This (Past Few) Week's Haul---Lamps, Kitchen Kitsch, and More!!!

Golly, chickens, I didn't realize how long it's been since I did a 'Haul' post until I began the photo-taking today!  I've got such a lot of goodies to show you!  Here goes!

This little gem of a China Craft vase was unpacked by my boss while I was helping her set up at the Antique Appraisal Fair in town.  I immediately asked her how much, and was given the 'retail' and the 'Dolly' price.  I told her to try and sell it for the full amount, but that if it lasted the weekend it was officially mine!  Thank goodness there aren't many MCM folks round here and this lovely of lovelies is now residing on the Sculptra hutch in my dining room.

 

And the coolest thing?  It matches perfectly the China Craft bowl (that I picked up at Habitat almost a year ago for $3) that sits on my coffee table.  I'm debating moving it to the dining room table, but haven't talked myself into it as of yet!

 

This handsome big eyed Artful Dodger impersonator was won on a local horse rescue's facebook auction page!  I love him!  Sorry about the darkness of the pic...we've had so little sunlight lately and it's in the foyer which only gets a tiny strip of light from the 'slit window' in the carport door.

Look at the little four leaf clover in his mouth!  Too adorable!

Another dark and foreboding pic!  A super retro vintage metal shelf.  Another facebook find, but this one on a local buy/sell page.  And it's gorgeous!  Perfect condition and unfortunately just the right size to fit just about anywhere, ergo, it's been playing musical chairs round my house and hasn't yet found its 'home' yet! 

 

This little number came with it!  I'd been searching for one for ages and this one is terrif!  Would you believe it even still has the original rubber feet.  I was most surprised that it retained its original removable metal mesh insert.  Usually you find them without it.  And it's in almost perfect condition...just a tiny spot of rust on the insert, but that can be shot with a little black Rustoleum and it'll be good as new!

 

The lady I bought the shelf and magazine/record rack from had bought a couple of things from me recently on the same site and had mentioned that she had a thrift store.  

When I laid claim to these, we decided it was the perfect opportunity for me to see her shop and so she held them there for me to pick up.  WHAT A THRIFT STORE FIND!!  Wowwy wow wow!   

I love it when you find a thrift store that is just chock full of stock...and chock full of great goodies...and at great prices!  This was one of those....and it's only about a 15 minute drive from me, I discovered!

While I was there to pick up the shelf and rack I, of course, had to do a little shopzies.  Talk about a score for the Brady Ponderosa! 

The fist thing I came across were these bad boys....

I'd seen some on Etsy a few months ago when I was perusing MCM wall cover and loved them.  Here they were for $5 the set!  Aren't they divine?

As I was checking out, we began discussing 'The Ponderosa' and as soon as I said, "Brady Bunch orange countertops, she was off!  She returned with these sweet little mod niblets....

I know.  They're tremendous.  And only 50 cents each!  They match my mod wine glasses a dream:
 
Now I have a complete mod dinner set when I pair them with my Pyrex Crazy Daisy dish set!  It has cups and saucers with it, but I like these better!

I found this sweet little Scottie Dog creamer as well.  I already have one...well, two actually, but my mom's knicked one of them!...so I was glad to find a second!

In the back room, I almost missed this little baby!  I'd seen a pink one on ebay a year or so ago, but didn't bid on it because, not only was it going a little high for my taste, it had been printed a little low and the scottie dog was half cut off by the lip of the bottom tray when it was together.

This one ain't pink, but it's just as fab!  And the little scottie is VERY prominent, as it should be!  Pip's impressed.  I was most impressed that you can actually carry TWO deserts in this!  While one cake sits on the bottom tray and is covered by the middle section with the graphic, a second pie or plate of cookies can then be sat on top of the graphic tin and covered by the little rounded top!  How sweet!

Speaking of scotties, I'm doing my sewing room in them.  And red and black.  And as much Art Deco as I can get my little mitts on.  So when I found this frame on the bottom of a stack of frames at work while cleaning, I was smitten!  I asked my boss how much it was as it wasn't priced.  She said she couldn't even remember where it came from let alone a price, so to just take it!  Yaayyy!

