freshvintage

Artful Finds

Thanks for the nice comments about my new blog. You will soon learn that I am a little bit of a geek (and I can thank my Commodore-64-loving, Mensa-membering big brother for that). But don't worry...freshblogtips won't be a technical site. There will be lots of practical, non-nerdy stuff, too.  If you come up with any new questions or suggestions that you have for the new blog, just drop me an email or leave a comment anywhere.

That was the new business. Let's move on to the old business. Here's $30 worth of old stuff that I bought in the past few weeks.

I know, I know...enough, already. But this one is cream-colored. I don't have any of those.

Floral frog, knives engraved with USN (US Navy), rhinestone clips, blue metal match holder:

The scrapbook is half-way filled with wedding, birthday and baby cards from the 1940s & 50s. It isn't as packed as the one was that I sold on eBay for $150, but it still has some cute cards.

The vintage fan was sitting on this wooden artist's case:

It has a nifty hinged top so that you can insert your palette:

 

It was a horrible, stinky mess when I first bought it. I ditched the 1960's paints that were oozing everywhere, but I salvaged the 29 paint brushes and two palettes.

Speaking of painting, I found this book, "Needle & Brush: Useful Decorative", at a local antiques shop. It was published in 1889 by Butterick Publishing Company in New York,

It has 300 pages filled with the arts & crafts of the times, including embroidered table covers, wall pockets, comb cases, pen-wipers, photograph cases, and pin cushions. Here are instructions for a "Fancy Book Cover":

Tennis Racket Cover:

There are also 30 pages of floral designs to use for painting or embroidery:

Last but not least, I was attracted to these little oval prints for their metal frames. And the hot, sweaty sexual tension between the subjects.

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I want to say thanks to Denise from geekgirl's random ramblings for writing a really sweet post about me and my blogs. The weird thing is that she included a photo of the Pottery Barn Porter Collector's Desk in her post, and I just bought that desk in green this week! The floor sample was on sale at my local Pottery Barn, so I hauled it home. I LOVE it. I haven't been able to find an old desk that is big enough for all of my crap AND matches my decor, so I settled for this new one. Once I have my office (aka "the living room") all straightened up, I'll be sure to share some photos.

My New Blog: freshblogtips.com

Do I look cheap and desperate if I put ads on my blog? How the hell did she get the background to look like that? Who do I have to sleep with to get more visitors to my blog?

Visit my NEW blog, freshblogtips.com, where I will be answering those questions and so much more. I created freshblogtips.com specifically for bloggers like you and me. We are creative bloggers who love antiques, sewing, crafts, yard sales, knitting, scrapbooking, paper, home design and all that good stuff. If you are one of the few people who I have not yet offended with my fresh mouth and you are a blogger (or want to start a blog), then I think you will enjoy it!

In celebration of my new blog, here is a list of keywords that people typed into Google, and happened to find my blog in the process (but I have a feeling that they weren't looking for vintage finds). I shared some funny keywords last December, but I've noticed some even better and more wacky ones lately:

garter belt*whore

delaware crack whores

dumb whore pics

hookers is fun

boobies on glass

i want my uncle's cock

clean penis and balls in vintage movies

joe strummer's cock

pert vs. pendulous

very old vintage whore granny

what month can i lay sod in yakima

anyone sick of amy butler [I'm not - I swear!]

bought a hooker's panties for 20 bucks

i think my sis is a hooker

Joe Biden's Second Thoughts

I went to an estate sale this morning in Greenville, DE. When I walked into the house and spotted two tables piled high with vintage toys, games and books, I felt that euphoric rush. You'd never think that Bobbsey Twins books and vintage flashcards could produce the same feeling as snorting crank.

It was a small miracle that I was the only person shopping at the house (probably because there were NO signs AT ALL anywhere on the street or outside the house - I found out about the sale on craigslist.com). The homeowner and his neighbor were chatting as I made a couple of big piles of stuff. I overheard the neighbor say, "I walked by Joe Biden's house this morning". I had already read online that he had been selected as Obama's VP. And I knew he lived in the vicinity. When I got home, I looked up his address and checked the map. He lives about a quarter mile from the estate sale. I hadn't driven in the direction of his house, so I didn't see any of the reporters and news vans outside (but I just saw them on CNN). If Joe knew how good this estate sale was, he never would have accepted the nomination. I just know it.

Anyway, here's the stuff he missed...

Picture Dominos:

Ladies Home Journal Book of Interior Decoration from 1954:

Glass refrigerator dish and three sets of flashcards: Spanish picture cards, letters and multiplication tables.

I love this Whitman Publishing puzzle map of the US. It is similar to a new one that my son has hanging in his room, made by eeBoo.

You know me...I can't pass up vintage sex books.

My two favorite words on the cover of a book: Sex and Illustrated.

