Now is the Time

"The item you see today and will dream about tonight will be bought by someone today who saw it yesterday and dreamed about it last night."
That is what the chalkboard said outside of Prince Edward County's Frugal & Company as I rushed in for a whirlwind 5 minute browse last summer. Darting my eyes around, I didn't have much time to think, and I am not one for an impulse buy--oh look a spectacular sunburst Syroco clock frame, $18, no clock, good condition otherwise, gold with brown tips, would prefer all gold, but how neat, time to go...oh no why did I leave it there?! When I got home I ruefully went on an Etsy and Ebay rampage to learn more about the funky mid-century Canadian made-item I passed up. I resigned myself to keep my eyes peeled and knew it would come back in to my life some day, some time, eventually. Well, surprise surprise, exactly a year later, it made its return. It was patiently waiting for me in my local antique mall. I wasn't looking. It is in pristine original condition. It actually has a clock. The clock works. The time came for it to come in to my life, and better than I had originally hoped. Oh how circular life is. It makes me laugh with thankfulness how God works like that--even in a whim of a thrift hunt! 

All that Jazz

I have been on the hunt to find or make a neon sign that says "jazz" but have not yet found what I have in mind. So in the meantime I have decorated a shirt to suffice. I found this cropped navy sweatshirt at the local thrift store. It originally had large white bell sleeves sewn under the sleeve ruffle. It was a cute design, but it looked absolutely dorky on me, and wouldn't be practical for working or dancing anyway, so I cut them out. I knew this navy was going to be the perfect background to have text stand out on, so I just needed to find some embellishment materials in the form of ribbon. In my stash I dug out some vintage poppy red lace bias and gold rickrack, both in their original packages. First I trimmed the sleeves with the lace, mainly to keep the raw edges of the knit from rolling, and to give the ruffle a highlight of the poppy red. Then I wrote with ribbon and sewed it on and voilà! As improvised and vibrant as the music itself. Off to spend the weekend dancing to vintage jazz!

To Mother With Love

I'm celebrating with flowers and photography and tea and my favourite female today!

Pansy Print

The latest acquisition for my growing collection gallery wall of vintage floral prints: $3 from the Restore.

October Bulletin 2018

Masquerade, grandeur, and grace

Frankenstein Cat Eye

I have been looking for gold cat eye frames for a looong time. While trying on my other new pair of glasses at the local glasses shop I was lamenting that fact, and the ingenius optician proceeded to dig out three boxes of vintage glasses parts. Creative people unite! We rummaged through the boxes and found two arms, the body, and the tips to create my dream pair of pearly and golden tones. I affectionately call them my Frankensteins. 

While putting the tips on the frame there was an accidental hole punched, so we filled it with a rhinestone. Nothing like covering up a mistake with a little sparkle!

Pssst! You may have noticed that the arms cross in a funny way. That's because they are actually two of the same side of arm! A little bending fixed that problem, and now the glasses have some (inconspicuous) quirk.

I'm so thankful for this fellow outside-the-box thinker! Ta-da!

Keswick Trays

Here's a houseware that seems to pop up frequently at thrift stores: the Keswick Tray! They are printed cotton and fibre glass trays rimmed with gold or silver edges. The company started in the 1960s and is still producing products today. I'm not sure of the date of these two trays though! 

I love the cheery florals and the texture of the fabric through the fibre glass.

 It looks like they even take custom orders. Of course they are British made...see post below!

Golden Treasure

I love the incised floral on this golden locket, a family heirloom. Inside it I have written Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." That fact is my greatest treasure, as it was for St. Patrick!

Urn It

I've been playing around with this collection of thrifted urns; I love the variety of materials and textures. It makes me chuckle that an urn gives the displayed item a little bit of elegant pomp.

Golden Art Nouveau

I found this brass candle holder at a flea market for $6. I love its curvy asymmetry and lily of the valley details. 

Cat Eye Glasses

I found these fabulous cat eye frames at Value Village for (wait for it) $3, had my prescription lenses put in them, and may have also taken a brush full of gold paint to the tips...hello, bespectacled '50s secretary joy!

Dream

This was one of those fluke craft projects that has stood the test of time. About 8 years ago I got the font and word idea from an image in Country Living Magazine, eye-balled the letters onto some corrugated cardboard, cut them out, slopped some gold paint on them, and strung them up in my bedroom. When I think back at how casually I whipped this garland out and look at how much I still love the lettering and metallic shine I am impressed by the enduring result. It makes me think of how many creative dreams have come true since...

Vintage Military Buttons

I bought some military buttons from the Ottawa Valley Button Club. Such gorgeous detail! 

Heart of the Country

Who's noticed that Canada's Capital is shaped like a heart?

Praise Frame

I love vintage Christian prints! They have fabulous typography, gilding, and an encouraging message!

Anthropologie Cat Knob

I replaced the drawer knob on my desk with this cutie, the treasure of my Toronto shopping jaunt.

Green and Gold

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

Recent Thrift: Metal Ornaments

I found this switch plate and these metal ornaments at an architectural salvage store. I'm thinking of painting the ornaments (letting some of the metal ridges show through) to use with pretty knobs on furniture.

1898 Art Nouveau Book

 Not too long ago I was picking up some old art magazines from a library archives building. While lifting one of the boxes of magazines onto a trolley, a book in another box caught my eye. I saw something turquoise and ornate, and pulled out this Art Nouveau beauty.

I cracked it open and found that it was printed in 1898! As I was flipping through it, I turned to the elderly woman who was the volunteer book sorter helping me with the magazines and asked where this book was going. She said to a used book store. I asked how much it would cost there. She said probably around $30. We flipped through it some more. I drooled. She saw me drooling. She said she'd give it to me for $5. I grabbed some change out of my coat pocket.   

And now it's sitting in my house.

It is such a fancy book--complete with a gilt pages and golden lily motifs on the covers!

As it turns out, it is a French biography about Capitaine Belletable. I guess I'll have to read it to find out what made this dude so special.

Something I love about old books is the bookmarks that hide in them. I found this perfectly-penned list (look at that calligraphy!) snuggled between the pages.

What a find!

Inspiration: Book Stack

Rusty greens and browns, gilding, texture, and typography...