Animal print

Mom's friend Patricia gave me TONS of this animal print. Isn't is the most fabulous retro looking animal print ever? It's heavy weight too. I'm nto sure what I'm making with it, but it's gonna be great. :)

Buttons

Ok, my thrifty procurements over the past week will take me MONTHS to blog. It's insane.

I have pics ready of this box of buttons though.

Mom thinks that a lot of these are that bakelite buttons, apparently they are worth something. I just like pretty buttons. That's all I know about buttons. Here is a list of other stuff I got, NOT a full list:
Literature Anthology.
about 50lbs of fabric
zippers
binding tape
tons of books
textbooks for my kids learning time
clothes for kids
shirt for husband
two sweaters for me
stroller for pushing kids (actually handles really well, way better than our expensive one)
games for kids
toys for kids
blankie for ethan
a bike
a Kate Spade purse
3 vintage sheets
a bike for Stephen
a swiffer carpet flicker thingie (which I actually like)
an atlas, which my mom stole. :) (kidding I gave it to her)

See? A LOT of thrift finds I need to update.

Some favorite finds all together now

This is the silver tree Patricia gave me this past summer. And ornaments she found me, along with vintage Gurley caroller candles. And some of my pixies. I think I might have a couple more still in the attic. Anyway, this was what I've been collecting some of this stuff for all along!

Great World Atlas

Here is the atlas Erin gave me. I love this thing!. And I'm happy it's not going to be cut up. Lilith is apparently fascinated with it too, especially Greenland.

The clippings are dated Sept. 30, 1938. One is Hitler chatting with Mussolini. One is Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Mussolini and Edouard Daladier captioned "Gathered at Hitler's invitation to find a peaceful way out of the Czech-Sudeten situation" and the third "German troops as they will march into Czechoslovakia tomorrow". They are evidently from a PA newspaper because on the back of one there is a home for sale "Public Sale, Intercourse Residence" which I assume is the town... Brand new brick homes with "six rooms and hot water" for $3900.

$100 Atlas... shrug

So I buy atlas's (I don't appreciate pluralization of words ending in "s") So anyhow I buy them. Whenever I see them. I cut them up and make envelopes out of them. It's an obsession.

Today I got a lovely red one at one of the thrift shops down here near mom's house. $3 which is about tops for what I'll pay.

Bring it home. Now it's LOVELY, red cover, the most beautiful art ever. Make some real nice envelopes. Mom protests. I offer it to her. She accepts.

Inside the atlas are news paper clippings just prior, days prior, to WWII. Mom will have to share those with you.

I go online to see if the atlas is worth anything, it is from 1963. Well at least one sold for $100. Mine, no, mom's, is in near perfect condition. Sigh. I guess she's right, no business cutting up $100 atlas for the making of paper crafts right?

shrug.

I also got a huge box of buttons, apparently some are bakelite. By some I mean like 50-100 of them. So that's fun too.

I'm MOST excited about this little scrap of vintage fabric I got though.

Pics when I get back home.

Mom promised to blog the red $100 atlas.

Oh we named the cat, Sneaky Pie Brown. And it's not looking for a home any longer, it lives here at mom's.

hugs everyone in blog land. sorry to blog such cool finds with no pictures, I can't figure how to do them on mom's computer.

Name That Cat!

So, we are evidently keeping the little Halloween kitty. We are suffering over her name. I'd like to avoid "Halloween", "Spooky" etc etc. And I'd like to avoid references to her sadly shortened tail! So feel free to post "Anon" and send potential cat names. Most of the family and close friends have been solicited to suggest names... now it's time for LURKERS to suggest names. Be nice. She is fantastic...

Art

I saw this in Goodwill today and had to have it. It is beautiful! It measures 24" X 23" framed. It was professionally framed and there is a card on the back identifying the artist as Billie Waters, the title is "The White Doe" and the framer (at least about forty years ago) was located on Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles. Whether it's a print or an original, I love the thing. Already hanging up here.

Wednesday Goodies

I just felt like getting out and hit three thrift stores near home this morning. Not a big haul, but a nice medium sized vase in colors in my living room. Two books, for Erin of course, one old Grimm's Fairy Tales from 1961 with cool illustration, and a Literature book. Now it's not a Norton Anthology, which she really wanted, but has some good stuff in it with art plate photos.

Then, best of all for me, silk espadrilles from Spain that fit perfectly! I see a head to toe Christmas party outfit here. The white silk tunic and black silk pants from a thrift six months ago and now these. I think they are pretty.

More random junk

I love random junk! :)


Saturday we took the kids and went to garage sales and one Thrift Store. We are on the search for a new toy shopping cart for our Ethan who loves his even though it's falling apart. (got the original at a yard sale too!)
Some games (a little too old for our kids but we all love games so couldn't pass them up) a White Baby Tiger for Ethan, who loves tigers. Not shown is a plastic daggar for Stephen. The hair curlers are for Brian's Gram who can't find this type anymore. Fabric for me. (LOVE gray fabric) And these two cool boxes.

here is what they look like. One is for Kim, one for me. I think they used to have chocolates in them or something, but they are really fun and I figure we can hold some art stuff in them or something. Heck, they are almost cool enough to be hung on the wall. I feel like we got more... Oh a coffee pot. We don't drink coffee here at all, but when my parents come they like it, so I got a pot so they can use it when they come. Maybe something else I can't remember too.

We are having a garage sale next Saturday. It's thrown in with the neighborhood association, it will be in the parking lot of the radio station on the corner of Glenlea and Atlantic. Apparently tons of people participate and sell stuff and buy stuff. We are selling TONS of really cheap random stuff, not too much large stuff, just lots of random stuff. Books, kids toys, clothes (kid and adult) a few games, and then lots and lots of junk. Brian has some sports garbage in the pile too. It's from 8am to 12pm so check it out!

Kitten, Yes Really, Kitten

So, I don't know how many local readers I have, but! If you want a kitty call me!!!! Some teenaged trick or treaters in our neighborhood picked up this darling kitten and were carrying it all over. About two weeks ago, Jack had to slam on brakes because this "black bobtailed kitten" was going all scared in the middle of the road near here! So sure enough, the cat is the same one. The kid holding it said it's a stray and all the neighbors feed it.... So yes, there is a new kitty in the Casa Brown holding garage. We took it to the vet to check for a microchip, alas, no luck there. And he totally de- fleaed it, which was a blessing to all of us. It seems to be a female, about five months old, cut off (but totally healed ) two inch tail stub, and charming as anything. She is a love bird, lap cat. She has an amazing personality, is friendly and purrs constantly. She also likes to "talk" to us.

We can't keep another cat, we have three already, who on good days only tolerate each other. Four is well over our limit. Animal control says I can hold her till next weekend and then try to adopt her out on my own. Or they will pick her up. And she will go to the pound. Where they will surely put her to sleep.

So local buddies, please help out! If you want her, call me! If you can find anyone who would give her a good home, call me!!!

Linda B

Raincoat, Guitar and Unusual fabric

I always say I'm going to STOP buying more fabric for Erin, and along comes more I just can't pass up. The green is about a yard and a half, and I think it's Moda. A steal at $.50. And the large piece says Made in the Netherlands, but I got it for the huge flowering cactus print. I have no idea what she or I will do with it, but there's at least 1.5 yards, closer to 2.0.

The raincoat was from a consignment store, not true thrift, but pretty thrifty for Stephen at $4.00 in great shape. We have been looking for these, they are hard to find. And last, but not least, a Barney guitar. Ethie will love this, actually I do. And if he doesn't, well Katie may have turned 17 this year and is college bound, but that girl does love her Barney.....