Uh-oh. I guess this one wasn't meant for me:

From the table of contents of one of the books:
(I'm afraid to turn to the page that discusses "How a Mother Can Lead the Son to the Ideal Sexual Life")

I don't even know where to start with this chart titled "The Course of the Sex Life in All Ages of Man and Woman". I love that "dancing and flirtations" is on a sex chart. And what the hell are "sex plays"?

Despite the title, there is nothing on this page that would even remotely help you on your wedding night.

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Stay tuned for my next post, when I'll announce my new blog!

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P.S. I paid $15 for everything in this post (and a couple of things are missing). Sorry, Joe! Maybe I'll leave the sex books in his mailbox just to make him feel better.

I've Got the Blues

Well, not really. I just couldn't think of a good title. Today is the start of our week-long vacation, so there are a lot of smiles in this house.

Here's $16 worth of blue junk that I've found in the past few weeks...

That's a navy blue and white suitcase hiding beneath everything. It is so very preppy. I can picture an American Olympian carrying it while wearing their fancy opening ceremony outfit.

I have a thing for metal recipe boxes, and tabbed dividers. I'm weird like that.

I found these three glasses at a yard sale, completely covered in dirt and grime. They read "Morning Glory", "Pansy" and "Asters". I looked them up when I got home and learned that they are peanut butter glasses by Boscul. You can read more about the history of these glasses on Barbara Mauzy's website. She wrote the book on peanut butter glasses. Literally.

My glasses aren't worth much, but during my research, I read about a few that are worth some big bucks. If you find the "Thistle" glass or the "Tea Seed" glass at a yard sale, you'd better snatch them up quick. The Thistle glass recently sold on eBay for $3,040 and the Tea Seed went for $1,027. That's a hell of a lot of Jif Extra Crunchy.

Yes, you saw right. It is a cheerleader's megaphone. I had to hide it from my kids. Things were getting a little too loud around here.

Here's a sweet little corduroy bonnet with blue embroidered flowers:

Isn't it fun to find an unexpected treasure inside something you bought? Just imagine my delight when I opened the aqua train case and found an adorable pink maxi-pad tucked into one of the pockets. With wings, to boot!  I have the best luck.

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Have you visited the shop of our new sponsor, On The Corner Vintage Inspirations? Jeannie and I both had our photos featured in C. Dianne Zweig's new book, Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. How freakin' cute are these State totebags? And this Western States tablecloth? In addition to all of the funky vintage (and vintage-inspired) finds she has in her online shop, she also has an eBay store with even more cute stuff. Check her out!

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I totally jinxed myself with this damn Skyy Berry. I went to Total Wine in Delaware today to stock up for our upcoming vacation at the shore, and there was no Skyy Berry on the shelves.  When I inquired about it, I was told that it had been discontinued. Whaaa?! It can't be!  Has anyone else heard the same bad news? The dude didn't know if it was discontinued by Skyy or by the distributor in Delaware who supplies their store. Anyone have any contacts at Skyy Spirits, LLC in San Francisco? Maybe I should start a write-in campaign.

I had to settle for Smirnoff Strawberry. I'll let you know how it goes. Lime Smirnoff Light. It just doesn't have the same ring as Lime Skyy Light.

Fabric-Covered Corkboard, Part Deux

Remember the fabric-covered corkboards that I made a few months ago? I sold the two that I made in the tutorial, so I keep buying them whenever I find them at yard sales. I decided to make one for my kitchen last weekend. It's a big one, at 2 ft x 3 ft.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I painted the frame black (to match the accents & appliances in my kitchen), and used Erin Michael's Paint By Numbers fabric from her Uptown line by Moda. I love this fabric because it has all of the paint colors that I used in my house: tangerine, aqua, brown and green. Erin has a new line out called Lush, which includes another take on the paint-by-number (with deer). You can check it out on the Tula Pink blog.  I trimmed the board with vintage orange and white woven rick-rack.

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Thanks for all of the drink name suggestions! They were all so creative. My personal favorites are Lime Skyy Light, Junkin' Juice and The Skyy's the Lime-It. Has anyone tried the drink yet? My neighbor, The Tastykake Man, read my blog and decided to buy the ingredients. He went to the Wine & Spirits store, and learned that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board does not sell Skyy Berry Vodka in the state of Pennsylvania. I swear, this place is like a friggin' communist state when it comes to liquor. Just one more reason why I drive ten minutes to Delaware for all of my boozing needs.

American Primitives at Clayson Farm Antique Show

Hey, all of you Washington State readers!  Don't miss the Sixth Annual American Primitives Antique Show on Saturday, August 9th near Yakima. Yes - I know it is late notice, but it will DEFINITELY be worth it to cancel any plans that you have. I don't care if you have to go to a wedding. You always thought the bride was a slut anyway!

My in-laws sell their antiques at this show every year. I've never been there, but I've seen pictures and it looks spectacular. If the cost of flying wasn't so damn high, my family would be there right now.

If you are planning to go to the sale, make sure you track down The Allisons. Just yell out the names Mary, Jim, Sari (rhymes with Mary), or Marlayne. You're bound to find at least one of them. Give them a big hug from me.

