Flea Market Finds!

This weekend was not very pleasant weather-wise, and it rained so hard Saturday morning that all the sales in our area were canceled. I laid in bed and considered just giving into the weather which had me feeling terribly anyway, but I just couldn't stand the thought of missing a bargain!

So my husband and I decided to go ahead and drive up to the nicer indoor flea market which is about 50 minutes away. It turned out to be great. My little boy (who inherited the lucky-junker gene) scored some rare action figures that Santa couldn't even find for him this past Christmas.That's my boy!

  I spotted this fantastic Sellers enamelware table, and my husband got it for a great price. To keep or to sell...that is (always) the question....

I love the table, but my BIG score was this lot of precious retro babies! I also found a great basket to put them in (its even my favorite "now" color, robin's egg blue).

I paid $10 for all of them, and I had planned to sell them in the booth or on etsy. Then I thought about how my Mother's heart would absoutely break if I didn't at least show them to her first, especially if she would happen to see this post after they had sold. So I decided to offer them to her for just a bit more than what I paid to make up for the gas money. Actually, once I cleaned them up, I started to get more attached, and as I have worked on this post I am really starting to love them...

I had some fun photgraphing them too!

I took this one to make my little boy laugh, which he did...

One thing I love about being a flea market fiend is that it brings out the kid in me. I love playing with all my treasures. Whether I decide to keep them or sell them, I still get to play with them for a while. Do you fellow junkers ever wonder how other people don't junk???  How do they do anything else? Do you have friends who don't "get" it? Oh well, I guess I have always been passionate about collecting and junk (thanks to my Mommy).

Junking is such a fun way to spend a weekend. Its a wonderful family activity. You get treasures for cheap (some of them end up being worth a lot of money too!) You can beautify your home for next to nothing. You can help someone else beautify their home or surprise them with the perfect gift. I could go on and on. I AM a proud junkaholic!

I digress. I get excited. About dolls, and whatever else happens to be "the find" on a particular weekend. But this weekend for me, it was all about the dolls.

Just look at those faces! These dolls are from the late 50's-60's. They cleaned up wonderfully. My secret is the Magic Eraser. It takes off every little scuff and years of dirt. I always test it on an inconspicuous area first, and so far it has worked like a charm on these vinyl and plastic type dolls.  I used a dollar store generic Magic Eraser and it worked as well, so save some money and try the generic.

Okay who couldn't love these babies? I have gone through various doll phases in my life. I have always loved them, from Barbies to Victorian porcelain dolls. Then I went through a period where they creeped me out and I thought dolls were a bit tacky and I packed the best away or sold the ones of little sentiment.

Then, strangely enough, it was these old, somewhat creepy composition dolls that got me back on a doll kick. I found a box of them at a yard sale, along with some misc. parts and heads which added to the first impression of creepiness. At first I wanted to sell them, but then I thought they would be great for use in my Halloween decor.  As time passed, I grew to appreciate their beauty. They definitely have a place in a vintage, shabby chic decorating scheme. Just look at some of the beautiful examples on Pinterest and other shabby/vintage blogs.

(A special "Thank You" goes out to Debra at Common Ground for featuring my composition babies on Vintage Inspiration Friday #84!) http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/04/vintage-inspiration-84-garden.html

 Now after finding these "newer" retro babies, I am hooked on them too. Aren't they gorgeous? Nothing creepy about these cutie-pies. My Mom had better make up her mind soon or I am going to change mine!

A couple of the dolls are unmarked, and the other two are marked Horsman. This one is a Vogue Ginny baby. Amazing condition for being 50 years old!

 

More flea-market finds...

Silverplate pitcher, gonna sell this one I think, but I love it, so I don't know.

Oooo la la...what a lovely lady on this 1940's art deco style mirror. I purchased it from the same vendor who had the dolls. I took it straight to the booth on Saturday afternoon and started messing with a new display. She is currently for sale and I think she would look fabulous hanging in a formal wear shop, boutique, or salon.

"Oh darling, don't you want to take me home with you so you can love me forever?"

And yet more finds...

Check out this great scale! I found it at an estate sale a few weeks ago but I am just now getting the chance to show it off. Keepin' it!

 This weekend I also picked up the mug for .25 and the rhinestone necklace for .50  along with the little Kewpie-type doll for $1.00.

