Sunday Share New Finds

Time to share a few items I have found. Not all of them today, but I have finally had a moment to take the photos and load them here. First I will share these two "metal" boxes. They are not large, but very detailed and are weighty for their size. Here is what the side of the green box looks like. I has a definite Asian feel. Maybe they were going for a "jade" effect? They are really quite pretty in person. The inside of the green one is wood and the off-white one is lined with brown velvet on the bottom. Inside the green box was this. Okay I was really happy to find all these crosses and the rosaries in the box. I cleaned them all up. Then I noticed something "odd" about this large crucifix. Did you see it? Have you ever seen this on a cross before? I haven't. I thought at first it might be a cross from a Priests rosary or one a nun might wear. It is a bit larger than the rosary crosses, but that little skull and cross bones under the feet freaked me out a bit. An old Ration Coupon folder and a little photo feature booklet called the Pilgrims Photo's. Here is what was inside the ration book folder (black). The coupons and purchase records for two people. I better hold on to these, with our economy I may need them. A glimpse at some of the images in the Pilgrim book. It is actually just a series of photos I think that were featured in a paper. Perhaps the book is sort of a way of highlighting a photographers work? I found this neat old ledger. Hardly used but has a nice aged looked to the paper. A nice "chippy" piece I found. I have a couple of these chippy faces taken from either furniture or a mantle? Not sure but they were too cool to pass up. I found these a couple weeks ago. I thought they might make nice Cloches? but now not so sure. Pieces of fabric and such I have collected. Trying to straighten up before I start again. I need to get busy on my Halloween trades. I found another suitcase to store more of my "stuff" in (the green one). Steve is convinced I am moving out. (I had to stop the celebration and tell him "no" I was moving more stuff in). One more thing, a site I found: Someone beat me to this.... You have to check out this site. I had a good time reading and now know I am not the only one out there who is left wondering about some of the things that people make. I have often run across some odd items that make me ask "What were they thinking?" or "Seriously, is there a market for this?" Check it out, "Craftastrophe", and have some fun. Who knows you may find that one-of-a-kind item for that special person, a birthday, anniversary, wedding?

Flea Market - Garage Sale Goodies!

My latest finds out and about this weekend. Not a lot of things but some real good ones, like these yummy bits of rusty, bent up silverware waiting to be made into something wonderful.

Here is a little guy I am going to call "Luigi". Why? Hmm I don't know with the little mustache so darn cute. He looks like he should be on a Gondola.

LOVE this vintage Senorita! She is a larger Storybook gal. So cute.

Look at this beauty. After visiting Jodie LaJunes blog and seeing Sophie I just had to have a friend in my Studio too! She needs a name though, any ideas?

Great Finds! Steve put this lovely lady on a pole for me and I have to find a prettier base. I cannot wait to decorate her. I wasn't really looking for her (which is probably why I did find her).

My 4th of July Weekend.

Finding this fellow below "The Infant of Prague" was what turned out to be a part of a great weekend. I was born and raised Catholic. There was a time these icons, as well as statues of the Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, and the Sacred Heart graced Catholic homes all over. Some of the most beautiful statues graced our churches, reminding us always of our faith and those who gave their lives for it . I love these religious symbols and icons. I do not pray to them, but they serve to remind me that I am not alone and that they are there for me. Much like a string one ties around ones finger to remind them. I feel truly blessed when I am lucky enough to find one as beautiful as this. His crown intact, glass eyes in delicately painted chalk-ware. He is not "dressed up" as was the custom in our home. Perhaps his robes faded and fell to disrepair? He has a few nicks but his face is serene and childlike. I just love him. This would have been enough for me, but he turned out to be just the beginning. 

Here is a very sweet porcelain doll I found in a box. Her dress is beautiful and she has glass eyes. When I asked how much and the guy told me, I just had to have her, after all he was practically giving her away. Now to find her a wig, and some shoes.

Isn't this little head/planter (this is a small version only about 3" tall) sweet. She was very inexpensive since her thumb was broke, but she was just so pretty I had to bring her home.

Anyone for a massive cup of coffee? This cup and saucer are huge, the fellow said they were called "Milk and Cookie" cups. I don't know about that, looks like it would take almost a quart of milk, and maybe a whole box of cookies for this baby!

Here is a bad shot of two of the "bird" wall pockets I found. If anyone has been to my home they know how much I love bird figurines. I have collected quite a few of them. I am particular though. I love the "Made in Japan" shiny ones, and the Czech ones.  This weekend I found four!

I put it all together. It was a pleasant surprise to find all these things. I went along expecting to maybe find one or two things. It is always that way for me. When I go on a lark, expecting nothing, I find some very cool things.

