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!

Retro Tuesday: Vintage Hamper Glory!

Happy Retro Tuesday everyone!

I'm a bit late but I have a good excuse! I was cleaning and rearranging the second pantry. Second pantry you ask? My kitchen doesn't really have room for canned goods (too much Pyrex?) so I use part of the wardrobe in the hall. The Danmeister is on vacation and what does that mean??? PAINT! And in this case some building too and changing those miror doors on the wardrobe. So I took the opportunity to clean and throw out expired cans of soup (2005). I can't believe I missed that. I rearrange the canned goods at least  twice a year! Oh well!

As for my Retro Tuesday post....Let's travel back in November 2009 shall we? It was cold and misty and I was riding my trusty bike to the postal counter (where I now work). I was mailling objects from my store. And one the way back I saw this diamond in the rough, this amazing piece of thrifty goodness, this once in a lifetime opportunity....It looked like it was in the garbage but not really...But it was too large to carry on my bike, oh no what's a girl to do?

The next day while running errands with Dan. I stopped by and it was still there...and I shoved it in the car.

Of course there was talk that my craziness had reached new heights and no way that thing would come in the house it was gross and smelly. But I just couldn't resist! It was representing perfect mid-century decor...

Look at that fab hamper! The Eiffel tower, the poodle, the pink! So fab so 50's so dirty, gross, smelly and falling apart!

Of course I'd manage to convince myself that I would fix it...the bottom was missing, the back was all ripped up and a leg had gone AWOL....

And it spent most of the winter in the garden shed....

It even is signed!

Every time I would look at it...I would come to my senses but just a bit....

And yesterday I finally realized we would never fix it and it was taking a lot of room and I'd better throw it out while I had the courage....Well it's sitting outside waiting for the big garbage pickup special July edition.

I hope somebody will fall in love with it and give it a new home.

Weekend Thriftyness

Happy Monday to everyone! Yes I feel particularly chipper this morning! There was so cool thrifty finds to be found this weekend , even starting thrusday!

Thrusday was Quebec national's holiday and sad to say we don't celebrate much....and the weather was on the rainy side! So Dan (always the enabler) said: Wanna go for a ride in Ontario? Everything is opened!.

Could I say no to this charming line? Of course not! So off we went with our cooler and Tim Horton's coffee!

So one of our first stop was VV in Cornwall. Love that place! I didn't buy anything but took some pics.

How funny is that? A fake brick crock pot!

What would a thrifting trip be without some Pyrex sighting? I already have some bowls in those patterns, so I didn't feel the Pyrexia kick in....I heard Dan sigh with relief, LOL! Top pattern is Forest Fancies, one of my least favorites.Bottom one is Woodlands, I prefer that one but in the dark brown version. And let's face it folks ; brown is the least overall favorite Pyrex color-I kid you not. And it's not moving in my store either...

how cute are those plates? They are made of some kind of melamine with a metal ring around them.

We moved to Morrisburg and the raining go really bad. Even if we kept saying that there was sun in our hearts, we were soaking wet! We had lunch in a really quirky place called The Basket Case Café. It's hidden behind a gift shop in a strip mall. Food was great and totally homemade! we will be back!

In that same strip mall I found a thrift shop and got 2 fab things for the store. I haven't got a pic yet because I didn't clean them.

As for the weekend; it was a garale sale weekend for the entire Ile Perrot! Or so I thought.We were up and out the door by 8am and I suggested we head out to Ville de l'ile Perrot and Notre Dame de l'ile Perrot for a change....

Well there was NOTHING! I felt like I was in an episode of the Outer Limits and had stepped in a thrifting black hole!!! No tables, no signs, no nothing!

OMG did the Pyrexia finally ate my brain? Did it affect my motor skills? Then I remembered that those 2 towns had their big garage sale last week! So we headed back to Pincourt and found at least 10 garage sales. Some of them interesting, some well you know...Kids clothes and toys! HUGH!

