Painting share :)

I love buying original art, even if it's less-than-perfect. Last week, admittedly, I did pass on a terrifically terrible Starry Night "replica" from Salvation Army. I just couldn't see myself selling it, though I did want to buy it just to smile. When I was a kid, I went to a visual and performing arts school, and in my art class, we, as a 5th grade class, recreated the famous Van Gogh piece by chopping it into parts, and then piecing it together like a puzzle. Good times.

I think if I had more space in my apartment, I'd create more. I'm no artist, but I do enjoy making things. Maybe I'd be more DIY. It's been a while since I had my sewing machine out in the open and quick to use. Maybe I'd bake more.

Honestly, I haven't written a poem in ages. I quit writing anything from my heart, from the deep. I know I'm protecting myself from being in love. I'm protecting myself from the great abyss of not being in control and everything being confusing and scary. I think it's better where I am, less interesting, but better.

Is it time for my sabbatical yet where I move to another country for six months and write in a quiet room? I sure hope so.

Be well :)

Thrift Share :)

Vintage Clipless Cycling Shoes from Diadora

I have a new fun Monday activity. I drive about 45 minutes south, into the country towns, where there is a small town with great thrifting. I even did myself a solid and ate lunch instead of what I usually do: waiting until 3 o'clock when I'm done running around for the day. I was pretty proud. I got a veggie burger and fries. The people next to me had chicken fried steak platters with mashed potatoes, etc. When I left, I realized they had smothered gravy and potatoes with raisins across the plate. How did my Oakie family never teach me this? Anyhow, I got some great stuff and had a really good time.

Vintage 1950s Silk Vera Scarf with African Women :)

There was a lady with a toy yorkie in one store, and someone asked her how much she paid for it (seemed like a strange question to me). She answered without hesitation, "$500". Wow.

Hanova of Pasadena Candle Holder - Very Cool

I actually tried a new thrift store, which I rarely do, since they are usually pop-ups with no vision and close just as soon as they started. Anyhow, the place was great! It was cleaner than any other store in town. They didn't have a ton of great stuff, but they had great prices. I actually bought my first maxi dress which goes all the way to the ground (wow, and I'm tall!). I'm gonna wear it today. I'm pretty excited about it.

Please take a moment to read the most recent news about Syria, and consider making a donation to MCC, currently providing direct aid to Syrian refugees.

Thrift Share Monday :)

Vintage New Kids On The Block sleeping bag :)

I've been thrifting like a fiend lately, thrifting good art, bad art, pants, dresses, vintage shoes, and everything in between. I have a big pile of packages in my front room, ready to be sent out today. I haven't been blogging because I've had nothing to say. I've been housesitting and reading good books, swimming and combing warehouses for new and interesting things for my shop. But I need to be back out on the blogging scene again. I need to write, and find reasons to write. I need to work on my novel that I began over the summer (maybe none of this will happen, but I will at least post pictures of my finds).

I would like to post daily over the next month or so, to increase visibility to the reality of Syria and the needs of Syrian refugees. Please take a moment to read up on the most recent news, and donate to Mennonite Central Committee. MCC works to supply the basic needs of Syrian refugees through food, shelter, and the education of children. They are currently working towards raising $1.5M.

Thrift Share :)

Anyone ever heard of Molyneux? Twas new to me :)

The only thing that has inspired me to write in the past two weeks is Serena's Thrift Share. I have been working really hard to pay all my bills so I can go to Canada in July. Frankly, I'm exhausted. But not so exhausted that I can't do my thing and thrift like a mofo.

All of these Vogue patterns are size 16, bust 38", and uncut! So awesome.

Modelesque in every way. Look at those cheekbones!

 
I have been having so much trouble buying pants lately, not because they don't exist, but because I am particular and I want to be thrifty about it. These things make it really difficult. I think I might spend some time this summer making some long linen pants and maxi skirts. Unfortunately, due to the exhaustion, I'm finding it difficult to do much more than feed myself, and go to work. Yes, I understand why celebrities get hospitalized for exhaustion. You're tired and you need an excuse to just lie in one place and do nothing.

I just thought I might keep this one - wow :)

Maybe someone will make me long linen pants and maxi skirts? A girl can hope.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Thrift Share - Brass Edition :)

Vintage Apple Belt Buckle by BTS - 1978

One day, one completely normal boring day, I found two of these buckles. Two. I've listed them for the highest price they sold for in the past few months, and crossed my fingers. If I sell one, I'm going to visit my friend in Canada. Fingers crossed. I have "Best Offer" on it, so maybe someone out there, somewhere in the big wide world, will want it.

I'm willing to wait.

These Ernest Sohn Design - Brass Coaster

My fourteen-year-old friend and I went rummage sale-ing two Saturday mornings ago, and that pretty much fell flat. Rummage sales have huge ranges. My view of a good rummage sale is a lot of stuff to dig through. Anything less than a lot is a yard sale. When you see a lot, you just know.

Rummage sale-ing wasn't going so well, so we drove to a thrift store to make up for it. But on the way, we saw an "Estate Sale" sign, and it was a special sign made of wood and painted, so it was the real deal. And it was worth it. The house was full of stuff, and the estate sale was being run by a dealer. Every single freakin thing was marked and they weren't taking any offers, so I only bought a few things, but it was a fun place to walk through. Tons of vintage stuff, and hundreds of decorative plates.

