...blog more?

You can find out your resolution here (source).  How much would I love to go camping?  Oh, insanely much! Airstream dreams my friends, Airstream dreams.

Here's an update:  I did get a new camera, and I have been thrifting, and each time someone comments here I am so terribly ashamed I don't blog here more!  I do love this blog and I do love what this blog could be if I were more on top of things.  Thank you all for visiting, even when I'm sloppy and neglect it for weeks, even months.  May you all have a safe New Year's Eve and welcome 2010 with some bubbly and the blue moon.  Here's to a year of thrifting your best finds and me around here lots more.

in lieu of thrifting, some inspiration

If you're like me and you hear the word folksy, you think of Sarah Palin's vocabulary and grammar and cringe.

I like some folksy in small amounts (I do not like any Sarah); I hereby give you some good folksy:

keeping tabs

My mom sent me these Nu-Vise signals, your original Post-Its.  So fabulous!

.50 x 2

You know me, I find it very hard to resist a bread and butter plate, especially of the restaurant ware variety!  I found two of these darling plates at a thrift shop in Portland recently.  They were just calling out to me!

For inquiring minds (SOURCE):

This is a piece of TEPCO (Technical Porcelain and China Ware Co., El Cerrito, California, 1918-1968); from a Tepco catalog:  "One of our employees, who spent a considerable amount of time in the Hawaiian Islands, returned to the Tepco factory and told us about this beautiful flower that grows everywhere on the islands. After seeing the hibiscus 'Tepco China' decided to use this flower in an over-all pattern, thus calling it 'Hawaiian.'"  The pattern was made during 1930-1960.

MARGARET!

I have an odd thing for office supplies, especially of the vintage sort.  These stickers were found by me in my girlhood bedroom, where I was this past Thanksgiving.  I can't remember where I originally scored them.  I have a few theories:  they came from my grandpa (my grandma used to work for an office supply company); they came from my mom (she knows about the odd thing I have); or I sniped them at a garage sale way back in the day.  I can't remember!  But when I stumbled upon them last week, I was just as charmed as I'm sure I originally was!

.99

Here's the scoop:  I love Christmas!  I'm still growing my very small collection of decorations, therefore I do scan the holiday aisle(s) in the thrifts for small treasures.  My heart swells for homemade ceramics (see Mr. Jack-O-Lantern here), and I have this vision lately to find dozens of ceramic trees to put all over my "mantle" -- a.k.a. the top of one of my cabinets -- thereby creating a forest of fancies.  My grandma made a tree like this way back in the day, and it still fascinates me.  Anyway, this little guy, perhaps a napkin holder at one time, might hold my holiday cards.  Like I get that many!  But who knows...maybe he'll bring me tons this year!

$10

I saw this little painting propped up in a thrift store and thought I might want to hang it up in my future "reading room."  Even though I doubt it was painted with Oregon in mind, those colors exactly are an Oregon beach.  It was painted at least a few decades ago -- the back of the canvas indicates as such, but unfortunately it's not signed so I can't offer a little thank-you to the artist. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  ♥

$1.99

A nice Pyrex surprise found at the Goodwill.  Love this pattern!

$3.98

Finally!  I have the whole set: yellow, green, red, and now the blue nesting mixing bowls...and I found two blues at once!  They're definitely prettier in person than this picture...I'll have to photograph the bowls altogether.  Make them feel special, you know?  Teehee.

sub-collection

Hope your Autumn season has been crisp and that you make a fire in your fireplace in my name!  We've had a very warm fall here, but that changed this morning (thankfully!).  I put these Pyrex pieces out for my Halloween display and they're hanging on through what remains of Autumn.  I love them altogether like this.

A few (but very few) recent trips to the thrifts turned up some goodies which I'll share here soon.

from a friend

When people know what you collect and seek it out for you, you should know that you are dealing in rare, exceptionally great friends.

one for the portrait collection

As you know, I'm against online auctions.  However, when Steve showed me this portrait of Maria Callas on Goodwill's auction site, I told him I had to have it, no matter what.  I loved it at first sight (Amy Butler says nothing comes home with her unless she loves loves loves it, and I've adopted that too - this portrait? = loves times three italicized).  Originally commissioned for a small opera house on the West Coast, its starting bid of $5 quickly turned into a pretty penny, however...I was happy to increase, increase, increase the bid.