 

Here's what I found. A vintage storage Tupperware, a milk pitcher new with the sticker on,a FireKing cup,An owl lantern and a small Le Creuset pot. Everything is in amazing condition!

Here's a closeup of the owl. This will definitely go in the shop along with the FireKing cup.

As for the milk pitcher....Do you remember I painted mine black a year ago? No? Well you can read about it here . Well let's just say that even if you have super duper paint that is supposed to fuse to plastic....well that is total bull, especially if you use the object everyday...so I now have a brand new milk pitcher for a quarter! I still need to remove some of the glue of the sticker... 

Here's some other stuff I didn't buy but wanted to....

So I totally wanted to buy the reindeers and the virgin Mary along Joseph and Baby J. But I don't have room in my garden shed for these beauties...Man we need a bigger house with a Pyrex room and a HUGE garage and basement and garden shed OMG I think we need a barn!

The Santa Claus I already have a gift from Pierre (Dan's bro).

It's always like that when I don't blog for a few days....I go on and on and on! But now faithfull readers it's over for today. OOPS! I almost forgot! Welcome to my 61st follower, Tara from Scarborough Seashells you can read her thrifting adventures here and she makes the MOST gorgeous jewelry! No kidding!

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!

Retro Tuesday: Thanks but no thanks!

A glorious Retro Tueday to you!

One of my fave blogs is 1972 the Retro WW Experiment. Mimi is hilarious and always posts weird recipes. Some of the weirder ones contain weiners as ingredients! I feel that hotdogs are such a WW NONO! But I was not following WW in 1972 and I'm sure that they were a  nice change of pace from that god awful liver...

So when I saw these pics I thought of Mimi and her Thanks but no thanks segment....

Budget Beaters! From Campbell's....Spaghetti with tomato soup and hot dogs! And a Tuna Burger! I know the economy is slowly recovering but are any of you making this?

I personnaly feel a baked potatoe is something perfect with just a bit of butter and sour cream (ok,ok chives) but with tuna...let's just say it it gives me the willies!

Which would you choose? The Spam country dinner? The Spam rice ring? the Spam 6-in-1 Supper Bake?

Well NONE for me! This is the original mystery meat! What was it before? leftovers to be....By the way the winner is...SPAM Country Dinner!

And last but not least...I actually started feeling faint when I saw this one....

Baked bean topped with sliced 'cheese' green bell pepper rings and ketchup! Who dreamed up that nightmarish recipe? The good folks at Kraft of course!

Please don't bother inviting me if your cooking that for dinner tonite!

All those wonderful retro ads were courtesy of Ladies Home Journal  November 1958.

For more Retro madness be sure to stop by Tracy's blog Crazy Suburban Mom

And do visit Mimi HERE for the skinny on retro WW!

Red Barn

Picture a big barn, red. Fill it to the rafters with vintage and antique objects. Leave it sit. Fill with more stuff. Let sit some more. Add dust and possibly critters....and a middle aged sour puss sitting outside, and you have the Red Barn in Hudson Qc.

No kidding there's a ton and a half of really interesting stuff there and some of it is even organized. But a lot sits in boxes all over, the floor is uneven (really) and you can't see for dear life.

A collection of rolling pins

The first thing I saw walking in.

About the sour puss...I hate going in any kind of store and the employees (owner) don't seem happy to see me. HELLO I'm your meal ticket! Please smile!

So this guy is sitting outside with a fart face on. If you don't like people get out of retail! Or maybe he's looking like that because the prices are steep....No wonder there was not a lot of people in. Some might be put off by the floor; you definitely need closed shoes and a flashlight to navigate the place, some by the lack of lighting or the scary floors on the second and third floors (you see light in between the planks;it's very creaky yet soft in certain spots...)

But if you like thrifting adventures this place is for you! 