"I'm a keeper!"

Well I hope this post just goes to show that bad weather and illness can't keep a good junker down. I am already looking forward to next weekend. Who knows what treasures await?

 As for now, the babies and I will be waiting to see if my Mom is coming to adopt them or not... 

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Partying at:

http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/2012/04/knick-of-time-tuesday-32-vintage-style.html

http://verymerryvintagestyle.blogspot.com/

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/05/feathered-nest-friday.html

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/05/vintage-inspiration-86-serendipity.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20blogspot/bCGJMl%20(Common%20Ground)

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

White Love

I love all the linky parties in blogland, don't you? White Wednesdays are always good to get me motivated to blog, and then I can share the same post on all of the amazing weekend blog parties too. In this post I am just showing off some of the whites around the house that I am really loving right now. I emphasize some because my white addiction appreciation is growing daily as I am softening my decor through the use of more whites.

I featured this bird candle holder back in the fall. It used to hold a salvaged antique door knob (A picture is on the right side of my blog with a pumpkin on top).  I am loving it now under the glass dome topped by a bird nest. I used a sweet little white saucer for the base. The display makes a perfect spring and summer decoration on the mantel.

ironstone platters

Another new pitcher, larger than the one I blogged about at Easter

Salvaged top of an antique pressed back chair that I use for a decoration on the window sill

Up close of the salvage chair top. We painted the dark wood off-white and distressed it... love
the details!

Love the texture and colors of these antlers and the seat of my favorite chippy antique chair,
a $5.00 find in the basement of an antiques store

One of the most beautiful examples of antique lace I have ever seen! This old curtain has many holes and can't be used as a regular panel, but it displays wonderfully as a "curtain" on this salvaged window.

Getting ready for summer fun with vintage picnic tins, a little wooden adirondack chair, and
antique cameras that I imagine once captured many fun summer vacation memories.

chippy salvaged antique clawfeet

I have plans for upcycling these in the future...

I use my large antique birdcage in the fireplace. I filled with grapevine and lights. I found this parakeet at Hobby Lobby and I think its perfect!

Gorgeous Victorian hand stiched piece covering an old trunk

This sweet little Patsy-type doll is a favorite. She is just precious with all
her crazing and that darling expression. I have tried every way to display her on a doll stand but she wouldn't stand so I finally stuck her in this old ironstone pitcher and she seems to just pose there perfectly. I love the creamy white colors of the doll, pitcher, basket and eggs.

More to come next White Wednesday.
Have a great evening everyone!

Linking up with:
http://www.fadedcharm.blogspot.com
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/2012/04/home-sweet-home-64.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCharmOfHome+%28The+Charm+of+Home%29
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/04/vintage-inspiration-85-fleaing-france.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20blogspot/bCGJMl%20(Common%20Ground)
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/04/feathered-nest-friday_26.html
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/2012/04/whos-that-lady.html
http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/2012/04/knick-of-time-tuesday-32-vintage-style.html
http://verymerryvintagestyle.blogspot.com/

Craft Show Success With Garden Goodies and Upcycled Jewelry

It has been a chilly and rainy day outside, but overall today was a great day. My best friend Amanda and I set up a couple of display tables at a very small craft sale in our local mall. She and I both sold enough to make the sale worth our time and we just had a lot of fun spending the day together anyway. The photos in this post were taken on iphones and the lighting isn't great (beware of the shadows lurking in every picture...) but I think you will enjoy them nonetheless.

Amanda (Ruby's Pocket) concentrates on upcycling vintage jewelry, designing unique blingy accessories, and making boutique style soaps and lip balms which she sells  in her etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubyeellens. When she needs props and display pieces to show off her gorgeous work, I am happy to oblige.

Amanda and I are very "crafty"

Its so much fun combining our things together because they compliment so beautifully.

Divine!

A satisfied Ruby's Pocket customer modeling her vintage bling

I found out about the sale late and I didn't have much time to get things together this week, so I decided to simplify matters by focusing soley on a garden decor theme.

 I had been meaning to try out a homemade chalk paint recipe on some terra cotta pots after being inspired by so many of you talented bloggers, so the time crunch forced me into getting them painted. For those of you who are unfamiliar with chalk paint (not chalkboard paint, which I also used) or may have been wondering how to make your own,  I combined two tbs of unsanded grout added to a cup of paint for my recipe. I used the robin's egg blue color that I have become obsessed with as of late and also a creamy white. I like the quick drying time and "distressed" texture. My husband did add dark stain to the pots to seal them because I didn't have any dark wax.

