What to Do with Mason Jars?

I know, I know... You're probably thinking I'm crazy that I just can't quite figure out

what to do with Mason jars. I've pinned loads of cute ideas, but for the life of

me, I just haven't been able to make them work in my house.

 Encouraged by my girlfriend, Jean, who has a small collection nicely displayed, I bought some
very reasonably when we were shopping during a trip to Indiana. Most of my jars are pretty old,
so I have hesitated to paint or glitter or change them in any way. But over the weekend
 I got them out and displayed them in an area in my kitchen:

I had to have the Queen jar, as my hubby calls me "The Queen" or "Queenie."
And I  love the one with the four-leaf clover that says "Good Luck."  And the three in
the drawer are all Acme.  (Always makes me think of the Roadrunner cartoon.
Weren't most of the coyote's explosives and traps from Acme? :-)  I would
love to have candy in every jar, but all I had right then was spools and three-year old Halloween candy
that I've warned everyone not to eat.  It's my decoration candy! 

I did find this baseball bubble gum at Dollar Tree. My brother and I used to find it mixed in with colored gumballs in a machine at Jack's grocery, a little country store with oily wood floors that of course made your feet black in the summer--we went barefoot all summer in the South. Our shoes came off as soon as our mom answered yes to our eager "Is it time to go barefoot yet?" and didn't go on until we went back to school. I'll never forget the dusky, fruity smell of that old store, and my little black feet that had to be washed with the hose before my mom would let me back in the house! 

The gumballs would be a nice addition to a shabby chic setting, lol:

I added a few special pieces to the display--butter crocks that were in our kitchen all through my childhood, a watercolored sunflower painted by my husband's great aunt and given to us as a wedding gift, and the scale which is a piece from our extended family.  When I got 

finished, I called my hubby in to look. His first response was, 

"Wow, it looks like Dr. Conkey's." 

 Now I have to tell you, that was exactly the right response!  Dr. Conkey's is a small store with old plank floors, vintage wood cases filled with all types of candy, a coffee bar, and wonderful decorations and trimmings. It is a heavenly place, and I since I've always wanted to 

live in a gift shop (or a museum, really), I couldn't have thought of a better
 decorating achievement with those Mason jars!

 I think I will be displaying these Mason jars all through the summer!
Do you have any Mason jar or grocery store memories?

                                                                      Laura

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