Multi Tasking

I enjoy finding new uses for items. Take this wrought irom plant stand. When I found it, I never saw me putting plants on it, I saw candles.

I found these marble shelf brackets that I use as a radiator shelf.

My pride and joy is this red painted cabinet. I bought this from a guy who was moving. He had bought an old house with the intentions of restoring it. The job turned out to be too much for him to handle so he was selling and moving on. He told me this cabinet was in the basement when he bought the house. As soon as I saw it I started to shake and I had to have it. You know the feeling. I knew it was something special. I paid him and had to wait until the next weekend to bring my husband and pick it up. It was filthy when I brought it home. Of course my husband couldn't understand why I bought the piece of junk. It took 4 buckets of water to clean it up. I did a little research and visited a couple of antique stores in the area and until an appraiser tells me otherwise...I believe I have a mid 19th century cupboard. If it is the real deal, it is worth at least $1,ooo. I have no intentions of selling it at the moment. My red depression glass and the cupboard look great together in the living room.

I know my pictures are dark, so I will take some more tomorrow during the day.

This ain't no Tupperware

I did manage to find a few other things on Saturday other than Tupperware. I found this little porcelain. He is a petite little fellow.

But he had those four magic words on the bottom Made in Occupied Japan. This will be my ebay item for the week.

Since Christmas a week hasn't gone by that I haven't added to my vintage collection. These little candle climbers are keepers. I actually looked right past them, Dona picked them up for me. They say two heads are better than one. Thanks Dona.

I even had time for 2 projects. One was to recover this bench seat with the same fabric as my curtains.

And the other project was to rewire this lamp.

I was going to show more pictures of my kitchen, but I cooked a big dinner, made zucchini bread, and my kitchen is a mess. Oh I forgot to tell you, I don't have a dish washer either. I'll share the kitchen another time after I get all of the dishes dried and put away.

They say a women's place is in the home...

...and specifically the kitchen. That saying may be true, but only one woman at a time can fit in my kitchen. For those of you that live in an older home and have to live with the changes that others have made over lets say... the past 70 plus years... than you know what I mean when I say I have almost the smallest kitchen in the world. How small is it??My kitchen is so small that you have to inhale when you open a drawer. So small that the refrigerator is sideways otherwise it would block the doorway to the dining room. So why am I so stuck on collecting vintage kitchen items?? I don't know. Dona and I went out to estate sales Saturday and she is picking up really pretty things and what I am buying??

That's right tupperware.

But you know not any old Tupperware, vintage Tupperware. That's different. I think these may be the ebay items for the week. I will have to do some research later today.

I also picked up these measuring cups. I thought they were cute. Notice the 70s laminate counter? Yes that is what I am living with. The last time my kitchen was done was in the 70s, but it is still in excellent condition. Just as soon as my daughter is out of college, I am going to get a new kitchen, complete with walls knocked down and everything.

And then there is all of the red handled kitchen utensils, a vintage mixer and even a washboard. They just keep appearing and dare me to buy them. I don't know why I buy them, I don't display them, my kitchen is too small. I am going to save them for our spring sale. I will have plenty for a nice display and I hope they find the right home.

I think I have a red attraction.

I can imagine that many pies and cookies were baked with these rolling pins. I will post again later today with nicer pictures of my kitchen, my other finds, and my ebay items for the week.

And if anyone is interested in purchasing any of the vintage kitchen items, let me know. I would like to know that they went to a good home.

I was feeling blue

I went through a stage when I was picking up everything blue and white. I was sure that I would either have a blue and white dining room or blue and white bedroom. I collected alot of things. But there are many different hues of blue. Unfortunatley I love them all and in my indecision I never did anything. I was going to decorate my dining room around these dishes.

But then I found these and they are not as fancy as the other ones so I wasn't sure if I would go formal or not so formal.

Then I couldn't pass up a complete set of these dishes ...should I go retro in the dining room?

Should I go country?

Should I go blue and gold??

Oh what the heck...I broke down and went to an actual retail fabric store and bought new fabric to cover the dining room chairs. I have dedicated February as national painting month and I am painting my dining room. I'm not sure of the color yet. I will pull out a color in the fabric...and yes, there is blue in the fabric.

I may get my blue and white dining room after all.

Here's to a great 2008

I thought that after the holidays I would be able to relax...but oh no. 2008 has been very busy so far both at work and at home. I've been working overtime at work to get things completed. I hope last week was the end of that for now. My personal business plans are coming together. I am now posting items on ebay for sale. Maybe some of you noticed the link that I had on my blog last week. I posted my first item and it was a successful sale. I shipped the wooden bowl that I sold UPS yesterday and I hope my customer is happy with her purchase. For all of you who sell on ebay I would appreciate any tips that you can share.

