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: 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 :)  

 

Flea Market Style and Giveaway announcement

So Dan is on vacation this week and you know what that means! Projects,projects,projects and that's why the blogging has been erratic.

Yesterday I had a follow up appointment for my eyes to check to see if I really had glaucoma. And I don't ! YAY! Dancing around Pyrex....

So since we were a the big shopping center, I needed to shop for underwear...again ! The last batch was really cheap and was full of holes . On the way in 6 months.So off to Sears we went I saw a big magazine store and I decided to stop and check to see if they had Flea Market Style. I was real eager to look at it because I had missed the first issue.

And to my big surprise they had it! I hungrily leafed through it and decided to buy it until I saw the price....

12.95$ excuse me? 12.95$ ????? For an ok magazine?

Excuse me, I'm screaming in my living room! Sorry about that. So when I saw the price I said are they f***** kidding? It's a version of Country Living.

I understand it's an indie mag but people who go to fleas, thrift shop or scavenge are not gonna pay 12.95$ for a mag telling them how to decorate with their finds. They already know, it's in them,it's genetic! And besides they want a good deal!

Ok now on with the giveaway! On August 22nd I will be turning 45 (oh my) and to celebrate I will have a giveaway to celebrate!

I will announce it tomorrow on VTT so come back for a visit tomorrow!

The pics in this post were from Morrisburg's Antiquefest last saturday.

Have a great day!

VTT: Picnic Memories...

AAAAAaaaaahhhhh! Summer!  The scortching heat, the laziness, the smell of freshly cut grass, the promise of a 3 color pop-sicle, the joy of a picnic!

I remember my mom fixing some 'Pigs in a Blanket' with Pillsbury crescent rolls, Kraft process cheese slices and hot dog sausages. She would cook them and when lukewarm put them in an old Lion's Club Fruit Cake tin . We would pack drinks and head up to 'the Mountain'.

The 'mountain' in Montreal is Mount Royal. It's really a hill sitting in the middle of the city. It's green and lush and the lung of the city. It would be my fave place to hang out. I would go there on sunday with my dad to pick wild flowers (before we thought of protecting species-remember it was the 70's).

I also have great picnic memories with my cousins (all big Martha Stewart fans). We would make gourmet fare, meet an have a picnic on a beach in Ste-Adele.

So imagine my surprise when my Dad gave me this beautiful Picnic Basket!

Splendor in the grass....

This one was made in England in the late 50's or early 60's by Sirram.

It is brand new. Vintage yet never been used.

  

Everything for 6 and the tags are still on!

Look at all those fab containers! And 3 thermoses!

I'm so grateful my Dad gets me and shares my love of sweet vintage. This wonderfull Picnic Basket came from the wonderful Mrs Silverstone's shop in Park Ex.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit Suzanne from Colorado Lady for more VTT Fun!

VTT: Vintage Pyrex Ad

Welcome to another edition of VTT! The thrusday social always make me feel happy and light!

Be sure to visit Suzanne from Colorado Lady for more VTT glory!

When I saw this in Etsy I couldn't help myself, I had to have it!

White and Turquoise a wining combination! And I was glad to discover pieces I had never seen before. Like the clear S&P with the turquoise top, the beverage server with it's rack, and the cradle for white round casserole at left (Frost Garland). I have no idea from which magazine it came from....and no year. However the Turquoise Snowflake was introduced in 1957 and the Frost Garland casserole was introduced in 1962, so my guess is winter 1962.

Let the hunt begin! I have some new pieces to find! Tally Ho!

VTT: Opal Love

Happy VTT everyone! I'm always stoked when Thrusday rolls around...what to write about? I can always

 count on my old standby...Pyrex!

So if you're already a follower you probably read Monday's post HERE! about the Red Barn and the fart faced seller!

I found one of the missing links....A small Pyrex Opal fridgie! With lid! Opal means a white Pyrex with no pattern on it.

The Opal bowl set was introduced in 1954 and had 4 bowls. The company produced them only for 2 years. I don't know about the Opal refrigerator dishes, but what I know is that they are mighty hard to find!

