Golden (Girls) Summer

Let's just assume that I never watched Golden Girls as it originally aired, when I was a kid.  Let's just assume I just started watching it for the first time, ever. Let's maybe say that I have become somewhat obsessed with it.  Perhaps even maybe I've started referring to Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia and Rose as if they were my awesome lady friends.  Crazy, right?  Welcome to my world.  Miami, Florida...pastels everywhere...bamboo furniture.  Ahhh...yes.

Something I didn't expect was that the show seems to be affecting my personal aesthetic.  I want ice cream colored pastels, large earrings, bamboo everything, and most of all, I want Blanche's bedroom wallpaper.  Madly, deeply NEED Blanche's bedroom wallpaper.

I went to the flea market with some friends over the weekend, and though I was just barely able to walk away from a bamboo living room furniture set that was the cousin to the set used on the show, I could not ward off all the big, pastel, vintage earrings.  Look at these lovelies.  I think the (Golden) Girls would be proud.

The white feather earrings are from the 50's.  They are plastic clip on earrings in which the feather goes up your ear.  They do not hang down from your ear.  This is a little too much for me, seeing as how I'm not a Vegas showgirl.  But I do love them enough to make them into a fabulous hair clip.

The gold pair are something very new for me.  Namely: gold.  I haven't worn gold for 30 years.  This year seems to be my year to make peace with it.  I'm cautiously exploring a relationship.

Then I bought these.  Just to prove that I'm still a badass.

We also stopped in to a shop that is too odd for words.  It is essentially a huge pile of junk contained in a very small warehouse like building.  You can't imagine the things they have there.  Piles of sewing notions, reels of movie film (including about one billion copies of Judge Dredd), the earth's supply of drinking glasses, and everything is coated in dust and dirt and...time.  I unearthed one little cutie that I could not bear to leave behind to that world of ruin.  This Christmas mouse.

I'm pretty sure he's the mouse from the poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'.  He's not stirring, "Note how the hand never touches the spoon!"

On another note, I walked outside the other day and heard a duck.  Like, a very close duck, quacking.  We have geese fly over all the time and you hear them honking.  But this was not a goose, it was a duck and it was...on my neighbor's roof.

Loud and proud.  I see mallard ducks in our neighborhood sometimes.  Which is odd because the nearest water is the Erie Canal and it' at least a mile away.  They hang around under crazy bird feeder lady's bird feeders.  They also roost in trees, did you know?  I was walking to my car one day and saw a lady mallard fly up into a tree.  I went over for a look because I couldn't imagine such a thing.  Then I saw it, in a hole up in a tree, with it's nest and it's babies.  Surreal. I grew up out in the country and didn't see shit this weird.

So, In Summary:

Is Dorothy Your Favorite?  Dorothy Is My Favorite.

Junk Drawer Gone Horribly Wrong.

Ducks.  Who Knew?

Let's Talk More About Blanche's Bedroom Wallpaper.

Unsettled

Change is in the air.  Smell it?  

People are moving, getting new jobs, starting new parts of their lives.  It's making everything feel uncertain, temporary.  It is also lending an air of excitement and adventure.  People are pondering things they never have, all options are open, the future is unwritten and inviting.  It's making me appreciate things, plan things, hug longer.

In the midst of this haze of change I'm also doing my thing, working on Etsy and going to sales.  I'm finding so much less that needs to come home with me these days.  I know I've wondered before, have I found everything already?  Have I tapped out this region?  Damn.

I've been doing better at Estate sales than yard sales.  For the first time, ever.  Food for thought.

Anyway, I bought these things.  

A fun feathered headband that makes me feel a little like Miss Kitty who works upstairs from the saloon.  The mask is the first of hopefully many vintage Halloween masks that I will collect to form an awesome wreath.  That I saw on Pinterest.  Told you I was in love.

In Summary:

Will Things Ever Be The Same Again?

It's The Final Countdown!

Looking Into The Future

You might think that looking into the future isn't possible.  I'm here to tell you that it can be done.  And without any effort at all on your part!  Sometimes, you'll be minding your own business at a nice yard sale with your buddies and then BAM!  A lady in a kerchief carrying a tiny dog around and talking to it like it's her pal walks past you and you catch a whiff of yourself. It can be quite startling, really, seeing your future self like that.  Here she is, walking around like she doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks about her. Having an outing with her pal Foo-Foo.  Finding some deals.  Doing her thing.

Thankfully I've seen Back To The Future about a hundred and eleven times.  So I know not to talk to her.  I don't even look her in the eye for fear that we'll both scream "It's me!" and pass out.  I only secretly watch her and smile to myself.  Yep, the future looks pretty balmy from here.

After spotting myself, we stopped at a pretty amazing sale in Hidden Valley.  A lady was selling an incredible amount of vintage ceramic figurines.  Some with jewel eyes, some that were unidentifiable adorable animals.  And many, many that we needed to buy.  

You could tell that she was feeding off our delight at her wares.  (If any of you watched Lost Girl I'd tell you that she was feeding off of our yard sale Ch'i.  I've become very aware of who lives off of what Ch'i.)  She also kept talking about how hard it was for her to part with "her cats" (many of the trinkets were cat shaped).  I bought a beautiful vintage ceramic black cat and told her not to worry, that I had a collection of black cats and she would be joining a family.  She thanked me for telling her.