Here are some "yummy" things I got for my daughter Kim. She "loves" vintage 70's things (I was young then, and hated all this bright neon hippie stuff? go figure) Anyway you cannot see it but apparently these are from a store close-out. They were marked $35 -$45 each. I bought them "all"for $10.00! I am debating saving them for her birthday next Saturday, but they are so cool I may have to give them to her early. The Orange sweater is short waisted, with a skirt along the bottom. The Green/purple waist jacket just screams Kim (they had a bright orange and yellow which would have been her fist choice, but they did not have her size). The lime green and Tye-dyed blouse will look nice with them. I can say this much about them, you will see her coming.

We went up to Lexington to spend the 4th with Steve's family. I had a chance to see his sister's cottage. They have done a lot of work and it is lovely.( You know it has been too long since you have been there when they keep calling you by the other daughter-in-law's name.)We arrived home just in time for the fireworks downtown. On the way home around 8:30-9:30pm we must have counted 35+ deer out in the fields, along the side of the freeway walking around, all the way home from Lexington to Lake Orion. It was weird seeing them all out walking and grazing casually. They would look up at the cars like it was no big deal. They are so pretty (I was just glad none of them got any ideas about crossing the freeway, or highways in front of a car). 

Well I am beat. Tomorrow it is back to work, not complaining with the economy just grateful to still have some work. Down to three and a half days, but it is something. Went to the fruit stand this morning and bought fresh fruit and veggies, too. Now, off to finish my laundry and think about dinner. 

Sunday Share

I thought I would snap some shots and share a few things in my collection. I "paint" china, and still I find myself gravitating to it when I see it at yard sales, shops, or flea markets. When I do purchase something, it tends to be of the hand-painted variety (the salt and pepper sets). Yet every now and again I will pick up a few pieces of china that have elaborate decal work, with some soft airbrushed color on it (the creamers). I even found the sweetest little chick in a wire basket. It is so tiny and delicate, and the small flower on the chick is precious. It is only about 1 3/4" across and maybe 2" tall. Making a wire weave basket this small must have been tedious work.

Steve, Kim, and I stopped today, after having had breakfast with our oldest daughter Stephanie, at a local fruit stand on the way back home. They had a tent in the back and were having a yard sale. Steve spotted these glasses and the Pitcher. He surprised me by purchasing them (they were very reasonable). Not necessarily an item I would have picked out for myself, but they are very nice and he liked them. Since they are fall colors, I think I will use them this fall on the front porch. I love to sit out there and read when it rains, or on cool breezy days. Did you notice the cute salt and pepper set beneath them that I found? They are Yorkies!

Here is a close up of the cute "Dorkie Yorkie's" salt and pepper set. They have little magnets in their mouths and they "kiss". They dark one reminds me of my Bailey, and the lighter one looks like my Cookie. (Sorry Nuala, they did not have a third one.)

I am off now to the grocery and then to get some housework done. the weekend has flown by and tomorrow it is back to work.

Fathers Day, Flea Market, and a Cold

I was sick Thursday when I came home from work. I felt it coming Wednesday night. The scratchy throat, the runny nose, I was getting a cold. It has been going around at work, Steve and Kim both had it. It has been a while since I had been sick with a cold. A woman I work with got a cold and wound up with bronchitis. I started taking my Echinacea and I made a pot of chicken soup. I spent Friday at home watching the free preview on Direct TV, while fading in and out of consciousness. Saturday was the headache and the chest pain from the coughing. I was determined though to celebrate Fathers Day. So Sunday morning off we went to Romeo. They have a new Flea Market on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and Steve wanted to check it out. Look at the haul I made there.... The aluminum tea set is for a gift. I have a friend that collects hammered aluminum. I am putting it away for her birthday, hmmm......maybe. A woman had a large jar of random things. Kim and I decided to split it and I found some great metal parts, more shell buttons, and metal buttons as well as odd bits of trim, seam tape, etc. There was a box with old books and an old sears catalog. The vintage hankies and the old gloves were a real deal, as well as a small bag of odd broken jewelry pieces... Here for you to use, is the cover of the ABC book I found. It is quite tattered and falling apart. I plan to scan each page. they are very nice etchings and aged that old yellow-brown. It was a nice Fathers Day out with our children. We met at the Flea Market, stopped at a stand for some fruit and flowers, then off for breakfast. After that we headed home to prepare bar-b-que ribs! Johnny surprised us and was waiting at the house for us. It was nice having everyone home. Stephanie and I looked up homes on the Internet. (She and Pat are house hunting.) So although I was sick with this darn chest cold, I managed to make it through. Steve found a couple train cars, Steph found a turquoise figure and a poodle pin, Kim a set of funky dishes, very 70's, yellow. Even though Steph and Pat had to leave a bit early, as she was working , we had a chance to visit with everyone for a bit which was nice. I know Steve enjoyed having everyone around and talking trains, cars, and music with his son. Not a bad Fathers Day.