I get so jealous reading some of the blogs and see the treasures that some of you ladies find on your junking forays. Silver trays, glorious old bird cages, and beautiful, hand-painted dishware. My local thrift stores seem to carry mostly old, broken, dirty item, tons of clothes, and smell of dead people. No one seems to care how messed up the shelves are, or how clean the floor. A lot of the items on their shelves are also new. Stuff that has been dumped by the likes of Target, with the original price tags still on them.

That’s why the Wesleyan Thrift Shop in North Rose, NY, run by the ladies of the Wesleyan Church) is such a treat. The clothes are all clean, hanging neatly by size (not color). They take up most of the retail space, while the walls are lined with shelves filled with household items. Everything is clean and priced to sell. Every time I go in the store, I know I’ll find something. It may not be a treasure, but I’ll spend a few dollars.

This past weekend, I found two floral plates, marked Eggshell Nautilus, dated 1945, a tiny white doily, and two CDs (The BeeGees Greatest Hits, and Christmas Reflections (Guitar)). Total cost: $3.51 (tax included).

My next spot was Alton Antique Center. It’s a pretty nice antique co-op, with some really wonderful things. (They also have free coffee and cookies for their customers.) But I have to admit I’m spoiled. I no longer wish to pay “retail” at antiques stores. I was in the business for 12 years and darnit, I’m just too cheap. So when I find something I really like, it’s a treat.

I found a rectangular floral platter for a dollar. It had a hairline crack, but I think it’ll be fine for serving rolls or luncheon meats. I was tempted by some transferware butter pats, but at $9 each, I remained strong and kept my wallet closed.

What’s your favorite place to shop for goodies?

IN THEOREM

Maybe five or so years ago, I decided to collect theorem paintings. You know, little paintings, usually florals of fruit, done on off-white velvet. They aren’t exactly common, nor are they at all rare. There must have been a spate of them done in the 1980s and I seem to be the only one interested in obtaining them.

This oval floral one was painted by Sandy Honan. (How do I know? Because she added a sticker to the back of it.) I like that it has a swatch of wallpaper on the back, with little yellow flowers. Growing up, my bedroom had similar wallpaper—so I’m not sure if I bought this for the actual painting or the wallpaper on the back.

This little one (it measures 2 x 3 inches) was only a quarter at a sale not far from my house. Only it didn’t come with a frame. (Another yard sale find for yet another quarter.) It’s signed: J.M.

This basket of fruit is probably my least favorite painting, but I so love the frame it’s in, and the wallpaper on the back is nice, too.

This little heart painting (and its sister heart made of flowers) were $2 for the two. They were painted by Lynne M. Freeman. Oddly enough, ole Sandy (above) and Lynn are from the same town here in New York (Canandaigua). Did they know each other? Was Sandy Lynn’s teacher (or vice versa)? Did they take a class together? Questions I’ll never know the answers to, I’m afraid.

I’m not sure what kind of flower this is—a yellow poppy perhaps? But those sure don’t look like poppy leaves. This one is sighed (I think—I even put my glasses on to read it but wasn’t sure) Jone L. Reid. It definitely doesn’t look like Jane—but I’ve never seen Joan spelled that way, either.

What’s kind of sad about this one is that it was a gift that was sold at a yard sale. How do I know? There’s a typewritten note on the back. It says:

Hollie,

Thank you so much for being my Maid of Honor. It is really great having a friend like you. You’re someone I can talk to and depend on.

I hope our friendship continues to grow in the years ahead.

I’m glad you were a part of Mike’s and my special day, and I hope that everytime you look at this picture it will remind you of how beautiful it was.

Love,
Laurie

September 12, 1981

What made Hollie decide to part with the painting? Did her friendship with Laurie fall apart? Or, as usually happens, they just drift apart as the years mounted?

So far, I haven’t hung any of my little paintings. I’m waiting to find a few more and do a nice grouping. But I like to look at them sitting on my little green corner cabinet—and ponder where they came from.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

While traveling . . .

We went out of town for a few days--prime garage sale weather--and the HUGE multi-block sale with scores of homes involved. Can you say GRUMP really LOUD?

