Treasure Box Wednesday: A Million Happy Finds on Route 30

Okay, maybe a million happy finds is a SLIGHT exaggeration. But a trip down Route 30, with my thrifting buddy Scoobie and her awesome brother Jose, well, between the three of us, there was one overflowing trunk of treasure by the end of our travels!

It all started at the Goodwill Outlet Store in North Versailles and on to the Good Samaritan thrift store across the highway. Between the two places I came away with these fun finds...

The bag at left is for the 50th anniversary of Maurice Sendak/Where the Wild Things Are. He died quite recently, so it was surprising to find this useful tote celebrating his work.

Also at the Goodwill,  I got this adorable Disney Alice in Wonderland photo frame. Regular readers know my fondness for the book, and that I have a quietly Alice-themed kitchen. So I was quite excited about this find...

At the Good Samaritan, I couldn't resist this large old photo of a boy and girl by the seaside. Very dramatic and delightfully sappy... It's in an old frame already-- though not it's original one-- so I think instead of the weird matting that doesn't fit well around it, I'll just mount it on a decorative acid-free paper backing in the frame it came in. (Apologies the photo is blurry. My regular camera has died and I'm using my phone camera.)

At the Goodwill in Irwin, I was reunited with an old friend. I knew this fellow as "Zippy Monkey," and he's a toy like one my aunt had. I think he's from the '60s-- I still need to look him up. I have fond memories, though, of cuddling up this monkey when visiting at my grandmother's house as a wee lass. And at a price of $5, I couldn't part with the cheerful chimp. 

At that same Goodwill, I got the tiny purple teacup shown center below, and I figure I'll also show you the porcelain lady figurine (she's actually a box) that I'd found at the Monroeville Goodwill a couple of weeks ago. I thought she was a nice addition to my curio cabinet.

At Graham's Antique Mall, I happened upon this Swift Peanut Butter glass of the Cowardly Lion. You might recall I've found a few different ones of this series recently, but didn't have the Lion.

And then would you believe on the way back, the very, very last stop on our journey, a Salvation Army thrift store we almost didn't stop at because we were all so tired, I uncovered the remaining treasures of the post. 

My favorite being this beautiful Hull vase in pastels for just $9.99-- with no cracks, chips or anything!

I snagged this pretty lusterware bowl with violets transfered on it...

This purple luster teacup (I love stuff in this style...)

And lastly, two transferware plates dating from the early 1900s (these will hang on my wall)...

So it was a huge, huge day in the world of thrifty finds last Saturday. I admit, I needed Sunday to recover from the thrill of it all!

Sending you all good vibes for fun finds this week, if that's what you're into. And I will talk to you next week, depending on what excitement the next few days hold. Take care!

--Jenn

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PS- I just learned the monkey's real name is "Mr. Bim." "Zippy" was apparently a very similar monkey in red overalls, based on a live monkey who had his own TV show. I'm now not sure whether my aunt had a real Zippy, or a Mr. Bim who everyone just called Zippy. 

This monkey business has gotten complex! :) You can see both on the page of this vintage toy shop: http://www.timewarptoys.com/toptoys.htm

A Very Merry Unbirthday to YOU!: the Lewis Carroll Party

Happy Unbirthday!!!

What-- you didn't know it was your Unbirthday? Well, it comes around so quickly, I can see where you might be surprised to find it here so soon. It's my Unbirthday, too! And his... and hers...

So the preparations are made and the flamingos are just waiting for the post-tea game of croquet-- have a seat! Pour yourself a spot of something nice from this bottle marked "Drink Me."

Okay, okay... you found me out. This is all actually just a bit of silliness for my friend Josette who comes to visit each year. This past year has been very rough for her personally-- and with Dad passing, mine hasn't exactly been the Queen's rose garden, either-- and I figured we both needed an extra dose of levity for this upcoming long weekend of antiquing and catching up.

So I thought I'd put all my Fiestaware and Alice in Wonderland-inspired decor to use for a whimsical theme that might make my friend laugh a little...

She already knows I'm quite mad, so that part won't be a surprise.

The Unbirthday lettering came from the dollar store, as did the red and white rose garland. I thought the giant Fiestaware cocoa cup versus the normal-sized teacup gave a nice Wonderland effect. The Mad Hatter-like "hat" lampshades were the Tuesday Morning finds that started me off-and-running with this idea.

The checkerboard mantle "runner" and the placemats are actually laminate floor tiles I glued together; they came from the dollar store, too.

I think there's just something about the quirky art deco lines of Fiestaware that sets the right tone... The little heart-shaped ice cream bowls came from Tuesday Morning; they're not Fiesta.

I'm in the process of making little theme cakes that are covered in fondant, but I'm not sure if they'll turn out. I've never worked with fondant before, so if they aren't too scary to look at, I'll share those with you folks later.

Wish me luck!

