I Could Build a Robot

Stuff seems to come in clumps for me. One week I'll find five jewelry boxes, and then not another for months.

The next week I'll find half-a-dozen pieces of extra-pretty Pyrex. After that, nada, not one kitschy bowl for ages.


Its the same with electronics.
Clocks, radios and cameras were everywhere I looked last weekend as I poked around some yard sales.
This is a flip-number clock...do you remember these from the late 70's and early 80's? My parents had one next to their bed. I remember staring at the numbers on Christmas morning, willing them to flip down from 5:59 to 6:00...I wasn't allowed to go out to open presents until 6:00. It took forEver for the stupid numbers to flip!
And this radio looks just like the one my husband's grandfather kept on a shelf in the kitchen to listen to baseball games while he read the paper.

Just love this old Polaroid camera that I found with the original case and paperwork, another great piece of nostalgia, and mid-century design. Makes me want to "shake it like a Polaroid pic-tcha."

Not sure why I'm suddenly finding all these cool old electronics, but I have to wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something. Like I'm suppose to build a robot...or listen to the radio while taking pictures in a timely manner.

I wonder what the next group of things will be.

What is that?

Sometimes I find an item at a yard sale or on a thrift store shelf that I really just don't know what it is, or what its trying to be, or why anyone thought it was a good idea to make it at all...this would be one of those times.
Linda actually found this little beauty and - although it frighted her a little - she held it up for me to photograph thinking it would be a fun item for the blog.

A sunflower... a child... a sun-child?

Is it surprised, angry? Doing a jig?

My etsy shop is running a little low on super-cool things, and this angry sun-child is not going to help me turn my inventory around. Yard sale season is coming to a close and I am going to turn my attention to auctions.

I will miss the yard sales, but I'm hoping to find a better quality of items at the auctions, although I'm sure the strange and odd-looking things will be lurking in the boxes there too.

Lifting the Doldrums

Fall is upon us and the spontaneous, and occasionally lazy, days of summer have been replaced with a rigid schedule of 7:00AM bus pick-up, football practice, soccer practice,Boy Scout events,Sunday school and back-to-school nights - and anything else the universe can throw our way.

Is it June yet?

And I have decided to make my way back into the working world so that we may continue to feed two always-hungry teenage boys and somehow, someday (someway) pay for them to go to college. So my once flexible daily schedule will also soon be handed over to a boss (hopefully a benevolent boss). I can sympathize with the boys as they hang their heads over their cereal bowls and moan while hoisting their overstuffed backpacks onto their shoulders.

This change in schedule, and life in general, has put me in a bit of a funk - the "doldrums" seems a fitting word. This is not a place I like to be, so to give myself a little lift, I headed to my favorite thrift store yesterday with the other blond and her mom. What we found put a smile back on my face. Most of the merchandise was 50% off as the store tries to clear space on the shelves for fresh items for Christmas.

Yay.

Linda and I had the most fun at the counter where they keep items that are a little more valuable; there you have to ask an attendant if you want to see the merchandise. I have bought several pieces from this area of the store in the past, they are usually still reasonably priced. But there are other things that were just a little too rich for my blood.

Until 50% off day. That made several things just the right price.

I've had my eye on this PA Dutch teapot for ages, it was the first thing I pointed to on the shelf.
Linda directed the attendant's attention to a great 70's picnic basket/ice chest and quickly put that in her cart.Just as I was about to leave, I spotted these two stainless and enamel Reed and Barton bowls on the counter and quickly stashed them in my basket like a kid in a candy store (who's just found out half the candy is free).
So as more meetings, structure, dinners crammed in on the run and becoming a responsible adult all loom, yesterday was still a day to run amok in my favorite candy - I mean, thrift- store.

Doldrums, what doldrums.

Buxton, Mele and Farrington...oh, my

I have always had a little thing for pretty jewelry boxes since I was a kid. The top of my dresser was a collection of trinket boxes I bought every time I went somewhere, a heart-shaped one made of pink stone from Florida was my personal favorite.

My collection started young, my first jewelry box looked something like this one shaped like a cottage that's currently in my etsy.com shop.

And apparently I am not alone in my obsession because leather-like jewelry boxes, particularly those made by Farrington, Buxton and Mele, have been good sellers.My most recent sale was the first men's jewelry box I've come across. I bought this at a retirement community fundraiser, it was from the 70's but was in such great condition it looked like it was brand new.
This little leather travel case in red I bought at a thrift shop and is now enjoying world travel...lucky jewelry case.



