Magpie Ethel

Fourth of July Inspiration

There aren't too many holidays that I don't decorate for.  Today I thought I would share a few finds and creations that bring out that patriotic pride.  Alot of things I have re-purposed to fit in with vintage holiday decorating...

Remember these outdoor torches that I found at an esate sale awhile ago..

They fit the red and white theme, and I knew I could use them somehow for the fourth.  I didn't want to put oil in and burn them  - I just wanted them for display.

I stuck a few flags in the hole at the top and they are a perfect spot of patriotic color in my yard.

A couple of vintage patriotic books, two old red and white striped containers filled with fresh roses and a couple of small flags decorate the top of this cabinet.  Even something as simple as some red and white vintage trim makes it into a little vignette.

 

This guy is not vintage...but has that vintage look.  I put him on a old black stand with drilled holes and inserted a couple of flags.

A couple of beaded safety pin baskets in red, white and blue...I need to hunt down some more!

I love collecting little vintage handcrafted treasures.  Crystal and I did a trade this year and this little darling spun cotton pair arrived in the mail.  I love their little bells. (she has an esty shop to boot).

I got this little patriotic gal a couple of years from Laurie Duncan.

Here is a another example of re-purposing a found item. I got this odd  horn (18 inches tall) at an estate sale a few years ago...it has the original blue paint.  I gussied it up and added some holiday fun with vintage items.

This is my favorite photo for the fourth.  It is my dad and his twin brother about 65 years ago on the beach.  I can't believe I found it in the family photo stash.

This little old can lid is the back side of "Hooray for the Red, White and Blue" tag  A great way to re-purpose something!

Old songbook and one of my Uncle Sam creations.

This little scene sits on my coffee table in the living room. (had a heck of a time trying to take a picture, so moved him outside).  Notice the old tin American fife, the vintage patriotic garland and the little man who lives in a cloche...all perched on a cardboard drum.

I found him in a jar of junk and added the little silk flag and the jar top base.  His stand is a couple of old red blocks.

Even something as simple as a couple of tiny ribbons on a pair of topiaries on my front porch as some fun.

Did you know they even make patriotic conversation hearts?

I hope I have inspired some creative fun...once again think OUTSIDE the traditional and reinvent something unusual.  I have one more fun item to share...but that will wait for my next post.

Aunt Lilly's Box

I live in a neighborhood that has an annual garage sale that is supposedly billed as the "Biggest in the Pacific Northwest".  It is always the weekend after Father's Day and this was the 24th year.  140 houses usually participate and it is astronomical the traffic that comes thru eager to find treasures.  It is HARD for me to have a garage sale, since I would rather be out shopping....but I really had to clear out my garage. So I sat in my driveway selling estate sale finds and making some more money to spend at estate sales (never ending cycle).  I did pretty well and luckily I ran over to my neighbor's prior to the sale starting...just as she was unloading a box from AUNTIE LILLY who had recently passed away.  Is my timing good or what?

These two wedding toppers caught my eye on the top of the box of crumpled newspaper.  Perfect to add to my collection!  I dug deeper into the box of newspaper and found these:

An old Winston Churchill toby mug (perfect condition) and a doll cabinet (or it could be a spice shelf...but I really think it is a doll cabinet).  The mug is marked Royal Daulton Winston Churchill on the bottom.  It isn't my style and I only paid $1.  I am hoping it is the incentive I need to finally sell some things on Ebay.  Finally!

And then buried deeper in the newspaper I found these two things as well.

I don't know my glassware too well, but I think this is called ripple glass.  I paid $3 for the vase and $2 for the bowl.

Am thankful I ran into Aunt Lilly's box at my neighbors prior to the sale.  It put a little bounce in my step during my own sale as I knew I had already scored a couple treasures of my own. And for those curious souls who wonder how much I spent...my Aunt Lilly finds set me back $11.50! Oh happy day and thank you Aunt Lilly!

Tis the Season on Estate Sale Friday

Sometimes when I hit estate sales, no matter how many I hit, it seems like I will find alot of some genre of item....today is was Christmas.  It was  short and sweet on the sales today, as there wasn't alot out there.

Lots of tiny Christmas ornaments, angels with spun heads, an unopened package  of spun heads (SCORE!), jingle bells and some old party loot bags.  Fun stuff, but nothing amazing, until I opened this bag...

