The Thrift Shop Romantic

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Stuff Fairy Tales Are Made Of

2008-05-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

While the Treasure Box doesn't exactly overflow this Wednesday, there were a few Goodwill finds that were too marvelous to pass up, and I'd like to share with you today. Mainly, this week's stash includes three fairy tale books from the "My Book House" series, published in the 1930s...

The covers, a bit worn, are still magical and vivid. (I only wish the Goodwill employee hadn't put the price sticker right on the paper illustration on the cover... It became impossible to remove them without damaging the picture, despite my careful attentions.) There were a good ten books there, but due to individual pricing, I chose three of my favorites. The volumes I selected were "The Magic Garden," "Through Fairy Halls," and "Up One Pair of Stairs."

The stories themselves are grouped by topic... For instance, "Through Fairy Halls" follows the fairy theme through Russian folktakes, Shakespeare, Romantic poetry, Grimm's and Hans Christian Andersen's works, and other pieces. I thought you all might appreciate some of the delicate little colored illustrations inside. Like this marvelous Children of Lir...

Not to mention the dancing maidens...

Flocks of fairies...

And illuminated verse...

Aside from the books, in the Treasure Box this week was.... yup, one more grape patterned piece of milkglass for the largest milkglass gift basket in the world. (Or at least it seems that way!) And also a cool hobnail bottle with stopper because I just thought it had style...

Apologies to you all for a bit of a short post this Wednesday. I haven't gotten out thrifting much on the weekends-- my whole city, it seems, is under construction! :) To paraphrase that old Stealers Wheels song, there are closings to the East of me, detours in the north, here I am, stuck in the middle with you'. :)

HOWEVER-- for those who missed last Sunday's post, you can enter a world of stage, silent screen and one seriously intriguing postcard correspondence by clicking here.

Otherwise, I hope to see you in the general Sunday-ish timeframe where we'll, weather permitting, journey through the Regent Square Neighborhood Yardsale!

Yesterday's Starlets: Actress Postcards from Stage to Silent Screen

2008-05-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett...they're just a few of the leading ladies that have delighted us on the big screen in recent years... Actresses who have won awards, fame, and fans. But where will they be 100 years in the future? Will we still know their names, recognize their faces, remember the works that made them great?

One weekend adventure at Denise's Antique Mall in Indiana, PA, I stumbled upon a number of postcards from the early 1900s. On them were beautiful hand-tinted photographs of actresses from the British stage and the early silver screen, identified only by a vague name at the base of each card. I started wondering if these thespians had been entirely lost to time... and whether it was possible to uncover them again.

So today, I thought I'd share with you just a little bit of that detective work.

Meet "Miss Augarde."

She was the first in my stack of postcards, and the first whose history I'd determined to tackle. And it proved to be a great way to start, too, because a simple Google search revealed not only her first name-- Adrienne-- but actual newspaper reviews of one of her 1912 performances.

This one is for The Rose Maid:

"A liberal backing of pretty girls in handsome frocks..." Heh. You just don't see that sort of phrasing in film marketing these days, do you?

Here is the list of cast members...

According to the Internet Broadway Database, Adrienne Augarde performed in several musical comedies and operettas including, The Duchess of Dantzic (January to April of 1905), Peggy Machree (December 1908-January 1909), The Dollar Princess (August 1909 to May 1910), and The Rose Maid (April 1912 to September 1912).

She was originally under contract with Oswald Stoll in America, but then joined Joseph Brooks of Brooks & Dingwall in 1908, says the New York Times. Her performance in The Rose Maid was described as follows:

"Miss Augard may be relied upon to play and sing the ingenue roles sweetly and prettily, and here, as the Rose Maid, she is generally happy in the sentimental ditties that fall to her lot... Miss Augard and Mr. Sheffield please in the very charming duet, 'Two Little Hearts,' and Miss Augarde, with an excellent backing from the comlely chorus, wins approval in 'Tip Your Hat to the American Millionairess.' Her later make-up however, is not an improvement to her own natural attractiveness..."

A web site on Edwardian era postcards gives her death in March 1913, just a few months after completion of The Rose Maid. As far as I can tell, she starred in both Peggy Machree and The Rose Maid, and worked alongside lead actress Lily Elsie in The Dollar Princess and with Kitty Gordon in The Duchess of Dantzic. She may have also performed in a play called The New Aladdin, but I can't confirm that, and it's possible that her name has been confused over time with one Amy Augarde, acting around the same time period.

If you'd like to see more photos of Miss Augarde, a site called "For the Love of Opera Gloves" has a nice little pictorial gallery here.

The next card we have to discuss today is of Lily Damita...

Talk about giving Mae West a run for her money-- Dig that flashy jacket she's sporting! Does that look not say "early Hollywood"?

