Beauty In Times Of Drought?

We are in the worse drought in nearly 25 years here in mid-Missouri. We have not had any measurable rain at our house for nearly 3 months. Add to that several weeks of 90 plus degree temperatures and at least two weeks of 100 plus degrees and it paints a pretty grim picture. Things are not good for us, the crops, and the wildlife. I don't remember the drought of 1988 - it's not that I wasn't old enough to remember but I think living in the city and not doing any real gardening at that time in my life made it less of an event - the 2012 drought is, however, significantly different for me.

Since we are on well water and do not know much about where the water levels are at, we are re-thinking our usage and doing some things to conserve and reuse. We have been taking Navy showers, flushing the toilet less often (I know, TMI), and doing laundry and running the dishwasher only when we have a full load. We are also foregoing watering anything that is not necessary. That means our lawn is pretty much a waste land and the only "pretty" plants that are getting any moisture are the ones I am watering from the buckets we are using to capture the runoff in our sinks and tub.  We have watered our tomato plants some so that we can have fresh produce and the wildlife have some vegetation to munch on plus the birds love flying through the sprinkler. At least, I planted some succulents this year which are thriving in these conditions. It is bad.

One of my recent thrift store finds reminds me that beauty can come from reuse and recycling. I picked up this tramp or folk art for $3 and I just can't believe someone would have given it away. It has such detail and whoever created it put a lot of love and time into its design. I mean, really, look at the all the pieces...

I think nearly everything in this art piece is vintage jewelry parts, except for possibly the sea horse. There are ear rings, pop beads, chain, and even the sea shells around the edge were most likely a necklace at some point. There were a couple of spots on it where the original treasures were gone so I filled them in with some of my own vintage jewelry parts I had on hand. Can you tell where those places are at? I am hoping I blended them in so you can't. Honestly, I almost don't remember where I added things.

Looking at this piece makes me wonder if the parts had any meaning to the artist. Was the sea horse from a vacation to the coast? Was the sea shell necklace part of a lei from Hawaii? Or were all the treasures handed down from a grandmother or mother? Even the crushed velvet for the background looks to be recycled from something - maybe an old throw pillow or possibly, an article of clothing. And look at the back...

Even the back is a piece of old wood paneling. And it looks like the artist even "signed" her work as it reads "Jane Legat" or maybe, a child scratched their name into their bedroom wall. I bet even the frame was reused from something else. I love this piece.

As thrifters, we live a life of repurposing, recycling, and reusing - it seems to be in our nature. When times become harder than normal, it is easier for us to adjust because of it. Just like this tree art, I think we can find beauty in knowing that we are helping to save our environment through our actions. What have you found lately that inspires you? Are you taking measures to preserve your surroundings? Even in times of drought, there is something good to be found. 

Olympics' Time, Worldly Finds

Well, in case you have been in a cave somewhere, it is the first week of the XXX Summer Olympics. Although I am more of a fan of the Winter Olympics (probably because I like cold more than sweltering hot), I am still mesmerized by the whole event and have spent my fair share of hours in front of the television soaking it all in. Hey, what's a girl to do when it is 100 plus degrees outside and has been for an eternity? Just like the Olympics, thrifting seems to be a worldly event, too. Here are some of my recent finds by country.

 

Poland

Blue Enamel Butter Warmer or Turkish Coffee Pot
for sale in my newly created etsy store

 

Italy

Love the pattern on these heavy drinking glasses...
marked Italy but scream USA!

France

Enamel pot marked Dansk - it is in great condition
except for a chip towards the base.

Japan

Ashtray marked Japan - diggin' the retro, tiki vibe.

Taiwan

Asian beauty - there is a lot of detail in this 11" figure

Australia

Linen souvenir towel designed in Australia,
 printed in Hong Kong on Czechoslovakian linen

Germany

Three pieces of German pottery - the yellow vase is marked Nasco

Munich brass tray with Olympic rings - could this be from 1972?