Now, let's delight in the lip detail:

$1.29 x 3

It's Labor Day and the library is closed! And so are my favorite thrifting spots! Oh snap!

I picked up three of these darling little apple dishes at Goodwill last weekend - putting my low-budget librarian skills to work, I googled the maker and found that they're lazy Susan dishes by Hoenig of California. They are stunners. I think these'll end up filled with peppermints, or apple crisp and vanilla ice cream, whaddya say.

a quick word on desks

I like when desks aren't in offices - when they're near pianos, uncluttered and decorated with fresh flowers.  The whole scene makes me want to stop what I'm doing right now and hand write a letter or two.

[image scanned from Metropolitan Home]

$16

I have a soft spot for paint-by-numbers. And these ones were done nicely and they're old. Which is a plus.

book to check out someday...

While I do work in the business of recommending books, this happens to be one I've been meaning to check out...I do love handwriting.

chalk it up to the chalk candle

Wow.

How could we make these?

We could certainly buy one here if we wanted.

by the firelight

Want to make your backyard deck cooler than your front porch?  I think all you have to do is make sure it has a fireplace and some homemade jam jar lanterns [also my photo source] and you're good to go party out back.  I'd try to make some jam jar lanterns, but the instructions scared me away.  It's probably a lot simpler than it reads...

it seemed like a good idea at the time

We decided to try out the Lake Worth Flea Market today.  I'm not going to lie: we had some expectations.

The granny panties were not part of them.  Or anything else.  Thumbs down!

everything below i love

I'm pro-chalkboard.

If you have a chalkboard, please make sure there are messages or doodles on it at all times.

Scanned from a ReadyMade - I'm not sure which issue?

blast!

I was thrifting this morning and happened upon a woman with a cart full of Pyrex.  It was the worst morning of my life!  I met my match, except she had a lot of crap in her cart, too.  Things yours truly would never buy.  But clearly her intent was to buy the Pyrex-look.  And sell it on eBay or something. 

so good together

I really can't tell you how much I love that there's a light bulb in this cabinet. Easy enough to do. I'll let you know if I ever thrift a cabinet and make it work.

[photo from August/September 2008 ReadyMade]

do something creative tomorrow

School has just started here in Florida and I've been remembering the happy art days of kindergarten. I'm not sure if you were into the Berenstain Bears like me, but remember Sister Bear's classroom in the Berenstain Bears Go to School? It was a happy art place.

[photo from August/September 2008 ReadyMade]

going outside

Too many succulents? NEVER! Take a look at this wall, featured in Sunset (April, 2009)!

For more on the story, see this.

$9.99

For all you die hard Solid Cherry fans, the original version.

I picked up those pillows at the Goodwill over the weekend. I regret I'm not sharing a detailed photo of the handiwork, because the stitching is amazing. I love these pillows so so so much -- a huge plus? They don't stink and a good lint-rolling turned up hardly anything. The message is so sweet (attention all you Mary J. Blige fans: Real Love. It's possible). And aren't those names charming? Partly why I thrift: I love to know I'm taking care of something someone once really cherished. At least I hope so.

The chairs were thrifted too -- but a ways back. They are my favorite.

booking it

Good idea from ReadyMade [October/November 2008].

Wait a minute...that looks familiar! We use these exact book carts in my library and they are so stubborn to wheel around!

Maybe using them in a more permanent role and not what they were originally intended for - the heavy-duty carting of books - isn't such a bad idea...they do come in some great colors (of course, at my library we had to go with institutional beige).

cooling down

What else could a girl in Florida possibly wish for in the height of summer? Everything I want right now is in that picture.

