Treasure Box Thursday: Victorian Cards, Cut-outs and Cuties

Over the weekend I'd done a little shopping in Pittsburgh's Strip District (don't worry-- no stripping involved!-- it's a warehouse district where you can buy all sorts of interesting fresh foods). And this is also the location of Mahla Antiques. That's where I picked up a few examples of paper history-- some Victorian fringed greeting cards and some brilliantly-colored paper items once in a Victorian scrapbook.

One of the cards is as pretty on one side as it is the other...
And it's hard to believe after all these years the fringe is still bright and intact!...
This is the second of the cards I'd gotten. I thought it was particularly interesting because, even though it's a Christmas card, too, it doesn't have the look of what we think as "Christmas" today...
We tend not to use bouquets of flowers to represent the season these days unless they're, perhaps, red roses or holly.

Last is the bag of cutout goodies. I particularly wanted it for the cherub and the dove... They may get displayed at Christmas somehow with the cards...
And that pretty much seals up this week's Treasure Box. I'm sorry I'm late with it this week. I actually forgot what day it was yesterday and went off to work without posting!

Bad blogger! BAAAAD blogger. :)

Hope to see you again on Sunday for the next post. That is, if I remember when it's Sunday. :)

Treasure Box Thursday: Victorian Cards, Cut-outs and Cuties

Over the weekend I'd done a little shopping in Pittsburgh's Strip District (don't worry-- no stripping involved!-- it's a warehouse district where you can buy all sorts of interesting fresh foods). And this is also the location of Mahla Antiques. That's where I picked up a few examples of paper history-- some Victorian fringed greeting cards and some brilliantly-colored paper items once in a Victorian scrapbook.

One of the cards is as pretty on one side as it is the other...
And it's hard to believe after all these years the fringe is still bright and intact!...
This is the second of the cards I'd gotten. I thought it was particularly interesting because, even though it's a Christmas card, too, it doesn't have the look of what we think as "Christmas" today...
We tend not to use bouquets of flowers to represent the season these days unless they're, perhaps, red roses or holly.

Last is the bag of cutout goodies. I particularly wanted it for the cherub and the dove... They may get displayed at Christmas somehow with the cards...
And that pretty much seals up this week's Treasure Box. I'm sorry I'm late with it this week. I actually forgot what day it was yesterday and went off to work without posting!

Bad blogger! BAAAAD blogger. :)

Hope to see you again on Sunday for the next post. That is, if I remember when it's Sunday. :)

Christmas Comes to Scoobie's Ranch

Regular readers may remember my friend Scoobie, who had been renting from me, and recently bought a house of her own. And today, thanks to her kindness (and also the fact I had my camera with me and she couldn't stop me), I'm able to bring to you some photos of her new home in all its Christmassy glory.

Years ago, when she'd spoken about her home of the future, she'd jokingly envisioned it looking like "Old West Bordello Chic"-- a balance of lavish Victoriana, the Western rustic and a modicum of hunky cowboys. And now that she's got a place of her own, she's been enacting on that vision (well, the cowboys may be a tallish order in her neighborhood). You can see the beginnings of the look here in her entryway, with this gorgeous red Eastlake parlor furniture...
Velvety and rich, she was very lucky to pick up this matching set with already redone upholstery!

Here she gets jiggy with some pine bough garland and red ribbons. If ever a staircase was made for garland, it was this one...
Here you can see her marvelous stained glass window. I believe she said the house dates from around 1900...
Oh, this red fringed lamp was one I'd put together for her as a birthday present one year. It was the first lamp I ever refinished!...
Now, Scoobie had rented the blue room in my house. Amusingly enough, new new house came with a bedroom already blue to taste!...
And dig this gorgeous fireplace!...
She'd had a little blue bedecked tree she used before she'd moved, and it looks perfectly at home here in her new abode...
She's been having fun playing around with tablescapes, like on this dresser top...
Down in her livingroom, a very large painting courtesy of the Goodwill hangs, looking like proud expensive art...
The cowboy statuary on either side there came recently from Big Lots. They may not be Remingtons, but they look good and were incredibly affordable.

She indicates she's still working out the way she'll want to do the tree. It's a big one-- I'd say seven feet tall and burly! But as she understands better what color schemes she wants to use, she figures that should work itself out.
As it stands, she wants to remove the wallpaper from this room (it's a bit twee, really) and possibly paint the walls a warm copper or muted coral. She's going to change the curtains to some brown velvet.

And here we have this year's birthday gift-- I'd gotten this fellow at the L&L Fleatique...
He's a wonderful copper-bronze shade on a wooden base. As soon as I'd spied him, I knew he needed to gallop on over to her house!