Lili (with an 'i' instead of a 'y') Damita, as she is listed in the Internet Movie Database, appeared in over thirty films and productions over the 20s and 30s. Born Liliane Marie Madelaine Carre in 1904 in Aquitaine, France, Lili lived to a ripe old age of 90, dying of Alzheimer's Disease on March 21, 1994 in Palm Beach, Florida. She married Hollywood hero Errol Flynn in 1935 and they had one child, Sean. She and Flynn divorced in 1942.

You can view a rather excellent photo gallery here of the fair Lili here.

This is Pauline Garon...

Pauline's career spanned the 1920s to the 40s, and her credits with the Internet Movie Database include a startling 94 pictures and productions. Pauline was born in Montreal, Canada in 1901, and was the youngest of 11 children. She attended and was schooled at Sacred Heart Convent in Montreal beginning at age 13. By age 20 she left her home in Canada to become an actress, and her work includes Broadway stage productions, silent screen pictures and even talkies.

She was considered an important discovery of Cecil B. Demille-- in fact, she played in his production of Adam's Rib-- and her career ranged from starring and supporting roles, declining eventually to bit parts with few lines. She died on August 30, 1965 in San Bernadino, California of a "brain disorder."

Now this is Curigwen Lewis-- looking strikingly like Drew Barrymore to me here...

She's a bit later in timeframe than the other actresses, but given she'd played "Alice in Wonderland" (as shown here) and I've been a fan of Alice since a child, I couldn't resist including her in the mix.

Curigwen Lewis' work ranged from stage and screen to television, with performances in Pride and Prejudice in 1938, to television episodes in 1969. She was married to Andrew Cruickshank, Scottish supporting actor on the long-running BBC TV series "Dr. Finlay's Casebook" (1962-71). Curigen appeared in two episodes of this series. She and Cruickshank had one son and two daughters.

Julia Neilson was born June 12, 1868 in London, England and died in 1957 in the very same city...

She performed on the London stage in productions of As You Like it, and The Scarlet Pimpernel, and a number of W.S. Gilbert plays. She and her actor husband Fred Terry had two children, Phyllis and Dennis, who also went on to act. The husband and wife team additionally became the producers of a number of plays over a thirty year period, several of which they performed in themselves.

They were definitely considered "news," too. A December 21, 1910 article highlights their arrival in the States.

"ON THE ATLANTIC HIGHWAY
Fred Terry and Julia Neilson Among Those Sailing To-day on Teutonic

Among the passengers sailing to-day on the White Star liner Teutonic and who will enjoy their Christmas dinners in mid-ocean are Fred Terry and Miss Julia Neilson, recently seen in New York in The Scarlet Pimpernel and Henry of Navarre..."

But while they made headlines, not all of Miss Neilson's performances were considered hits. One review of For Sword or Song, I located in the New York Times described Julia Neilson's performance as follows:

"It is upon Miss Julia Neilson, as Price Chanrming, that the burden of the evening falls. She bears it bravely in her boy's costume, but seems perpetually anxious to 'bestride the world like Colossus.' In plain English, she straddles."

Ah, poor gal! Critics of every decade can be so cruel, can't they? Well, there's a great collection of Julia Neilson photos here you might enjoy checking out.

Lastly, today I thought I'd share with you this card...

I'm unsure who this actress might be, if any, as no information is indicated on the card. However, the note on the back is just one I thought was somewhat remarkable.

Mr. Bloom,
You have promised me that you would write more often when you left B. Boro, and since then I have not had a word from you and cannot understand what you mean by not writing to me. Or perhaps you don't want to write at all. I am always awaiting impatiently at the P.O. every day for a letter or at least a card from you.

With Best Regards,
Helen

Sounds like poor Helen should try and forget about this Mr. Bloom... As the current phrase goes today, it's appears "he's just not that into you."

Some things really never change, do they? :)

Well, before I go today, I wanted to share with you a link to a really sweet interview that Shirley of Proof Positivity did of me this week. Shirley writes about upbeat news, in addition to running a business that's designed to help underprivileged and struggling students gain a renewed interest in academics through the fun of journalism. You can read the interview here.

If you missed the last Treasure Box Wednesday on fun finds from across the pond, click here.

Next Sunday, I hope you'll join me as we go garage "sailing" through the Regent Square Annual Neighborhood event. Take care, my friends!

Treasure Box Wednesday: From British Isles to Thrift Store Aisles

2008-05-07T02:03:00.000-07:00

While many of us hard-core thrifters view thrift shopping as an adventure, some of our treasures take an equally exciting journey to reach us. Why, a single day of thrifting might reveal sake cups from Japan, hand-painted tole from France, steins from Germany, beautiful silks from India and elaborate carvings from Bali. My own father found a diggerydo from Australia once (and when space is limited, at over five foot tall, believe me-- it's a bit of a diggery-don't.)

As an Anglophile, I'm continually surprised at the sorts of things that turn up in thrift stores that originally came from the British Isles. So I thought I'd group a few of them together today in this Treasure Box Wednesday.

