Holiday Thrift Round-up

This year, we did the tour of the 'ahs' for the holidays--Wichit-ah, Omah-ah and Tuls-ah. It was a long, LONG trip, but I did some shopping and peeking at what other people had bought.

Wichit-ah
I got to see Molly and Jamie's new place, which is very cute. It's a bungalow with nice details in the same part of town where I used to live. Molly gave me the grand tour and I got to see some of her thrifting finds along the way.
I need another pitcher like I need another platter, but if I had seen this beauty at a thrift store, I would have snapped it up. Perfect for iced tea, punch or the beverage of your choice. Sangria anyone?

Molly bought this corner shelf at IKEA last year when she was in Austin. It looks so nice in the kitchen displaying some of her thrifted finds. Note the Pyrex, just lovely.

In the basement, Molly and Jamie have carved out an amazing studio space for her glass, fabric work and other creative endeavors. I've never seen Molly look so organized and the beautiful workspace is surely inspirational. Pink flames on the wall? Excellent.

Tucked into the corner of her studio, you will find the Ironrite ironing machine. It's one of those monstrous, 1950s appliances with lovely details, including the logo. Molly says its impossible to move, even though the included information promises to allow you to 'take a holiday from ironing drudgery for the rest of your life!' I guess the makers of Ironrite didn't come up with a way to allow you take a holiday from moving giant ironing machines drudgery for the rest of your life. But oh well, it's still a beaut.

On the tour of the place, I also noted some of MY old thrifting finds that had been passed on to Molly when I left town, including this cute set of glasses and the little yellow pot. There was a chip and dip server that matched the glasses, but I'm not sure if Molly has that or it went to another good home.

Emily, another Wichita friend, has opened up a great little store on Douglas called Frank and Margaret's. She stocks vintage finds, refabbed furniture and lots of wonderful new things for an eclectic mix of limtless choices. I didn't get to visit the store while it was open, but did peak in the window and snap a couple of quick pics.

Omah-ah
Omaha has lots of great thrift store, but since it was a holiday weekend, I didn't get a chance to visit any of them. I did go to the rambling, junk-filled antique store in the Old Town area where I stumbled upon lots of great things and really cheap, Nebraska prices.

This golden calf immediately made me think of Moses and the Children of Israel. Where would you put a giant golden calf but on a giant altar at the base of Mount Sinai?

I really wanted this beautiful bird cage suspended on a stand, but it was not priced in a cheap, Nebraska kind of way. Would I put a real bird in it? Have you been to my house?

This little church lamp reminded me of the offering bank at my grandparent's church. It was in a sleepy, little lake town and during the service children would walk to the front and put their offering in to a bank that was shaped like a church. It was very exciting, even if it doesn't sound like it now. The bank was shaped like your quintessential, American church of the 1950s. I wonder if the mega churches of today have giant mega church shaped banks that kids get to put their offering in?

The sign on this mannequin says she isn't that kind of girl, but something tells me that she is!

This cute little elephant is a small lamp or night light. Perfect for a desk or children's room. Perfect for anywhere, actually!

The sister of the Priscilla Presley bride doll that Mitchell found in Omaha last year (Picture this doll with black hair and in a wedding dress.) and that we sent to Jessie. I was tempted....to send this one to her too, but didn't.

Tuls-ah (or Owasso, rather)
The Goodwill in Owasso, Ok, where my parents live, is a gold mine. My guess is that it's because of its proximity to the Oklahoma Baptist Retirement home. Plus, I don't think any of those bougie people in Owasso shop at the thrift store. Here's what you might find:

Serving pieces in an obscure Franciscan pattern--there are so many and, as I've said, I've never met one I didn't like.

Weird African-style statues.

Frankoma! Egg plate! Two of my favorite things, but I already have one glass egg plate and one that matches my 'good' china. Plus, this isn't my favorite color of Frankoma glaze.

A very cute teapot or coffee pot from Hall.

Amazing, eclectic set of napkin rings.

A Dutch girl that I assume used to dangle a salt and pepper shaker from either side.

More dishes. I want to buy all the dishes that I see, and these were especially attractive. What kind of dishes are you looking for? Let me know and I'm sure I'll find something to suit your taste.

Introducing...

