Ready for a Bonfire!

All items available at ModCloth

Link Love

 

I find it hard to stay away from bread. Usually I eat Ezekiel bread but this looks promising.....Cauliflower Breadsticks!

 

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE this collection from Valentino!






Ever wanted to turn your child's drawings into stuffed animals/monsters/people??
Check this company out: http://www.budsies.com/




Must learn to make THESE from A Beautiful Mess


How many times have you just wanted a little taste of the dessert you made for whatever occasion? Now you can with this Nibble pan from Quirky Products!




I was at dinner the other night with my friend and asked her what capellini was. She had to Google it but if I had had this nifty poster at home, I probably would have already known!




This is cake, people. Click on the picture for instructions on how to make it.

What to do with all those leftover pumpkins now that Christmas is almost upon us?? Roast them!!




Black Bean Tortilla Soup - Vegan Style!

Collections, Pt 2

Most of the things I am listing as collections are more like wannabe collections. I may have two or if I am really lucky three of an item. Some, like the whitework I mentioned in Friday's blog post are nonexistent in my household but coveted nonetheless. The exception to these sparse collections would be my vintage valentines, of which I have quite a few. The majority of them came from my Grandmother Theresa when she passed away but I have acquired some of them through Ebay and a killer estate sale. I will save a post on these until February. 

Cocktail Napkins

If you watch Mad Men then you are probably familiar with the popular cocktail hour of the 50s and 60s. Long before there were .99 cent packages of paper napkins, there were dainty and festive cloth cocktail napkins. I have a few of these napkins, mostly florals but they can be found sporting figurals, themes (like Texas or bugs), embroidered and by specific designers.


















Vintage Pyrex


These dishes remind me of my grandmother. Actually, my mother even used them which highlights the durability factor of a Pyrex dish.  They came out in the 1940s and new patterns and colors were introduced through the 1970s. Most Pyrex today is clear. I run across vintage Pyrex fairly frequently but I have found they are usually priced pretty high.

Here is a great Pyrex identification guide.

 



Aprons

Have I ever wore an apron while cooking? Nope. That doesn't stop me from collecting them though. Aprons can fall into three categories: work, everyday, and entertaining. You can usually by the frills and finery an entertaining apron from the other two categories. Work aprons will almost always show their wear. During the 60s and 70s, aprons became a symbol of oppression to some feminists and their popularity waned. I find them irresistible.

Turkey ChinaQuite fitting for this month! Produced in England starting in the 1870s, turkey transferware was the answer to a middle class need for Thanksgiving china. The process of transferring the pattern or image is quite delicate and helps explain the high price of these collectibles, even back when they were new. I do not own any Turkey transferware but I am on the lookout!!












Homespun

Homespun is textiles spun in the home during the 19th century and turned into bedding, table lines, clothing and grain bags. Beautiful simplicity. You will often find it with red, blue, or mustard striping. It is highly reproduced today so if you are shelling out big bucks, you will definitely want to make sure of its authenticity.

 

Collections, Pt. I

Why do we collect things? What is it that quietly (or not so quietly) urges us to amass things of the same ilk? Whatever the reason, it is definitely a common venture among many of us. I started out in junior high by collecting anything Garfield - posters, notebooks, pictures, stuffed animals, even an insanely large alarm clock. Later my mother started buying me Precious Moments figurines to mark all the major milestones of my life. I still have all the figurines and probably some of the Garfield but I no longer display them. That is one of the loveliest things about a collection. They can be rotated and set aside for a time when they will feel fresh again. Of course, this also has a flip side. One has to store all these "collections" and space can start to be a problem.

Over the years I have been drawn to a number of things when I am out and about at yard sales and flea markets. Some of these items I may have only one or two, some collections have grown substantially, and still others I have yet to find any of their kind and only dream about finding my first piece.


Glass Giveaways

I LOVE these! I currently have six Smurf glasses but I did have ten before I got the bright idea to actually use the glasses. I have kids. You can guess the rest.

 

 

Kraft was among the first companies to begin decorating their jars/glasses with patterns and pictures. They dubbed them "Swanky Swigs" and the jars became very popular during the Depression era. At about the same time Disney coupled with dairies across the nation and started putting pictures of their characters on milk bottles and such. By the 50s when supermarkets started springing up in the new suburban communities, the shelves were full of glass jars and glasses featuring everything under the sun. Companies would release series, hoping that consumers would keep buying in order to complete their series. Finally, fast food restaurants jumped on the band wagon and started offering series of glasses for sale. I personally remember Hardees selling Alvin and the Chipmunks and the aforementioned Smurfs (which were also sold at McDonalds). You can still find these types of items at yard sales and thrift stores but the serious collector will want to try some online resources, like Ebay.


