Friday Funday

I get one Friday a month off.  I use it to work on Etsy projects and update my shop.  In the "summer months" (I use that term very lightly here in upstate NY) I sometimes use that time to find things to stock the vintage area of my shop, as I did this Friday.

There was an estate sale about a block from my house so I went there first.  It was so quiet, no cars on the street, nobody hurrying back to their car with armloads of treasure.  I felt like I was in the wrong place.  It was also the last day of the sale and everything was half off.  Let me tell you how much I love that phrase.

I wandered down to the basement, which is where the holiday stuff is generally relegated to.  I bought a huge box of Christmas...junk...for $1.50.  There were a few pieces of uselessness in the batch, to be sure, but there were also some pieces of Christmas finery that I added to my own burgeoning collection.

These glittery white snowballs which are probably millinery supplies are going to look HOT in some jadeite vases come Yuletide.  The white bell in their midst might look like some hokey wedding do-dad, but it is in fact Christmas.  Witness the holly at the rim.  It is also coated in white glitter.  Pardon me whilst I drool.

One of my all time pet peeves when sale-ing is finding a bin full of vintage Christmas ornaments.  You might think I'd be super happy about such a thing.  But, this stuff can't be thrown in a bin.  All together.  Bumping and scraping against each other.  What are we?  Savages?  These things need to be cared for, individually wrapped, or at least separated with some freaking tissue paper, come on people!  

I found these gorgeous, very fragile blown glass mushrooms at the bottom of a box of chaos.  Two of them are broken on one side, but they were so enchanting I thought I'd take them and display them, good side out.  Nobody will be able to tell.

The millinery holly is gorgeous.  Such a rich velvet texture and great color.  I'll probably just lay it on a pretty plate somewhere and cry, "Behold!"  That junk is art.

I also got this great vintage leather Vogue bar travel case for $2.50.  I believe it to be real leather.

It has a space at the top by the lucite handle to put in your fancy metal monogram.  Too bad CGU are not my initials.   It also still has the key so that you can lock it up, preventing any shifty bystanders from stealing your travel booze.

It doesn't have all of it's inner bits anymore, but I've got plenty to fill it up.  Invite me over for drinks some time and see if I don't arrive with this dapper chapper filled up with goodies!  

On Saturday the husband and I went to a Wesleyan church sale up in Greece.  It was the last day, fill a bag for $5.  It was pretty pathetic pickings.  I didn't see anything at first gander.  Then I wandered over to the scarves on our way out and saw a box of crazy old ties.  The husband was with me so we perused together and found a few cute, sleek ties from the 1950's for him.

Then we discovered there were some strange ties lurking therein and got the knitted woolen ones for a friend who I think would ware exclusively wool if that were an option.  That's right.  There were enough knit woolen ties to choose from.

Then just as I was about to join the line at the cash register I saw this lovely.  Is it a Dream Pet?  Perchance.  One thing I do know is that it's damn cute.  And holiday.  So, obviously.

So, In Summary:

I'm Getting Too Much Christmas Stuff And I Can't Think About Christmas Right Now Because It Seems Like Winter Hasn't Even Ended Yet And I Just Can't Handle That So I'm Feeling Conflicted.

Quickly!  To The Travel Bar Case!

Vintage Avon: The Food Of The Gods

There aren't any neighborhood sales yet.  That's because it's still "spring" here in upstate NY and that means that it could be blazing hot one moment and nearly literally the next moment it could be snowing.  Not many neighborhoods can commit to that kind of insanity for a sale.

There are however, a good number of estate sales.  Last weekend we went to two.  My friend Kara is moving to a new apartment very soon and at the top of her list was a vintage kitchen table.  The kind with the formica top and the chrome edge and legs.  Guess what we found at the first sale sitting in the back yard, all lonesome like?

BAM! $26.  It didn't come with chairs.  But that's not a problem.  We've got the whole season stretching out in front of us like a golden promise of unforetold treasure.

These sales are great, because Saturday is generally at least the second day of the sale, the third day in some cases and almost always the last day.  Which means, items are priced to move!  Half price, fill a bag, you name it.  There are deals to be had!

In between the estate sales we found a yard sale and stopped.  It was tiny but I did manage to find a few things. A fun turquoise scarf for $2 and an amazing blue velvet vintage hat for $1.  What are these kinds of hats called?  They just sort of sit on top of the crown of your head, looking ridiculously cute and being purely for fashion, because they aren't covering jack.  Hat...let?  Hat...ling?  They must have a name. This one has so much awesome going on I can hardly stand it.  Bow, interlocking velvet squares and bright blue plumage.  This here hat has it all.

