What Do You Think This Was?

I picked up this very interesting table at the local thrift -- I paid more than a 'thrift' price, because I loved the styling and thought buyers in my booth might, too.

It's all brass (I think) with a wood inset top -- even the legs and shelf on the bottom are brass.  It has casters and they're little metal ones like they used years ago.

The detail on the drawer is lovely.  The drawer is wood and faced with a brass sheet that's been folded around it and nailed in place.

The top is inlaid and looks like oak to me -- it's joined wood, not veneer.

I could see this as a bedside table in the hospital sets of Downton Abbey, or as a bank or cashier's table in The Sting.  It really looks like 1910s to 1930s to me, and the quality speaks to that era, too.  It could be newer, just made to look old, though.

What do you think?  When do you think it was made and what do you think it was used for?  I'd love it if one of you could identify its era and use!

New Life for a Sad Jack-o-Lantern

I finally finished one of the projects on my list this weekend (a rare occurrence, lately).

I bought a blow mold at a rummage sale a year ago, planning to sell it at a bargain price, because of its condition.  It was a black cat sitting on a jack-o-lantern and the orange on the pumpkin was faded to almost white.

I decided to keep the cat & pumpkin and paint the pumpkin a renewed orange (thinking that new granddaughter might like it in a couple of years).

I've seen blow molds that people have brush painted and you can always see the brush strokes -- they look really bad.  I bought Rustoleum spray paint that is made to bond to plastic.  The toughest decision was neon or regular orange?  Since I could barely see the old finish, it was impossible to know which it had originally been!  I opted for regular, as the neon was too much like landscaper's orange...

I didn't take a good before picture, because I thought I already had one... The pumpkin was almost the color of the cat's mouth, though.  I think that was originally orange, too, but I didn't try to paint it.

Taping off all the black and masking the cat was the biggest part of the job (it took almost a half hour to make sure it was perfect.

I made sure it was completely covered, but didn't want it to be too opaque.

I think it turned out pretty well!  Now all I need is the granddaughter! :-)

September = Spend, Spend, Spend!

Now that we're through the first week of October, I'm looking back at September and all I see is spend, spend, spend!

I knew it would be like that to some extent, because both Greenmead Flea Market and Michigan Antique & Collectable Festival in Midland, Michigan (affectionately called just 'Midland' by all of us who love it) are in September.  Those are BIG 'merchandising' opportunities.  Thrown into the mix, though, was a great estate sale that I would have missed if my friend Bargain Hunter hadn't text me to ask me about pricing a typewriter...

I was invited this year to go, too, to the Junk Bonanza in Shakopee, Minnesota, but I just couldn't make it work.  I definitely want to visit my friend and fellow picker, Kally, there in April next year!

So I almost had the basement completely organized, but have sabatoged all my efforts by bringing in the sweet things I've bought lately.  But who could resist finds like these?

West Bend Hallite Casserole with great Bakelite knob

West Bend Hallite Casserole with copper lid & handles

I can't resist pennants and I picked up some great old ones!

Two vintage Brownies in boxes.  One has film, too

Can't resist melmac, either.  These are cute little serving pieces

From Midland -- I LOVE this picture of 'Bob', painted by his Aunt Ev in 1951.  She really captured his personality!

From the estate sale -- this is the typewriter I helped price for Bargain Hunter

This is from the estate sale, too -- I'm excited to put it together and turn it on before I list it on Ebay.  I don't think I've ever seen one work -- just as display or for sale in antique malls

This print is really big -- 18x24 or larger

This little kitty holds a pen as his tail

A hard-to-find Teetertot Shoofly bouncer by Delphos Bending Co.  I hope it will sell better than rocking horses do at the mall.  It has a seat, which makes it great for displaying vintage stuffed animals or dolls (but it's NOT for real babies any more!)

Art Deco kitchen clock

Wood shopping list from the 1960s

These flocked cats, made in Japan in the 1950s are wonderful

A made-in-Japan asian planter from the 1950s.  I might keep him, he's just so cute!

Pantry Parade tomato range salt and pepper shakers

These made-in-Japan 1950s cats are great, too.  I see a made-in Japan, mid-century and cat theme developing...

