Playing Catch Up, Recent Finds

Hi Dear Friends. :) It's Me. I'm alive. I hope you've all been well!

OK we'll just skip to the stuff.  I was able to cross off the picnic basket tin on my "WANT" list. It was marked "as is" at an antique store. But of course I don't mind that it's not perfect. The snowflake piece of Pyrex was at the Goodwill for $3.99 so even though I swear I'm not collecting Pyrex anymore (lol) I just couldn't leave it there. And a cute aqua strainer that I've been using a lot, only .99 at GW.

This old candy tin has been at one of my favorite antique stores for a long time. So I finally gave in and bought it, thinking it would take center stage in my Easter display this year. But I didn't get to decorate because I wasn't feeling well. Next year!

One day there was a huge stack of vintage Easter cut outs at the little thrift store. They were marked just .50 each, so I bought them all and I have duplicates of some of them. They'll go in a Market Monday someday soon. Bummer I couldn't do it before Easter.

Aren't they sweet?

Love this bunny couple!

That same day there was a stack of these cute trays! I know I already have one packed away, so I grabbed these for Market Monday too.

I had to grab this unopened box of PAAS egg dye from 1985. This is exactly the kind we used when I was little and those characters on the box bring back memories! And I can never ever pass up a vintage copy of "The Golden Egg Book". I sent this one to a sweet friend.

That rabbit candy tin reminded me of something that I found awhile ago but didn't show you. This wallet was at the thrift store and I think I paid $2 for it.  I love the lantern she's holding, and the white rabbit at the bottom! Such a funky piece.

If you look up Dumpling Dynasty, you'll see cute things! They make adorable pillows with deer and other creatures too!

I found a vintage "Farm Lotto" game with such sweet little cards.

Now and then I get lucky and find vintage x-mas at Goodwill. These Holt Howard candle holders for $1.99 each plus the tin and a bag full of sugar bells and foil leaves were a great surprise!

This is the second time I've found bags of x-mas stuff like this at GW. The last time it was old bottle brush trees with mercury glass beads. Both times the things still had dealer tags attached to them. So I guess antique dealers sometimes donate their leftovers when they quit selling.

So that's that! I hope you guys have been finding some fun things too. Or maybe you've been having fun gardening??? I'm really excited to start buying flowers and to get the yard looking pretty!

Oh! I did go to one estate sale a couple weeks ago. I'll be back soon with pics of what I found.

Talk to you soon-

Erica :)

I Have To Cancel! Also, Coffee and Kitchen Stuff!

Hi Guys. I have to let you know that I can't post my Market Monday post. I had it all ready to go and now it's gone! I'm so annoyed with Blogger right now. I know that I didn't delete the post, so I don't know what the heck is going on. I keep "refreshing" the page to see if it reappears. No luck. I might have to re-do everything. Uuuggh! So I'm sorry, THERE WON'T BE A MARKET TONIGHT. :(

Oh well. I've found some more vintage Easter things over the last few days. 

So I'll try to add them in for next time. Hopefully I can have the sale next Monday.

This retro style clock is in our kitchen. I found it at a little gift shop and it was only like $15.00. I looked them up online because I thought some of you might want to find one, since the real vintage ones can be hard to find and expensive. Here's the link to one in MINT GREEN. Mine is more like a robins egg blue.

This picture is how I've got the space above our sink decorated right now. Kind of fun for Spring. 

This big cardboard advertisement was probably used in a grocery store long ago. My Mom and I saw it in an antique store and just knew that I had to have it! I have a "thing" about my half'n half. I'm very picky about how fresh it has to be before I will pour it into my cup of coffee! Anyway, the sign was too expensive so I didn't buy it and then I got a wonderful surprise on Christmas Day! My Aunt Judy went and bought it for me! So sweet of her! :)

 LOL I know this is bad but every time I look at it I think that the kids are thinking "Goodbye Mom, Thanks for the cereal covered with half n' half"! And the Dad is thinking "We are soooo getting it on tonight"! LOL

\

 Here's one of the many methods of making coffee in our kitchen. We are all about coffee!

We need to order more espresso pods for this machine but it's great for making lattes at home.

 But this little "Bialetti" is great for making espresso too! It goes right on top of the stove and best of all  they're quite inexpensive.

In one cabinet we have assorted colors of Fiestaware mugs. But in the other one we keep our fun mugs!

 Don't know why I'm showing this. But every morning I have a Caribou coffee from the Keurig.

