Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Saturday's thrift shop thrift stop yielded a small bounty:

Friday, I had said, "What we really need is a small shelf in the hall for our landing strip." You know, the place for keys, wallets, mail and other things you pick up and put down as you come into the house. We have been using the ice bucket on the bar and it just looks junky. What did we find? A small shelf that will be a perfect landing strip. Of course, it's gold and will have to be painted. Orange!

Yes mother, I know I made you get rid of all of your Home Interiors decor items. Context, it's about context: one person's junk pile is another person's high style!

One of the few things destroyed in the move was the lovely white parrot that moved around the house, like birds are want to do. Sometimes he was on the entry table, other times in the bird cage. He is gone. But, the universe sent a replacement!

This sign seems like it should hang over the round kitchen table in your grandmother's kitchen. While it is not going in my dining room, I am going to hang it over the kitchen sink with a couple of other seventies-vibe kitchen decor items. Universe! One more, please.

Mitchell has a slight obsession with the lovely metal tins which you used to buy filled with treats, sweets or candies. This one has a hinged lid and is a great addition to the ever growing collection.

Rules Are Made to be Broken

A few posts back, I made reference to the two-plate rule: we are allowed to buy dinner plates if there are two of them, but that is it. The reasoning behind this is that our Kansas kitchen was decorated with a large array of miss-matched vintage plates. When we moved to Texas, we kept all of the ones that were a pair and created an 'everyday' set of dishes that changes everyday. One for me, one for him

But, I guess rules are made to broken. Such was the case when we found this set of six Taylor Smith and Taylor plates at Goodwill when Jessie and Dave were in town over New Year's. The justification in the store was, "we'll keep two, then donate the other four back." But, once they arrived home, we used them for New Year's Day brunch then swiftly found a place for them in the china cabinet, as if hiding them away could disguise our shame.

Of course, the issue now is: what will go with them?

I tried the blue salad plates I bought to go with the Metlox before acquiring enough of the Metlox salad plates, but they were too big.

The white plates I have work, but aren't especially nice or complementary in shape. The olive lotus bowls really do work though, so I'm looking for: some smaller blue salad plate or some nicer white ones. We'll see.

Terre Haute Haul

Molly visited a couple of weeks from Wichita for the trunk show we did at the Swope. Everyone loved her beads and jewelry and we had fun running around town over the weekend--including a trip to the Goodwill!

A vintage antiquing kit! Wow.

Molly considered this cake carrier, but she already has a pretty swank one she got with the Wichita diaspora.

Could anyone make this lamp look fab? I think it would be a challenge, but if you succeeded it would be a major triumph. I'm going to guess: State Fair, 1993. Any takers? Grrrrr.

I love this Hawaiian head, but she looks like she is on something. With the flower behind the ear, it's a little Billie-Holiday-on-some-junk-as-a-Hawaiian-lady-sings-the-blues.

Molly debated on some Asian-ish wall plaques that matched some she bought last time we were shopping together in Wichita. At $2 a piece, they were too pricey. I couldn't have resisted since my philosophy is always more is more, less is a bore.

This is a giant phone. Not really, but call me!

MTSS Diaspora

With the move to Terre Haute, lots of things went to the thrift store, but many things also ended up with friends. It's wonderful to know that items will continue to be used and loved by someone else.

Katie was delighted to have a chair and ottoman where she can sit and read as she prepares for her tests and exams next semester. The ottoman was actually a find by Michael who passed it onto me when he left Wichita for Chicago.

My sofa, which I have loved for about thirteen years, even sent a note:

Dear Brian,

Thank you for finding such a lovely home for me. Its very cozy here and I'm already making new pals. I've become fast friends with a little blue end table and a funky vinyl chair. They're also from Thriftsville, USA, so we have a lot to talk about.

My only challenge has been the snobby Scandinavian coffeetable that keeps avoiding me. Other than that though , everything is really great. Here's a picture of Chair, Table & me hanging out this past weekend.

Peace!

The Couch

Unmarked (but still Briard)


The obsession with Briard continues and there is no end in sight. In one of the basement displays at the Vigo County Historical Society, I spotted a set of Georges Briard enamel canisters and was told that a company here (still in existence) had been producing enamel ware for over 100 years, including these. So, I'm on the lookout.


Meanwhile, Mitchell found this lovely tray with a geometric design. It screams Briard in style and shape, but is missing the curvy signature that is found on almost all of his work. But, the remnant of a sticker on the back confirmed it: classic Briard. Well loved and slightly used, it's still a beaut.

Why does the birdcage sing?

There hasn't been a lot of good finds at Goodwill lately: just a lot of holiday junk. But Mitchell found this wonderful birdcage, which matches the one I found in Austin. (Just so you know, the Terre Haute cage was 75% cheaper than the Austin one.) Apparently, the previous owners of the new one had it hanging, because there is a little bit of color discrepancy between the top and bottom, but it's still lovely and the matched set is going to look stunning.

We have a light in the first one, so they may both become some peculiar lamps in our new thrifted apartment.

It's a Collection!


As my loyal, longtime Reader, you know how I feel about objects and collections: one is of interest, two is a pair and three is a collection. Well, I an happy to officially announce that I now have a collection of wooden fruit in bowls!

Of course, you're as pleased as I am, but I cannot helped noticing that quizical look on your face that seems to wonder whether or not I actually need another set of wooden fruit. Well, it happened most accidentally, I assure you. I was driving by the Goodwill and decided to pop in for a moment, knowing there wasn't going to be anything of interest on a Sunday afternoon. But, I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I passed up treasure after treasure, so that when I came to the bowl of wooden fruit, all of my resistance was spent. I snatched it up without question, threw my money at the cashier and ran for the door.

Now, I also have some juistification:
1. This set is in a low, wooden dish. It will look perfect with the other two sets which are in compote style dishes.
2. It has a mango. And a persimmon. I don't have a set with a persimmon! Plus, some other exotic fruits I cannot identify. I love exotic wooden fruit I can't identify even more than just plain old wooden grapes, bananas and apples.
3. Photographic evidence of the things I did NOT buy, articles A, B and C:

I think congratulations are in order.