Magpie Ethel

Estate Sale Friday. Finally.

It felt really good to get into estate sale land today.  The past few weekends I have had other plans or been out of town, so I needed that estate sale fix.

I hit three sales today (and one yesterday).

This pixie was starting out at me from a kitchen cupboard. I was happy to find him.  The Shiny Brite boxes it the background are 10 boxes of vintage pink ornaments in the original boxes.
  It was 102 here yesterday!  I think this vintage fan will be put to use.  Great base color!  The auto kit will head to Etsy.

Lots of this and that.  I dug through bags of misc. at one sale.  I was happy to uncover two vintage Christmas corsages and some old tin molds.
A child's shoebox for my collection and a Christmas tree. I think the tree holds cards.

Quite a few sweet Christmas ornaments.
A nice ceramic Santa and a holiday stocking.
A super egg shaped candy box and a candle intended to be burned each birthday to mark a passing year.
An assortment of vintage wrapping paper
One of the sales I hit was an old fruit market closing. I got old racks and store display pieces.  I don't find them super often. I found two that are often referred to as "chip clip stands".  The black rack will hold boxes or containers.   The metal signs are like garden stakes.

I also found 6 "chip clip" style that have a hanger on one end. Here they are holding a couple of vintage children's records I found.

I was happy to find the crepe paper flowers too. I divided those that I had the other day between two vases and was thrilled to find more today to plump up my arrangements.  

It was so nice to be out hunting in estate sale land. I am heading out again tomorrow and hope to find more treasures. This is the season of estate sales!

Happy day and happy weekend.

Collection Challenge #265 - Vintage Child Records

I found a couple more children's records last weekend.  They were Easter records which I am partial to. I found the two on the right at an antique mall.

I found a couple more Easter records about a month ago as well. (I stuck the records away and now I can't locate them. This photo is from my estate sale post). The bunny hop looks to me like quite a popular dance and record.

My favorite records are those that have darling graphics printed on the record themselves. I have two of the same record.

I also have this charmer.

I was only going to do Easter records on this challenge, but realized I have some other fun records stashed away.  I had to share them as well.

Flip side of the above record.

Sometimes I only find the record cover and no record.  This one was in a free box.

There are certainly quite a few titles out there to still hunt down.

This father is such a handsome fellow.

Of course I have a few Christmas records.

Happy Birthday records. Look at the expression on the little girl's face as she eyes that slice of cake. A silly collection.  I don't even have a record player!  Collected just for the graphics and themes.

If you have an idea for a future collection challenge, leave me a comment and finish the sentence "Show me your collection of ______."  A new collection each Tuesday.

 

Collection Challenge #264 - Vintage Child Hankies

I got three new vintage child themed hankies this past weekend at a digger sale. I have quite the collection of hankies and have shared them here (Valentine), here (dry cleaning pocket hankies) and here (my initial challenge on them, 4 years ago). I really do tend to pick up the sweet child themed ones and thought it would be fun to share the assortment I have.

When I grow up I want to be.....

Bunnies in space.
Elephants in space.

Hankies with cute little ducks and chicks.
Elephants on parade.

Remember that song you sang as a kid?  Frere Jacques?  This is a sweet little hankies with the lullaby lyrics.

I found this sweet ice skating bunny last week at the digger sale. It has a few holes, but is so sweet.
A fellow hard at work in the garden.
Hankies with an Easter theme.

Springtime birds

Robinson Crusoe and Friday
Hopscotch
I think this is a New Years dog.  The owner of the hankie wrote her name in pen on it, so she would not lose it.  Perhaps she knew it would be a wild New Year Party?
I love this Smokey the Bear one.

These ballerina themed ones are darling.

These three animal themed hankies have a similar design, but were found separately.
Circus theme.

How could I resist a bear in a polka dot bikini circus outfit? Balancing a ball on her nose WHILE walking the tightrope!
This pair is of the Pee Dee Character line. Stella Strawberry and Penny Pineapple.
Disney themed hankies. The red one still has the original ten cent price tag.
Woody Woodpecker
Such a crazy variety and there are TONS out there that I don't have.  Fun to share this one.  If you have an idea for a future collection challenge, leave me a comment and finish the sentence "Show me your collection of _____".  A new collection each Tuesday.

 

Collection Challenge #263 - Vintage Elves

Elves...those cute little fellows with big ears.  This is one of those categories I don't collect for myself, but only for crafting.  I search for elves year round and then craft with them during the holidays. I thought it may be fun to show how many varieties there are out there to hunt down. And there are still a bunch out there that I don't have.

I just hunted down this batch this past weekend.

Elves with polka dots.

Elves with big ears and cute grins.

These elves are really big.

Elves in white.

These elves really look like they could get into mischief.
Elves in stumps
Elves in mushrooms.
Elves in shoes.

This fellow was a shaker with the holes in his head.

Elves on logs.
Elves that grant wishes.
Lots and lots of elves...so much variety.

I've had my little elf boxes on my blog before..but this is what I craft for the holidays. Little magical worlds...lots of glitter and vintage doodads.

If you have an idea for a a future collection challenge, leave me a comment and finish the sentence "Show me your collection of ___".  

Off to hunt down more elves...

 

 

Nameless No More

You may remember this fellow. I found him at an estate sale and posted about him here.  I asked about naming him and got lots of suggestions from people. A year has past since I got him and he is still nameless. It has been on my mind.  He does need a name.  I wrote down all the suggestions (more on the flip side). Shara has been very persistent with name suggestions.

I had one name in my head after reading it in an old yearbook the other day.  It was BUNN.  I liked it, but it needed something else.  