Still, we did manage to stop at one sale in Pennsylvania where I picked up a few treasures. The first was a 1950s Sunbeam chrome toaster in very good condition. Ever since I can remember, my parents have had a Sunbeam toaster either exactly the same as this one, or extremely close. So was it any wonder that when I got my first apartment, I wanted one just the same--and got one at a yard sale. This was 30 years ago and I paid $4. So when I saw this one, I jumped at the chance. I asked the man running the sale what the price was, because there was no tag. He thought about it for a few moments and came up with a price: $1.50. I said, "That sounds fine to me!" (BTW, inside my original Sunbeam toaster there's a date stamp: 1957.)

Next up, was a covered vegetable dish with little purple flowers. (Why is it so many dishes have unidentifiable flowers on them as decoration?) Now, I have no clue why I bought this--I really don't need yet another covered vegetable dish. (Okay, I didn't need another toaster, either--the one I bought all those years ago works just fine.) It was pretty and it was a dollar--that may have had a lot to do with my decision to buy it.

Lastly, I bought four rose-patterned bone dishes. I figured at least one of them would be chip free. Alas, I was wrong. Still, they're pretty. I'm going to use them to put earrings on/in. That will free up a larger, rectangular dish I have which I will now put my glasses in when I'm not wearing them. (Which is about 90% of the day.) Even if they are chipped, they sure are pretty. (And the cost for four? Fifty cents.) Too bad I'm not still in "the business," or else I could've come away from that sale with a lot more treasures.

Slim Pickings

The pickings were slim at this weeks sales. I don't want to just toss money away, and Lord knows my house is full of stuff already, so I do try to be careful about what I buy.

I got a lovely pink-rose plate from Austria. I think it's a cake or a sandwich plate, since it's not very large, and I like the unusual shape. When you find solitary pieces like this, it makes you wonder where the rest of the set went. Was it dispersed to family and friends? Did a jealous lover smash all but this one plate in a fit of rage? Or was the owner just careless and -- oops! -- dropped another one?

I love this little what-not box -- yet another place to put earrings! They had a hair brush that went with it, and now I'm annoyed with myself that I didn't buy it, too. Oh well. Maybe I'll find something to go with it some day -- something even prettier. One never knows.

More Blue Bedroom

The other day I blogged about the stuff in my blue guest bedroom. In it, I have a toy chest that I use to store linens. It's nothing special, just something my Mom picked up at a yard sale. She wanted it to look like it had milk paint, so she rubbed some blue paint on and then immediately rubbed it off. We had a leak in the roof a few years ago, and it got a little wet on the lower left corner, but I think it kind of adds to the charm.

I was rummaging in my big linen closet the other day and found some old pillows. I saw a chest similar to this in a magazine and they had put three pillows on it. Hello! Can you say recycle?

I think it looks cute! Only maybe it needs a teddy bear resting against the pillows.

What do you think?

PLATES II

The other day I blogged about some painted plates I bought. I also collect blue-and-white plates. I've decided to hang them in my blue guest room. The problem is, I don't want to just hang up anything. So I'm accumulating them and when I get a few more, then I'll decide what to hang. (I need to take a picture of those I've already hung.)

In the meantime, I have them sitting on top of the dresser. I love this room because it faces south, and gets the sun for a good portion of the day (in the summer, at least). So even though it's blue, it always looks cheerful.

All these plates were yard sale finds, and I don't think any of them cost more than $1. (And I think the white cotton dresser scarf was a quarter. There are pretty things out there if you're willing to look--and have a good supply of Oxyclean!) I love the little butter pat and now I'm sorry I didn't take a closers picture of it. (One of these days.) And the dresser jar is Avon. I tend to fill them with earrings. (Maybe I should just buy a jewelry box, huh?)

I'm quite fond of the angels plate. Aren't they sweet? Sadly, it has a little chip on the bottom, but I so liked the graphic that I'm willing to over look it. I have no idea how old the plate is, but I'm willing to bet it's nearing the century mark. It looks like a one-of-a-kind sort of thing, for I can't imagine there being a set and actually eating off something like this.

What do you think?

PAINTED PLATES

The garage/tag sales are just starting up in my neck of the woods. This year I've decided to go after roses -- in various forms.

