Woohoo! Excellent Day!

Yesterday morning it was raining cats and dogs, but that was not enough to stop me from going to the church basement. I had been promised a Xmas table afterall...and had to bring stuff in.

So I hopped on my trusty bike, it's just a short ride!

When the pink lady (she's always dressed in pink) told me a Xmas table had been set in the back, I just flew there! OMG the hopes of finding vintage glory! Here's what I found:

                                                    Isn't he cuuuuutttttte?

Look at that face! You just want to squeeze it! LOL

I also found these uglies oops sorry cuties! The little house was probably a cake decoration.

If I'd shown these to my mom she'd probably have an aneuvrism

But I love them!

I'm guessing this is a version of  Bonhomme Carnaval. Bohomme Carnaval is the mascot of the very famous Québec city Carnaval held each year in February. It lasts 2 weeks and it's the frozen version of Mardi Gras.

Again I find myself wishing for a BIG house with lots of rooms....One room near the kitchen where all the Pyrex is exposed ,one room just to keep all the Xmas decor, one room where I could have the Dept 56 Original Snow Village and Dicken's Village displayed year round and a loooong console table where I could display my collection of light up Santas. Ok so it's just a dream, I have this small cozy house that is already bursting at the seems....Bummer! LOL

So The Santa is listed in the shop and i'll be keeping the Xmas cuties for my tree!

I was surprised to read an email this morning telling me my blog is part of  Top 50 Blogs for Yard Sale Aficionados.

That is really, really cool! Here's the link so you can visit!

http://www.associatedegree.com/top-50-blogs-for-yard-sale-aficionados   

I wasn't surprised to find a lot of my bloggyland friends! Like Yard Sale Snoop , Grunge Queen , Everyone Goes to Mick's , Dime Store Thrift , Thrifted Treasure , and last but not least The Pyrex Collective ! 

And since I'm always on the look out for great thrifting blogs I will visit the blogs for sure!

After a long absence I'll be linking today with Vintage Thingy Thrusday over at Colorado Lady

  drop by for a visit it's a lot of fun!

May the thrifting gods be with you!

VTT: A Flea to Get LOST in!

Good morning everyone! I'll be linking to the original vintage party VTT @ Colorado Lady .Check it out for some vintage lovelies!

On the way home from Kingston, Ont we decided to stop at a flea market we had recently heard about. Heck I don't even know its name!
All I can tell you is that it's in Morrisburg, Ont, it's held every Sunday from 8 to 4 and there's tons of interesting thingies!

It doesn't look like much from the outside but it is huge inside! There are different levels, at least 4! Since we arrived at 3pm and it closes at 4....We were running all over the place trying to see everything!

You know how I am with Pyrex! I couldn't help myself and I took some pics!

Yummy casseroles!

I still think about that cup...but i left it there it was too expensive!

Those were really pricey...sad face.

Those pics were all from the same booth! Is that crazy or what? There was a booth with just Depression glass and one with just Jadeite!!! Ever wonder where all the Jadeite went? ALL IN ONTARIO! LOL

We will go back for sure!

Have a great VTT!

VTT: Vintage Shoe Shine Box

A very good VTT to everyone! I'm linking to the original VTT party over @ Colorado Lady . So come over for a visit and join the fun!

Today's post will be a short one as I have the early shift at the postal counter of UNjoy.

Today's item is something I have seen all my life, all of my 44 years. The shoe shine box.

I remember my mom telling me she bought this in the 50's. I don't know where. It was in the kitchen when I was growing up and I used it a lot as seating and a step stool. I feel a tiny bit guilty because it needs some TLC....I need to put a couple of nails in the bottom to make it hold!

Sorry about the flash! I was in a real hurry yesterday as I took the pics and had to use the flash because the light in the hall is minimal at best. I love the handmade painting on it.

It still holds shoe polish, brushes and rags; all the fixins to keep your shoes and boots beautiful. I use it regularly because I'm a firm believer that shined shoes look more polished and professional!

Have a great VTT!

Keeo on thrifting :)

VTT: Lampalia!

Yes Lampalia is a thrifting disease along with Pyrexia, Canosis, Victoriasis, and Oldcraposia. And I bet there are many more yet undiagnosed!

I bet all of you suffer from at least one! Here we suffer from Pyrexia,Lampalia, Barwareosis and a mild case of Oldcraposia.

Today I'm sharing about Lampalia. 15 years ago, when we moved to the suburbs...I was already hooked to yard sales and garage sales. I was really happy to find some in my neighborhood.

