Treasure Box Wednesday: Pre-Christmas Thrifting

In spite of the hustle and the bustle of the holidays, the lure of the Red, White and Blue thrift store ended up being a little too strong. So I popped in to see what might await.

The first thing I spied was this set of pretty vintage prints, which I believe will go in my blue sitting room...

If you look at the Queen Anne furniture in the photos, they're almost identical to what I have in that room. In fact, the blue tapestry chair in the print on the right looks like a reverse of my pink arm chair there. I think they'll be a nice addition to the room.

I also came across two Shabby Chic pillows, in great condition and-- HALF OFF!

This made them, oh, $1.50 each. And anyone who's bought Shabby Chic anything knows that even the Target Rachel Ashwell line doesn't end up reduced that much.

And lastly, maybe my brain was thinking ahead-- way ahead-- to summer. But I couldn't resist this awesome vintage strawberry covered tablecloth.

How cute would that be on a table filled with green Depression glass?

The last two things I wanted to show you were not thrifted, they came from an antique store. But I'm really excited about them. While my first floor has some pretty ornate bare bulb art deco/nouveau cast iron chandeliers, my second floor lighting has never wowed me. I have modern, brassy, pseudo-Victorian fixtures in the blue room, my master bedroom and in the hall.

Recently, when a part of the one in my bedroom came off in my hand as I was changing a bulb, well, I knew I needed to make some changes.

So how about these painted, porcelain bare-bulb babies?....
They remind me of the early movie houses and dramatic theaters... so elaborately encrused with detail...
Anyway, I think this will be a big improvement.

And that is where we stand this Treasure Box Wednesday!

To all of you celebrating this holiday season, I hope you have a happy, healthy, merry one!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Crazy Hats, Cool Grapes and Crystal Settings

If you put the Mad Hatter in a room with Bob Mackie and Queen Victoria, that chapeau is possibly what you might get for your efforts. Insane, isn't it? That French lady bust will never forgive me for messing up her coiffure with such a feather-and-felt monstrosity, but it made such a humorous and lovely display.

It was found a few weeks ago at the Red, White and Blue at Bellevue (no, not the mental hospital-- different Bellevue) and it was also half-off. The lady at the register relayed this good news to me and then followed it up with, "So, what are you going to do with it?"

I mentioned displaying it, but I didn't think describing tormenting a very proper-looking art nouveau bust with it would really make my case for sanity.

Further in the thrifted world of vintage accessories, I'd found this deco-styled monogram handbag at the Salvation Army...


I will actually use this-- I don't care whether it's my initials or not. I think this will work well with a little black dress for an evening out. Now all I have to do is thrift the right guy, right?

Also in recent thrifting is this shell pink grape-patterned glass from the Indiana Glass Company. This was made around the 50s for Napco...


I liked the delicate pink shade of the glass. And in other grape-patterned glassware news, I found two parfait dishes for my friend's mother's milkglass gift basket. (Which is getting bigger by the week!)

According to the cashier at the Salvation Army Superstore, she remembers either peanut butter or jelly being a purchase with this giveaway item. Anyone else recall that as well, or is this urban thrift legend?


Lastly in the world of thrifty goodness is this thrifted still-life painting... I might just hang it in my office at work.


But wait-- don't go yet! Since I've been working on it, I thought you might also like to see my late-summer table setting...

The placemats are capice Shabby Chic mats I got a year or so ago. The plates are all my crystal Waffle/Waterford Anchor Hocking depression glass, and the candles and candlestick holders were all thrifted many moons ago from stores lost to time and memory...

I like the little fairy figures in particular because they have a bit of an art deco hood ornament thing going on in their styling...


And here you can see the mantle in the same room, with the marcasite-styled frames. They carry over the same feel as the crystal depression glass plates, I thought.

And there you can see my new-old yellow-green art deco clock discovered for $15 a week or so ago...

I thought that worked well with the yellow-green tablecloth and placemats!

Well, that's it for this Treasure Box. If you have a moment and want to check out Sunday's post on some antiquing spots to Pittsburgh's north, click here.

Can you all believe the Back To School season is right around the corner? I suspect for those of us without the wee ones, it would be wise to avoid all shopping malls unless absolutely necessary. It's looking a bit scary out there. Hope everyone is enjoying the last hurrahs of Summer!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Shellfish and Not Sho Shellfish

If you put your ear to this shell, you can hear it say how cheap it was. "Baaaargain...." it whispers. "Baaaaaargain."

And this weekend certainly was good for those. In addition to several pieces of Pyrex shared with you earlier this week in the Pyrexia post (click here for that one), I found one gift for someone, and a number of goodies for me, too.