Thrifting Using the Buddy System

Recent resale adventures proved that, while garage saling and thrifting with a buddy is always more enjoyable, if you have a savvy friend, it can also be more effective for finding the stuff you're looking for.

At the recent annual Regent Square neighborhood yard sale, two sets of eyes were definitely better than one, for both myself and my friend Scoobie!

Oh, I did okay on my own to begin with; it wasn't long into our yard saling journey, for instance, that I spied-- and subsequently nabbed-- this table with fun legs...

No, really... Table with "fun legs"...

But later on that block, my eyes were not quite so keen as to spy this nifty Alice in Wonderland tea towel...
"Um, don't you want that?" asked Scoobie, knowing well my Alice-themed kitchen. Also, the tea towel was $0.50!

I had my money out so fast! The towel seems to be a souvenir from "Alice's Shop" at Oxford University.

Scoobie was also indispensable when we encountered these pink Fiestaware sandwich plates...

I was distracted by other goodies, while these were apparently right under my nose.

Like the tea towel, they were in my hands quickly, because the price turned out to be seven for $5!

Now I came across a few of these other goodies on my own, such as this cute bag of four pewter Mad Hatter chess pieces...

(There were no other pieces to the set, just these. They remind me of those Easter Island heads all lined up like this.)

A pair of suncatchers were just $0.50 a piece...
And the Mifflin Church Rummage sale rustled up two pretty vintage tablecloths in grey, purple and green.But I think my favorite part of our day-- other than getting to sit down after walking about 20 miles o'er hill and dale-- was that I got a chance to return the favor to Scoobie for her keen goodie-spotting.

I knew from previous shopping endeavors that she'd wanted one of those pottery Christmas trees that plug in and are covered with little bulb ornaments. Her great-grandmother had had one and they are a fond memory to her.

Well, on about our last leg of the journey (and literally, our own last legs), I saw one sitting on a table on an elevated yard. "Didn't you want a tree?"

Turns out, the tree and all of its ornaments was just $3. The price was right, and good shopping karma was with her.

So lesson learned. Take friends with you. Make a day of it. And don't forget to let them know what you're looking for. Because you never know-- four eyeballs may prove far better than two.

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One last order of business today, speaking of buddies...

My friend Claire has opened up her own business of drawing cheerful customized "doodle" artwork for special occasions, gifts, etc.

I thought you all might enjoy checking out her site-- The Doodologist.

Have a great weekend!

Silver Eye Center Goes Down the Rabbit Hole with Maggie Taylor

Here in Pittsburgh, the Silver Eye Center for Photography has been showing a collection of works from artist Maggie Taylor, along a theme near and dear to my heart. It's These Strange Adventures, a surreal trip through Wonderland and other remote areas of imagination.
What I found most intriguing-- and I thought you folks might, too-- is that her work is done by layering Victorian engravings, photographs and objects into Photoshop, and creating an illustrative scene from them. So what were once ancestors being sold on Ebay suddenly transform into a serious-faced Alice carrying a Cheshire cat on a moody landscape. Or the King and Queen of Hearts posing, both realistic and cartoonish, for posterity.

This work illustrated a fascinating book of Alice in Wonderland, where the Alice here is portrayed by many different "Alice's" of different ages, in different antique photographs to complete a single story...
Perhaps that Drink Me bottle did more extensive personal alterations than height!

Another interesting thing about the work is its use of vivid vintage colors... shades that make the photos look hand-tinted, the way old lithographs or portraiture would have been during the day.
One of my favorites is Alice here with the dodo and other creatures in the Pool of Tears. Look how seamlessly these individual images were combined to create one full scene...
For my good readers in the Pittsburgh area, there's still time to see this show at the Silver Eye Center. It runs through August 21, 2010, and it's located right on Carson Street on the South Side.

The address is:

1015 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 431-1810
www.silvereye.org

Oh, and before we go today, because I thought this would make you all laugh...
Do you think my cat, Alice, is trying to tell me something? It doesn't seem.... subtle.

Have a Wonder-ful rest of your week!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Kitchsy Kitchen Coincidence

We've talked about this sort of thing before: regular thrifters know, you can't control what washes onto your shores in the tidal wave of thrift. You might bob and take direction in the surf of goodies based on so many factors. And yet, when your eyes are out there scanning the jetsom, and your brain is in a particular mode, sometimes it seems everything that crosses your path is just what you might be looking for.

It was oddly themic this way for me this weekend, almost as if the Thrifting Gods were determined to give me a few finishing touches for my Alice in Wonderland themed kitchen.

My favorite item is actually one I didn't find myself. And I have my buddy Scoobie to thank for it! On her separate thrifting travels, she recalled I'd been looking for a red metal napkin holder they had once sold at Target, and now don't seem to have anymore.

At the Red White and Blue in Bellevue, Scoobie came across the very item I'd been searching for and snagged it for me...

