Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues

Hello Friends, it's good to have you here!

Well, summer is here and it brings with it a lot of change. First of all, of course the kids are home. And soooo bored. Hehe, I knew that was coming, so we have plenty of things to do, like 5 different camps for my daughter and my son is opening his own Etsy shop! He is following in his mom's footsteps, but selling things a nine-year old boy thinks is cool. Mostly he is going to be restoring and selling customized bathroom scales, which is a project we started here. Look for the grand opening of JaysonsKustomHouse in a couple of weeks!

For now, I am also trying to keep as busy as I can, and trying to do as much selling as I can in my antique booth and my Etsy shop. So, hey, help me out a bit and see if there's anything you like! Be sure to use the coupon code PIT20OFF for 20% off your purchase!

Maybe it's a coincidence, or maybe not, but I have been finding a lot of blue items lately. Yard sales and thrifts have been very good this month, and I have been finding tons of cool junk and Pyrex, of course.

First up, I found yet another milk glass cake plate. This makes 3 in the last 6 weeks or so. It's wedding season, so hopefully it won't stay in the booth long! And I thrifted my first set of clear bottomed Pyrex- I usually pass on these, but with Pyrex prices on the rise I thought it might be a good idea to get a set now. They are various shades of blue and are very pretty; hopefully someone will love them.

The same day I found this stack of 401s at an antique store. Now, I almost never buy things at antique stores (I mostly window shop- "doing research" I call it) but I couldn't pass up five bowls for $10.  The three primary blues are all unnumbered; two are in good condition, but one is pretty poor. (I'll make that a daily user, maybe I'll dishwasher it into a faux opal?) I am always trying to make up other Primary sets to go to the booth, and can definitely use the good ones. The pink is poor as well, but this is my first pink mixer in the wild, and it will display OK for now. The orange flameglo is pretty good; I haven't decided if I want to keep it yet.

 I also found my first piece of JAJ in a thrift store, a pattern called "Tuscany Vegetables". Altogether, it was a good day for Pyrex, with the clear bottom set, the stack of 401s and this JAJ all coming from two stores that day. Plus, these huge veggie salt and pepper shakers- I love Mr. Corn's jaunty moustache! 

Last week I went to a great yard sale- it almost made The List. (I keep a mental list of the top ten yard sales I've ever been to- this one was somewhere in the top twenty, for sure.) It was my favorite kind of sale- an older person in an older house in an older neighborhood. I bought some Pyrex, some other glass and the coolest lamp.

The Pyrex I bought was this snowflake 043, which came with a lid and is absolutely mint. I almost didn't buy it- it seems that the word has gotten out, even to the little old ladies, that Pyrex is collectible. The sticker on this had a price of $5, which the cheapskate in me thought was too much for a yard sale. Then I came to my senses and realized I would probably pay that or more in a thrift store in a heartbeat. And I didn't have this color in my collection yet, either, so duh...buy it!

And while word has gotten out about Pyrex being hot, apparently Hazel Atlas is still flying under the radar (at least at this yard sale). The pink, turquoise and yellow plates are all HA, as is the matching mug. The green is FireKing jadeite, and get this- they were all 10 cents each!

Then I bought this lamp from the same lady. I used to see these around every so often, years ago and never bought one. But they are few and far between anymore, so I popped. Good thing I did, because they are going for crazy money on Etsy! So guess where this is headed, LOL.... I also found a cool angular fiberglass laced shade, which for some reason I didn't photograph. I have quite a collection of these shades anymore; I never leave one behind that is in good condition and reasonably priced (like 50 cents!). Now I need some  more cool lamp bases to go with them!

Green seems to be a theme of my finds as well- on the same day I bought this vintage tablecloth at a thrift store. It still has its Simtex tag on it. Plus, it is large enough to fit my table- not always so easy to find in vintage linens!

And a little bit of green Pyrex, of course! This is the "Green Salad" promo from 1972, otherwise known as "Square Dot". Normally it is hard for me to get to thrifts right when they open, which I have always assumed is the best time to go. But this day I was able to get there early and found this gem on the bottom shelf. (And I did look all over for the matching salad utensils, to no avail.) It is absolutely mint and I love the color shading. Seeing this online, I never thought I would go for it, but in person it is stunning. For some reason lately, I am totally drawn to the brightly colored Pyrex- like Friendship and New Dots, and this will fit right in. Definitely going to keep this around for a while!