....my fabulous, thrifty friend Jennie! She is as obsessed (if not more) with thrift shopping as I am, but we never really shop together. Today, we both happened to have a short day at work, so we met for lunch and then headed into Next-to-New to see what we could find. This mirror looks fancy (and Jennie looks lovely in it) but the frame is actually very thin plastic.

This double boiler is made from Pyrex glass, but not that strange stuff they tried to get everyone to cook on in the 80s. It was kind of amber colored? I can't remember what they called it, but my Mam-ma would always talk about how 'during the war' you couldn't buy metal cookware, so they had a lot of glass. Possibly like this? I didn't buy it, but considered it strongly.

Jennie almost bought this blue ceramic bowl, but it was obviously missing the lid. Cute, kind of Pennsylvannia Dutch modern?

She did pick up this lovely porcelain butterfly, with designs to use it to hold jewelry. Delicate and whimsical, it has a happy feeling. Plus, she can hang it on the wall if she wanted.

Jennie and I oohed and ahed over this set of thirteen Asian teacups decorated with delicate images of birds and bright pink peonies. Thirteen seemed like a lot, even though my usual goal is service for twenty-four. Jennie suggested we split then and I was so happy that I hugged her. The other shoppers looked at us like we were crazy, which we are. They have a thick wall and are perfect in the hand. I served tea in then that very evening, during a Project Runway screening.

Next-to-New had a huge collection of Hall's Jewel Tea pattern. This was one of my Mam-ma's favorites and at one point she had a large collection she eventually sold off. It was one of those things she was obsessed with, almost as much as that Anchor Hocking Star of David crystal. I have a single pitcher from her Jewel Tea collection that reminds of her and seeing this large selection made me gush. Her birthday is January 19 and she would have been 89.

This Dallas Junior League cookbook is haunting me. I almost bought another copy with a similar design actually imprinted onto the cover of the book last week when I was in Houston. I didn't buy either, because I really don't imagine getting anything interesting from the Dallas Junior League recipes. I'm sure there is a section of how to achieve big hair. Maybe another on dressing for lunch? I'm sure each recipe begins, "Ask your maid to prepare this recipe the next time you are having friends over for bridge."

There were eight of these RED Sango bowls, so I snatched them up. They're low and very modern, with color on the exterior and white inside. I imagine using them with the Georges Briard Asian plate and Metlox Shore Line. I love to mix different styles and colors up on the table. But, you, dear reader, already knew that. I emphasize that the bowls are red, because they were labeled orange by the store and there was much discussion on the color between Jennie and other guests at the house the evening after they were purchased. Red, red....RED!

They look lovely, combined as mentioned above and topped with an olive green lotus bowl.

Like moi, Jennie was born to (THRIFT) shop.

The House That Thrift Built 2

I've been promising you a tour of the front room for a while, and I guess the space is finally finished. Finished in that there are curtains up and all the little knickknacks are where they'll be--for a while anyways. Finished in that I finally found chairs and a chandelier (which you, reader, already know about). And finished in that I've started to think about changing it. Nothing major, I'm very happy with the colors, the furniture and the fact all the little bits have come together into a somewhat cohesive whole. I suddenly have a fantasy of ditching the dining table and arranging it salon style, a la Pauline de Rothschild's famous drawing room in Paris. (Do you know it? I couldn't find a photograph. If not, imagine pilasters faux painted to look like green marble, chairs scattered about loosely and lots of light.) But right now that remains a fantasy.

Looking at the photographs of the room, they seem to reveal a lot of imperfection. I wanted to evoke the act of coming in and examining certain aspects of it in greater detail as you move through the room. I'm afraid the result is more choppy and not as seamless as I imagined, but I hope you enjoy it. If you visit, you'll find the colors more muted than in the photographs and the space very soft and relaxing. Come see for yourself...

My Dream Tureen

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit an exhibition of ceramics since at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in KC, MO called Color and Fire: Defining Moments in Ceramics, 1950-2000, which was drawn from the LACMA collection of ceramics. I actually saw it twice and bought the catalog, which is high marks from a jaded, museum-employed art person. I felt the work presented truly sparked the imagination and addressed the ever-present question artists working in traditional craft media must address: form or function?