Like this Isle of Wite souvenir linen towel....

I found this at the Salvation Army Superstore out by Century III Mall. What was once someone's souvenir purchase becomes a fun collectible for someone new!

A while back, I uncovered this mug commemorating Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding, too...

At $0.99 at the Goodwill in Monroeville, it seemed too unique round these here parts to not put away for safekeeping. Perhaps in the U.K. they're available by the pound, but not here in the middle of Western Pennsylvania!

I was equally shocked to find this (sadly, empty) biscuit tin from the famous Harrod's department store in London. It's a nice size and would be great for storage of small items, like pens or thread spools.

And yesterday, I found another little reminder of England. While not made in that country, I was still rather tickled to discover this Department 56 Dickens Village Historic Landmark's light-up version of Big Ben...

Christmas may be half-a-year off, but this is going to look terrific in my William Morris styled living room at the holidays! And at just under $7, I know I got a pretty good deal.

Outside of the British theme, I thought I'd show you another Salvation Army Superstore find-- this Victorian transferware vase. There's some nice hand-painting to it, though a bit of damage to the top of the vase. Still, in a cabinet, it will be very pretty.

I found this vintage apron with handkerchief pockets at Goodwill for $1...

And last, I discovered matching vintage sheets-- though at two separate Salvation Armies. You just never know what's going to be where!

Well, before I say, "Cheerio" today (yes, yes, I know no one actually says "cheerio" unless breakfast cereal is involved,) I'll leave you with the following links:

If you missed last Treasure Box Wednesday's little spring garden tour, you might wish to click here.

And if you didn't catch Sunday's post on the conclusion to the Round Robin and my swap partner's thoughtful package to me, click here.

Cheers!
-Jenn

Return Flight of the "Round Robin"

2008-05-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

So this week, I bring to you the exciting conclusion of Spring Cottage Decor Swap 2008. Last week you folks got to see the outgoing package in our round robin event. And Friday I received an amazing package from my swap partner on the Cottage Living boards--- SusieQ. I thought it would be nice to showcase it here today.

What was particularly touching, I felt, was the amount of thought put into the history of the various items. Susie knew I was a vintage girl, and certainly put the package together accordingly.

If you'll recall from last week, the swap participants were to include something to enable old-timey correspondance (not email! haha), and some sort of textile.

I thought the ink bottle was a particularly clever way of meeting the "old fashioned correspondence" criteria. (Also it sort of takes the pressure off me to write by hand because I have really horrifyingly bad handwriting. I mean "bad" to the point that sometimes even I can't read it. )

Says Susie:

"The ink well is made by S.S. Strafford and is circa 1890's. It began as clear glass and changed to amethyst over time from the UV explosure. Some people call it 'sunware.' Apparently the manganese in the glass changes it from clear to amethyst when it is exposed to the sun over a long period of time."

It makes you wonder a bit just how many letters were written with the ink from this pretty little bottle, what sort of stories those letters told, and over what sunny location that desk had presided. (And I love that purple!)

Susie also included this lovely Royal Albert cake plate...

A gal after my own heart, Susie is up on the history of this, as well:

"The cake plate is of the American Beauty series from the Royal Albert China Company. I don't know too much about the company other than that they were formed in England around 1894. I believe the American Beauty series was produced between 1927 and 1977. In 2002, the company stopped production in England and moved it to another country. So the "Made In England" backstamp is more desireable."

I'm guessing, by the spatter style of the gold trim around the edge, this piece might have been made in the 50s. I have some other pieces of china with that style of trim from that period. It will be excellent with a couple of Royal Albert chintz teacups I'd gotten in the late 90s.

Anyone want to pop by for tea and cake? (grin!)

Susie also included some lovely fresh (and French!) yellow-green linens-- napkins and placemats. There are a ton of them here, which is excellent because I'm short a few from some of my other sets-- and mixing and matching the colors is just my style!

Lastly, the package included some fabulous smelling hand-made soaps, and a big ol' gorgeous dark chocolate bar. I have so far held back a whole 48 hours from totally mowing on the chocolate bar, but that probably won't last very long. Dark chocolate is a real favorite of mine.

So that about wraps up our round robin for Spring. Next week, I hope you'll join me as we take a look at the history behind some Edwardian postcards-- and examine a little bit about the actresses that appeared on these beautiful hand-colored photos. You'd be surprised how much information is out there on some of these ladies of stage and silent screen. (I know I was!) Sometimes a postcard is so much more than a postcard.

If you missed the tour of the spring garden this last Treasure Box Wednesday, you can find it here.

And I do hope you'll join me for this coming Treasure Box Wednesday, as we go gleeful over Depression glass refrigerator containers, vintage sheets, handpainted vases and more!

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Best Things in Life Are Free

2008-04-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

This is my absolute favorite time of year. The world has gone bright with blooms, showcasing some of the treasures in life you just can't buy.

