$13.50 Pt.1

This is $13.50 worth of fun. Yesterday, we had to good fortune to stop at a junk shop that is almost never open. In fact, I think we've driven past it for a year or more, and never once saw it open for business - but could tell what kind of place it was just from the tantalizing array of whatnots displayed in the windows. I've joked to my husband for a long time that I was dying to get in there, just to see what kind of cool stuff they had "held hostage" in this never-open junk wonderland.

I think places like this are great (other than the never being open part). I wish there were dozens of them. Even if you don't see a single thing you want to buy, the ambiance is like that of a yard sale that should have happened 25 years ago.

But I digress.

First up, I don't know much about shakers, but I recognized two of these from a collectibles book. Not a clue who made the larger solid white shaker, but it's definitely more of what I think of as being a Range shaker - large-sized to cook with instead of being the smaller more table-appropriate size. If I wasn't afraid of the lid, I'd put this guy straight to use.
And I just thought this Old Farmer's Almanac juice pitcher was sweet. And appropriate, since I fancy myself as something of a gardener. I come across vintage garden-related items on occasion, and snatch them up, if they are a good price.

Have to break the rest of this post up, since blogger isn't letting me post more than 5 pictures, so the rest is continued here

$13.50 Pt. 2

(Continued from previous post)
This is my 3rd Pyrex "American Hostess" teapot. Ridiculous, I know, but I just couldn't pass it up, since I was basically being charged a dollar per item. First off, it's very rusty - which I don't know if I can do anything about. It's also banded with a darker color, a gunmetal grey. Usually, I believe these guys had a stainless steel band, but all 3 of mine are this same gunmetal grey. Perhaps a regional difference? For what it's worth, I live in the South, so this may be the common version to my particular area. Also, I don't believe this lid is correct (I actually reunited them from two different corners of the room, so there's no telling). I believe it actually belongs to the 2nd, updated version of the teapots & percolators. But it fits, so I'll take it, lol!These two red Pyrex refrigerator dishes I passed on the one-and-only other time I caught this place open. They both looked hopelessly discolored. The lighter of the two had some black streaks that I seriously doubted I could remove without also removing the shine. And the darker one wasn't even red - it looked like it had been painted with metallic silver spray paint. I really should have taken a Before picture!

But strangely, they both came perfectly clean with minimal effort. I soaked them in hot water, and lightly rubbed them Magic Eraser on the stubborn spots.And another odd thing, the one on the right is much more tomato-red than the other. The shape is different as well. You can kind-of see how square the bottom is. It feels very squared-off to the touch. I don't have any other fridgies with this bluntness on the bottom.

And finally, 3 Corning restaurant ware saucers in Dove Gray, on the right. To its left, is the marked Pyrex home version. These are my first pieces of the restaurant ware line, so I wanted to photograph the two side-by-side to show the differences in color & shape.
The restaurant version is marked Corning, with the Glassblower stamp beneath it. This logo was originally a part of MacBeth-Evans company letterhead, and Corning began using it as a mark after acquiring the company in 1936.

This backstamp is also known as "Little Joe" (named after who, I no earthly idea). I've seen this logo misconstrued in various -and sometimes humorous- ways. Often, it's called "hornblower" - which is understandable. But I just about spit my coffee out all over my computer screen when I saw it being called "a dancing girl".

And finally, two Pyrex lids. One is a lid for a tiny little opal white 022 casserole I bought for my mom a while back. The oval, patterned lid is actually for a promotional piece dubbed "Blue Doily". No pretty turquoise base to go with it, though, unfortunately. Add another piece to my wishlist, and something else to look for on future junkin' runs!

So (finally!) there's my 13 bucks worth of fun. Here's wishing you happy treasure-hunting!

Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams

One of the collectibles books I received for Christmas last year was "Kitchen Glassware of the Depression Years" 7th Edition by Cathy & Gene Florence.

I can't tell you how many hours I've spent pouring through the pages, and using it as a reference. I'm forever seeing something in an antique store that is a vague half-remembered image from these pages - although, in too many instances, just as proof that what I saw was a reproduction!

It's been just a single year since I've started collecting. Thanks in part to fantastic resources and enthusiastic fan-base, I've acquired more lovely vintage Pyrex than I can possibly use.

But lately my interest has shifted more towards Hazel Atlas (which I rarely see) & Fire King (I see it, but it's usually priced significantly higher than Pyrex).

Worse still, I've developed a serious crush from afar on McKee Dots items that I have yet to see in real life shopping excursions.

