Showing posts with label mushrooms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mushrooms. Show all posts

Sunday, 16 June 2013

Updates!--Part I--The Laundry Room

It's been ages and I've once again been neglectful, but I still put the majority of the blame on this horrid computer of mine.  It just gets worse and worse and I dread doing a post as it takes about 10 times as long as it should and there's script errors and lock ups galore.  So I'm going to do a few short posts instead of one long post and see how that works out!  Here goes...

I've finally got my upper Youngstowns up in the laundry/utility room!  Oh the storage space I now have!  I'm dyin' over here!

 As you can see, I've begun displaying some of my dollhouse collection on top of this set of cabinets...I thought the 'Woodseys' were especially fitting for the Owl/Mushroom/'70s theme of the room!  Did any of you have the Woodsey collection as a kid?
And yes, that's Holly Hobbie and her best friend too!

They were a family of squirrels that lived in tree trunks and logs and had their own books to go along with them.  They were too flipping cute!

 

 

I was amazed at how well the cabinets fit the space!  They're not in perfect condition, and I'm considering painting them.  Maybe white again...or maybe pink and yellow and orange...

 I've moved a few things and added a couple of things to the corner since I last posted this room.  There's still an open spot under the tree that I need to find the perfect piece of kitsch for.  I'll find something!


Monday, 18 March 2013

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?

Thursday, 31 January 2013

The Week's Haul....

Hello Loverlies!
I've spent far too much money that I don't have this week.  Really.  But you know how it is when you come across something that's perfect for a specific room or spot in the house or for a project you're doing and you just can't let it slip away!  Well that's what happened to me this week....although it happened to me more than once.  Here's the haul:


All three of these little dumplings are for my laundry room.  It's the one room in the house that I'm designating as pure '70s chic.  Owls and mushrooms all.  In shades of brown, green, yellow, and orange.

1970's Mushroom Pitcher...yes, those are actual plastic flowers from the '70s as well!
1970's Owl vase/planter...is he not just the cutest thing you've ever seen?  I love his drippy left eye!
1970's Owl figurine...I had to buy him.  The drippy eyed one said he'd eat my brain in my sleep if I left his friend behind.  I believed him.  Cost for all three: $18.50.  Not exactly 'thrifty', but not bad!





This little sweet pea was too perfect to resist!  Not only does she match my salt and pepper shakers (CiCi and Pierre), but the gold tag on her back reads, "Souvenir of Virginia".  So she fits into my travel souvenir laden kitschen decor like a dream!  I've named her 'Pebbles' because the bone she's holding and that top knot make her look like a canine version of the spawn of Fred and Wilma Flintstone.  Cost: $1...yeah, that's right!  $1!





The smaller chalkware puppy is the 'new to me' darling.  The larger one belonged to my grandparents.  Don't they make a handsome pair?  Chalkware Lassie...$1





This little gem of a late 50's-early 60's Paris souvenir plate is honestly just gorgeous.  And it better have been for the $3 price tag at the thrift store.  $3???  At a THRIFT store????





As I mentioned, I have a new Scottie puppy named Pip.  He turned 4 months old yesterday.  My mother also has a new Scottie named McTavish.  He's 2 1/2 months old.  They don't get along.  Mom watches Pip while I'm at work and she didn't mind until they got Tavvy.  Now, with the two of them barking at one another nonstop, she'd rather not.  Today, she was kind enough to look out for Pip while I was doing errands.  One of them was to go and check out the new antique shop that a friend just opened.  On one of the shelves was this cutie patootie of a vase as well as a cute figurine of two scotties.  I gave the figurine to my mother in gratitude for dealing with the two 'little men' all afternoon and kept this one for myself!  It's for my sewing room, which is the art deco room of the house...and also the 'scottie room' for all of the vintage scottie 'stuff' I've acquired over my life of collecting it.  Scottie vase: $5.





Here we have a swatch of the mid century table cloth that I found at Goodwill.  Normally I boycott Goodwill, but today I made an exception and I'm bloody well glad I did.  I've got three stools that sit at my bar that need recovering.  I've gone through all of my fabric and, since I don't know that I'll be keeping the stools in the end, I hesitate to waste good fabric on them.  This however is perfect and was a steal at $3.  It's one of those textured vinyl table cloths with a fabric backing.  Not something I'd use as a tablecloth or even in one of my designs, so it's perfect for the project!  And the colour and pattern both fit.  Plus, I like the pattern so much that I may use what's left over to make a couple of outdoor appropriate throw pillows for some saucer chairs I'll be refurbing once spring gets a little closer.  Actually, looking at it this way, a portion may look nice framed and on a wall in my dining room?!!  Maybe??

Have you lot bought any goodies this week?

xx