Well, okay, yes, sometimes you have to buy them to plant them. But not always! Like these little fellows in my neighbor's yard...

I don't know what they are (anyone know? Greg?), but I love how they've just nestled themselves in her grass and then run rampant. The reason she hasn't mowed the grass yet is because of an attachment to these free-roaming little purple and white lovelies...

And who can blame her? When nature puts on a display like this, forcing it into submission just seems wrong somehow.

And here are some more rogue flowers. Little violas that have infiltrated the neighborhood, and have embedded themselves wherever there's dirt and a drink of water-- even between the cracks in my driveway...

I just can't move myself to root them out. It's so cheery to come home to a driveway populated with little purple blossoms. :) As you're probably already getting the impression, I try to roll with nature's whims a bit; I like to think we're both happier that way.

The backyard has also given forth a pretty amazing display of mossy phlox. Here they are after some morning rain, dripping down my back wall onto the plaster seat. I wish they stayed this vibrant all summer long.

Also, the bleeding heart this year has gotten large, and is loaded with hearts. No Victorian garden is complete without one!

And lastly, here you can see the front yard, filled to bursting with more mossy phlox-- and the infamous mosaiced stepping stones.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this somewhat different Treasure Box Wednesday. I think it's nice to take a step back and appreciate all the natural beauty around us now and then. It's not all about the thrift store. (Though that's fun, too!)

Oh- for those who have children of your own, or who just remember being a kid, I thought you might enjoy a post this week on my humor blog entitled, "Stealth Mom and the Mayonnaise Infiltration of 82."

If you've ever tried to make your kid eat something he or she didn't like-- or if you were that kid (pick me, pick me!)-- I believe you'll be able to identify. Click here to check it out.

Also, if you didn't get a chance to see Sunday's post on the Cottage Living forum's spring swap, you might find something of interest by clicking here.

May there be an excellent day ahead of you!

Round Robins and, er, Round Robins

2008-04-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of times a year I participate in a decorating swap on the Cottage Living forums. The ladies there are super-nice and even though our tastes range from streamlined utilitarian to country to cabin-rustic to Shabby Chic, we all have a lot in common-- we all like a house to look and feel like a home.

So this spring "round robin" swap was a fun challenge. We were supposed to think "fresh" in our choice of items. "Fresh" as in clean air, cut flowers and newly budding trees-- and not in something designed to make the other person blush, in case you were wondering. We were also supposed to include one textile for the kitchen, one handmade item and something to help enable old-timey correspondence.

My swap partner, however, had indicated that she didn't have very good handwriting, (I know how that is myself!) and that she already had a lot of notecards she didn't use. She shared that her kitchen was in country blue and yellow, and she had a teacup border on a wall.

So this is what I went to work with.

The textile part was easy. Blue and yellow being abundant in choice, I selected a crisp new oven mit, a pretty apron in blue with yellow sunflowers, a nice hand-done tablerunner, and even thrifted a set of curtains (new in the package) with blue and white dishes on them. (I thought it might go with her teacup border, or could be used for the fabric.)

To further her teacup theme, I added four pretty yellow sandwich plates and a yellow printed cup and saucer...

You'll also see in the pic above a small blue and gold item... This is a cute little vintage address book -- perfect for a purse-- that I found and freshened up with a bit of paint. The book was a bit scratched to start with-- a bit too shabby and less chic. You can see before and afters here.

The final touch was two color-coordinated notecards, one bearing this cheerful bird friend... Yup, he's a round robin, all right.

Now because the swap itself WAS a "round robin" this meant my swap package would go to one person, but a wholly different person would be sending to me. I think the person sending to me has gotten tied up with other things this season-- it's been a really busy time of year for us all. So should anything arrive to round out this swap, I'll be sure to post.

But amusingly the swap almost didn't stop here. You see, in spite of the fact I sent my package just one state away, I waited two days... three days... four days... Still the package didn't arrive in the hands on my online friend. I was starting to think it had been rerouted to the Bermuda Triangle. Worse, I had been stupid enough to not have tracking on the package-- because again, it seemed to be such a simple transaction. Who could have known?

So because it certainly wasn't my swap partner's fault the postal service had a serious oopsy along the way, I'd started trying to pull together a second package. I thought you might enjoy seeing the cute Pyrex bowl and teacup I found for it...

I'd had no luck finding textiles to go along with them, but it turned out just as well. As when I returned home from shopping and checked my email, I had a joyous message saying the package had arrived. That was day five from when I'd mailed the thing, if you can believe it.

At least my swap partner didn't think I was some kind of fibber! :)

Well, anyway, that's the scoop on the latest swap. So like the red, red robin, it's time for me to go bob-bob-bobbin' along.

I hope you'll join me again this week for Treasure Box Wednesday. And if you missed last Wednesday, that post can be found by clicking here.