 

On the far left you can see the new addition, next to it is the medium fridgie. In the back are the 401 and 402.

Part of the Pyrex urban legend is that the largest fridgie doesn't exist. I have never seen one in person, on Flickr or Pyrex Love....Prove me wrong and let me find one!

I couldn't help myself! Another shot of delicious Pyrex Opaliciousness!

Here are more pics taken inside the Red Barn in Hudson, Qc home of the fart face seller.

 

OOoohh! Melmac!

Le Creuset and assorted cast iron

Assorted Glassware

Need a toaster??? We got toasters!

Chairs,chairs and more chairs....

And guess what? More chairs!

I hope you enjoyed this little tour! Be sure to visit the so delightful Suzanne from Colorado Lady

for more vintage joy!

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: Alice in Wonderland

Today on VTT I'd like to share a book, a pretty old book. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

It was printed in 1937 by the Platt & Munk co. inc. New York. It seems this publisher specialized in children's books.

I couldn't find anything more about the publisher. This is the kind of thing that you've seen forever, yet you  don't know anything about it...I remember looking at the images as a child....

 

And I remember my Dad designing costumes for local Alice in Wonderland production. At that young age I found the story delightful....

 

As an adult well not so much....I fail to see the magic and all I see are crazy people and drugs! Much like the world today....And the movie....Well let's just say the Helena Bohnam Carter was born to play in it and looked both crazy and scary! 

Have a great VTT and visit Suzanne @ Colorado Lady for more VTT fun!

VTT: Pyrex Dinnerware

I found out this morning that information on this line is pretty scarce. In the book Pyrex the unauthorized Collector's guide by Barbara E. Mauzy it is written that the dinnerware line was introduced after the second world war and that much of it has survived finding it's way to the antique marketplace; well not in Quebec honey!
Here finding Pyrex dinnerware in good condition is like finding a gold bullion in cow dung (how's that for a mental picture?).

How cute it is in the morning light!

The original colors were Dove Grey,Turquoise,Lime and Flamingo (pictured here) Years later they added 2 new colors Regency Green and Royal Burgundy, Rengency Green being the harder color to find.

I was lucky to find these pieces on eBay last year for a very,very reasonnable price and the shipping was cheap too. I just scored some saucers last month. Bit by bit,piece by piece one day I might have a complete set...Who knows?

For the time being I'm happy to have found a cream and sugar set with the lid...nearly mint!

I hope you enjoyed this little Pyrex fix! Until next time, be happy,keep thrifting and visit Suzanne @ Colorado Lady for some more VTT fun!

Happy Earth Day!

Good afternoon everyone!

 I am sick with some kind of cold for the third time in 3 weeks...That sucks big time! I haven't seen this week at all, I've slept most of the days....I did'nt have the energy to participate in Thrusday Vintage Thingy over at Colorado Lady but that doesn't mean I won't visit since I feel a bit better!

About Earth Day...Here @ Vonlipi's house everyday is Earth Day! We recycle,compost,buy local,grow some of our veggies,use public transport or the bikes,bring our own bags when we go shopping (I hate that one but I still do it) and use re-usable drinking bottles.

Yes, just like these....I love these bottles! They look cool and they keep water cold a long time!

So the other day Dan asks if I've looked inside my reusable bottle. And I say no,why. Well take a flashlight Miss V.and take a peek inside...And I did.

And I nearly threw up!!! OH YEAH BIG TIME PUKARONI!

What the??? I don't understand! I wash mine 3 or 4 times a week! What the hell??? And I look in Dan's and it is WORSE! EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!

And Dan says I wash mine at work all the time! So I soak them and brush scrub them twice and the little buggers are there smiling at me! And I bring out the big guns (javel) and pour some in with hot water and wait and scrub with the brush and now they're waving at me....!"/$%?&!"/$%?!!! (That's me cursing a blue streak) So finally I just tossed our beloved bottles in the recycling bin!

So be sure to take a gander inside your reusable bottle if it isn't see through!

This might be why I'm sick all the time....  

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!