My 2014 High-Way Buy-Way Scores

The Buy-Way was actually two weekends ago tomorrow, but as you know, my computer has been a bit temperamental (it’s only four years old, meaning I don’t much feel like springing for a new one; we’ll see who can be more stubborn) and other projects kept me from getting these pictures of my goodies to you as soon as possible. We also had several straight days of dark, rainy skies right after the Buy-Way ended, which put a cramp in my shooting said finds.

But like any hunter, I’m proud of the prey dragged home and wish to show off my bargaining prowess—and everybody seems to enjoy looking at vintage goodies…especially as we enter the last few weekends of summer yard-sale-ing!

The glasses above are one of my favourite finds. They came in a box together with a set of four (standard wreath-and-holly) Christmas glasses for a mere $2! The pretty pink linen napkins were from another yard sale.

I’m a borderline sucker for anything with a scalloped edge.

I’d say between the glasses and the napkins, I’m perfectly set for an iced-tea party! Here, take a better look at the glasses:

Taken while standing on a wobbly old diner chair that really, really just needs new feet to even things out.

Cucumber sandwich or miniature cheesecake, dear-hearts? Perhaps we can have that iced-tea party in the garden, where some of my other finds will be tucked in amongst the flora. This adorable green rabbit, for instance:

Newly thrifted vintage goodies

I’ve had good luck at the thrifts in the past couple of weeks and thought it would be fun to share. A classic vintage pencil skirt has made it to my closet, too, but that, being wool, still needs to visit the cleaner’s.

The two vintage carafes above are from a local Goodwill—and cost me only two dollars apiece! Right now they’re in the library, adding some sparkle to the bookshelves, but if you ask me, they’ll also be great for overnight guests to keep water in if they’d like, and of course get-togethers.

Both carafes have interesting lids. The tall, golden-and-turquoise carafe actually has measuring marks on the removable lid—perhaps it was meant for cocktails or lemonade? As you can see, there is a measure running up the side as well.

Small, plain golden letters near the bottom edge identify this taller one as a Douglas—does anyone have a possible explanation for the measuring cup?

Scampering Squirrel, embroidered and harmless

My sincere apologies for no TCM top 5 post this week; I’ve been slightly under the weather, and really, I wrote two last week, so I hope I can be forgiven. To be honest, I’ve kicked around the idea of it being less frequent anyhow; it takes a few hours every week to write up, and sometimes I’d rather write about other things, but feel obligated to keep to “the schedule”. But this is, after all, my own blog, so it is whatever I make it, yes? Just a heads-up.

Instead, today (as you can see!) I am sharing with you photos of a years-long embroidery project I finally finished a couple of months ago and sent off to the friend I was gifting them to.

Wandering around an antique mall or something of that sort one day, I spotted a pair of crochet-edge, pre-stamped but not-yet-embroidered pillowcases peeking out at me.

Need some vintage dishes?

Earth Kitsch has the scoop on where to pick some up! A small business named Deck’s Glassware has been around for ages, and you’ll find old cafe china & restaurant ware GALORE. It is, as she says, “the Emerald City of china”. If you’re near Chattanooga, it sounds like it’s MORE than worth a visit, or perhaps even a call if you’re looking for something special! Pop on over to Kitschville for all the data! And pictures that will, probably, give you a heart attack. I’m thinking that some of these would be *perfect* for our little vintage RV…

Part 2 of Eartha’s visit to Deck—including great photos of her fab finds—is here!

Lincoln Highway Buy-Way Recap: Success! Partially, anyhow.

Best of Ohio: Farms and Fairlanes! Well, one Fairlane.

Well, last weekend was the much-anticipated Highway Buy-Way. We were supposed to have two full days of thrifting and sightseeing excitement, but an emergency came up at Hubby’s office, so our time was cut down to a solitary day. Of course, we made the best of it—though as always, I was so busy hunting and chatting up sellers that I didn’t really shoot a whole lot. I did manage to catch some interesting things, and have a few places I’d like to return to, though, so it’s not a complete loss. Still, that’s the reason for “partially”.