These are really my favorite thing right now though. They're great! And they save Me (someone who used to buy a Venti Iced Mocha or Latte every single day) a ton of money! These packets say that you're supposed to add 475 ml of water. But if you're a true coffee lover you'll find that to be way too watery. So I do 1 and  1/3 cups of cold water, ice, and half'n half, in a tall glass.  This is what I have in the afternoon, when I'm CRAVING. I highly recommend them. Both the caramel and the plain coffee flavored ones are great! :)

OK- Again, I'm so sorry about my missing Market Monday post!

I hate to flake out on you! I'll be back! :)

Hope you're having a great day!

Erica

New Pyrex and Estate Sale Finds!

Thank you all for your uplifting comments on my last post about the dogs. We still haven't found Cami and Molly a home, but I'm sure it will happen at the right time. And anyway, at least they're out of their previous situation. And that's what's most important! Can you believe the rescue group we are working with pulled another 48 dogs out of that same barn??? So sad to see animal abuse like that. Anyway...

So, my sister in law is amazing in so many ways, the first being that she is a full time mom to 3 little ones. But then she goes and does unexpected things like buy me Pyrex and drop it off at my house...for no reason at all! These pieces are probably now the prettiest ones in my collection. I've always loved the 024's! I'm not sure what we call this color. Lime? Apple Green?  

And then there is this stunner! It's called "Ocean Filigree". It's in Mint Condition and even has it's carrier. Love love love it! Thank You dear SIL. Love You!

OK, I have been feeling very sick with my R.A. But we'll leave that for another post. Or maybe skip it altogether. Like you want to hear about that! But point being, I finally had a good day today and felt like I could leave the house! So like any normal gal would, I headed straight for the above scene! Ha! Yes, I went to an Estate Sale and found true happiness as I sat on the floor of this crawl space and dug for Christmas junk!

I had to kick myself a bit because I didn't go on day #1, and this was now the end of day #2. I could tell I would've really scored some great stuff had I gone yesterday. Oh well! I was happy with what I got, including a vintage aqua silverware tray! A couple card boxes and a new in package old felt stocking.

 These are my favorite kind of celluloid reindeer, so I was thrilled to find a herd of them! And I got to add another knee hugger to my collection!

I love finding Christmas corsages. I'll open this one up and add some glass balls and maybe a bell or something. 

I guess I took a blurry pic. But anyway, obviously I found an old BINGO game.

I pulled these tiny mercury glass picks out of some weird candles that were in one of the garbage bags.

This great old box with the deer and snowflakes was also in the garbage. 

Ha! Ok, it sounds worse than it really was. It's not like I was "digging" through actual garbage! Errrr..

I'm a vintage tinsel hoarder. I just love the stuff! But I do actually use it so that makes it a little better.

So that's that! Not a lot of stuff but it was fun! Best of all I only spent $3.00! I think the people running the Estate Sale were thinking "Oh, look at that poor girl sifting through the trashy Christmas leftovers"! lol 

Hello, It's Me, Wellie (aka Noel)

Mama took me to the dog park today. As always I was the littlest (but loudest) of the 20 dogs there. I thought it would be kinda exciting to pick a fight with a Rottweiler. Yep, it was.

Mama had to apologize to people, and she was embarrassed, and worried about me!

She said "Wellie, you're lucky to be alive"! 

Oh Mama, you're so silly!

P.S.  Mama wants you to know that there will be a 

MARKET MONDAY this Monday, March 31st

 at 5:00 PM Central Time!

Hope you can make it!

We are linking up with THRIFTASAURUS today! Please hop on over there to see tons of fun "stuff"!

The Case Of The Little Brown Dog

 This is me, Cami. I'm a brown American Cocker Spaniel. But I don't know that's what I am. In this picture I am very sleepy, and confused. And that's because I've traveled a long way to arrive at Erica and Angie's house to be their foster dog. But I don't know that either. I've come from Wisconsin to Minnesota, where they are going to try to find me a "Forever Home". 

I am 9 years old. But I've never had a home or a family. I've been kept in an (unheated) barn with about 20 other Cocker Spaniels. I've been a good Mama to all of my puppies, and I've had lots of them. 

My puppies were $old to families. But I just kept living in that cold barn.

Angie and Erica gave me a warm bath. And the dog, Ernie, let me wear his blue sweater. I LOVE to sleep in my new cozy bed! And I can't stop wagging my tail! They tell me I am the sweetest, most innocent little thing they've ever seen. But I don't know about those things.  

