Junkaholics Unanimous: September 7, 2011 Oldies But Goodies

I had planned to continue working on my Fabulous Fall post, (if you haven't had a chance to read it yet just check in my blog archives), but it is so rainy and dreary here today that I can't do anything outside with my fall decorating. So I thought it would be a great time to get my page updated with pictures of some of my older treasures from yard sales, estate sales, flea markets, hand-me-downs and family heirlooms.
Some of these things I have had for many years and some of the others are from this past summer's treasure hunts. Either way, they are oldies, but goodies!

I've decided to start with my absolute favorite picture of all time. Here is my dear grandfather, John (nickname "Sonny") and his twin brother, Edwin (Ed) ("Buddy"). These little cuties used to win tap dancing contests and its not hard to see why--just imagine it! Aren't they darling? I loved both of these men dearly. My favorite memories with them include taking rides in their antique cars and listening to music from the Big Band era. They always had great stories of "the good old days" and I am so blessed to have had them in my life.

Buddy and Sonny Lyon, age 4

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Today I decided to create this little vintage fall display using their pictures:

An 1800's ironstone pitcher holds an autumn spray ($1 yard sale); A small collection of ironstone plates found at the flea market for .10 each supports a pumpkin candy dish; Vintage doily from the flea market .25; A picture of Pappaw and Uncle Buddy as young men is propped up on a 1920's croquet ball which belonged to their mother; A shabby tin picture purchased for $3 at the flea market provides a backdrop

How could I pass this up for $3?

Here is the rest of the set of croquet balls
that belonged to my
Great Grandmother,
Lula Mehl Lyon (pictured in the next vignette below)

Some favorite finds are displayed on a $2
sewing table. I replaced the draw pull to give
it a new look.

When people visit our home and see the things I have found they usually have the same response: "You're so lucky!" Well, I can't disagree. It seems like if I have something in mind for my house, I just have to go look for it. The night before I found this vintage typewriter, I had told my husband I wanted one "with the old round keys." Next day, I found it hiding on the bottom shelf at a consignment store that I frequent. I paid $20 for this 1912 Remington Model, one of the oldest for that company.

I have wondered if anyone used it to type letters to their sweetheart during World War I...

I tucked an envelope addressed to my Great,
Great Grandmother, ( Cora Sagraves Lyon "Mrs. H.J. Lyon")
behind the keys. It is postmarked 1922

I've been collecting old trunks for many years. This one was found in an antiques shop in Virginia for $20. The vintage suitcase is a yard sale find for $2; the key was clearance at a home decorating store ($1.75); the smaller trunk on top was a gift. Notice the old frame in the background? It was purchased at an auction for $2. I have a few of them that I have some ideas for use in projects in the future.

My husband and I both love the old suitcases and trunks. I think its because we enjoy traveling so much. When I decorate I tend to incorporate things that remind me of our trips, even if I didn't actually purchase the items there. We also decorate our house with items associated with the countries we plan to visit.

A little composite London "Beefeater" doll looks right at home
in this royal collection of hodgepodge, including a picture of my husband
and I outside of Windsor Castle in 2004. The design on the salvage
door handle and an antique book entitled,
"True Stories of the Olden Days" are evidence of my
fascination with Medieval times

Long before Eiffel Tower statues began showing up in every decorating magazine and department store, I was collecting items with French flair. I began to be interested in tres' chic things when I started listening to Claude Debussy in high school and admiring the art of the master painters. I like to imagine that I would have been a part of the art and music scene of Paris at the turn of the century. My sister and I hope to visit Paris to celebrate her graduation from art college in 2013.

I love vintage toys
so when I saw this little celluloid doll dated
from the 1920's I had to have her, even though most
old dolls are just plain creepy.
She had a couple of cracks so I was
able to snatch her up for $1 at an estate sale.

I found this Marx toy typewriter at the same estate sale for $5.

I also loved the mother and child picture ($1). It reminds me of how I held my boys

when they were tiny. The camera belonged to my grandfather.

