Magpie Ethel

Estate Sale Saturday - NUMERO UNO

It is very exciting to be number one at an estate sale.  It is more exciting if the sale looks like a doozy.  Unfortunately I was number one at a sale I was only moderately interested in...it was around the corner from me, so very convenient and there were not alot of sales this weekend. Still one is one and I got in the door first.

It was actually better than I thought it would be. I have been collecting heart shaped baking pans in preparation for a Valentine display.  I got two today.

A couple of vintage tins (note the balanced meal sandwich graphic on the bottom one), and a container of glitter. I know, i know, I need more glitter like I need a hole in my head.

Vintage noisemaker with cute little gal graphics in shorts and top hats.

Mint in package bridge tally cards.

Put out by the 4-H club, this vintage cookbook with a Halloween Theme could not have been a better timed purchase. I don't find a date on it, but it looks to be 60s or 70s.

And last but not least a vintage paint box for this collection.

I overlooked the messy interior of the paint box, and was sold on the cover graphics. Written in the center of the star - Happiness on every page.

And you know I like happy.  Happy Day!

 

Crafting in Circles

I have been crafting in circles..day in day out. Putting in hours in the studio. I am glad that I enjoy it so.

Vintage foil candy containers full of spun heads and other vintage finds.

Making myself dizzy....off to the studio...happy day!

 

Double Luck

A couple of weeks ago I got double lucky in one week.  First I won a giveaway on Jenny's blog from Everyday is a Holiday.  It was a swag bag from the Creative Connection event in Minnesota.  It arrived this week and was worth the wait. 

A little gift from Jenny and Aaron.

And lots of fun stuff from sponsors and vendors at the Creative Connection event. (this event is on my bucket list someday)

A couple of tote bags and magazines.

And a whole bunch of crafting stuff... scissors, paintbrushes, glitter, embellishments, paper, jewelery makings, cards, journals and lots of other fun items. It really was an amazing assortment of goodies.

A couple of days after winning this giveaway, I won a givewaway on Crystal's blog, Vintage by Crystal.  With this giveaway, I won a dress from the Shabby Apple website.

The dress is really cute on and fits well. I had no one home to take my picture if I tried it on...and did not feel like doing one of those photo shoots of myself in a mirror. 

I love, love  the color and all the ruffles around the neck. It has a bright purple zipper down the back. It is a little different than I would usually wear, but I was thrilled with how it fit and makes me look so young and hip!

Thank you Jenny, Aaron and Crystal...what a doubly good week that was!

Collection Challenge #76 - Vintage Candy Boxes

I am staying with the Halloween theme with my collection challenges in October.  Today I am presenting Halloween candy boxes/candy boxes.  I like to decorate with them for the holiday since candy is so central to Halloween and I like the height and interest they give to displays.  

I love the graphics of course.  This one was found at an estate sale and I bought something that was 50 cents. You can see the writing on the box where they indicated the price.  I don't remember what came in the box, as i was more excited for the box itself.

Babe Ruth bars for Halloween.

Some of the boxes I display aren't necessarily for Halloween, but just old candy boxes. When I helped clean out a neighbor's house a few years ago, the couple had a sweet tooth and saved all their candy boxes to tuck into drawers for storage.  I got quite a few at their house.

Mars wants you to load up for Halloween with their treats (estate sale found).

Oh Henry! candy bars for trick or treaters.  I added the candy bars so the box would not look quite so bare.

Be good to your goblins by handing out Butterfingers (estate sale found).

One more box from cleaning out my neighbor's house.  You certainly can't get much of a candy bar for a nickle anymore.

Hope this post inspires you to pick up some candy for those trick or treaters that will be hitting our doorsteps in one short week.  Just don't be handing out any vintage candy!

If you have an idea for a future collection challenge, leave me a comment and finish the sentence, "Show me your collection of _____'.  You never know what sweet thing I can dig up!

No Bonbons

There has been no idle time for me to sit and watch daytime t.v. and eat bonbons.  I have been putting in long hours in the studio in preparation for four holiday shows and Etsy.

My sitting room is currently holiday central.

Lots of glitter and sparkle.

And lots more holiday crafting to come....tis the season (almost)

Perhaps It Was...

Perhaps it was the cute little shoes that I was attracted to first.

Or perhaps the darling details on the dress that she was wearing.

It could have been the little wave that she gave me each time I passed her.

Perhaps it was the adorable little bow detail on the back of her dress or the tiny old fashioned silver key that wound her up.

She did give me a sweet sideways smile...

Perhaps that is why after seeing her at local antique store a few weeks ago, I finally decided she need to live at my house.

Perhaps she came my way just to make me happy.

Happy Day.

Collection Challenge #75 - Halloween Owls

Well last week I had a request to show my cat collection which I did with my Halloween cats.  I decided to give some equal time this week to some Halloween owls that are pretty keen. Plus it is the Halloween season.

Honeycomb owl, estate sale found, marked Made in U.S.A.