I also bought a pair of vintage rhinestone earrings for a broach bouquet that my friend is going to make for her wedding.  As we were assessing the earrings the lady asked us what we were buying them for.  I told her and she had never heard of a broach bouquet but seemed charmed by the idea.  Then she asked me if I got the idea from Pinterest.  This lady was at least 65 if she was a day.  You cannot imagine how it warms the cockles of my heart to know that ladies that age are into Pinterest, my true love.  (Sorry Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Pinterest is now taking up more real estate in my heart than you are.  I know it hurts now, but it's for the best.)

We also went to the Churchville Green sales.  Tons and tons of sales, plush fresh popped popcorn and hot dogs (for the meat eaters).  I only got a short teal sarong (Batik with palm trees, obviously.) and a small, red, vintage truck for one of my Christmas displays.

So, In Summary:

If a kid claiming to be Calvin Klein or Clint Eastwood comes up to you looking for Doctor Emmet Brown, just stay out of his way.  He's got important stuff to do. 

Also, don't call him chicken.

Quantity Not Necessarily Quality

This week was a very busy sale week what with the Ronald McDonald House sale and the Monroe Ave Church sale, etc.  All told I went to 5 sales:  2 church sales, 2 neighborhood sales and the warehouse RMD sale.  So, that is exciting.  Although, I got next to nothing, so that is a bit depressing.

At the RMD sale this year there was a lot of fresh blood.  Lots of friends who had never been, lots of excitement.  We bought the shit out of that place.  For the kids.  And a little bit for avarice.  

It was sunny and warm outside which made standing in line a delight.  Some of us even caught a little sun on our skin!  I got tons of stuff for my Etsy page, but only one thing for myself.  And I have to give the credit to Sarah Mae.  Because she found it and presented it to me and I nearly wet myself.  Witness:

This is a rather rare Sigma Muppets Ceramic Box.  $3.  It has a little chip that has fallen off and been repaired.  BUT WHO CARES!?!?  CAN YOU SEE THIS!?!?  Sarah handed it to me and I was just clutching it.  Terrified it might break or slip away from me somehow.  Terrified it might be some kind of beautiful dream.  I stood in line for about 8 minutes just to get it wrapped up so that it would be safe as can be.  At this sale 8 minutes is a lifetime.

As you can see Miss Piggy is laying on her heart shaped bed looking at a picture of her true love, Kermie.  That's kind of exactly where I like to stop in the whole heart shaped bed/Muppets line of thinking.

And since I didn't get a ton of stuff, I'll show you some awesome things that friends of mine got.  This segment is called "Favorite Finds" and is brought to you by the letters R, M and D.

First up is the Gia big eyed sad cat picture.  Bought by Paul.  Paul is moving in with his girlfriend soon and she might not be as amiable to big eyed sad cat pictures as Paul is.  He stands by his purchase, however.  And I have to admit, that thing looks pretty great on the brick loft wall.  

Next up is Sarah Mae's firefighter wire truck planters.  I can honestly say I've never seen anything quite like them before.  Adorable and unique!

Michelle purchased this Frenchy shot glass.  The lady on the glass is walking a tiny Dachshund.  Michelle owns an adorable Dachshund named Gilda.  It was meant to be!

Last but not least is Abby and Noah's mid century bar cart.  I was actually ringside for this find.  We were marching towards the checkout, ready to leave.  Noah stopped in the bathroom section at this rack of matching trash cans and tissue box covers.  I was like, "Oh please god, no."  Because there was not a cute set on the entire display and sometimes Noah has...broad tastes.  Abby was like "Oh, whoa.  Yes!"  And I was just looking and looking and trying to find something nice to say.  But, it turns out they were looking at the cart everything was piled on.  Ohhh.  The cart had a tag, but no price.  The fun loving bathroom section lady said, "I'll make you a deal!"  and bustled away to get us a sticker.  Meanwhile Noah and I debated the merits of offering $20 verses $30.  The worker lady came back and slapped a price tag on the cart without even asking anyone what they might pay for it.  $3.50.  THREE DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS.  The moral of this story is: RMD sale.

At the Monroe Ave church sale I picked up two items for a quarter each.  Hot pink shoe laces that will look pretty rad in my black Chucks and a vintage shot glass of a lady wearing a veil.  Her eyes are painted on the back of the glass, which makes her eyes look like they are following you.  It says "One is my limit" on the other side.  It seems like there is some kind of joke I'm missing, here.  It's super weird and I love it.

I love me some holiday decor.  That's why I was thrilled to find some  vintage and hand made Halloween stuff this week.  Floral picks of flocked pumpkins wearing witch hats, cats and some hand made crepe paper medallions.  I might string them into a fun little garland.

I scored this vintage board game for 50 cents.  It's never been played.  I love the exclamation point in the title.  Makes it seem like it's going to be super intense.

This white wooden mirror was 25 cents.  Probably my favorite purchase of the week (after the Miss Piggy ceramic box, of course).  It's exactly the right amount of old and chippy to be super shabby chic.

So, In Summary:

It's super nice outside and I have to get out there.  No time for a summary.

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?