With Spending-September gone, I can concentrate on listing on Etsy to get ready for the Christmas shopping season, which has already begun!  I can also (hopefully) get the basement organized (again)...I'm afraid that will turn out to be a never-ending task.

Maybe I'll even have time to post on the blog more often!

But, before you go, what do you think about Bob -- would you have bought his portrait?  I'm thinking about resurrecting 'Would You Buy It Wednesday' since (I think) Junker Newbie doesn't do it any more.  I would definitely have contributed Bob...

What about Bob -- yes or no? 

Greenmead Fall Flea Market

I was able to go to one of my favorite events last week -- Greenmead Antiques Flea Market in Livonia, Michigan.  It only happens two Sundays a year and it's a don't-miss opportunity to find some great stuff.

A beautiful, sunny day!

I always get there early (by 9:30, at least, for the 10:00 start).  At $2 admission, it's a bargain!

I've usually filled my granny cart and also had some large items to go back to pick up.  This time, though, I filled my granny cart, made a trip to the car to empty it, went back and filled it again and then STILL had big items to pick up.  Three trips to the car -- WOW!

Here are some of the neat things that I found:

Two old bed-spring pieces.  I'm going to mount these to the wall and hang things off of them.

Felt Christmas tree skirt -- it needs a tiny bit of mending

The green breadbox is pretty shabby, but I liked the polka dots.  The chalkware kitty bank is shabby, too/  I couldn't believe I found a red Pyrex 401 bowl in great condition!   The black salt & pepper are pretty cool, too.  

Do you see the pink Pyrex fridgie?  SO excited about that one!  My son and his wife have already claimed the 1970s giant glasses -- I knew someone would love those...

I know I don't need any more Christmas tins, but Santa (who you can hardly see) is very friendly looking.  And I can NEVER resist souvenir pennants or cameras!  Can you see the mid-century Coronet thermos jug -- it's so cool!

Franciscan Desert Rose salt & pepper, Christmas aprons & more dish towels

Love these tablecloths (the songbirds are a dish towel).  I got the rooster & hen cloth for $1 because it's so stained.  I'll see if lots of soaking will work on it...

I wish I knew who manufactured the big soup mug with the lid.  It's ringed like Bauer, but I don't think it is Bauer.

I just had to have these funky corn dishes.  They're hard plastic (celluloid?) and very thin -- I think they're popcorn dishes

This is a Westinghouse roaster base or cabinet.  I think it would look cool set up as a bar

Lots of storage room for bottles & glasses inside

The suitcase is a project piece.  It's been completely stripped inside, so I get to line it!  

Here is one of my favorite things from Greenmead... I bought it to sell (and still might), but I love it so much that I'm tempted to keep it:

This is a pretty big picture -- maybe 18x24.  It's a 40s or 50s photo of a girl blowing bubbles and she just looks so joyful

 And the BIG STAR is this globe -- it's a Repogle game globe from the 1960s.  I was very excited to find it and when I asked the vendor if he could take any less for it, he dropped it by a lot.  I was doing the happy dance away as fast as I could, before he changed his mind.

 If you live near southeast Michigan, try to go to Greenmead sometime...you won't be disappointed!

A CRAZY Four Weeks

I looked at my last post and realized I hadn't written in 4 weeks -- that might be a record.  It's been a really crazy month here at Kitschy Vintage land -- in a good news-bad news, up-and-down emotions sort of way.

I don't normally share much personal stuff, partly because I know that everything posted online lives forever and also because I can't really believe that my life is anywhere near as interesting to you all as great vintage finds.  This time, though, I'm making an exception.

Bad News -- Mr. KV had a heart attack a month ago and spent several days in the hospital.  It wasn't the first time he's had heart trouble, but that doesn't make it any easier to go through (for him or me).
Good News -- Thankfully, the heart attack was fairly mild and didn't do any damage.  They were able to clear the affected artery with a stent, rather than surgery.  It was still really scary, though!