  

Glassware,McCoy, milkglass, Laurentian Pottery, banks, buttons,typewriters, suitcases, coolers, games,Le  reuset, phones,toasters, Flameware, Pyrex, FireKing,Glasbake, barware, ashtrays, records, books, tins, lamps, doors, windows, dressers, chairs, chairs and more chairs! If you collect it, they probably have it!

 

oooh! Bowls...Pyrex,FireKing,Glasbake,Federal and Hazel Atlas....

More bowls! Tracy do you see the Gooseberry?

Check out those FRIDGIES!

And that's just some of it!

This was part of our Father's Day excursion. Dan rented a bigger and more comfortable car and we drove to Montreal picked up my Dad, had lunch at Smoked Meat Pete (Ile Perrot) and then went to the Red Barn.

It's just after the Alana Kirby store on Harwood Bd at the Hudson entrance.

My Dad loved every minute of it! And the smoked meat sandwhich too :) 

 So remember the flashlights, mind your step and yes you can bargain! I did and brought back a little something back! But that's for another post

Have a great week!

Seen in Montreal

This week I went to meet my new family doctor....In Québec being followed by a doctor is a big deal. A lot of doctors don't take any new patients. So you end up on waiting lists....FOR EVER!
Yes healthcare is mostly free here, but you could die before seeing a doctor!

I was informed,a couple of weeks ago, that my doctor changed clinics and who only be seeing HIV patients. So no more room at the inn for us....But we called the clinic and were offered to see a new MD!

So I had to take the train and go to Montreal (YIPPEEE! Salvation Army here I come). Of course I was early and decide to stroll and take pics of this picturesque yet tough neighborhood...St-Hubert street below Ste-Catherine.

This is a vintage tile detail on a wall....I had to save this because the building was being renovated (read MODERNIZED). I wish Montreal had an historical society that would consider saving beautiful buildings from the 50's and 60's.

 

The Jazz hotel....Obviously named to honor the Jazz Festival coming up in late June...

Oh and this....I was so glad to see it was still opened...

L'exception! Home of the BEST burger I had ever tasted! Huge with interesting breads and different toppings...And their fresh homemade fries...TDF! To die for!

They had this really weird item on the menu....Mexican poutine! If you don't know poutine is an artery clogging mix of french fries, gravy and cheese curds. So the mexican version was: French fries,chili con carne and cheese curds. I could never digest one of these puppies...heartburn garantied all afternoon! LOL

My meeting with the doctor went very well...I had a full physical and have a ton of tests to go through...Turns out I've known him for 22 years! I used to work with him in a clinic when I was a resceptionnist....But that's for another post! No garage sales today for me...I have to work this afternoon!

Friday Mishmash

This week I got a really cool surprise in the mail.....

Yep! A good and generous soul sent this to little ol' me. I have no idea who did this wonderful act of generosity. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

                               Last night I had to do something really,really hard. I had to throw away my favorite chair. It was old and stinky and not even vintage. Dan had told me the blue monster had to go....just thinking about it I felt a thightness in my chest....We had bought the blue chair and a matching sofa in 1998 after the big ice storm. You know the one...where a lot of people were without electricity for anywhere from 2 to more than 4 weeks in January.BRRR!

We were 11 days without power. Anyways when spring came we went to Sears Home and got a chair, a sofa and an area rug. Beautiful all of it...We the delivery guys came we found out that what looked ok in the showroom was GINORMOUS for our tiny living room.

The cats went to work on them right away. We had 6 cats at the time and their leader was OOCH. Ooch who claw the chair several times a day...The running gag was that the couch was all ripped up even before it was totally paid off!

 Eventually we gave the couch to SD and her boyfriend who didn't have one but kept the chair.

It's big,blue,ugly,stinky and the most comfortable chair EVER. Dan felt it was soooo ugly and white trash looking that we had to wait until sundown to bring it out. I gave it a hug, I nearly cried.

This morning I went outside and took pics...

LOL! I'm happy it's gone come to think of it...The cats are looking for it. It was really stinky, no amount of Febreeze could remove that weird smell....cigarette smoke,dirt,cat ass....lol

Yep cigarette smoke stays with furniture 4 ever! The house has been smoke free for nearly 5 years now....

