Last Day!!!

Just to remind you that today is last day to enter my FAB giveaway!

Just go to last Friday's post to leave a comment or better still subscribe to follow my blog. Henry and I will make the draw over the weekend and I will post the result Monday Feb 1st. Sorry I can't make it sooner I have a busy, busy weekend...

Yesterday, I happened to go to the Salvation Army and lo and behold it was the manager's sale! Everything at 50% off!!! Well this brings out ALL the crazies (including me!) and the rude and obnoxious and people who don't know how to behave...By the way I'm not in the habit of being rude or obnoxious unless I'm pushed or PMSsing...

So I'm barely in the door and I see this really cute table and it's marked 3.99$ with half off it's 2.00$!!!

So I follow my number one thrifting rule: When you see something you like...grab it, you can always change your mind later. So I grab the table and this man comes up to me and says: Is this table yours? and I answer :Well I'm holding it! to which he replies: Doesn't mean that because you're holding it it's yours! And he grabs the table.
Ok by now i'm thinking that this guy is certifiable!

And I hold one to it and give him the evil eye (malocchio) he probably still has a headache from it...So that's the story of the table! A lot of people looked at me with table envy...

So I was meeting Dan for some sneaker shopping, but we didn't find anything.

On the way back we stopped at one of my fave shop 'Le Panier' in Pointe Claire

And what do I spy with my little eye??? A St-Valentine Henry in the flesh!

He's not an elf but a gnome now with wings!

My Henry was thrilled, I met one of his siblings....

Here it's so cold (minus 5 F-minus a million C) and it's windy the garbage cans are all over the place...

Tomorrow we're Crossing the border (not south but west of us) to Ontario for a day of thrifting and fun.

I'm as giddy as a school girl!

Bundle up and be safe!!!

VTT: Evangeline Ware

Today for VTT my offering is Evangeline Ware.

Evangeline Ware is also known as the Canuck pottery ltd.

It is a truly canadian company. Established in St-John New Brunswick year unknown, it moved to Labelle Québec in 1964 following a HUGE fire that destroyed most of the plant.

Operations ceased in the 1970's. Now for people who think that you can find everything in the web, well you are WRONG! I couldn't find anything else on either the company or the pieces.

We got those all at the same time about 12 years ago. Back then we had a RV (small and 1979) and going there was being dipped in the late 70's (brown,brown more brown and orange). Anyways we were parked at the 'La Claire Fontaine' campground in St-Stanilas de Kosta (a stone's throw from Valleyfield).

We would go there on the weekends and take long walks. On these walks we would shop the garage sales and that's where we found these. The lady asked us 5$ for the lot. I don't know why Dan kept insisting that we get them...I found them pretty tacky back then. But I don't anymore!


I don't know which I like best the candle holders, the ashtray or the snack dish that we call in french ' la plat a pinottes' translated as the peanut dish.

All are mint without a scratch or a nick.

The ashtray is not really functionnal. I remember cigarettes falling all over!

I decided to photograph them directly on my dining room floor because I liked the contrast. And in case you're wondering this is the original floor to the house. Built in 1945 it is actually 2 summer houses stuck togheter which might explain some iffy construction...But that is for another time!

For more VTT fun head to http://www.coloradolady.blogspot.com/

There is still time to post a comment or follow my blog for my fab giveaway! Go to friday January 22nd post and do your thing! Good luck!

Henry's Shopping Spree

Who knew that Henry was a shopaholic? Well certainly not me! You think you know elves!


So Henry was sucking up for a trip to the mall. It seems that working for Santa doesn't allow for a lot shoping!

First stop the ATM for some cash.

An elf can never smell too good! So Henry bought himself an English Leather gift set (eeeewww!). I didn't know they still made the stuff, it screams 1970 to me and I couldn't help myself and included a bad 1970 English Leather commercial-please get braces for that little girl with a mullet PLEASE!!!

Here Henry stopped by the drugstore to say hi to some snowmen dishes he met at Santa's workshop.I have a blue one at home that Dan nicknamed the obscene bowl. I love eating caramel corn from it.

Those are just my size! Said Henry trying on some boots. I'll take them!!! Do you realise that Henry doesn't carry all his purchases. His arms are too short! I'm the one who carries everything!!!

Last pic: Henry's taking a breather in the soft drink fridge. It was getting too hot in the mall!