I didn't look too closely at this bag when I picked it up - I saw old Christmas stickers and tiny ornaments and at a buck, I figured I'd take a chance.

Plus this little popcorn gal on the old bag was so sweet..."as you eat my popcorn treat, twist my pony tail to keep me fresh."

All this was in that little bag.  Lots of tiny ornaments, tons of vintage Christmas stickers (which I collect and have a huge drawer FULL of them), old elves, ribbon and some great resin flowers. As I sorted thru the Christmas stickers, I came across these two - which I have never seen before.

The indian sticker reads "Do not attack till Xmas" and the Santa sporting a RIFLE says "No hunting till Christmas".  Those two really are a sign of the past!  I have alot of the theme that says "Do not open until the 25th" But these two were a great surprise!

The indian and the rifle toting Santa will join these above that I already have.

Not a bad find in an old bag of stuff.

Collection Time - Vintage Paper Napkins

I have not posted about a collection for awhile and if you have read my blog for any length of time, you know I like to collect!  Today I decided to share one of my quirkier collections that I don't display but lives in a plastic storage bin.

Vintage Paper Napkins - I know you are thinking "What the heck?" but once again I enjoy the quirky and unusual. I am drawn to these inexpensive finds for two reasons: Number one the graphics.  Number two the fact that for some reason someone decided to save a simple napkin as a memento of an occasion or had some leftover from an event and they were just to charming to throw out.  I don't do anything with them at this point..am just saving a bit of vintage party history.

  

Tons of Birthday wishes...

An assortment of wonderful floral napkins.

This assortment all came from the same estate and they are all floral. They were all carefully folded and there was one of each design...I like to think the hostess saved them from each game of bridge that she hosted at her home.

Two baby shower napkins.  I love the bottom one where the stork's Dr.s bag reads "Dr Stork M.D.". Note the glasses perched on the end of his beak.

Assorted napkins.  The top yellow ones I think are actually coasters...they would make an adorable rug for a dollhouse!

These were from one estate.  This woman evidently liked her napkins to have the blessing printed on them in addition to saying it before each meal!  A double dose of blessing never hurt dinner!

 

Vintage Santa

Vintage Valentine's Day

Black cats say Halloween.

These little dog themed "Bow-Wow" napkins are super, SUPER CUTE!

Two unopened packs to celebrate the New Year.

And my very favorite...

"It's a Hen Party" - original, unopened package for which I paid a thin dime.  If I knew exactly what a "Hen Party" entailed I would surely invite you all to one and throw a doozy.

Thanks for letting me share this totally, quirky collection!

Tiny Bottle of Happy

I just had to share this jar of glitter I found at an estate sale.  It is the cutest, tiniest container of glitter I have ever seen.  Original price 10 cents.  It sits on my windowsill in the studio and smiles at me.

Lucky Day

Lucky Monday for me today.  First I got out of bed at 6:30 (for the first time this summer) to do a early a.m  walk.  Second, I got on the computer to find I was featured on Just Something I Made as a featured blog while Cathe is on vacation.

I was nominated by April of Midwest Magpies who has read my blog for ages.  Thanks so much - it made my DAY.

And third, I finally got my studio rearranged with the new cabinet that I got at an estate sale a couple weeks ago.

It is still a little grungy looking - but totally works for storage in the studio.  Drawers and cabinet space are a good thing.

Sometimes I like to label my drawers - this one is full of vintage crepe paper -  I used a label from one of the packets on the front of the drawer.

The game drawer...with quite a few boxes of Anagram games.

A catch-all or junk drawer...but nicely organized.

Old ribbon craft straw and some glitter (altho I have glitter stored in two other spots as well...glitter obsession here).

The tin tower.

This is to the left of the new cabinet.  Jammed packed, but organized in a colorful jumbled manner.

And just an FYI this was the cabinet I got rid of - it had great shelf space but I really needed some drawers and such.  The new one works much, much better.

So hopefully lucky Monday will continue on...I have a smile on my face, the sun is out and am ready for a really good day!

The Dollhouse

At last weeks barn sale I mentioned that I found an old cardboard dollhouse in the original box.  I had a couple of people ask me to post about it when I got it put together. 