On a  bright and sunny saturday morning we stopped at a house where they had a lot of tables with restaurant equipment. Dan wouldn't even get out of the car....Ijust heard: Ask them how much for the tacky lamp, yes that one! The lady at the sale didn't speak french and barely english...she just yelled stuff in greek!

I finally understood 2 dolllllaaarrsss. SOLD!

Ok it's a bit crooked but it's been part of our decor since then! I can't wait to repaint the living room, LOL!

Last summer we went to Morrisburg ,Ont to hang out and thrift and we saw this old man sitting in front of his garage with the door opened and a big Garage Sale sign. We were in awe of all his lamps. That garage had at least 30 lamps in it!  

We grabbed this cutie...

How's that for atomic?

It spreads a really nice light. And I'm so glad we got it because I would've regretted it of course!

Well that's it for today! A quick reminder that my GIVEAWAY is still on and that you have until August 22nd midnight to articipate. Follow the link to comment and have a change to win!

For more vintage joy visit Suzanne @ Colorado Lady and visit every body who linked up!

VTT: Egg Plate and a Giveaway!

@Picture this! Moncton NB 1988. My Dad was working in Moncton that summer and had taken me for a lovely seaside vacation.

One saturday we went to a church sale. I got a green round pitcher for 2$; I still have it today. They had a big bin with 'surprise bags' for a dollar. I love surprise bags and I decided to buy one. I got this dark yellow egg plate with hen S&P. I thought it was the TACKIEST thing ever!

I couldn't picture having it in my appartment...So I gave it to the very nice lady my dad was working with. She loved it and put it in her kitchen.

I kept thinking about that plate; even after all those years....

Then one day on Ebay 20 years later I found this:

I remember getting a really good deal for it (not better than the 1988 1$ )

And last weekend at a Salvation Army in Prescott, On I found those cuties

They look the same! I wonder what happened to their plate!

The moral of this story is...I should've kept the 1988 ones!

For more Vintage goodies please visit my friend Susan @ Colorado Lady

Now for the giveaway! I'm having a giveaway to celebrate my 45th B-Day on August 22nd.

Here's what I will send to one lucky reader

A little chocolate fondue pot for 2, a small vintage gilded miror, 2 cordial glasses

A 'Barbed Wire' Pyrex divided dish

And other things I haven't decided yet!

To participate you must:

     1) Leave a comment on this post

    2) Be a follower or become one

3) Write about it in your blog

See? It's easy as 1,2,3!

I will draw the name on Monday Aug 23rd

Contest is opened to anyone living on Earth :)  

 

VTT: Pyrex Refrigerator Dishes

Happy VTT everyone! I'm working extra hard this week and was not planning on joining the VTT fun. However in order to make it easier on me, I decided to go through my Pyrex pic file...and found these beauties....

 This is the first refrigerator set produced by Pyrex in the 40s. You got 2 small red one, a larger blue one and a big yellow one. I didn't find this set as is; each piece I found individualy over a period of 2 years.

This is the Butterprint pattern. It is one of the most sought after pattern. I was really lucky on that one. I found it almost complete (missing one small) in Maine for 7.50$. SCORE!

Those were a gift from Dad! You know I love aqua. Pyrex calls this color Turquoise.

Beautiful mid-century set!

Sigh! Lovely canadian Delphite. Thank you Pyrex for making this heavenly blue and only here in Canada!

The blue lids were only made for a small period of time because they were not as practical as clear ones. The one with the lid on the table I got at the Lachute flea market for 1$ and the vendor actually look releaved I was taking this god awful thing off his hands!

This is a mixed up set. It is made of some Town & Country (small orangey tan), Verde (small greenish yellow), the medium one and the largest are (but I'm not sure) part of the Daisy set. Some were gifts, some found. I like all their sunshiny hues!

I remember posting this pic in Flickr and got some comments i had too many red ones....Well none of your beeswax! But during the big 2009 de-clutter fest, I started closely looking at the HUGE amount of Pyrex in the house and had a bloggy giveaway and sent 2 of these cuties to some of my readers.

That's it for today. Do visit Suzanne @ Colorado Lady for some nice Thursday social and more VTT!

VTT: First Toaster

This is the first toaster I remember seeing in my mother's kitchen. I always found it a pain to have to turn the toast by hand. But the plus side was that you could fit any size bread you wanted, as my dad demonstrated every morning. We were not a Wonder bread kind of family; we were a rye, pumpernickel, chalah,bagel and other exotic bread kind of people. In the 70's you didn't have specialty toasters for thick cut bread on the market.....You had this one.

