Oodles and oodles

Happiness at half price

I have wanted a set of Bakelite flatware for as long as I've known it existed, but I don't see much of it, and I can't afford it when I do. So - let's cut to the chase - I was pretty happy to find some this morning. Especially since stopping at the sale was kind of a whim, and only to say hello to the woman who was running it. Especially since everything was half price today.

And it was priced so reasonably I'd have happily bought it at full price.

Not only was there red, my favorite, but lots of butterscotch.

Also green.

Four full place settings of black.

A set of six steak knives and some serving pieces.

Fortunately I had an appropriately vintage flatware tray waiting for it.

One of my favorite finds this summer. Maybe of all time. 

Final tally

Over the past seven days I have managed to accumulate the following: sheets of floral decals with polka dotted ribbon,

seven yards of vintage Irish linen, a canister jar,

a Santa light, an iron,

a family reunion photo from the 1920s, an assortment of bridge tallies, not to mention three sewing patterns, five bottle brush trees, and 29 boxes of Christmas ornaments. Also good times with friends (including Gina and Sue), pie for breakfast (only once), scenic drives and perfect weather. I'm counting down the weeks already - only 51 to go to the next Madison-Bouckville Antique Week! 

 

Same old same old

Another trip to the Bouckville show ...

Another boatload of ornaments!

 

The before-and-after babies

I've found myself drawn to dolls lately. I come by it genetically, as my grandmother and great-grandmother both had beautiful dolls, and Grandma worked for several years at a doll museum. When I saw this broken bisque doll at last week's sale, unsold even when she was marked down to a couple of dollars, I knew she needed a loving home.

A little arm surgery and a bit of scrubbing, and she was good as new.

The allure of Little Red Riding Hood is harder to explain. She looks as if the wolf got the better of her. Probably it was her 50-cent price tag and those red shoes.

Her cape was turned into a jacket, and she turned into a little patriotic girl with an old silk flag.

I'm glad I brought them home.

 

 

It's beginning

to look

a lot

like

Bouckville!

Sixteen boxes of ornaments my first day of shopping ... Antique Week is already a success in my book! 

(If you're going to the show, leave me a comment with your e-mail ... it would be great to meet up!)

 

Round two

I was filled with indecision when I woke up this morning: Should I go to a sale just east of town (intriguing ad, but I had my doubts), a sale west of town (also dubious, but I could go back to the sale I went to Thursday for markdowns), or stay home and tackle any number of projects? Mr. Oodles suggested that I would probably regret it later if I didn't go to a sale, so what could I do? My husband was encouraging me to shop, and I always listen to what he says. (When it conforms to what I want to do anyway.)

The dubious sale was worse than dubious: I made a mercy purchase. You know when you stop at a sale, and it's so bad, and you feel really bad for the people having it, so bad that you feel like you'd better buy something from them? And you leave feeling the weight of despair, with some junky thing you didn't want, and you spent money to feel this way? That's a mercy purchase. I blamed Mr. Oodles and went on my way to Day Three of the estate sale.

 
I felt there might be some buried treasures, even on Day Three, because there was an awful lot of stuff to begin with. I found a few kitchen-y things (the fabric is an apron).

Some Christmas-y things, including frosted bells and garland still in the package.

Lots of craft things, the most intriguing of which is the 'Magic Foil' on the right ... I've seen it in action, on vintage Christmas decorations, but not in its original state.

And then this: an unopened package of spun heads. As you know, we suffer from a terrible shortage of spun heads in the Northeast, so this was an extraordinary find.

Plus: they're animals. 24 of them. I am ecstatic. Especially about the elephant.

The scary purchase of the day was a big box of doll furniture. It was half price today, but still on the high side, and it kind of resembled a dolly landfill. But I thought there was a lot that could be rescued from the jumble, and I spent most of the afternoon sorting and scrubbing.

And a lot emerged. Many wooden pieces (I need an expert opinion, Kim K. - Strombecker?)

And lots and lots of Renwal. (Including the bedroom set in the first photo. That's not my actual bedroom.)

It will be no problem to keep this bathroom clean and tidy.

Or this one.

See why?

 

 

Adding it up

One hamper and one carafe plus seven Swanky Swigs (including one I've never seen, with green stars),

Six multicultural spun head people

Plus six more heads

One clothespin bird plus seven more in the package

One happy couple plus a baby (sorta makes sense)

One little chick on a windup toy

With four bunnies that pop out when it spins (video to come)

Two boxes of wrapping paper plus four boxes of cards

(really, really cute wrapping paper)

All that cuteness made me lose track of the numbers, plus there's a big load of linens in the washer, and five quilt tops ready to take to my personal quilt expert to evaluate Friday. But I think it all adds up to a pretty good day.

 

Elfin magic

It was his winning smile and yellow cap that caught my eye.

Plus he came with a pet, and you know how I feel about pets. Even ones I can't quite identify. (Bear? Mouse? Kangaroo?)

They live among giant mushrooms and flowers.

Which, I later discovered, had a purpose. The giant mushroom is a darning egg. The yellow pail holds a thimble.

And the flower is a pincushion.

Which is why the elf lies down from time to time. He's a working elf. (And just listed in Etsy, if you'd like to give him a home.)