Owner: The Thrift Shop Romantic URL:http://thriftshopromantic.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:00:10 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Blog and project site for fun, vintage-style home decorating ideas, crafting, gifting, thrifting and collecting on a budget. Includes thrift store, flea market and antiques resources for western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Site statistics:Click here
Treasure Box Wednesday: In the Pink with Pottery, Pyrex and Plates 2008-03-05 05:02:19 Ah, the graceful lines of vintage pottery in soothing creams and pinks... what could be more timeless... more elegant... more... five dollars?Yes, the McCoy cornicopia was a whopping five smackeroos at the L&L Fleatique in Adamsburg. The "As Is" marked there was because of a minor crack at the top of the piece, causing the vase to lose so much its resale value-- and really none of its looks, as far as I'm concerned. I intend to put it, and its pottery cousins, on my mantle as part of a post-Easter display...The unmarked cream vase in the middle was from the Salvation Army in Greensburg, and that was $1.99. But one expects to pay more for McCoy, you know. (Hysterical laughter here.)The deco dinner plates below were finds from the U.F.O. in Greensburg. At $1.00 a piece, I couldn't resis Read more:Treasure
, Wednesday
, Pottery
, Plates
Crafting the Marshmallow PEEPS Carousel 2008-03-02 13:07:39 Some people see sugary marshmallow chicks and think, "Look, dessert!" Me, I'm the sicko who thinks, "Hm, what I can glue them to?"Actually, I'd been wanting to try my hand at making a cardboard Christmas village house, ever since I got my hands on some vintage-style cottages for the winter holidays. But when I realized there were extra Marshmallow
Peeps lurking from last Easter's Peep Garland project just going to waste (er... curing) (click here if you'd missed that), ... well, the project took a suddenly Peeposterous turn."Why not build a cardboard carousel?" my brain mused. "In Easter colors! With Peeps Chicks instead of horses! And marshmallow rabbit onlookers?!"(Yes, total suspension of disbelief is one of the primary rules for effective Peep crafting.)The first step was to get the c Read more:Crafting
, Carousel
Treasure Box Wednesday: The Thrifty Office 2008-02-27 04:56:41 While inclement weather meant thrifting was a bust this week, that doesn't mean "Treasure
Box Wednesday
" has to be. So today I'm taking you all to work with me. Virtually. Because:1.) So much of my office decor has been thrifted and2.) Good help is hard to find-- Hand me that Jell-O mold so we can submerge this coworker's stapler in fruity gelatin goodness, won't you?Now with our office prank complete--(Heh-heh, remind me to tell you someday about when I kidnapped my colleague's glass cat collection from her desk and left ransom notes telling her where to recover them... Good times... good times)...--On to the decorating!The building I work in dates from the mid-1800s and has been many things over the years, the last of which was a series of apartments. This means that our offices-- while Read more:Thrifty
The Big Easter Lambie Whammy 2008-02-24 08:33:24 Sheep happens.It started with one planter, in a display cabinet at the Good Samaritan thrift store in North Versailles. The sheep's funny, smiling face and pink color cheered me instantly. I bought it and took it home.The next time I visited the store, there were more sheep prancing on the shelves. In different styles and colors... All from around the 50s and 60s... And all in nursery room pinks and blues. I chose two. The nice lady behind the counter smiled as I presented my wooly friends for payment.Over this last year, it seems more and more sheep have trailed back to my place-- like I was Mary of "Had a Little Lamb" fame, and these fine fellows were sure to go if I were. I have since become well-known at the Good Samaritan for my regular lamb procurement. I have rounded up sheep fro Read more:Easter
Treasure Box Wednesday: Linens, Lamps and Lambie Lovelies 2008-02-20 05:09:16 If streamlined is "In" and frills are "Out," you can just label me merrily "outdated." After all, how could I possibly complain when we Fans o' the Frill have the chance to get beautiful doilies, tablerunners and tablecloths such as these, with absolutely NO competition for them? And at just a few dollars a piece!Yes, the Red White and Blue came through with a number of delicate hand-done pieces-- like this white and beige table cloth...This bright garden of embroidered roses...And the delightful table runner below. I'd picked this one up originally because it had cherubs on it, and as you all know, I am pro-Cherub. But I never expected to get a bit of history right along with it...I don't know if you can read it, but the print there says, "Work by Henry Drexler age 74 years old." (I've r Read more:Treasure
