Monday, September 13, 2010

Flea Market Treasures


Ok.  I know that you have all been breathlessly waiting for me to share some of the treasures I crammed into my little SUV the day that Debbie (from House at the Lake) went gallavanting around the local "once-a-month-during-the-summer" flea market a couple Sundays ago. She's been a good blogger and has been sharing her goodies with you.  I, on the other hand, have been a bad blogger, and have not
.....yet.

Today is your day!
So, sit back, grab that cappuccino - and be prepared for some eye candy, girls!

How about a trio of vintage mixing bowls for only $25?


I love their warm, white chunkiness and worn interiors.
Debbie said, "Put them on your bottom shelf.  It looks too empty." 
She was right.  I adore them there!


A great old time milk carrier for $12. Instead of paying the high price at one dealer's booth where he was asking $20-50 per bottle, we scrounged different booths for each bottle.

Did you know that they price the bottles according to the colors of the insignias, whether the letters are raised or not, and whether the bottles are square or round? I love learning new facts about the things I collect!

Naturally, my little carrier wouldn't take the cheaper round bottles. But after hitting a handful of booths, I paid no more than $4-10 for each one.
Oh, the thrill of the hunt....!


This birdcage was actually my first purchase of the day.  It was a dirty, black rusty color when I brought it home.  I didn't have any white spray paint on hand, so I grabbed some paint with real zinc in it that I had in the basement. Krylon makes a 'cold compund' spray paint "for the repair of metal" and it has 93% zinc in it.  It gave the birdcage a real neat look. 


But it didn't stay that way for long.  I really wanted it white.  
A coat of Heirloom White later....


Ah, yes.  That's more like it!

I had been looking for an old soap holder for my tub.  
And $15 later, I was a happy huntress!


It's perfectly imperfectly rusty, and I adore the way it looks on my tub with the lavender handmade soap bars.
(My neighbor, Heide, who really doesn't get in to my "vintage" world, sweetly said with her neat German accent, "Are you going to keep it all old and rusty looking, girl?") 

Yup.


My Hanson scale (which I actually found on eBay for $7), found a home in the wire garden basket that I brought home from the flea market last month.  It rests next to some vintage linens.


And this birdcage?  This birdcage I got for FREE.  Yup.  Free.
I bought something else from the dealer and she threw this in for nothing. 
I wanted to hug her.
But seeing it was 95 degrees with 95% humidity and we were all hot and sweaty and dying for a shower,
I didn't. 
She was probably happy about that.


Wanna see what my big purchase was of the day....?  
The treasure that I bought with the free birdcage?

Hmmmm......I think I'll wait til the next White Wednesday to show you.
Bwahahahaha!

{ Hugs! }

~ laurie




Wednesday, September 8, 2010

~ Sweet French Towels ~


Good morning, lovelies!

I received a package the other day.

It was from a new friend of mine.

Her beautiful blog is called Faded Plains and she owns a wonderful shop on Etsy.
I find it easy to spend a lot of time there.  (*wink)

Her name is Andrea,
She is kind and thoughtful and she does beautiful work.


Inside the wrapping were some oh so sweet surprises.


A beautiful thank you note.
A sweet smelling sachet.
An imprinted pencil.
A page rolled and tied from a paperback book titled "The Hawk and the Dove",
(which I had actually read while in high school).


This is what she made for me.


Two beautiful white muslin kitchen towels stamped with pretty French words.


I was sure that certain avenue is someplace romantic and special.
In fact, I did a wee bit of research on it.

It's a prestigious, world famous avenue in Paris, France where you will find cinemas, cafes, luxury specialty shops, and is lined with clipped horse chestnut trees.


It is known in France as "La plus belle avenue dumond" which means "the most beautiful avenue in the world". 


It stretches all the way to the Arc de Triomphe, a historic landmark.



Oh, yes.
I can imagine my pretty French towels being sold in one of these little specialty shop along this incredible avenue.
Can't you?

Thank you, Andrea, for giving me a little bit of Paris in my French-wanna-be kitchen - and for sending it wrapped with warm friendship!

{ Hugs! }

~ laurie

(Psssst!  Meet me over at Faded Charm for White Wednesday!)