The dog food advert is one of the two I told you about in the Life magazine I bought at work a few weeks ago.

Looks like Pip's profile!...or at least it will when he's full grown!


Not long after, I won this great MCM pitcher with a barbecue motif from the same horse rescue site I bought the big eyed waif from:

This'll be great with summer flowers in it sitting on my counter!


When I was out and headed to the grocery store the other day, I remembered that there's a little consignment shop down the road that I've never had the chance to get to.  I whipped in and found not only a great shop with a pretty darn good selection of antiques, but also a kindred spirit in the lady who owns it.  She, like us my dears, loves vintage.  Also, like me, she's most fond of the '60s and '70s.  We talked for ages.  She'd been to the sale that we'd done when my grandfather moved out of the house and was thrilled when I told her I was keeping everything very mid century.  But when I told her about my kitschy '70s owl and mushroom laundry room, she quickly asked if I'd seen the clock in the back of the case at the register.  Of course I had!  I asked her how much it was, just in case I decided to come back and get it and she proceeded to take it out and give it to me.  She said that she hadn't cleaned it up and it didn't work, so she hadn't even bothered to price it yet, but that she'd done really well selling the rest of the set...so I should just take it!  What is it about me that people are always giving me things?  Not that I'm complaining!  I took this home and cleaned it up.  It'll need a new mechanism, but it'll look fab with the canisters I got a month or two ago!

We've had a few warm days lately and I've been slowly trying to get my vintage set of outdoor saucer chairs ready to go.  I've been looking for ages for a table to go with them and a couple of days ago at work, it hit me that this single stacking table/stool would be perfect....and it was only five bucks!  I'm most likely going to paint it to match the chairs.  Don't worry, it's a repro!

I've saved the best bits for last.  The lamps.  Oh, the lamps!
The lady at the thrift store (of the shelf, rack, carrier, scottie, and pictures) rang me and told me she had a lamp that I'd just love and to come by and see it.  She sent me a picture and I told her to hold the phone!  It was the ugliest, most fabulous lamp I'd seen in a long time!  I wanted it and would be by to pick it up shortly!  Here's he is now:

And in a gratuitous close up:
  

The last time I was there, I'd spotted this little poppit:

It was still there, so I snatched it up too!

Last, but not least, THE LAMP.  I mean the greatest lamp ever! 

I'd seen it the first time I was there, but the lady was keeping it for herself.  When I returned, she said she couldn't get the shade off (she hated the base) and if I wanted it I could have it for...wait for it.........$20!!!  How quick do you think I grabbed it up and held it close lest someone else in earshot get a split second to snatch it for themselves??!!
The base IS weird.  But it's weird in a good way I think.  I'm pretty sure it's carved plaster.  It's white, but has been lightly rubbed with a greenish gold wash in places.  I love it!

I love the striping effect going on on the shade!

Well kids, that's the scores from the last few weeks!  How've you lot done on the thrift?

More Vintage '50s and '60s Patterns=More Work For Dolly.....

Today, my little sweet peas, I went on a short outing...to get some hair colour...and took a little side trip to a local antique shop on a hunch I might find something interesting. SCORE! I found a box of vintage patterns, all for $1 each. Here's what I got:











I think my favourite is the little boat neck wiggle dress shown in red or stripes. And i really love the jumpsuit too! The great '50s patterns will be great to mix and match pattern pieces and I'm for sure adding a waistband to the skirt of the fourth dress to make that hard-to-find '50s circle skirt pattern.

There were some great finds, but as I had limited myself to $10, I left a few behind. If they still nag my dreams through the weekend, I'll probably go back for them!

