garage or basement and too big to fit through a standard door.

The survey of 600 adults ages 45 to 65, conducted for the HomeInstead Senior Care network, also found:
• 31% don’t know how many medications their parents take.
• 34% don’t know whether their parents have a safe deposit box or where the key is.
• 36% don’t know where their parents’ financial information is located.
“The majority of caregivers we work with have done no advance planning,” says Jeff Huber, president of Home Instead Senior Care, a company that provides non-medical care services. “It is not important until it’s urgent. So much stress and uncertainty down the road can
be prevented.” Lack of planning can lead to serious complications when decisions need to be made quickly, says palliative care nurse practitioner Mimi Mahon, an associate professor at George Mason University in Virginia.
“It’s vitally important to plan ahead and have these conversations with parents, or families can act out of fear and make mistakes when emergencies arise.”
Prescription drugs are of particular concern. In the survey, 49% couldn’t name a single drug their parents took. Ask parents about their medications and, if necessary, do research, experts say. Find out the dose, what it’s for, who prescribed it and why. People 65 and older account for about a third of all medications prescribed in the
U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health, and older patients are more likely to have long-term and multiple prescriptions, which could lead to unintentional misuse.
“It’s kind of a never-ending process for caregivers,” says Sandy Markwood, head of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. “It gets further complicated when there is more than the family practitioner. A parent might have several specialists. It’s a lot for a caretaker to keep
up.”
Markwood says the Administration on Aging, also under HHS, has been encouraging better record-keeping by seniors and stronger communication between seniors and caretakers since Hurricane Katrina.
“Then you had a situation when seniors were evacuated without their medications and no one knew what medications they were on,” Markwood says. “Doctors had to start from scratch.”
One must-have answer for caretakers:What drugs can parents go without and which ones must be taken on schedule. For instance, blood pressure and anti-depressant medications cannot be missed, Mahon says. The bottom line, she says, is being a staunch advocate for your parents’ health care starts with “having conversations and putting plans in place.”
Source: Janice Lloyd, USA Today, June 21, 2011

Tip from Kovels – June 2011 issue

Storing collectibles now and hoping they’ll go up in value later may or may not be a good idea. Storing pottery, glass and metal in a dry attic or basement is usually OK, but not if the rooms get very hot (over 90 degrees) or very cold (below freezing). Furniture can dry out or rot in climates you don’t enjoy yourself. Linens attract insects. Be wary of plastic bags that could melt in high heat. Plastic jewelry, toys and purses can melt or disintegrate over time; heat destroys plastic. Rented storage should be air-conditioned and heated, but it’s expensive. If you don’t have room or the right conditions for storage, it might be better to sell – even at low prices.