Mexico

Ken Edwards Studio pottery
The 2 plates and coaster are marked KE, the burro is marked Tonala CAT

 

And last but not least... United States of America

Blenko art glass carafe, Viking bear paperweight, and amberina vase

Hallmark Danish Taper Candleholder - Made in USA

It has been a while since I have posted but you can see, I have been busy. It has been forever since I have been to a garage sale - it is still way. too. hot. But I have been making regular trips to the thrift stores and indoor flea markets. How is your summer going? Have you been finding some worldly treasures? It amazes me how diverse the offerings are even here in rural Missouri.

Linking to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday and Her Library Adventures' Flea Market Finds.

Hot Outside. Cool Finds Inside.

We didn't have much of a winter or spring here in Mid-Missouri but we are having one mother of a summer. Temperatures have been in the 90's for several days already and except for the 1.25" of rain we had the other night, it has been extremely dry. And the forecast doesn't look much better. There have been plenty of garage sales but unless it says "indoor in the air conditioning" in the ad, I have pretty much skipped that scene for the past couple of weeks. Fortunately, I have found some amazing stuff for good prices at the thrift and antique stores around the area. Here are some of my favorites:

Royal Haeger Giraffe & baby 15" statue with hang tag - $6

This statue is shown in the 1938-1940 Haeger catalog but this piece was produced in 2002. It didn't matter to me that it was newer as I have never seen a Haeger piece like this before in the wild and I collect it so I had to have it. It goes perfectly with a pencil drawing I have of a mother and baby giraffe by Gibson. The neck on the baby had been broken and reglued so I added a ribbon to hide the flaw.

Wooden elephant toothpick holder - vintage

Sascha Brastoff of California tray
Does anyone recognize the series? Rooftops, maybe?

I don't think it is signed - just the manufacturer stamp.
Does anyone know when this was made?

California Redwood Burl candle holders
from The Stump House, Eureka, Calif.

I've had a run on some Holt Howard items the last month or so including:



Holt Howard Salt & Pepper shakers from 1964

Holt Howard Cozy Kitten shaker from 1959
Sadly, she lost her mate

And my favorite Holt Howard piece:


Holt Howard Bull cup or mug from 1963
Love how the tail makes the handle & the expression

Okay, so these are both really interesting finds. I know nothing about Zsolnay Pecs but after doing some internet research, I did find out that they have been around since the 1870's and make some gorgeous glass pieces but haven't really found out anything about the set above (or anything like it) so I don't know the time period these are from. It probably won't matter much as I am thinking of giving these to my daughter-in-law who is part Hungarian but still it would be nice to know.

Zsolnay Pecs of Hungary set of espresso cups and saucers
Blenko? red art glass vase

I picked up the vase because it was pretty and I have been drawn to art glass of late. I just noticed as I was looking at it while typing this that it appears there is a "b" inscripted on the bottom. Could this be Blenko? If so, I am doing the happy dance right now as this is the first piece I have ever found. And I think I only paid either 50 cents or $1 for it.

A couple more treasures:

Stoneware Butter Warmer - German or Norwegian, I believe

Marcrest/Stetson Swiss Chalet or Alpine Loaf Pan
made by Anchor Hocking Fire King

There is a lot out there about this pattern and whether it is Swiss Chalet or Swiss Alpine. Now, it also seems that the bakeware is also debatable as to who actually manufactured it. Some say Pyrex and other's say Fire King. It is not marked on the bottom but my pick is Fire King. What's your thoughts?

Indoor thrifting has been good to me. Now, I just need to use my indoor time to sell some of my finds - time management is my nemesis.

Linking to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday and Her Library Adventures' Flea Market Finds.

Blog Inspired... Thrifting Smarter

This time of year means there is a lot of stuff out there to be had. With garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and even antique stores offering all kinds of bargains, hunting smarter as not to overload is definitely a goal of mine although one I struggle with constantly. The blog community has assisted in me looking for more quality items and educated me in areas that I'm less familiar. I have found some pretty nice pieces in the last few weeks and many of those I may have passed on or not even given a glance had I not been spending some time "researching" via other's blogs. Thank you people for sharing your knowledge. Here are some items I have picked up lately:

McCoy pottery planter, Scandia pattern

Although I already have two of these McCoy planters in smaller sizes and different colors, it wasn't until last week via another blogger's find that I found out this was the Scandia pattern. I have looked at this piece for several weeks at a flea market type store but finally sprung on it when it was marked down from $15 to $12. I love the color - it's a keeper!