I also swung quickly by a little 'Jesus Thrifty' that I used to go to all the time. I've bought so much cheap late '60s and early '70s there, but I hadn't been in for three or four months. BIG disappointment. You thrifty retro sweeties know what I'm talking about: When a thrift store decides to start marking the vintage pieces in between all the cast off Old Navy and Wal Mart junk WAY up? Probably my fault too for buying armloads of it at a time, but really???
They had some cute early '70s wrap pants which, while they were a quick fad that are now rare as all get out, aren't worth me forking out $8. I'll just be happy with the super psychedelic pair I was given (for FREEBIES)from a lady I buy the occasional bolt of vintage fabric from.
They also were still sitting on a sweet little round box purse from the '70s with the requisite mushrooms decoupaged all over. I've wanted it for ages, but they always had it at $30...$30 for ANYTHING but a fur coat in a thrift store is just insane and this purse would only be about a $15 item even on Etsy or Ebay.
Well they had marked it down to $20, but even that is still above full blown retail for those little babies. Needless to say, they can keep it....along with a cute pair of '40s lamps, $50 my behind!
They had some patterns too, but nothing great...mostly '80s sailor dresses and jumper dresses...and at DOUBLE the price I'd just payed for proper vintage at the actual antique store minutes earlier.
Sigh.
Guess I know where I won't be going back to. Oh well. There's a new one really close to my house that I've yet to pop into. Maybe tomorrow?

Gosh Golly Gee!

Sorry I've been absent for so long, my loves! My uncle was very ill and in ICU for a week and a half and then passed away last week, so it's been a bit crazy around here. I promise to get back to the grindstone and post often again now that things have settled down a bit! In the meantime, check out the snazzy vintage hat and granny boots I picked up at Goodwill during a quick 10 minute browse Friday afternoon:


I've been looking for a pair of grannies for AGES, but could never find a cheap pair!

I thought I'd take this photo in front of my Pocahontas print as the feather in my hat kind of mirrors the feather in her hair!

....$5.85 for both. Can't beat that! The shoes are about a half size too big, but who cares!? The hat, however, fits my head like it was made just for me! I bought it to sell without even trying it on, but I think this bad boy is staying in my closet and becoming my favourite hat. Yayyy!! As Patsy Stone said, "You can never have enough hats, gloves, and shoes."

I've been neglecting my usual '60s mod look in favour of a '40s set the last few days. I'm liking the results. Thankfully my "Beatle-bang", if curled and pinned just right so the longer edges actually appear shorter, are easily transformed into a pseudo "Betty-bang". Plus, I like how this set makes a very casual (it's getting too hot in Tennessee for anything but)outfit look more put together. I'm still a mod at heart though!

'Taint What You Do It's The Way That You Do It: How To Shop For Vintage Clothing

Hello darlings! Dolly's been vintaging for the first time since moving back to the States.....and it's not so easy here in East Tennessee! I think I bought every piece of 1960s in my small town! The good news is that it cost me a fraction of what I'd have paid in London! The venue may be different, but the rules remain the same:

Rule #1. Thrift shops will be cheaper than proper vintage shops...but you will have to have the patience to deal with loads of 'second hand' mess to find a couple of good pieces of vintage

Rule #2. Never go vintage shopping for a particular piece like a little black dress or a green coat to wear to a particular event. 98% of the time, you won't find it. Instead, go vintaging when you don't actually NEED anything. You'll be more likely to find and try on things you may have overlooked had you had a focus in your shopping. Also, you won't feel compelled to buy something that isn't really right. Just because it was the only piece you found in the last shop you were in and you 'simply MUST have something to wear to the club night' you're due at in two hours, doesn't mean you should buy it. If you do, it most likely won't fit correctly, you'll be uncomfortable in it during the event you bought it for, and ultimately you'll never wear it again.

Rule #3. Make sure you have enough time on your hands to dig. If you're in a hurry you won't find many good pieces, you'll be unlikely to try things on, and you'll buy things that may be more trouble than they're worth.



Rule #4: Know your style. Some people just have a knack when it comes to styling. Those people have no trouble finding amazing vintage and wearing it. They're lucky. Most people find it overwhelming though. If this is the case, or if it's your first time vintaging, do a little research first. Know your body type. It will help you discover the era that you might want to focus on. (I'll post more on this later on.) Know what you like. What era speaks to you personally? Once you find it, learn the fabrics and colours that were used in that time period. This will make it easier to make informed decisions about a garment's age as well as being easier to eyeball a great piece crammed onto a crowded rack.

