Egging on Vintage Easter Decorating

A hoppy, slightly-early Easter to you, my friends! As a big fan of both Spring and pastels, I couldn't resist doing a small Easter display in my diningroom. That's a thrifted Shabby Chic table cloth I'm using as a mantle scarf at the moment.

I found this sugary-looking Easter sign at Marshall's several months ago and just had to snag it. It looks a bit like it's made of Peeps! (I suspect it would not be tasty, though. Sorry.)

Easter also gave me an excuse to bring out a few of my Hull vases. This one in particular has always had an eggly vibe, so there seemed no better time than now to feature it...

 

Here you can see the table itself. The pink tablecloth was thrifted. The placemats were off-season discount from Tuesday Morning. The candelabra was a thrifted find that I tarted up with some pearly pink paint, and the plates are mostly Hazel Atlas Platonite from the 50s.

Just one last shot so you can see the matching table and mantle together.

I hope those of you who are celebrating Easter have yourselves a memorable one filled with family, friends and food! And those who have other plans, may the weekend be a good one.

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Vase Unknown

Anyone who thrifts regularly knows that thrifting for something specific is typically as futile as trying to herd cats. Or to use a metaphor, the Gods of Thrift are generous, yes, but they have quite the little sense of humor. And they seem to believe that their followers should be grateful for what the gods have deemed they can have-- above what they might actually have hoped to find.

It's a bit like discovering things washed upon a sandy shoreline. The stranded pirate might want a case of rum. What he gets might very well be a ladies' bonnet and a message from the stranded pirate two islands over asking someone with a ship for help.

Over the weekend, I went thrifting hoping I might run across some Fiestaware.

Now, you might be saying, "What? C'mon. You can't find Fiestaware at thrift stores!"

Only I have before. I live not far away from the land o' Fiesta's birthplace. So it's not quite as common as Pyrex, but it does lurk among our household items occasionally.

But, ah... the Gods of Thrift were on their game that day-- so it was not to be. No, instead I found myself with two Mystery Vases.

This intricate red jobbie had McCoy written all over it to me...
...Only not literally, or it wouldn't be an unknown vase. But the finish, the color, the organic lines with a bit of art deco to it... All the stylistic qualities of McCoy.

Yet my McCoy book doesn't show it. That's mystery number one.

Mystery number two is this little blue pottery vase....

Also organic lines, also the matte finish associated with some McCoy, and also with no mark on the bottom, I couldn't find this one in my book, either.

I love both of the vases just as much for their own innate qualities. But it would be nice to know who made them. Alas, that may take more time!

What won't take time is this--
My little vintage sheep planter from Japan which I found at the Goodwill. Folks who are long-time readers know I use these at Easter as part of a display. And this happy little sheep will be a nice addition to the collection.

I also happen to know where this tumbler and cereal bowl came from...
This is part of a Hazel Atlas Platonite dish set I've been pulling together, from the Depression era. I think I only have one other bowl, and the cup represents my first tumbler. At $1.25 each at the L&L Fleatique, I felt I did pretty darned well.

So that represents this week's Treasure Box!

Have you all had any interesting finds at the thrifts, and other resale venues? I'd love to hear about what makes you happy.

Have a great week, and I'll see you Sunday with a brand-new post!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Time for Unique Finds

After a few thrift-less weekends, this weekend it was nice to put on the ol' comfy shoes, grab my tape measure and keys, and hit my favorite thrift and antiques haunts.

One of my favorite finds of the day came from the L&L Fleatique-- this 1930s Bakelite clock, featuring a little girl on a swing.

I was instantly charmed by the teeny Alice in Wonderland type girl perched in front of a white, very 30s picket fence, and a Thompson-styled cottage print.

The clock mechanism needs a bit of work I haven't been able to dedicate to it yet. Perhaps I can get it running, and perhaps not. But either way, I really love it's style.

My other favorite purchase of the day was at Graham's Antique Mall in Ligonier. And it was a whole luncheon set of 36 pieces of the Hazel Atlas Modertone Platonite I collect, all for $32. There are cups and saucers (none of which I had yet), a creamer, sugar bowl and 12 dinner plates in excellent condition. As I kept bringing stack after stack up to the counter, and had confirmation on the surprising price for the lot, well, I was one happy gal!


At the Good Samaritain thrift store, I uncovered this nifty pink omelette maker. Now I'll never have excuses for sloppy looking omelettes-- plus, the pink sorta made it more fun, to me.


I also found this 50s/60s pink printed glass with various bon-bon trays and kitchen scenes on it. I've seen these in black before, but never in pink. I was on a roll, pink-wise, I guess.


And finally, there was this teeny lost lamb... Lost, largely because after such a busy day, I don't really remember where I found the little fellow. Possibly the Salvation Army...


Of course, I also located a few fun craft and decorating books of the 70s at the Salvation Army. I believe many of you might be familiar with them, as one helped me tell the tale of Marge and the Maniacal Trash-to-Treasure Decor this last Sunday.

