Week Night Thrift Store Run...

This week I needed to take a last minute trip to the thrift looking for something for a project. I didn't find what I went there for, but I did come away with a few things.

I bought these orange candles. They are the perfect color orange for Halloween. I think they look good against the white milk glass.

I also found this sweet little pitcher. It was only 99 cents. It will make a cute little vase.

These finds - which cost me next to nothing - made my Monday evening!

KayteeJane

Christmas Craft Books

I've been to several thrift stores in the past weeks and have found absolutely nothing of value. Lots of lots of things for sale - but nothing worth buying. It has been disappointing to say the least. This past weekend I went to three different thrift stores on Saturday looking for Pyrex. There was nothing. I did however find a few records and some vintage craft books - all for Christmas.

These are the craft books. They were published in the early 1970's. I love the projects in them. They are retro enough that they are back in style again - and not dated and ugly. I swear Martha Stewart must find vintage craft mags and steal their ideas. Some of the projects remind me of things I've seen in her magazines. I was thinking of listing these on etsy but now I'm not sure. The projects are great.

I love these felt gingerbread houses.

Lots of cute ornaments to make.

 Check out the mouse sleeping on the hammock! LOVE.

And these awesome felt silhouette scenes of kids playing in the snow.

I also bought two records at the same store. I am dreaming of the day when I can actually play these. I want a vintage stereo/record player in the worst way - but have yet to find one that I can afford or I like the looks of. Since these records were only a quarter each I bought them anyway - for the future. I mean who can resist an album with vintage Barbra? I can't.

All if all I am happy with these finds!

KayteeJane

Ring Holder

 

Not sure what the original purpose of this little milk glass cup was. Salt holder? I found it at the estate sale where I got all of the milk glass and the yard long picture. There was only one. I think it makes a stylish ring holder. I love that it stands on a pedestal.

I keep it next to my kitchen sink for when I take off my rings to wash my hands or do dishes. Lord knows that I need such an item because I am always misplacing my wedding bands. I don't really like to wear them when I'm doing the dishes so I often take off the rings and put them in my pants pocket - or worse, just lay them somewhere. Then I promptly forget about them until the next day when I go to put them on again. I have found my rings on the bottom of the washing machine a few times. Recently I "lost" them again. Hubby was nice enough to point out that I had a ring holder and I ought to use it! Yes Dear.

KayteeJane

Plates

I love antique plates. The ones with roses and flowers are my favorite. If they were made in Europe I am especially smitten. Here are a few that I own.

These hang on the wall in my dining room.

These are waiting to be hung.

Dishes as art!

KayteeJane

Royal Mercury Typewriter

Even though I am a vintage girl at heart, I am so susceptible to trends. Vintage trends that is. Recently I saw a beautiful picture on HEATHER'S BLOG showing a picture of a vintage typewriter. Click the link to go there and see it yourself. You will love her vintage blog. I already own a few older yet pretty typewriters for display, nothing that you would actually use. When I saw her picture and how she is using the typewriter I thought "I want one of those!".

A few nights later I'm watching American Pickers and Mike mentions something about a new trend - Typewriter Clubs. Turns out groups of people meet up at a local coffee shop. They bring along their workable vintage typewriter {instead of their iPad} and sit together and tap out poetry or stories. I googled it and they do really exist. The typewriter that you bring is your status symbol. I would totally be bringing a pink model if I was doing that.

Well I put the typewriter idea on my mental "Vintage Wish List", figuring I might find one someday. Then...I went to a flea market this past weekend. There is a vendor who is selling only vintage typewriters. Her prices were high {at least I thought so}. She wanted $75 for a buff/pink one. Too steep for me. No typewriter today. Or so I thought.

Later that day Hubby suggests that we go to another flea market that isn't as pricey. More "down to earth" if you will. I'm game as I haven't spent all of my money yet and I'm secretly burning to buy something. I stumble upon this laying on a blanket on the ground. Guess I should listen to Hubs more.

As you can see it is a bit rough around the edges. Some of the keys are stained a dark brown. Nicotine maybe? The man selling it is quite the salesman. He proceeds to load up some paper and type something out. He assures me that it works. Here is the selling point though....He only wants $4. SOLD! It was a no-brainer. I take it home and Hannah {my 8 year old} is very excited about it. She enjoys playing store and library and she begins to use it immediately.

Here it is "staged" to look a lot better. a la Heather's.

I googled Royal Mercury and I learned that this model was marketed for children. It is lightweight for carrying. It types in black or red and is quiet and easy to use. It is the Cadillac model for portable typewriters made by Royal. It dates back to sometime between 1965-1975.

I am still looking for a pink typewriter to be sure, but I doubt I will be able to buy one for $4 or anything close to that! This Royal Mercury suits the bill just fine - just in case I want to go to a coffee house and type out some verses!

KayteeJane

Divided Dishes and other vintage usefulness

I try very hard to use all of my vintage kitchenware and not just hoard it. When I first bought some of the Pyrex divided dishes I wasn't sure if/when I would actually use them. Because of the divider and also because each side only holds a small portion of food, I have always been sort of stumped about using these. Collecting vintage kitchen ware really exemplifies to me how much more we must eat in today's society than families ate in the 1950's and 1960's. Even my older coffee mugs hold a fraction of the coffee that my newer mugs hold. Anyway, I still love using the vintage over the new any day. I actually smile when I use my Pyrex to bake and serve food! Here is one way that I have used the divided casseroles. If you have another great use please share it with me!!

The lids make these perfect for storing food in the refrigerator.

This Melamine plastic dish also works nicely to serve small portions of fruit. No lid for storage, but cute for food that will be eaten right away.
And I've been using the milk glass compotes that sit on my kitchen counter top quite a lot. For the beginning of the school year I put in granola bars and fruit leathers for the kids. Those didn't last long.

 

Oh so pretty and useful all at the same time! I love vintage!


KayteeJane

Hydrangeas

We had some beautiful hydrangea blooms this year on our bushes. I am still cutting and enjoying them. They have turned a wonderful deep purple with touches of green.

Here are some cuttings that I used as centerpieces for a large dinner. I used milk glass bud vases to hold the blooms. The greatest thing is the flowers just dry right in the vase and can be kept for months.

Even my kitty has enjoyed them. Here he is up to mischief.

He enjoys snacking on the blooms! Isn't he the cutest thing?

Love him.

KayteeJane