David Regan, b. 1964
Deer Tureen, 1996
Porcelain

The most amazing thing I saw was a tureen shaped like a deer giving birth. It was enormous (could have easily served forty people) and decorated with intricate woodland details including a snake winding its way around the under plate. The application of the design implied a context beyond the elegant form, setting the work apart from the merely functional. I imagined serving tomato soup from the tureen. I imagined serving pea soup in the tureen. I imagined having the tureen on my dining table and getting to look at it everyday.

Since then, I have been on the search for a tureen. I knew I would never find a giant one shaped like a deer giving birth at the thrift store, but I thought I would eventually find one that really said something. A tureen that made a statement. And this weekend, I found exactly what I had been looking for: a vintage, 1975 Fitz and Floyd tureen shaped like giant fish. With green eyes.

Just in time for fall. Come to dinner, I'm serving soup!

Thrifting ABCs

Okay, I'm WAY behind on everything and wanted to get a few updates done, so I've mashed together recent finds and sitings like a greatest hits list for your pleasure.

A is for art, as in "Don't just think about prints and paintings, string art can be just as satisfying." This Mandala is signed by the artist on the back with wishes for a happy and joyful life. It's in mint condition and currently acting as the body halo for one of my Virgin Mary statues. No joke.

B is for Boss, as in "This set of bookends is truly boss." Too boss for me, I didn't buy it.

C is for Chinese children, as in "Aren't fat little Chinese children a great decorating motif?" Mitchell brought these back from his trip to Omaha/Wichita and they are a wonderful white porcelain set with two boys and two girls.

D is for don't buy this pattern of Pyrex, it's really ugly, as in "Don't buy this pattern of Pyrex, it's really ugly." Or go ahead and buy all of it because no one else is, this has been sitting on the shelf of Next-to-New for months. Maybe if you stock up on it now, it will eventually reach 'ironic collectible' status and you can sell at a profit? Personally, I believe this "Federal" pattern is one of the worst, perhaps third only to the "wheat" and "Dutch farmers" patterns. I admit to owning some of the latter, but only in acceptable shapes and sizes. What makes them acceptable and desirable while most of it is awful? Reader, if you don't know, there are some things which simple cannot be taught.

F is for food warmer, as in "Today's modern, electric food warmers make entertaining simple and carefree for every hostess." This one is a super-sized model with a design by the one and only Georges Briard. The gold is slightly worn in places, but I purchased it for a song.

G is for gold, plaster Last Supper statue, as in "My, that gold, plaster Last Supper statue sure does look great on your mantle." But not on mine. Super-kitschy and certainly desirable to some, I had to pass on this little treasure.

H is for 'huh?', as in "Huh? What are those anyway?" I have no idea. When I picked them up, I thought they were S&P, but the small whole on top only goes about 1/4 of an inch down. They're very heavy and produced by Dansk. The bottom have a little wedge cut out of them which allows for them to sit straight or at an angle, as displayed above. If you have some idea or would like to proffer a guess, please feel free.

J is for jealous, as in "I'm sure you must be jealous of the major collection of Georges Briard accessories that I'm accumulating." This one, called Persian Garden, is a great addition to the den. The gold design in in perfect condition and it's just the right size for the end table.

N is for next, as in "The next hot decorating trend is going to be bowls of wooden fruit." This was my second purchase and there was a third set I passed up a while back which had all painted pieces of fruit--I am still kicking myself. My advice to you: never, ever pass up the opportunity to purchase a set of wooden fruit. Never. The two sets I currently have look great next to one another on the coffee table. Promise.

P is for photography books, as in "You can never have too many photography books in your collection." This crazy book contains wonderful photographs of the grand old houses of Louisiana. It's from the 1950s and the text is so flowery and sweet that it will leave a saccharine taste in your mouth. Skip the text and just enjoy the photographs.

S is for Schonwald, as in "Schonwald china from Germany is some of most boss dishes you can buy." I heart this pattern. I mean, really really heart it. It's simply amazing, but they have an astronomical price on it and, as you know, I don't really need another set of dishes. But I will freely admit that if it were cheap, I would buy it immediately. I have several pieces of Schonwald in my collection already and I jettisoned several other things with the move to Texas, including the most delectable biscuit barrel you have ever seen. Keep your eyes out for Schonwald because almost all of it is delicious.

T is for tray, as in "The pattern of this Georges Briard tray is too boss for words." And it looks great next to the Lucite-mounted coral that Jennie gave me a while back.