But first, let me say, on a sunny summer day, when everyone else was tanning themselves at the community pool, or riding down The Three Rivers in a boat, what was this pasty red-head doing? I was hitting the thrift stores and taking the road less travelled!

Why, if thrifting were like driving on the Autobahn, this weekend's shopping would have been Varvegneugen. The aisles were clear, and something happened which has never happened in this history of my going to the Red White and Blue on Route 51-- I got a parking space out front! (Normally I have to drive down an alley, over a bridge, and up an incline just to find a spot.) It was amazing.

But enough of that. On to the good stuff! So let's talk gifts. How about another dolly for my family friend?

This little gal reminds me of the character Mary from "A Secret Garden." And I'm thinking if I can find a nice copy of that book, and some flower seeds, it would make a really nice gift basket.

Speaking of books, there were a couple of those, as well. My shopping buddy on this adventure, Scoobie, well, she's a book-a-holic. Virtually any thrift, and she comes away with a stack of good reads. And this time, she found two for me, too, that thoughtful gal did! One from my friend P.G. Wodehouse, and one by Alice Hoffman.


Also uncovered was this great stack of eight old sandwich plates, and 2 platters, all in a thistle-purple color.


These seem to be from around the early 1900s (judging by their style, similar to the whiteware calendar and portrait plates I collect.) But I had no idea they made ones like this as dinnerware. So this was a fun find.

And speaking of fun, I came across one more World War II souvenir pillowcover. Another from the U.S. Army, devoted to "Sister." This one I think will work nicely in to my red-and-green living room.


And lastly, I'd wanted to share with you this cute little vintage bear planter. I don't know that he's necessarily of value -- other than to me, because I thought he was charming...


It was one of those things I just knew I'd feel bad about if I left it there in the store. And at a couple of bucks, the price really was right.

So, that's what was inside the Treasure Box. I found a couple of other things, but they are Top Secret at the moment, because they're going into a basket for an online friend who reads the blog. I promise I'll come clean on that later, though. I just don't want to ruin the surprise.

Click here if you missed out on the mania o' Pyrex from Sunday.

And, for everyone else-- thrift happy!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Moppets and Wabbits and Warthogs, Oh My!

It was a mixed bag o' thrifting this week. I've been noticing that everybody and their grandmother seems to be at the thrifts lately. (Okay, well, not MY grandmother; she's no longer alive, so the surprise of THAT would be more than I could take.) But busy. Very busy at the thrifts.

As a result, I think things have looked a bit picked over.

HOWEVER, this didn't prevent me from finding some really fun things. Mostly, this week I have some cool gifts to show you.

The little sweetheart above is one of them. This porcelain doll came from the Red, White and Blue on Route 51, and I just loved her ornery expression. The moppet will go to a family friend for either Mother's Day, or Christmas-- I'm not sure which yet. The good lady collects dolls (same lady who received a pair of li'l gals LAST Christmas) and I know the wee lass will be going to a good home.

Here she is decked out in all her finery.


For myself, I found a couple of sets of nice vintage-look sheets. The Shabby Chic-styled guest room just cried out for these. And hey, at just $4.00 a set, it's pretty easy to give the guest room what it wants.



I also found the cute retro-printed purse...


But lastly, I found a few presents for my friend Scoobie's brother for his birthday. He's a good kid, and he's totally embraced the idea of thrifting. So I think he'll be tickled with these collectible juice glasses containing favs of his, Taz and Bugs Bunny. (I don't believe he has these particular ones in his collection yet, but he has a lot of character glasses.)


To complement this, he'll also receive a face only a mother could love... a mother WARTHOG, that is!

This potentially life-sized (if he were alive) Pumba from The Lion King still had his tags from the Warner Store. What is it about boys, that a flatulent warthog is just hysterical to them?

Of course, I admit I'm also going to really miss Pumba-- I've had fun putting him in various unexpected places around the house and startling my housemate. Pumba in the bathroom by the pedestal sink... Pumba in the hallway... Pumba at the front door...

Good times!

The challenge, I think, will be, how precisely to WRAP a warthog... Ah, well, I'll figure it out! Wish me luck.

Anyway, on Sunday, I hope to have something exciting for you. Simon and Schuster had asked me if I was interested in taking a look at a craft book they've just put out. So we'll be reviewing that and I think seeing, in particular, how these ideas might be applied for thrifty decorating. (Note, this is not any kind of paid review, or anything-- it's only my own little opinion. Just thought it might be fun and a little different!)

• Oh-- and did you miss Sunday's post on "Of Buds and Blogging Buddies"? Just click here.

• If you'd missed the previous Treasure Box Wednesday, on "The Real McCoy," click here.