, Wednesday
, Linens
, Lamps
Decorating for Denial: Beating the Winter Doldrums 2008-02-17 10:08:00 I don't mind struggling through drifts of snow. I can't feel the icy winds on my face. I'm blind to those grim, gray skies. And why?Welcome to Winter Denial
!-- Aloha! And surrounding yourself in an atmosphere of blissful winter ignorance can be quick and easy! Let me tell you how.First: engage a dumptruck to pour one ton of clean sandbox sand in your front door. Spread it around to all your rooms. Mmmm... soft! (No, don't worry-- that expensive wall-to-wall carpeting will be just fine.)Now purchase and strategically-arrange sunlamps-- one sunlamp per 3 square yards -- to give your living quarters that all-over Jamaican beach glow.Next, engage two handsome lifeguards to patrol your beach and...Okay-- yes, yes, I am kidding you. Don't call the dumptruck company just yet. (Though I'm starti Read more:Decorating
Treasure Box Wednesday: Vignettes o' Thrift and Missing Pieces 2008-02-13 04:59:17 Today I thought I'd show you where a couple of my recent thrift scores ended up in my house. Because, you know, it's always nice to have some perspective...And also, I didn't do much thrifting this week. In part, because of this:Yes, the picturesque landscape of a soft-sand Hawaiian Beach.So, let's go back inside the house, leave your snow boots-- er, waterskis-- by the door, and we'll head into the entrway. Here you'll see a possibly familiar-looking tole tray.Yes, that's right: that came from the Red, White and Blue just a few weeks ago-- along with two other not-long-ago thrifted items. This 1950s lady planter, and some crystal bird candlesticks.I love how different floral patterns, in similar shades, can look like they actually match. Sometimes, getting the right colors together can me Read more:Treasure
, Wednesday
, Missing
Hearts and Thoughts: Victorian Valentine Postcards 2008-02-12 17:12:12 Cheeky cherubs, the secret language of flowers, shy glances and bawdy wit... You'll find it all in Valentine
postcards from the early 20th century. But this delightful vintage ephemera offers a collector more than just vivid images, symbolism and little bit of humor. It tells a story, too-- giving us a quick peek into the lives of the people who posted the cards-- those who took a moment to jot a note, share a thought, even subtly say what could not be said in person. So today, I'll share with YOU just a few cards from my collection, and the little stories they carry with them. I think you'll agree, it's a look at history and humanity, all on a 3 1/2 by 5 scrap of paper."To My Dearie." Oh, I love it!-- We just don't phrase things like that anymore. And on the back, we get a quick view int Read more:Hearts
, Victorian
, Postcards
Flowers, Fun and... Feathers? 2008-02-09 08:49:49 I found out this morning that I was the lucky winner of the caption contest over at the "Go! Smell the Flowers
" blog-- I'm so excited! Apparently, I've won $50 worth of free flowers-- which means, I guess I will be my very own Valentine this year. (Ha-ha! -- sure beats taking myself to H&R Block to have my taxes done, like I usually do. :) )Anyway, thanks very much to the Flower People for choosing my caption for their cute photo. (The title of this post will make sense, when you see the pic, trust me!) You can view that page by clicking here, if you like.Now, I just have to go get the "Flower People" song from the movie "Spinal Tap" out of my head...Anyway, that's my good news for today. Join me tomorrow when I share with you some of my Victorian postcard Valentine collection, and we Read more:Feathers
Treasure Box Wednesday: Deco Delicacies, Gracious Gravy Boats, and Others 2008-02-06 04:53:50 From across the Used Furniture Outlet (UFO) in Greensburg, I could hear a joyful shout from my friend Scoobie: "Grayveebodegrayveebodegrayveebode!" I wasn't sure what language this was, exactly, but the enthusiasm was intriguing.Following the gleeful laughter and what sounded like the tip-tapping of an impromptu jig, I found her on the other side of the room, clutching the elusive Avon Cape Cod ruby glass gravy boat that belonged to her beloved dish set. The message became a bit clearer. "Gravyboatgravyboatgravyboat!" she told me, beaming, and holding it aloft.Scoobie would probably go on to chant same thing... oh... three or four more times at random that day, trying to reconcile her lucky find in her mind. I expect I'll receive email during the course of the week to the same effect, as t Read more:Treasure
