Thrift Share Tuesday: YS Saga Continues

OK, here is another shot of that lovely little MIJ puppy! The Yard Sale was worth it just for this guy. He makes me happy. I was looking through a bag of sewing notions and these patterns and she says, 'I'll give you the entire bag for $1.' SOLD! These are the toy and doll patterns. There are also a bunch of transfers in the bag. Yes, I am a 'dog person', but I have loved my share of cats in my life too. I also love and cannot resist old animal planters (I've been thrifting them since the late '80's!) She cost me a quarter. Bottom of neat vase I found. Made in Italy for Rosenthal Netter it says. Here is the cheerful front. It is good size and will look great with some calendula flowers this fall. If you look really close one of the petals has a tiny white spot (at about 10 o'clock). This is not a chip, but some sort of imperfection in the glaze. Maybe this is why it was so cheap ($1)? Gorgeous green glass swan and a spin head angel friend (one of many found among the Christmas junk.) Just can't resist the animal planter. Love this yellow, long-necked doe. Yellow is my favorite color. See what I mean about breaking my "No Smalls" rule. Yeah, when I break a rule I really rebel! OK, enough photos for tonight. Oh, there are more...lots more!* *Please mention when you've had enough!! :)

Thrift Share Monday: Rainy Day Blues

It is rainy today here in Louisville and, coupled with the boxy-ness of my shotgun house apartment, light is horrible and so are these photos (we'll just pretend I am a brilliant photographer and I can actually blame the rain and architecture). OK, truth is I am horrible at pictures and learning to use my blessed camera has been on my 'to do' list for years. Anyway, I am determined to share at this week's thrifty parties: Her Library Adventure and Apron Thrift Girl .

Check out these gorgeous hands! So delicate. how in the world did she make it through the bins of a thrift store without breaking one of those siren red nails? Oops! Unfortunately, a not so delicate hand (mine) dropped her upon bringing her home (head popped off, but her nails stayed purrfect!)

Vintage wrapping paper, a couple of books...

Atlas of Kentucky

Cute cement basket planter and cherub fabric

Shadowbox frame and McCoy gravy boat(?); I did not notice it was McCoy until I brought it out for the photo (my horrible photo does not do it justice). The mark is really light and probably went unnoticed by the GW price police as well. "Baby Owl" mold...I have no idea what I will use it for, but for 60c it was too cute to pass up!

So, there you have it. A quick sampling of some of the past few weeks treasures. I have more, including a great handmade shelf with carved swallows, but I am too tired to deal with blogger and photographs. I am being a really lazy blogger lately (too much work crap occurring at the moment and it is stealing my drive to do anything non-work related...even, gasp, thrift!)

Thrift Share Monday: Weekend Thrift Finds

When I manage to go thrifting, I see tons more that I want than what I actually end up buying. Sometimes it is price or condition, other times I am concerned I am just acquiring too much stuff, I am not a ReSeller (yet) so I don't normally buy 'good deals' to sell, nor are artistic notions the goal for my junk. And then there is the constant relocation. The many, many moves I seem to be doing in my adult life (oddly enough I grew up in one house that my parents bought when I was 10 months old-the one my mom still lives in today) can really curtail my behavior whenever one is eminent...like now. I dread all the de-cluttering and packing!

Alas, I still manage to find something to share almost every week! Above is a spring related groupings of tchotchkes (all oddly priced at the magic number of 0.50) I found this past week (well, except for the two winter skaters): a cute ewe (too bad her once chained babies are MIA); a flower print that matches the two bird prints I found a couple of weeks ago; and a duck planter that was made by Avon (!) in 1984 (usually avoid the 80's look, but his guy looks even older vintage than '80's and it is even a teeny bit chipped). My mom was an Avon fanatic and even sold it successfully in the '60/'70's. I always used to look through the catalogs, but I do not remember this mama duck and babies. I would have been 13 if it was released the spring of 1984-must have been too cool for school for it then...two years later I was totally into thrifting, but probably still not into Avon! Recently, however, I have found not only the ducks, but a bunny candle holder. Times do change! ;)
Found the woolly "Handmade in Wales" money box ram at the GW. I know I said I resisted temptation on buying any vintage clothing yesterday, but I forgot about this wonderful pleated tartan skirt I found. Oh, and not pictured, I also found a great vintage kelly green wool cardigan with little gold shell buttons-all at thrift store prices (different thrift than the one I mentioned)!

