Thrifted in Maine

Like i told you before, I didn't find much on my long weekend in Maine...

                                           I found this amazing purple jar that I'm using as a votive holder.

                                           From the sign in the shop, I learned that it was originaly clear glass but a chemical turned it purple over time....Wow, I love the color!

                               I've been eyeing the Camp Snoopy glass collection for a while now but I always find them too expensive, so I was thrilled to find this one for a dollar.
                              My cousin Josee had expressed the desire to get some fridgies, so this one was a great thrifty buy. I also found a glasbake milk glass mug for .99 cents at the Scarborough Goodwill, but for the time being it is missing in action...»oh well!

Sleep tight!

Here we go again!

Ok here I am running all over the place like a chicken without a head....Re-packing the luggage, briefing the house sitter, doing laundry....

We are heading out to Maine (again lol) but this time with my Dad!

Where I hope to see more of these guys!

Old Orchard beach is slowly gentrifying itself...is it good? Not always!

A lot of really old signs will be replaced, like this Chop Suey sign. Not tell me, just who craves chop suey at the beach? 

I try to immortalize these old gems as much as I can before they disappear....Ok I find this one really funny...Patate Frite means french fry in french, they put that translation for french canadians who used to make the bulk of the Old Orchard tourist trade. Now I ask you why a translation just for french fries? Why not for fried clams? Are french canadians not allowed to eat fried clams? Makes me wonder...

I will be stopping here for some apple pie....

And here for some spring water

                                     And definitely enjoying a lot of this! I pray for some sun....

I also blogged @ The Pyrex Collective this morning so just go HERE for some Pyrex adventures!

Retro Tuesday: Vacation Memories New England 1976

Finding something to write about for Retro Tuesdays is sometimes a challenge...I had no idea what to post.Then it hit me! I had a vintage postcard from Pier II restaurant in Portsmouth NH so it just took off from there....1976 was the first year I went to Ogunquit with my family for a vacation. We stayed 6 weeks. Ogunquit was a little sleepy village back then with most of the visitors over 60. Not the gay fun mecca (loud!traffic!noise!) it is now. We would take day trips and visit Portsmouth, Kennebunk Port or if we stayed for a couple of days Boston....

Pier II restaurant in Portsmouth NH was (for me a 10 year old) the epitome of chic. It had dark blue carpet in the foyer and an antique diving suit and a Barbie like hostess with long blond hair and a floor lenght white dress. I might be imagining this but that is what I remember....I would always eat the same thing ...Fried Maine shrimp and a piece of Boston cream pie...Boy was it good! we went quite often over the years and it felt magical everytime! Except the last time....It was in 1993...I was there with my mother in law,my step daughter and Dan. The carpet was frayed and dirty, the hostess was flabby and had roots and the decor was tacky/dated. There was the poorest wedding party I'd ever seen...rented ill fitting dress, horrible makeup with sparkles (in the afternoon) and each guest paid their own way. It was sad. The restaurant closed a couple of years after and a developper bought the land and last I read there was a big fight because nobody wanted condos on the water front....

 

The Old Grist Mill Kennebunk Port, Me. Yes the same Kennebunk  Port the Bush have a compound. In 1976 for a 10 year old they didn't exist. I love Kennebunk Port it was so quaint, full of little shops and a candy house! This restaurant was in an old mill. The original floors had planks so wide....And the food was delicious. I mostly remember the sweet rolls, the chocalate mints and the house dressing. All were made on the premises and you could buy them in the gift shop. My Mom would open her purse and shove the rolls and the mints in there. They would mingle with old bits of tobaco and paper tissues (EEEWWWW).
This restaurant burned down in the 80's and was never rebuilt. It made me very sad....

Café Marliave Boston Mass.

This was a gem! It was my Dad's favorites. He would eat raw cherry stone clams. I remember having rolled up veal with bacon or something. I remember that I found it very mysterious because it was in an alley, and most of the cabbies could'nt find it.It was a Boston institution.It opened in 1875. The atmosphere was old world italian. It was great. Some yahoo decide not to pay the taxes and the restaurant was seized! How crazy is that?

I hope you enjoyed this trip back in time. Head over to my friend Tracy's blog Crazy Suburban Mom for some AWESOME Retro Tuesday fun!

  

New energy

Filled with new energy (or is it a sugar buzz???)

We decided to complete a couple of unfinished projects....First to clean and install the gorgoeus oval mirror. This is one of my favorite finds of 2008! One of my neighbor is selling his house and every Sunday night he takes out his trash....And me being a curious girl....I usually put my coat over my PJs and run over to see if there are any treasures....I found a coffee table base that is in the workshop waiting for a top. It will eventually go to Veronic (SD) for her living room-she's furniture challenged...lol

And I found this gorgeous mirror, full of snow and quite dirty, but I saw the potential....It was one of my proudest thrifting moments. It took nearly an hour to clean....all those nooks and crannies!

And we also installed the Old Orchard Beach frame I got more than a year ago at Cottage Decor (in OOB Maine). It fits perfectly with my beachy vision....The bathroom keeps looking better and better....We do move really slow when we fix something.....The bathroom is nearly finished and then on to the kitchen! It needs paint soooooo bad. We had painted the melamine cabinets and it chipped. So now even when I clean everything it looks dirty!!!

Vacation finds

Well here they are...The Pyrex I brought back from vacation. Some are from Brimfield and the rest is from Maine. The 3 Crazy Daisy nesting bowls came from Brimfield, were nearly new (the only thing missing was the box! They had the original cardboard separating them.) The vendor was asking 15$, but when it was time to pay, she said just gimme 12$. Super cool! A gift from Dad.
I found a really cool stand selling tons of Corelle dishes and Pyrex. Everything was 50% off. I got 2 Bradford house plates and the S&P shakers for 9$.
I found out that the Bradford House was the name of the lunch counter in the W.T. Grants departement store that went bankrupt in the 70's (I love getting some stories with my Pyrex).


The turquoise round casserole comes from Brimfield as well($5) and the large turquoise square bowl is from Maine and was 50% off, so was quite a steal at $11 in minty condition!!!

Small Butterprint casserole ($5 at Brimfield) gift from Dad and Town & Country small casserole ($3.20 in Maine). I will post the rest of the pictures probably next time.

Later alligator....

So this is it!

The luggage is nearly done, the Pyrex reference books are in a re-usable bag along with some munchies...The Ipod has been recharged and synchronized, the maps were looked at again and again....The instruction letter for the kittiesitter is finished....I say it is time for a roadtrip!!!!

So tomorrow at this time we should be in northern Mass....I can't wait!!!

Other subjects....This is a picture of some of my antique canning jars. The big blue one in the back is filled with lavander (from the garden...of course) and the small one is filled with beach treasures....

Speaking of which, one of my all time favorite store is in Old Orchard Beach (OOB). It is called Cottage Decor, here is the site http://www.cottagedecormaine.com/. Go and check it out! They have lovely things, amazing treasures.....I'll be sure to drop by!

In the series of Pyrex and food...Here are 2 pictures I took last week. Cherry tomatoes in red 501 and Tomato and basil in yellow 441 and Yellow and green beans in Butterprint 442, all homegrown in my own backyard...Yes I am proud of myself!

And also after three days painting the bathroom, we are free and the bathroom is gorgeous. Of course I didn't bother to take before pictures...We still have some details to take care of...but later I need to finish packing!
As linda Richmond would say :So talk amongst yourself...I'll give you a topic: The chickpea is neither a chick or a pea...Discuss and I'll see you later in September!
Take care!