the best laid plans
I didn’t mean to go to the yard sale. I swear I didn’t. The whole family was tuckered after a nonstop napless Saturday (music class, picnic, birthday party, dinner at friends’), so I had no bigger ambitions for Sunday than sleeping in and making blueberry pancakes. I told myself I didn’t need to spend any money, anyway.
But then. My mother called. She was at the sale, and she had a blister on her foot, could I pick her up and give her a lift back to her house? Oh, and while I was there, I might want to check out this lady’s stuff, because she thought I would like it.
And isn't mother always right? Turns out this woman who lives a few blocks from me once had a vintage shop in the Strip and now was liquidating all her inventory at her yard sale. If her stuff was this good at 4:00, I can only imagine what the pickings were like in the morning. I walked out with this:
Which my mother says is exactly the same as the one her parents got her when she was a teenager. I got it to replace a little table I don’t like between our two living room chairs. But it’s a lot taller in my living room than it was at the yard sale. Maybe I should live with the table a little longer and find another place for the old phonograph. What do you think?
Oh, and did I mention it works? Not that we have any records anymore.
I also picked up this very tall lamp
for the playroom
and this Plantation Jinglebits tin
from the Plantation Chocolate Co., Phila., PA, which I've decided has the world's coolest tins, based on my scientific sample of these two. The top one I got about ten years ago. It contained "Plantation Dainties" (well, not anymore when I bought it). Love the names too. I may just have to become a Plantation candy tin collector.
I also got this little shelf
and I put an octopus on it, one of several I have around (including the octopus skirt I stenciled last summer), because it is my favorite invertebrate and when I read this article* about the Renegade craft fair in Brooklyn, I was dismayed to see the cephalopod forecast as the up-and-coming "it" animal. Don't you feel robbed when you've had a passion for something for years, and suddenly it becomes all fashionable and your true love is indistinguishable from everyone else's trendiness? Or maybe that's just me.
* I was excited to see Sue of Giant Dwarf there in the lead picture. She was a Pittsburgh girl till recently. I heart my recycled sweater hat from her.
But then. My mother called. She was at the sale, and she had a blister on her foot, could I pick her up and give her a lift back to her house? Oh, and while I was there, I might want to check out this lady’s stuff, because she thought I would like it.
And isn't mother always right? Turns out this woman who lives a few blocks from me once had a vintage shop in the Strip and now was liquidating all her inventory at her yard sale. If her stuff was this good at 4:00, I can only imagine what the pickings were like in the morning. I walked out with this:
Which my mother says is exactly the same as the one her parents got her when she was a teenager. I got it to replace a little table I don’t like between our two living room chairs. But it’s a lot taller in my living room than it was at the yard sale. Maybe I should live with the table a little longer and find another place for the old phonograph. What do you think?
Oh, and did I mention it works? Not that we have any records anymore.
I also picked up this very tall lamp
for the playroom
and this Plantation Jinglebits tin
from the Plantation Chocolate Co., Phila., PA, which I've decided has the world's coolest tins, based on my scientific sample of these two. The top one I got about ten years ago. It contained "Plantation Dainties" (well, not anymore when I bought it). Love the names too. I may just have to become a Plantation candy tin collector.
I also got this little shelf
and I put an octopus on it, one of several I have around (including the octopus skirt I stenciled last summer), because it is my favorite invertebrate and when I read this article* about the Renegade craft fair in Brooklyn, I was dismayed to see the cephalopod forecast as the up-and-coming "it" animal. Don't you feel robbed when you've had a passion for something for years, and suddenly it becomes all fashionable and your true love is indistinguishable from everyone else's trendiness? Or maybe that's just me.
* I was excited to see Sue of Giant Dwarf there in the lead picture. She was a Pittsburgh girl till recently. I heart my recycled sweater hat from her.
posted by angelique at 11:43 AM
8 Comments:
lucky girl- good finds indeed.
glad you could "help" your mom!
*wish my mom would stake out good yard sales like that!
Amazing finds, all of them! I have definitely had that feeling of having the thrill of finding great stuff mixed with a yearning to have been there earlier...
You should definitely pick up some records (cheap ones, because I bet the needle isn't in tip-top shape!) for the phono. What a beauty! It deserves to be played.
awesome finds! especially love the candy tins - both the graphics and the names. so great!
it looks like that was a great yard sale! i love your buys, especially the shelf.
Yeah, I saw that NYT article, too. Don't worry, we'll all know that you *really* love the octopi. :) I saw one while snorkeling once -- they are pretty cool swimmers.
i found you from ikea hack ... i inherited a bunch of vinyl. wanna trade sumpin?!
I count myself lucky to live in an area where things I love are still sitting at a sale around closing time so people want to give stuff away. I found a turntabe similar to yours for $6.00 + the woman thought she would never get rid of it.
I was so glad to see that the post that follows this one said your blogging would be a little slow and sporadic, as my commenting is a little slow itself. I had this post bookmarked for days and finally had to comment on what amazing finds you came home with. A yard sale of a former vintage shop owner is my dream come true. Awesome picks.
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