Thrift Share Monday: Special, Unique

There gorgeous cabinets are hard to photograph because they haven't been placed in a permanent spot yet. Plus, I left my better camera in Louisville (these are an IN find). This is what I hinted at last Monday. The story is someone shipped them over to the US after The War and the daughter sold them to a dealer who then sold them to me. They have the most delicate mother of pearl design: Chinese, butterflies, flowers. Bakelite pulls and knobs are placed on every door. I love them and will do them justice with a better post at a later date.


My other favorite find of the week: Lovely, lovely rose dishes. I found a set of four (dinner, saucer, tea cups, berry bowls). I really need to purge some sets, but this one I am keeping.

The back of the rose dishes in case anyone is interested.

All in all...a (couple of) buck(s) well spent!

Thrift Share Monday: Alas, alas

I think I am (almost) on time this week! I have about three months worth of thrifted crap to brag about, but rest assured I am only going to bore you with two items. My best latest acquisition I will have to wait to show and tell as it is still in the place I bought it (hubby is bringing them home on Tuesday-so lovely...Oh, just wait!)

OK, without further adieu, the two items I selected out of the 100 items I did not:

(Love this vintage "Geographical Terms" relief map. This pretend island has it all from volcanoes and air fields to oasis and buttes! It is huge 4' X 4' and is temporarily hanging above the apt. bed.)

(I've been hunting for one of these for a very long time. I included a milk glass planter I found a while back for viewing pleasure bonus.)

Oh, alright, you talked me into it-here is a little bonus!

(Lovely Rothchild's girls coat for $1.50! A gift for my little red haired neice.)

The Crossroads

{Gorgeous beaded Jerusalem bag bought at an Indiana Estate sale for 50c!!}

Oy vey! (translation: Yiddish exclamation of dismay meaning "oh, woe")...that is pretty much all I have to say for myself and my lack of blog expression this summer. I have no idea where summer has marched off to, but I miss it already.

Let's see...I never finished my GA thrift experience, started my summer experiences or even showed a teaser picture or two. I just keep running out of hours at the end of a 24.

Part of my busy-ness lies in the fact I am decluttering. Sigh. I need to get the main house cleared out of my mess and get the remodeling projects completed. Of course, it will be a lovely house just in time to sell it to someone else. I am also working on an eviction at our rental house. No payments since April. Ball is always in their court, but I am so tired of running a charity house for someone who just doesn't manage money well. Another sigh.

I also am working on my closets. I have gained 15 pounds since moving to Louisville and I am having major issues getting it back off again. That pesky time thing again, but I really need to get my butt back into the gym. Dieting alone is just not cutting it. So, I have cleared out the closets of clothing that just keeps taunting me with its small size. Pointless to keep items I will never squeeze back into (I'm keeping a couple of vintage items that I have a chance to get back into and my regulars).

I really need to have a yard sale or try my hand at Etsy/Ebay, but, reality seems to be, I am keeping time between two cities and a very demanding job and will never get to either one. So, much of my thrifted treasures are, simply, returning to the thrifts. Boo hoo.

Earlier this busy week, I visited a person's home in the course of my job duties. I fell absolutely in love with this person's home decorating style. He is obviously a thrifter and his apartment, an upstairs flat, reflected such a great vintage modern style. I saw a couple of "themes" running through the place, such as bird prints, but otherwise, his place was quite eclectic. This is my absolute favorite home "decor". After I left, I kept thinking why can't I decorate in that manner? I can thrift great things, no problem there, but I just can't seem to focus on a "style", even eclectic; I am all over the place! My house looks junky, not stylish in any sort of way. I am really trying to figure out what I lack. I am thinking patience, organization and cleanliness are the attributes holding me back from a gorgeous home. I constantly have laundry to fold on the couch, toys all over the damn place, and paper clutter on the counters and table. I really need to master these areas. My apartment is the same, so I ma positive I am the common denominator to its horribleness.

