Killing Time...

My daughter was invited to one of her friends birthday parties today.While she celebrated her friends day of birth my son,a gal pal,and her son killed time around town thrifting.Today was a true test of thriftiness as once again  I found myself shopping with pocket change.But hey,I'm really good at that and even I amaze myself with what  I can get with next to nothing.Before I show you what I got let me show you what I couldn't have that was teasing me.

Like this couch!Do I need one?No,that doesn't stop be from wanting it though!




This shadow box has haunted me for months,its $45 so I could probably talk him down but I want to actually have $45 to blow before I get up the nerve to ask.




This set needed a good cleaning but was still pretty cool.



Love the glitter fleck in the chairs.


I didn't see a tag on this one and I didn't want to ask because if it was cheap it would just make me that much more depressed that I couldn't snatch it up.I have to tell you as a vintage loving mama these things are great as toy boxes or if you want an ottoman that will store the kids toys they drag into the living room throughout the day that don't ever make themselves back into the room...like sure,you picked it up and put it away but the next day there it is again.



So what did I get with my pocket change?If you follow me on Instagram you already say the sweet Jo Ann Campbell record I scored for 15 cents.My other sweet score?A set of 4 dessert plates,4 saucers,and 4 cups in the blue heaven pattern.You know what my favorite thing is when I see this pattern in thrift stores?Besides that fact that I actually like the pattern I like that Fats Domino "My Blue Heaven" automatically starts playing in my head!So with that playing in my head I wasn't even embarrassed about counting out $6.00 in change (in my defense they're were quarters) to pay for my blue heaven pieces.


That is how it goes in the thrift world.When you don't have a lot to work with you always see a lot of cool things and watch when I go back with money to blow I won't find a thing.Vintage gods are cruel like that sometimes,haha!3pm rolled around and it was time to go back to pick my daughter up from her friends house.Happy to report she had a good time and so did I while I was killing time.

Wall Hangings and Tea Cups...

Today my family and I ventured into a different than the normal one we frequent grocery store.I like it because the produce is WAY better than the one we were going to AND it has a thrift store a few shops down from it.Naturally I had to go in because if you can at any time hunt for vintage you shouldn't miss the opportunity.

I didn't find too many things but a few pieces that made me chalk the visit up to well worth the effort.If you've ever had to drag a "I don't like thrifting" significant other into a store you understand the importance of finding at least SOMETHING so you can spare yourself having to hear "well,that was a waste of time.You didn't even find anything."

I think I mentioned this before but most of my Vernonware Heavenly Days broke in the move.My Heywood Wakefield china cabinet was looking a little bare.I've since given up my rigid only 2 china pattern rule and stuck with similar colors.I'll show off the lovely hodge podge I have completely when I do my dining room post...still sadly haven't been able to get baseboard for the room to finish it.Every time I have the funds something else comes up,I'm sure you know how that goes.To put on display I found this set of 3 aqua teacups!


I scored 2 sets of wall hangings.The first set was these swans from Miller Studios.I'm saving them for my far off bathroom remodel.


The other set is from Syroco and will be going up in my living room which I have a feeling will be the next room I'll be able to finish and show off on here.


I was starting with a blank slate in my living room and once I found the big pieces like the couch I knew what direction I'd be heading.The pieces I found all point to a mid 60's look so that will be fun to do I think.I'm sure I've looked like a crazy hoarder buying pieces here and there saving them for when I'd be ready to do it.I'm in the process of wallpapering which is a tiring chore that I need to hurry up and finish so I can then paint and THEN set up.

Only factors I'm missing are small details like I want to find end tables and a coffee table in DARK wood because the blonde I currently have I think clashes too much with the dark wood on the legs of the couch and chair set I came across.Yeah,I'm really annoyingly matchy matchy like that.And also a credenza or something to use as an entertainment center because currently we have a modern black glass entertainment center that my husband obviously picked out and its hideous.

China Pattern Addict...

I try and limit the things I collect,I really do.Vintage china patterns are a hard one for me to resist.Today while I was out thrifting I feel like the vintage gods were telling me "sure,2 more patterns is TOTALLY okay to add to your already all over the place pattern list!" So I did.I went ahead and picked up the Canonsburg Temporama gravy boat




and the 2 Taylor Smith & Taylor Cathay dinner plates.




The blues blend in well with my already existing Vernonware Heavenly Days,Canonsburg Florence, and Franciscan Oasis displayed lovingly in my Heywood Wakefield china cabinet.You'll be able to see that they mesh together well when I get the dining room finished (yeah,still waiting to get base board trim!So close yet so far!)

To show I do have SOME restraint though,look at all these darling patterns on these teacups I passed on today!And they were only 25 cents which I think shows extra praise!



In my head I'm justifying going back and using them to make candles in...that way I won't feel the need to collect ALL the pattern.Gods,I need help I know.Vintage china patterns are like Pokemon for me,there is this weird need to collect them all!

My Ex-Fiance's New Wife...

Oh I know by the title of this is sounds like I have some kind of wonderful drama to tell but proof that you can't judge a book by it's cover such is the case here!I suppose the term "new" doesnt really apply either since many years have passed since my ex and I broke up but even though we didn't stay friends afterwards oddly enough his wife and I struck up a bit of an internet friendship.

Thank you Myspace for making it a very small world.See you can move half way across the country and still "run into" people from the past now,aw the internet.She contacted me and we stay in touch,mostly just talk vintage as she's also a fellow vintage lover. Infact some mutual friends of my ex and I have said she was "eerily similar" but I think they're just being dramatic.... much like when I ordered a grilled cheese sandwhich once and one chimed in "oh his ex before you use to order the grilled cheese " oh no!Really?!Hell,I bet she had 2 eyes just like me too!Ha ha!

Well,in one of our conversations we talked about china patterns we collect.I'm bad as I can't commit to one.I collect Salem North Star and Vernon Ware Heavenly Days.I had mentioned that I also like the Oasis pattern from Franciscan but could never find it and online it was always pricey.So much to my delight I got this in the mail from her last week!