Bad News -- When Mr. KV got sick, the entire garage was set up for a yard sale.  Every table we could find was covered and piled up with household junk and LOTS of what-was-I-thinking items from my stash in the basement.  It was terrible timing, but I had to go ahead with it, knowing that once Labor Day weekend was over, no one would be shopping sales.  We were all exhausted but there was no going back.
Good News -- My son and his wife are moving back to this side of the state, so he was around to help me move tables and furniture and get things set up.  My friend Bargain Hunter knew how stressed I was about it and came over after work to help me price things.  She's a master at running sales and is so calm about it that she makes it seem do-able -- she was a real life-saver!
More Good News (I guess) -- With Mr. KV on total rest and not allowed to drive or go to work, he couldn't do anything but sit around, so he sat around in the garage and took people's money.

What was I thinking?

Did you ever see so many glasses?

We spent LOTS of time telling people that my Beetle wasn't for sale!

Junk, junk, junk!

Bad News -- Because it was a week & a half before Labor Day, the entire state of Michigan was on one last vacation before school started! Very few people were shopping the sales and they weren't buying. About half or more of my 'treasures' were left over. SIX loaded-van trips to Salvation Army later, I'm still tidying up the garage and trying to figure out where the leftovers will go...they're NOT going back to the basement!

Bad News (though minor) -- We had a mini-tornado go through our area and, while I don't think the tornado hit our yard, the high winds did. We lost almost all of the apple tree closest to our garden and half of the healthiest one by the barn. It not only made a lot of cleanup work, but I grieve over every lost tree because I'm such a greenie! I think the bumper crop of apples we have this year contributed, too.

The tree by the garden -- only one major branch is still upright.  The tree almost split in half

Good News (and Bad News) -- I had a birthday.  A BIG birthday -- one than ends in a zero.  Those are both a blessing (have health and long life) and a curse (getting old isn't for sissies)...  Mr. KV sent me a HUGE bouquet of beautiful roses, though and took me out to dinner.

This beautiful arrangement is about 3 feet tall!  The vase alone is 18" -- there are LOTS of roses there!

Good News -- My sister & brother-in-law came up from Ohio to celebrate my birthday, too, and we had a great time (plus they took me out to dinner...birthday dinner #2).  We had a great time, with lots of talking and laughter.  They gave me this wonderful birthday gift (a big thank-you to my niece for seeing it on my wish list on the blog).

Fire King polka dots mixing bowl -- YAY!

My birthday was marred by a terribly sad event, though...

Bad News (and Good News) -- A dear friend and co-worker died on my actual birthday, after a very fast but difficult battle with breast cancer.  She was in her early 50s and was much too young to leave us.  All day long I got phone calls and text messages from friends telling me that she'd passed away and ending with 'Oh, by the way, happy birthday'.  I'll miss her so much!   Her funeral was on Labor Day weekend and the Good News is that it was a real celebration of her life and her strong faith and the knowledge that we'll see her again in heaven.

Good News -- I'm going to be a grandmother for the first time in January!   I've known for a while, but wasn't allowed to tell yet.The other good news is that it's a girl!   As the mother of three boys, I can't wait to have a little girl to play with -- I've got all the vintage toys and dishes she could want and still have my baby doll, Ginny Vogue doll and Barbies to play with!

It's a girl!

Good News -- The weekend after my sister and brother-in-law left, my son from Florida and his girlfriend came in to town for a long weekend.   They also took us out to dinner -- it was birthday dinner #3 *SWEET!*   It was so good to see them and get to hang out -- Florida is just too far away!   Since my son and Mr. KV were going to a football game and playing golf, I got to spend some precious time with my son's girlfriend -- always a blessing!

In between heart attacks, sales, birthdays & visits, I've been trying to put the garage back in order (so we can pull our cars in again), continuing to work through organizing the basement, and keeping the Etsy shop and booth stocked. It seems like I haven't had a minute to regroup and figure out what's next.

I think things are getting back to normal.  The 'normal' of shopping and keeping and selling...and telling you all about great finds and fun transformations.  The basement reorganization is almost complete and I can get to my sewing machine again.  I've got so many ideas of creative projects to do -- I'll keep you posted on their progress.  Hopefully, the next post won't be four weeks away!