Treasure Box Wednesday: Teapots and Other Temptations

While I spent most of Memorial Day weekend with my fingers tap-tap-tapping over my word processor, eyes roving over the ol' novel manuscript, I did take time Saturday for a bit of thrifting. And so while this Treasure Box Wednesday is a short one, it's also rather sweet.

Sweet, perhaps, like this cute Humpty Dumpty teapot I found at the Salvation Army thrift store...


Regular readers know my fondness for Alice in Wonderland, and somehow this just seemed right. He looks a bit more mild-mannered that Alice's eggman, who if you'll recall had a certain attitude. But it still makes me smile.

At the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store I uncovered this tablecloth...


Pinks, greens, burgundies and grey-blue morning glories make it perfect for my diningroom.

At the same St. Vincent de Paul, I also uncovered this cute Depression-glass-green goblet covered in flowers...


And this nifty shell pink milk glass candy dish...

And while I remember, and since we have fewer thrifted goodies this week, I thought you all would appreciate seeing the little bit of decor I'd found in the Giant Eagle grocery store of all places!

Around St. Paddy's Day, we'd had some decorative holiday items there in the "Iggle." Not needing anything immediately, I waited until the items went on sale and nabbed my faves...

Like this cute tea canister...


And this framed print...

What I liked about it in particular was how much it looked like the images on my Victorian postcards for the holiday...


Well, that about puts the lid on this Treasure Box Wednesday!

• If you didn't get a chance to check out the fun interview I got to do over on Home Decorating Room-by-Room, click here.

• And if you'd missed Sunday's post on Tales from the Thrift Store Aisles, click here.

Have a thrifty, nifty week, my friends!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Thrifting the Sunshine State and Beyond

On the infamous Black Friday, where everyone was wending their way through shopping malls to find the perfect gifts, my dad and I were actually taking a road far less traveled, hitting the thrift stores and antique shops of Dad's region in Florida.

In an antique mall in Homestead, I ran across a most unusual find.

See the tots posing above? Those are copies of photos taken by Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll!... And see this somewhat scowling little lady?

That's the Alice for whom the story character was named-- Alice Liddell. Now the boy here...

..He's Arthur Hughes, Jr., son of the late pre-Raphaelite artist, Arthur Hughes.

I had known Lewis Carroll did photography, but had never seen copies of his work anywhere, except for in books featuring this shot of Alice. These small, decorative prints were located in a booth with other Victoriana, such as postcards similar to the border design.

And it's true that it was the border design that first caught my eye. As a fan of Carroll's work, and well familiar with Arthur Hughes' art, this was seriously exciting for me. Happily, such flat prints fit beautifully in a piece of luggage!

When we made our next stop, at the Goodwill Thrift Store in Naranja, I came across a few pieces of 50s Christmas decor...


The center figure in the set is a cleverly-disguised bell. The "N" and the "L" presumably spelled out "noel" at one time, but I suspect the "O" and "E" were a casualty of a holiday oopsy past...


Still, the little figures have such nice faces. I think I can probably glitter myself up an interesting paper "O" and "E" to fill in the rest. Based on the holes at the top of the letters, it looks like they were candleholders.


The next day, at a flea market on Key Largo, I came across a nice set of pink depression glass candlesticks...


And I also found this fun set of children's vintage hankies, in its original decorative box. (Also flat, and easy to put in carry-on luggage!)...


Tuesday back at home, I decided to pop to the thrift stores at lunch time. And wow, was I glad I did, when I found a piece of marigold carnival glass...


It's got some nice pink iridescence going on. I still need to look up the pattern and learn more about it. I really doubt it's from the early 1900s, but I imagine it may be made from some of the early molds. I'm not educated enough yet in this to know-- I mainly just know what I like!

Last, I had to pick up this pretty shell pink piece. It was just $0.79 and since I've seen these go for upwards of $12, I thought it might be a good investment, or work well in a gift basket with other goodies...


Anyway, that's what's in The Thrift Shop Romantic's treasure box this week.

• If you didn't get to see Sunday's pics of Florida, click here.

And if you did, why, perhaps I'll see you back here again on Sunday for our next post.

Cheers, m'dears!