A collection of children's books from the early 1900's ($3). The spectacles
(salvaged out of an old optometrist's office) are tied on top of a "Schoolday
Memories" autograph book.

The "Schoolday Memories"(1928-1929) autograph book was only .25 at a yard sale, but it is absolutely priceless as a piece of history and a perfect example of why I get up bright and early with a pocket full of quarters on summer Saturdays. Below are some of the little well-wishes and salutations written inside. You won't find this kind of writing on the seniors' facebook pages of today!

"I've got a little finger, I've got a little toe, when I get a little bigger, I will have a little beau"

"As sure as the vine grows around the rafter, you're the one that I am after. I'd rather be on some gray hill with my pale face turned to the sun, to think the way I've loved you and to think the way you've done"

"This memory of me, your old school friend, yours til the barn dances"

My husband is my partner in junk. He found these adorable hand-made
vintage wedding favors? cake toppers? at an estate sale and surprised me
with them. We talked about listing the happy couple on Etsy, but, nah...

22/5/28 "When you are married and living at your ease, remember I am single and doing as I please.

"When you are married and having twins, don't come to me for safety pins"

Ahhh, nostalgia. My friends have always said I was born in the wrong generation. I've got my love of vintage junk to prove it I guess! It doesn't seem to matter what generation either. My collections span from the late 1800's to present. I just surround myself with the things I love and I buy whatever speaks to me. And whatever is cheap. And by cheap I mean $20 is really pushing it unless its a furniture item or something I can resell for triple the value. Notice I said "can" resell. I usually hold on to things for a bit (did someone say hoarder?) before I send them on to their new home.

A collection of soda crates ($1-$5) found at different flea markets on different days were purchased to resell on Ebay and Etsy...

but are now "temporarily" being used as a makeshift cabinet in a corner of my kitchen. I can safely store plenty of seasonal decorations and junk inside each crate to justify keeping them for a while. After all, it would cost more money to buy one of those plastic storage totes to put everything in...

This summer I went a little crazy collecting vintage soda pop bottles. These are just a few of my favorites. I particularly love the "Bells of Kentucky" bottle. I bought two of them for $5 and kept one for myself. The other one I sold on ebay for $26. I used to have an extensive collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia but now I just mix my favorite Coke items in with everything else. It seems that I prefer the retro looks of the 1940's-1960's for my kitchen (mixed up with some shabby items and primitives). I am always looking for vintage bottles, kitchen gadgets, antique tins, dish towels, etc.

Large vintage feed sacks can be quite pricey,

so I was happy when I talked a dealer into

selling me this one for only $6.

Feed sack draped over an old chair (yard sale,

$4), with a prim duck (yard sale, $2) in a

reproduction wire egg basket (yard sale, $1)

I bought this vintage Griffith's spice rack for a quarter. The set wasn't complete and didn't have matching lids,
but I loved it nonetheless. The missing bottles from the top shelf gave me a place to display a few
of my favorite dime and quarter yard sale treasures. I was lucky enough to find a complete Griffith's set
in excellent condition at another flea market. I paid a bit more for it (similar sets worth up to $120.00) and you can
purchase it in my Etsy shop.

More vintage kitchen junk (including a prized Ovaltine can I found lying in an alley). My Pappaw used to drink Ovaltine all the time and he made me drink it a time or two. I am also a huge fan of the movie, "A Christmas Story" where Ralphie Parker's Little Orphan Annie secret decoder pen decodes the "top secret" message: "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine!"

Whoever came up with the "Milk it does a body good" slogan obviously

wasn't as talented as the person in charge of the advertising on this vintage milk bottle...I think "Protect The Kiddies" is much better...whatever that's supposed to mean!

I've had this old composite doll since I was a little girl. I believe my mother found
her at a yard sale (I inherited the junky gene). She is unmarked
but she always reminded
me of the Campbell's kids dolls, so I decided
she was "food related" and put her up on top of my Kitchen cabinets.