Last week, I went to a great sale that I've been to many times. They always have pretty things. I'm still kicking myself for not buying a gorgeous chrome tea caddy, but I did pick up three very pretty, hand-painted plates. The first one has an Austria mark. It looks like it's seen some hard use (as evidenced by the worn gold rim), but I like the delicate little pink roses so much, that I decided to buy it anyway. (Okay, I admit it--I like to rescue things. This little plate was like a horse ridden hard and put away wet. It needs some love and TLC for the rest of it its life.)

The second plate has some kind of orange flower. I'm not botanist, so I just figured it was pretty and bought it anyway. This one is marked Bavaria.

The last was of these old roses. This was marked England. I love that they all come from different countries. And who knows how old they are.

The beauty of these plates is they don't cost much. The big one was $1.50 and the other two were only $1 each.

I don't know exactly what I'm going to do with all these plates, yet. I think I need to get a bigger collection before I decide if I should hang them or just let them sit on easels. Time will tell.

I have NOT disappeared

...I just haven't done anything blog worthy.

Okay, I went to only my third of fourth garage sale of the season on Saturday and got some wonderful hand-painted plates, and a very cute what-not jar -- and then I left them at our summer cottage.

Yes, I know it's not summer, but we went there on Saturday and stayed overnight. Last summer, on the hottest day of the year, we had baseboard heating installed. What a godsend. It extends our use of the cottage by at least 2.5 months a year.

We went back today to take our new-to-us wicker set, and bring back an old box spring and mattress (now sitting at the curb).

Alas, no pictures, but I'll try to take some next weekend. (And hope it's sunny.)

Lots of plans for the cottage this year. New bookshelves in the living room. Replace the bunkbeds (the children grew up) with a day bed. Paint the porch floor. Paint the bathroom (and maybe add beadboard). And paint the big dresser. That ought to keep me occupied for a couple of months.

SHOPPING FUN!

Last week on my travels, I made it to Batavia, NY-- home of Oliver's Own Make Candy to stock up for Easter. Yum-yum! Boy, was it crowded! Seems like everybody else had the same idea.

As it was a gorgeous, sunny day, I decided to explore a bit and found a wonderful little shop called Present Tense Book & Gift Shop. What a delight. They had all kinds of goodies, including these marvelous hand-made, fabric purses. Did I buy one? No! It wasn't until I got home that I kicked myself. (Ouch!) They had a nice selection of books, but not many paperbacks. Lots of lovely handmade candles and soaps, teas and coffees, and other specialty items.

Next time I head that way to stock up on candy, I'll make sure I stop at Present Tense, too.

HAPPY EASTER

I BE BAD

For some reason, I'm spending money like a drunken sailor this week. Sunday, I visited a Volunteers of America store, and found what I'd been looking for, for at least two years--a three-piece wicker set: love seat, and two chairs. They're a bit faded (white to ivory), so I'm going to paint them a crisp, bright white as soon as the weather gets nice, but other than that, they're in wonderful shape. (The love seat looks somewhat like this picture.)

I went to Pier 1 looking for cushions and the price turned me off more than the limited selection. What's a girl to do? Why, check out J.C. Penney, of course. Naturally, I couldn't capture the picture, because it's some kind of flash deal. Suffice to say, it's pink and floral. (What else?) They're going on my enclosed porch, although I'm a bit dubious about them actually all fitting on one side of the porch. I hope to find a little wicker table on sale, too.

Next up, my poor day bed has a ton of pretty pillows, but no cover--and has sat that way for about a year. I finally bit the bullet and decided--what the heck--to look online to see if I could find something pretty. Oh yes! I was able to capture that picture. My day bed doesn't have a metal front piece like the one pictured, but I'm sure the cover will look pretty when I get it in my little girly guest room.

Lastly, I bought a new camera. Holy smoke the thing is complicated. I figured out how to turn it on and take a picture, but that's about all. Now to figure out how to get the pictures out of the camera. Maybe I'll have it figured out another day.

HEARTS

I've got a lotta heart. Or rather, hearts. For some reason, I like to hang them on door handles, be it closets, cabinets--whatever, and I thought I'd share them. I've been collecting them for a couple of years now. I've got them made from old patchwork quilts (and wouldn't you know I didn't photograph those ones), some that were meant to be Christmas tree ornaments, and some that were just meant to be hung on ... doors.