Hope spring is treating you well so far!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Cool Coasters, Covers and Carnival Glass

2008-04-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

Oh, I was all over Tarnation this last weekend-- yep, Upper, Lower, and even Little Tarnation, I believe. And while not all of the items I'm going to show you today were thrifted, a few were. Best of all, even the antique mall goodies were had at an excellent price. How fun is that?

Well, the first of the antique mall finds, the coasters above, are from the 50s. The magnolia pattern on them, and the cheery aqua, lemon yellow and vintage pink just said to me "backyard barbeque." They remind me of the 50s pastel hotels you see on Miami Beach when the planes fly into Miami International Airport. Anyway, now I'm all set for having a very cheerful retro meal outside this summer. Wanna come? :)

Speaking of that retro meal, now I have salt and pepper shakers, to match my Hazel Atlas Moderntone Platonite set...

I've been looking for these for a while at a price I actually wanted to pay. I've seen two sets at a crazy $15 a pair, with rusted metal tops. These I found for $2.99 a piece-- MUCH more reasonable. And as you can see, they're in nifty condition!

At the Graham Antique Mall in Ligonier I found a set of six marigold colored Carnival glass dinner plates for $16...

It's not easy finding Carnival glass plates-- lots of bowls but no plates-- so I was pretty excited about this. At not quite $3 a piece, that seemed really good to me.

Hm... What have we next? Well, this hankie bag was certainly nothing to sneeze at. It came from the Jeannette Antique Mall in, er, Jeannette. (Well named.)

Oh, and I uncovered a chenille bedspread at the Salvation Army...

And lastly, speaking of the Army... well, okay the Armed Forces at least... I had a hit with two World War II pillow covers. One to good old mom,

That reads:

Mother
There's a dear little house inviting
In a dear little place I know.
And a welcome is always waiting
When to that little house I go.
For there lives the dearest lady
The sweetest I ever met.
And to-day, if I cannot visit
Dear Mother, I don't forget.

It's from Camp Lee, Virginia. The other is an airforce piece from Miami Beach, Florida and is dedicated to dear mother and dad.

The poem there reads:

Mother and Dad
You're the very best couple
That ever was paired.
Whatever was given
Alike you have shared.
Many more years
May your hearts be made glad.
And may your blessings be many
Dear Mother and Dad!

And with that sweet, sticky sentiment from the 1940s, that about puts to rest Treasure Box Wednesday for this week. Will you join me next time for the spring Cottage swap? I sure hope to see you again.

For folks who missed Sunday's post, a little review on a crafty book for the whole family, you can dig into that here.

And if you didn't get a chance to see last Treasure Box Wednesday, you can always check that out here.

Enjoy that beautiful spring weather! The mossy phlox are ploxing here at my house. I hope beauty's in bloom for you, too.

Bringing Out the Crafty in U

2008-04-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago, the folks at Simon & Schuster had asked whether I'd be interested in taking a look, and possibly reviewing, a new crafting book of theirs. Given I'm the madwoman who'd decided it might be fun to varnish Marshmallow Peeps and turn them into Easter decor, I really couldn't resist a look-see. So today, we're going to take a gander at Rosie O'Donnell's Crafty U book, a clever compilation of craft ideas parents can do with their children to while away a rainy day-- or big kids like me might use to get new crafting ideas.

Now, up-front I want to say, this isn't a paid review or anything. Just like I don't have advertising on my hobby sites, I don't do paid reviews, either. To me, it's about learning and not endorsing. So this was done just because I like to mix things up here on The Thrft Shop Romantic, and this seemed like a topic we might all enjoy.

In fact, when I got the book, I set out to examine it with a harsh, critical eye. While crafting is fairly subject to taste, how many of us haven't seen craft project which seems to serve little purpose, just isn't that pleasing to the eye, or appears to be more trouble than it's really worth? (Macrame owls come to mind.)

But this book addressed my overall concerns quite well. Projects range from simple efforts which can be done from things you'd already have around the house, to more elaborate endeavors which would likely require a trip to the craft or fabric store. We follow Rosie and her young crafters throughout the year, so projects are arranged seasonally, though many could be adapted and enjoyed year-round.

In addition to the projects themselves, the book discusses how quality craft time can help children and parents learn and grow together. It also encourages crafters not to follow plans specifically, but to use instructions to get the creative juices going. I appreciated the spirit of that.

You can see just a few of the spreads here. From Halloween costumes which involve little sewing (though some help from Mom or Dad) to science projects and cute projects which the young'uns can use to decorate their rooms, there's a nice mix of ideas here. I was also pleased to see both Hanukka and Kwanzaa were included, in addition to Christmas, within the winter holidays section.

Now because this is a cheap romantic decorating blog, I thought I'd especially share with you a couple of the crafts I think can be used or altered a little for nice home decorating projects. My favorite is the glitter shells below. How cute would these be as a part of a centerpiece for a summer picnic? Or on a package as a special little extra?