You can find more information about the sale on Leslee's blog: Clayson Farm Blog.

PS: Keep the suggestions coming on those drink names!

After a long day of antiquing...

My new favorite summer concoction:

1 cup Minute Maid Light Limeade
1 shot Skyy Berry Vodka (or any berry-flavored vodka)
Crushed ice (or regular)
Pink straw (or not)

It's a little sweet and little tart. Kind of like me. And only 75 calories for a 9 oz. serving (if you are counting calories).

What shall we call it?

freshfind: dundee marmalade jar

 

Dundee Marmalade Jar made by James Keiller & Sons of Scotland

Found: Yard Sale

Soup Kitchens, Antique Shutters & Larry

My mom has been gradually renovating her house for the last few years and all of the work has been done by one very talented contractor named Larry. He recently finished renovating her kitchen, which is absolutely beautiful. One little thing affected the design of her kitchen: her hoarding issues. You would think that she lived through the Great Depression. Except, during her Great Depression there was a shortage of ziploc bags, pickles and condiments. She implored Larry to create a long bank of granite-topped cabinets that spans one wall of her dining room (which is attached to her kitchen). We call it the soup line. We are anticipating that every homeless person in South Jersey will be lining up on Thanksgiving for a heaping ladle-full of butternut squash soup.

Larry is like our family's sixth child. He is always up on the latest gossip, and his family are regulars at my mom's annual pool party. We joke that he spends more time with our mom than we do. And, amazingly, he still seems relatively sane. We don't call him Saint Larry for nothin'. (Mom - I mean that in a "he-must-be-a descendant-of-the-big-Carpenter-in-the-sky" kind of way. I don't mean it in a "it's-a-canonization-worthy-miracle-that-he-can-tolerate-your-incessant-Boggle-shaking" kind of way.)

In addition to working on my mom's house, Larry actually has time to do other work. I almost peed my pants when my mom relayed to me that he had over 100 old shutters from the circa 1850 apartment building that he bought and is in the process of renovating. Some of the shutters were paneled, and some were louvered (the kind with the slats).  I asked him to save a few of the paneled ones for me. Here is our actual email exchange. Larry's emails are in blue text and mine are in green text.

Colleen,

Shutters (circa 1850) with hardware still attached.  Located in Berlin, NJ.  Removed from the estate of one of the original settlers of Berlin NJ.  I have history on the estate if you are interested.

Not sure what scale of freshness these items rate?

Larry

[He reads my blog]
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Hi Larry-
These shutters are great! I am going to send the photos to my sister, Erin. I definitely want the paneled ones, but I'm not sure about the louvered shutters. I want to ask Erin what she thinks.

Thanks!
Colleen

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Hi Colleen,

Did you have a chance to look at the shutters I left at your Mom’s house? 
Thanks,
Larry

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Hi Larry-

I looked at the shutters- thanks for bringing them to my mom's. I really like the condition of the tall one. The small one was a little too shabby for me.  If you have 10-12 that are in the same condition as the tall one (they can be any size), then I will take them.  I'm going to store them in my mom's shed for now.

Thank you!

Colleen

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Hi Colleen,
I have no problem putting them in your Mom’s shed but you may want to check with QVC to see if they mind.  I’m pretty sure that they are leasing her shed to store all of that funky lawn maintenance equipment they sell on TV.  You know - the ergonomic rake, combo steam/ pressure washer and floor sweeper like they use to clean movie theaters.

Take Care,
Larry

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Hi Larry -

Do you mind if I copy and paste your entire email into a blog post?  When I eventually pick up the shutters from my mom's house and write about them on my blog, I'd like to write a little about you.

In case you would be worried about offending my mother if I post your email...don't worry. She let me write about her bathroom habits, so she certainly wouldn't mind your email.

Thanks.

Colleen

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Colleen,
No problem using my email on your blog.
Your Mom is too much!  She was going to be out of the house while my helper and I were working one day. She doesn’t like anyone working in the house when she’s not home, except me. I knew that I would have to leave the house while she was out, and asked her if she minded if I left my helper there for an hour by himself while I was picking up some materials. She looked nervously and asked if he could be trusted. I said that he’s been working with me for close to four years and that I completely trusted him. I assured her that nothing would be stolen while we were gone. To this she replied “I’m not worried about him stealing anything, I just don’t want him going through my underwear drawer”.
 
In 11 years of being in business, your Mom is the first to have raised any questions as to whether or not I have panty-sniffing employees.


Take Care,
Larry

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Larry was nice enough to bring six of the six-feet-tall shutters to my pickle-hoarding, Boggle-shaking, anti-panty-sniffing mama's house last weekend. Unfortunately, they wouldn't fit in my car, so they are sharing the shed with her ergonomic rake.

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Here are the answers to the spoon trivia in the last post. (I should have included the size of each spoon - it would have helped)

1. Pierced bon-bon spoon
2. Jelly spoon
3. Sugar shell or berry spoon

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