Brass mice family - these are the kids :)

I found this little family of mice, two parents and three kids. I found the Ernest Sohn piece nearby. I've heard that bras is supposed to be cool right now. What do I know?

Today is Memorial Day, and I slept in late and now I feel drugged and maybe like I won't accomplish anything for the rest of the day, and I might be okay with that. Anyhoo, when I went to Hawaii a couple years back, I went to the Pearl Harbor Memorial, and the message was "Remember". I kept thinking about all of the people who have died, and all of the soldiers overseas in wars that few of them believe in, and I thought, "What are we remembering? What's the point of remembering if we never do anything different?"

Do something different today.

*Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Thrift Share Monday :)

Small quilted wall hanging - doll blanket, perhaps

There's a hospice thrift shop in town that moved to a much, much larger location, and has made their prices much, much bigger. So a store that I used to go in weekly is now only a store I go in maybe once a month. This month, I was in luck! I got two of these quilted pieces. They're beautiful. I don't know what someone would do with them, but I hope they find a loving home.

Vera scarf - this makes me think of a square dancing group :)

This is one of two vintage Vera scarves I found. This one is a lighter fabric, cotton maybe, but the other one was from the 1940s and silk. It had a huge stain in one corner, looked like coffee, and I thought I could wash it out. Oops. The scarf was like thick paper, and tore [insert Megan railing to the heavens].

Vintage 1978 Columbia Minerva Crewel Pillow Kit - "Primrose Garland"

This is such a beautiful kit, and it's complete. This past week, I finally sold a Paragon kit that had been listed for quite a long time on eBay. I could only find one other identical kit listed anywhere online, so I listed mine for 40% less, but even with that, it took a long time. I'm always trying to walk that fine line between getting a higher price, and moving inventory.

Vintage Diane Von Furstenburg jumpsuit

I found this DVF jumpsuit at a Salvation Army a few days earlier in the week, but needed to wash it, so it got posted with this other stuff. I honestly do not know how people make these look so freakin' cute. I am not one of those people. I cannot rock a jumpsuit. Oh dear lord. With shoulder pads?! Epic fail.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Thrift Share Monday :)

Vintage health, fitness, and nutrition book for teens

I went out of town today, forty-five minutes in fact, and even though I went to a town far from home, I saw thrift store employees I know. How funny is that? They were of course surprised to see me as well, and we shared some awkward moments.

A little while later, I traveled downtown to the nicer "boutiquey" thrift store, which is always very clean and high priced. I thought I might find some work clothes. They were having a "25% off" sale on some items, and a woman came to the counter to ask the volunteers how much she would pay for an item that was $10. It took them five minutes, they couldn't figure it out, and gave up. I kid you not. I ended up explaining it to them, and they replied, "Oh, math was my worst subject." I wanted to claw my own eyes out.

Vintage book for kids about the human body - fun times :)

I ended up bringing six items into the dressing room, four tops and two dresses. Everything looked huge and made me look like a weird angular mannequin. The last thing I tried on was a vintage wool Pendleton shift. It made me look like a bad Mad Men knock-off. I know that everyone feels this way sometimes, but I'm having a hard time with my body right now, and feeling freakish.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Thrift Share Monday :)

These vintage posters are from The Nut Tree in Vacaville, California. I found them in a huge old Nabisco warehouse that has been turned into a storage facility/vintage stash open three days a week for crazies like me to dig through and find treasures like these. The owner was impressed with me that I had found them. The bottom one is in better shape than the top one. I hope someone finds them who can really appreciate them.

When I was in my early twenties, I went to Healdsburg for a weekend trip with some friends, and my friend and I went running on Saturday morning to enjoy the hills and the sunshine. I think we ended up back at the hotel like two-and-a-half hours later, after we'd taken the long way around, wanting to explore every new hill we saw. We flatland folk get really excited in the hills.

Running in hills is the the best way to increase one's cardiovascular capacity. My best running happened when I was training up in the foothills, back when I was still trying to be a badass. This is no longer the case, and I'm very content with that. I was never meant to be an endurance athlete.

Anyhoo, I've never been thrifting in these parts, and I'd love to check it out someday. Maybe next summer :)

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Thrift Share Monday :)

Kilbran sheets - Cats with sneakers (so they can run away!)

I always like to create a theme with my thrift shares. This one shall heretofore be named "vintage linens". There's not much else to say. I stayed up really late last night to have a test done this morning on my brain, so I took the time to get a bunch of stuff done, which is super out-of-character for me, but Anna Karenina just wasn't doing it for me in the helping-me-stay-awake department. These photos are proof of my supreme productivity. I was super loopy and making myself laugh by the time I went to sleep. We have a good time together, myself and I.

Vera sheets from Burlington - "Springtime"

I went to see the dogs tonight. We went on a long walk and then we had lots of lazy snuggling time. They were lazy. I was snuggling. There was also some playing of Rock Band, and let's just say that me singing Jethro Tull is not pretty. Not pretty at all. I cut out as lead singer before Pearl Jam came on, but we were all singing by that time ("Alive" from Vs.). Eddie Vedder is my aeroplane.

Vintage curtains with Peanuts characters playing sports :)

It's late and I need to go to bed, because I didn't get enough sleep last night, and I need to go to work in the morning like the excellent grown-up that I am.

Peace out :)