Sunday, June 30, 2013

"Madge"

This is my new girl that I bought at Urban Barn. Her name is "Madge". That's because when she wears jewelry you do not have to iMAGinge what you would look like in that jewel. She's wonderful as she is on a floor stand and she is very tall. Does not give me a backache when I am shooting photos. Isn't she pretty?

These are my other "bitches". The small one is "Minnie" for obvious reasons. The Mannequin is Marsha. She is named after the main character in the old Twilight Zone episode "The After Hours". The girl on the right is "May", because I may really use her someday, but right now the other girls get all the attention. Not pictured is my mannequin hand "Hannah", but you will see her modeling whenever Shy Girl is not available.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Feeling a little "Shoppy" today...Urban Barn to the rescue!

After a long photo shoot in the hot sun, I was at my desk writing listings and feeling a bit "shoppy". We jumped into the car and drove straight to Urban Barn for a quick shopping trip in the middle of a work day. I bought a wonderful new mannequin on a stand who will be modeling necklaces for me starting tomorrow. Here is what I left behind...but did not want to! Get, ready, there's alot of photos.



Who remembers having to wear this in swim class or whenever you swam in a public pool? This display is amazing, just amazing.


A great settle made of a bed headboard.

Some of the great chandeliers available. Just love them.

A new dealer for the shop. What a great look.

I cannot resist cobalt blue glass.



GOLD RINGS!!! OH Boy....

Just in to Yourgreatfinds! Gold, gold and more gold rings. Listing starts today. There's one for every finger and every outfit. You'll see...

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Stone Fruit

I posted this colorful photo on my facebook page, but I think that I forgot to share it here. I found this bowl of stone fruit for sale at Urban Barn, in Escondido, CA.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Antique Rag dolls and Crowns

Here is my basket of antique rag dolls. You'll see the first Volland Raggedy Ann and Andy, Skookum Dolls, fabric art dolls, sock cats and more!

This is a nice little Santos crown from my collection. I love the stars.

My Crown coral where I display some of my smaller antique crowns. The little one is a new paper mache piece that I could not pass up.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

What I do with unmounted Antique Cameos

I buy antique unmounted cameos whenever I can find them. With the escalation of the price of precious metals, many have lost their gold settings to the melting pot. These cameos are skillfully hand carved and many are amazing. Some of them I offer on ebay...and of course some of them I keep. I have them in a shadowbox frame on the wall. They are attached with velco stickers on the back. LOVE!!!

Some great Etsy Finds

Here are some of my GREAT FINDS that I have available in my etsy store now.


Monday, June 24, 2013

Laughing Roosevelt Bear

He's the Laughing Roosevelt Bear that I spoke of yesterday. He needs restoration, but he is what he is. Not as large as the previous one, but he will come out nice. Missing teeth and I do not know if I can get the laughing mechanism working inside or not. We shall see...

Cameos

I just listed some antique unset cameos. I decided to keep this one, but there are others. Tomorrow I will show you what I do with them...yep, I collect them too.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Country antiques

Here is a collection of dolls and a bear that I have sold on ebay in the past. The bear is a RARE laughing Roosevelt bear. He was mine, I sold him and then years later I resold him for the gal that bought him. I SO wanted to buy him back. I could not afford to at the time. The week after I shipped him to his new home I found a smaller version, only the second one that I have ever had the opportunity to buy, at a local antique show for almost nothing! It needs some restoration, but he is what he is! I will post a photo tomorrow.
This photo was on my blog years ago before I closed it for a while. Still love it!

Nothing looks better than fresh blueberries in an antique Dedham Pottery bowl!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Kale Chips

So being one that cannot eat dairy or wheat sometimes I get really hungry and I just want to snack on SOMETHING good. I have been eying these Kale Chips for about a month. They are expensive and it's a 50/50 chance that they will be good & tasty or really suck. Today, I went for it. I bought the ranch flavored ones. You know what? They rock! I really like them. Pretty salty, but that's ok. It is the only way that I would eat kale, I am thinking. And I do not mind the little green things in my teeth if you don't. So if you have been thinking about trying them, go ahead. They're good!

Friday, June 21, 2013

Unusual Gems

Here's another place setting. All of the "food" is of rocks, gems and minerals. Even the "ice" in the glass. Amazing!!!!

Great Finds-June

Here are some of the great finds that I have available in my Etsy Shop right now.

14k Gold and Platinum rings set with genuine diamonds. All are vintage of course.

These finds are available in my ebay store. I found this app last night and tried it on my iPad.

This collection of Genuine Navajo Squash Blossom necklaces can be found in my ebay store as well.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

WienerNationals!!!

It is almost time for the WienerNationals-Weenie dog races!!!! A summer tradition in our family.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Wool

Sometimes wool looks best on the sheep.

An interesting meal.

Look tasty? Every food item in this place setting is a rock, gemstone or a mineral. Amazing!

Simple Beauty.

Simple Beauty.

