I'm back in hunting mode. Watch out, junk, I am comin' to get you.
Last week, I visited a new-ish store in Downingtown, PA called Little Shop of Hoarders. I know - how cute is that name? Among a few other things, I bought this old sign:
The letters aren't painted on, they are gold and black transfer decals. I've seen old sets of these sign letters on eBay in the past, but they usually sell for over $200.
On Monday, the kids had school but most corporate-dwelling adults (like me) had a holiday. So, Chris and I went to Perkiomenville Flea Market, where we met my sister, Erin, and her husband, Doug. (Here are two posts from previous visits to that market.) We thought there would be more outdoor vendors, since a lot of people had off from work, but we were very wrong. Luckily, we found a few things in the indoor section. I bought these three pieces of enamelware from one vendor who had great prices.
The orange & white colander is from Czecholslovakia, but it must have been manufactured for the French market, since it is marked "Tchécoslovaquie".
This blue and white French beauty is an enamelware milk pail ("laitiere") made by BB Depose in the 1920s or 1930s. It has damage on all sides, but it is perfect to me.
The man that sold me this blue & white drainer told me that it would have sat in the corner of a sink, collecting food scraps from the dirty dishes. He went on to say that those scraps would have been collected each day by a local farmer, who would use the scraps to feed his pigs. That's quite an lengthy explanation for what I would have called a "sink colander". I don't know if I will be able to fit his story on my tag.
Maybe I will call it a "pig-food collector". It will totally sell with that description.
Chris and I also acquired THREE heavy-duty metal medical cabinets over the break, each of them different. We had a photo shoot in front of our camper last week, once again freaking out our neighbors. Here's one of them (I'll save the rest for another post):
My massive scheme to get what I want for Christmas (also known as Five Weeks of Fresh Gifts) worked swimmingly. My mom bought me Fresh American Spaces and A Very Vintage Christmas. I bought Chris the Creative Cursing book and the naughty apron from my post about Gifts for the Class Clown. Big laughs all around - especially on the apron. The look on my neighbors' faces when Chris wore it to the neighborhood New Year's Eve party was priceless.
My blog/vintage friends were way too generous this year. Sue from Vintage Rescue Squad gave me an adorable print that I plan to hang in my camper:
And last week, I met my friend Allison from Nannygoat Antiques & Vintage Style for lunch at Terrain. It was the first time I ate there - the food was delicious and the atmosphere was everything you would imagine that an Anthropologie-style cafe would be. Definitely on the pricey side, though, so I'll save it for special occasions (like meeting my vintage friends). Allison gave me this super-awesome sign as a Christmas gift.
She knows me too well. Thanks, Allison!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you know anything about Native American Whimsies, please take a look at the photos on my Facebook page. My father-in-law bought two of them, and is looking for more information from all of you highly intelligent people.
A girl after my own heart! Love the items!
Posted by: Kristen | January 05, 2012 at 06:13 PM
The little triangular shaped colander would be great marketed as a food scrap collector for composting. :) I love old enamel pieces like those.
Posted by: Tara | January 05, 2012 at 07:39 PM
Wish Santa brought me a blue enamel pig food collector!
xox
Pam
Posted by: One Gal's Trash | January 05, 2012 at 07:50 PM
P.S. I wouldn't want to sleep with Dick's drips either!
Posted by: One Gal's Trash | January 05, 2012 at 07:51 PM
I love the blue & white enamel milk pail!
Posted by: Helen and Her Daughters | January 05, 2012 at 10:08 PM
Ok doll, you are now an official vintage medical cabinet freak!
Happy, happy new year and thanks for making me happy whenever I read one of your posts!
Posted by: SamovarKath | January 08, 2012 at 07:18 PM
Everything is adorable and I love the name of the shop!
Posted by: DeDe | January 12, 2012 at 06:28 PM
From a piece of junk now it is a remarkable masterpiece.
Posted by: Reylan | Labor Posters | January 17, 2012 at 10:46 PM
Just found your blog and have been reading through your past posts.......oh, how you have brightened my day. Love all your vintage finds, the pics you post, and the humorous way you write. I do not have a blog but am just an addicted reader (or stalker?)of junk blogs and you rock!
Love that camper, too.
Have fun,
Cheryl
Posted by: Cheryl | January 19, 2012 at 09:55 AM
Both my grandmothers used one of those sink colanders! Neither had pigs, though ;) but both lived in the Netherlands and I've seen them there before at flea markets and online – your post totally makes me want to pick one up on my next trip over there!
Posted by: alex wijnen | January 29, 2012 at 12:31 AM