Fabulous Finds

I got a call Sunday morning from a couple who have wonder-full yard sales!!! They decided, since it was a lovely day, to just have one spur of the moment this Sunday.

Took me a while to get there, but get there I did- and discovered some more great stuff!!!

I even went back today,(without the husband) to pick up a very cool old door, and have some other items being held!!!LOL  SSSSHHH!!!!

Here's what I got on Sunday: It's just a plain old rusty gear from some old farm implement- I placed it on top of a burl scavenged from my woodpile- now I have a rustic centerpiece (!) for the picnic table!!! Love it!!!

Hard to see, but above is a handmade skep/ cloche/ topiary frame of chicken wire, temporarily covering the light! The little finial is a rock from near Lake Huron, Michigan. I got 2 of these.

This size 4 watering can was a must have- as you can see in the next photo, it is now leading the parade of watering cans along my front porch!!

 

2 dime sized flower frogs for my collection- too cute to resist!!!Yes, I know they are pictured with a nickel!

There was also a cool rusty chair, now on my porch- but still haven't come to terms with blogger on rotating photos.GGGRRR!!!

The scale is rusty, the numbers long gone, but it still kind of works! It was destined for the barn, but after I hung on the  porch for its photo op-  I think I will leave it there!!!The hummingbird feeder is down for the season - the hook needs something on it!!!!




More to come................................

Take a Walk With Me............................

                                          .................to see what we can see.

 

 

                                          ( Ok- so I was driving, not walking, for the above pic)

 

There is going to be a BUMPER crop this year!

 

Thriftin' and Porch Sittin'

                   I'm in love with vintage silver and silverplate!!! I use          it, alter it, recycle and upcycle it!!

This is a recent score from the thrift store- multiple sizes of Paul Revere repro footed bowls- they will look lovely filled with floating flowers, lined up in size order down the table, or in a group.

The tea kettle is too badly worn on the inside to use for tea - (altho I wish I could use it!), so it will be upcycled with vintage flateware "chimes" and chandelier prisms.

The little measuring scoop above  I am absolutely in love with- I'm guessing it is one and two tablespoons - haven't actually checked the accuracy yet! But, I will use this - it's kind of unique.

Scored two large iron wheels for my garden - rusty farm equipment is too good to pass up when the price is right!!!! I'll show you them both later - when the garden is fully weeded!!LOL

 

Here is my daughter's dog, behaving very well, surveying the property from the front porch.

This was the other day, after I lugged those wagon wheels to the garden, and before the hay was cut.

I joined Luna on the porch, with a glass of iced mint water, and a good book - The Dirty Life- about a city girl who became a farmer - hhhmmmm!! It is a really good and quick read - with some yummy recipes included!!

A view down my porch - the rusty child's wagon leads the parade of vintage watering cans- one can NEVER

 have too many watering cans....................

An Upcycled Easter

Just thought I'd share some of the newest upcycling I've done. Some pieces are available at Julieanna's, some are staying right home with me!!! It is hard to part with things sometimes!!LOL

Close up below of the piece above- vintage silverware, an orphan blue lustreware saucer, and a jam jar. Real eggs and flowers can be substituted- faux eggs and greenery are easier for the shop!

The one above has some local Harry Lauder Walking Stick branches- they will last forever.

 

An ATC from a recent Bad Penny/Linen Shelf swap fits perfectly with the Easter theme.

                                      Vintage silver goblets and candlesticks have a new use.

                This is my favorite little thrift store bunny - he looks like a piece of molded chocolate.

                                                   This last one is waiting for the glue to dry!!



               Even tho it is POURING outside today (again!)- this is a sure sign that spring IS here!!!

Anyone for a Teacup Exchange?????

After participating in Julieanna's Holiday Teacup Exchange (see previous Tea on Tuesday post), I decided I wanted to do an online teacup swap.

It will be fun- just sign up, when I think we have enough players, I will put all the names in a hat/bowl, and pair everyone with a partner. It will be a one on one swap, to be mailed out no later than January 15th, 2011. That way, all the hustle and bustle of the holidays will be out of the way, and we will all be looking forward to getting something in the mail again!!!

There are no rules, other than- if you sign up, make sure you put your teacup in the mail, so you don't disappoint your swap partner! -
Just find a teacup and saucer- one from your collection, a thrift store find, a vintage one, or brand new. If it appeals to you, your swap partner will love it too.

You don't have to be a blogger to participate, and you don't have to become a follower of mine to play. Altho', I love followers -the more, the merrier,  I won't turn you away!!!

Here are some I found recently - only 2 were gifts- the rest came from thrift shops. There are also two footed cups, I found recently at a thrift store, will save those for another post!! Teacups of all kinds are out there waiting for a new home!!!

In the back row, one unmarked vintage orphaned cup,  tiny handpainted demitasse, and a Japanese Royal Ming china.
Middle row, from left to right- English Stanley Fine Bone china (w/yellow roses); Federal Shape Syracuse China- Briarcliff Pattern; Lefton hand painted china w/ luncheon plate
Front row- Theodore Haviland Limoges France delicate bone china (gift); cream colored vintage Czechoslovakia; vintage Flow Blue Japan egg shell (gift)

View from the top - I love cups with an inside design!

These last two just came out of the thrift store. The first one looks like a souvenir teacup, with a decal of vintage Washington, DC on front.

This one looks like Lustreware- cute, even tho' it has a tiny chip on the lip.

Soooo, if you want to play- leave a comment, and sign  up. Send me your email address, or leave it in the comments.
We already have 5 people wanting to swap!!
Pat (that would be me!)
Donna
Teresa
Susan
Judy
Keep your eyes open for that perfect teacup to swap!!

Tea on Tuesday

I am late again, and just arriving for afternoon tea,sharing just a few pictures of tea worthy thrift shop and flea market finds.............

Above is my "new" thrift store tea cup stand, with some thrift store tea cups. I was actually going to paint this stand, and use if for something else, when my mom walked by, and said," You do realize that this is a tea cup stand?" I didn't - but I do now!!! It found a perfect home with me!!

Don't you just love this pair of delicate, vintage, almost translucent,  blue transferware/flow blue teacups that a friend found at a very famous flea market in England( the name escapes me at the moment!). I can't believe she gave them to me!!!! If you look closely, you can see the saucers are uneven, a true testimony to their age. I do love them!!!

My very vintage, thrift shop treasure, a Japanese lustreware teacup filled with dried peony petals. My friend told me, in some of the very vintage Japanese teacups, when held to the light, a tiny image of a geisha will appear. Sadly, not in this one, but I will continue to search for her!!

When company was here, we had a delicious lunch of paninis filled with brie, chocolate and fresh basil, iced caramel coffee, lemon ricotta cookies, and lovely store bought European cookies meant for dipping in coffee!!!

My daughter made the lunch, and insisted great grandma's vintage desert server wouldn't do - she needed a two tier server- so I put together one of my upcycled china pedestals with some daffodil thrift shop plates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And, did you know (or care) that Lady Gaga is a real tea aficionado? She takes her own purple teacup with her everywhere- and even sent someone back to get it when it was forgotten!!!
*****************************************************************

Please visit  our other tea partiers, and join us on Tuesdays! See Kim's blog for a list of Tea on Tuesday participants!