Rule #5: Now you've found some lovely duds to try on, check for imperfections. Hang each piece up and look at it very carefully. Check seams...especially under arms and darts. Then turn the garment inside out. Do the same check on the inside, linings and such. Most things can be fixed, but if you don't sew or if the damage is to the actual fabric, you may have a problem. Don't forget to check for any stains on the garment. Many times it's only dirt and will come out in the wash, but this is impossible to know. For this reason, I don't recommend buying anything with a stain....unless the stain is near a hem or a seam that can be taken up or in, then there is a chance that the garment is useable.



Rule #6: Check all the fastenings BEFORE putting the garment on. Are any buttons missing? If so, is there a spare sewn into the lining? If not, you may have to replace ALL of the buttons in order to match them up and this can be time-consuming and expensive. This could be a reason not to buy. Also be sure that none are loose, as you don't want to lose them between now and the time you get the item home. Check any zippers carefully. Be sure that they are fully functional. You don't want to get stuck in an item when the zipper refuses to undo and have to yell for the fitting room attendant! Also, be aware that there is something that I like to call 'zip rot' that occurs often when an item is stored incorrectly. The zip may seem to work fine...a couple of times...but in reality, the fabric next to the teeth or the teeth themselves will become brittle. This will result in the teeth falling out after a few zips. This is a hard thing to check for, but some tell-tale symptoms are an item that has a slight mildew odor or slight rusting on any part of the zipper. This can mean that it has been stored somewhere damp at some time and this dampness can disintegrate the fabric of the zipper over time. Give the zipper teeth a slight tug and if any are loose, the entire zipper will have to be replaced. This is a good check for purses as well!

Rule #7. Once the garment is on, check the fit, front and back. If it fits like a glove, it's a miracle! If it doesn't, you'll need to decide how it can be altered. If you don't sew yourself, you will have to take it to a tailor. Either way, there are some things to keep in mind: If the item is too big, try and figure out where it could be taken in. Darts are used often to make a dress or a top more fitted. Personally, I prefer taking a dress in at the side seams if it's possible...the side seams are the 'biggest darts in a garment. I especially prefer this when the garment already has darts in the bust or at the back. Sometimes if a garment is quite a lot bigger, you can take in most of the excess at the sides and then deepen the darts that are already there by a tiny bit. There is also the option of taking in a zipper, but keep in mind that too much will alter the placement of side seams and can make the garment look 'off'. Also, pay close attention to shoulders and sleeves. This is the hardest thing to alter as many times you have to practically take the entire thing apart and the results are hit or miss. Basically, if you aren't sure if something can be altered, don't buy it.



Rule #8. Once you've decided that the garment is the right size and in good condition, check the tag...if there is one. What is it made of? This is important because you want to be able to care for your new treasure and keep it lovely with the least amount of trouble or money spent. If it's a fabric or a blend that must be dry cleaned-like fur, wool or leather-it may not be worth the investment. Also, clothing that can be washed at home is recommended to be washed by hand and dried naturally, which of course can take up time and space. One exception: I have found most man-made fabrics from the mid 60's on to be perfectly fine tossed in the washer on gentle and then popped in the dryer on the lowest setting.

Rule #9. Now you're ready to buy! Check the return policy of the shop. Most vintage or thrift shops don't allow returns. Those that do, will generally only let you exchange or get a store credit for any returned item. But if you've gone through the steps here, you shouldn't have to worry too much about this one anyway!

Rule #10. Always clean the item before you wear it. Many shops launder items...or at least CLAIM that they do...such as Rockit, London. But most do not and so it behooves you to wash your finds as soon as you get them home or drop them at the cleaners on the way!

Hope these little guidelines help you out a bit and take away some of the mystery behind vintage or thrift shopping!

Here's today's loverly vintage chunes:



Ta, loves!

DollyBird