And  how about this amazing fan? I found it amongst the appliances at a thrift store. It was a little more than I like to spend, at $20, but it works great-totally a keeper! I just keep telling my kids not to put their fingers anywhere near it; a trip to the emergency room is not the kind of excitement I'm looking for this summer!

Birthday Thrift Crawl 2014!

Hello Friends, it's good to have you here!

So, last post was the pre-Birthday Thrift Crawl post, and this is the one with my finds from my actual single-day Thrift Crawl. Which actually fell on my birthday this year, March 1st! I got to 6 stores over about 40 miles in 4 hours. I got a bit of a late start because I had to go to my son's hockey game (he scored 2 goals!) and also got to stop in and visit with an old friend before ending up at my parents' house for dinner. It was a good day. And as I get older it's so much less about the stuff, and much more about the experience...but then again there is always plenty of stuff!

So on with it...

This set of Kromex canisters was a lucky find. They were all scattered about the store and priced individually came to less than $5 total. They're in great shape- I took them over to the booth.

Of course, I am looking for Pyrex first and foremost. The Butterprint 401 and the unmarked green 403 are duplicates for me, so they went over to the booth. I have been looking for this green for a long time, because it enabled me to complete an unmarked primary set for the booth- I have had no luck selling them separately so will try it this way. It's in great condition- amazing for being close to 70 years old!

I found the square flowers 473 at my first stop- and it was a gold mine for Pyrex! Also at that same store I found an unmarked opal 403, and a pixie. This is the second birthday thrift crawl in a row where I found pixies, and I have never found them any other time, go figure. 

I also found this sad excuse for a pink stripe 401

...but it was only 99 cents so I couldn't leave it there. And I don't know about you, but I have never seen pink stripes in person, so yeah, I'll bring it home and love it. But look what I found the next week (last week, at a different store)- mommy stripe! And this one is near perfect! Who knew? Pink stripes in the wild!

 I found this cute nursery set as well. I don't know the maker, but it is really sweet, and has all its pieces in great shape. I wish I had this when my son was a baby- and I don't know anyone else expecting a boy baby, so I will probably list it on Etsy or take it to the booth.

At this point in my travels things were really getting picked over. It's not surprising that almost all the good stuff was found early. I should make a reverse trip some time and see if the stores farthest away are good first thing on a Saturday morning...but I pride myself on my ability to find something good in any store, any time. And I think this is pretty good:

It's an oil painting, almost 3 ft wide. No frame, but I can tell by the stretcher and the keys that it is likely pre-WWII (see, Mom, that museum degree comes in handy!) It's not in the best of condition, but certainly worth the $15 I paid. I have a small collection of vintage landscape paintings at our cabin up in the mountains- this will fit right in!

And this is my last find of the trip- a vintage chenille bedspread. But not your average floral or even a peacock. No, this one has 120th INF (Infantry) 30th DIV (division) and the division herald. I have never seen a military-themed chenille bedspread before- they are usually very feminine. So if you are looking for a full size chenille bedspread with somewhat of a different theme, check it out in my Etsy shop! It's in mint condition- not a mark on it. And as always, since you all are such loyal readers, enter coupon code PIT20OFF and you will get 20% your order!

Recent Thrift Finds

Hello friends! I thought I'd do a quick post on some of my recent thrift finds. I've been having pretty good luck lately. And it seems like I have more time to shop than to blog about it, so I'll try not to overload you with stuff (even though my house is bursting at the seams while I get it all ready for my Etsy store and my booth!)

First off are these printed pitchers. I mentioned before that I collect printed glassware, and am always on the lookout for the pitchers that go to the sets. Seems like they are always hard to find! So I was stoked to find the one on the right, especially, because it matches a set of glasses I have, and I have been looking for this one a long time. 

