Welcoming The Creepy Season

We went to the Appleumpkin Festival again this year.  Its been a while and some of our friends haven't ever been, so we went en mass.

It was on my 11th anniversary with the husband.  And it was 80 degrees.  A wore a little black dress and little shoes with no socks!  Or tights!  So all around, a wonderful day.

I got this very cool felt spider dude who looks a lot like a Muppet.  I feel like he is missing a top hat and then I realized that he reminds me of this guy for some reason.  $4.

I also shopped around a booth that was selling garlands.  A hundred different garlands, all different holidays, seasons, events...you name it, they have a garland for that.  I chose the foil-wrapped-easter-bunnies-interspersed-with-other-easter-candy-and-beads garland.

I also found this (terribly expensive) amazing version of the Tooth Fairy. See his little bag of teeth?  And his flask of fairy dust?  Tiny little wings?  He's the perfect cross between gruesome and adorbs.  I kind of want to run screaming from him but also give him a good cuddle.

Also, the husband and I took the pup to the local gigantic, old and beautiful cemetery: Mt. Hope.  It's basically the only hilly area of Rochester and it's super gorgeous and real old.  Like those specifics?  And everyone treats it like any other park.  Picnic in a cemetery?  Yes.  Take non-goth photos for your wedding in a cemetery?  Yes.  Go for a constitutional with your husband and pup in a cemetery?  Yes.

Check out these awesome headstones we found along the way.  The perfect thing to usher in October and it's creepy fall undertones.

Very Pretty.

My name!

Not An Actual Stump.

Also not a real stump.  Or book.

Not that Arthur Miller.

Art Deco.

Bausch and Lomb is a big corporation here.  That is now dead.  Apparently.

Yeah, some of the plots look like beds.  Creepers.

This bed plot is for three siblings who died as children.  

Now you'll never sleep again.

These two were much more brown than the others.

Celtic Cross.

It looks as though F. Arvilla Brown may have dug himself out.

You come across random markers like this one. 

They seem to have no rhyme or reason.

This pup has no respect for the dead.

These stones are under the canopy of a huge willow tree.

A pretty patina and a headless gift.

That's right.  Carrie.

Happy Halloween!

Pink Satin Purse

A few weeks ago we went to two estate sales being held by the same company.  We especially love this company for their great prices and excellent vintage offerings.

The first sale was out of this world.  The items had been owned by a seriously fashionable lady who had SEVEN pairs of gold shoes.  I can't imagine having occasion to own more than one pair of gold shoes for any reason whatsoever.  She had hats and purses and dresses that looked like they'd never been worn.  

There were also tons of Florida memorabilia  which of course made Alicia feel right at home, slightly sentimental and sort of pissed off that she never got a chance to befriend this amazing woman, whoever she was.

I got a stellar pink satin purse, which still had the original mirror and change purse inside.  Hubba hubba! This thing is lush.  It's a very satisfyingly saturated color and feels wonderfully thick to the touch.  It was $6.

I also got some plastic tulips.  You know how I love a full on plastic flower.  Satin flowers are different.  They are trying to look real.  They're imitators, tricksters.  Plastic flowers are nothing like real flowers.  They know they aren't putting one over on anybody and they don't even care.  They are the loudmouth obnoxious relative of real flowers.  And I love them.  They were 50 cents.

The tiny blue spot is a very small pendant or charm for a necklace.  It's a bit smaller than a dime, and just lovely.  Enamel over sterling silver. $1.

A rather girly haul, this.

Alicia got some pretty sweet stuff as well: 

A vintage Florida coffee mug, a etched crystal pendant depicting a palm tree and beach and a metal parrot pin.  The rhinestone encrusted clear plastic clutch dazzled us all.  It was $10 and I say it was worth every penny.  Plus, Alicia loves the smell of old plastic, so.

So, In Summary:

My mother is going to try to steal 2 out of the 3 things listed here.

The Shocking part is that one of those things is the plastic flowers.

Falling 2014

September: The official start to the holiday season.  

As the temperature vacillates between 50 and 80 and we start to dig out scarfs, socks and extra blankets there is usually a hint of excitement in the air.  This year, not so much.  This year fall feels like a bad omen.  A dark harbinger of winter coming.  This year, I feel like a Stark.  Winter is coming, and it's going to be the worst, so buckle up, John Snow.

Last winter has burrowed it's way into our phsyche.  Four months of sub zero temps.  Everyone hibernating inside.  Wearing 7 layers just to survive.  Four months of no walks for the pup, of running outside to do his business and running right back in again, like winter (the devil) was chasing him.