Whitework Quilts

Some of the most exquisite needlework ever produced can be found in a whitework quilt. This is also why they are so expensive and why I do not own one. Yet.




American Ironstone

 

 

Built to last. I think that is why I like this simple and heavy pottery. Popular in the 1840s through the 1880s, ironstone or "whiteware" was used liberally throughout America by the rich and middle class. Influenced by the superior Staffordshire, England pottery, American Ironstone took some time to develop properly but once it found a foothold, it quickly became popular. By the 1890s, ironstone acquired the stigma of "farmer's" ware and was replaced by dainty porcelain and bone china. Ironstone found a new home in hospitals, schools, diners, and the military.




Hotel Silver

 

I am drawn to the dings and dents evident in most of my pieces. Hotel Silver was meant to be used and it is only proper that a piece should show its wear. I also like that the pieces are very practical and can be used in the everyday as well as for special occasions. Most Hotel Silver is marked on the bottom with the name of the hotel, manufacturer, and sometimes the date. A word of warning - like so many other things, reproductions of Hotel Silver run rampant so if the piece is super shiny and nick-free, be wary.



So what do you collect? What would you like to collect but cannot afford or haven't yet found?

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used

It is hard to believe that it is November. Some days I barely remember what day it is so when I am reminded that it is not the beginning of September but rather NOVEMBER, it always takes me a moment to adjust. 

These three finds below all show the beautiful patina of age and use. They are full of character and stories and time has left it's not always kind mark on them. It makes me love them even more. We all get a little rougher with age, right? 

1. I bought the pair of chairs at a sale in Jacksonville. I paid $5.00 each for them. The best part, even beyond the low cost, is that they are very sturdy.

2. I paid a quarter for this old cake carrier at a Virginia yard sale. I have two now and they are a constant reminder that I should really just bake a cake already.

3. This is a large sign that I bought at Argyle for $5.00. I bought it with the intention of altering it in some fashion but I kind of like it as is. For now.

Any of you been shopping lately and found super bargains?

Link Love

Corn Juice? Not so sure about that!

This is too cool! Makes you want to stand under it with your mouth open. Or not.

This is a wikipearl, which is ice cream in a protective "skin".  Click on the picture for more info.

So if you have a thing with public potties, here are FIFTEEN that are pretty darn cool.

THIS goes way way beyond my kindergarten cutting skills. Blows my mind.

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sunday

Goodwill Bag Bonanza!
1. BagDaddy Lunch Bag - 1.98
2. Small floral purse for Emerson -1.99
3. Structured bag for work - 4.99

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used

1. Creepy, Naked Man from an Antique Store in Quincy, IL.
2. Cornucopia for 1.00 at yard sale
3. Retro Halloween Cards - not vintage but still cute and I don't feel bad using these up - .25


My two compadres and I went to Spoonriver Drive last weekend. I think the only thing we bought from the actual booths was fudge and lunch. The real deals were at the yard sales found throughout the towns and back roads. My tactic next year will be to focus on them a bit more than the actual commercial stands.

I will not be posting Re-claimed, Re-loved, and Re-used as much this winter as I do in the Spring/Summer months but here and there I may highlight a deal I found in some shop. If any of you find something you are wanting to shout to the world, let me know and we can do a guest post!! Everyone loves bragging about a good deal!! 

Link Love - Halloween Style

Skull and Bones chocolates made from ice cube trays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whiskey Applesauce



I am totally making these easy lace tablecloth ghosts!
Instructions here.

Neon Paint Dipped Pumpkins from a Night Owl Blog

 

 

Spooky Shadow Projector at Oriental Trading Company

Lunging Zombie Creature at Halloween Express

Modern Parents Messy Kids Site

Paper Haunted House by Design Sprinkle

Make your own Ghost Piñata or make a whole family of them :)

Create cool art with the My Monster Bubblewriter Book by Linda Scott.

A whole bunch of fab Halloween ideas and free printables over at Martha Stewart's site.

More FREE (30+) Halloween printables from Apartment Therapy!!

Halloween Garlands to make!


This has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween but who can resist a Vegan Baklava Cheesecake.