It's one of those projects I can't believe I never thought of doing myself sooner!

I liked this pounded leaf art for a wall display, too. I would need to try it out (I apologize that time didn't permit) to see if it works the way the instructions indicate. But the idea is nice and the end-product has potential to be fairly elegant.

Given a number of us here are into paper and cardboard crafts with a vintage look, I thought you all might like seeing these party pinwheels for the Fourth of July. What a simple project, and yet the effect is really festive.

Lastly, I got a kick out of these decoupaged light switches. Candy wrappers and stamps have been used in these examples, but I was thinking vintage photos, old luggage labels and any number of other bits of your favorite ephemera could be scanned, printed out and decoupaged in the same way.

Overall, I think the projects in this book are unique enough, and simple enough, that it could empower crafters-- young or old. The only drawback I can see is there may be some projects within this book that kids have already done in their arts and crafts classes in school. The painted tin cans which can be used as pencil cups, for instance. But there aren't a ton of these more common projects within its pages, and I think there's enough freedom of creative license given that even these could be done in newer ways, to hold the kiddies' interest.

Well, that's all for this Sunday. I hope you'll join me Wednesday for a new Treasure Box feature, and next Sunday I think we'll talk about the latest cottage decorating swap I was involved in-- and wonder why, why, why a package going from Pennsylvania to New Jersey took FIVE DAYS through the USPS. Good gravy!

Oh, and for folks who missed last Treasure Box Wednesday, I hope you'll pop by here. Just click away!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Moppets and Wabbits and Warthogs, Oh My!

2008-04-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

It was a mixed bag o' thrifting this week. I've been noticing that everybody and their grandmother seems to be at the thrifts lately. (Okay, well, not MY grandmother; she's no longer alive, so the surprise of THAT would be more than I could take.) But busy. Very busy at the thrifts.

As a result, I think things have looked a bit picked over.

HOWEVER, this didn't prevent me from finding some really fun things. Mostly, this week I have some cool gifts to show you.

The little sweetheart above is one of them. This porcelain doll came from the Red, White and Blue on Route 51, and I just loved her ornery expression. The moppet will go to a family friend for either Mother's Day, or Christmas-- I'm not sure which yet. The good lady collects dolls (same lady who received a pair of li'l gals LAST Christmas) and I know the wee lass will be going to a good home.

Here she is decked out in all her finery.

For myself, I found a couple of sets of nice vintage-look sheets. The Shabby Chic-styled guest room just cried out for these. And hey, at just $4.00 a set, it's pretty easy to give the guest room what it wants.

I also found the cute retro-printed purse...

But lastly, I found a few presents for my friend Scoobie's brother for his birthday. He's a good kid, and he's totally embraced the idea of thrifting. So I think he'll be tickled with these collectible juice glasses containing favs of his, Taz and Bugs Bunny. (I don't believe he has these particular ones in his collection yet, but he has a lot of character glasses.)

To complement this, he'll also receive a face only a mother could love... a mother WARTHOG, that is!

This potentially life-sized (if he were alive) Pumba from The Lion King still had his tags from the Warner Store. What is it about boys, that a flatulent warthog is just hysterical to them?

Of course, I admit I'm also going to really miss Pumba-- I've had fun putting him in various unexpected places around the house and startling my housemate. Pumba in the bathroom by the pedestal sink... Pumba in the hallway... Pumba at the front door...

Good times!

The challenge, I think, will be, how precisely to WRAP a warthog... Ah, well, I'll figure it out! Wish me luck.

Anyway, on Sunday, I hope to have something exciting for you. Simon and Schuster had asked me if I was interested in taking a look at a craft book they've just put out. So we'll be reviewing that and I think seeing, in particular, how these ideas might be applied for thrifty decorating. (Note, this is not any kind of paid review, or anything-- it's only my own little opinion. Just thought it might be fun and a little different!)

Oh-- and did you miss Sunday's post on "Of Buds and Blogging Buddies"? Just click here.

If you'd missed the previous Treasure Box Wednesday, on "The Real McCoy," click here.

Here's hoping the tax man went easy on you this year, my friends! See you soon.

Of Buds and Blogging Buddies

2008-04-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Long overdue is a post expressing my gratitude for the various blog awards recently passed along to me by a number of you, my fine "invisible friends" and fellow bloggers. So I thought today, as spring begins to show its fresh new colors, I would take a moment to share these awards with a few of you, as well as pass long a little of the beauty of season so far.

Thanks to SewDelish, for the "You Make My Day" award, and I apologize it's taken me this long to recognize it here. I figure if I've made anyone's day along the way, there's pretty much nothing better than that!

Thanks to Sindhoo of Under the Sun for conferring, wow, more blog awards at one time than I've ever seen. Makes a gal feel a bit like Kevin Costner when "Dances With Wolves" was up for the Oscars. :) Too many icons to even post here, but all very kind.