I got this comment the other day from a blog reader, George.

Hey Magpie! I have been wanting to Email you for sometime now. Today when I saw your Independence Day post, I remembered why. Ever since you first ran your contest to name the Little Boy Mannequin, I wanted to tell you my suggestion. Someone may have already said this to you, but ever since I first laid eyes on him, I just knew his name was... HENRY. From time to time I see him pop-up on your blog & I yell to my wife, "Hey, Magpie Ethel has HENRY again today!" Well today, my wife (Donna) wisely said, "You better Email Magpie Ethel with your suggestion, before she names him something else. That is... if you know what's good for you." So, I officially submit his name, HENRY. I hope you like it & agree. My wife Donna & I are big fans & read your column everyday. You are a cool inspiration! Peace... George

I like the name HENRY..and a couple of other people had suggested it as well...but I like the name BUNN. I am putting two and two together.  I am going to call him HENRY BUNN.  I am going to call him by both names..not just HENRY, but HENRY BUNN. 

Done.

Happy Day Henry Bunn.

Collection Challenge #262 - Old Fashioned Patriotism

I put away all my Fourth of July decorations yesterday.  While I was boxing things up I thought I should share my collection of patriotic creeds, pledges and other assorted items.   My collection for the most part is framed or larger and is the backdrop for this display of Fourth of July goodies. I like that it provides some interest behind all the other smaller figures.

This was a Farm Chicks score a couple of years ago. I don't know the original use, but I like the large scale.

This Star Spangled Banner was an insert in a newspaper. I hang it up with an oversize coat hanger with clips. It was displayed in my living room over my mantle.

This Pledge to the Flag is really neat. The flag graphic is raised. I love the colors of it too.

I also like that it has the original price tag on the back side. $1.29

This American's Creed is extra special to me. My aunt passed away earlier this year and I found it amongst her things.  It has her name on it and was given to her when she graduated from high school.

I found this Pledge of Allegiance last week. The estate had a collection of Statue of Liberty items.

I framed this Pledge of Allegiance in a shadow box. Someday (when I find the right doodad) I will add something else to the box.

A framed pledge for Every soldier, sailor and marine who is fighting for my country.

It is dated 1942.
On this piece I added an old red, white and blue hankie when I framed it.

A fun collection of patriotism.  It will be fun to see what other things I can add to it this year.

If you have an idea for a collection challenge, leave me a comment and finish the sentence "show me your collection of ____".  A new collection each Tuesday.

 

Estate Sale Friday. Eavesdropping

With this holiday weekend, estate sales were slim. I did not plan on going out into estate sale land.  I did pop by a vintage shop and while there overheard a conversation about an estate sale nearby.  I asked the person for the address and they said it was the last day, but there still might be some things left to dig through.

I went. I dug.

This stuff was all jumbled here and there in random boxes.  I found fun stuff.  It made me wonder what I had missed.

Vintage kewpie doll and a lone ribbon spool for crafting.

Lots of tidbits.  The postmark on the envelope is dated 1925 and the flag graphic is awesome.

I dig the little SOS graphic on the oil can.
I dug a few old Valentines out of boxes. The box of Holiday puzzles has four inside and each is complete.

Risque warning.  I threw this little nudie gal in my box not paying much attention to her. When I got home and was looking through things I discovered she has a little handle on the bottom. When you turn it the nudie gal gyrates in a suggestive manner.  She is pretty crazy. 
A couple of holiday records, a great party book dated 1939 and a cute little Santa. The Santa has a pack full of mercury glass beads.


I have a thing for patriotic themed framed items like this Pledge of Allegiance.
The gentleman who's estate is was had worked at the local fuel company for years. He had some old unused calendars that the company used to hand out to customers. I liked this one from our local zoo dated 1963. The elephant photos are from our local zoo and feature Packy the elephant when he was born.  (Packy is famous as he was one of the first elephants born at a zoo and is still a popular attraction at our zoo)

I found some neat old items from the Rose Festival parade (local) as well as the Pasadena Rose Parade.  I wish one of the programs would have been associated with the queen that lives at my house.

A Chinese checker set complete with all the marbles and checkers tucked into tiny drawers.  This set has wonderful graphics...look at the fellow's ears.

Not bad for a little eavesdropping.  Got my junking fix for the weekend!

 

 

 

Red, White and Blue at Magpie Ethel's House

Sneaking my holiday decorations in by the skin of my teeth this year.  Fun to pull out my patriotic bin and decorate for the 4th. Long, picture filled post.

I have a love affair with sailors.

I seem to be on the hunt for old batons.  I love the patriotic themed one...I found it that way. The end of it is all old tarnished glitter.

I wish I would find old sparkler boxes more often.

My fireplace mantle had a music and parade type theme.

Even my mannequin head gets in the patriotic spirit.

The top of my china hutch is a favorite display this year.  I mixed it up from years past...plus my collections are always growing. I made this gal and then loved her too much to sell her.

My front window was simple this year.  My grandfather's flag and a couple of wood stars picked up in estate sale land on different occasions.

I had a little display of some of my vintage patriotic themed cards and paper items.

I just got a new mica gnome the other day and added it to my others.  I thought they could live with some patriotic flair for a bit.

Random red, white and blue and patriotic items. (It is always hard to photograph into this window)

My little patriotic white star tree. My collection of vintage hatchets is just sitting in the bowl...I really need to frame and display them nicely. (another project)
Hard to believe the Fourth is tomorrow.

I hope yours is safe and happy.
Happy Fourth of July.