I am gathering together a few more items out of my vast inventory to sell this week. My plans are to post my items for auction on Sunday evenings. But you are invited to an invitation only sneak preview on Saturdays of what will be for sale. If you see anything that you like, send me an e-mail, I'd love to hear from you.

I like to think in terms of colors or themes, and I would like to sell in that fashion. Besides it's fun to play and create vignettes.

My theme this week is pretty pinks. The weather around here is gray and dreary and I am in need of some color.

This is my vignette. It's my mini corner display in my virtual store.

This is a close-up of the rag rug

Although not pink, this bakelite vanity tray is a cheerful color.

I am anxiously waiting for those hot summer days when the sales stretch from one corner of the county to the next. Until then, I will play with the treasures that I have.

And the answer is....

Thank you for those that responded to my question. After hours of extensive research and according to Kovel's .com it turns out that these dishes are called bone dishes. There are a few listed on ebay and I've seen them called salad dishes or relish dishes.

My conclusion - this is 2008 and they can be used for anything.

My other finds are home

Tracie asked me if I had gotten back my finds that I left in Dona's car, and yes I have.

These are 5 which probably should have a set of 6 little dishes. I imagine that they are for a fancy set table, but I don't know what they would be used for. If anyone knows the purpose of these type dishes, I would appreciate any information.

I also found these 2 flower pots. They remind me of brown drip, but they are not marked. I love the colors. I need to do more research on them. Unfortunately there is a small chip on the one.

So these are the remaining finds from this past weekend. This weekend coming up is a bust. Only 2 random sales and they are so far away, on 2 different days that it's not worth it.


I could stay home and start on one of the various projects I have collected from other sales. I think I will do that and then I can FINALLY show a before and after picture.

If this is what I'm finding in January....

I have alot of pictures to share with you today, because I had sooo much fun shopping with Dona today. We originally headed out to one estate sale, but then ended up at 2 more. We bought at each...we have to spread the wealth around. My pride and joy today is my new TV stand. It was probably originally a radio or record player cabinet from the 4o's but it is just what my living room needed. The front drops down and I put the DVD player in there. It already had the holes for the wires. My house was build in 1935 and I am finding that I am being drawn and collecting furniture from the 30's and 40's (and older). It's like the furniture is coming back home.

It only took me 2 hours to rearrange 2 rooms to fit one new piece of furniture. Will my house ever be done? NOOOO.

I also found a hooked wool rug, not old, but I liked it. A woven walnut basket, wooden box, and a wooden frame that I will put somewhere with the other wooden frame that I had. Dona still has some of my things in her car. Hey Dona don't get used to them.

I always love to pick up books especially when they are only .25.

Now here is something weird. My son is a chef and for Christmas he asked for a subscription to Gourmet. I bought him one magazine so he had something to open and told him he had a subscription, not knowing when he would get his first issue. At the first sale we went to there was a stack of vintage Gourmet magazines. At first I wasn't going to buy them, but what the heck, I'll see if my son wants them.

They are still in good condition.

Then at the last sale we go to, out in the dirty and musty garage on the floor are 2 binders with the entire year of Gourmet for 1973 and 1974. Then I'm thinking, EBAY here I come. Then I'm thinking, some of the graphics are like artwork, how about framing them and selling them as art? I'm not a crafty person, but I think this could be Etsy material.

In addition, there were 2 Sphere magazines. I never heard of this magazine. This copy from 1974 is The Betty Crocker Magazine.

This copy from 1977 changed it's image to The World of Today's Woman.

And then of course, more Christmas decorations. 3 Anna Lees and these 2 cross stitch frames. I'll put them with other pile of new decorations that need to go to the attic.

Last, but not least, this lovely hand held vanity mirror that Dona gave me for Christmas.

Thank you Dona.

Working 9-5

So this morning as I am up at 5:30 to get ready to go back to work from which I have been off for 11 days and loving it, I'm thinking, what do I possibly have to blog about tonight? How much has piled up on my desk while I was gone? Oh no!

THEN, I go to check out the free shelves as quickly as I can and low and behold I find something.

Although not free, the tray was $1...

the shelf was .50...

and the little tiny Christmas balls were in the trash. Something caught my eye in the trash can. I saw one of those boxes that contain vintage Christmas balls. If you know what I mean, it is like I had radar. I found an empty box, then a lid, then another box with 4 larger broken balls, then a empty smaller box and lid. I just knew that there had to be something in this trash can. I kept digging and I found all of the balls clumped together. It was like finding gold. Why on Earth would someone throw these away??? This is literaly one man's trash is another woman's treasure.

Even on the box is written that they were made in Germany.

I have already put away all of my Christmas decorations, but I have labeled them so well, that I can very easily add these to the boxes. I will of course forget all about them during the year, so come December they will be a little present to myself.

Don't tell anyone, but I can't wait to go to work tomorrow.