The second sale had some real doozies.  Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm mad that I didn't take pictures of the more...eccentric pieces.  I pledge to do better at that.  Next time I'm all in on pictures of the crazy stuff.  There was a huuuuge slice of tree trunk that had been shellacked within an inch of it's life and turned into a coffee table.  But not before, what I'm assuming could only be fake jewels, were stored in the nooks and crannies.  It was a sight to behold.  It was situated under a huge, probably plastic, gold frieze of some cherubs and various swirly pieces.  Next to that was a hanging stained glass light which housed some faux floral arrangement that had to have been from the 70's.  I'm telling you.  This place had some stuff.

Hidden among the stuff there were some twinkles of joy.  These vintage Christmas candle lights, for instance.  I'd seen them online while I was looking over what the sale had to offer and was sure they'd be gone by the time I got there.  Not so!  They'd been moved to a grubby corner of the basement which I think people were a little scared to venture into, I'm not going to lie.  But, I had Kara with me and girl is tough.  Or at least I imagine her to be a lot more tough than I am.  So I felt safe.

$2 for the pair (Hear that?!  ONE DOLLAR each!!)  They're about a foot tall.  They came in the original boxes and have cords to plug them in.  I probably never will on account of the fact that the cords look like something that will straight up burn your house down.  These look like they didn't get much use.  I love the fact that they look like they were made from huge toilet paper rolls covered in shiny red paper.  The fake flame light bulbs, the plastic drippy "wax" and all the plastic there at the bottom really do it for me.  I can't even begin to think about winter right now, but I know that when it comes I'll be glad to have these little beauties to help get my through.

I saved the best for last.  Vintage Avon.  You know how I feel about that.  Kara plucked the plush strawberry magnet from the fridge and shoved it in my face.  She got the reaction she was looking for: Delighted joy.  Maybe even a squeal.  I grabbed it and said, "IsthisAvon? ThishastobeAvon."  And the tag confirmed what I already knew in my heart: Avon.  Then we rounded the other side of the fridge and I spotted Strawberry's friends Pineapple and Orange.  Dear, The 80's.  You were an amazing time.  Plush neon fruit people magnets wearing sunglasses.  In the 80's almost everything wore sunglasses. 25 cents each.

And if that weren't enough, the paper wreath filled with vintage Avon Christmas earrings.  The wreath backer it's self is amazing.  I already have the snowman earrings from my childhood and I have never, ever seen them at yard sale nor thrift store until now.  I can't even handle it.  I'm barley keeping it together.  My Vintage Avon cup runneth over!

So, In Summary:

Stick With Me Kids, My Saleing Mojo Will Rub Off On You

(That sounds gross.  I don't mean it to be gross.  Sorry.)

Screw Real Candles.  Those Wax Dummies Don't Know What It Means To Be Fabulous

Vintage Avon Calling

Ah, That Felt Good

We stopped at a tiny little garage sale, in an actual garage two weekends ago.  There was just enough stuff to keep us occupied for about ten minutes.  Ten thrilling minutes.  Thrilling, not because it was a great sale with tons of must have items, but thrilling because it was that golden doubloon: The First Sale Of The Season.

I scored a fall leaf garland for a buck and a great carving of a Schnauzer from the free bin!

Garlands are on my list this year, so I was pretty pleased.  My list is pretty long this year.  You can thank Pinterest for that.  That site is the devil.  And by "the devil" I mean, the best, ever.

Last weekend there was a church sale.  We stopped at an estate sale on the way, which was a good thing because it was a pretty small church sale.  At the estate sale I found the following whiskey shot glass:

Check it out.  He's got a monocle.

In other news the war between Winter and Summer is raging hard.  April is always a fight to the death.  To wit: yesterday it was literally 80 degrees.  Today it snowed most of the day.  We don't get spring here, we get an all out war.

So, in summary:

Off To the Races

Classy Ass Shot Glass

What Happens If Winter Wins?

This. Winter.

See the temperatures there on the right?  Yeah.  That nonsense. Every. Single. Day.  For months.  I don't have a lot of things to say about this winter that will look nice in print.  I can say this, there is a new hashtag out in the wide, wide world of web.  #Hothchester.

Spring: Get here.

So, In Summary:

All snow and no sun make Jack a very something something.