What's this???? Well I stayed with Erica and Angie for a week. And I was a VERY good girl. But there was a little problem. You see, when I lived in the barn I had to cuddle up really close to Molly (in back). We LOVE each other so much that I had major "Separation Anxiety" when Molly and I weren't able to sleep together. So Erica and Angie had to take me a few blocks away to live with Molly, at her foster home. 

Right now we are happy and cozy and loved! But we can't stay here...And we don't know about that. :(

**A Note From Erica**
Hi bloggy pals. I know that if anyone can help me spread the word about these special girls, it's you!
Angie and I have been working with a wonderful nonprofit rescue called "Cocker Spaniel Resources". CSR adopts dogs to families in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 

We believe that Molly is Cameo's daughter, or possibly her sister. Cami is 9 and Molly is a couple years younger. When they came from the barn they both had been chewing on their cages for so long that their teeth were ground down to stubs. Cami especially. C.S.R. paid to have their infected teeth pulled. They also had terrible coughs due to inhaling the ammonia (urine) fumes in the barn for so long. They were treated for that as well, and now they just cough a bit when they get excited, like if someone comes to the door.
Cami walks with a limp because she has lived with a hip injury that went untreated for years. She gets a pain killer for this now. Both girls will go potty outside and on potty pads! However, they are still learning and there are some accidents. Their foster Mom, Su, is diligent about getting them outside often to go potty.

Molly loves to play with her ball and needs someone to take her for walks and show her how to play. Cami loves to sleep and chew on a bone.  But the most important thing is that these two girls stay together! They have had a very hard life. C.S.R. has decided that it would be best to find a home that will take them together. Because the girls are in their later years, they need a home that is calm, without young children. A retired couple would be perfect.  Both girls have medical issues, but these issues are under control. Both are eligible for Golden Age Cocker Retirement. So their medical bills will be taken care of by Cocker Spaniel Resources, Inc
If you live in IA, MN, or WI, and are interested in adopting Cami and Molly, please go HERE to fill out an application. There are also many other (adorable) cocker spaniels needing homes. You can see them HERE. If you're from another state but know someone who lives in IA, MN, or WI that might make a good home for these girls, will you pass this info along to them? I can't tell you how much I'd appreciate it.
And lastly, I beg of you...Please don't buy puppies from breeders. Something is very wrong in this country right now. 4 million dogs a year are killed because they don't have a home, yet we keep making puppies, and puppies, and more puppies. There is a very serious problem that needs fixing.

OK- Thank you, my friends!
I'll be back soon with some fun things...more typical, vintagey things!
Erica :)

My Green Cupboard for Valentine's Day!



I'm back...I think. lol
I've missed you all! Is this winter a killer, or what? Here in MN we're so used to freezing temps and lots of snow that you would think it wouldn't be a big deal. But this is for sure the worst winter I've been through! Day after day of sub zero temps, and then the weather guy will say "Get ready, the coldest temps are yet to come!" What??? I think that this Spring will be the absolute best! It can't come soon enough!

Anyway, I finally got my Valentines decorations up.

I had vowed to never own any other type of holiday tree. Well, I finally caved. I was no match for the 50% off ($4.00) pink tinsel tree from Target after Christmas. So I now have a Valentines tree. I draped it with vintage mercury glass beads and little things that some of you have sent me!

Kim K. and I did a little putz house swap this year. Here is the house she made me! Can you believe how cute it is?  She's so talented!

This big canvas wall hanging was at JoAnne's a couple years ago for 75% off. The puppy valentine up in the corner came just yesterday from Linda Lou! 

In the front are a couple 3-D Valentines from Germany. And behind them are the adorable candy boxes that I received from Dorothy, and Marlynne. Oh, and my vintage book of cut-out Valentines that I found at an estate sale for $1.00 last summer!

This is one of my favorite vintage x-mas ornaments. It's German.

Deb sent me this wienee valentine the other day! And in the background is the candy box that Maddie made for me last year. I found the Beswick dachshund figure at the flea market a couple years ago. The frame is from Target. I know I have a couple more wiener dog valentines that blog pals have sent me. I need to get them up there too.

Chris M. made that darling hula girl shadow box for me last year.

I'm so glad I took the time to finally put some decorations up. It cheered me up and reminded me how lucky I am to have such sweet friends out there. 

XOXO- Erica