Lamp Lunacy and Porcelain Prettiness

Lamps: they are my mostest favorite thing to thrift. Favorite in kind of an obsessive, too-excited way, in fact.

An interesting vintage lamp gives me a thrill that other folks get over, oh, a new love, winning the lottery, or chocolate cake. (Though I wouldn't turn down any of those things, either.)

As a result, I have a lot of them in each room. And this is okay, given my house is an otherwise pretty dark little Victorian.

Lamps offer that warm glow that also warms my heart.

So when I saw this baby at the L&L Fleatique over the weekend, I could not leave it there.

It's not actually stained glass, but some sort of frosted plastic material made to look like glass. I imagine, based on the materials, that it was probably made in the 60s or 70s, when they started really incorporating plastics into lamps.

I thought the whole thing was sort of gaudily beautiful, which is often my quirky criteria for a good lamp. And the colors are just so inspiring to me when lit. It's now residing in my livingroom.

At the Salvation Army thrift store earlier in the week, I nabbed this glass, pink vintage ceiling light shade...

I plan to use it on my third floor office, where currently there is a white, plastic, very sterile Atomic Age shade which just doesn't work with the rest of the house. It should be a fairly simple swap, and at just $4.99 the price was right.

At only $5, was this frosted glass, depression era boudoir lamp of a lady in a belle skirt...

I'm not sure why it was marked to just $5, when it had been listed at $35, but everything in that area of the Fleatique was, so I couldn't pass the deal up. Again, because of lampaholism.

At the Good Samaritan thrift store, I got these two painted plates from Germany (I plan to hang them on the wall)...

And these Moonstone pattern cups. At $0.69 a piece, it was a very good deal.

Oh, and last, I got this nice little dresser jar from Germany the same day I got the pink lampshade. I think it would be handy for storing cotton balls, Q-tips or something like that.

So that's the thrifty goodness for this week. Quite a lot, really, at one time-- funny how that happens!!

Let's hope none of you are too "shook up" from yesterday's earthquake. I was standing at work, talking to someone and didn't feel it at all, while all my colleagues seated at their desks were really feeling it rock-n-roll.

Lamp Lunacy and Porcelain Prettiness

Lamps: they are my mostest favorite thing to thrift. Favorite in kind of an obsessive, too-excited way, in fact.

An interesting vintage lamp gives me a thrill that other folks get over, oh, a new love, winning the lottery, or chocolate cake. (Though I wouldn't turn down any of those things, either.)

As a result, I have a lot of them in each room. And this is okay, given my house is an otherwise pretty dark little Victorian.

Lamps offer that warm glow that also warms my heart.

So when I saw this baby at the L&L Fleatique over the weekend, I could not leave it there.

It's not actually stained glass, but some sort of frosted plastic material made to look like glass. I imagine, based on the materials, that it was probably made in the 60s or 70s, when they started really incorporating plastics into lamps.

I thought the whole thing was sort of gaudily beautiful, which is often my quirky criteria for a good lamp. And the colors are just so inspiring to me when lit. It's now residing in my livingroom.

At the Salvation Army thrift store earlier in the week, I nabbed this glass, pink vintage ceiling light shade...

I plan to use it on my third floor office, where currently there is a white, plastic, very sterile Atomic Age shade which just doesn't work with the rest of the house. It should be a fairly simple swap, and at just $4.99 the price was right.

At only $5, was this frosted glass, depression era boudoir lamp of a lady in a belle skirt...

I'm not sure why it was marked to just $5, when it had been listed at $35, but everything in that area of the Fleatique was, so I couldn't pass the deal up. Again, because of lampaholism.

At the Good Samaritan thrift store, I got these two painted plates from Germany (I plan to hang them on the wall)...

And these Moonstone pattern cups. At $0.69 a piece, it was a very good deal.

Oh, and last, I got this nice little dresser jar from Germany the same day I got the pink lampshade. I think it would be handy for storing cotton balls, Q-tips or something like that.

So that's the thrifty goodness for this week. Quite a lot, really, at one time-- funny how that happens!!

Let's hope none of you are too "shook up" from yesterday's earthquake. I was standing at work, talking to someone and didn't feel it at all, while all my colleagues seated at their desks were really feeling it rock-n-roll.

