Hello to whoever is reading this, long time no blog posts. But I've decided to start blogging about old junk and vintage items again. No one blogs anymore, they heyday of the blog has come and gone, but I am a rule breaker by nature so here we go.  I've gotten some good retro finds, stuff so good it would be a shame to hide it from the world. I've been hittin' the flea markets, auctions and thrift shops like there's no tomorrow. The first thing is the cute 1950s era napkin holder with little starbursts. My photo does not do it justice, no siree. It reigns supreme in my kitchen.

When said napkin holder is empty it will be refilled with these glorious pink paper napkins. PINK!!!! I have never seen such wonder before, my grocery store only sells white napkins but these are in a never opened bag and I found 'em at the thrift store. Made my day and then some!! Although for a thrift store they charged me a pretty penny if truth be told. But I had to have them.

Super cool abstract aqua planter. It was destiny I tell you!!

1950s era ceramic flamingo figurine, made in Japan. I got this at the estate auction and had to pay a small fortune and vanquish several other rabid bidders. I overpaid but in retrospect (get it, RETROspect???) I am pleased with my decision to pursue the purchase. I do not say no to the pink flamingo.

WWII era glass Christmas ornaments with cardboard tops and paper hangers due to wartime scarcity. They are in a vintage hammered aluminum ice bucket that was only 49cents at the thrift shop since it was lacking a lid. I did not quibble since it is awesome. Is there any question??

Vintage issue of Modern Screen with La Liz, there is some staining on the cover but La Liz is luminous and the price was right!

retro glassware and carnival glass finds

Now that the warm weather is here I have been out hunting for junk, I mean fine antiquities. I scored some 1950s glasses with a great gold and black design, and some AWESOME smiley face glasses, which I have been wanting ever since the dishwasher faded the designs on the set I had as a child, These are out there in the wild but the sellers always want a huge sum of money for them. These were cheap thank goodness. I also scored some nice carnival glass at the thrift shop, which pretty much blew my mind since the thrifts around here are really lousy.

Who wouldn't want a cocktail after seeing these??

I also got this cute little book from 1925, its adorable!

SMILE!!!!

vintage Christmas Santa mugs plus Rudolph

I scored some vintage ceramic Christmas mugs at the estate auction over the summer. They are made in Japan. I had never seen a Rudolph one before so I was extra happy to get these. One little chip on Rudolph's rim does not mar my joy. No siree.

Below is a Santa centerpiece that I made out of random items. I got the ceramic sled at the auction, it was free because it was broken and someone put it in the discard pile, where I always find good stuff. The sled was missing one rail and the other was broken in half, plus Santa had been knocked off of the seat. I glued him back on, glued the sled to a vintage platter and then glued ornaments all around, to cover the broken areas of the rails. Then I put a 50's era corsage into the back of the sled, and viola, retro Christmas decor! Once considered garbage, he now reigns supreme as my dining room centerpiece over the holidays.

The pink Christmas tree

 

Here is my hot pink Christmas tree, its about 4 feet tall and came with small lights installed, since its new not vintage.  I have it decorated with vintage glass ornaments and a few small old birds that clip onto the branches.

Below are some handmade beaded ornaments in an old pressed glass bowl. The bowl is from an estate auction and I picked up the ornaments here and there at flea markets and estate sales. Over the holidays people freaked out over these ornaments, while the pink tree was roundly ignored. Go figure, I think its a showstopper myself.

Breakin all the Rules!

My dad emailed me this photo, it was titled "Breakin all the rules!"  I love it! 

vintage kitchenware goodies

I scored some vintage milk glass items at the estate auction this week. A pie pan and a mixing bowl with excellent aqua embellishments, ooohhhhh! Now I need to bake something, maybe over the weekend I can whip up some scones. I like scones. Who doesnt?

Lidded divided Pyrex dish in the garland pattern. The dish is shallow so it doesnt hold alot and I am not sure what I will use it for, but I had to have it! I am not a pyrex obsessive, I really dont care about brands, I just like items with panache no matter what their provenance. This caught my eye and I threw down some bids at the auction.

vintage tiki mug from Bob Lee's Islander!!!! AHOY!!! I real score for an east coast gal such as myself. Make mine a mai tai!!! I also got a ceramic measuring spoon holder in a joyous flower shape. It has a chip in the back but I dont care, no one will know but me, and whenever I see these for sale they never have the spoons or are missing some. This was intact and basically free since it came in a boxed lot of stuff that I got at the auction.

