Thrift Finds

This weeks treasures ...

 StarRite fan made by FitzGerald MFG. Co. Torrington, Conn USA.

Linen tea towel, with pretty red rose. 

Terry cloth mushroom kitchen towel.

1965 Berggren Original - Happiness Tree plaque.

1951 Dick and Jane workbook that has been used.  

I love the graphics, perhaps a future craft project.

 Examples of the graphic inside of the workbook.

I am linking up with, Her Library Adventures on Sunday, for:

on Monday with Apron Thrift Girl for:

and Southern Hospitality for:

Charm from Repurposed Shoes

Two days and my daughter will be moving into her new home.  I will spare you the details that she has been through with this move, but I will say it is no easy task to pack up a home when you have two children ages 11 months and 3 years old.

While on the road to visit some thrift and vintage shops I spotted this cute planter that I wanted to share.

I spotted these boots in downtown Kenosha.

PAULADEEN.COM  has direction on how to make this center piece.

e how home offers another article of how to.

Perhaps the new patio at my daughter's house will have a few shoe planters.

Reading is a ticket to anywhere

I enjoy reading, in fact, I just finished Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews.  I highly recommend this book for your summer reading. Not only is she a wonderful authoress but a fellow junker. 

I read different types of genres, and I love reading to my grandchildren.  Right now my granddaughter and grandson, who are three years old, want me to tell them the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, a Norwegian fairy tale. I have read the book, watched this story on You Tube, and have retold the story with my own twist many, many, many times. The children's author Robert Munch is another favorite of ours. We read and listen to;  Mud Puddle, Stephanie's Ponytail, and Purple, Green, and Yellow. Our public library has a link on its homepage for, TumbleBooks, which is Ebooks for kids. We love watching the animated books online. See if your public library has a subscription and sit down with your favorite kiddo and enjoy a good book.

What is your favorite book to read with your children or grandchildren?  Will you share your favorite stories? Leave me a title or an author you enjoy in the comment section and I will check them out.  

Did you wash your baby doll in the kitchen sink when you were young?  I remember standing on a chair with an apron wrapped around my chest giving my baby her bath. Water was slopping all over the counters down the cabinets and on the floor.  My patient mother kept reminding me to keep the water in the sink. As my girls got older they too washed their baby dolls in the sink. I reminded yelled to keep the water in the sink. Yesterday my sweet, Lou Lou Belle, washed her baby doll in the sink. I let the water spill on the counter tops, down the cabinets, and on to the floor.  I guess it's true history does repeat it's self.

Little Lou Lou Belle wearing one of my rummage sale aprons.

A 1950's vintage Sun Rubber Constance Banister doll getting a good wash up.

A Cherished Monday

Made a wonderful memory with my Granddaughter and enjoyed every minute of it.  I had the best time spending the morning with my little Lou Lou Bell, (my nickname for her) Right away the dolls, stroller, cradle, and an American Girl rocking horse, that I bought at a rummage sale, were set up all over my living room.

After playing baby dolls, time for a craft project.  On Monday mornings, Alpaca Pottery and Art Studio hosts a Mommy & Me Reading and Pottery event. Each week a book is read to the children, and they paint a piece of pottery that goes along with the theme of the book.  This weeks story: If You Give A Pig A Pancake, by Laura Numeroff. Can you guess what the pottery piece was?  A PIG!

All the little piggies waiting to be claimed by the artists.

Ready to paint.

The artist hard at work painting the perfect pig.

Adding purple polka spots and of course, she needed blue eyes.

The perfect little piggy, painted by my sweet Lou Lou Belle.

We will pick this little piggy up next week after it is fired and put it in a place of honor.

Treasures from a Thrifty Weekendl

Warm breezes, clear skies, with the temperature in the low 70's made for a perfect day of thrifting. That's what I thought and planned on. You know what the say; the best-laid plans.....

An area in our town is named Allendale and is located near Lake Michigan, with some homes right on the lake front. This is an established neighborhood dating back to the late 1800's, with lovely old home. They held the annual Allendale neighborhood rummage sale this weekend.  Up and out the door early, with visions of good deals dancing in my head. What's the fastest route? I see the signs and stop at my first rummage sale, excitement.

My first purchase of the morning was miss matched shoe horns.  I love the colors and have a pair of boots badly in need of some shoe horns.  The woman running the sale made sure to tell me that they were antique. That became the word of the day.  Wonderfully decorated children chairs with vibrant colors and designs could be  bought for twenty dollars each.  They were antique.  I went to pay for my shoe horns and mental head slap, I forgot to stop and change my hundred dollar bill into smaller bills. Lucky for me a ten dollar bill, was stashed behind my drivers license.

Next sale (after all I still have nine dollars and of course the hundred dollar bill) I stop at had a green scale and the decal says it's made in Chicago, Illinois. No price.  "How much is your scale?' I ask.  You tell me what you would pay for it; it's an antique. She wanted twenty dollars for it.  I liked it, but I didn't love it twenty dollars worth.  So went my morning in Allendale.

I drove to the bank changed my hundred dollar bill into smaller bills, and headed to a church rummage. This was the last day of the sale, and I knew it would be slim pickins. I am so glad I decided to stop because I found my favorite piece.

An embroidered tablecloth with this lovely lady in each corner.