Next Sunday, I'll show you a couple of t-to-t ideas from that same book which I thought were actually quite clever!

PS-- Marge will not be joining us, so I hope you'll feel free to pop on by.

Treasure Box Wednesday: Cool Coasters, Covers and Carnival Glass

Oh, I was all over Tarnation this last weekend-- yep, Upper, Lower, and even Little Tarnation, I believe. And while not all of the items I'm going to show you today were thrifted, a few were. Best of all, even the antique mall goodies were had at an excellent price. How fun is that?

Well, the first of the antique mall finds, the coasters above, are from the 50s. The magnolia pattern on them, and the cheery aqua, lemon yellow and vintage pink just said to me "backyard barbeque." They remind me of the 50s pastel hotels you see on Miami Beach when the planes fly into Miami International Airport. Anyway, now I'm all set for having a very cheerful retro meal outside this summer. Wanna come? :)

Speaking of that retro meal, now I have salt and pepper shakers, to match my Hazel Atlas Moderntone Platonite set...


I've been looking for these for a while at a price I actually wanted to pay. I've seen two sets at a crazy $15 a pair, with rusted metal tops. These I found for $2.99 a piece-- MUCH more reasonable. And as you can see, they're in nifty condition!

At the Graham Antique Mall in Ligonier I found a set of six marigold colored Carnival glass dinner plates for $16...


It's not easy finding Carnival glass plates-- lots of bowls but no plates-- so I was pretty excited about this. At not quite $3 a piece, that seemed really good to me.

Hm... What have we next? Well, this hankie bag was certainly nothing to sneeze at. It came from the Jeannette Antique Mall in, er, Jeannette. (Well named.)


Oh, and I uncovered a chenille bedspread at the Salvation Army...


And lastly, speaking of the Army... well, okay the Armed Forces at least... I had a hit with two World War II pillow covers. One to good old mom,

That reads:

Mother
There's a dear little house inviting
In a dear little place I know.
And a welcome is always waiting
When to that little house I go.
For there lives the dearest lady
The sweetest I ever met.
And to-day, if I cannot visit
Dear Mother, I don't forget.

It's from Camp Lee, Virginia. The other is an airforce piece from Miami Beach, Florida and is dedicated to dear mother and dad.


The poem there reads:

Mother and Dad
You're the very best couple
That ever was paired.
Whatever was given
Alike you have shared.
Many more years
May your hearts be made glad.
And may your blessings be many
Dear Mother and Dad!

And with that sweet, sticky sentiment from the 1940s, that about puts to rest Treasure Box Wednesday for this week. Will you join me next time for the spring Cottage swap? I sure hope to see you again.

• For folks who missed Sunday's post, a little review on a crafty book for the whole family, you can dig into that here.

• And if you didn't get a chance to see last Treasure Box Wednesday, you can always check that out here.

Enjoy that beautiful spring weather! The mossy phlox are ploxing here at my house. I hope beauty's in bloom for you, too.

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Real McCoy

You know the old saying about death and taxes? Well, I'll give you two guesses what I was doing this last Saturday instead of thrifting?

Heh, well, I DID get a LITTLE bit of thrifting in around the tax appointment. It came in a super-mini Cliff's Notes version of my favorite Route 30 trek. And there I uncovered two pieces of McCoy pottery.

This one came from the Good Samaritan thrift store, and boy, does it need a bath!


I think fondly of it as my "breadpan" piece... though, it actually was intended as a planter. You can see the mark on the bottom here:



Now this lovely leafy example came from the L&L Fleatique and I understand it is also McCoy. And it's got a totally different mark-- the earlier "NM" for Nelson McCoy.



The Garage Sale and Flea Market Annual tells us that McCoy "used a variety of marks over the years, but with little consistency, since it was a common practice to discontinue an item for a while and then bring it out again decorated in a manner that would be in synch with current tastes."

It goes on to say that all marks were in the mold, not ink-stamped like many porcelain and pottery makers had done. And apparently because McCoy never registered its trademark, there is a company in Rockwood, Tennessee using the McCoy logo on their pieces. (Many, the book says, are dated #93). So it's definitely a case of buyer beware!

In fact, I suspect I saw a piece of this repro McCoy in the form of a pottery bookend this weekend. The quality just didn't seem the same, and the stamp just looked so... new. NOT the real McCoy. :)

Anyway, I thought you all might enjoy seeing where these vases have been living, as I've accumulated them. Here is my mantle right now.


And here's a view of the Hazel Atlas Moderntone Platonite dishes-- I'm not fully happy with the table-setting, so this is a bit of a work in progress...




And see that pink bowl below? That is the missing Big Mama bowl of my Pyrex set. It's now complete. How amazing to have been able to find these pieces so close to the same time!


Well, that's the dish on this week's Treasure Box Wednesday. If you happened to miss Sunday's post of "Battier Homes and Gardens, 70s Style," click here.

Otherwise, I'll hope to see your bright and shiny faces on Sunday (or thereabouts) for our next feature.