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

Toys are probably one of my biggest yard sale purchases. I find it hard spending 30.00 for a toy when there are so many cheaper alternatives. Not only that, those "vintage" toys seem to ask for a bit more imagination from the child. It is really cool to see my daughter play with toys that I played with as a child.

1. I picked up this cash register at the same yard sale where I purchased these other Fisher Price toys.
2. I bought this keychain for one of my older girls. It is a lunchbox, complete with an apple and thermos inside. Emerson nabbed it and then Kerrigan found it and nabbed it from her. Right now, Emerson has it again.
3. Cooking Utensils!

Yard sale season is winding down. There is a final burst of sales and flea markets during the color drives in October but after that it is a long season of digging through second-hand stores. I don't mind this entirely but by February I am desperate for TRUE bargains and outside shopping.

Link Love

World's Biggest Food Fight!!

Woodland Creatures adopt deserted cabins - the amount of time the photographer spent on getting these shots is insane!

Swimming Cities - Click here for more information on this amazingly built structure.

Great Baked Oatmeal recipe with topping ideas from one of my favorite blogs!

Too much to teach our children good grammar? Some think it's not worth it.

 

Love These!

 

Kate Spade's Spring 2014 Collection is Divine! I will take one of everything please.

 

Pumpkin flavor is EVERYWHERE! I just tasted some pumpkin spice M&M's the other day. Anyone else had them??

 

Mark Bittman's Vegan before 6 diet. Interesting read.

 

How to make an Instagram Cake.

 

That is all I have for you this lovely day. I am going to go outside and enjoy this amazing weather. Until later......





 

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sunday

I avoided going to any yard sales during those super hot weekends of August so the cool down this past weekend was wonderful. Perfect time of year for going to yard sales and flea markets :)

1. Small bedside table for $5.00 at a large Morton building sale in Chapin.
2. More craft and scrapbooking supplies. Scrapbooking must be on its way out because I find stuff for sale at almost every yard sale I go to.
3. Tie Dye Kit - I am saving this for next summer. We are planning a large family camp-out and this would make a perfect craft for the kids to do :)

 So, I am curious as to what your biggest second-hand score was? I have got to say that mine was probably an unopened "chest" of the complete set of hard-bound Harry Potter books. I saw this for sale at Barnes and Noble for over $100.00 and I paid a whopping $7.00 for mine. There was no price on it so when I asked the lady how much and she said "Ummm, $7.00??" and my jaw dropped and I started drooling and caressing the chest and steadily walked backwards away from her, she realized that she had priced it way too low. Maybe it had been a gift and she didn't know the value? Maybe she hated Harry (THE NERVE!)? Whatever the case, I threw down the money and ran before she could say "I meant seven....ty!!!"
It sits unopened in a place of honor on my bookshelf until the day that Emerson can read them and fall in love, like I did.

Out and About Winery Style

Last weekend we met up with some dear friends so they could introduce us to some wineries in their area. We visited three, all with completely different vibes.

The first, Wooden Nickel Winery and Saloon won decor-wise (in my opinion). They had that eclectic look down pat and I felt at ease. There were a couple of questionably high dudes belting out some tunes and by glass number 2 I was already wanting to request some songs.

Wooden Nickel Winery and Saloon
3225 County Road 1750 N  Litchfield, IL 62056(217) 324-4446
www.woodennickelwinery.com

Stop #2 won for best outside area. The place was beautiful!! We would have stayed outside on the deck and watched the neighboring bachelorette party all evening but it rained a bit so we moved inside. Jake and I shared a pretty good pizza and Sarah had a shrimp po'boy. For the life of me, I cannot remember what Ty ordered.....probably something beefy. 

Copper Dock Winery498 700 N  Pocahontas, IL 62275(618) 669-2675
www.copperdockwinery.com

Our final stop was Forsee Vineyards. We arrived about an hour before closing and there was still a large crowd of people milling about. A band was playing in the back and I entertained myself by watching the peeps dance. I never get tired of watching people dance.

Forsee Vineyards
18165 N 4th Ave  Coffeen, IL 62017(217) 534-6347
www.forseevineyards.com

We had an amazing time and I cannot wait to do it again!
Has anyone visited any of these places?

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used

All three of my finds below were found at yard sales this summer. I thought the large metal object was a sort of cake/pie stand but upon further inspection I have no idea what it is for. It has a place where you can hang it so I am thinking I will place some pillar candles in it and maybe hang it up?? Any ideas? The scrollwork shelf now resides in my library and holds a large floral arrangement (left over from my wedding :) And I love fleur-de-lis so I could not pass up the little statuary. 

