Haven't written a post in ages because, in case you haven't noticed, it's Christmas! My favorite time of the year. I love MidCentury Christmas and I so enjoy filling every surface in my home with it.

Christmas is also a time for reaching out to help others and I have tried to spend as much time as possible doing that as well. So I have done  no treasure hunting and even less blog posting.

Yesterday I had a fun day, a combination of friend time and shopping. My best shopping buddy Ruth Ann, often a star of this blog, is leaving for her home in Florida right after Christmas. So we took time out of our Christmas craziness yesterday to have some time together. We ate Mexican food, talked forever, and ended with dessert and gifts at my house.

But in between, we had to make one last treasure hunt until we reunite in spring 2016.

So... A few months ago, I spied a sketchy looking vintage store that had opened in a converted gas station. Not a cute converted gas station, but one that has been covered and reconverted until it looks tired. Yesterday we decided to check it out.

Fascinating! Two girls have divided the building down the middle and have separate shops. The first girl was just "setting up" when we arrived at 1:30 in the afternoon. (what?) Her merchandise was kind of piles of boxes and plastic storage tubs. She followed us around, apologizing that she was trying to get her shop set up because she had only been open since JULY. We were not impressed. I did find one German glass Christmas tree topper which is PINK, and paid her 2 dollars for it May not return to her shop.

We thought we had seen all that the gas station had to offer, but then we decided to check out the shop on the other side. Pay dirt! We met a lovely girl who was outside painting a table and chairs. She buys estates and sells her treasure in the gas station. We spent a happy 45 minutes combing through her small indoor/outdoor space.

She had an amazing  assortment of things. She had purchased a collection of MidCentury dogs, fascinating! I treated myself to one, an aqua daschund planter who I believe is unmarked McCoy.

If you read this blog, you will remember that a few months ago, I bought a pair of little girl's pink cowboy boots at one of my local haunts. Yesterday, I bought the exact pair of pink Durangos with steel tips. So strange, they were on a table of boots and they were absolutely meant for me. Different size but same boots! They will be online very shortly. I was impressed the this girl is working hard and running a fair business. Will absolutely go back after the first of the year.

I'm wishing each of you a peaceful holiday spent doing what makes you happy.

Remember to send out a prayer for peace in our world.

Well, I'm doing better --- two posts on two consecutive days! Yes, I have another shopping adventure to report, so clearly I am a happy camper. Or shopper.

Received a text last evening from a neighbor who was having a yard sale this morning. She stated that there might be Some Things that I would be interested in. Definitely capital letters when she said "Some Things", so I  hoped that there would be treasure with my name on it. And Eureka, there was.

She was selling the top of an old kitchen cabinet, glass in the doors, old shabby white paint, old aluminum handles. Long ago, someone had painted CHERRIES in the corners. So very cool. It is mine now. I will try to work it into my kitchen eventually, but for now, it is in my booth at Oddballs Antiques. Hoping to will draw people like me who love to peer into cabinets for tiny and interesting items.

I just have to wash it up a bit. Pictures to follow. I also bought a striped glass juice set, green glass candlesticks, a mercury glass candleholder for my Mom, a green Fiesta platter, and salt and pepper shakers. 

Yes, there are terrible things going on in the world, and yes, people need help every day, and I do try to do my part. But spending a little money on something old and bringing pride and pleasure to the person who sold it to me still seems like a worthwhile thing to do. 

PS -- The Putz church above is one of the treasures I bought from my friend referenced in the last  post.

Happy shopping!  

I am SUCH a bad blogger! It has been way too long since I wrote, but I have not had a shopping venture worthy of the ink. Until yesterday...

I need to tell you about my friend Mary Margaret. I met her when we were both selling in a nearby antique mall. She was a down to Earth girl, but the things in her booth were amazing. Quality primitives, old children's items, and tons of gorgeous old Christmas stuff.

One day, she introduced herself and a friendship began. We came in together on days when the shop was closed and worked on our booths. She began to bring in things for me to look at when the shop was closed and we did some great deals this way.

I began to realize that her home must be the Taj Mahal of primitives and the Palace of Mid Century Christmas. Someday, I thought...

But Mary Margaret was clearly independent and also a bit, um, scatterbrained? There was the time when she promised to  bring a bag of antique baby clothes by my house for me to see and purchase. I waited patiently, but she never came. Several hours later, she called and asked if I liked them. I haven't seen the bag, I replied. Turns out, she had left them on the wrong porch. My husband and I canvassed the neighborhood; I was so afraid that someone would  throw them in the garbage. Finally Mary Margaret  remember more details about the house where she had left them, and I finally found them after a stressful 24 hours.

We continued to do deals out of grocery bags in the parking lot. A child's wicker rocker, little girl's dresses, even a fabulous old papier mache jack o lantern.

But she always managed to  find a reason why I couldn't come to her house and shop.

So I was pretty thrilled when she called last week and had changed her mind. I considered driving over right then, but thought that might appear a trifle pushy.

Yesterday, I spent a happy hour in her home and it was worth the wait. Her home was beautiful and as filled with treasures as I had hoped. She enjoyed telling me stories of where she had acquired many of her things, and shared family stories about others. With her dog Angie hanging on every word, she  told me about driving home from North Carolina with a magnificent primitive corner cupboard on the top of her Datsun 240 Z, and showed me the tin belonging to her grandfather which had held her treasures as a girl, including her prized swimming medals.

