Shakers in use

This is where the salt shakers live now. They work like a charm. And charming is just what they are.

This is my favorite one of all. 

Linking up today with the wonderful Coloradolady!

Baskets and buckwheat

I scored a bunch of interesting things this week. It's hard to see some things in the picture, but that's because I have a crappy camera.

The tall jug with the rooster on it is an oil cruet, hand painted and from Japan. The creamer in front of it has a pattern that almost looks like a cross-stitch. So I think I'll use it for a pattern. It's also going to be used to hold thin ribbon. All you have to do it stick the spool of ribbon inside and feed the end out of the spout. It works better when you have a creamer with a lid, or a sugar bowl and lid with the notch in the side for a spoon, but it will do just fine. If you can find a nice soup tureen, you can use it for your yarn when you knit.

The blue pillow is a buckwheat heating pad. Pop that into the microwave and away we go. The egg is just pretty. The bowl that I have currently filled with styrofoam snowballs gets filled for easter with eggs. I have a bunch of jasper and quartz ones and a couple marble too. There are even a couple hand-painted wood ones. But I only have a few ceramic, and they are painted with flowers and things. This one looks like they took the red and swirled it directly into the ceramic. It's going to be very vibrant among the flowers.

There is a little carnival glass dish in the back and another stained glass pattern for my husband to copy. That one's pretty easy, by any standard. But it's nicely done. I found two still sealed up moleskin journals I'm going to keep to put down the addresses of all my thrift stores. One in the car, one at home. That way I'll never be without a place to go. And the two purple things on the table. The one in back that you can barely see against my new basket is a decanter. It's shaped like a bell and has no chips or cracks at all. The one in front you can clearly see is a big amethyst chunk made into a candle-holder. Boy does is glow when it's lit up!

And lastly on my useful list is this towel bar. It's meant to hold fingertip towels in your bathroom, but this one is going to hold some more of my bracelets. I'm working on dividing all my jewels into categories. The ones I don't wear often, will go on the dresser, the ones I do, will go on my little table. Since there are more that I don't wear, the bigger one I have already will probably stay on the dresser, while this will move to my table and hold my best beloved pieces.

Sliced Corks and Traffic

As you know, I have a terrible fondness for owls. This little guy is terribly ugly in such a cute way I just had to have him. Thinking about spray painting him some kind of interesting color.

The corks are going to a jewelry project. I just need backings for them. I have some corks all made up already and they look just great. My friend knows someone who runs a restaurant and asked them to save some corks too, but they end up with all those plastic ones. It's just not the same.
And you would think that with all those corks, a couple would fit on these vessels here, but they don't. Still looking for corks. Maybe the transparent green one will fit an olive oil spout.

I have decided that until January, unless I am already out side the home coming to or from work, I'm going to stay inside and hibernate. The traffic is horrible. And all my thrift stores are along major shopping routes.

So even more curtailed shopping to come.

The Witch is In

Our apartment is in a very old building with very old wires. We are out in the middle of a couple quarries and some farms. When we lose power, it gets dark! Our last apartment was funny. We would lose power, but the building across the street wouldn't. It was kinda weird.

So whenever we lose power, we break out the candles. A lot of candles. But it doesn't really help much. It's still pretty dark. Not bright enough to read by anyway. So this bitty oil lamp is gonna make me so happy!

The hearts are going to make cute earrings and necklaces. And the oil jar is good for my parents. As is the one below. The strawberry can is the cutest thing ever. And the lockets. I love lockets.

I like to think of the story behind them. Who wore it, where did they wear it to, what pictures were inside of them? I suppose the stories aren't very good, they are only cheap lockets.

Things I find get used!

My parents opened a shop in New Hope, PA. For anyone in the area, please stop by and try some infused olive oils and vinegars.

I've been buying some things for them. I found many vintage (or used- depending on how you think of it) olive oil and vinegar cruets. Here are some of them. 

And the plate I bought last week? Here it is!

Doesn't it look great?

Will Power

I was not going to go to the thrift store today. I wasn't! I wasn't even going to go this week. I don't need anything, I can't afford anything.

So there I go driving around town. I was going to price some books and get a nice iced coffee from crazybucks while I was out. That was all! How did I end up with all this stuff?!

I tell myself that I'm glad I went, because I could have missed these cool things... but if I hadn't gone, I never would have known about them in the first place. Circular logic makes my head hurt.

But I am glad. The stuff is cool.

The recipe box and latching tin canisters are going in my kitchen, the curtains will probably go in the living room, but I need to find a nice window scarf to go on top of them first. The pierced tin will get framed and stuck in the kitchen too. The bowl is Pyrex, but it's a perfect size for baked crab or taco dip.

My parents are opening up a store, so the grape things are for them. The earthen-ware jar is all mine though. And the salt and pepper shakers. I saw someone on Etsy turn them into wire picture holders. If I succeed, I'll post them. The purple blob is a pretty blown glass flower...not just a purple blob. I promise.