Playing Dolls

Maybe it's because my children are all grown, and any grandchildren are yet to be born, that I find myself drawn toward vintage baby dolls.  Some are my own, saved since childhood, and others I've picked up via Ebay or estate sales.

This motley crew includes (from left to right) Thumbelina, Tiny Tears, Betsy Wetsy, Chatty Baby,  little Kitten, and big Kitten. All date from the mid 50's to the mid 60's.

Spring sales beckon.......

Spring has sprung and the yard & estate sales are going strong.  This past weekend was a good one.  Here are a few of my recent finds:

 I found some white Franciscan Ware in the Coronado pattern to add to the pink pieces I found several months ago.  I love the soft colors and the wavy border on these pieces.

 Here is a nice selection of Norcal pots, purchased for a song at a church rummage sale and all cleaned up for repotting succulents on my patio. This pottery is no long being made, so possibly one day it will be considered collectible.

 This cool black wicker indoor-outdoor chair has a mid-century vibe, purchased right in my own neighborhood from a fellow MCM fan.

Well, this piece needs work.  Someone started to paint it a la "shabby chic", but only got the top and front done, and not very well at that.  The original finish is blonde wood of some sort.  I think I will first try to remove the paint, see how it looks au natural.  It would also be a good candidate for my Rustoleum "Cabinet Transformation" kit.  At any rate, it's very sturdy and for $5 a deal that couldn't be passed up!

A Belated Valentine's Day Greeting

Weekend Yard Sale Finds

Now that the holidays are over and  sunny weather has returned I was eager to get back out on the yard sale hunt.  Although yard-saleing may not be in full swing for a few more months, I did locate a few ads, mapped out my route, & set off to see what I could find.  First was an "Estate Sale by Sal".  Sal & her crew seem to control much of the local estate sale trade.  Items tend to be priced a little high, especially when you're primarily interested in resale value.  Even so, this sale had nothing of interest.  Next stop was a large yard sale, lots of stuff, but again, nothing I wanted.  Third stop, small sale, nothing much.  Final stop was at an unadvertised estate sale that I spotted signs for.  Finally, I found something halfway decent.  My finds were modest, but interesting, both for myself and for resale. Yay!

Clockwise from top left we have a ceramic cinnamon jar, made in Germany; a sandy pink CA pottery planter, possibly Bauer; an Everedy Tidbit Set, and some mid mod flower coasters.  Not pictured is a Pyrex brown glass loaf pan and an old clipboard that I plan to display vintage book plates on for etsy sales.

Designed to serve such tasty tidbits as olives, pickles, candy, & peanuts and perfect for card parties, backyard BBQs, cocktails, records parties.......and other wild events.  A must-have for the mid-century hostess.

A decade later this wood and cork flower-power coaster set by Serv Wood would be a big  hit with your guests. 

Happy New Year

OK, so I know this isn't exactly a NY photo.  However, I did buy it at a local antique store's after-Christmas sale, so technically I'm looking ahead to Christmas 2011. 

My New Year's resolution is to simply blog more consistently! Even if it's a short one....like this. 

So many books, So little time........

The holidays are fast approaching.....and what am I doing rather than shopping, wrapping, and decorating?  Reading!   I picked up a big stack of books from the library, but only 2 are worthy of review, IMO. 

I've read a few rock memoirs, most of them nothing more than tales of debauchery and all manner of excess.  Rather tiresome, not to mention depressing.  Just Kids, by Patti Smith, is different.  So much so, that it won the 2010 National Book Award for nonfiction.  Beautifully written, it tells the story of her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe, beginning with their first chance meeting around the age of 19 and ending with his death in 1989 from AIDS.  A worthy read.  Unless of course you can't get past Mapplethorpe's style of art.  One more thing, this book has virtually no profanity.  Now that's refreshing.

In contrast to the aforementioned title, Oh No She Didn't, by Clinton Kelly is pure fun, with a little fashion education for those who might need it.  Myself included.  He is hilarious, snarky, and definitely more caustic than on his TV show "What Not to Wear", as he points out the top 100 style mistakes women make.  Some are obvious, some not so much.  You just might recognize yourself in a few of these fashion faux pas.  But so what?  Does it matter?  Maybe, maybe not.  That's entirely up to you.  Nothing earthshaking here, just funny stuff!

Now back to preparing for my craft show tomorrow........

Cottage DayDreams Home Show

Well, our first Cottage DayDreams Home Show has come and gone and I am happy to report it was a rousing success!  My sister Marta flew out from Denver and together we turned my living and dining rooms into our very own "store" showcasing our various handcrafted and vintage items.  We made some good sales and had a whole lotta fun in the process.  After the show concluded we hit the streets of downtown Riverside checking out antique stores and yard sales before Marta had to head home to Colorado. 

Our future dreams include purchasing our own vintage cottage downtown where we will stage monthly sales events. In the meantime, sales will continue through my etsy stores ~ Cottage DayDreams, Vintage Armoire, and Treasure Cache, in addition to more seasonal home shows. I can't wait for the next one!