Super duper fab tiki tropical placemats with little shells as flowers, meals are extra special now! Even if they come from a can!

pots and pans, vintage style and a warning on where NOT to shop

I have been wanting some colorful enamel pots and pans but whenever I see them at fleas or antique shops they are always trashed, stained and chipped, really bad unusable condition, So imagine my surprise to find 2 small saucepans in a 2 week period! Hooray!! 

And while we are on the subject of antiques stores, I am gonna name some names and tell you where NOT to shop. The Antiques Village of Strasburg, which is in Lancaster PA. I have NEVER been treated so rudely in my life, This shop is owned by a shrewish woman who approached me and started literally SCREAMING at me because I had brought my purse into the shop. Yes, a purse, one of those things that hold your wallet that has the money you intend to spend.   I was busy inspecting an old phone that I was thinking about buying and I hear all this yelling and I turn around and this witch is in my face SCREAMING at me about how I cant bring a pocketbook into the shop. It took me a minute to realize what was happening, and then I said, calmly, that I was leaving and taking my purse with me and she just lost a sale and I wished her "good luck with your business." then she went BANANAS and started YELLING that her business was doing just fine, On my way out the door I said, calmly, "really? I see money walking out the door." I will never set foot in there again. Treating all the customers as if they are criminals. I was unaware that I look like a thief, considering I was dressed like a preppy nerd, I wasn't in a ski-mask carrying a crowbar. Can you imagine if you were one of the vendors who was renting a booth there? This freak is driving away all of the shoppers.
These idiot business owners have no clue on how to run a business. If they were awake they'd know that the cost of a security system is a write-off on their taxes, if they are that concerned about theft. Plus customer service and manners might help as  well. Do not shop at The Antiques Village of Strasburg, which is in Lancaster PA. oh, I have to add an addendum to this post, I was the only customer in the shop when this unfortunate event happened. How bad is that?? This whole thing was such a bummer.

art deco goodies

I hit some thrifts about a solid hour from my house, in a town I had never even thought about going to, Wow, I scored there! Behold!
A great glass tray with a smashing peacock design. Maybe its bad luck to say smashing in the same sentence as glass tray, but I am throwing caution to the wind. This was, are you ready, $4!!! Not $40, four dollars!!!! I was flipping out!!!

Great glass pitcher with design of 1930s era swells out on the town! Wow!! This was $7 and I couldn't get the money out fast enough. Now I need a vintage fridge, see how one thing leads to another....

Celluloid teal colored creamer and sugar set, handmade mouse pin cushion and nice arts and crafts style bean pot. Its missing the lid but I don't care I tell you, I don't care! It matches the theme of my bungalow house and mission style living room. It will hold a small plant in said living room when I have some time to get a small plant.

Vintage fabric remnant stash. I bought these at the flea market from a guy who said he bought a storage unit that had alot of fabric. I dug through alot of bins but these were the only older prints I could find. Now I get to sew something. But what? Decisions decisions.

Cornering the sock monkey market

Here is my sock monkey collection. They are pretty hard to find out in the wild. I found these at flea markets over a five year period I would say, one is from an estate sale.  These were about $1 each, so I couldn't leave them behind to face an uncertain  fate. Never leave a sock monkey behind. One needs some ears. When I get a few minutes I can sew some on. Of course not only do I need a few minutes, I need a million dollars,Mike Ness and a 1962 Mercury Monteray with breezeway window. A girl can dream.

summertime and the livin' is easy

Here are some of my latest scores and some random shots from my yard and garden. Actually the livin' aint been easy since my brand new HP computer died, what a big waste of money, a total piece of garbage. Plus I had a heck of a time getting these photos to load and I cant get them any larger, I need to go thrift shopping to calm down, that's for sure.

New summer finds at the flea and thrifts

I am back in the blogging saddle again. The horrors of a new computer/old computer dying, plus alot of other crap have gotten in my way of touting my vintage finds. So, here is what's new from the thrifts and fleas:
Big green Pyrex mixing bowl, which I am using all of the time, plus medium size orange Pyrex bowl.