Arabia of Finland stoneware teapot, Kaira pattern circa 1971-1975

I could not believe I found this in a small town antique store in mid-Missouri. This teapot is one of those items I probably wouldn't have looked at before if I had not read on a couple of different blogs lately about Arabia of Finland pieces. And it was a steal! I think I will be selling it, though, as it doesn't quite fit the aesthetics of our home (mostly the color).

Marzi & Remy West German vase, Pottery Craft of California vase,
 and unknown blue pottery vase

Does anyone recognize the mark on this vase?

I have been finding some really nice pottery vases lately and the above are some of the best examples. I may have a hard time letting go of any of these.



Mexico pottery owl by Ken Edwards

I have always had an attraction to Mexican pottery although I really don't collect any of it. But when I saw a piece of Ken Edwards' on another blog and did a little research, I knew I wanted a few of his if I could find them. Ken Edwards was originally from Kansas City, Missouri and attended the Kansas City Art Institute before going to Mexico - kind of a home town boy for this Missouri girl although a little before my time. Anyway, I found this owl at Best Antiques in Lincoln (same place where the Arabia teapot was purchased) and snatched it up. There are several more Mexico signed pottery items there which after doing some more investigating may be part of the Ken Edwards line - I think another trip is definitely in order.

Here are a few more finds:

Dolphin brass and enamel tray - Made in Israel

Hand blown glass whale

Small Art Glass vase

And finally...



California pottery (CALIF 1046) soup tureen, lid, under plate, and ladle

This soup tureen set is in pristine condition and even the bottom of the ladle is marked "Calif.". I can't figure out what California pottery company made it but I would guess it is from the 1950's or 1960's. I have always liked California pottery but probably wouldn't have picked up this set if I hadn't been reading more and more on blogs of people collecting it. This would be so perfect, I think, on an autumn tablescape but would probably work just as well for summer with some gazpacho in it.

So, has you thrifting style changed? Does what you see on other blogs influence your buying decisions? I know I appreciate the diversity of information available, and enjoy seeing and learning more about thrift finds. Thank you bloggers!

Linking to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday where I learn so much week after week!

More Cool Metal Vibe

One of the things I love about small town America is the Community Wide Garage Sales. In the past month, nearly every town around us has hosted theirs - this weekend was Cole Camp's turn and it was fabulous! I had toyed with the idea of going to Kansas City for first Friday's because I haven't been in so, so long but I am glad I decided to stay close as it was just the best day of junking I have had for some time. I loaded my truck with all kinds of finds but I noticed when I was unpacking it, there were several pieces of the metal, industrial kind. I am just drawn to it - maybe I'm magnetic.



On my first stop, I picked up the black metal pitcher, hammered aluminum bowl, two metal lids (I don't know what I'm going to do with them but I had to have them), the TOP tobacco tin, and the folding rolling metal cart shown in the first picture (to the right). Oh and this, too, probably my favorite score of the day:

Can you believe this two sided vintage enamel sign was only $10? It measures 24" x 30" and is in really nice condition. I love the plaid! This sign dates to the 1950's and 1960's when A&P Supermarkets gave out plaid stamps to their patrons to redeem for merchandise. 





At a couple of other stops, I picked up the copper salt and pepper shakers, the metal warming basket, the refrigerator basket, and 3 different cup trees. Also, I got an unusual vintage magazine rack (half shown left in the first pic) and two chippy green metal children's chairs from the previous week's adventures.

Whenever I see these metal "Portafile" boxes, I usually bring them home especially when the price is 50 cents. Pearl thinks this would be the perfect container for some dog food but she might be a little too focused on food - she only weighs about 120 pounds!

Another great find is this metal drafting table. The picture really does not do it justice as it is so cool in person. It was marked $5 but the guy sold it to me for $4 and helped me load it. Such a deal! It needs to be cleaned up but it is going to look awesome somewhere in our house (where? I don't know yet).

I bought plenty more stuff that is not of the metal variety but that is for another day.