Don't fall asleep Henry it's time to go home!

Don't forget to enter my fab giveaway by reading and leaving a comment on Friday January 22nd post!

Retro Tuesday: Outfits.....

Today's Retro Tuesday is all about outfits...Outfits I thank the lord my mother never ordered!

These pictures still come from my ONLY vintage magazine; Family Circle 1962. If ever you have some magazines (vintage of course) that you would want to donate for my cause...Please write! I would appreciate this so much!

The mother-daughter outfits! Can you say tacky? I admit this calico dress is not that bad, but I find it definitely better suited for the kid!
My mom was the queen of thrift and would make me dresses in my dad's old sweaters and then she would take white tights and die them to match....I was the only 4 year old with khaki or bown outfits!


I've had this one on my mind a lot...I imagined myself doing errands with this on! And it was hilarious!

Jumpsuits and in this case the jump-in suit don't fit everybody. And certainly not me!
I'm top heavy and these look ridiculous on me! I remember as a late teen wanting one of those garage jumpsuits-they were the big fashion craze in the 80's. My mom finally caved in and bought me one, well HER version of one..the crotch was so high I could berely sit in it! And the rear was so big I could've carpooIed with it! I wore it twice....

Too bad they don't show the alternate color combo...tan with coral and toast trim. YUMMO!
I wonder what toast looks like...


Please be sure to visit my friend and blogger extraordinaire Tracy at www.crazysuburbanmom.com for more Retro Tuesday fun.

P.S: She's having an Old ElPaso giveaway for all you U.S readers! Am I jealous? You bet your sweet bippy!

A giveaway 'coz it's Friday!

Happy Friday everybody!

TGIF!!! To celebrate the end of the week and the beginning of the New Year I decided to do giveaway! YAY for the giveaway! I'm all excited, imagine that!

I will be sending to the lucky winner this beautiful JAJ Pyrex (from England) in the Toledo pattern- and other goodies yet to be determined!

To participate you need to:

1) Leave a comment

2) Follow my blog

3) If you have a blog write abou my giveaway on your blog

Each gives you an additional chance to win. You have until Friday January 29th midnight to participate. Yes I will ship internationnaly but not on other planets...sorry shipping there would kill me!

The winner will be chosen at random by none other than Henry the Xmas Elf

Seen here hanging out in a New Dots (Pyrex) 401!

Good luck to everybody! :)

VTT: Pyrex Butter Dishes

Merry VTT to everybody!

I decided to post earlier this week. Something about the early bird...You know!

So today it's about the Pyrex butterdishes. I was so sure I had 8 of them. I looked and looked and turns out I only have 7. They only made 7.

They all were manufactured in the late 60's- early 70's. The patterns are (from the first pic) clockwise left to right: Old Town Blue, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Woodland,
Autumn Harvest, Butterfly Gold, and the classic Butterprint.

Do you remember when I wrote that my interest in Pyrex keeps changing?

Well The butterdishes are the perfect example! I had no interest for them until I realised the bowls were taking over the house...So I needed to find smaller pieces...Hence the butterdishes!

I love having one on my kitchen counter filled with a stick of glorious butter goodness! YUM!

For more VTT fun please visit Suzanne at www.coloradolady.com

Ullas Wall Hanging

Last wednesday (the 13th) was the after Xmas re-opening of my beloved church basement.I have found some many amazing things there, you would not believe!

Not a lot of Pyrex. I think a lot was thrown away in the garbage, I kidd you not. I find that some people can't just be bothered with donating items, they just throw them away. It's so much easier!

So last week I found: Vintage bowties,bracelets with malachite, a silver brooch with abalone shell, a couple of tops for me, a sewing book,vintage buttons, beautiful 100 % cotton sheets and a few other things that I don't recall at the moment.

I was just getting ready to skiddadle when I spotted this was hanging in a pile of napkins. And my brain voice started screaming: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!! That is soooo cute I have to bring it home, I don't know what i'll do with it but OMGOMGOMG!

So I ask the friendly pink lady volunteer how much she's charging for this and she answered....DRUMROLL PLEASE!

She answered: Nothing,I'm giving it to you.

I nearly had a bowel accident! I should go thrifting with an adult diaper on, just in case....

So very happily I said thank you goodbye see you next week.