I suspect part of the trouble is the hours I've spent looking at it all in my collectors book. Somehow my brain gets befuzzled into thinking that it's some sort of mail order catalog. Like I can just sit there checking off items. "Let's see. I'll take one of those, and one of those, and oooohhhh, LOVE these bowls! I'll take a nesting set in EVERY COLOR."

Just yesterday I was standing in the middle of Goodwill, thumbing through a Martha Stewart book. (yes. martha stewart. A very youthful looking Martha Stewart, at that). The massive jadeite collection behind her was no surprise to me. But what really got me was that she had just been mixing-away using none other than the same green dot McKee bowl I've been crushing on.

Crush is the right word for it.

Talk about unexpected. It was like......it was like......pining over the dreamiest boy in class. The guy you've never even spoken to, ever. He's out of your league, you think. But *BUT* you have watched John Hughes movies. Maybe, just maybe....wistful sighs.

Then you see him with his girl. And Oh God, she's beautiful. And she looks just like a young Martha Stewart, ahhhhhhh.

***

But you know what? I'm just going to keep Dreaming Big. Martha Stewart or no. Big budget or empty pockets, a girl can still dream, can't she?

Fire King range set

Woo-hoo! I now have a compete Fire King range set. Granted, it is mismatch of the "Tulips" and "Dot" patterns. But still, I'm pretty darn pleased.

This polka dot grease jar was an antique store splurge, clocking in at the most money I've ever spent on a single piece of ANYTHING vintage. Tax and all, a memorable total of $34.34.

But on the flip side, I have a range set that set me back 37 bucks, total. Not too shabby, I think.

Buying this piece also solved a mystery I'd had for almost a year. I bought a milk glass lid for a quarter at a mom-and-pop thrift/junk/lotsastuff store that was going out of business. My justification was "well, it goes to something." Some months later, I saw a photo that made me think it was a Fire King grease jar lid. Lo and behold, it is identical. So I now know that I have a spare, and should I ever find a lidless grease jar for a nice price, I'll have a lid just waiting for it. Snazzy. And this is pretty much the rest of my Fire King pieces. I have a few mugs and plates in the kitchen - including a very recently acquired jadeite dinner plate that has seen better days, but I just couldn't pass up at 99 cents from GW.

And can I just say, it's a little surreal actually owning things I've only seen in pictures & collectibles books? Since my "junkin" budget is more in keeping with thrift stores than antique stores, there's lots of things that I think are lovely, but are just totally out of my price range. But when I've been lucky enough to bring some of these items home and put them to use - either as they were meant to be used or merely as eye candy - I feel very blessed.

Good stuff!

Thrift Break

My grandmother passed away just days after writing my last blog post on how her sweet gifts had started me collecting the Federal Glass pattern "Petal".

It's been a sad and heavy week. By friday, I really needed to get out of the house, preferably to do something fun & perfectly normal. A thrift break was in order, however unlikely it would be that I'd find anything on a friday evening when nothing else would be open besides Goodwill.

But I did. I found the whole 480 Old Orchard Cinderella casserole set. I know, I know. This pattern likely holds the dubious honor of being the Ugliest Pyrex Pattern Ever Made. And my photo here doesn't do it any favors. Too lazy to drag it out into the kitchen, my only room that receives any real natural light for photographing.

Also, it was pretty darned expensive, even for Goodwill. $6.99 a piece for the largest pieces, $4.99 for the lidless smallest casserole. Any other time, I probably would have passed, but I decided not to leave it behind. These guys are going to be put to work. Also, am I crazy that I really don't think it's THAT ugly? Mostly, I think it's incredibly reflective of that 70's style that I am not all that fond of but remember very, very well.

But I still had another GW to go to. And boy-howdy I'm glad I did.$1.99 for the pair.

Seriously.

(I'm still picking my jaw back up off the floor)

These are Fire King Tulip salt & pepper shakers. I believe mine are the ivory color (as opposed to the twice-as-valuable white). But still, book value on these is $50-60 bucks. I rarely, rarely ever see them in local antique stores, and when I have, they've cost a mint.

These are a perfect example of something I could never afford to pay an antiques value for. And they easily win as my "Best Score from a Thrift Store Ever".

Additionally, there was something else there that I've specifically been looking for.This is an unmarked milkglass Hazel Atlas figural strawberry jam/jelly jar. There is some disagreement on when these were produced, but generally I think they are very late 1930's. A premium, or giveaway, item with Corn Kix cereal. Did you know that Kix has been around that long? Amazing!This strawberry set me back $2.49. (Still can't believe I paid more for this than I did the Fire King!) I had just recently picked up the apple (or peach, depending on who you ask) for $3.50 in an antique store and was on the lookout for the strawberry (the two choices you had from the giveaway).