And me, well, I need to gallop offline myself. I hope you all have a terrific week ahead of you. And perhaps I'll see you Wednesday for the last Treasure Box post before the Christmas holiday.

Take care and yeeeeeehaw!

Christmas Comes to Scoobie's Ranch

Regular readers may remember my friend Scoobie, who had been renting from me, and recently bought a house of her own. And today, thanks to her kindness (and also the fact I had my camera with me and she couldn't stop me), I'm able to bring to you some photos of her new home in all its Christmassy glory.

Years ago, when she'd spoken about her home of the future, she'd jokingly envisioned it looking like "Old West Bordello Chic"-- a balance of lavish Victoriana, the Western rustic and a modicum of hunky cowboys. And now that she's got a place of her own, she's been enacting on that vision (well, the cowboys may be a tallish order in her neighborhood). You can see the beginnings of the look here in her entryway, with this gorgeous red Eastlake parlor furniture...
Velvety and rich, she was very lucky to pick up this matching set with already redone upholstery!

Here she gets jiggy with some pine bough garland and red ribbons. If ever a staircase was made for garland, it was this one...
Here you can see her marvelous stained glass window. I believe she said the house dates from around 1900...
Oh, this red fringed lamp was one I'd put together for her as a birthday present one year. It was the first lamp I ever refinished!...
Now, Scoobie had rented the blue room in my house. Amusingly enough, new new house came with a bedroom already blue to taste!...
And dig this gorgeous fireplace!...
She'd had a little blue bedecked tree she used before she'd moved, and it looks perfectly at home here in her new abode...
She's been having fun playing around with tablescapes, like on this dresser top...
Down in her livingroom, a very large painting courtesy of the Goodwill hangs, looking like proud expensive art...
The cowboy statuary on either side there came recently from Big Lots. They may not be Remingtons, but they look good and were incredibly affordable.

She indicates she's still working out the way she'll want to do the tree. It's a big one-- I'd say seven feet tall and burly! But as she understands better what color schemes she wants to use, she figures that should work itself out.
As it stands, she wants to remove the wallpaper from this room (it's a bit twee, really) and possibly paint the walls a warm copper or muted coral. She's going to change the curtains to some brown velvet.

And here we have this year's birthday gift-- I'd gotten this fellow at the L&L Fleatique...
He's a wonderful copper-bronze shade on a wooden base. As soon as I'd spied him, I knew he needed to gallop on over to her house!

And me, well, I need to gallop offline myself. I hope you all have a terrific week ahead of you. And perhaps I'll see you Wednesday for the last Treasure Box post before the Christmas holiday.

Take care and yeeeeeehaw!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Half Off, Fully Fun

Oh, it was a great day to be a cheapskate antique-lover this weekend, my friends! I don't know if it's the economy... the close of the summer season... or just a big ol' coincidence... but it seems everywhere I looked along my favorite Route 30 haunts, there was a sale!

Sure, antique-fiends know that a nice 10-20% off is likely to happen, sometimes just for the asking. But this weekend marked 25%, 30% and even 50% off whole booths at antique malls.

I need a vintage hankie just to be dainty about all the drool! :)

It was a weekend of big finds, too. So I think this Treasure Box Wednesday might expand into next week, just to accommodate it all.

We'll start with these delicate Victorian chocolate cups I found at the Goodwill Thrift Store in Greensburg...


They were undoubtedly part of a chocolate set with a pot at one time, but two pretty cups remain. The nice thing about this kind of transferware is that is looks good with other non-matching pieces of the type. So I already have a few pieces they should work with.

At the L&L Fleatique in Adamsburg/Jeannette, I got this pair of McCoy bird vases, and at 30% off!...


Perfect along a table or on either side of a mantle!

And yep, I don't want to forget this next item. This was from the Greensburg Goodwill, too. A very kitschy 1940s Asian figural lamp in terrific condition...


I'd seen these in high-end antique stores which have a lot of mid-century modern furnishings... But I'd never expected to see one at the Goodwill. Anyway, it's made of plaster, and handpainted. And it came with the original shade you see there.

My regular readers know that I am powerless against the grip of a good vintage thrifted lamp.

And do you want to know how much it cost? Do ya? G'wan, ask me!...


Okay, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. But hold on to your Kimonos... It was $6!

I know it's a really strange piece, and not everyone's taste. But a great example of 40s kitsch. As you can see, right now it's on my bedside table, cheering me immensely with the warm glow that reflects through its angled lampshade...

Also that $6 price tag. :)

In one of the other best deals of the day was this ornate basket-weave Carnival glass bowl, at 50% off...