This fourth one was made by my mother, and it's probably my favorite. She made it out of scraps she had on hand, and used her embroidery sewing machine (doing the crazy quilt stitch--whatever that's officially called).

I really like the beaded one (yup, a Christmas ornament), which is probably my second favorite.
Okay, there is a star that snuck in there, too. (Yup, another Christmas ornament). And there's a round one, too -- that was a yard sale find.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

I have a love-hate relationship with my bedroom. It's too small. There's just enough room for our king-size bed, a couple of dressers and nightstands. Other houses on the street have similar layouts to ours, but the bedrooms are larger. I wish we had one of them. My parents live up the street and their master bedroom is much bigger. They also have an en suite bathroom. (Boy, would I like that!)

When we were house hunting one of the bedrooms we saw had a bump out with a loveseat and a floor lamp, making it a perfect reading nook. (If we'd bought that house, we would've still been close to relatives, because my brother bought the house right across the street.)

My father made most of the furniture in my bedroom. The headboard, the seven-day lingerie dresser, and the nightstands. He also made a HUGE, oak double shelf for over the bed. The problem is . . . I've never quite known what to put up there. It looks a bit odd with all that space and not much on it. My side has the books on it -- Hubby doesn't really collect anything. I just have a few odds and end on there now. I don't want to put anything too heavy up there--just in case it should fall. (Not likely, but we're paranoid.) I had thought about collecting ceramic swans (like the white planter already up there), but they aren't as available as I would've hoped.

Meanwhile, the top of the lingerie dresser looks okay to me.
BTW, that isn't our real wedding photo. We were at the State Fair and went to one of those old time photography places. I didn't want to be a showgirl, so I choose bride. I'm surprised my boyfriend (now hubby) wasn't scared off, as we didn't get married for another four years. My mother made the wall hanging, and Hubby gave me the Stafforshire dog one Christmas. The little Occupied Japan what-not jar may be a butter keeper (I'm not sure), which a friend of my mother's gave to me. The little fake ivy (and why would I like that?) came from a home decorating store. (Wish I bought more of them.) The doily was a wedding gift from my dad's cousin in Scotland.

Yeah, I like my dresser top. Any ideas on what to put on my long wooden shelf?

BE MY GUEST!

One of my favorite rooms in my house is my guest room. When we bought the house, it was Pepto Bismol pink on three walls, and dark brown cork on the last wall. Can you say UGLY?

The first thing we did was take down the cork. Big mistake. The previous owner must have had stock in a glue factory, for he had painted the glue on the back of the cork squares. Trying to take it off completely destroyed the drywall underneath. Off we went to Home Depot to buy more drywall. We painted the room ivory, and decided to put wallpaper on that back wall. As it happens, we saw some gorgeous floral paper in a little B&B we stayed in in Vermont, and were lucky enough to find the same wall covering back home. After that, it was time to buy the accessories. We played bedstead bingo and traded our maple (double bed) with my parents for their cherry bed, so they could give the maple one to my niece. (Got that?)

The oak chest was the first antique I ever bought. The Hitchcock chair came next, and then the oak mirror. (I have this thing for oak mirrors -- mostly a thing for frames, but we won't get into that now.) Before I got carpal tunnel syndrome, I used to do counted cross stitch. You can just see one of my projects on the far left, and another on the left side of the dresser. The Colonial prints on the left came from Goodwill, and the floral prints on the right came from a garage sale. The ewer and pitcher came from a yard sale, and the 1950s waste basket (which weighs a TON) came from an estate sale. That's a chenille spread on the bed--yup, another yard sale find. There's a skylight in the ceiling, so the room is always bright and cheerful--a little too cheerful for me come summer when the sun is up at 5 a.m.

Okay, I wasn't going to mention it, but yes, I DO have a thing about frames --
be them mirror or picture. And I tend to collect pictures in little gold frames like the ones here. Aren't they darling? I try to buy them whenever I see them -- which isn't often enough. I believe I currently only have four, which doesn't seem near enough.

So, what do you look for when you're on the hunt?