Aqua snowflake Pyrex casserole dish, it doesn't have a lid but that's the least of my problems, plus silver aluminum coffee canister with pink lid, HOLY COW!!!! Its filled with Chock Full O Nuts if you must know.

Beaded bag with bamboo handles and cool floral wooden and fabric bag, I am the Doc Severenson of handbags (Google him.). I used to work with an older guy who called me that, so I placed it into my repertoire.

At the thrift in Florida over Xmas I scored this new with tags (NWT as they say) Bermuda bag with an aqua cover embroidered with hot pink lobsters, how could I resist? I love obnoxious preppy stuff esp. since no one wears it, at least around here they don't. Most people I see are in sloppy sweatpants, sports jerseys and skin tight leggings regardless of thigh circumference.

Susan Slade starring Connie Stevens-- Now With Photos

The other nite I watched SUSAN SLADE, a 1961 soap opera type movie, I thought it was excellent. While not high art or a masterpiece of cinema, this movie has great style and reflects a more innocent era, although one that involves a lot of judgmental behavior and social stigmas.   In some ways maybe that's not such a bad thing, if you have even read a newspaper lately or looked out of your window and seen the chaos that is going on out there. We could use some social stigmas, if we had them no one would be wearing sweatpants to the restaurant or to the store or the office. Yes, sadly I said the office, which is now full of flip flops, obscene cleavage and short shorts. I carry a briefcase and a barf bag each day.  Anyhow,  Connie Stevens is Susan, a young woman who's adventurer boyfriend is killed in a mountain climbing accident.  He dies before Susan can tell him that she's pregnant. She is about 18 or so, and now she is going to be an unwed mother. So, many dilemmas come to the surface.  Did adventurer boyfriend, played by Grant Williams (who starred in The Incredible Shrinking Man) really love Susan? Would he have made things right if he survived?  How will Susan cope? Luckily her wealthy parents can shield her from dishonor and they do so at their incredible seaside estate. Will she ever be able to date Troy Donahue, the hot stable boy at the ranch, or smarmy Bert Convey, who wears ascots and jodhpurs? I loved the style of this movie, great dresses and great houses on the California coast. Cute boys too. I also liked the story, you really like Susan and feel for her, what with all this tragedy all over the place.  What a nightmare it was to get these photos to load.  
Here we have Connie caught in a clinch with lover boy. Uh oh, this wont be good in the long run.
.

TROY DONAHUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Connie in stylish outfits.


Below is the world's most beautiful dress, a light blue sensation on Connie.

TROY lookin a little weird but trust me he is HOT.

Susan Slept Here starring Debbie Reynolds

Last nite I watched the mid-1950s movie  "Susan Slept Here," starring Debbie Reynolds and Dick Powell. The plot was really stupid but the film had so much style!  Basically we have a 50 year old Powell playing a 35 year old (not believable, he looks 50), and a 22 year old Debbie playing a 17 year old (totally believable, she is adorable), and they fall in love. Talk about gross, ew, yuck. The film is innocent fun but this May-December romance is really taking things into the realm of the ridiculous, even for a fluff 50s movie.  Debbie's romantic rival for Powell is Anne Francis, who plays a spoiled wealthy starlet, She looks about 19 to be honest so even she is looking ridiculous chasing after Powell.  Anyhow, Powell lives in the most killer bachelor pad and Debbie wears the greatest dresses, her outfits are terrific. The colors in this movie really pop. Here are some scenes:

Awesome sports car!

 Femme Fatale in super dress!

In the 50s when you bought Xmas presents they wrapped them at the store in the most gorgeous paper, evidently. behold.

Swingin' Lair ala Bachelor. Complete with flocked Christmas tree.

Glamour gal!

Fab 50s kitchen in eye-popping lime green, wow! Note she is cooking with Revereware.

Diggeth the fridge and oven with a porthole!

great dresses

THE BEST CATEYE GLASSES EVER!!!!! To say I want these desperately is an understatement!

cute wool dress on Debbie and an adorable shirt

fab strapless dress in the 50s kitchen, just look at that radio.