Here's hoping the tax man went easy on you this year, my friends! See you soon.

Treasure Box Wednesday: Linens, Lamps and Lambie Lovelies

If streamlined is "In" and frills are "Out," you can just label me merrily "outdated." After all, how could I possibly complain when we Fans o' the Frill have the chance to get beautiful doilies, tablerunners and tablecloths such as these, with absolutely NO competition for them? And at just a few dollars a piece!

Yes, the Red White and Blue came through with a number of delicate hand-done pieces-- like this white and beige table cloth...


This bright garden of embroidered roses...


And the delightful table runner below. I'd picked this one up originally because it had cherubs on it, and as you all know, I am pro-Cherub. But I never expected to get a bit of history right along with it...


I don't know if you can read it, but the print there says, "Work by Henry Drexler age 74 years old." (I've read it a couple of times, and I'm 95% sure it says, "Henry.") Was "Henry" short for "Henrietta," or was this fine needlework done by a Mr. Drexler? Does our friend Henry live still, or was this tablerunner donated upon the crafter's passing?

As with the owners of my vintage postcards, I always find myself longing to learn more of the story behind the piece. But while the tale of Henry Drexler may be lost to the hands of time, I do know I'll think fondly of Henry's talents of the needle every time I pass this on my table. Yep, a little piece of Henry is living on in linen!

Other items I found at the thrifts this last week include this courting couple photo frame. I plan to give to my friend Scoobie to go with her regal French decor...


I also discovered a shabby lamp I hope to use in my spare room...


And a sweet 50s lamb planter that is going to be part of a much larger Easter eggstravaganza I've got planned. (Grin!)

If you think this lovely lambie is cute, I think you might just want to stay tuned in the next couple of weeks for the full Easter blow-out.

Well, that's it for this Treasure Box Wednesday. I thank you each muchly for popping by to spend some time here.

And if you missed my Sunday's post of "Decorating for Denial: Beating the Winter Doldrums," you can still catch it by clicking here. Take care!

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Adventure Begins

Thrifty treasure-hunting. There's just something exhilarating about the thrill of the hunt, the serendipity of it all. We dig deep into the past and find joy in the personal gems we uncover at our favorite flea markets, yard sales and charity thrifts. And we learn so much by vicarious thrifting, too-- discovering what's out there within reach of our fellow thrift archaeologists, gleaning a little history, recalling a few trends, and bringing to light the long-lost, forgotten and beloved.

So in addition to my regular weekly post, I've been thinking about starting a new feature, right here every Wednesday, to just share the fun of some of the most recent finds.

To start things rolling, I thought we'd talk about what was unearthed at the Red, White and Blues this last weekend.

We'll begin with the items one of my buddies uncovered, and kindly let me photograph. My amigo in thrifty-fun this day-- oh... let's call her Scoobie (due to said friend's unwaning and somewhat bewildering nostalgia for the cartoon mutt of the -Doo variety). Scoobie did very well for herself this weekend.

To give you an idea of her interests beyond cowardly crime-meddling dogs, she loves French blue and elaborately gilded things, but also is a fan of the Victorian western look. She's got a red Victorian parlor set and collects ruby glass. So you'll soon see why she was so jazzed about her finds.

Something blue (French influenced jaquard comforter)...

More blue... (Votive holders or drinking glasses... I can't tell which, they are votive-sized...)


A bit of ruby... (Avon Cape Cod ruby glass)


And a handsome cowboy and a couple of cactii for good measure... (Coors mirrored bar sign)


(Quirky Western diorama...)


(Gotta love that thrift store art Gambler-look still-life... Somebody worked hard on that one! :) Excellent kitsch!)



Now, me, I found a hand-painted tole tray, some vintage hankies and an interesting retro Gloria Vanderbilt umbrella...

A pink glass lidded pitcher and an aqua blue mixing bowl...


A vintage apron (how cute is that?)...


Some cherub candlesticks in faux jade...


And this cool vintage lamp made of slag glass... (I'll be having fun this week trying to figure out just what sort of shade was meant for this baby! Mission style? Arts and Crafts? ) Anyway, it was $5.99!


So what do you think, folks? Is this a type of feature you'd enjoy seeing once a week? I'll still be posting the regularly scheduled thrift trips, more in-depth looks at vintage collectibles, cookbook and crafting fun, and other goodies every Sunday afternoon...

...Like this week's other new post-- "Dubious Dinners and Riotous Retro Recipes"-- a light-hearted examination of some questionable vintage cooking-- click here. Make sure you leave room for the Frozen Cream Cheese...( or, er, NOT)...

Otherwise, thanks for joining me today, and I hope to see you again on Sunday!