Here are a couple of other metal items I have picked up lately:

Do you think this was used for nesting boxes for chickens? It is going to be used for something around here but not chickens - possibly a large wine rack. I love the graphics and color on the top. It wasn't a super bargain at $40 but I had to have it - even went back the next day to get it as I passed on it the day before and couldn't stop thinking about it. You know how that is!

Finally, this is a vintage metal test tube rack. I thought it would be great to hold paints (like the Plaid and Folk Art type) but the holes aren't quite big enough. I haven't given up on it yet - I'm sure I can find some creative use for it.

So, how's your junking going? What kind of bargains have you found? I know the season is being good to you.

Linking to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday.







A Stacked Deck For Summer Living

The unofficial start of summer is rapidly approaching. Although the summer solstice is not until June 20th, everyone knows that summer really begins this Friday when throngs of people make their way to our two area lakes. I'm not a real fan of summer - give me 12 inches of snow any day - but there are some things I enjoy about summer like gardening (actually, more like eating the fruits of our labor) and sitting out on the deck enjoying an adult beverage watching the wild life. So, in preparation of summer, I have been adding some things to the deck with mostly thrifted finds.

You might remember the chair from a post I did last fall. Since late last summer, I have been looking for a mate at a reasonable price. I haven't ever found an exact match but I did find this fabulous lounge chair at the Edmonson Trading Post earlier this month for, wait for it, $10.

When I pulled up, it was sitting out front in all it's mid century glory. I couldn't get out of my truck fast enough to get to it to grab the tag. I almost didn't care how much it was priced - I knew I had to have it. I squealed with delight when I did see the price, though. Although the cushions are not the same pattern as the chair, I think they coordinate quite nicely and they are in near perfect condition. I don't know for sure who manufactured this but the back wheels say "The Bunting Co. Phila, Pa" on them.  Good ole USA!

Between the two chairs, I put a vintage wire plant stand I picked up for $5 at Penn Street Square in St. Joseph last summer. On it, I have arranged my collection of amber gold Haeger pottery - I'm up to 14 pieces. Well, actually 15 but my duck planter is in two pieces and I haven't glued it back together yet. Most of these cost me $1 or less - garage sales, you gotta love them!



Another addition to the deck is this vintage wire plant stand/magazine rack. I bought it last fall for $10 at one of my favorite antique stores, The Big Brown Dog, which, sadly, is now closed.  It coordinates with the other plant stand but I really wasn't thinking about what I was going to do with the two lower shelves as I don't generally leave magazines outside. It is sporting some newer planters and one vintage Haeger planter which is in front on top. I added a couple of more succulents to my collection, too. And, I discovered a new magazine, Atomic Ranch, on a blog last week (and for the life of me, I can't remember which) and promptly ordered all the back issues I could and a subscription, of course. Although my house was not built in the 50's, it is a ranch and I am absorbing all the cool information and photographs this magazine provides. Here's the latest issue:

This issue is of particular interest to me as it has an article about a neighborhood in the suburbs of St. Louis, Ladue Estates, that is true mid century ranch houses from the 50's. As an aside, I am certain I spent the weekend in one of these homes with my college friend in the 80's. I don't think I appreciated its aesthetic then as much as I would now - I would love to go through all those houses today! Anyway, if you haven't checked out Atomic Ranch, I definitely recommend it.

So, what are you doing to prepare for summer? Do you have any "new" vintage items you are using on your porch, patio, or deck? I am sure whatever you're doing, it is all decked out!



Succulents: Not Just For The Desert Anymore

I was blog hopping this morning and landed on fellow Missourian This Vintage Grove's  Five Things Friday. One of the five things she talked about was getting some succulents from a hardware store last week. Wow, what a coincidence, so did I. I shot her a comment and it seems we bought from the same hardware chain, just in different Missouri cities. I only bought three but here is what I did with mine:

Succulents planted in vintage white Haeger planters

sitting on a vintage chippy drop leaf table.

Later on today, I was going through my email and found one from Stampington & Company's Post Script. In it, they provided a DIY project for planting succulents in a mini library drawer. Here is a picture of the finished project:

Apparently, succulents are "in" this spring. I dig their mid century modern vibe and hopefully, they will be easy to maintain. I think I may have to pick up some more from the hardware store. They are too cool!