I headed to Argyle State Park with a friend of mine today for the annual Antique Gas Engine Show. I went for the flea market and yard sales and was a bit disappointed in the number of stands. Maybe it was the heat or maybe it was because it was the last day but there seemed to be quite a bit fewer booths than I remembered. I enjoy browsing at events like this but it can be a trial finding a good bargain. I spotted two old toys that I had recently purchased for a buck each, priced at 23.00 and 13.00. I also would really like to have some metal wire baskets but I could not find one priced under 20.00. I remember when you could get all the wire baskets you wanted for 3.00 and 4.00 bucks each. It is quite remarkable how things will skyrocket in price for a few years and then literally be thrown to the curb shortly after. A good example is those old washboards. I remember wanting one when I was much younger and them being priced $25.00 and higher. Now, you can buy them for a couple of bucks. Oh well, the hunt is half the fun, right?

Back to School Product Love

Everyone, regardless if you are 12 or 80, surely remembers the excitement of going back to school. New pencils and notebooks, crisp clothes and squeaky clean shoes and a new attitude that inevitably sours by the third week ;) Here is my grown up take on back to school product love!

All of the above items with the exception of the cat eye glasses can be found at Modcloth. The necklace was found (and is currently unavailable) at Nordstrom.

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

TOY TIME!! I love coming across old toys! (Here are some other toys I have found this summer) A woman in Jacksonville held a yard sale a few weeks ago that had the motherload of old toys, all decently priced. The condition of the toys is not stellar but that just means they were thoroughly loved by her children and grandchildren. Now they are being loved and played with constantly by my little one. I have been amazed at how much she has played with these simple toys. No bells and whistles here...just good old imaginative play.
Here are three of the sets I picked up that day.

1. Fisher Price Medical kit. (Just so you know I am very healthy. I have had more shots than you can count.)
2. Lunch box. Love this. It is a simple puzzle contained within a lunchbox carry case.
3. Fisher Price Tool kit.

Do any of you remember these? What was your favorite toy as a child?

Re-claimed, Re-used, Re-loved Sundays

I can remember coming across hundreds of small saucers and plates (like the one posted below) in years past. Now, it is hard to find any at all and when you do they are usually priced higher than what I am willing to pay. I wanted to buy around 250 mismatched pieces to use at my wedding last year but quickly found that it would take way too much time to amass. The idea has not left me though and so when I do run across a plate here or there, I plan on picking it up. I purchased this beauty for one quarter. What am I going to do with them? I have ideas, I tell you. 

The doilies were in a big gallon bag for 75 cents. I plan on starching them to make a banner. 

I bought the blue wicker lunchbox purse at Goodwill for $4.00. Love it!!

Re-claimed, Re-used, Re-loved Sundays

Christmas in July.....er, August!

I bought each one of these Christmas items for a quarter.

1. Wooden Victorian Reproduction sign
2. Vintage tags!! I was super excited about this find!
3. Felt Tree Ornament
4. Vintage Mr and Mrs Wind Chimes....New in Box

Speaking of holidays, I have noticed Halloween items out in the stores. I love Halloween but I think I may try and ignore those aisles and enjoy the last few weeks of summer first.

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

I had a couple of tag-alongs this past Friday. It is not often that I get Paytan and Kerrigan to take off with me on my treasure hunting but sometimes (when the moon is full and cats walk backwards) they accept my invitation. One of the downfalls of yard-saling on a Friday is that while there may be 30 listed, half of those will be in the morning and half will be in late afternoon. I may be a junkie but I am not waiting all day to hit a yard sale, so I have to choose. This particular Friday, I must have picked the wrong time frame because we didn't find much. I am completely okay with that though. Makes the (flashing neon lights) DEAL (flashing neon lights) all the better when you find it.

1. Half apron in the cutest red and white print.
2. Box of vintage Christmas Cards.
3. Vintage wrapping paper. Who will be the lucky recipient of this??

Now that I am finished at John Wood, I am going to make Mondays my flea market/Goodwill day. This could be good :)

Birds of a feather......

Modcloth

Modcloth

Modcloth - Out of Stock :(

Modcloth

Modcloth

These two suits are obviously not bird themed but they are so darn cute, I couldn't resist including them!!