A Good Story with a Junky Ending

So, one of the first people I met when I moved down to KY was the wonderful woman in the office next to me. We work for the same agency, different programs. She helped me tremendously with getting acquainted with other KY colleagues and learning some of the job. She is a wealth of experience and interesting stories. We even share similar ideologies!

Imagine my surprise when I mentioned I loved thrifting and I found out her and her husband (also a retired colleague in the same agency) are avid collectors, thrifters and auction attendees. We even have similar favorites as far as what we like to collect (I love the 30's/40's era). She could roll off maker's marks like nothing!

Well, the other day we were discussing spice racks for whatever reason and she mentioned she has a favorite one that is missing one piece. She has looked constantly for the missing piece, but has not been able to find it. She described it to me and the piece suddenly jumped into my head as if she had the rack in front of me (she did not). She ended up taking a picture of it and as soon as I saw it I recognized it. See, years and years ago I thrifted this one spice canister: Cloves. I have no recollection of when or where I found it, but I have carried it around with me for years. I thought it might even be in my China cabinet back in IN.

I was right. It is her missing piece!! What are the odds that two people would find complimentary vintage spice elements so far apart? How odd that the very one she is missing is the one I have? I wrapped it up and I cannot wait to gift her with it on Monday (thank goodness Gov did not shutdown!!)
I also want to share my fabulous find. It is the owl lamp I have admired in my favorite pub! I need to find a shade and I am debating painting it a solid color (except those freaky eyes), but I was so excited to spot it at a St. Vinnie's in KY. And, I saved the best for last! Here is the GORGEOUS Pyrex casserole dish I won from Brittany at My (Un)Intentional Life. Thank you so much! This pattern (along with Gooseberry) has always been my favorite and I have never found any of this one! I will treasure it!

Crazy Busy (What Else is New)

Busy week, I have been holed up at a really nice hotel near Cincinnati for work projects. Lucky for me, one of my great co-workers and friend was sent here for the project as well and we have had a magnitude of fun after work. She likes to thrift too and we found both a GW and an antique mall only a few miles from the hotel. I missed Thrift Share Monday this week (but I will save something really sweet for the next one), but I will link up to Coloradolady's Vintage Thingie Thursday (check out all the other great vintage thingies-it's addicting!!)

Mother and Father tea cups

Large Mexican tray with interesting embossed design (not sure age)

Betsy Johnson skirt (not vintage, but fun!)

Vintage bird prints in wooden "bamboo" frames

I also spotted a really great cat print at the Goodwill on Wednesday. I picked it up several times. It was only $3, but, in my attempt to not buy too unreasonably, I ended up opting out of the purchase because I couldn't picture where I would hang it. Tonight, my friend and I walked through the antique mall by the hotel. Upon entering one of the aisle, H. says, "I think we've been down this one; I remember that cat." I looked at where she was pointing and, lo and behold, it is the same cat print. I check the back and it was definitely the same print I saw the day before at GW. The new price...??? Twenty.Five.Dollars!

Reunited After All These Years

(Sorry for the blurry photos in post)

(A Thrifty Monday find give or take 15 years)

So, other than complaining about work (truly I am a lucky girl to have the job I have) and the cold (it is December in the South North so why am I bugging about it?) and the fact the holidays snuck up on us (ah, finally bought the last, crooked tree on the lot), I have found some time for thrifting. What I seem to be struggling with is updating this blog!

Although the extreme travel I have been doing (again with the work complaints!) is getting really old, I find time after hours to shop new locales. Last week, I found myself in the hills of West Virginia and let me tell you the thrifting is good!

I want to show you one of my favorite finds from last week, but first I have to tell you about a find from years ago (I believe 15+ years ago!) because I had one of those thrifting deja vu episodes and my heart nearly leaped out when I found a relative of the first find. The original one I found has a green lid and is stamped "Unipet Upjohn" (pictured above) on the bottom. It has these great pet graphics all around the bottom. Inside the lid is a bell ringer. When I found the first one back in the '90's, Ebay was a relatively new thing (funny, Google probably was too and Etsy was just a seed in someone's head). I could not find anything about it. I loved it anyway and moved it across many states where it currently sits in a china cabinet in Indiana.

Fast forward...I am walking the aisles of a new thrift last week when lo and behold my mystery jar's cousin (amber top instead of green) sits princely upon a dresser. I did the look-around and then gingerly picked up the jar. I turned it over and sure enough the familiar "Unipet Upjohn" was on the bottom. Price: $1.99!

(Found... again!)

I have to say that, having forgotten about my other one a bit, I hadn't researched the jar in modern times. Through the magic of Google I have learned these jars were once a promotional item for pet vitamins in the 1960's. After the vitamins were gone, pet treats could be stocked in the jar and the you could even summon the pet for a treat using the ringer in the lid. Wow. The manufacturer of the promo item: McCoy!

Don't you wish items still came in (purposely manufactured) reusable and fun containers? Talk about being green before green was, well, green!