W is for waffle maker, as in "What kind of rich-ass lady owned such a fancy waffle maker?" The lid is painted porcelain and I'm sure matched some other kitchen accessories, but I had to pass it by. I already have a waffle maker and this one, though amazing, just wasn't my style.

Now you know your ABCs, oh won't you come and shop with me?

A Little Del City, OK Thrift

Last weekend, I made a quick trip to Norman, OK to see my friend Stephanie and some other friendly folks. Stephanie and I made a couple of thrifting runs, hitting some old haunts in Del City and Oklahoma city. The biggest purchase was a vintage, but mint, sewing machine that Stephanie got for a song. However, I didn't get a photo of it!

In Del City, we somehow landed upon some weird, friendly thrifter triangle. As we were looking at appliances, such as this avocado green Presto vertical broiler, an older gentleman counseled us on how we could pick some great stuff for our kitchen at yard sales. I didn't buy the toaster, but truly appreciated the graphics. Presto!

These faux bamboo nesting tables in brass and glass weren't in perfect shape, but certainly could have been made to work with a little paint or a bit of polish. Unfortunately, I didn't think they fit into the overhead compartment of the plane.

Stephanie considered this simple and elegant sideboard, but since it wouldn't fit in her car, took a pass. Perhaps she'll go back, it was a lovely bargain.

These little brass rabbits looked cute in the store, but the photo makes them seem like a pair of demon bunnies. I'm glad I decided against them!

What did I buy in Del City? A dancing trophy, some art for the guest room and a vintage Trader Vic's cocktail book. (Photos later) The line at the store was loooong, since there was only a single person working. However, everyone kept their cool and shared info about their favorite thrift stores and who had discounts on what days.

After Del City, we made a couple of other fruitless stops before heading to the Asian market with the idea of lunch. We were swept into the greatness that is Super Cao Nguyen Market and had a wonderful time cruising the aisles looking at packaging and finding bargains. You can read about that portion of our shopping adventure (food and non-food alike) here on bigYELLOWbowl.

After a return trip home to drop off our purchases, we ran to Salvation Army. No luck and not a single purchase. Apparently our bargain karma was exhausted. There were some interesting things to see though, so it wasn't a complete waste of energy.

This mound of scarves intrigued me. It looked like the contents of my grandmother's scarf drawer had exploded! And topped with a cowboy hat? Strange.

With her beatific expression and blue, snake skin jump suit, Stephanie could be the Patron Saint of Palm Beach. There were two of these available for purchase and neither looked as if it had been worn. Surprised?

These two gentlemen graced the front windows of the store. Smartly dressed, I found them strangely pleasing.

Do you remember this dress? Didn't Candice wear it to junior prom in 1986? When you went with Shane and she thought she was so hot because she was dating that college kid who ended up dropping out his sophomore year and working at the Kmart down the street? Remember? You guys double-dated and you and Candice shopped for your dresses together. She got this red one, with the polka dots and you wore something very similar in purple? Only the bow was bigger on yours? If you don't remember, then get out your photo album and double check because I am pretty sure I am right.

St. David's Next-to-NEW

The day is finally here, the ladies at St. David's Next-to-New have moved the store and are opened to the public in the remodeled space, a former Ace Hardware. First impressions: lots of light, lots of space and the same beautiful bargains they had at the last location. It doesn't seem quite as organized, but believe me they are working on it.

A view of the store from the glassware corner. Spacious, with large areas where they ladies can set up the little room displays they like so much.

Dishes, dishes and more dishes. When I stand in this section, I feel like I am at home. No really. My house is almost exactly like this. They had some great sets in stock, including a very interesting pattern by Noritake.

This petite chaise (You can recover it of course, unless you already have a blue flowered fan motif happening in the bedroom. Anyone? Anyone?) would be perfect in the boudoir paired with a small table and discreet floor lamp. I imagine a southern lady spending her morning hours with cup of tea and the a trashy novel.

I have my fingers crossed that no one picks up this lovely print. I really don't know where it would go, but it's very cheerful and quite dynamic.

This metal table/plant stand only needs a little paint to be a perfect addition to the patio or even the front room. It was a little pricey, but hopefully will stay around long enough to reach the deep discount phase.

The old Next-to-New store was at

5335 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78757

and the current location is just a couple of blocks north. Check it out.