A trio of smaller owls. One spun cotton, one party favor and one handmade.  The old handmade one came to me tucked in with an Etsy order.  It was missing an eye and did not stand...so I worked some magic on it.
Cardboard owls, marked H.E. Luhrs, estate sale found.

A small metal clicker, estate sale found.

A few Dennison style owl stickers and a pack of bridge tally card with a Halloween owl theme.

This owl, although not Halloween colors is pretty nifty.  It is a whistle and when you blow at the base, the wings flip up and the eyes roll about.  I found this owl in my mailbox the other day. I had given a friend some vintage photos and he surprised me with this gem in return, leaving it in my mailbox.

This is reproduction mask, but still has that vintage look.

A super paper hat with an honeycomb center to it. I found this on my Kansas trip last year. Marked H.E. Luhrs.

I love this framed owl. I had an old piece of crepe paper that featured an owl and found a large plastic frame that I painted gray.  I spray mounted the crepe paper on foam core and framed it.

In case you are curious these owls all roost on the top of my china hutch.

Can you believe this is my 75th collection challenge?  Whoooooo has an idea for a future post?  Leave me a comment and finish the sentence "Show me your collection of _____."  Whoooo knows what I will find in my stash....

Half My Body Weight in Glitter?

You may remember I found those two tins of glitter on Friday at an estate sale. They both held a pound of the glittery stuff.

I never really thought about the super-size of these containers.  A couple of folks left comments about the big vintage size containers and it got me to thinking.

I have this stash and most of these are of the pound variety. This would add up close to 20 pounds.

I also find good size jars where women have discarded the original container and put it in any old jar.

Then I have a drawer full of smaller containers of the shiny stuff.

My glitter shrine would add a bit of glitter weight as well.

These two little bottles would only add up to the weight of a fingertip, but they are the cutest little bottles I have ever run across.

That adds up to a lot of glitter.  Let me tell you loud and clear, that there is NO WAY I am sharing my weight in blogland....BUT I do have a lot of glitter.

Estate Sale Frou Frou Friday

I was number five to get in the door today thanks to my friend Debbie, who added my name to the list when she signed up last night. Unfortunately this particular sale was full of cherubs, gold gilt, crystals and a crazy amount of frou frou stuff. The crazy amount of frou frou stuff was really not what I search out.

In amongst the frou frou, I still found a tiny bit of stuff tho.  Primarily stuff for crafting.

A box of florist wire which will be perfect for my reflector flowers. A bunch of pink ornament picks and a green bird with a terrific tail.

I am always happy to find old glitter in Costco size containers. These both contain ONE POUND of glitter and are pretty near full.  I also found a bunch of white garland that is perfect to use for Christmas crafts.

Am glad the frou frou home yielded a few crafting treasures. At least I made out better than the lone potholder I got a few Fridays ago!

Hope your weekend is happy and thanks again Debbie!

A Little Black and Orange Tour

I have had some folks ask to see my Halloween decor so today I got out my trusty camera and shot some pictures.  Lets start at the front door.

I always decorate my front porch with a spooky branch. I walk the neighborhood and then drag home a branch and decorate it with lights. (You can't see them well since it is daylight, but they are orange).  The past two years I have used old vintage tattered umbrellas as well.

This year I was inspired by my trip to the Curious Sofa last fall for my front porch scene.  The shop had a large bowl of white vintage gloves that were emerging from the bowl.  I had a stash of gloves and died them orange.  I have them reaching out of my galvanized container. (They have been in the rainy weather for a couple of weeks and are starting to droop and show some dirt...I need to do some fluffing)

My front window holds my blow mold collection.

Walk in my front door and here is the living room. I always like to add some crepe paper streamers to the ceiling. Sometimes I hang honeycomb balls in the center, but this year there are honeycomb vintage bats.

This is my collection of small figures, candy containers and such.

You have seen the cat nook.

My fireplace has a small alcove in place of a mantle. I have candles emerging from glass chemistry beakers.  I also have a big scary witch from an estate sale. This is not a great picture.

But it is a good handmade witch. I can almost hear her cackle.

Embellished photos with witch hats and horns (purchased from my friend Paula).

My holiday tree.  Some of the ornaments are those special ones that the kids made in elementary school. Old paper treat baskets are corralled in vintage candy boxes underneath.

This big bad wolf is handmade and was found soaking wet a few years ago in the free pile at an estate sale.  I added the "boo" badge and he lives with my halloween decor.

I hung some of my vintage paper decorations over the pictures that usually hang on the wall.

My coffee table decor is pretty simple. Glittery spiders, dishes of candy corn and an assortment of black and orange or black and white vintage tins. I also have vintage children's magazines for your reading pleasure (October issues).

This is the china hutch in the dining room that the Gurley candles live in.  My collection of vintage candy boxes and Halloween owls decorate the top of it.

I missed a shot of my kitchen windowsill, but that concludes the tour. I like that every year I mix it up a bit so it never looks the same.  I do like Halloween!