With Treasure Hunting, Timing Is Everything

For quite some time now, I've been meaning to stop by The Humble Home, a charming little shop that specializes in retro and vintage home decor. It's owned and operated by a former colleague of mine and his wife. They've been open two years or so and I never seemed to get around to stopping.

One recent Saturday, Hubby and I were out and about and decided to stop in. Boy, am I glad we did. What an enchanting store! It was chock full of unique antique and vintage furniture, architectural salvage, home decor and art.

My husband found this beautiful German religious print and had to have it. As you can see, all but a few scraps of the ornamentation have come off the frame, along with a good deal of the silver paint. The print itself has significant water stains. But, the artwork is gorgeous and the flaws add to its beauty (in our opinion).

The owner hadn't even priced the art because she had just picked it the previous day. She had set it out only minutes before we arrived that morning and figured she'd have time to price it before someone came in.

Her price was right, we knew exactly where we would hang it and before she could blink it was SOLD.

Now it hangs in our foyer where we had a space that we hadn't been able to find the right piece to fill.

This stunning tabletop mirror caught my eye just as we were preparing to pay for the print. I collect vintage etched glass mirrors, but I didn't have anything in my collection like this gorgeous item.

As with the antique print, this piece didn't have a price tag. You guessed it. She had just set it out minutes before we walked in. It's as if she knew we were coming. Again, price was right. SOLD!

The mirror itself is in near mint condition. The sterling footed frame shows a bit of discoloration, but I had to look hard to find it.

The etched design and the detail on the frame are so elegant!

Currently, the mirror decorates my August Stickley post office table and shows off a pale pink cake stand and my grandma's tea cups. But, I'm pretty sure it will find a prominent place in every season of the year. I'm already thinking about how I want to use it at Christmas. The etchings look a bit like snowflakes, don't ya think?

Yes, with treasure hunting, timing is everything. Had we walked into that store even a day earlier, we would have missed out on two fabulous finds. Perfect timing.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:
Saturday Sparks

Share It Sunday

Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Silver Pennies Sundays
Make It Pretty Monday
Show and Share at Coastal Charm
What's It Wednesday
Thursday Favorite Things

Pardon My French (Ephemera)

Last weekend had to be a record here. Thirteen estate sales were advertised around the city. I can't remember another weekend with that many sales!

Sadly, since this was one of the first warm and nice weekends we've had here, I felt compelled to finish cleaning up the flower beds and pruning rose bushes and shrubs. That left little time for estate sales, but I did make it to one--the one closest to where I live.

I'm always on the prowl for ephemera I can incorporate into my handmade journals and wasn't disappointed at this sale.

My take included what I think is a French notebook--it's difficult to tell from the cover--and a French dictionary, as well as a cute bakery receipt book, a large stack of yellowed penmanship paper and several decks of playing cards with interesting themes. All the finds are vintage.

I don't know French, so I'm not sure what the cover of this journal says. Inside are several pages of handwriting. Guess I'll have to enlist my hubby to try to translate some of it for me. He knows a little French.

While not in the best condition, the journal is precious. The handwriting makes it so personal.

Whose was it?

What does it say?

Is it full of deep thoughts or is it merely a place to practice writing in French?

Regardless, I won't dismantle this gem for my journal and decoupage projects. I plan to digitize a few pages so I can leave the book intact and still use some of the handwriting.

At the same sale, I acquired a sweet little French/English dictionary. The cover is in pathetic condition, with the spine nearly completely detached. Someone had tried mending it, front and back, with masking tape. So sad.

Measuring about five inches square, it was printed in 1945. Considering the condition of the cover, the inside pages are in good vintage condition. They have that nice "yellow-with-age" hue.

Nice inscription inside the cover. Wish I knew what it says.

The receipt book is from Dale and Helene's Big Horn Bakery of Basin, Wyoming. The "fill-in-the-blank" date on the receipts indicates it's from the 1950s.  Could be as old as I am. Not many pages left in the pad, but what's there is in very good vintage condition.

Looks great on the antique Hoosier cabinet with some of my vintage kitchen items.

It's always a successful weekend when I come home with interesting ephemera.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

What's It Wednesday

Cottage Style Party
Time Travel Thursday

Thrifty Things Friday
Serenity Saturday

This Treasure Is So Doggone Cute

My fashion philosophy is, if you're not

 covered in dog hair, your life is empty.

