.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.