And thanks to Lidian of KitchenRetro for the "E for Excellence" award. She's a good egg, that Lidian-- and she can also tell you how that egg was used in about a million different retro cookbooks.

This leaves me to pass along the awards to some deserving bloggers myself. Following Lidian's example, I'm going to select ten folks who merit some attention. Of course, there are so many of you out there that deserve recognition for your blogging efforts and general camaraderie that frankly, I'd be here all day listing folks. So we're going with ten, and also, none of you need feel obligated to do anything regarding this-- just know you're appreciated.

Greg of The Midnight Garden. For beautiful photos, general kindness, and a terrific sense of humor.

Rosemary of Rose's Petite Maison. For adding sparkle (literally and metaphorically!) to vintage style crafting.

Sher "Grinnin' Grandma" of OldTimeMeArtist. For approaching everything with a dash of humor and a grin.

Ms. A over at LivingWithoutMoney. She works on a shoe-string budget, we cook with her, decorate with her and save money with her. And somehow she manages to have new posts daily.

ChrisMiss at MacandChris.com. This lady rides around in a caravan and blogs about her travels. You'll find her posting on TheThriftshopper.com from where ever she roams. I've enjoyed her insights!

Carrie at OakRiseCottage. She has such an eye for vintage needlework and art. It's always fun to see her most recent treasures.

Sujatha at Fluff-n-Stuff. A bright, funny lady who has a lot of great stories to share.

Lynn at the VintageNest for inspirational photography and great ideas.

Pam at White o'Morn Cottage for sharing the beauty of Ireland with us all.

Becca at Of Bluebirds and Roses for creating such an idyllic, almost storybook atmosphere with every photo.

Now-- as we move from the blogging buddies to plain old buds, I think we'll start here, with some recently-opened daffodils.

Here are a few of the grape hyacinth that have popped up. True to hyacinth fashion, there seem to be more each year and boss the daffodils around. :)

Here are just a few shots of the azaleas as they start to bloom. Another day or two, and these should be in full-force. The intense pinkish purple is an absolute joy to me.

Lastly, I noticed the bleeding heart seems to be leafing and happy. I can't wait until it starts putting out it's little pink garland of hearts. It's some much needed color in that part of the yard.

I hope spring is treating you all well, and I thank you all for being a part of this site, for the comments, the chuckles, the camaraderie-- everything. I love seeing what this spot has grown into-- it's a little bit like the spring garden, continually rewarding and so pleasing to see blossom.

For those interested in last week's Treasure Box Wednesday on McCoy pottery, click here.
Next Sunday, I may be a little late with my post-- I'm not sure how timing will be because I have a guest visiting. So just wanted to give you a heads-up. :)

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Real McCoy

2008-04-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

You know the old saying about death and taxes? Well, I'll give you two guesses what I was doing this last Saturday instead of thrifting?

Heh, well, I DID get a LITTLE bit of thrifting in around the tax appointment. It came in a super-mini Cliff's Notes version of my favorite Route 30 trek. And there I uncovered two pieces of McCoy pottery.

This one came from the Good Samaritan thrift store, and boy, does it need a bath!

I think fondly of it as my "breadpan" piece... though, it actually was intended as a planter. You can see the mark on the bottom here:

Now this lovely leafy example came from the L&L Fleatique and I understand it is also McCoy. And it's got a totally different mark-- the earlier "NM" for Nelson McCoy.

The Garage Sale and Flea Market Annual tells us that McCoy "used a variety of marks over the years, but with little consistency, since it was a common practice to discontinue an item for a while and then bring it out again decorated in a manner that would be in synch with current tastes."

It goes on to say that all marks were in the mold, not ink-stamped like many porcelain and pottery makers had done. And apparently because McCoy never registered its trademark, there is a company in Rockwood, Tennessee using the McCoy logo on their pieces. (Many, the book says, are dated #93). So it's definitely a case of buyer beware!

In fact, I suspect I saw a piece of this repro McCoy in the form of a pottery bookend this weekend. The quality just didn't seem the same, and the stamp just looked so... new. NOT the real McCoy. :)

Anyway, I thought you all might enjoy seeing where these vases have been living, as I've accumulated them. Here is my mantle right now.

And here's a view of the Hazel Atlas Moderntone Platonite dishes-- I'm not fully happy with the table-setting, so this is a bit of a work in progress...

And see that pink bowl below? That is the missing Big Mama bowl of my Pyrex set. It's now complete. How amazing to have been able to find these pieces so close to the same time!

Well, that's the dish on this week's Treasure Box Wednesday. If you happened to miss Sunday's post of "Battier Homes and Gardens, 70s Style," click here.

Otherwise, I'll hope to see your bright and shiny faces on Sunday (or thereabouts) for our next feature.