This toaster was first made by Toastess Canada around 1948.The doors have a diamond quilted design and are flanked by black plastic handles. I remember the special smell this toaster made. I found it last week in my basement when I was looking for my miniatures for VTT. I plugged it in and there was the smell.

  

When I moved out of my mother's house (not a minute too soon) in 1986 she gave me a brand new one in a box. And it is this one that I'm showing today I used it in my appartment until it drove me mad....I would always wonder if I had unplugged it...Sometimes I would leave home, make it to the bus stop, then run back home to check to see if the toaster was unplugged. Yes, I was pretty OCD back then and terrified of fire ! Oh well! Craziness will happen! I'm keeping this one for sure, it's so cute!
 If you love vintage toasters, THIS is a great site for you.And be a dear and drop by Colorado Lady for some more vintage fun!

VTT: Miniature World

Whoa!!! Holy déjà vu Batman! 51 followers! I’d like to welcome Jade and a mystery follower; I hope you will enjoy your visits.


As I was digging in my brain for a good topic for VTT (Vintage Thingy Thursday) I remembered one of my childhood passions…A dollhouse with all the furnishings. My mom gave me her doll house but it had seen better days and had been fixed with duct tape painted over. The walls were made of arborite and you couldn’t nail anything to it…Needless to say I was pretty bummed out and dreamed of a HUGE dollhouse. I also remember some plastic furniture from the 50’s or 60’s, chocolate brown and blah in my little girl eyes.

In 1976 (my first seaside vacation in Maine) I discovered the amazing world of miniatures. OMG! I was fascinated, totally! You could get everything miniature! Books, place settings, chandeliers, food…I was totally hooked!

I talked to my Dad about those today and he reminded me that I could stay in a certain miniature store in Ogunquit for hours just staring at all the little things. My faves? Little house wares! Are you surprised??? I’m not.



I remember waiting in line with my parents in the basement of Filene’s on a Saturday morning for the doors to open. It felt like the gold rush…literally! Women fighting with each other, changing in the middle of the place…I saw a lot of stranger’s girdles that summer! I got the sink with the pump and the china cabinet seen in this post. Also I got a full bathroom and a bed. I didn’t take pics of those ‘coz they are in bad shape…

My favorites piece didn’t come from a store, my dad gave it to me. It’s the leather chaise lounge. It is very old. My Dad says he saw it all through his childhood. It was made by my grandmother’s uncle Georges. It is beautifully crafted and is as nice as the day it was finished probably more than 80 years ago. We don’t know if it had been made as a practice piece, a sample or a toy and we don’t know much about uncle Georges either. He was an upholsterer. He worked in NYC and later for the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway). He never married, lived with his mom, then his sister. He killed himself. He probably was depressed. It seems to be a trend on both sides of the family. Back then mental illness was not well seen and there wasn’t a lot of options; that’s my opinion.

Oh yes the books have real pages! I'm sorry that one is a bit fuzzy.

So today I made little vignettes for you since the house is long gone. Maybe one day I will get a new one.

I hope you will enjoy them!

Did you notice the duck on the china cabinet? And the pewter plates?

I made the vase with some clay more than 30 years ago....Yesterday I spent a good couple of hours cleaning and fixing all my miniatures. I had negelcted them over the years. I put them in a new box with tissue paper and bubble wrap. No way it's going back to the basement....

Now you scout over to Suzanne's @ Colorado Lady

for some super thrusday FUN!!! Go on, I know you want to! :) 

VTT: Thrifting with Henry

First I'd like to welcome my 48th follower Ally from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I visited her blog and it was a BLAST! From the past, I remember a lot of the same things she does!

Now today for VTT it's thrifting with Henry. After the sugarshack we had to do something to digest that mountain of fat and sugar! What better activity than thrifting? I had to check out a new thrift store in the town accross the river (Vaudreuil-Dorion). I was really impressed by the size of the place and it's cleanliness! How ever the volunteers pricing the furniture were way off. It is a thrift shop after all! So no more 30$ plastic lawn chair, ok???

The housewares were very reasonnable. Henry loves to pose near candlesticks.

 

As a matter of fact as soon as I had my head turned he would run all over the place. People are not used to see an elf ,except at Christmas,and usually not thrifting!

Oh there he is! Posing near some really neat BBQ plates!

 Or Barbecutie plates! I regret leaving those behind...Having my cupboards filled to the ri with Pyrex.....It was better to leave them for someone else!

