Magpie Ethel

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.

Smitten, Tickled and In Love

The mailman delivered one of my favorite finds EVER TODAY.  A pair of cherubs. Their faces are adorable!

I was the high bidder and this pair is even cuter in person.

I have seen lots of vintage items, but never a pair like this before. They are about 15 inches tall and made of a plaster composition material. The little bulbs on the gifts light up.

Darling little wings at the back.

SERIOUSLY IN LOVE.  Won't they be cute at Valentine's Day?

Happy Day!

 

Post Office Pins and Needles

I occasionally buy stuff on Ebay or Etsy. There was an item the other day that I wanted on Ebay.  I REALLY wanted it.  REALLY WANTED IT.  When I was the high bidder I was giddy.  I could not wait for the package to arrive.

I purchased the item at the end of May and it was scheduled to arrive on June 5th.  It didn't arrive.  It still wasn't here when I got home from Farm Chicks on the 8th.

I checked the tracking number that was provided by the seller.  My package left North Carolina on 5/31.  It went through N.C. On 6/5 it was in Federal Way, WA which is fairly close to me in Portland, Oregon.  I then tracked the package as it went BACK to Philadelphia, then Jersey City. I started stalking my mailman.  Finally on 6/13 the tracking number showed that it was back in Federal Way, WA.  FINALLY on 6/16 it showed up on my doorstep.

I have never been so happy to see a box on my step.

Here is what I was so happy to win on Ebay.

They are little rubber eggs with darling graphics. This set was extra awesome as it came with the original box. I have found some of these eggs before..once at Round Top and once at an estate sale.  It was interesting to see how they were marketed.

For crib, play room, tub and beach.
The little rubber eggs are almost like balloons.  Some are a little more deflated than others. Some of them have a little rattle when you shake them.  The graphics are adorable.


This is the first batch of these style of eggs that I found.  These were from Round Top, Texas.  I like that they are different designs than the slowpoke eggs that showed up.

Happy I could finally stop stalking the postman.

Happy day!

 

Pinterest Lust

I like Pinterest. It is a great place to organize photos and inspiration. I used to always pull pages from magazines and now I save much of that to my boards.  I also pin from blogs and websites.  Every once in awhile though I pin something from another person's board that I REALLY WANT.

Case in point. Some crepe paper bunnies that I pinned quite awhile ago. I love crepe paper figures and these were adorable.  I was hoping someday something like this pair would cross my path.

Enter Ebay.  I was the high bidder.

Not identical to those that I lusted over on my Pinterest board, but perfect to add to my Easter decorations.

I love it when someone has dated an item.  This pair reads 1949 on the base.

If you want to follow me on Pinterest I have a link on the sidebar of my blog. (I pin under Laurie Romanaggi).  I also just started using Instagram and am getting the hang of that.  You can follow me on Instagram under Magpie Ethel.

Happy Day.
 

Thimble Size Find

I occasionally buy stuff on Ebay and Etsy.  Earlier this week I received two crepe paper figures that I had purchased from Ebay.  I was pleasantly surprised to find them even cuter when they arrived.  So dang tiny too.

Introducing Mr. Sailor Fellow and Patriotic Gal. They will be part of my holiday 4th of July display.

I knew they were tiny when I bought them and remember glancing at my ruler when I was reading the description online.  I was really struck with the tiny details and charm once they arrived.

Love the tiny stars and tarnished glitter on her dress.  They tiny sailor hat and detail on the sailor shirt is awesome. 

Treasures. Smitten with this thimble size couple.  They came to live at the right house.

Happy day.

A HOPPY Break

Yesterday I took a day off.  I went out to hit some antique stores with my Mom. We drove south, hit some shops and had lunch.  We drove scenic back-roads and chatted.  It was a nice break from holiday crafting (I actually still worked an hour in a half in the evening).

I was hoping some of the antique stores would have some crazy Christmas out.  That wasn't the case, but I did get a few small things.  My HEAD OVER HEALS purchase of the day made my quite HOPPY! HAPPY!

An adorable wood cutout bunny.

He is the end of this CRIB!  They were selling the footboard and the headboard separately and I thought this would make a great Easter decoration in my front window.  Since it is the end of a crib it is about chest high on me. I knew I would never find another..it is awesome!

A nice break with my Mom and a awesome vintage find. Back out to the studio this afternoon.

P.S. If you are local, Monticello Antiques has their big holiday show starting tomorrow. Amy and I fluffed our booth this a.m. and it is busting with Christmas. (yes, I forgot my camera)

Happy Find

I was at a local antique mall the other day and saw a treasure that just made me smile. Silly smile. I had never seen anything like them before.  I wanted them, but they weren't inexpensive.  I left them behind. I thought about them all night. I went back the next day to visit them again.

I loved the pink color and the wear from use.

They were well made and had the original soles with a fun manufacturers mark.

I really was smitten and I knew I would never find another pair like them.

So I bought myself a present.  A present that makes me smile when I look at them. VINTAGE PINK CLOWN SHOES!

The laces that came with them were mismatched white plain jane ones.  I added some vintage pattered ones from my stash.

They really are huge.  This is my foot in comparison.

You know how some people have a pair of delicate ballet slippers dangling somewhere in their home as a decoration? Not me.  I have a big old pair of vintage pink clown shoes. Shoes that make me grin.

Hope the weekend brings you something to smile about.

Time For A Vote

Amy from Into Vintage gifted me with the most wonderful spun head angel for the holiday.

It is a Surprise Ball Angel in the original package.

She is darling and would be right at home with my spun angel collection.

The tag that she came with is a sign of the lack of spell check of the time and the fact it was made in Japan....

There are tiny hidden toys inside the ball.

I am not good at not opening things... especially things like this.  The suspense is hard to resist.

I thought about trying to have it x-rayed.  Then I wished I could have ordered some of those x-ray goggles from the back of old comic books.  It says the goggles work on flesh, but what about vintage crepe paper?

I am pretty sure that if I unwrap the crepe paper I am capable of putting her back together after I take all the trinkets out. I am dying of curiosity.
So I am asking blogland to vote. How curious are you?  Should I take her apart and find the trinkets and hopefully put her back together?  Cast your vote in a comment.  Her fate is now in your hands....

Oh Deer!

Off to spend a day crafting in the studio with some friends and watch the Olympics. My kind of day...

Happy Day!

Whistle

May the weekend bring a skip to your step and a little whistle to your day.
I love this little fellow I found on a junking trip with my friend Amy.

He has a key in his back to make him whistle, but that feature does not work anymore.

Can't you just hear him whistling a silly tune?  Happy Day!