So this year it doesn't seem like the kick-off to the holiday season.  This year is seems like a dark shadow, corrupting the beautiful memories of the too short, too cool, summer.  I've never felt like this before, and let me tell you, I freaking hate it.

At any rate, let's put on our big girl pants and buck up.  I dutifully decorated even though I wasn't feeling it.  I have to say, it looks good.  Let's have a peep, shall we?

This picture hangs above the bed.  I've been in love with it ever since I spied it in a text book in high school.  The Lady of Shalot by John Williams Waterhouse.  It was the first time I'd ever seen a Pre-Raphaelite work of art.  From that moment on I was hooked.  Over the years I've amassed a nice little collection of JWW works.  Nothing stirs the spot in my soul reserved for fantasy as much as he does.  Also, I stuck a fall garland on it.  Whoopee.

This year I put many of my black cats on this shelf.  Most of my furniture is dark and black cats like to blend in with dark furniture.  Sneaky beasties.  

My boyfriend Pinterest and I made the killer straw wreath.  Maybe we should talk for a minute about how much I love black glitter.  That junk is straight up captivating.  It's mysterious.  Dark yet sparkling.  Just perfect for fall decor.

It's hard for me to find the right words to describe my fall holiday vibe.  Black and orange, glitter, cartoony, vintage, elegant, glowing.  Maybe I have more than one style?  The Kitchen and dining room decorations are very bright, vintage and slightly child-like and fantastic.  While the living room is a more dark and glowing venue, marked by colored glass and black glitter.  Slightly more elegant and put together.

I'm just loving the addition of some of my new collection of vintage paper lanterns this year.  There is something so celebratory about them.  You can't be sad when in the presence of paper lanterns.  Probably this winter I'll need to string them up on every surface of the house in every room.  Just to make it through unscathed.

Yes, this picture is blurry.  The lighting in my house is low and I don't own a tri-pod.  So sue me.  If you squint it looks fine.  So squint, already.

I'm really happy with this set up.  I love the addition of items hanging from the ceiling.  Almost nice enough for a window display.  One of my dream jobs.  Along with voice acting for cartoons.  Don't judge.

A new placement for these guys.  I love a dangling spider decoration.

A new display of potion making and resulting creatures.  I'm guessing I wouldn't be any better at potions than I am at cooking.

A glowingly gorgeous display in the kitchen.  Skeletons and black cats.

A tiny new wreath paired with a new crow.

The graveyard display. Slightly different every year.  What it really needs is the set of Disney Haunted Mansion grave stones to really fill it out.  I'm looking at you, Disney trip 2015.

More lanterns.  Come on.  That shit is cheerful.

Voila!  We are now at the end of the tour.  Hopefully these pieces of pretty will help you feel better about fall, the black cat that crosses your path signaling 13 years of dread winter.

So, In Summary:

I'm going to watch Golden Girls, stat. 

I need me some Miami, palm trees and a not just a little bit of Sophia's snark.

Moist Ski Toes

There has been rain here.  A lot of rain.  And warm temperatures.  So, it feels like a lovely swamp.  With all the mosquitos you could ever want.  You've got to run to the house from the car at lightening speed (and hope there is someone inside ready to open the door and shut it again after you zoom in) for fear that you may pass out from blood loss on the way.  It's straight up gross outside.  I'm shocked there aren't crocodiles and boa constrictors roaming about out there.  And the most terrible part is that while we are experiencing days like Noah, the opposite coast is having the worst drought in many, many years.  Something is dreadfully out of whack.

I took yesterday off to attend the annual sale to benefit The Advent House.  It's an adorable hospice house run by a devoted group of volunteers.  It's an amazing place and the benefit sale they have each year is not to be missed.

I hit up jewelry first as I usually do.  I wasn't disappointed.  A gorgeous pair of nice, heavy turquoise earrings for $5, a cute pair of Asian inspired black and red earrings from the 80's for $2, and a huge, ridiculous, multi-stoned, lion (gargoyle, beast?) headed cuff for $5.  Sometimes you just need a ridiculous statement piece.

The Florida shot glass is from a sale a few weeks ago.  Love me some Florida.  The wooden bangle was $1 and fits my child wrists really well.  Which almost never happens.  I've been interested in getting a wooden bangle for a while now.  It could have something to do with my recent obsession with all things tiki.  (Thanks, Pinterest.)  The hombre Christmas tree with iridescent sparkles was $1 as well.

I also scored some great gifts and a bunch of things for the ol' Etsy store, so it was a pretty good day.