The only thing I could find in the web was that it was from a swedish artist named Ullas.From the design it's from the 70's. I put it in my Etsy shop in the morning and next day it was sold and on it's way to jolly old England! Tally-Ho!

Retro Tuesday: Thank God for....

Thank God for Norforms! We now know what is the source of ALL marital problems, right? The missus is stinky! That is the problem! With Norforms in your nether regions, no more stinky! And where there is no stinky, couple can have more of this....

Cuddling, listening to records and stuffing their faces with Cadbury's Regal Biscuits. Isn't that what life is about??? Being fresh down there and eating?
These 2 ads are still from the same mag (Family Circle 1962) that is a virtual treasure throve of interesting advertisements . Too much!

And thank God for vintage magazines! And for more retro fun head on to www.crazysuburbanmom.com for more Retro Tuesday! (she has buttonosis...)

Little Britain

My friend Patrice introduce me to this crazy show a couple of years ago. It is totally off the wall!

I love british humor!



I hope you enjoy these videos...Especially Daffyd the only gay in the village

No Knits For Me!

I was really excited to get the Bargain Issue from Country Living in the mail this week!

I'm all about affordability, recycling, re-using, re-purposing. Just give me spray paint, hot glue and duct tape and I'm there baby!

So i'm enjoying my magazine, taking it in, loving all the pics and the tips and the bargains.....

When I see this....

and start feeling strangely ill....

Now just what is this??? They screwed a bulb in an old sweater? They actually covered a lampshade with an old sweater! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Give me CPR please! I just saw the dust and the cat hair stuck all over!!! I'm not a big duster and I don't see myself vaccuming the sweater like every second of my day. With 4 cats I soooo need smooth surfaces so the hair doesn't stick! And check out the vase at right, it would be a mohair vase here!

The sweater covered pillows I can handle, but no lampshades or vases! Please!

I bet we'll see a lot in Etsy...

Happy friday!

VTT: Dudson Wilcox & Till Serving Platter

This is just one other objects in my house that I have seen FOREVER without really thinking about it... So this morning I was trying to decide what to write about for VTT ( I can't ALWAYS write about Pyrex!) So this platter came to mind! It was made by Dudson Wilcox & Till in Hanley England. The pattern is Valcartier. The company was established in 1902 and folded in 1926. That means my platter is at least 84 years old!

I put this baby in the dishwasher! Yes I'm guilty on the convenience sin! But not with the Pyrex!!! Except the clear one! Ok back to the platter: I can't believe it is that old, man I use it all the time....In the winter at least onece a week when I make Chow Mein and a couple of times a week in the summer when I use the Q. I don't know where it came from, I didn't ask the man with the HUGE memory (my dad), but it's been in our family as long as I remember!

For more VTT fun head to www.coloradolady.blogspot.com and from there you can hop all over and learn about cool vintage stuff!

Linenalia!

I've recently been diagnosed with a new thrifting disease..... LINENALIA! The love and need of vintage linens! I can't stop buying them!

HELP!!!

Aren't they cute? The first one is in Toile and from the 50's. It's totally MINT!

The second one has a mexican theme. Made of 100% cotton, it's even older! From the 40's! WOW!!!


Now this last one I don't need to tell you when it's from! It has a little fabric tab where the spoon is so you can hook a wooden spoon! CUTE!

All are available in my Etsy shop...

Be sure to hop over to http://thriftedtreasure.blogspot.com for a delightful blog and an amazing giveaway!

Retro Tuesday: Retro Surprise!

The mailman brought me a small box yesterday...I have a new mailman and he always looks at me like I'm up to no good....like I torture kittens in the basement! Weird mailman...
The shipping was so fast! I could not believe it!

It was a gift from Tracy at www.crazysuburbanmom.com! Yes she's crazy! Crazy nice that is!

I got this adorable vintage tackylicious apron and a key fob (handmade by CSM herself!). How nice is that?

My guess is that the apron is fron the 60's. It comes with a detachable towel! So practical!
Tracy used some of her vintage buttons for the key fob. The vintage key is super cute! I love the color combo that is SO me! Bright green and turquoise buttons! Good enough to eat!

Here's a detail of the pattern. How charming! The girls look so sweet, and that poodle!

Thank you! You made my day and possibly my week! You are very sweet.

Now if you want to experience Tracy's unbeatable sense of humor first hand...Hurry to www.crazysuburbanmom.com for more Retro Tuesday!