, Wednesday
, Boats
, Others
It's in the Bag: Thrifting Vintage Purses 2008-02-03 11:13:05 They carry our cash and a million other necessities. They're an extension of our outfits... our brand-savvy... the way we think, organize ourselves, and live. And for we lovers of vintage, who happily give a little nod to the past every day, the right purse can say a lot about our personalities, too.The best part is, a savvy thrifter can find vintage purses with a ton of character and a small price tag, if the timing is right.This was proven to me big-time yesterday when-- having already determined to write about this subject days before-- this remarkable vintage aqua mother-of-pearl lucite purse was waiting for me at the Good Samaritan thrift store in North Versailles, PA...Talk about luck!This Roberta DiCamerino handbag from Saks Fifth Avenue was another great vintage purse find...It was Read more:Vintage
, Purses
Treasure Box Wednesday: Gaudy Gorgeousness, Porcelain Pretties and More 2008-01-30 06:44:04 I have vintage lamp addiction. And I'm sick enough with this incurable disease that the more outrageous the vintage lamp-- the more geegaws and nubbies and curlicues and crystals that sprout from it-- the more it fills my heart with mad, unbridled joy.Such was the case this last week at the St. Vincent de Paul as I laid eyes on this 60s table lamp and its great, green, gaudy gorgeousness. I spied it and immediately seized the 20 pounds of lamp from the top shelf, carrying it around the store like Galahad with the Holy Grail... Y'know, once Galahad got his hands on it during the Crusades version of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and took a moment for a celebratory spin around the castle.(Somewhere I'm sure my Romantic Lit professor is weeping.)Anyway-- my triumphant glee undoubtedly shone to my Read more:Treasure
, Wednesday
, Porcelain
Who in the art world is Chester K. Van Nortwick? 2008-01-27 10:21:06 His name rests on the bottom of 30s calendar prints, and is emblazoned in the pages of nursery tales of the time. Yet, for a collector trying to learn more about the man, Chester
K. Van Nortwick-- like so many artists from the Golden Age of Illustration-- seems almost as intangible as the fairy book characters he painted.His work imitated the popular style of Maxfield Parrish in the same way calendar artists like R. Atkinson Fox did. But a close look at Van Nortwick's little scenes, with their lively characters, rich color and magical detail, reveals the illustrator's ability to successfully capture much of the humor, depth and quality of Parrish work that few of his contemporaries achieved.A good example of this can be seen by comparing Parrish's famous Life magazine cover of Humpty Dumpt
The Done's and Don't-Ask's of DIY 2008-01-24 12:40:48 Last year at this time, I'd shared with you all a list of DIY and craft projects I planned to accomplish during 2007... You know the ones: the Projects that Guilt.But as any homeowner knows, intentions are NOT accomplishments when it comes to home improvement projects. If we could fix homes based on intentions, why, my garage roof wouldn't leak... Everyone's toilet would match their tub... And Ty Pennington would be out of a job.But because I try to be an honest gal-- and because I must also secretly believe that salt + open wound = comfy-- well, I thought we'd just take a look back and see what actually got accomplished on that list from last year.The first project cited was "The Plate Rail." You'll see here that I'd had plans to exchange this jumble of shelves in the kitchen for one long
Treasure Box Wednesday: The Adventure Begins 2008-01-23 07:11:40 Thrifty treasure-hunting. There's just something exhilarating about the thrill of the hunt, the serendipity of it all. We dig deep into the past and find joy in the personal gems we uncover at our favorite flea markets, yard sales and charity thrifts. And we learn so much by vicarious thrifting, too-- discovering what's out there within reach of our fellow thrift archaeologists, gleaning a little history, recalling a few trends, and bringing to light the long-lost, forgotten and beloved.So in addition to my regular weekly post, I've been thinking about starting a new feature, right here every Wednesday