Delightful, De-wallpapered and Decorated

I mentioned a couple of weeks back that I would be lending a hand to my friend Scoobie to remove wallpaper from her livingroom and diningroom. Regular readers may remember that Scoobie's the one who is writing a Western and loves the look of the Arts and Crafts period mixed with Western kistch.

Well, the wallpaper she had (and still has in the diningroom) was a bit twee for her tastes-- ovals of peach flowers with aqua stems. All very late 80s, early 90s...
You can see in this rather blurry (sorry!) photo what the room looked like before we started work on removing the paper...
And here, the wallpaper is going buh-bye...It didn't just peel off, but with a little soapy water, it was a lot easier to scrape away.
She and I spent two days of a weekend working on it, and then Scoobie finished it up herself in evenings during the week. Then it got painted a soft, robin's egg blue, which really makes her brown accessories pop!

The color was actually chosen to match the sky in the painting she already had over the mantle. She's already settled a lot of her thrifted and antique malled goodies into place there...

An arts and crafts cabinet helps hold other beloved treasures, while her resident cowboy and horse (courtesy of TJ Maxx) wait for their next round-up.

The arts and crafts lamps look just right against the inviting blue walls...
And she's found a place for some of those kitschy Western themed bourbon bottles she's found at flea markets and thrift stores over the years...
Thanks to Scoobie for letting me share photos of her home with you today! I guess her dining room will be the next decorative undertaking-- helping to liberate it from a garden of different large peach flowers, and peach draperies.

Take care, folks. Until next post!

Delightful, De-wallpapered and Decorated

I mentioned a couple of weeks back that I would be lending a hand to my friend Scoobie to remove wallpaper from her livingroom and diningroom. Regular readers may remember that Scoobie's the one who is writing a Western and loves the look of the Arts and Crafts period mixed with Western kistch.

Well, the wallpaper she had (and still has in the diningroom) was a bit twee for her tastes-- ovals of peach flowers with aqua stems. All very late 80s, early 90s...
You can see in this rather blurry (sorry!) photo what the room looked like before we started work on removing the paper...
And here, the wallpaper is going buh-bye...It didn't just peel off, but with a little soapy water, it was a lot easier to scrape away.
She and I spent two days of a weekend working on it, and then Scoobie finished it up herself in evenings during the week. Then it got painted a soft, robin's egg blue, which really makes her brown accessories pop!

The color was actually chosen to match the sky in the painting she already had over the mantle. She's already settled a lot of her thrifted and antique malled goodies into place there...

An arts and crafts cabinet helps hold other beloved treasures, while her resident cowboy and horse (courtesy of TJ Maxx) wait for their next round-up.

The arts and crafts lamps look just right against the inviting blue walls...
And she's found a place for some of those kitschy Western themed bourbon bottles she's found at flea markets and thrift stores over the years...
Thanks to Scoobie for letting me share photos of her home with you today! I guess her dining room will be the next decorative undertaking-- helping to liberate it from a garden of different large peach flowers, and peach draperies.

Take care, folks. Until next post!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Treasuring Bad Art

To follow our recent kitsch theme here on Treasure Box Wednesday, I could think of nothing more likely to put a smile on your face and a snicker on your lips than a little trip to the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA)-- America's collection of well-meaning yet not-quite-right works on canvas. Above is just one example-- the MOBA's Mona Lisa of sorts, "Lucy in the Field with Flowers."

Because YouTube wouldn't let me embed the file, I will include the link to this tongue-in-cheek art exhibition here:

• CLICK FOR MOBA ART EXHIBIT VIDEO

Having commited a few examples of bad art myself-- (I am particularly proud of "Moody Blue Pepper in Otherwise Monochrome Still Life")-- I can completely identify how good intentions can go wrong... so very, very wrong.

Hope your week goes very, very right-- and I'll see you perhaps again on Sunday!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Treasuring Bad Art

To follow our recent kitsch theme here on Treasure Box Wednesday, I could think of nothing more likely to put a smile on your face and a snicker on your lips than a little trip to the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA)-- America's collection of well-meaning yet not-quite-right works on canvas. Above is just one example-- the MOBA's Mona Lisa of sorts, "Lucy in the Field with Flowers."