Ooohhh! An artistic close-up of the cat's damage

Well gotta go now, time to make the donuts! See you at the post office :)

   

VTT: Foley Baster

Today for VTT I'll share my Foley Baster featuring Pyrex glass!

Ever since I saw the basters on page 16 of the Pyrex the unauthorized Collector's guide by Barbara E. Mauzy I've been wanting one. Searching high and low....finding nothing...

Until...May 22th 2010 in the Underground Flea Market in Oxford, Maine. As my regular readers surely remember, I was on the quest for the small graduated green bowl....The famous bowl that I had passed twice already! Well somebody knew better and grabbed it!  So ruminating about my missed opportunity, I was rumaging in the glass aisles and I found this....

  

The Foley Baster! Since Pyrex was a leader (amongst other things) in technical glass, it was only natural that companies would want their glass components made by them.

The cardboard shows some wear but the glass and rubber bulb are in primo condition!

And all at half price! Cool! Thank you Thrifting Gods for making my Pyrex dreams come true!

Now skiddadle on the original VTT hostess Suzanne @ Colorado Lady for more AWESOME retro fun!

Retro Tuesday :Chill-Chasers

The temperature has been real chilly at night and cats snuggling are the perfect thing to ward off the cold....Unless you love to knit and could make these beauties from Beehive and Paton's of Canada!

 Look at these pastel sirens! Doesn't it tempt you to knit?

While leafing through this gem of a booklet, I couldn't help notice that most of the projects were for the bedroom...It seems that central heating wasn't what it is today....

Their hair look molded and remind me of that ad in the back pages of magazines for wigs...You know the one...I'm sure!

Shoulderettes....No comments!

Now if one of you wonderful readers would want me to send you this delightful booklet, just leave a comment and I'll send it on it's way. I can't keep it, I don't knit. There are a couple of pages missing in the middle, but the majority of patterns are intact promising you hours and hours of fun!

For even more Retro fun be sure to drop by my friend Tracy's blog Crazy Suburban Mom . You'll love this blog I swear! Really, no joke! 

Happy Anniversary House!

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the day we got the keys from the notary for this little house. Happy B-Day house! You've been good to us and we thank you for that. Even if I sometimes think you were built with leftover saturday night remnants; this is sooo much better in french! Faite en restants de samedi soir; meaning second quality, not strong, flimsy. You've been strong and secure winter after winter, windstorm after windstorm. Being near the Ottawa river we get MAJOR wind!

So thank you house! You keep us dry and comfy and make us feel good. We love you and are looking forward to many more years with you...

There is NO place like home!!!

She was built in 1945 as 2 cottages (?). I know 2??? And that's all I know (mostly). Sometimes in the summer, I will look outside and there's this old guy standing in the yard (never the same guy)  saying that he used to hang out here or walk through here and there was no road before....

It seems that at one point the cottage or cottages belonged to Yvon Deschamp's parents (he a very famous quebec comedian). Now since my dad was friends with him, my dad hung around in the summer when he was like 18. So that means my dad was at my house way before I bought it! How crazy is that?

Of course I had no idea at the time I bought the house...No idea whatsoever!

I had a very busy saturday. We had to be in Old Montreal by 12:30 because the new Cirque du Soleil show (Totem) started at 1. I feel very blessed to have seen this show. I realise a lot of people can't afford tickets. They are crazy expensive! If my dad didn't work for Cirque du Soleil I don't think I would ever have seen any. This year's show Totem was so much better than last year's. Really! It felt new and fresh and the set was gorgeous.

After the show ended (4 pm) we had to make a mad dash west to get home, change, feed the cats and be in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield by 6pm  for our year end country line dance party.

The food was delightful and we danced our asses off until the last beginner song...