Besides: I scored some terrific goodies, and just as I did last year, today I’ll share them with you!

Our first stop, a barn sale, got the day off to a great start (actually, that it was pouring rain here at home but a perfect day up north on the Lincoln indicated

I tried to get one of the pets to “model” this for everyone’s additional enjoyment, but no luck.

early success), because I found something I’ve been after for a while—a mid-century plant stand with a really neat shelving arrangement. It was tagged two bucks, but deciding to press my luck early, I offered one, and sold! 

The seller was a nice gentleman thinking about having a Lincoln Highway logo painted onto the side of his barn. That would have been an irresistible photo op. Next year, maybe. He seemed tickled to see me pick up the old plant stand, noting that a fresh coat of spray paint would have it looking good as new, and he’s right—though I have to be honest: that barn-y patina is actually kind of attractive, and it’s growing on me. I might just leave it be for a while.

No wonder Mom thinks I’m crazy. Rusty stuff out of barns in the foyer…

Just up the road was a ranch boasting a garden full of nothing but 6-foot high gladiolas on its east side—and quite a few vintage goodies. Much as I lusted after a Jadeite stand mixer (with bowls!), I wasn’t really up to dropping quite that much—and I found some other lovelies as well! Such as this sleek bowl-and-teapot set:

All of my more, ah, vertically-challenged and round teapots are bound to be jealous of this relatively statuesque beauty. They’ll get over it.

Just two, but two good ones!

The other day, we stopped at a local Goodwill. As always, I’m on the hunt for some good vintage duds—harder and harder to find, but they do pop up from time to time!—and fun things for the home (and, yes, Jell-o molds). No Jell-o molds today, but there were two goodies I was quite happy to bring home:

The chalkware rooster is probably my favourite of the pair, just because he’s chalkware. Our city still ill-advisedly and ignorantly bans hens, but I don’t think they can do much about this handsome fellow!

Of course, unless we had several acres, I don’t think I’d want a real rooster either—cruelty to one’s neighbors is unfailingly a bad idea—but this one is guaranteed to make no noise. As you can see, he even came with his (somewhat amusing) original packaging:

The gift of the CENTURY! 

Jell-O Molds: The most (ridiculous and jiggly) fun you’ll have in the kitchen.

Your eyes do not deceive you.

And really, this recently-undertaken endeavour, however silly, should surprise no one (other than my well-known hatred of sugar and processed foods). I love vintage, from the way I dress & style my hair to the things I love photographing and the sort of house I prefer; what, really, could be more retro a dessert than a Jell-O mold? Served from sea to shining sea in homes and roadside diners for decades, Jell-O and gelatine molds are fun, tasty, and as pretty or, let’s be honest, garish as you want them to be.

How this got going in my own kitchen, I still can’t tell you. Now, I’ve long had a small collection of vintage Jell-O recipe booklets going back as far as 1928, filled with tasty-looking recipes (as well as several questionable ones); during a trip to the used bookstore a few months ago, Hubby pulled a copy of Jell-O: A Biography— complete with  recipes—off the shelf as a joke, only to watch me go, “Ooooo!” and add it to my stack of books. It definitely isn’t my usual fare—as is so often the case, he had to hunt me down in the history section—but everyone can use some fun, light-hearted reading, right?

Of course, I still hadn’t any molds to work with—until one night, a carryout order provided me with a rectangular plastic tub large enough to hold about five cups of liquid. Perfect! In short order, I found myself pouring into this mold orange Jell-O blended with cream cheese, then peaches topped with more orange Jell-O into this new, makeshift ‘mold’, then a few hours later gleefully surprising Hubby with a somewhat glaringly bright but cheerfully wiggling dessert. After he got over the laughing, he confessed to its being “cool” and, not long after, “really good”. I was off to the races!