The Mad Men Influence: Part Deux

The season finale of Mad Men was Sunday night and it did not disappoint... except for the fact that it was the season finale and 13 episodes a season is just not enough. The detail and intricacies that the Mad Men directors and producers pay to the 1960's era is phenomenal - the props department on that set has to be a mid-century modern junkers dream! It is without a doubt the best show on television. Of course, I might be blinded by Jon Hamm's suave demeanor!

I did a little junking last week. And I noticed that two of my best finds were, in fact, mid century modern. Both of these would work well on the set of Mad Men, I am sure! Thursday, I went to the big city of Sedalia to run errands. There is an antique store there, Chelsea's Antiques, that I like to frequent. It is in a historic building downtown and crammed full of vintage treasures. One of my favorite things is the "Treasure Box" that sits outside. Everything in it is $1 a piece. I must say that this box has never failed me - I always find at least one thing to take home with me. This particular visit I found this Zenith Model K725 FM/AM radio. It has the original sticker on the bottom and the last date on it is 1951! It is near mint condition except for a little crack. Chelsea said she couldn't guarantee it would work and I said it was more about the look than the function for me anyway but guess what? It does work! Bonus!

 On Friday, I went to an auction. It has been a long, long time since I have gone to an auction and after this one, I remember why it has been so long... auctions take forever and most things don't go for cheap. I will be sticking to flea markets, antique stores, estate sales, and garage sales from now on - instant gratification is what I'm all about, I guess. I did manage to pick up a couple of items, though. The first is this fabulous travel bar. It was made by Ever-Wear and is just too cool. It was in the bottom of a heap of junk on a flatbed that was going to be passed over. Oh, no it's not! I love travel and I love bars so this will be perfect! I got this gem for $3. It is in the original case with all the original jiggers, plate, spoon, cups, and the fantastic Bakelite handled opener. And there is room for 3 bottles of liquor. My favorite part? The metal tag inside the case with the Trav-L Bar figure! My other purchase was a stack of vintage 1970's cloth napkins - around 50 of them in various designs for $3. I guess it was a $3 day.

Where have you been lately? Have you picked up a treasure that you just love? Even with the onset of cooler weather, there are bargains to be had if you keep looking!

My Obsession: Pillow Talk

First, I want to apologize for being absent for a month. I have been in a creative funk and really, sort of have been busy. I am not the greatest at multi-tasking so when things are a little more hectic than usual, I kind of shut down. It is football season so there is tailgating - three home games in a row in September; my husband had surgery and was in a lot of pain the entire month prior to it - he's doing super now; and I am trying to get organized after a summer of thrifting and junking. And seriously, my eBay store is in real need of attention - I need to gear it up for the holiday season. At least I have reached my goal of 1000 in positive feedback so that's something, I guess!

These pillows are on my living room sectional. I really adore the bird pillow.

Anyway, I woke up this morning and felt the blogging urge. Have you ever noticed that you can't just collect one thing? Well, I know I can't and I thought I would share a little bit, on occasion, some of my collections. Then, when I decided I would concentrate on pillows today, I realized it wasn't just a collection, it is an obsession. I mean have them in every room of my house except the bathrooms and quite frankly, I was a little surprised I didn't have one or two tucked in there. I counted and I have over 30 decorative pillows tossed about my home. Every time I go to a thrift store, garage sale, estate sale, home store, antique shop, I gravitate to the pillows. I absolutely love them! And all kinds - vintage, needlepoint, patchwork, crocheted, printed material, souvenir, and on and on.



Don't you love the Scottie dog
 patchwork pillow?



The great thing about pillows is you can place them just about anywhere and they can change the entire look and feel of the room. Maybe I love pillows so much because they seem to tell a story - there is a lot of love, I think, put in creating some pillows. Or maybe it is because they are comfy and cozy. Or maybe it is that they are small enough that you can have a whole bunch of them and it doesn't seem to overwhelm.  And they come in all price ranges - you can pick one up at a garage sale for 25 cents or splurge and order one from a catalog for $50. Plus, pillows can reflect your personality and own style. They are the perfect accent.

Here are some more of my favorites:

I bought this pillow at River Market Antique Mall in Kansas City, Missouri. I think I paid $4 for it. I love the fun style plus it represents another one of my obsessions - bingo - not so much playing it (I only do that on cruises) but collecting bingo cards and games. More about that in another blog.

This is one of my splurges. I have been eyeing this pillow for 2 years. I actually asked for it for Christmas one year but didn't get it. I would go every once in a while and look at it online at Uncommon Goods but wouldn't buy it because it was $50. Finally, I decided I just had to have it and I am so happy with it. The cool thing about this pillow is that it is an image of a vintage USA map puzzle - this pillow was made by Found Images out of Wichita Falls, Texas. When I discovered that of course I had to have the puzzle, too. Oh, yeah, USA maps and globes - another obsession!

I picked up this pillow at a garage sale in Saint Joseph, Missouri. I love this pillow - it sits in a vintage wooden chair in the corner of my dining room. The folk art needlepoint and the colors blend perfectly with the decor of that room. Remind me someday to talk about St. Joe, my hometown - they have the very best garage sales EVER! 

This patchwork beauty came from the Copper Top Flea Market in Warsaw, Missouri. I paid $7 for it. The pillow was made by the owner's mother. I love the quilty feel and the blend of fabrics and was drawn to the piece of ribbon at the top which has the Cancer and Pisces astrological signs - I'm neither but I thought it was cool. My cat thinks it is pretty sweet for snuggling, also.

I picked up this knitted pillow at a garage sale - I don't remember where. I think I paid 50 cents for it. I love the colors and the circular style. It is reflective of still another one of my obsessions which is granny square and knitted blankets.

I really could go on and on about my pillows - I know, it's weird. Maybe I will have to have Pillow Talk 2. What decorates your house with cozy goodness? Are you a collector or have an obsession? Whatever it is, to quote Sheryl Crow (a Mizzou Alum, btw), "if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad."