VTT: Those jars AGAIN!!!

As I was telling my dad that I got some more Mason jars today… He told me: You really have a thing about Mason jars don’t you?

I read your blog and these beautiful old jars reminded me of my childhood. I used to see them all the time!

And I commented : They must have been exploding all over the place! I recall hearing about peaches and exploding jars (was it in I love Lucy?).

Dad said: Oh yes I remember the explosions! We used to buy maple syrup that usually came in tin gallons, but this one time the maple syrup came in mason jars….We didn’t have room for a cold room so your grandma fix a closet as a cold room. And that summer it was so hot that all the maple syrup jars exploded and there was a sticky mess all over!

I really love hearing stories from my dad’s childhood; he seems to remember all the day to day things that I love so much; so I wanted to share this one with you.

If you want to read the original post...here's the link right HERE!

Happy VTT! Of course I'm linking to Colorado Lady super fun vintage party right HERE

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: 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: Assorted Barware

First of all, I want to thank everyone who visit my blog and if you leave a comment it's an added bonus! I really appreciate your input,your humour, your opinions.

I had a not so nice morning and I need to re-focus and think nice thoughts....Kittens with bows....Bacon....Sunshine....Pyrex....Aaaahhh the Pyrex did the trick! LOL

So after your visit please stop by Suzanne's blog HERE  for your thrusday dose of vintage!

Today I offer you pieces from Dan's barware collection. Dan doesn't drink so it feels funny that if I look around I see shot glasses and cocktail shakers...Oh well! You don't choose your addictions....Did I mention that Dan is afflicted with Lampitis? (The love of vintage lamps).or is it Lampalia? I forget....

The cocktail shaker was Dan's Valentines gift. I had never seen one like that. My guess is mid-century but I can't find who designed it. It has a Georges Briard feel to it. I love the turquoise....HUM turquoise!

The glass was in Dan's Xmas stocking. I had no idea who Fred Press was...Now I dream of finding Fred Press glassware in every flea I visit....Both were Etsy finds.

The Numerology cocktail shaker was made in the 60's by Hazel Hatlas (Hazelware). It came with the original box. Another Etsy find. The seltzer bottle comes from France and was brought back by my Dad in the 60's. It is much older than that. My guess is early 1900's. I had been in love with the color since I was a wee girl.

Thanks for visiting! See you soon! :)

VTT: Small Treasures

Happy VTT everybody! be sure to stop by Suzanne's super fun blog Colorado Lady for a full helping of Thursday social!

Whenever I participate in VTT I feel I've visited 30 or more friends and I feel blessed to visit with you all and see your finds and treasures!

First I'd like to welcome my new followers: Mimi and Douce France. Thank you for following. I love your blogs by the way!

For today's VTT I'm showing small pieces I found in the last 2 weeks and non is over 3 1/2 inches!

I had no idea what those were when I bought them only that my maternal Grandma had a hutch full of that lovely Xmas pottery! I found out that these are Lefton salt & pepper shakers from the 60's. They made me feel all warm and fuzzy....

This little creamer screams mid-century and I could not leave it at the Salvation Army! It's from Laurentian Art Pottery in St-Jerome Quebec, it's less than an hour from where I am. Talk about local! It was made in the late 50's. Not a lot is know about th pattern or the company...

Last but not least,these 2 beauties are thrifty finds for sure! I found them last Monday in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (a stone's thrown from where I live) in a thrift store that sells mostly furniture. I paid .25 cents for each. The cocktail glass is unmarked but it looks like a Fred Press design (probably a repro) from the 50's and the small green vase is really a planter made after 1930 but before 1950 (my guess in more near 1930) in Green Slag Glass by the Akro Agate Glass Company from Akron Ohio. These made all the glass marbles, but in 1930 their revenues started to dip because of competition so they started to manufacture small glass objects. How coo is that? The pattern is called Ribs and Flutes!

Thank you for dropping by!

Vintage Thingy Thursday....Me!

Since Halloween is just around the corner.....I wanted to write about the Halloweens of my childhood, but couldn't find ANY pictures!

I did however, find pics from my figure skating days 1973-1977. Every May (around Mother's Day) we would have a recital with costumed numbers,programms and soloists.

We were cast according to age and height. My first year I was a Pierrot (some sort of sad clow-I couldn't find the translation) and also in the chorus of a number called 'Buttons and Bows'.



It was the ugliest costume, I remember it well! A polyester rust short dress with a big sequin button in front. My parents probably didn't fork over money for that ugly pic!LOL

Every time I hear the song I think of that costume and of Frasier Crane at the PBS fundraiser singing 'Buttons and Bows'. babetipoo, bibediboo,lalalala buttons and bows!








Second year I was cast in Tea for Two. I was a tea bag!

Ewwwww! I wanted so much to be a sugar cube or a spoon. And the choreographer didn't want us to sit on our tea leaves...

Third year it was Cowboys and Indians....Yes I was an indian! Even if my hair was really long and strait and I could put it in braids no problem, I had to wear that bad Phentex-sy wig.

My head was itchy and sweaty...eeeeewwwww! Very traumatic for an 11 year old girl!

My last year I was in a Xmas number. I think the theme of the show was holidays around the world....

The other skaters would call us 'the little checkerd jars' which is a reference to a jam company in Quebec, Vachon and they sold their jams in petits pots carrotés (little checkered jars).

I remember being cold in the costume because of those sleeves where all the cold air from the ice would seep in!

All those costumes were rented, so the instructors would tell us over and over again to be careful and not ruin the costume....

Of course my proud parents would bring the whole family to these recitals. My Mom would say everytime: I recognize because you're the only one with straight legs!

Since I had earned all my badges, it was time for some private lessons which were mucho dinero and didn't coincide with my school schedule, so figure skating was out.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the original VTT over at Colorado Lady www.coloradolady.blogspot.com

Later faithful readers! :)