Yesterday was lazy and fun...we went grocery shopping at Maxi &Cie (Canada's Superstore for the rest of the country) and since they have tons of other stuff we spent a lot more than we should've, but it was great fun!

Today it's kinda rainy, so no pool work this morning, instead I'm doing the wash...No joke it's my favorite chore!

Have a great week!

K-Tel Electric North

First and foremost I want to thank each and everyone of you beautiful ladies who left comments on yesterday's post. As I read all your words of encouragements I was misty eyed and I felt like a million bucks!
 It was quite a milestone for me and I'm glad I did it. I also want to give Tracy and Ginger a double hug for (without knowing it) giving me the push I needed to go through with this. 

Now for something silly and tacky! And vintage of course! A couple of weeks ago I found this at the church basement...

I thought of my pal Erin @ Toronto Yard Sale Snoop who's always posting vids from the 80's and I just had to pick it up (besides it was FREE). K-Tel was the company behind most of our music compilation and peddled kitchen gadget similar to Ronco in the 80's. This compilation was released in 1983...aaahhh! the year I turned 18! 

It is an hilarious video! I don't know if the tunes where played in the U.S, but who cares? Anybody can enjoy the 80's style...N'est-ce pas?

Check out the hair! Evryone knows that to be a great 80's musician you had to have long hair and tight pants!

Or about this one:  Crimes of Passion by Rough Trade. This group was considered very risqué in the 80's.



And this last one is a hoot, an 80's hoot that is! I remember listening to that one. Those early videos really crak me up!



I hope you enjoyed those tacky vids and let me tell you my friends I have plenty more where that came from!

The Journey

This will be a short post because I have the early shift at the postal counter....I just returned from a visit to one of my fave blog Crazy Suburban Mom. Tracy has been on a weight loss journey and is sharing some of it today.

As you know I have been also, since January 18 2010. Right now I'm on the GI diet and I love the food. It's a lot of work, I feel great but the weight is stagnant...just staying there! At least I'm not gaining. I might need to read it again and take a different approach!

So in the spirit of friendship I too will share a pic. I've been afraid of the camera for quite some time now and in the past year I didn't even want a head shot.... 

So here I am at the Puzzle Mountain Bakery on rte 22 the weekend I went to the shore. I know it's not a head to toe shot...but I wanted the folks to see the pies....

I actually asked Dan to take my pic! The poor thing nearly fainted! We didn't buy a pie, but to celebrate the pie shack as I call it ,we bought some maple creams...OMG so rich,so sweet....so GOOD! A sandwhich cookie with some maple icing in the middle! OY!

Ok that's it for today, gotta get reading to peddle stamps! LOL  

Retro Tuesday: 2 Sides of Gelatin

First I'd like to apologize for my tardiness...I feel so tired and lazy today! I must take some vitamins! Is it all that pedaling to and from work? Is it work? LOL

So today our ads are courtesy of Woman's Day October 1963 ( you know the one, it's the one that fits in my scanner!!!)

Again about the dieting....

EEEEWWWWW! Hit me in the head with a bowling ball before I swallow a packet of Knox gelatin dissolved in bouillon out of my own free will!

It's supposed to be a diet aid, it fills you up so you eat less....But what if you eat too much?

What happens then?

This

happens

If you eat too much and you're a man you eat Jell-o as a dessert. If you are wide,stout,chubby,chunby or whatever adjective you might place here (I could just put my pic here) and you're a woman you eat your gelatin BEFORE the meal.Those 2 ads come from the SAME magazine. How come nobody saw that?

Are we that much more sensitive to those issues today? I want equal gelatin for everybody!

Fat bastards rejoice! You will now be having a glass of knox Gelatin dissolved in bouillon BEFORE the meal to curb your appetite and ladies you have your gelatin whenever you want because now there are some fat free alternatives on the market!

Those ads always get me carried away...Sorry about that!

For a real HAM of a Retro Tuesday hop to Tracy's blog Crazy Suburban Mom

She knows how to cook! I'm coming over Tracy with dessert!