, to just share the fun of some of the most recent finds.To start things rolling, I thought we'd talk about what was unearthed at the Red, White and Blues this last weekend.We'll begin with t Read more:Treasure
, Adventure
Dubious Dinners and Riotous Retro Recipes 2008-01-21 08:49:00 See these cheerful vintage cookbooks? Who would suspect that among their well-thumbed pages lurk frightening flavors and perplexing presentations?Join me today as we take a culinary journey filled with wonder—and whipped milk—in Pet Milk’s “Thrifty Tempting Meals for 2 or 4 or 6” circa 1937, and Good Housekeeping’s “Egg and Cheese, Spaghetti and Rice”, 1958.Once you see these eyebrow-raising edibles, I believe you’ll agree—it’s a huge credit to our mothers and grandmothers that good old-fashioned home-cooking still has the beloved reputation it does today.We start with Pet Milk’s first dinner suggestion … “Sausage Cobbler.”Yes, indeed, good hostesses know, no evening meal is complete without sausages ready to entertain the dinner guests in a synchronized swimm
You Gotta Have Heart: Impromptu Valentine's Decor 2008-01-13 08:32:29 Vanished! Gone was the garland and angels and bright bejeweled fruit... The Shiny Brites and Santas and the horns that go toot.... Away went the hozwanglers and the zangdoodles, and the tootonkas and trees--(I'd no idea how many hozwanglers and zangdoodles I'd picked up at the thrifts this year. Took me forever to put 'em away.)And as I looked out on my hollow halls, my empty mantle, my wistful walls, where once there had been happy shiny Christmas decor, well...I'm afraid my own heart felt two sizes too small.(Sniff)Okay, for, like, FIVE SECONDS. Until I put that heart into some serious Valentine
's Day decorating!It started with a fake potted rose or two I'd put away before the holidays.Then some little rose topiaries. And this nifty little 1950s Valentine's girl planter I got from the Go Read more:Gotta
, Heart
, Decor
Guns and Roses: Collecting World War II Pillow Tops 2007-12-30 08:38:15 What's pink, patriotic, and as into posies as it is punt-guns? No, it's not Paris Hilton's latest image makeover. Or Mattel's new "Bivouac Barbie"....It's a Sweetheart Pillow from World
War II.These satiny, sentimental souvenirs from our US military ports stand today as quirky and meaningful reminders of our nation's past and the lives of the people who served. "To Mother," "To My Wife," "To Sister" or sometimes just featuring area tourist attractions, the pillows were sent back as sweet and consoling tokens of caring during tough times. Many feature images of heavy military machinery, flags and eagles paired-- rather unexpectedly to modern eyes!-- with delicate roses and gentle poetic verse directed at the recipient.The pillow covers often support a particular branch of the military. And Read more:Roses
, Collecting
Thrifty Gifty Goodness 2007-12-23 07:41:05 Grandma's rock hard fruitcake... holiday sweatshirts weighed down with twenty-pounds of frolicking snowpersons in puff paint, ribbons and lace... ponies that bite...The Christmas season brings with it the gift of family and friends-- and just a few less desirable elements, as well.I mean, how many of you ever received something from a friend or relative that you just KNOW was sitting around their house for 20 years?Since it really IS the thought that counts, then that thought probably shouldn't be, "Hey, this string-and-nail art at the back of the closet isn't doing me any good. If I dust it off, who can I pawn it off on?"...Just sayin'.So when I suggest it's possible to find great Christmas gifts for the people on your list at thrift stores, I'm not suggesting you grab the first big-eyed- Read more:Thrifty
, Goodness
Christmas Magic, Mania and Medicine Cabinet Mirrors 2007-12-18 08:18:19 I've been a busy bee lately...Or, for those allergic to them, I have been the highly-productive animal analogy of your choice.I still have a ton to do, of course-- go grocery shopping, finish the laundry, dust the master bedroom, do some last-minute wrapping, mail my Christmas
cards, tidy the kitchen, feed the llama.... whathaveyou. But I am completely in control. I am NOT freaking out.NOT freaking out. NOT.Okay, well, maybe a little.BUT-- I say, as I turn my Optimism Setting back to "On"-- the guest room is prepped and momentarily pretty, so I thought you all might enjoy seeing some photos fresh off the Powershot.It's been a fairy-merry season this year, as you can see...My James Christensen fairy figures which inhabit the spare room are a bit confused as it turned from Spring to Winter o Read more:Magic