Here's what I love about it:

1. the light dusting of snow
   
2. white twinkle lights (all year round, please)
3. the Airstream as studio/guest house
4. that warm yellow glow coming from the windows
5. big freaking evergreens mixed with deciduous brown -- lovely!
6. and the essence of camping out
   

[photo scanned from the February/March 2009 issue of ReadyMade]

you can format that artwork quickly

From the inside jacket of The Art of Fine Lettering (Lesiak, 1965). I found it at a used book sale.

for your walls

Hmmm, I'm crazy in love for this. Perfect baby gift? Coming from a librarian?

Get one here, and make it fast!

$2

The lady ringing me up at Goodwill said, "You waited in line just for this little guy?" We then agreed he was worth it. Walker China...a good weight and good size. He was pretty scuzzy and soaked a long while before he became good as new!

$3

A creamer pitcher!

The details: thrifted for $3, Jackson China Company, and so heavy it could probably be used as a stand-in weapon for the game of Clue.

...dreaming of...

It would be delightful if I could find this Eames Lounge & Ottomon second-hand. I don't browse the thrifty webs (i.e., craigslist, ebay) at all; perhaps I should start...

Some of the best things are black, white & wood grain, don't you think?

$2.99

After two years of my Pyrex collecting...I finally found a piece of Balloons! It is in excellent condition, woohoo!

the last lot?

My latest thrifting adventure happened on Saturday and I have nothing to show for it. In the Pyrex Department, there was a blue snowflake divided dish but it hadn't been treated very well in its former life, so I left it behind. A co-worker of mine gave me the above trio of Town & Country from her mom's estate. It could be the last Pyrex I get in a while, with my lousy luck!

changing focus

I thrift less these days. But I miss it here -- so, I'm back with a completely different focus.

Less stuff, more ideas. You'll see.

.89

I never met a piece of Syracuse I didn't like...this pattern made me all giddy inside and that turquoise color blends with my other restaurant ware pieces really well. Time for some coffee!

$3.99

Went through my cabinets yesterday; wondered how in the world this piece managed to escape the blog? I scooped it up maybe in late '08 - I had drooled over this exact bowl at an antique store for $40 because I wanted this color/pattern so fuh-reaking badly and was almost willing to pay out-my-ass crazy for it. So glad I held out as this one came in a fraction of the price, supremely fine condition (not to mention charming and dashing) and looks good with green salads to boot.

$4.99

In regards to my collecting Pyrex, a couple things have happened:

1. it has become exceedingly difficult to find
2. it has become exceedingly overpriced; I've seen it "behind the counter" at a few shops

Steve says, "it became hard to find because you blog about it!" I only wish I had that many readers; I think it just became popular here where it wasn't so much before...I've never met my match in a thrift store, so whoever you are, scooping up all the Pyrex in South Florida...you must have quite the collection by now! Or, are people holding onto their Pyrex in these economic dire straits? I can't blame them.

Anyway, it has been very hard to find Pyrex in *excellent* condition here for whatever reason. This Butterprint Cinderella bowl was sitting on its own today, atop a glass cabinet (holding really tacky china trying to pass as "expensive"). I couldn't believe it! I might have said come to mama! which is neither here nor there. And the price wasn't too bad, either - so what, a little inflated since my infatuation began, but I was willing.

Do you know how long it has been since I've seen decent Pyrex? Yes, obviously: I haven't blogged about it in ages!

defeat

I never ever ever ever use eBay because I'm just not wired for the stress of competitive shopping (and those shipping rates = no thank you). We lost an auction last night for a little camper (Florida weekend getaways, eventual Oregon getaways, le sigh) and I, being the sore loser I am, belly-flopped onto our bed and cried like a baby. Maybe more like a toddler. It was that bad.

How do you deal with eBay defeat? Other than avoiding it or throwing tantrums over it like me?

$1

and



Scored this pair of sunglasses at the Salvation Army. They may have been less than a dollar, but definitely no more. And let me tell you: they rule! The frames were made in France, the lenses in Japan. I swore to myself once I would never wear any shades with white frames. See what living in south Florida will do to a girl?

$1

You could say one of these things doesn't belong here and it would be the postcard of Matterhorn Mountain in Disneyland. Otherwise everything else is fabulous Florida. Remember when trailer parks were tourist destinations? Me either. But apparently those were the days, folks.