Friday, February 5, 2010

Can She Bake a Cherry Pie Billy Boy?



Can she bake a cherry pie Billy Boy, Billy Boy.  Remember that song?  I loved singing that old song in middle school chorus, I'm not sure why since I was singing it in the late 1970's when Helen Reddy was telling me I was "woman, hear me roar!"  Maybe it had something to do with the fact that our choral director was a man in his late 40's who longed for the days when women still baked pies for Charming Billy?!  Somehow I managed to embrace both tunes and became a successful pie baker, while also being a productive member of the workforce!

Ok, so enough about Billy, or having numbers too big to ignore, let's talk about my pie safe, which is far less controversial and far more lovely!




We bought this piece right after our daughter was born.  It was one of those purchases where you really weren't sure how you would pay for it, but you bought it anyway!  I did at least get the antiques store where I bought it to agree to let me pay for it in installments, but even with that I had to do some financial finagling to make it all work.  My brand of trickery was to convince Mr. Tide that we just had to have this wonderful pie safe, and to also then make him believe that tuna noodle casserole was the best, most healthy, most delicious meal of all time!




I gladly clipped coupons for the next few months and even took on a job making dolls and angels out of twist ribbon to sell to help cover the cost since I was home with our daughter at the time.  Finally, about 6 months later the little pie safe was "safe" at home with us and she was worth every hot glue burned finger from making those dam* dolls!





This humble little pine pie safe has held a place of honor in every home that Mr. Tide and I have shared and she's held  everything from candles, to table linens, to spare dishes, but never what she was intended to hold... Pies!  She has moved around a bit in our current house, but right now she is sits tucked in a special corner just off the kitchen.

I often wonder what delicious pies once occupied her and the stories behind who baked them.  It must have been fun to live in a time when pie safes held pies and not Christmas, Easter, and every other holiday's knickknacks!  A simpler time, spent baking and cooling Sunday pies in every flavor imaginable in handmade pieces of furniture inside a big farm kitchen.



She carries her age well, but bears the dings and scars of years of dutiful service.  I don't think the tins on her are original, but I love the heart design and the big wooden knobs.  I also love that the big top drawer doesn't glide out easily and kind of cocks to one side when it's open.  And how there is a little latch on the inside to hold one door closed while the other is open.



Just in case you thought I was neat about stashing away my holiday items, here is proof that I am not!  But my secret is safe with her since I can close her pretty pierced tin doors and visitors are none the wiser!




If it's possible to love an inanimate object, then truly I have a love affair with my pie safe.  I think that is she could talk she would regale  me with stories of her lifelong adventures.  Maybe once upon a time she traveled in a wagon, or held jars of freshly made blueberry jam.  Whatever her past may have been, I know that her future lies with us, continuing to do what she does best, being useful.



For more posts about furniture, head over to Miss Mustard Seed's for Furniture Feature Friday!

Furniture Feature Fridays

AND

For more wonderful vintage items you'll want to visit The Coloradolady for Vintage Thingie Thursday!


26 comments:

  1. Oh I love your pie safe. It is just wonderful. I found a similar one for my daughter years ago and it is still one of her favorite pieces too. Yours truly is stunning. Hugs, Marty

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  2. Whatever her past may have been, I know that her future lies with us, continuing to do what she does best, being useful.

    Beautifully written, your ode to this piece of furniture. Often our 'things' are important more for their memories and symbolism rather than their beauty. (Not that it's not beautiful, because it is!)

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  3. Beautiful pie safe! I love it!

    Is that - by any chance - a Longaberger basket down there on that shelf?

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  4. Thanks everyone, and good eye Rachel Lynn! It is a Longaberger Basket. I forget the name of it, but it has a wooden lid and there is a metal leaf finial on the lid!

    Kat :)

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  5. Hi Kat,
    Thanks for stopping by my blog. I am always excited to find new spots to visit and I will definitely be back to visit you here. What an inviting home you have! And I love that pie safe. My mother has one that is very similar that I periodically beg for. She's not budging!

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  6. Beautiful pie safe, with a lovely history behind it.

    sissie

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  7. What a lovely piece of furniture. I adore old pieces that look like they have lots of stories to tell!
    I've just been looking at your living room/dining room re-do and have to say it's gorgeous. You definitely made the right choice removing the wall. It looks like such a large but still homely and cosy space. Good job!

    ps - if you want any furniture painting tips feel free to ask though judging by your fabulous home I doubt you need any help!

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  8. That's a pretty pie safe - I can see why you could live on tuna casserole if you got to have that lovely piece of furniture. I love the worn patina. It reminds me of the cupboard that is in our living room (also used to hold a mishmash of untidy things) that you can see in today's cozy corner. You just know you will always have it around and it will always fit in to your home.

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  9. Now I'm hungry for a pie you know! Pieces like that are also so special when you remember the sacrifices you made because you knew they were meant to grow old with you. She is such a treasure and I see she is all ready for Valentines Day too. ~Lili

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  10. Okay. I am in love. I love that pie safe. But more importantly, the story that goes with it is fabulous.

    Plus, have I told you how much I adore your kitchen? I think I have. I think I love it too.

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  11. My friend and I were recently having a conversation about pies! I think they're a lot more fun than cakes. Besides, I've never heard of a cake safe!

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  12. Beautiful pie safe!

    Have a happy weekend:)

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  13. Ah, clean and sophisticated. How chic is that?

    Your blog is lovely. Our house is beige on beige on beige on white. At least it gives me lots of things to play with in the accessory realm.

    I DO love accessories.

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  14. Your pie safe is simply beautiful! I love baking pies and if I'm honest, eating them too...maybe I need a pie safe :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

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  15. What an amazing piece! It is just gorgeous.

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  16. What beautiful items! Thanks for sharing!
    Blessings, Grace

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  17. I love the design in the tin! It's a wonderful well-loved piece--the best kind!

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  18. I remember singing "Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy boy, Billy boy!" and many OTHER "nursery rhyme" type songs - - - sad to say, kids today have never even HEARD of them.

    LOVE, love, love your gorgeous pie safe.

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  19. I don't think my mother ever baked a pie. My father used to bake cherry pies for Washington's birthday. That's when Washington's birthday was still a holiday.

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  20. Oh, what a treasure, this is beautiful. I remember my grandma baked pies, but they would always be on the counter in the kitchen! Thanks for showing this piece today. Have a great VTT!

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  21. Beautiful pie safe. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  22. That is MARVELOUS! What a treasure you have.

    But now I want some pie!

    Happy VTT.

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  23. She is a beauty. Worth every coupon clipped and every noodle ate.

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  24. I love that sweet pie safe and like you..I always wonder what vintage things would tell us if only they could talk. It's a beautiful piece and I'm so glad you have it.

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  25. She is gorgeous and worth the sacrifice. Don't you love how useful pieces like this are all over the house? Good for so many things.

    Sorry it took me awhile to get to everyone this week.

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