 I am really pleased with how these pots turned out!

 The handles on these antique garden tools were blah so I chalk painted them as well, and now I want to keep them because you can never have too many garden tools, right? Well, its a valid excuse.

I didn't have my display finished when this picture was taken, but I wanted to show you how great these old footlockers turned out using the chalkpaint. Both trunks sold!

After the sale I moved the unsold items to the booth, and I had a really hard time not bringing most of the pots and things home to enjoy, but since I can barely recognize my home due to the mess of paints and projects strewn about, I refrained. I am only asking $3 and $4 for the pots so I think they won't last long anyway.

I love those salvaged rosettes painted up!

 All those garden goodies make me want to get planting! But first, the cleaning.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Linking up:
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/04/feathered-nest-friday_19.html

Antiques Booth Favorites

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a nice and blessed Easter.

I have a bit of free time this evening so I have decided to show you some of my favorite items that are currently for sale in our booth at the Catlettsburg Antique Mall in Catlettsburg, KY. It is getting packed in there but we love it all!

Come in and shop! I am willing to ship if you see something you'd just love to have.

 I am really pleased with our dining table display. The David bust draws a lot of attention to our booth because he is just so gorgeous. I found him at an estate sale and had intended to try to sell him quickly but once I got him in the booth I realized how amazing he was, so I bumped up my asking price a bit to keep him around a while longer. 

 My husband painted and distressed the round dining table you see here and we liked it so much that we have decided to paint our antique table at home in the same creamy white when we get a chance.

I am not sure anyone even notices that the table is for sale since I have almost completely covered it with ironstone dishes and silverplate items. I originally began purchasing the silverplate for the booth only but I have fallen in love with it and will definitely incorporate it into my own house after I get some of the spring items packed away and make some room.

Tarnished silverplate... love.

One of the best things about being an antiques dealer having an excuse to "collect" things for the booth. Since opening the booth I have started collecting more vintage clothing and jewelry items, Pyrex dishes, dolls, pearls, china plates and random things that I have always liked but may not be what I personally collect at home.  Nevertheless, while buying for the booth, I have begun to love all of those things even more, and now I want to collect them all at home as well. What can I say? I am a junkaholic collector at heart.

The tres chic bracelet on display as eye candy was handmade by Amanda Clark. She makes beautiful jewelry and uses some of my vintage jewelry finds in her work. Check out her beautiful things here:

http://www.esty/shop/rubyeellens

                                                                    fun retro Pyrex

pretty dishes

Creepy old composition dolls that I adore, I think they are

just beautiful. These types of dolls are not always easy to find.

I recently sold an antique wedding gown that was on display on this vintage dress form. I had planned on doing a post about the dress because it was so wonderful but it sold within a week and I didn't get a chance. Once the gown was removed I decided to leave the dress form undressed for a while to show off the awesome retro blue color and just use it to display accessories.

Here is one of the prettiest little dolls I have ever found. Believe me I am thinking about bringing her home if she hasn't sold by this weekend---she is precious! Look at her silky gown with lace details!

I also found this shabby little birdcage the same day at a different flea market and when I was trying to find a spot for the doll and the birdcage in the booth I got the idea to display them together.

I really NEED to keep these things more than I need to sell them, don't you think? That doll and birdcage would look perfect in our new super-shabby bedroom... *Sighs*

 It is hard for a true junkaholic collector to part with such things...but alas, they are for sale...

 Pictured just to the right of the birdcage is a small adolescent-sized mannequin that I decoupaged with old sheet music. I have various vintage accessories hanging on it. A beautiful antique Chinese robe hangs to the far right.  

Great details on this antique chair we made over using robin's egg blue paint, distressing heavily and  finishing with walnut stain.

 Genuine "robin's egg blue" robin's eggs! I took this picture on Easter Sunday. The nest was on my Mom's porch. How perfect is this??? No wonder the most beautiful homes are decorated with things inspired by nature.

Have a great spring weekend!

Linking up with:

http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

http://www.thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

http://frommyfrontporchtoyours.blogspot.com/