, Mania
, Medicine
, Cabinet
, Mirrors
The Migratory Patterns of Indoor Pine Trees and Other Holiday Hub-bub 2007-12-16 07:52:51 We know birds fly south for the winter. And some butterflies, too.But there is an important migratory trend that scholars have not yet touched upon: the indoor self-relocation patterns of the standard Christmas pine tree. Today, I would like to examine--Er... what's that?...You think I've cracked under the strain of holiday preparations?Well... okay, possibly.But that also doesn't mean I'm wrong.See, every year, my tree comes home from the farm...My housemate helps me to somehow get this tree into the tree stand (crying and uttering oaths being tradition during this process, as we are but Wee Gals and the tree, it is Mighty)...But eventually, all is secured and the pine looks lovely. And straight. And it's the guest of honor.Yet gradually, over a period of a day... two days... three days.. Read more:Patterns
, Trees
, Holiday
Thrifty Christmas for All and Through Bloggers Unite 2007-12-16 07:51:27 In conjunction with BlogCatalog’s December 17th “Bloggers Unite: Act of Kindness” day, I'd thought of a somewhat unusual-- and, I think, appropriate-- way to do my part.While I donate to thrift stores every year in both a monetary “Putting Cash in the Kettle” way, and in a traditional “Giving Bags o’Stuff Away” way, this year I had an opportunity to do something which might just help spread a little kindness to a thrift store charity organization all year long.I’ve developed a Squidoo page on “Decorating with Thrift Store Finds” where royalties will go to the Salvation Army for any Amazon book purchases made through my recommended book list on that page.As my regular readers know, The Thrift Shop Romantic doesn’t have things like online ads, paid product endorsement Read more:Thrifty
, Christmas
The Thrift Shop Romantic's Thanksgiving Vacation 2007-12-14 08:06:09 Travel is all about learning. Sometimes it involves becoming immersed in a foreign language or culture...And sometimes it involves critical life lessons. Like new insights into how, when the breeze is particularly strong, dining outside in a tropical setting can make one unexpectedly vulnerable to...Well, let's just say it:Pelican poo.Pelican poo AND scampi butter blown onto the front of one's shirt.Travel is about leaving a restaurant trying to be casual with your purse strategically cradled over your torso.So learning. Travel is about learning.And I learned a great deal about a great many things on my trip to Florida over Thanksgiving
-- only a fraction of it, thankfully, related to wind currents and the digestive habits of local waterfowl.I learned that when prepping for a trip, you ca Read more:Vacation
Welcome to Thriftshopromantic.blogspot.com! 2007-12-10 15:22:30 So you clicked the blog article link on the ThriftShopRomantic .Mac site-- just like you usually do and it took you... er, here.To Blogger.Um.... you're probably wondering why.Well-- for one, this platform gives visitors a better ability to share comments and build a sense of community...It has the nifty power to be sent out as an RSS feed...And-- unlike what was been happening on my .Mac site -- (and here's the kicker)-- it UPLOADS consistently. So people can, oh, actually READ the posts. And so I don't have to spend TEN HOURS trying to get one post to go live. Like I did this last Sunday.We are currently at Blogger because of my blood pressure. :-)So while I continue to evaluate options on the least confusing way to continue to present the ThriftShopRomantic site content to you good fol Read more:Welcome
, blogspot
A Pine Old Time Decking the Halls 2007-12-10 11:10:07 It’s tradition: the first full weekend in December, one of my best friends and her family and I all troop out into the fields of Western Pennsylvania in quest for the perfect Christmas tree.This year was no exception.Me, I have a particular penchant for a blue spruce. And with such choice at the tree farm, it wasn’t long before an excellent specimen was found-- tall, not so wide I won’t be able to walk through my livingroom, and mmmm.... pine scented! (That’s me below posing with the tree and looking a bit snow-blind.)It was a sloppy, slushy day, so I was really glad I wore my Wellies!..Here’s my friend’s little brother kindly doing the honors with the saw...I’d tried my hand at this myself a year or two, but Josh is a whiz with the saw! In just a moment, the tree was cut an Read more:Halls