I love seeing all the treasures people on the 'net find at their local thrifty sources, but I am wondering where and how do they stay in control of the stuff? I have hoarded/purged many times in my life. Donated or sold wonderful vintage goodness that just sat in boxes or cupboards or basements. When I buy it, I usually have a nugget of an idea for the object, but, rarely, do I do anything with it. I always seem to be in mid-project. For example I have a great lamp I thrifted at least 15 years ago. I found it in the barn covered in cobwebs and hay dust. I brought it up to the house to rewire and it has sat in the sun room now for almost another year. I have to set boundaries at some point. I see, once again on the Internet, the products of creativity of repurposing and I am constantly in awe, not just by the product, but by the simple fact the person found the energy and time to follow through on a project. Am I alone here?

OK, enough whinging for the night. Sometime this weekend I really hope to share some thrifty things with you all!

Airmail

(Excuse the horrible photos! I used a new work point and shoot and obviously need practice! :)

One of my all time Very Favorite Blogs is Lucy Violet Vintage. Not only does she have great eye for thrifty greatness and a wonderful way with words, she also loves Religionalia just like me (I actually stole this word from her as well!) In fact, she has a particular soft spot for Mary...yes, just like me! Check out her blog-you will not be disappointed!

A few weeks back she sent me an email asking if she could send me a little something. How could I resist knowing that 1) It would come from proverbial Down Under, but even better 2) From someone so sweet at Kylie?

So, this weekend, back home in Indiana, I found this Airmail, all the long, long way from Australia, waiting on me.

When I opened the box, a lovely little bird was staring back at me (so cute!), perched on several little pink presents. I opened each of them carefully and...look!

RELIGIONALIA!!!!

I immediately hung the little picture (below) and plaque on my Wall O' Religion and they are perfect. I love Mary's kind, serene look. the little Pope thermometer is hanging from a knob on one of the curio cabinets in my living room.





The little metal and pink velvet Mary and Babe plaque is so pretty. My photograph does not do it justice. It looks lovely against the vintage blue I have the living room painted.





Here is a snapshot of my wall (it is better closeup). I plan to rearrange next weekend, but I love how they fit right into the vignette. The other treasures are in now living in one of my cabinets of thrift curiosities with a convent of Marys. I still need to photograph my collections.





Thank you, Dear Kylie, for my wonderful, wonderful gifts! You are such a generous soul and you cheered me right up!

Oh, and, look to the West (or East, but definitely Up towards the Equator) for a little Kentucky/Indiana USA Airmail kitsch to arrive sometime in the near future!

Thrift Share Monday: Part I Books

Hello. Remember me? So long since I've popped my head into this place!

I probably mentioned somewhere along the way that I needed to go to Georgia for pretty much all of July (I'm too lazy to find the reference!) Well, July is indeed gone and I am back in KY. I haven't updated in a long, long while for too many long list reasons I shall not bother to discuss. Life has been a bit cheeky for me of late.

Anyway, while away in GA I did manage to squeeze in a couple of thrifting adventures in Atlanta. I wish I had spent more time there (I was about 30-40 miles away), but I am happy with the couple of trips I managed.

I have cut-back on the accumulation of stuff mainly for the simple reason I am moving. I have two households to pack and sort as it is and I don't want more to do. So, I was selective. The pickings were good (Very Good), but I left most of the dishes and knick knacks for other people. I was too tempted by books and clothing because they were awesome!

I will start with the books and do other posts on the clothing and misc. items.

So, here is a bit of the collection (plus a cute Nasco owl bookend and a made in Spain pot:

(stacked)

1. Arabian Nights

2. Passing for thin
3. Exotic House Plants

4. The Vagina Monologues

5. The Smart Shopper's Cookbook

6. The Settlement Cookbook

7. Homemade Bread

8.Great Recipes from the New York Times

9. The New Joys of Jello

10. How the World Cooks Chicken

11.The New Antoinette Pope School Cookbook

(Upright, left to right):

12. Clover

13. Manual of North American Trees (Vol. I)

14. Manual of North American Trees (Vol. II)

15. Burnham's Celestial Handbook (Vol. I)

Probably my favorite book find was this coffee table book called Kinsey Photographer. It is full of gorgeous, turn of the century photographs taken by Darius and Tabitha Kinsey.



OK, I will share my GA clothing and misc findings later this week!