Here's what I brought back. A lovely lemony Pyrex carafe from the 60's complete with lid. A delicious snack serving set with 4 different bowls: Potato chips,pretzels,snacks and nuts. Also from the 60's it's been barely  used and still bright and shiny! And last but not least a vintage glass Xmas tree top, mint in box as they say. The box still has the original price sticker and back then it was 39 cents!

 After all that fun, even if the fat and sugar was pilling on my hips, I could breathe again!!! See thrifting is therapeutic!!!

For more vintage fun be sure to do your Thrusday Social starting with Suzanne @ Colorado Lady ! Have a great VTT everyone!

VTT: Gran mimi's recipe box

I have to admit that I took my inspiration for VTT from Suzanne @ Colorado Lady .Even if my house is overflowing with vintage and antique goodies, I find racking my brain trying to find things for VTT. When I saw her post on the recipe box she found, I thought of my grandmother's.

When my grandmother was getting on in years and eventually placed in a long term care facility, there was a big thing in the family about her recipes: They were no where to be found, someone had lost them, no they were found, oops they disapeared again. It was like paintings stolen by the Nazi!

 So one time last year I was over at my Dad's and spelunking in the apt downstairs for some Pyrex....And I find this

My Dad says that it belonged to Granmimi and maybe I would like to take it home? Of course I would! It's cute,vintage and full of memories of my grandma!

 

Sorry about the fuzziness of the pic! Can you see the safety pin holding 2 pieces of a recipe together?

Most of the recipe cards are unused and most of the recipes are newspaper clippings from The Montreal Gazette. She loved to read that newspaper....and guess what? I do too! And I clip a lot of recipes from it also. I don't think she made those recipes there isn't any sign of spillage on any of them...

And just what is Veal with fufu??? That cracked me up!

And guess what I found????

Yes that is a pic of a Pyrex Flameware double boiler! If you want my opinion it is a must if you like to cook!

 Going through my grandma's recipe box this morning was like visiting with her (even if those are not the fabled missing recipes!!!) Have a great VTT everybody! 

VTT: Nostalgia and Pink Spring

While I was looking to complete my Pyrex Primary bowl set; (see last week's post HERE)  I got a call…from my Dad.


And he told me that he might have the largest yellow bowl that belonged to his mother( my grandma) in the apt downstairs. My Dad owns a 2 apt house and he rents the downstairs one to friends from abroad that come to work in Montreal.

The downstairs apt used to be my grandma’s before she had to go to an assisted facility. So I take the train and go see my dad…and we go to the first floor and I’m all aflutter (you know the possibility of Pyrex, free and with provenance!). And we open all the cupboards and the drawers and NO yellow bowl; my dad is sure he’s seen it….But then we find this….

And this

And I’m so emotional. I’m getting an actual dish my gran cooked in. Dad says she made tuna casserole in it and the small one held salt.

And I go home with my heart full of Gran-Mimi. And everytime I open my cupboard I smile and think of her…

So this week I’m feeling a bit blue (like delphite) and I needed to invoke the Spring Gods

to bring in the nice weather. It has been slushing (rain and snow) for 4 days straight!


So I made this….

I don't know if the sun will shine but it sure cheered me up!

Have a fantastic VTT and be sure to drop by Suzanne's blog Colorado Lady !

VTT: Little Shelf

It's VTT Vintage Thingie Thursday! And for more vintage fun be sure to visit Suzanne HERE !

Can one suffer from VTT burnout? How can I live in a house filled with vintage and antiques and not know what to write about?

I decided to give Pyrex a rest,LOL and I was sitting around looking everywhere trying to figure out what to blog about.....Until I saw it. The Little Shelf. Funny how we don't really see the things we have, I guess we take them for granted.

   

Most of the objects on it are vintage. The shelf itself was made by Dan in the basement. I started collecting vintage things in 1976. The first year we went to Maine. There were antique malls and shops everywhere we looked. I always had a thing for tins so I was estatic to discover tobacco tins....I remember paying a dollar each. I didn't have a lot of money (I was 11!) but those finds were the beginning of a lifetime of collecting.

The painting was a gift I received from some of my parents friends in Italy, it is of the Italian countryside.

I started collecting old medicine bottles in 1976 too. That was the beginning of my love of glassware. How can it be different? My parents loved antiques: glassware,dishes,paintings you name it they loved it! 

   

Of course I had to fit in a little piece of Pyrex! The cutte little delphite creamer added just the right touch of whimsy.  Last on the shelf is a picture of Donald who was such a good and loving cat, he went to kitty heaven much too soon. 

Have a happy VTT and keep on collecting!

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!

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

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!