Because YouTube wouldn't let me embed the file, I will include the link to this tongue-in-cheek art exhibition here:

• CLICK FOR MOBA ART EXHIBIT VIDEO

Having commited a few examples of bad art myself-- (I am particularly proud of "Moody Blue Pepper in Otherwise Monochrome Still Life")-- I can completely identify how good intentions can go wrong... so very, very wrong.

Hope your week goes very, very right-- and I'll see you perhaps again on Sunday!

Go West, Young Collector: Collecting Cowboy and Western-themed Bourbon Bottles

My good buddy, Scoobie, is a vista chick. She loves the idea of a bright orange Western mesa, a handsome cowboy, and a beautiful sunset.

The budding decor in her new home reflects this. So it stands on the precipice of Victoriana, arts and crafts, and merry Western kitsch. She is still finding her way. But one collection she has continued via the power of thrifting and antiquing is her Western-themed decanter collection...

Something fans of the unique, inexpensive and fun, will recognize as easy-to-find vintage collectibles at thrift stores, flea markets, antique malls, and yard sales!

Scoobie has kindly let me showcase her collection-to-date for you today-- for which I'd like to thank her. (She's very kind about letting me take photos of whatever she's up to for the ol' blog. Hugs to her!) I know The Thrift Shop Romantic does have some indulgent male readers, and this might just pique the interest. Think of the rugged pulp fiction of Louis L'Amour... And Zane Gray... And the artist Remington...

And bourbon! Oh, lots of bourbon! Like these fun, in-the-box bottles of Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon, flocked in blue velvet and flecked in gold...

They're covered in Remington prints and generally quite inexpensive in both antique malls and thrift stores, if you're willing to shop around. I understand, the trick is remembering which ones you already have.

Scoobie has also gotten for just a few dollars a piece, a couple of bottles that reflect the retro travel souvenir style that was popular in the 50s and 60s. Like this fun Yosemite map bottle she uncovered.

Others, take on the shape of a real item... Like this stagecoach Kentucky bourbon bottle. Or an Arizona bottle shaped like a mesa I believe (if my memory serves me correctly, because I was there at the time of purchase) she bought for only $3 or so at the Pottery City Antique Mall in, Ohio...
(Correct me if I'm wrong, Scoobie!)

Also, Jim Beam came out with a brown-bottled wildlife series. I got her the chipmunk bottle at the Salvation Army on the South Side of Pittsburgh last year, but she found the other two herself.
As for value, on the whole, don't expect to make a mint off your decorative bottles, but there are collectors' societies who do specialize in certain types of decanters.

I enjoyed perusing the following decanter-related sites (click the links to learn more):

• The Jim Beam Club

Check out the bottle pictures here!:

• Jim Beam Pictorials Page

And don't forget:

• Collectors Net

Me, I have to go. I need to round-up some dinner. Can I get a "yeeeee-hawwwww"?" :)

Go West, Young Collector: Collecting Cowboy and Western-themed Bourbon Bottles

My good buddy, Scoobie, is a vista chick. She loves the idea of a bright orange Western mesa, a handsome cowboy, and a beautiful sunset.

The budding decor in her new home reflects this. So it stands on the precipice of Victoriana, arts and crafts, and merry Western kitsch. She is still finding her way. But one collection she has continued via the power of thrifting and antiquing is her Western-themed decanter collection...

Something fans of the unique, inexpensive and fun, will recognize as easy-to-find vintage collectibles at thrift stores, flea markets, antique malls, and yard sales!

Scoobie has kindly let me showcase her collection-to-date for you today-- for which I'd like to thank her. (She's very kind about letting me take photos of whatever she's up to for the ol' blog. Hugs to her!) I know The Thrift Shop Romantic does have some indulgent male readers, and this might just pique the interest. Think of the rugged pulp fiction of Louis L'Amour... And Zane Gray... And the artist Remington...

And bourbon! Oh, lots of bourbon! Like these fun, in-the-box bottles of Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon, flocked in blue velvet and flecked in gold...

They're covered in Remington prints and generally quite inexpensive in both antique malls and thrift stores, if you're willing to shop around. I understand, the trick is remembering which ones you already have.