The little ball pitcher on the left has a funny story to go with it. It was so cute, I couldn't leave it behind at the thrift...but unfortunately I did. I actually took it up to the register and paid for it, and then the ladies running the counter forgot to put it in my bag. (I am certain it was an honest mistake.) It wasn't until a couple days later that I realized I didn't have it. So I called up and described the situation and the manager said I was welcome to come in and get my money back (they couldn't find the pitcher). I got to the store and found the thing back on the shelf! I still had my reciept, so of course I got to take it home with me this time. I don't have the matching glasses for this one, though, so it's going to the booth. Of course I will probably find them as soon as I sell it...

I found all these mugs on one epic thrifting day. I took my daughter to a birthday party, and while she was there, my son (aka "Eagle Eye") and I hit up a few thrifts we don't normally get to. The bluish on in front is Fire King Delphite, which I have never seen in person before. The Santa mugs behind it actually have rhinestones in the open eye (the other is winking shut), which is kind of creepy to me, but these sell well in the booth. The item on the far right is a set of teabag holders in their original stand. Eagle Eye spotted those, because I have a set at home which I bought off of Zootsuitmama's Etsy shop. He recognized them and so for 65 cents, thought it would be something he could buy to resell. He's always trying to make some money! 

And as always, I am on the lookout for two things when I thrift- Pyrex and camp blankets. And I found both just the other day!

 

I hit up my usual Tuesday thrift stop and just got a "Pyrex vibe" as soon as I walked in. And when I got to the housewares, there was nothing! For once, I doubted my instincts. Big mistake! Because when I got to the dishware aisle I found a box of Turquoise Gold Band 4-pc place settings, plus the sugar and creamer (with lid!). There is 4 total settings, each including dinner plate, salad plate, cup and saucer. A couple of the dinner plates have some scratches, but the rest is pristine. It was a total of 19 pieces for $12. They are so pretty, I may just have to collect the rest of the set- and I already have the vegetable bowl.

These pieces of Pyrex also happened on the epic thrift trip with Eagle Eye. The 024s on the left were so cheap I couldn't leave them behind (49 and 99 cents) and are a size I use frequently, even though I'm not fond of the colors. They are in great shape, too, except for some wear to the gold band. The opal gold band 024 and the opal promo 023 with cradle I found last time mean that I only have to find the plain opal 024 and I will have the whole set of that style. 

The Golden Honeysuckle on the right was something of a reclamation project. I have seen this pattern before and passed it up (not big on the gold designs) and it is an unusual shape (i.e. doesn't stack!), so I had no reason to collect it. But I have never seen one with the optional walnut stand, and it was a neat piece with the lid and stand. Unfortunately, the dish itself was completely covered in silvery metal marks, like someone had scrubbed it with steel wool. It was only $5, though, so I thought I could at least salvage the stand and lid if not the dish. But a little BKF worked wonders on it and it is nearly as good as new! I couldn't believe it. And I have found myself using it quite a bit since I got it- it is the perfect size for my favorite winter dish, roasted brussel sprouts and the stand makes serving easy. Now I understand why so much Pyrex came with cradles or stands- they are really versatile!

And lastly, after the Pyrex aisle, I always cruise through the linens looking for camp blankets. I found this really neat one the other day. I have never seen one with such a bold pattern- it really reminds me of vintage Scandinavian textiles. Like all camp blankets it reverses to the opposite color scheme (what is red is white, and white, red, when you flip it over). But unlike most camp blankets,which are usually cotton (and machine washable), this one apparently had a high wool content, which wasn't really obvious until I threw it in the wash. Fortunately the blanket didn't shrink much (it was a single/twin to start with) but everything else in that load got covered in fuzz, and my lint trap was so loaded with red lint I was worried I might have a fire. But at least the blanket is clean! And super warm, which is good because it's really getting cold around here- perfect for snuggling up in a vintage blanket with a cup of tea in a Pyrex mug!

Sets Completed! Time for a Family Photo

Hello, Friends! Summer is half over, can you believe it? I have been busy on facebook lately, trading and talking about Pyrex. (Remember when I said I didn't want to collect the stuff? Well, we are way past that point now... :) 

I have been culling my collection a bit, and trading away those pieces that don't fit in my scope. I have traded some good pieces for other good pieces- if both parties are happy, that is a good thing. I finally got my Butterprint 443 (turquoise on white mixing bowl) to complete that Cinderella set on the left. I also got the last small 501 fridgie (with lid!) to complete the refrigerator dish set. All the rest of those pieces were thrifted and I have been working on completing them for almost 2 years. Finally finishing them is a good feeling, and so it was time for a family photo! 