Indian/Pakistani Buffet

Friday night we went to the culinary school dining room for an Indian/Pakistani Buffet. I love Indian food so I was real excited about this!

When I saw the spread I realised that most of the dishes I didn't know and the ones I know had been interpreted...

Our friends Pierre and Johanne had never tried Indian food and I have to congratulate them for trying everything! You guys rocked! This meal was an 'experience'. Some items were hits (samosas,koftas,chutney,raita) some misses ( You could use the lamb as a doostop-yes it was that tough). A big fave was the cardamon and pistachio ice cream. All those different spices must have been tiring for my body because I slept until 10 am! I wake up at 7 on the weekend...

Saturday I took down the Xmas tree and put everything in boxes. It was a great opportunity to use Pyrex and take pictures!

Sunday we went to the dance class and vegged out the rest of the day!

It was way cold outside (minus 16 celsius/ 4 F) to do an activity.

All I wanted to do is snuggle with the cats in front of the TV.....Heaven!

Winterscape

I was putting away the Xmas decorations yesterday and realised that I didn't post a picture of my tree or some of my favorite decorations!

So I'll just have to harass you with Xmas for a while!

First pic: These are new to me snowmen, but obviously vintage...from the 50's? the 60's? I found them in my fave church basement for 10 cents each. I just fell in love with them...

Ah! The tree! It was a hodgepodge of new,vintage, antique,homemade decorations. Like I always say:a tree is personal, decorate it like you want!

I feel I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I could. But at the same time I couldn't wait to get rid of it! It's on the balcony now waiting for the recycling truck.

Now my living room seems empty and life less...

















I didn't have time to change my Pyrex display before Xmas....So I changed it for the New Year.

What says winter more than snowflakes?

Beautiful in white,turquoise and charcoal...I'm still missing some pieces like the 2 qt turquoise space saver and I'd love to get my hands on the metal lids that came with them...

I still can't believe that I passed on those lids at the Brimfield flea in 2008-they were only 1$ each! But I didn't know what they were for a the time....

Ignorance...!"/$$%?&*()_! LOL

Have a great week and stay warm!

Snow Fun with Henry

It has been snowing nearly everyday here and that means 2 things....Lots of shoveling and fun!

Thank god for Henry! He has been such a big help!

In the first picture Henry climbed in the cedar to survey the work to be done!

There's always time for some snow angels! Wheee!

On Dancer,on Prancer! Here's practicing for next year....One can never practice enough!

By the way Dan gave me this super cute reindeer for xmas. I had been yearning for one for quite a while! I named him Robbie. Henry and Robbie became fast friends!

Shoveling the roof is hard work! Thank god we have an elf on hand!

After all that hard work (and play), we each had a big cup of cocoa (my fingers were too frozen to take a pic!) and then a big nap!

Have a great weekend!

Guess what? it's still snowing!

VTT: Pyrex Open Baking Dishes

Now you all know (or most of you anyways) how I love Pyrex....If you're amongst those who didn't know, please read some of the older posts and you'll see my Pyrexia in all it's splendor!

As time passes, my focus on collecting Pyrex changes. At first I HAD to have everything, EVERYTHING! After quite a long while I realised that some pieces just took too much space! Then I went crazy for some NIB (new in box pieces) I have 2 and never use them, they stay in their box in the basement....:(

In September 2009 I developped Open Baking Dish envy(A.K.A Open Bakers)...I felt they were so much more useful than the divided dishes; which I find lack space because of the division and they're a pain to put away because they don't stack up well....

I found my first one in early October at the Gananoque Flea market in Ontario. I got so excited I nearly screamed!!! I was holding it close to my heart all the way to the cash!

They were manufactured in the 50's. They're more uncommon than the divided dish and the charcoal one is the least common of the bunch, but if you look hard enough you're bound to find one!

Here's the Pink Daisy (real name White Daisy) in action. I started a bad of cat grass for the kitties. They miss grass a lot. You'd swear cats are related to cows. When you are in the garden you can see all the cats snacking away on the tender green shoots....

Don't forget to head on to www.colorado.blogspot.com for more VTT fun!

Strange sights at the drugstore...

Ok now if you good folks think I look crazy whiping out Henry and taking pictures everywhere... Clerks at the drugstore think I'm certifiably nuts!