Oh, one more picture of the cute ewe! I love these two tiny prints with the black detail (sorry about the flash). I think they will look good with the silhouettes I plan to group on a wall some day. Also (barely pictured) are three books: a Hardy Boys series, 1st edition Tale of Despereaux, The Children's Hour: School and Sport (this one has great graphics, I love the little Boston terrier peeking out beside the locker).

And, last but not least, another temptation I lied about yesterday (because I forgot!). A gorgeous Calvin Klein blazer. Yes, this is my cheesy attempt at a self-portrait. Obviously need to practice a bit and clean that blessed mirror! (I am really camera shy!)

Check out thrifty fun across the globe at both Apron Thrift Girl and Her Library Adventures. ATG also is donating proceeds from her Little Shop (an online thrift of sorts!) for Japan earthquake relief. So scary and tragic what is going on over there. I plan to donate to Red Cross, but maybe I will buy something from Selena as well! Also, if someone wants those Pyrex cups (the Trade Me Up ones) and is willing to make and show me the donation receipt as a trade (to either Japan Relief or for an animal rescue agency-another tragedy I read about yesterday that brought me to tears), I will send them out to you pronto (first come, email on side bar)!

ATG's Thrift Share Monday: Thrift Therapy

Ended up thrifting my heart out this weekend and found some great, cheap items. Some I hope to resell someday and others I wish to keep for now. Definitely a keeper is Vern's 1999 'Mixed Tape'. I love mixed tapes! My friends and I used to make 'em in the day and trade our favorites. We would customize them for situations (e.g. break-ups, blues, new love, start of school, etc.) and I kept them for years. I have no idea who Vern is or hails, but I would love to be on his "mixtape" Christmas list. He has some great bluegrass and Americana on the one I found at a Goodwill in Louisville. Thanks, Vern!

I love the set of made in Japan spice containers all for $1.50. The set is missing one, but I know I have one back home to fill in the gap (it may be a repeat of one of the spices, but stranger things have been known to happen and it may be the exact match!) If I keep this set, I want to paint the plain wooden holder.

The little open mouthed bird (29c) and felted finger puppet (50c) are two of my week's favorite and cheapest finds. The bird fell out of my bag in the car (it was wrapped in a wad of newspaper by the clerk) and, later, when I took the items out of the bag and I couldn't find the tiny thing, my heart nearly broke! I found it, obviously, and it now sits on my bookshelf. At this great thrift shop in the heart of rural Kentucky, cash was the only currency they accepted. I had no cash on me that day, but, I guess to tease myself, I went in anyway. Right away I found the little bird and dug in my wallet for a quarter and pennies. While paying I noticed a pretty pearl choker in a basket. Price: $2. I went out to the car and dug around and actually found the money! It turns out the choker is a Sarah Covington necklace and is gorgeous. I left it at work or I would include a photo. The bird is still my favorite item from this thrift store. Maybe I'll make a new header with a gummy worm dangling over it's hungry mouth!

My other favorite and most expensive find: 1944 State Sewing Machine in pristine condition! See where the paint is slightly missing from the word State on the front? I did that removing the sign the TS put on it. Otherwise the machine looks like it rolled right off the assembly line in 1944. The sun in the picture is a sticker I think the store put on too (I forgot to remove it for the photo). It cost me $35 and even has the original (perfect) instruction booklet and parts. It is housed in a brown carrying case and seems to weigh at least 50 lb! For a split second I thought it costs too much, but I knew it would be a "regret" if I left it behind! I can't wait to try it out with some of my vintage fabrics.

Wanna play along? Visit Apron Thrift Girl and her Links O' Thrifty Fans!