Treasure Box Wednesday: Heavy Metals and Cool Containers

Admittedly I've been a busy bee lately, but I haven't let it keep me from my appointed thrifty rounds. But before we get into the treasures for this week, I wanted to thank everyone who participated in my There Goes the Galaxy book giveaway last week.

Folks can see the winners here: http://www.cabbagesnkings.net/2011/09/cabbages-there-goes-galaxy-book.html

And if you're still interested in getting your hands on a copy of the book in either paperback or ebook version, you can do that here: http://www.amazon.com/There-Goes-Galaxy-Jenn-Thorson/dp/0983804508

Okay-- that done, on to the thrifty fun! My first purchase of the week was this excellent little vintage Pyrex refrigerator container in blue... for one whopping buck.

But my second and favorite find of the week was actually spotted by my shopping buddy Scoobie, who recognized these early 1900s cast iron curtain tie backs....

 ...And recognized them as similar to these terrific curtain rods from the same era she had gotten me...

Now, I haven't put them up yet because I still need a bracket to fix them to above my pocket doors. But I had a little brainstorm the other day I think I might try; I'm wondering if they might work, if I slipped the end peg into one or two large eye screws? What do you folks think?  (You can see the end of one of them on the far left hand side of the photo.)

I haven't been able to find vintage hardware that would work with them. But I am open to ideas. They're lovely and will really work perfectly in my red and green arts-and-crafts influenced livingroom.

Anyway, that's this week's Treasure Box coming to a close. Hope this week is treating you well so far!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Lucky and Unlucky Breaks

I have some pastel pretties to share with you this week, but first, I wanted to mention I'm doing a giveaway on my humor blog, Of Cabbages and Kings, where participants have a chance to receive one of two free copies of my new humorous space fantasy novel, There Goes the Galaxy. I know that kind of reading isn't everybody's bag here, but I also know it is for a few of my readers. Plus, it's free. We all like free. It doesn't get more thrifty than free. So I figured I'd mention it. You can check out the There Goes the Galaxy giveaway fun by clicking here.

Okay, that said, back to the order of business! I wanted to show you photos of the little mantle decor I've been working on. The newest acquisitions here are the two green and pink vintage lamps, which I got at the Salvation Army Superstore a few weeks ago...

They needed rewiring and shades, and oddly I found a pair of perfect shades at TJ Maxx the day after I bought them. They match my mint-green Victorian fire tiles perfectly.

The second item that's new is the blue Hull vase in the center of the display. I got this at an antique mall not far from the Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Faire. The Hull vases on the ends, if you remember back, were also from the Salvation Army Superstore.
Above, you can see the blue Hull tulip vase just a bit better.

And lastly, when trying to rewire a different old lamp I had an experience I've never had before in all the lamps I've redone...
THAT is the metal base which was apparently totally cracked and missing much of itself, and it was replaced at one time by some cork panels. As I was working with it, it simply began to crumble apart. I know spelter is a soft metal, but WOW. Sooooo, I will be searching for a boring vintage lamp with a similar base I can take apart and put on the vase of this one.

This lamp vase is gorgeous-- pale green with handpainted roses, so it's entirely worth the effort. I just figured you all would find it interesting to see when these projects take unexpected turns.

And at THIS turn, we must end this week's Treasure Box post. Wishing you happy days as we make our journey quickly into October.

Treasure Box Wednesday: Lustrous Lovelies

While there hasn't been a ton of time available for thrifting lately, I did hit upon some little treasures in the past couple of weeks. One of my favorites is this figurine from Franklin Porcelain called Sophia, which I found at the Red, White and Blue in Bellevue.

You can see a close up on this dramatic lady here:
I love the matte finish, and the soft colors that work so well with my lusterware rose-printed china. For those curious, this is the mark on the bottom...
At the Goodwill Outlet on Route 30, I got a couple of pieces of lusterware, too. Like this little souvenir plate showing Niagara Square in Buffalo, NY...
It seems to have been a giveaway piece from a store there, sort of a promo item.

And lastly, I fund this nice luster Japanese teacup in orange and purple...
There was an extra saucer that came with it.

So that pours the last drop of this particular Treasure Box Wednesday. I'll be spending the rest of this week prepping the last few things for my novel's release. If you're interested in knowing more about that, you can check out my website here: http://www.theregoesthegalaxy.com

It should be available next week-- woo-hoo!