All the cardboard pieces were there and it had the original directions.  It went together fairly easily. Here it is.

It really is adorable.  I love how the window boxes attach on as well as the trellis to the right of the front door - adds another dimension of cute.  It has a bay window on the right and the kitchen is the addition on the left.

 

This is the backside,

Again a lot of cute detail, but a couple of odd things as well.  I don't seem to have a kitchen floor on the right...and it doesn't look like it came with one either.  The detail on the first and second floor is great..

Love the checkerboard and the other floor details.  There should be a wall between the four rooms - I didn't see it until I was almost done putting it together.  I don't quite get the wall anyhow.  It is just plain cardboard.

It looks to be original, but seems so odd after all the other detail on the dollhouse to have this plain cardboard wall...so i didn't bother adding it to the house.

Pretty cute huh? I'd like to have this house as my neighbor!

Estate Sale Friday

Friday again.  Hit a number of sales and while I didn't hit the jackpot like last week's barn sale, I did squeak out some good stuff.

Vintage wrapping paper (total obsession of mine), plastic favor baskets and some old garland.

A bunch of old bingo markers and numbers that came with the cards, a couple of Tavern Christmas tree candles, a bunch of old dice and some old hand made ribbon roses which will be put to great craft use.

Crazy amount of Bingo cards (all in patriotic red and blue), and a very chippy old metal cabinet with old decal.

The bingo cards will live with these guys in my studio.  Evidently I think I can never have enough Bingo cards.

And my favorite find of all...

A white metal motel chair for $10.  It is in wonderful shape and will join a pair that already resides in my backyard.

It was a fairly good Friday...hope yours was too!

 

 

Think Outside the Box

If you have read my blog for awhile you know that I have a love affair with holiday decorating.  I adore pulling out my vintage finds and enjoying them for a bit.  One of the things that I am attracted to is the quirky and unusual...I don't like things that fit the mold.  For the Fourth of July, I use flags and such, but other finds also find their way into my little vignettes.

A spectacular pair of red and white vintage golf shoes.  (complete with spikes on the bottom).  Couldn't you see Uncle Sam in a pair of these?

When I bought this great star at Farm Chicks a couple of weeks ago I totally had it in my  head to use it at Christmas.  Then it dawned on me that the little blast of twinkly pink would look great for the Fourth.

This is top of one of my tall cabinets with a holiday display.  The star is lit.  The flags are flying,  The patriotic golf shoes are tucked in the display.  I made the tiny flag banners.  The Uncle Sam hat is a totally vintage find (another post with great old photo) and I just go the little photo collage off this Etsy shop.

Isn't this a great little collage?  He even has his bow tie colored in patriotic colors.

So when putting together a holiday display - think outside the box.  Interesting items really make it special.  Have fun with it!

On a side note - a thank you to Wanda from The Rat's Pajamas who emailed the other day asking if I would be interested in some vintage ribbon spools.  I got a wonderful package in the mail from her.  She had packed the spools in a old floral tin.

So, so, sweet of her - and the spools will be put to good use.  She also include a couple of other goodies as a fun surprise.

Two adorable Santa heads - I have never seen these before and they will be perfect in one of my soldered ornaments.  A couple of spun heads and some old wonderful blue plastic music notes (I have never seen these either).  Thanks so much Wanda...you totally, totally got me pegged with these treasures!

Happy Wednesday to all!

Red, White and Blue

Each year as I come across things while I am out on my estate sale hunt  which I organize in certain craft containers as I collect. I have a designated Halloween, Valentines, Christmas (a big one) and of course the 4th of July. When the holiday rolls around I get out the container and see what inspiration lies within.  This is my red, white and blue world.

Then in the magical land of my studio, I come up with things like this...

Patriotic gals in all their red, white and blue finery!

 

And then of course I had to add other festive decor.

Bingo card decorations...the photo I used is one of my dad and his twin brother holding a flag on the beach years ago.

A vintage style newspaper sailor hat.

Flag garland.

Patriotic tussie mussies.

And of course a few Fourth of July flags.

I'll be posting about some of my personal holiday decor as the 4th approaches, but I wanted to get these items listed in my Etsy shop.  Happy red, white and blue monday!