It's not marked, but judging from the pattern, my collector's book seems to lean toward it being either made by Northwood or Fenton. They both did basketweave patterns, though I couldn't find a bowl precisely like this.

And just for a bit of variety, my thrifting bud Scoobie let me take photos of a few of her items. She's got quite a lot of blue enamel kitchenware already, and based on this weekend's adventuring, I'd say her set's about complete...


There's a roasting pan, a couple of bowls, and even a pasta strainer! These were all thrifted at different places.

And last, we have another half-off beauty-- her etched-mirror cowboy shelf. Scoobie's favorite dude at her imaginary Home on the Range will be able to hang his hat, lassooo and, er, other cowboy accoutrements there. (You can tell I'm not the Western officiando... better ask Scoobie for that sort of thing!)


Anyway, she's got the pots for the vittles and some purty decor, too! Yeeeeee-haw!

But, friends, this wasn't all we found-- can you believe it? So next week, I'll include those items in a very special Part Two Treasure Box Wednesday.

It's good to pace ourselves. Being this excited about cool, old weird stuff can get kinda exhausting; it's important to take breaks. Breathe deep. Stretch.

• Oh, and if you need a laugh and missed Sunday's humor post on some totally far-out 60s knitwear, click here.

And if not? Maybe I'll see you Sunday!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Half Off, Fully Fun

Oh, it was a great day to be a cheapskate antique-lover this weekend, my friends! I don't know if it's the economy... the close of the summer season... or just a big ol' coincidence... but it seems everywhere I looked along my favorite Route 30 haunts, there was a sale!

Sure, antique-fiends know that a nice 10-20% off is likely to happen, sometimes just for the asking. But this weekend marked 25%, 30% and even 50% off whole booths at antique malls.

I need a vintage hankie just to be dainty about all the drool! :)

It was a weekend of big finds, too. So I think this Treasure Box Wednesday might expand into next week, just to accommodate it all.

We'll start with these delicate Victorian chocolate cups I found at the Goodwill Thrift Store in Greensburg...


They were undoubtedly part of a chocolate set with a pot at one time, but two pretty cups remain. The nice thing about this kind of transferware is that is looks good with other non-matching pieces of the type. So I already have a few pieces they should work with.

At the L&L Fleatique in Adamsburg/Jeannette, I got this pair of McCoy bird vases, and at 30% off!...


Perfect along a table or on either side of a mantle!

And yep, I don't want to forget this next item. This was from the Greensburg Goodwill, too. A very kitschy 1940s Asian figural lamp in terrific condition...


I'd seen these in high-end antique stores which have a lot of mid-century modern furnishings... But I'd never expected to see one at the Goodwill. Anyway, it's made of plaster, and handpainted. And it came with the original shade you see there.

My regular readers know that I am powerless against the grip of a good vintage thrifted lamp.

And do you want to know how much it cost? Do ya? G'wan, ask me!...


Okay, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. But hold on to your Kimonos... It was $6!

I know it's a really strange piece, and not everyone's taste. But a great example of 40s kitsch. As you can see, right now it's on my bedside table, cheering me immensely with the warm glow that reflects through its angled lampshade...

Also that $6 price tag. :)

In one of the other best deals of the day was this ornate basket-weave Carnival glass bowl, at 50% off...


It's not marked, but judging from the pattern, my collector's book seems to lean toward it being either made by Northwood or Fenton. They both did basketweave patterns, though I couldn't find a bowl precisely like this.

And just for a bit of variety, my thrifting bud Scoobie let me take photos of a few of her items. She's got quite a lot of blue enamel kitchenware already, and based on this weekend's adventuring, I'd say her set's about complete...


There's a roasting pan, a couple of bowls, and even a pasta strainer! These were all thrifted at different places.

And last, we have another half-off beauty-- her etched-mirror cowboy shelf. Scoobie's favorite dude at her imaginary Home on the Range will be able to hang his hat, lassooo and, er, other cowboy accoutrements there. (You can tell I'm not the Western officiando... better ask Scoobie for that sort of thing!)


Anyway, she's got the pots for the vittles and some purty decor, too! Yeeeeee-haw!

But, friends, this wasn't all we found-- can you believe it? So next week, I'll include those items in a very special Part Two Treasure Box Wednesday.

It's good to pace ourselves. Being this excited about cool, old weird stuff can get kinda exhausting; it's important to take breaks. Breathe deep. Stretch.

• Oh, and if you need a laugh and missed Sunday's humor post on some totally far-out 60s knitwear, click here.

And if not? Maybe I'll see you Sunday!