I love them. I'd happily take more. The apple has an almost perfect 1 cup capacity, and I think it would be the sweetest thing ever to have a set of 6 or so and use them as individual jello cups. I actually had to pull the apple (or peach) out of the fridge for this photo, because I was using it to hold a little dab of leftover tuna from yesterdays lunch.

Exciting finds & wonderful thrift break. But on the serious side, I just wanted to say how very much I treasure and will miss my grandmother. Just one year ago, I had never even heard of Fire King or Hazel Atlas. It was her gifts to me that directly started me on this path of love for all things vintage & antique. It was because of her that I even heard these names, looked them up on the internet and was opened up to a whole side of the world that I didn't even know I was missing.

Her contributions to mine and my families lives have been invaluable & unmeasurable. A gentle woman by nature, but mighty in her influence. Filled with love, generosity, understanding & kindness. She had a love of beautiful things, but a spirit of practicality, utility and usefulness. Strong-willed and genius at finding new life and purpose in everyday objects. She mended, painted, canned, preserved - making the best of the harvest, and bringing back life and beauty to objects others would have discarded.

Amazing, amazing woman. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have been able to call her my grandma.

I collect: Federal Petal

This is a totally new-to-me glassware pattern. Manufactured by Federal Glass, this lovely "Petal" pattern was produced for app. 23 years (1954-1979) in a variety of color choices and iridescent finishes.

But what started me collecting this pattern, only months ago, were these two pieces given to me by my grandmother.
To my surprise, I've since found 3 more pieces from this line, all from thrift stores. First I found a large clear bowl. It was with another sandwich tray that was the same size as my grandmother's. For better or worse I made a decision on the spot to only collect unique sizes and colors from this line, and no duplicates, so I would never be confused as to which pieces actually came from my grandmother.

Since colored glassware generally has more collectors than clear, I was doubtful I'd find other colors anytime soon - especially at a thrift store. But just last week, I found this bowl. The color is called Smoke. From the top, the color is a deep grey with an iridescent finish on the underside. I'm still trying to get a better idea of the range of pieces made in this line. It does not appear that glasses or cups were made for it, and some of the colors - blue & pink in particular- seem far less common.

And though I only have the 5 pieces, I love the way it's worked out so far. I have a bowl for each plate in clear. Stacked like this, it reminds me a bit of the lovely jadeite "Lotus" snack set made by Fire King.

Since I'm a "set" junky, it's hard not to wish I had 3 or so more sets of each, I'd rather stick to my rule and aim for a variety of colors. And worse, I'm a "dishes" junky - so when I find even 1 stray cup or plate in a pattern I like, my immediate thought is "Oh, I'll just collect a service for 4. Nothing huge, or elaborate, or anything."

(cue the music of doom on behalf of my poor husband)

Price-wise, this pattern is still quite inexpensive, and somewhat lost in the sea of similarly lovely, unmarked 50's, 60's & 70's cut glassware. But I think it's just the cats pajamas. I'm tickled too for the fact that my grandmother specifically thought this would be something I'd appreciate. And I certainly do. And I'm looking forward to having another thing to keep my eyes peeled for in the thrift and antique stores. I've seen a few pictures of some of the other colors together, and I can't wait until I have a rainbow of them.

Thank you, grandma. I love you!

The blog that wasn't

This blog is not about my growing love for all things Julia Child. It is also not about the fact that irregardless of her instructions, I cook her recipes in my totally 1980's Visions cookware.

If it was about them, I'd have pictures of said Visions cookware, filled with mega-yummy Cream of Mushroom soup ala Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

But instead, today is just one of those days. My husband, asleep on the couch in front of me as I write, worn out and a bit heat-stroked from digging out access to our septic tank. Tomorrow will be the 3rd time it's been pumped out in the 6 years we've lived here.

And I'm trying not to think about the busted pot on my porch that contains my equally busted fish pepper I grew from seed.

And I'm trying not to think about my friend's canning party that I'm missing because I'm too busy being a run-around & sad-sack.

The soup I made is just as tasty even when it's just a quiet bit of nourishment in the middle of a deal-with-it-all day.

But it still would have made for a nice post.

*waaaahhhhh*snivel*boohooo*andallthat*

Alright, I feel better now. (Not really, but it's worth a shot)

Tomorrow is another day!