--Elayne Boosler

If you're a dog lover, you know firsthand the intensity of the tug a dog can have on the heartstrings. Barney, our exuberant black lab, is confidante and clown, protector and playmate, beggar and best friend.

Dogs are so special to me, I find it difficult to pass up canine kitsch on my treasure hunts. Vintage dog items always make me smile. Admit it, don't these beguiling hand-carved cuties brighten your day?

This wooden piece, a recent estate sale find, was clearly handmade. It's seen better days, but still maintains tremendous charm. I put a deck of--what else--vintage dog playing cards in the box section, which most likely was intended to hold cigarettes. My vintage Scottie candy container makes a good companion to its carved cousins.

The paperback "Dogs" book was a recent flea market score.

The book doesn't have a copyright date, but  it's definitely decades old. It's in very good vintage condition. The contents feature descriptions of many breeds and the pictures are stickers that have been added to the pages. The book is a promotional giveaway for Gro-Pup Dog Food, a Kellogg's brand.

Not a new find, this handsome and stately pointer is a mid-Century console lamp and has graced the top of our piano for several years.

The large chalkware dog belonged to my grandmother. He is accompanied by a couple of friends I found at estate sales.

Dogs are not our whole life,

 but they make our lives whole.

― Roger A. Caras

The antique, iron St. Bernard bank belonged to my husband's grandmother. It still contains many of her old coins.

This darling litho is stained with age and has some significant other "beauty marks," none of which detract from the sweet image. Dogs and babies . . . awwww. Picked this up for a couple of bucks at a local estate sale.

When an eighty-five pound mammal

 licks your tears away, then tries to sit

 on your lap, it's hard to feel sad.

- Kristan Higgins, Catch of the Day

And, here's to the most special dog in our collection--our 93-pound baby. Barney, you're the best.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:
Knick of Time Tuesday
What's It Wednesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Time Travel Thursday
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Share the Joy
Feathered Nest Friday

Add Fall Color Naturally

For a quick and colorful addition to your fall decor, try adding some pressed leaves to whatever you have around the house.

I've been pressing leaves for a few years now and have amassed a pretty good collection.

Every fall, I enjoy finding new ways to incorporate pressed leaves into my fall vignettes. I added some pretties to vintage jars that are nestled in a handmade, antique tool caddy. Situated on the window seat of a south-facing window, the leaves capture the light and take on a warm, fall glow.

A couple of bunches of fresh bittersweet add texture and interest.

Our fall here is so late, the leaves haven't yet begun to turn. But, when they do, I'll once again be looking for the best pressing specimens.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Silver Pennies Sundays
Make It Pretty Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Tuesday's Treasures
What's It Wednesday

Awash in Memories--A Barn Sale

My mom always told me you can take the girl from the farm but you can't take the farm from the girl. That was definitely true of my mom, who became a "town girl" when she married and moved off the farm to a nearby small town. She remained a country girl at heart.

Even though I wasn't raised on a farm, my spirit always has been a rural one. It's been decades since my grandfather died and my grandmother sold the farm. Yet, I still miss that country life. Sundays and summers at my grandparents' farm helped shape the woman I am today.

"Helping" in the cornfields, milking cows, "slopping" hogs, feeding chickens and gathering eggs, churning butter and baking bread. Hard, dirty work masqueraded as fun for me. Working side-by-side with my grandparents made for the most wonderful memories! And, some amusing photos. That snapshot must have been Grandma's take on American Gothic.

This past weekend, I was delighted to discover there was a barn sale about 35 miles from where we live. Hubby and I made a day of it. Luckily, we had a respite from the heat and humidity. Cloud cover and a nice breeze were welcome friends for the day.

The host farm was quaint and charming, with a historic little, red schoolhouse on the property.

Rusty, crusty milk separators, pitchforks, rotary disks, wash tubs, windmill blades and milk cans. Right out of my childhood.

Inside the barn, feedsacks, metal dishes, country cabinets and appliances, cowgirl clothes and country kitch galore.

So happy to have had a brief country fix. Ahh!

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

The Scoop
Give Me the Goods Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Knick of Time Tuesday
Rednesday
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Share Your Cup Thursday
Thursday Favorite Things
Time Travel Thursday
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