Scoobie has also gotten for just a few dollars a piece, a couple of bottles that reflect the retro travel souvenir style that was popular in the 50s and 60s. Like this fun Yosemite map bottle she uncovered.

Others, take on the shape of a real item... Like this stagecoach Kentucky bourbon bottle. Or an Arizona bottle shaped like a mesa I believe (if my memory serves me correctly, because I was there at the time of purchase) she bought for only $3 or so at the Pottery City Antique Mall in, Ohio...
(Correct me if I'm wrong, Scoobie!)

Also, Jim Beam came out with a brown-bottled wildlife series. I got her the chipmunk bottle at the Salvation Army on the South Side of Pittsburgh last year, but she found the other two herself.
As for value, on the whole, don't expect to make a mint off your decorative bottles, but there are collectors' societies who do specialize in certain types of decanters.

I enjoyed perusing the following decanter-related sites (click the links to learn more):

• The Jim Beam Club

Check out the bottle pictures here!:

• Jim Beam Pictorials Page

And don't forget:

• Collectors Net

Me, I have to go. I need to round-up some dinner. Can I get a "yeeeee-hawwwww"?" :)

Big Eyes, Big Ears and "Beautiful Junk"

Window shopping in second-hand stores has joys all its own. While regular mall shopping might reveal the toddler having a pre-nap meltdown, seniors out for exercise, or teens tracking down the latest fashion, it’s at thrifts, antique malls and flea markets that stories, histories and memories really come out to play.

Even if you’re not in the market for anything in particular, a quiet afternoon stroll perusing the shelves of a thrift or the booths of a flea market can be free, whimsical entertainment. And it promises everything from humor and happiness to a certain amount of comfortably kitschy horror. All you have to do is open your eyes and your ears.
You might hear cheers, as someone reunites with the same dishes they remember Grandma serving on 20 years ago.

Or like this weekend, a woman on her cell spent time describing in patient detail a series of vintage copper Jell-O molds to a friend. “Are you still looking for some? They have a really nice aged look to them... And there’s a crab, a fish, and some grapes... Oh, wait! Here are three more small ones! Do you think you’d want them? I’ll buy them and bring them right over...”

You might spy that couple who stands before a booth, weighing every purchase together with the gravity of international peace negotiations... Where a single kitchen canister gets the same attention and deep consideration that buying a car or signing a nuclear arms treaty might.

Walk around one of these merchandise meccas of Memories, and you might even become inadvertently educated about the unexpected. For instance, I had no idea until recently there was actually a special tool-- small wooden tongs-- to be used specifically for removing toast from a toaster. Me, I had always left it up to chance, dexterity and the electric company.
Sometimes, you'll discover others like you, wandering the aisles in wide-eyed wonder. At the UFO in Greensburg not long ago, I passed a lady going the opposite direction down their overspilling dollar shelves. Vintage glass shone with possibility. The woman turned and smiled, knowing she'd passed a kindred treasure hunter. "Beautiful junk," she said to me. It was as if it were part of some unfinished thrifting Haiku.

And I had to agree, as I scanned the milk glass, the crystal, the aged bottles; it was. Somewhere, someday, someone would give it a home.

And of course, sometimes thrifting and other secondhand stores reveal the strange and unusual. In the last week, I've seen two plaster courting couple plaques that I will not-so-regretfully fail to decorate my French blue sitting room with... Their clumsy figures and awkward paint job would probably have made Boucher reconsider the cheeky shepherd genre.

Later, I did a double-take on a baby-doll with a lamp harp jutting out of her head. Many a tot may have found mental trauma in some of the toys that have made their way to secondhand stores.

And, then there's the virtually inexplicable. Is this a human? A beloved dog? Why is it wearing Carol Channing's hair?Perhaps it is Sir Elton John in his thin days without his big glasses. Here, I'll give you a closer view so you can truly immerse yourself in The Art.
Questions abound!

(And no, I didn't buy it. I have left it at the Ohio River Boulevard antique mall for others to spy out of the corner of their eyes, stop dead in the hallway, and drag friends over to see.

Which leaves me with today's questions: have you ever overheard something entertaining at a thrift store or other treasure hunting place?

And what, do you think, this last painting portrays exactly?

Inquiring minds want to know! :)