I actually learned a great deal from her, and thoroughly enjoyed the time. And what do I have to show for it? Booty extraordinaire! Gurley Christmas candles, putz houses, an old Santa from Japan, Shiny Brites, Victorian postcards. Some are for me, some are gifts, and some will show up in my Etsy shops.

But more importantly, we have forged a friendship born of a love for old things which will continue to thrive.

The way to a friend's house is never long...


https://www.etsy.com/listing/256953325/vintage-rubber-face-santa-japan-12-fur?ref=shop_home_active_2

WOW! Over 2 weeks without a post, which means, sadly, more than 14 days with no vintage shopping!

It has been a busy time ---  Halloween, getting my dad to some doctor's appointments, and gathering coats for needy kids. That shopping was fun!

Today is a rainy morning in RVA, and it seemed a good time to cover another of my favorite kinds of shopping, and the only kind that I have done lately: internet shopping.

An entirely different feel than searching a dim and dirty basement for treasure, but a treasure hunt nevertheless.

I don't mean buying a tablet from Amazon. I love buying from individuals online, and my favorite  sources are Etsy and Ebay.

Amazing how one can have a personal shopping experience with an individual across the country or the world, but it happens  many many times every day.

The internet has the distinct advantage of global searching; if you are craving a vintage felt elf with a gold suit for under $15, just put it in your search engine and get happy.

In the past week of busy days, I have found time for 2 internet purchases, and both qualify as  successful treasure hunts.

I bought a group of vintage knee hugger elves from ninermont on Ebay. Great seller with fair prices and reasonable shipping.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/254134849/vintage-christmas-elf-gold-foil-knee?ref=shop_home_feat_4


I also found a fabulous  etsy shop called Red Sled ornaments where a talented artist named Judi makes ornaments starting with images from old Christmas cards and postcards. Really attractive and fair pricing. Her shipping charge is the same for 1 ornament or 5, so  why buy only one?

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RedSledOrnaments


So, for those of you who don't share my joy in getting your hands dirty while shopping, check out treasures online.

Just not at work...

Yesterday was a perfect fall day in Richmond VA. Blue sky, golden light, a few red leaves, and neon yard sale signs. Who could resist?

I truly would have stayed home in the morning and attended to housework, but I needed to visit a friend in the hospital, so off I went. And since the hospital route took me through some nearby old neighborhoods... well, you can guess the rest.

The first sale was a bust; new items mostly. I wished the young couple well and headed onward.

Then, another sale sign caught my eye so I turned down a promising street. Tables laden with old drawers full of tiny items caught my eye; this one was worth a stop.

I zoomed to a stop and then proceeded to stroll casually among the tables. My heart pounded when I saw two large  old plastic horses. One had General Lee on his back, and the other held Roy Rogers. This guy had good stuff.

As I was trying to look casual, someone spoke to me and I turned around to see... my Avon lady.

Turned out that the guy having the sale is her son.

We chatted and she introduced me to her son. Clearly, he is a dyed in the wool, old style collector, right down to his three day beard and a very ancient cap.

We talked about a local flea market ( a tip I filed away) and kindergarten. Interestingly, we attended the same one. He has sales several times a year, he told me, and I promised to keep an eye out for his signs.

Bond established, I got good deals on a baby head vase, a plastic jewelry box with KITTENS on top, old Halloween paper items, a hanky box, and some old Donald Duck Christmas cards, never used.

The baby head vase has a major jagged crack on the back, so she cost 25 cents. Doesn't matter, since she is for me.

Couldn't afford either Robert E. Lee or Roy Rogers, but I did get a free Avon book.

Happy Friday to all! Should be a good weekend for estate sales, yard sales, and general treasure hunting.

I have had fun shopping this week in the houses of two friends.

One is downsizing due to illness; a friend and I have helped her get ready for a sale of her many antiques. I'm happy to report that the sale was a grand success.

And some pretty things came to live at my house: celluloid jewelry, doilies, Flow Blue, and lots of vintage baby girl items.

It was great to help her and shop at the same time. I especially enjoyed rooting around in the attic! 

Another friend is divesting herself of 40 years of collectibles, stored in her attic.

I am no longer a fan of Hallmark ornaments from the 80's and resin Halloween figures, but I climbed the attic stairs, determined to find SOMETHING interesting.

I was rewarded with some great items to consign for my friend --- an old coat rack, shabby vintage cookie cutters, and a ton old Shiny Brite Christmas balls.

SO... a 2 attic week! I call that a rare opportunity. I had a ball and hopefully helped some friends out as well. 

No posts lately because sadly, I haven't been shopping. Unbelievable but true.

I tried very hard this morning because, after all, Hurricane Joaquin is heading for the East Coast, and that is  surely a reason to go hunt for vintage.

Hit one of my favorite thrift stores but no dice. No treasure today.  Especially sad, since today was 25%  off day.

In the absence of any new finds,  I'm posting a photo from one of my last great adventures, the Day of The Pink Cowboy Boots. I'll have to exist on  my memories.

Stay safe, everybody.