I bought this pink Farrington box at an auction filled with costume jewelry. It was actually the first thing I ever bought at auction and I paid more than I had originally wanted (the lady next to me was bidding too and I just couldn't let her win - mine...mine...mine).
The jewelry inside was the best part about this box. Here are some of the fun novelty earrings I found inside and sold as part of a collection.



I think this Lady Buxton was the most elegant and largest of all the jewelry boxes I've had in my shop.My theory is that people enjoy these vintage boxes because they just make you feel like a pretty, pretty princess...or that could just be me.

Props

Last March I was so excited when an antique metal tool-box I had in my etsy shop was purchased by the props department of the show CSI.

See my past "Stage Mom" blog ...
http://twoblondsandavan.blogspot.com/2011/03/im-ready-for-my-close-up.html

And a few days ago some cute little canning jars were bought by a prop manager with an intriguing email address that has me thinking they may be heading to the set of Mad Men.Just think, these were all things that were basically discarded at a donation center for a thrift store or one step away at a garage sale - just about in the old dumpster -- then the next thing you know, they are being used on a Hollywood set of a big-time show. A twist of fate for a vintage thingy.

In case any other prop managers are looking for items for their sets, I have a few suggestions from my shop...




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Please don't put me on "Hoarders"

In the far, back corner of my basement is a room that was once called my "craft room." It held a computer, antique drafting table, sewing machine and old cabinets containing various arts and crafts supplies for the kids and I. A place we could go and create and then leave if we were in the middle of something without having to clean up, so we could continue on with our creating.

Now, not so much.

When I started the etsy.com shop I decided this area would be a good place to store my merchandise - the boys are not into doing "crafts" with mom anymore and I was taking a break from writing so I wasn't visiting that computer as much either -- and at first, I kept everything fairly tidy and organized.

Now, not so much.

This summer has been a whirlwind and I have been running in and out of this backroom either grabbing something that needs to be shipped or throwing in a pile of stuff I just bought at a yard sale. There is no more order, only chaos.

This highlights a pitfall to this business, the ever-present possibility that you will make the transition from someone who is finding "merchandise" to sell, to someone who is a hoarder. I do not like a lot of clutter around me. That is not to say - as anyone who has entered my house will attest to -- I'm not a clean-freak, nor am I a minimalist with one Eames lounger in the middle of the floor and a white canvas on a white wall...I have some stuff around.

But there is, for me, an acceptable level of stuff. I have crossed that level and am at the threshold of freaking out and throwing everything away. I know if I just spend a day in the basement sorting, organizing and cleaning, my instincts to throw it all away (or just burn the house down) will calm. I just have to find that day.

That will probably come on August 30th...the day the boys return to school. Which will probably be a good day to distract myself from the fact my oldest "baby" will be going to high school and taking another big step in his size 12 Converse towards adulthood.

I do want to get rid of the clutter. And we are all ready for school to start. A clean, uncluttered, quiet house is coming...of course, there will have to be some chaos, just keep life interesting.

Summer Travels and an Anniversary

I have been remiss in my blogging of late; I have been off and running with my boys (excuse me, young men) this last month and haven't stopped long enough to sit down and put two thoughts together.

My excessive wanderings have been prompted by the realization that this July is really the end of an era for my sons and I. Carefree summers with easy schedules are coming to a close.

By next summer we will probably all have jobs (in addition to the etsy shop) and sundry sports and Boy Scout activities that are already making way more black marks on my calendar than I care for...life flows on.

However, in all our activities of this last month - as I squeezed out as much fun and memories as I can possibly fit into this precious summertime -- you know I've made time for some pickin' too.

On our camping trip to New Hampshire, I found this great, hand-tooled leather briefcase in a thrift shop. It sold two-weeks after we got home.
A few weeks ago, I was able to go out in the van with Linda, her mom and my aunt to a tiny burg in south-eastern PA, their community center was having a fund raising sale. I found this, one of the prettiest pieces on Milk Glass I've ever come across...shaped like a bird's nest.
The boys have found a few nice things too on our travels. Will picked up this green, Russel Wright baking dish.

Evan found this fun 70's ice bucket.


And while I was off camping, my one-year "etsy anniversary" passed. On July 8th my etsy shop had been open 365-days, and I had sold 408 items...yay. My goal had been to average an item a day and feels very good to have passed that goal.

I do love etsy.



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