Smashed Pennies

Ever wonder what to do with all of those smashed pennies that you paid 50 cents to smash and emboss at every them park and tourist area that you visited with your kids?
THIS.

Horse Love

Today, I fell in love with this pure black friesian mare and her yearling filly. She had that look in her eye that I love! Too bad she isn't for sale. I guess it's time to start seriously think about another horse. It's been 2 1/2 years since I lost Snickers. Feels like forever. Sure miss him.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Silver, Blue and Gold.

Remember that old Bad Company song "Silver, Blue and Gold? Thought of that today...

Chinese Export Jewelry

As I buy and sell...and collect antique and vintage jewelry, I fine myself drawn to Chinese export pieces. These were sold at Chinatown souvenir shops during the first half of the 1900's probably up into the 1960's. For many years the value of these pieces was somewhat dismissed as an ethnic novelty, but these pieces are things of beauty! They are often marked only "China Silver" and have a gold wash that has worn through. When tested these pieces reveal that they are indeed sterling silver! The filigree work is beautiful and often embellished with fine cloisonne work. The stones used in these pieces are usually genuine and masterfully carved. The values of these Chinese souvenir pieces have jumped from a hundred dollars for a simple bracelet to thousands for some. Even the pieces that are copper with silver plate such as the carved coral piece below have great value. I just treasure them!

A collection of succulents

Here's my first photo collage that I made all by myself without the help of a teenager. Yay!

Monday, June 17, 2013

A little bit of drag racing

Here is my sweetheart, Cory Lee driving the Powers Steel Nostalgia Nitro Funny car in Tucson a couple of weeks ago. It's a funny car summer!

Succulent Chair

This succulent chair was photographed at the Vintage Marketplace in Rainbow, CA just a few weeks ago.

An Antique Flea Market and a Really Huge Lamp!

Yesterday I spent the morning, very early morning at a great antique flea market. This is the largest lamp that I have ever seen! See how it dwarfs that woman in the photo? It was told to be from a casino demo in Las Vegas. If you look to the right, there was a huge set of bellows that looked like a movie prop from some sort of shrunken people flick.

Have you ever wondered where the term "Flea Market" came from anyway? I did so I had to look it up on wiki. Here is what it said: "The origins of the term "flea market" are disputed. According to one theory, the Fly Market in 18th century New York City began the association. The Dutch word Vlaie, or vlie, meaning a swamp or valley, was located at Maiden Lane near the East River in Manhattan.[10][11] The land on which the market stood was originally a salt marsh with a brook. By the early 1800s the "Fly Market" was the principal market in New York City.[12] Another theory maintains that "flea market" is a common English phrase calque from the French "marché aux puces", literally translating to ("market where one acquires fleas").[13] The first reference to this term appeared in two conflicting stories about a location in Paris, France in the 1860s which was known as the marché aux puces (flea market). The traditional and most publicized story is in the article "What Is A Flea Market?" by Albert LaFarge in the 1998 winter edition of Today's Flea Market magazine. In his article LaFarge says, "There is a general agreement that the term "Flea Market" is a literal translation of the French marché aux puces, an outdoor bazaar in Paris, France, named after those pesky little parasites of the order Siphonaptera (or "wingless bloodsucker") that infested the upholstery of old furniture brought out for sale." Flea Market concept existed in countries for thousands of years. Particularly in Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, China to name a few. The second story appeared in the book Flea Markets, published in Europe by Chartwell Books. The introduction states: In the time of the Emperor Napoleon III, the imperial architect Haussmann made plans for the broad, straight boulevards with rows of square houses in the center of Paris, along which army divisions could march with much pompous noise. The plans forced many dealers in second-hand goods to flee their old dwellings; the alleys and slums were demolished. These dislodged merchants were, however, allowed to continue selling their wares undisturbed right in the north of Paris, just outside of the former fort, in front of the gate Porte de Clignancourt. The first stalls were erected in about 1860. The gathering together of all these exiles from the slums of Paris was soon given the name "marché aux puces", meaning "flea market", later translation.[14]"
And there you have it.

The Yellow Deli

If you are visting the Vista, CA area and you like healthy fresh food, you have to go eat at The Yellow Deli. The food is awesome and it is a cool experience. The place is owned by a religious organization called "The Twelve Tribes" and the theme of the place is a 1970's hippie comune. It is totally hand built and staffed by the members. They grow much of the food that they serve too. I cannot eat wheat, but I can eat small portions of their bread. They have a bakery and even have spelt bread. The building is like a big house with cool little rooms to discover and the food is raised and lowered from floor to floor on a neat contraption. Check it out! You won't be disappointed unless you like greasy diner food.



That is the food lift over there in the right.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Sterling Silver Charms

A neat collage of some of the vintage sterling silver charms that I have offered on ebay.

And Hearts....Love anything with hearts..so do these BFFs.

Bows are Hot!

Bow accessories are very hot right now. I love this 1940's unmarked Hobe sterling silver Bow brooch that I just listed in my ebay store.

You can find it here