Show and Tell!!

This blog post is a little over due...but better late than never! I wanted to show you some of goodies I've scavenged up at local thrift stores and flea markets over the last month or two.

The scrumptious pile of vintage delight in the photo above (and the two below) are from Lisa. We did a little one-on-one swap a while back. I just drool over vintage picks and garlands. You'll be seeing little spun cotton cats and children and snowmen and santas holding some of these things in the next few months.

But these little paper mache doll heads are too precious and I don't know if I can bear to part with them!

Are these not the cutest snowmen and Santa picks? Tiny pinecones and tiny ornaments are perfect accessories for my critters. And that patriotic crepe paper is die for!!

This is a bundle of things I picked up at my favorite thrift store the last time I visited my family in New York. It's the kind of store run by little old church ladies and everything is a quarter (well, not everything, but you know what I mean). They have a "Christmas room", which is more like a Christmas closet and it's chock full of everything Christmas. And there's always a sign in there saying "Christmas items are 10% off on purchases over a dollar". lol It's too funny...since almost nothing in there has a price and they just make one up when you check out!

This vintage elf head and little spun cotton elf picks are a rare find for me. I get giddy with excitement every time I spot one!!

And this is the motherload! A few weeks ago I stopped at the local "ghetto" flea market. The first time I went there I had the suspicion that some of the wares were actually stolen (at least the booths selling electronics). Booths were literally filled to the max with furniture stacked and stuffed. I've even seen one of the sellers walking on top of a ten foot pile of furniture trying to dig something out for a woman who was directing him. It was too funny. After a little while I warmed up to the place and realized that it was just a different kind of flea market. Alberto and Dora became my favorite sellers. Dora loves to talk but I can't understand a word she says. She always tells me to come back next weekend and she'll bring more Christmas things...but she never does. She's a character really! Her grandkids are always playing and munching on snacks in her booth.

You really have to dig and get your hands dirty (literally) at this flea market...but you can find some real treasures! :) I've found German glass garlands, old old old Christmas ornaments, little pinecones elves. All buried in a box or garbage bag.

Several boxes of ornaments from Alberto. Button and spools of thread and ribbon and millinery leaves and tulle from Dora.

Later that day (the day I went to the flea market) I had an appointment at a gallery but got completely lost and wound up driving waaaaaaay out of my way. The traffic in Boston and the surrounding suburbs is treacherous (I'm used to open country roads in upstate New York). There aren't alot of things that get me upset and/or anxious...but getting lost in the car by myself is definitely one of them.

Soooo...after finally making it to the gallery, meeting with the director (who's a sweetie and didn't mind that I was late) and then slowly making my way home...I needed to take the edge off. America's Favorite Thrift Store just happened to be on the left while I was driving through Dedham and I knew I'd feel better after a stroll through the aisles.

America's Favorite Thrift Store is sort of like Salvation Army...all the goods are picked through and the prices seem to get higher each time I go...but I managed to find a few good things. $25 later I was feeling calm and content and continued my journey home with a smile.

All of these things are from Dora at the flea market...some bone handled knives and aluminum ribbon. Spools and spools of vintage silk ribbon...yum!

This pretty beaded Christmas tree is from Dora also. And it's big! The frame has sticky tape on it and the beads weighed down the velvet a bit so it's sagging at the bottom...but with a little love, it will be as good as new!

I'll be selling a bunch of these goodies in my vintage Etsy store once I get organized and take some photos. Keep an eye out! :)