I was absolutely delighted when I met her for lunch Saturday and she asked, "Hey, did you want this?" AGHHH! Yes!! Yes, I do! Yippee!

Lucky am I to have a buddy with such a sharp eye and good memory! So, thanks again, Scoobie.

At the Salvation Army Superstore, I came across a couple other items to coordinate with my kitchen theme. Like this Alice in Wonderland collector's plate...

Amazingly, it still has its original box and collector's certificate...
And last, some playing card style snack set trays were simply too fun, and had too much potential, to pass up...
Just a few along my upper shelf added a little extra something, I think. Not quite what the manufacturers may have intended and a far cry from weekly cribbage night, but hey, whatever works!...
I hope your thrifting adventures take you to fun destinations, too, this week!

Treasure Box Wednesday: the Alice in Wonderland Kitchen

Given this particular Treasure Box Wednesday, I have nothing newly-thrifted to share with you all, I thought I would instead show you a room I hadn't really taken pictures of before.

Many of you folks were "with" me as I spent time creating my "Alice in Wonderland"-inspired faux stained glass window. (Thank you for your patience over that lengthy process!) But I never got a chance to show the big picture, and just why this particular theme had taken over my land of cookery.

It was the joy of finding Fiestaware, and integrating that into my otherwise Victorian house that left me trying to blend the streamlined art deco style of the dishes with the William Morris, Arts & Crafts red and green livingroom that the kitchen opens onto.

And one day I got looking at my collection of bright Fiesta candleholders and vases here...

...Thinking, "These Fiesta folks are completely mad! Look at those crazy shapes!"

And that's when something in my brain said, "Hmmmmmm...."

I already had a strange number of pottery hearts hanging around...
And then at Tuesday Morning, I uncovered purely on accident some odd-and-assorted plates, bowls and cups from a British-designed Alice in Wonderland dinner set. Each one had a quote from the book-- and being a writer and a huge fan of the tale since childhood, that was just too much for me to resist!

The timing was right!

Fiesta, it turns out, also made some heart-shaped dishes, a number of which I found in their outlet discount area.


Add to this things like a Humpty Dumpty teapot I had thrifted long ago and put into action now...

And a McCoy rabbit pottery pitcher, well... the whimsical theme has worked surprisingly well without being impractical for kitchen use.
The colors transition nicely from one room to another now, even though the kitchen is a lot more kaleidoscopic than the rest of the house. The pops of red, and an Arts & Crafts rug, really tie it together.

I also had fun with a little, er, prop...Anyway, that's the Treasure Box for this week. Hope the rest of your week is filled with wonders!

Making the Faux Stained Glass Window -or- The Days of Hearts and Roses

Sometimes success lies less in the final destination, and more in the journey to get there. I think I can safely say this faux stained glass window project is a good example of the voyage being more prized than the ultimate arrival.

As readers of my earlier post might remember, I was hoping to create an inexpensive "stained glass look" window to hang in my kitchen and go along with my kaleidoscope of Fiesta dishes.

I was aiming for a sort of Arts & Crafts Period meets Alice in Wonderland feel. This was my initial design....
Using an old window I got at Construction Junction for $1.06, I added the pattern in stick-on leading I'd picked up discounted at Michaels a while ago...
The pattern progressed (if a little bit crooked here and there, but hey, it's Wonderland, it's allowed to be wonky)....
And finally, it was all transferred. Not perfect, but you can see where I was going with it, anyway.Now it came to filling it in. I used a couple of different types of glass paint, including Gallery Glass brand, made specifically for these sorts of windows. Unfortunately, the directions on how to go about it indicated "Follow the directions on the pattern." Y'know, the pattern I didn't have because I made my own pattern.

So initially, I was painting the color on with brushes. And that made things really streaky. In fact, you can't see just how streaky it was in this photo...
But here in the light-- yipes!
I liked how fluid the roses and hearts turned out, but that was a different type of glass paint, and that brand didn't come in the colors I needed. So I decided to try sallying forth by squeezing the paint on thickly-- as I did the hearts, the background paint, too.

I was a little like icing a very large, very cheerfully-colored, but very untasty cake...
And as it dried, the paint began to change color rather dramatically. I found myself just a bit mesmerized by the way it crept across the window from block to block getting darker... darker....
So now it hangs in my kitchen. I think it still could dry a little more-- it tends to smooth out slightly the more it's dry...
But the whole thing does have a rather textured appearance I hadn't planned on, anyway. Better than streaky, but not quite as placid and smooth as I'd hoped...
Still, it catches the light nicely...

I think in terms of Lessons Learned, I would experiment a little more with different types of glass paint, and understand their surprising behaviors, before embarking on a full-fledged project like this.

Anyway, I enjoyed the process. Honestly, what's nicer than a quiet weekend afternoon listening to a favorite film and surrounded by a whole rainbow of craftable colors?

May the rest of your week be shiny, too!