Today is Saturday and I was finally able to get to some more estate sales.  It feels odd that my sale-ing days will not end this year, but will continue out into the fall and through the winter.  Cold weather is generally the death of yard sale season, but estate sales go right on through the winter.  What a novel idea!  Will I get sick of it?  Is there any such thing as TOO many sales??

Most of the estate sales we hit today were half off.  God, I love that phrase.  These tiki dudes are shot glasses I think.  Some vintage stoppers and a tea ball complete the set of kitchen kitch.  Each of these items were a quarter.

Tiny vintage mice ornaments!  One of my favorite things ever.  This set was $1.50  The hankies were a quarter.  I know, I need more hankies like a need a kick to the shin.  They just jump right in my bag, I don't even know how to stop them!

Alicia came sale-ing with me this morning.  She scored big:

She covets old crates, but in these parts they are generally too rich for her blood.  Today she found one for $3!  A dream realized.  The mid century cream pleather ottoman was also $3.  Ridiculous.

She got a pair of gorgeous glass lamps for $4, and a pie wedge server, a spatula and some assorted kitch for a quarter each.

Please don't miss the most wee bird.

So, In Summary:

Edward Cullen has nothing on these blood suckers.

Delicious Addiction

A few more estate sales this weekend.  After a weird 15 minutes where Google navigation lead us in an actual circle and through road work, (Which has never happened before, I've always been able to count on Google.) we found our destinations and set about making short work of the goods.

I found a gorgeous little white enamel colander with strawberries on it for $4 and a lovely Christmas corsage for $1.  I love vintage Christmas corsages.  The usually look like some coked-up four year old put them together.  They've got a bow, they've got a plastic piece, they've got a pine cone and an ornament and some fake snow flocking.  They have it ALL.

 And then I found...another trove of vintage paper lanterns?  Don't you judge me!  I clearly don't have enough yet.  Clearly.  I just need enough and then I'll stop.  Don't ask me how many is enough.  I'll know it when I get there.  And then I'll stop.  Because I can stop.  Any time I like.  Just as long as it's not right this minute.

Besides, this box had some BIG ones in it!!  Bigger than any I've got right now.  Which leads me to wonder, how many sizes, shapes and designs do they come in??  Probably I need to research it by buying a billion of them and cataloging them.  For posterity.

So, In summary:

Sometimes a summertime addiction is utterly delicious. 

Saint Pius X

I cannot help saying that name in an utterly triumphant manner and also picturing Kurt Wagner when I do.  It's a pretty ridiculous name, as church names go.

This year Saint Pius, that wall crawling mutant, was pretty good to me, a mere human.  Check out these Christmas cuties.  Now, I'm not going to mince words here.  These look like ladies in drag.  Women in beards, Christmas carnival ladies.  But still cute, don't get me wrong.  I'm not here to judge. 50 cents for the lot.

Next is what I'm calling, Dave.  I know it's not The David's head.  But it looks similar.  And I'm calling him Dave.  Also, he is a perfume dispenser. 50 cents. 

I've never gotten there in time to get any jewelry worth having.  This time was different. Vintage cold cream container from a dresser set (25 cents), penny earrings ($2), 3D palm tree earrings($1), and some funky earrings with a Polynesian flair ($1).  I want nearly everything in my life to be Tiki these days.

I've saved the best for last.  You guys aren't even going to BELIEVE this story.  Or maybe you will.  Because, I admit, it's sort of boring for anyone else but me.  Probably.  For better or worse, here we go.

When I was a kid I had an ice cream cup.  A plastic cup shaped like an ice cream cone that had a part that fit over like a lid, shaped like mint ice cream.  Then a part that stacked on top of that, which looked like chocolate sauce.  The top bits had a hole in them wherein you could place a straw. 

Recently I started thinking about this cup.  Yearning after this cup.  I thought it had probably been made by Avon, as most of the items in my childhood were.  I looked everywhere for this cup, to no avail.  (And by "everywhere" we all know I mean, "the internet".)

But, people, people, get THIS.  On my way OUT of the Saint Pius sale, I swung by the plastic table.  The plastic table is strewn, piled even, with all manner of plastic kitchenware.  Plates and wine glasses mix with thermoses and silverware.  All plastic, all a colorful jumble.  And sitting on top of this glorious mess, what did I spy?

Yeah.

It's not the gorgeous mint ice cream cup from my childhood, but the strawberry version of the self-same cup instead.  I'll take it.  I'll take it and drink milk from it like I did just about every day of my young life.  And then I'll know happiness.

So, In Summary:

When Nightcrawler hands you a strawberry ice cream instead of a mint one,

you take that sucker.