I love, love, adore the crochet lace and these cheerful flowers in between each beautiful lady.

Betty Crocker's cookbooks; 1956, 1971 and 1973. I couldn't resist.

From the1956 cookbook.

My watch and my stomach are telling me its is lunchtime, so I am heading home, and lo and behold I see church rummage sale.  I can't help myself, and I follow the signs.  They are handing out bags as I enter,  and we are told one dollar for everything you can fit inside the bag. 

Linen placemats made in Sweden and new with tags, tea towels.

Amish-Butterprint, Pyrex bowl.

Sweet handerchiefs.

Gap lambs wool scarf and hat.

Fisher Price knee and wrist guards.

Colorful childs crochet blanket.

All of this in one bag for one dollar, happy dance.

I am linking up with, Her Library Adventures on Sunday, for:

on Monday with Apron Thrift Girl for:

and Southern Hospitality for:

Remembered Yesterdays, Cherished Tomorrows

With thoughtful quotes sprinkled around eye catching vignettes Embellished Heart in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin offers a pleasant experience in shopping.  This shop offers vintage findings and furniture, art and home decor along with unique gifts and jewelry. I had the pleasure of meeting the owners this afternoon, Tori Tarlton and Norma Tarlton and asked if I could take some pictures of their store the Embellished Heart to share on my blog.

Tori holding a mirror with this quote...

Live in the moment knowing you are mortal,

and when in doubt ask; "What would Lassie do?'  Bernie Siegel

I felt like sitting down and having tea and finger sandwiches in this vignette. What a clever idea to embellish the glass jar with a quote. Inside this glass jar was tan and pink netting, twigs with a sweet bird figurine sitting inside.  The quote was written with black marker, which washes right off. Clever idea.

Love the lamp and the caddy with the Siestaware glasses, adorable.

More eye candy.

Notice the silver shoes to the left of the chair, too cute.

Walking around the store looking at the vintage/reto items brought back memories of my childhood.  I noticed several things that we had when I was growing up. Memories. I will be visiting the Embellished Heart again.  Next time I going to buy something that I have my eye on.

I love that apron. It will fit right in with all of my others :-)

Hardware Store No More

After wrapping up a package for fellow blogger, Tammy from Tammy Loves Dishes, I headed to a near by independently owned hardware store. This hardware store houses a post office and is twelve blocks from my house.

I entered the store that surrounded me with tools, pipes, chains, machines, and crabby old men working behind the cash register.  As luck would have it, there was a queue for the post office.  With two people in front of me, I had a few minutes to look around at the interesting items that lined the walls of the store. I saw red and the sign. I pulled my camera from my purse and snapped this photo.  I must mention that I received a rather strange almost nasty look from the gentleman behind the cash register.

This sign reads:

AHH HUMM...EXCUSE ME......

I PREFER NOT TO;

INTERRUPT YOUR CELL PHONE CONVERSATION,

HEAR YOUR PERSONAL BUSINESS, NOR

COMPETE WITH A PHONE FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

THEREFORE, WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED WITH YOUR

CALL, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WAIT ON YOU!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION!

The queue moves toward the postal window and another sign (I wasn't comfortable taking another photo after the last look I received) was posted. It said something to the effect; No cell phone usage near the postal window. It slows down the computer and equipment used. My turn comes and while the gentleman is waiting on me - MY CELL PHONE RINGS!  I didn't answer :-))

I realize some folks will agree with the message that this store was sending out.  As I walked out the door of this independently owned hardware store, I knew that next time I needed to mail something I would drive the extra miles and use the United States Post Office, where all I would see is wanted posters.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I decided to go into Illinois with my sweet sister to do a little thrift shopping. I live between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I have the best of everything within my reach; theater, shopping, museums, Lake Michigan,  major league sports teams, and great thrift stores.  My sweet sisters birthday is June 18th. She received her 25% off your purchase, birthday card from Goodwill.  With high hopes and 25% off we headed for one of my favorite Goodwill store in Mundelein, Illinois. While driving we passed Marytown, in Libertyville, Illinois. Both of us recalled the fantastic rummage sale we attended several years ago at Marytown. I decided to pull in and forced asked my sister to run inside and inquire when the next rummage sale would be.  While she went inside, I grabbed my camera, so I could show you the beautiful grounds surrounding Marytown.

This sign welcomes you to the beautiful grounds of Marytown.

The only church in Lake County, Illinois where you can pray 24 hours a day.

Beautiful statues dot the grounds.

The walkway towards the grotto.

Look close and you can see the tear drop on Mary's face.

Bagged flowers were attached to all of the trees, beautiful.

In the area of Mundelein, Illinois, stop and refresh your spirit at Marytown.  Now back to the reason why I stopped in the first place...  My sister did find out that a rummage sale will be held in October.  Filed that information in the back of our heads.

We arrived at the Goodwill store with high hopes. We left with our 25% off coupon still in my sisters purse.  I did see this purse that I wanted to share with you.  This beauty was in the locked glass case!?! As my sister and I stood in front of the case staring at the purse, yes it is a purse. A customer wanted to see an item in the case.  As the clerk unlocked the case, I politely asked if I could take a picture of the purse. This saddle purse was priced at $39.99.   It did not come home with either one of us, but I am sure somewhere, sometime this saddle bag purse will go home with someone.