I could not believe the Twilight make up! My jaw is still on the floor! I'm probably the only woman in North America who doesn't freak out on Twilight and it's perfectly allright....to each is own....My fave vampire was Angel....but makeup??? to which dept will they sink to make money????

Aaaahhhh! the Bowel Buddy! That really cracked me up! I bet a lot of us need this after the holidays....

Did the person who though up the name get a raise???

Retro Tuesday: Eaton's Viking Blender

Happy Retro Tuesday to everybody! I'd like to start of by responding to a comment that Maureen from www.thegreensuitcase.blogspot.com left on my last post: Henry's Chinese Lunch. She wrote that she missed the Montreal food.

Well I have a bit of bad news about Ben's...In 2008 the employees went on strike, the bosses locked them out and eventually they closed the restaurant for ever and sold the building and it was leved off last year.
That was a sad day for the Montreal food scene! I remember going there with my Dad when I was small, and I found it so exotic! Oh well, what's a girl to do?

ok let's do the Retro Tuesday thing! Funny how we see things nearly everyday and don't really notice them...I nearly threw this book out 6 or 7 times! And it just dawned on me last week that it's the companion book to the blender we have!

It was bought in 1977 when my step daughter was born, so the blender is 32 years old. It came from Eaton's (does this ring a bell my Canadian friends?). Eaton's was a big store chain in Canada and I thought it was going to be here forever. The first store was opened in Toronto in 1869, it only had a staff of 4. They had stores all over Canada. The company shut down in 1999. For me it was the store, THE ONLY store! So I was really sad to see it go.
I had never looked at the delicious pictures in that booklet. Wow retro joy!

One thing I don't like is that you don't know which recipe goes with which picture.....

You know how gelatin molds make me gag? Well you can bet your sweet bipi that there's gelatin in the pale salmon sqare on the left...it must be a salmon mousse or tuna....And you have a fondue of some sort....

The relish tray is to die for and so are the fondue forks!















Next pic: first, please notice the backdrop!

Second: Look at that chopped salad on the left...it is a spinach salad all done in the blender! The instructions call for putting the spinach in the blender with some water and whiz it until chopped and then you have to drain it....

Is it supposed to save me time? I remember a time that having a blender in the kitchen was....wow! You had it going girl! You can cook now, you have a blender! I don't really use it anymore...I have a food processor. But I never know when I'll need it!

I cannot leave without pointing the mound of jiggly peach colored stuff on the left....is it the same recipe as in the first pic?

Be sure to visit the hostess with the mostest (she probably has a blender....) , Crazy Suburban Mom at www.crazysuburbanmom.com for more Retro Tuesday fun!

Henry's Chinese Lunch

Before taking a well deserved vacation with Santa Claus and gang; Henry asked for a lunch in Montreal's Chinatown.

What a great idea! I love chinese food! My favorite restaurant was closed until Jan 6th-Big bummer! I could almost taste the shrimp wonton, the shrimp in lobster sauce....sigh

So I asked Henry if he minded going to another one of my fave chinese dives, Mon Shing A.K.A Samourai delicatessen.

While employed I went there every week, the food was good and cheap but had the worst service EVER! Henry's always up for new and different!

Here Henry is enjoying some shrimp with lobster sauce and some beef chow main...YUM!

Henry's thinking: Wow those Singapour noodles sure look good!

Henry had a whirl on the lazy susan, but by then the waiters were scowling....so no pictures!

We laughed a lot, we ate too much so we were faithful to ourselves-It it's not broken don't fix it!

Henry had a nice nap in the car on the way home...

We watched Deck the Halls later at night and had a lot of fun, then off to bed!

Hoppin' John

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Did you eat some black eyed peas? You must! They insure you'll get good luck and moneyssss!

We all need money! LOL

So this morning I made a batch of Hoppin' John. Hoppin' John is a southern recipe. A delicious mix of rice,black eyed peas,bacon, tomatoes...DELICIOUS!

I started doing this after hearing about it from Paula Deen y'all.

It is very cheap and filling and very comforting! Dan eats it for breakfast...It's great for lunch.

I got the recipe from the internet but couldn't find it if my life depended on it! I did find a lot of great recipes , some more complicated than other. I used canned black eyed peas and no ham hock, i had delicious bacon instead!

I also heard last week that you had to eat cabbage on New Year for good luck...I won't, afterall bean is the musical fruit!