Battier Homes and Gardens, 70s Style

2008-04-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

Retina-burning color schemes, shag carpeting you could lose a small child in, and wall art with demonic influence... Such was the decor of the 70s. Here at The Thrift Shop Romantic, I always say you can learn a lot from the past. And in this case, it's sort of like learning from the lessons of World War II-- we need to understand what happened, so it never, ever happens again.

To be honest, the books that I'm about to show you did have some fairly liveable rooms in them. Rooms with, perhaps, trendy colors of the time, or with a distinctive 70s feel to them, but they were still rooms that were comfortable. Practical. The Everyhouse.

Then there are the ones I'll highlight today.

Open up the Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book, and one of the first lessons you get is on color...

This is what chicken pox would look like if it were interpreted as a living room. The book tells us:

"Warm colors, the tangy tones of sun and earth, bring vitality and light to shadowy rooms. Red, yellow and orange, set against subtle wood and grass cloth sufraces, make this room bright, alive and exciting."

I'm not exactly sure where the grass cloth surfaces are here, but maybe it's just the vibrating glare that's caused me to miss them. All I see is a color scheme which makes a McDonald's play area look "restrained" and "understated." Note the lonely animal print pillow on the couch, echoing the circles in the wall art. It's like a poor leopard kitten got lost in the middle of the Mojave desert at sunset. And it's frightened.

Next we have our first example of questionable artwork...

The book reads as follows:

"Mushroom stools alternate lively hues in this scheme. When you choose cool colors like this, it's a good idea to warm them a bit with a touch of color from the sunny side of the spectrum."

Which is apparently where the malevolent, man-eating lion yarn-art in argyle comes in. Somehow the sly, hungry look on its face doesn't convey "sun" and warm good cheer to me.

Note how the narrowness of the ledge makes it impossible for it to be used for actual.. oh... sitting. Or leaning... And the stools are so high up under it, you probably couldn't get your legs under the ledge, anyway. Impractical AND mystifying.... just what the modern 70s woman looks for in decor!

Well, let's move onto the kiddies' room.

Here the caption reads:

"For the nursery set, but especially for the mother, this room is delightfully fresh."

Fresh, and already inhabited by trolls, it seems. Look- there's one now, coming to steal the baby away to their daisy-covered mound!...

Look at the expression on that doll's face. Any child growing up in this room is going to need serious therapy. And possibly allergy shots. I wonder what the color of that fabric is, "Pollen 109"? And dig that kelly green paint on the antique rocker. Yes, indeed, the Victorians were really big on woodwork the color of a billiard table, let me tell ya.

Well, maybe you're looking for new ideas for a zingy livingroom scheme. How about bringing your guests here?...

This room has it all. Orange, hot pink, lime green, florals and stripes... Won't your best chums Alice and Peggy just think this is to DIE FOR? Especially that wall art! Let's get a closer look at that, shall we?

Nothing says cutting-edge decor and good taste like a cartoon marker drawing of a sad, sad child. It's just one of those pieces that you never get tired of looking at.

And then there's this example of a den.

The caption urges us to look at the "striking window treatment," but me, I can't take my eyes off that carpet of dried tobbaccy. You can't even see where the chair meets the floor, the weeds are so high. Wait a moment, I'll get my push mower and be right back.

Ah, but even more treasures await in Creative Decorating on a Budget:

This book is after my own heart-- demonstrating creative ways to make your home look expensive without spending a lot of money. And how do they suggest we do that? Well, one way is here...

In the section "Furniture Flair at a Fraction of the Cost," they tell us the secret to the, er, successful room above:

"For table-top, cut a 60-inch circle out of a table tennis top: use leftover wood for shelf of serving buffet. Set table top on a 2-foot chimney flue liner and support with iron brackets. Cover laminated plastic."

Okay, so let me get this straight. You can't afford a table. So you buy a TABLE-TENNIS TABLE and cut a huge circle out of it. And also buy a chimney flue liner. And brackets. So, er, HOW is this cheaper?

Presumably if you already have a table tennis table, little Timmy and Susie are going to be pretty disappointed when they decide to renact Chris Everett or John McInroe's last match, and they're missing a giant sphere out of the center. And I'd be taking bets on who the first guest would be to fall off those wicker tuffets. I'm putting my money on Great-Aunt Celia after her third Pink Squirrel.

Lastly, we have a hand-made headboard, designed to bring us many nights of restful slumber...

Okay, I'm not resting. Is it just me or does this headboard look... violent? Like eventually there will be heads on those pikes?

Well, with visions of the Elizabethan justice system, that pretty much wraps up this Sunday's post.

If you haven't already, check out last Treasure Box Wednesday, and some goodies from Ireland...
And if ya have an extra moment, you might also get a laugh from the humor post on my other blog, Of Cabbages and Kings, where I relay the tale of a trip to Canada, and how I ended up surrounded by Mounties and with only one shoe. Click here for that.

Happy Spring to you, my friends! See you again soon.