I still need 2 more regular mixing bowls to complete the set on the right, as well as all the lidded casseroles in the Butterprint pattern and I will have them all. So far the only ebay purchase was the butter dish, but I'm glad I bought that. The tea towel is an Etsy item, and worth buying if you collect Pyrex! 

I also bought these Delphite items recently. I can't get enough of the blue milk glass and have never seen it in the wild, so they were ebay purchases. But I think I got a good deal on them, so I'm happy. The casserole is called "Gourmet" and is actually white glaze/gold leaf over blue glass. It didn't come with the lid or cradle/warming stand, but I think I can find those easily enough. I love the look of these, especially with my most recent thrifted vintage tablecloth ($5 at SA!)

Stay tuned, I have more Pyrex on the way!

Rummage Sale Awesomeness Pt. 2!

Gosh, where has the time gone! Things have been really busy around ChezQT, and I have some catching up to do around here. I want to finish up some of the things I bought at the rummage sales and get on with more recent stuff, so stay tuned- hopefully I'll have a bit of free time soon!

I bought these darling Valentine heart candy boxes at a yard sale on the way to the rummage sale- I have been wanting some of these for a while and almost broke down and bought one at an antique store in February. I'm glad I waited because instead of $16, I paid 35 cents for both! 

I couldn't resist this Fire King swirl casserole for $4, even if there is a chip in the lid. Most of the time the lid is nowhere to be found, so that was a bonus in my book.

This was the only vintage tablecloth at the 2nd sale I went to. I didn't give it much consideration until I unfolded it and saw the signature. $2, and it was mine!

I bought this oil painting for $4; I have been buying landscape paintings for the cabin. This one is such a magnetic shade of blue; I can't stop looking at it.

And a lucite lamp for $5- I mainly bought it for the vintage silk shade, which I promptly ripped on the way home in the car. It's not too bad though, I'll just turn it toward the wall. ;) I will use the base in my daughter's room; I have another similar one that it will go with.

And because it wouldn't count as a post unless there is Pyrex, I finally found some decent Pyrex in a thrift store. These two mixing bowls were $6.99 for the pair. I already have the 402, so that will be finding a new home, but I needed the 403. It's in great condition too! I find that I really prefer the straight mixing bowls over the Cinderella style bowls, so hopefully I can find the 401 and 404 to complete this set before too long. 

New Living Room Drapes- aka hanging 1950s pinch pleat drapes without a traverse rod

Some of you may recall that I recently thrifted a set of 1950s drapes in their original packaging. Four panels of vintage atomic printed barkcloth in orange and brown tones!

Well, as luck would have it, they match my living room perfectly. I hung them this morning and they look awesome! I had been putting this off for a while because I didn't have a traverse rod system set up, but I figured out a way to hang them without it.

First I had to unpack them and take the paper wrapping off. Hehe, not a bad problem to have!

Don't forget to read the instructions- probably would have been helpful if I was installing them on a traverse rod.

Then I attached these little clip on rings I had in a bag of drapery hardware I bought at a yard sale.

And threaded them over a standard white expandable rod. 

And they are hung! I do have those cornices to cover the rods, although they are still left over from my 'rustic cabin' phase. LOL. Maybe I will upholster them in a matching fabric...

Now, this is a bit of a teaser, because I have never really done a post on my living room, especially since we have almost completely changed it around lately. That will come; but I wanted to do a separate post on hanging these drapes first.

Rummage Sales Everywhere!

This is my favorite time of year! Yard sale season is heating up, people are doing spring cleaning and donating to thirfts, but best of all, church rummage sales begin!

I have been doing a ton of shopping (probably too much- when does one cross the line to becoming a hoarder?) and have loads of goodies to show you all, so I'll probably have to do a couple posts to catch up.

Thursday was my town's big semi-annual church rummage sale, where I always have good luck. I usually get there before the doors open at 9, and as I was standing in line, I noticed a few familiar faces- some friends and some local dealers. I guess I can include myself in that group as well, since I have the antique booth and some of these things will end up there.