Good Books and New Blogs 2008-03-12 04:52:17 Because Mother Nature put the kibosh on thrifting this weekend by tossing down more of that tiresome white stuff, I'm afraid there's nothing spiffy to showcase in the Treasure Box this Wednesday. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten about you all! Nope-- instead, I have something completely different...TWO somethings, really. The first is a happy little announcement:I've just launched a brand new blog...It's called, "Of Cabbages and Kings" and while it's 100% thrift-free (and hypo-allergenic!) it's designed to tickle your funny bone. This last year while writing The Thrift Shop Romantic, I've had ideas for posts that wouldn't quite fit here. And rather than MAKE them fit-- like the way my grandpa used to try to put puzzles together (THAT was always interesting... Many a puzzle bit the dust Read more:Books
, Blogs
Artichoked Up Over Befuddling Vintage Vittles 2008-03-09 07:42:22 Ah, Amy Vanderbilt: the Martha Stewart of yesteryear. But even Martha has her "off" days, right? (Cooking and crafting ones, I mean. Not ones that involve electronic ankle bracelets; this blog can only cover so much.)What I'm trying to say is: not all creative ideas withstand the test of time... or, say, make it comfortably through the digestive process. And those are the recipes I hope you'll get some grins from today.The first comes from the 1966 Amy Vanderbilt Success Program for Women cookbook, "Serving Food Attractively."The book tells us, "Artichokes, halved, filled with jellied madrilene and topped with a slim slice of lemon are beautiful to look at and wonderful to eat." Merriam-Webster defines madrilene as "a consumme flavored with tomato." So basically, we're talking cold brothy- Read more:Vintage
Aprons and Hankies: Time, Ties and Trends 2008-03-16 08:44:59 Aprons and hankies. What is it about these vintage textiles that makes our hearts go pitty-pat like they do?Is it the memories of our mothers, our grandmothers? I don't know. Grandma was a fan of the housecoat, and my dear mom was more inclined to find flour on her jeans than she was on any apron. And hankies, well, Mom received one each year as a gift from a beloved family friend. These remained squirreled away in a drawer for safe-keeping for a day that would never come. They were too precious to use, she said. Too important to tuck into a sleeve, to dare touch a nose in need. They existed entombed wood and in mothballs, waiting for some curious archaeologist to break them free some day. They belonged in a museum, not in daily life.Well, maybe it's the texture. The soft, gentle feel of a Read more:Trends
Treasure Box Wednesday: Cheap Chicks Choose China 2008-03-19 05:00:40 I have a bit of a mixed bag to show you this Treasure
Box Wednesday
. Not a lot, but some nice finds nonetheless. We'll start off with the turquoise retro mugs and bowls here. These were Salvation Army Superstore finds, and I got all eight pieces-- four bowls and four mugs-- for $3.99. I believe these are either Hazel Atlas Moderntone pieces, or ones from that general time period.I also uncovered another art pottery vase. I love how the handles on each side are intentionally different lengths. This should be excellent grouped with the McCoy and other vases I'd gotten my grubby mitts on a few weeks ago. I love these simply because they're just good design.This pretty handkerchief was $0.99. Which is on my high end for what I like to pay for hankies (I love to get them for about $0.25-$0.49) Read more:Cheap
, Chicks
, China
Three States, Two Antique Malls, One Big Day 2008-03-23 09:51:36 Road trip! Hop in the car with my friend Scoobie and me, and buckle-up, because today we're going on an antiquing adventure. I've never taken you all out to New Philadelphia, Ohio before. So there's no time better than today!We'll head through three states on this journey. Which sounds like a much bigger deal than it is, to be honest. We'll set out from our home base in Western Pennsylvania, go straight through West Virginia (which, given the part we're going through, takes all of five minutes), and zoom clear into Ohio.This is the nifty bridge we have to go over to get to Ohio, from West Virginia.And don't worry, I wasn't trying to take photos while driving here. All of these fun ambiance shots are courtesy of Scoobie, riding shotgun. A true friend is someone who's willing to put up with Read more:Three
, States
, Antique
Recommend Site To A Friend
