We don't really have a spring in upstate NY. We have a grudge match between winter and summer. The only rule is: There Are No Rules. One day it will be 80 and sunny, the next day it will snow two feet. It's ridiculous and can really play with your emotions.
This is also the time of year when church sales start. Everyone who "sales" knows that church sales are the best. They are congregations full of older folks, selling their wares at rock bottom prices, usually to benefit something good like a local food cupboard. All the winning. It's a very good distraction from the war of the weathers.
I haven't been keeping up well with the blog, so you are about to be bombarded with photos. Brace yourselves. There is a lot of kitsch coming your way.
I spotted this first item in online photos of an estate sale. I wasn't even going to attend this sale until they added this photo. Because I have a real thing for eyelash trees. For this item, I stood in line outdoors. In 20 degree weather. With snow on the ground. For about an hour. I was #...
#59 of the first set of numbers, that is. After I took this, the last number, they brought out a second set of numbers. Because, people kept coming to get in line. We were all discussing how there wasn't anything in the sale worth this number of people. But there we all were. Part of the teeming throng. There hadn't been many estate sales for a few weeks and the crowd had an air of desperation mingled with cabin fever.
Anyway, as I stood in that line, I had full view of the tree. It was pretty stressful - being able to see the object of your desire, and know that at any moment someone could whisk it away forever. It was in the garage with a bunch of halloween and Christmas blow molds that were marked a dollar. I know, that will kill you collectors. Blow molds are not my thing, but I was excited for someone to get such a deal, and love them lots. They were gone by the time #59 was called, but the tree was still there. I'm telling you. If someone had grabbed that tree before my number was called, I would have thrown in the towel. Because, 20 degrees. But my luck held and made a mad dash for the garage and grabbed that tree so fast. I do, in fact, have one that looks almost exactly like this already. But this one is flocked. So, they are obviously very different. Obviously. Behold:
This next pile of stuff was found at three different sales. The hankie looks like it has pink dresses on it, but at one time, there were people in the dresses. That part has faded, and only the dresses and their ghost ladies remain. Although I think a hankie with just dresses is a very adorable idea. I just die over crazy lucite/plastic/celluloid earrings. Especially when they are embedded with glitter or have rhinestones. Those pink pearls were found at a school sale and are just so luxurious and are sure to look fab with a black dress.
Close up:
The Hallmark Easter chick pin was found at the school sale along with the rad 80s earrings. I picked the egg slicer up when I got the eyelash tree. They were both in the garage. We love hard boiled eggs at the Snug Bungalow.
I went to the school sale with @hmcamma. The first table we spotted was laden with beautiful vintage purses and necklaces for church sale prices. That's where I got the pink pearl multi-strand necklace and Heather picked up a few purses. Then we saw this:
A vintage lucite purse adorned with shells and rope and all manner of kitschy goodness. FOR TWO DOLLARS. We played it very cool, but we were both screaming with joy and amazement on the inside. The find of the year! (Spoiler alert: This is NOT the only vintage lucite purse in this post.)
At a church sale I bought three large ziplock bags of vintage Christmas ornaments, etc. These are the things I ended up keeping for myself. After this photoshoot I fixed up the putz houses, gave Mr. Flamingo a few more feathers, and heated up and reshaped the candles. I'm pretty excited about the vintage Hallmark ornaments. The nut house plugs in and lights up!
A shell encrusted with shells. (napkin holder) Obviously something I'm going to buy.
My lucite purse radar has been very strong lately. Two in less than two months! I spotted this one in online photos for an estate sale and had no hope of it remaining on day two. It was priced very reasonably on day one, and it was half off on day two! I'd seen the same purse last year at a sale, without it's liner and missing several rhinestones. They had wanted almost as much as I paid for it with the liner and rhinestones! Pays to wait, people.
It does have a few hairline cracks starting, but I'll use it with great care. And joy. Oh yes, I use all of my vintage purses!
Can't stop with the tins. Always excited to add another Christmas corsage, or a funky Santa to my hoard.
Some funky finds. The parrot is a pin and the dish is plastic.
I found these pink ladies in the basement of an estate sale. They had crazy stickers all over them, but I'm very handy with a hair dryer and knew I could get them off without any damage. Although, once I took the hair dryer to them, I found out the damage had already been done. The stickers were holding together the hat of one of the ladies, while the other was dolled up with stickers to match, even though she had no break. Very inconspicuous. So I glued her back together and have some paint matching to do. How cute is the huge cake tin? Cannot stop with the tins!!
In my travels I've found loads of interesting loot to share with you on Etsy. Take a peep!
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