Magpie Ethel

Road Trip Time

Monday will find the kids and I headed to Southern California to check out a couple of colleges for my son Ben (a senior this year).  In addition to college tours we are going to have some play time.  I am thinking Santa Monica Pier, Newport Beach, maybe Six Flags Magic Mountain (we have done Disneyland twice).  And as luck would have it the ROSE BOWL FLEA MARKET that happens once a month falls on the Sunday we will be down there!!! If ANYONE has a suggestion of must see shops, restaurants, beaches or whatever...please let me know. We are driving down from Portland, Oregon so if there is anything along the way let me know too...Thanks a ton...posts will be few and far between while we are gone!  Vacation time...just need to pack!

My Favorite Fourth of July Find

My favorite fourth of July find is this photo.

A friend of mine rescued it from a dumpster at an estate sale a few years ago.  I love this patriotic teen.  What makes this photo so awesome is what she also pulled out of the dumpster with it.

The original hat and the jacket complete with tails!  This outfit was created for a musical and is from the 1950s.  It was found at the estate sale of a local music teacher...and somehow ended up in the dumpster.  As you can see from my photo, my head (and my hair) is much bigger than the young man's in the original photo.  He also had a better beard than me.  The pants I'm wearing are from another estate sale - they have a matching blazer as well (and no I don't wear them...they are when I need that costumey outfit!)

Happy Fourth to all and be safe!

Fourth of July Inspiration

There aren't too many holidays that I don't decorate for.  Today I thought I would share a few finds and creations that bring out that patriotic pride.  Alot of things I have re-purposed to fit in with vintage holiday decorating...

Remember these outdoor torches that I found at an esate sale awhile ago..

They fit the red and white theme, and I knew I could use them somehow for the fourth.  I didn't want to put oil in and burn them  - I just wanted them for display.

I stuck a few flags in the hole at the top and they are a perfect spot of patriotic color in my yard.

A couple of vintage patriotic books, two old red and white striped containers filled with fresh roses and a couple of small flags decorate the top of this cabinet.  Even something as simple as some red and white vintage trim makes it into a little vignette.

 

This guy is not vintage...but has that vintage look.  I put him on a old black stand with drilled holes and inserted a couple of flags.

A couple of beaded safety pin baskets in red, white and blue...I need to hunt down some more!

I love collecting little vintage handcrafted treasures.  Crystal and I did a trade this year and this little darling spun cotton pair arrived in the mail.  I love their little bells. (she has an esty shop to boot).

I got this little patriotic gal a couple of years from Laurie Duncan.

Here is a another example of re-purposing a found item. I got this odd  horn (18 inches tall) at an estate sale a few years ago...it has the original blue paint.  I gussied it up and added some holiday fun with vintage items.

This is my favorite photo for the fourth.  It is my dad and his twin brother about 65 years ago on the beach.  I can't believe I found it in the family photo stash.

This little old can lid is the back side of "Hooray for the Red, White and Blue" tag  A great way to re-purpose something!

Old songbook and one of my Uncle Sam creations.

This little scene sits on my coffee table in the living room. (had a heck of a time trying to take a picture, so moved him outside).  Notice the old tin American fife, the vintage patriotic garland and the little man who lives in a cloche...all perched on a cardboard drum.

I found him in a jar of junk and added the little silk flag and the jar top base.  His stand is a couple of old red blocks.

Even something as simple as a couple of tiny ribbons on a pair of topiaries on my front porch as some fun.

Did you know they even make patriotic conversation hearts?

I hope I have inspired some creative fun...once again think OUTSIDE the traditional and reinvent something unusual.  I have one more fun item to share...but that will wait for my next post.

Aunt Lilly's Box

I live in a neighborhood that has an annual garage sale that is supposedly billed as the "Biggest in the Pacific Northwest".  It is always the weekend after Father's Day and this was the 24th year.  140 houses usually participate and it is astronomical the traffic that comes thru eager to find treasures.  It is HARD for me to have a garage sale, since I would rather be out shopping....but I really had to clear out my garage. So I sat in my driveway selling estate sale finds and making some more money to spend at estate sales (never ending cycle).  I did pretty well and luckily I ran over to my neighbor's prior to the sale starting...just as she was unloading a box from AUNTIE LILLY who had recently passed away.  Is my timing good or what?

These two wedding toppers caught my eye on the top of the box of crumpled newspaper.  Perfect to add to my collection!  I dug deeper into the box of newspaper and found these:

An old Winston Churchill toby mug (perfect condition) and a doll cabinet (or it could be a spice shelf...but I really think it is a doll cabinet).  The mug is marked Royal Daulton Winston Churchill on the bottom.  It isn't my style and I only paid $1.  I am hoping it is the incentive I need to finally sell some things on Ebay.  Finally!

And then buried deeper in the newspaper I found these two things as well.

I don't know my glassware too well, but I think this is called ripple glass.  I paid $3 for the vase and $2 for the bowl.

Am thankful I ran into Aunt Lilly's box at my neighbors prior to the sale.  It put a little bounce in my step during my own sale as I knew I had already scored a couple treasures of my own. And for those curious souls who wonder how much I spent...my Aunt Lilly finds set me back $11.50! Oh happy day and thank you Aunt Lilly!

Tis the Season on Estate Sale Friday

Sometimes when I hit estate sales, no matter how many I hit, it seems like I will find alot of some genre of item....today is was Christmas.  It was  short and sweet on the sales today, as there wasn't alot out there.

Lots of tiny Christmas ornaments, angels with spun heads, an unopened package  of spun heads (SCORE!), jingle bells and some old party loot bags.  Fun stuff, but nothing amazing, until I opened this bag...

I didn't look too closely at this bag when I picked it up - I saw old Christmas stickers and tiny ornaments and at a buck, I figured I'd take a chance.

Plus this little popcorn gal on the old bag was so sweet..."as you eat my popcorn treat, twist my pony tail to keep me fresh."

All this was in that little bag.  Lots of tiny ornaments, tons of vintage Christmas stickers (which I collect and have a huge drawer FULL of them), old elves, ribbon and some great resin flowers. As I sorted thru the Christmas stickers, I came across these two - which I have never seen before.

The indian sticker reads "Do not attack till Xmas" and the Santa sporting a RIFLE says "No hunting till Christmas".  Those two really are a sign of the past!  I have alot of the theme that says "Do not open until the 25th" But these two were a great surprise!

The indian and the rifle toting Santa will join these above that I already have.

Not a bad find in an old bag of stuff.