These are ceramic wall hangings; I LOVE these so much. They are staying right here with me. The background is a really pale green that will be so pretty in our bedroom, right next to my Turner airbrush painting.

I've been collecting these biscuit tin "baskets" for a while, but they're not usually cheap anymore. This one was, though- only $1!

This sweet family of ducks (and one chick, or is it the 'ugly duckling'? LOL) are candles- all for $1. Going to the Etsy store!

Since I was one of the first in the door, I scoped out the Pyrex first (I'll get to that) and the vintage tablecloths 2nd. I took all they had- three Christmas ones. Now, I need another Xmas tablecloth like a hole in the head, but am definitely keeping this first one. (The others may go to the booth.)

I love the old timey Holiday vignettes, and Santa dancing around the tree!

These two are more typical of mid century linens, not much to note about them except the price- $2 for the top one (a couple stains) and $5 for the bottom one. Of course the one with the stains is the only one that actually fits on my table....

And the Pyrex. The Verde (or is it Spring Blossom/Square Flowers?) Cinderella bowl was $3, which is astonishingly high for this sale.  It's not even in great condition- quite a bit of wear to the handles and utensil scratches which came out with a little BKF. It just goes to show that people everywhere (even little old church ladies) are onto those of us that collect it!

Friday I went to another church rummage sale. Thankfully the lime square baker was only $1 at that one. Apparently those little old church ladies are still in the dark! 

This is my second piece of lime (found the round cake pan about a month ago) and my 4th utility dish-  I have a flamingo lasagna pan and lidded casserole. But do you think I could find a pink or lime pie pan? No... still looking after all these years!

A long time coming- thrift scores!

Well, long time no post! I have been pretty busy and haven't had much time to blog or read other blogs, but I wanted to touch base and show you some of my recent thrift finds. In general, the thrift stores haven't been great lately, but over the last couple of weeks I have found some good stuff. I actually took a whole day off on Friday and went to some thrift stores farther away that I hardly ever have time to get to. And boy, was it worth it!

We have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore near us, but it is only open Wed-Sat. It's kind of tough to get over there on those days, and I've been meaning to go there for months. I really went hoping to find Pyrex; I've found some there in the past, and this time I had high hopes. But this time it didn't pan out as I had hoped. I did find some other things (more on that in a sec), but the only Pyrex in the place was this lone Butterfly Gold mug. This is not a pattern I collect, but I love Pyrex mugs, and I was desperate, so I bought it.

(The other Pyrex pieces in the background will figure in to this story a bit later.)

This is a refrigerator dish made by Hall China and is marked on the bottom "Coldspot Refrigerator Dish". It was pretty neat, and only $2. It's actually part of a 3 piece set.

These I bought after learning about Pyrex delphite (blue milk glass). I knew they weren't Pyrex, but I have never seen delphite in person before, so they had to come home with me. I collect jadeite, and really never even heard about delphite until I started collecting Pyrex. They are so pretty, I hope to find more! If anyone knows about the pattern or maker of these, I'd love to hear it, because in the little research I've been able to do, I've come up empty (they are not Jeannette Cherry Blossom- that I do know). They are unmarked on the bottom, except for the numbers 1,2, and 3 (presumably for the pieces in the set.)

I also bought this Otagiri Japan mug for a quarter- cute but not my style- definitely going to my Etsy shop.

Same with this Avon milk glass soap dish- really cute, and I am tempted to keep it...

This bunny planter is definitely a keeper and was only $1. I think he is Napco- there were many more Easter  things in the store and they were all crappy and more expensive than this one, go figure! I guess I have to start getting the Easter stuff out.

Haha, yes I bought this record. I put myself on a record-buying freeze about 3 years ago and have been pretty good about it (I have thousands of records- might even have this already- I have no idea) but fell off the wagon a bit this week. Besides this LP I also bought 4 45s, and one of those was "Karma Chameleon". Well, hey, it was my childhood...you can't put a price on memories...except they were only 99 cents.

Now I saved this one for last- I walked by it and didn't recognize what it was. But on my way back I caught a glimpse of some of the fabric, 

And hey, isn't that barkcloth....

Mint, in the package, never opened. 

Set of four panels...

$10......

Oh yeah....I just found new drapes for my living room! I promise I will do a post on that in the near future. Stay tuned...