While shopping at my favorite store, need I say it, Goodwill, I found myself browsing through the scarves. I picked out two Old Navy long scarves, brand new, that could be worn as either a scarf or belt. They were color coded the sale tag of the week, so at 50% off, I bought both for just $1.99. I was pleased with my intended purchase. Then Rachel, one of the young ladies that works there, came over and said that she had a fun scarf to show me. It was all folded up and buried deep down in the scarf bin. She pulls it out and hands it to me.
It is folded in the manner as to be placed in a man's suitcoat top pocket, up by the lapel. The first thing I noticed was the handrolled and stitched edges. I gingerly unfolded the scarf and was delighted with all that I saw.
The scarf is vintage silk and made by Symphony. Their scarves always have a little metal violin hang tag, as you can see in the above photo. I have seen other Symphony scarves for sale; however, they were all missing their tag.
I was even more delighted to see that the title of this scarf was REBUS. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, a rebus is a word puzzle that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words. Rachel had been trying to figure out the puzzle herself and had been a little lost. So putting our heads together, we came up with (I think) the story being described. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Here goes: A fable for you. Once upon a time, there was a woman, but she was a sad woman, not a happy woman, because she didn't have a ring. She liked 2 beaus but she didn't know which one to marry. Sometime she was nuts about a guy who was an actor, sometime her temperature went up when she saw the guy who was a private eye. She married the actor because he asked her before the private eye did. Moral: The ham is quicker than the eye!!!
Needless to say, the scarf is now mine and I will be selling it. Thank you to Rachel for pointing the scarf out to me, she knew I would appreciate it. Thank you to Goodwill, for just being Goodwill. Where else can you have such fun for $1.99, I ask you.
For those that are interested, yes I did brave the opening of the new Goodwill store last Friday. I was there around 3:00, parking lot was full and the store probably had 300 or more customers, seemingly all in the housewares department. Yes I did find some bargains but amazingly showed great restraint. I will be posting my Goodwill adventure and finds at the end of the week.
Have a Great Day.
Sherrie
To my delight, a little birdie and bunny stopped by to join me for a a springtime Easter luncheon. The bunny was tired from his travels .... he had been hopping to all the wonderful posts participating in the Vintage Easter Blog Hop with our host Joan at Anything Goes Here. Click Here to join in the fun. My visiting little bird friend wanted to know what goodies I had to share.
I pointed out an Easter Card found in a lawnsale scrapbook find, now matted and displayed in my china cabinet alongside blue speckled eggs under glass.
Suddenly the little birdie starts to sing the lyrics to the song "Easter Parade" which praises the Easter Bonnet ... but she was singing in French. She knew that this lovely purple hat was a Paris creation. Some very lucky Mademoiselle or Madam would have been proud to have worn it on Easter morning for a stroll down the Champs d' Elysee.
These yellow hats are vintage examples of a bit of sophisticated springtime sunshine from past Easters.
This lovely deviled egg plate I am sure graced many a family Easter celebration dinner before finding a home with me.
Of course no lady would be seen on Easter without her bonnet and matching gloves.
A dainty little handkerchief would complete the look.
This little chick poking through its eggshell looks more like a deranged alien hatching from an eyeball but to be fair I was only 12 when I made it. Trust me, without discussing ages here, this is a vintage piece as is the handkerchief.
Easter heralds in a time of rebirth, renewal, and rejuvenation. It is a time to plant .... a time to make things grow. With plant pots and watering can in hand, I am ready to plant. The plant pot on the left was a Salvation Army find for $.49 cents, and the watering can was a dime, yes a dime, at my favorite church sale last April.
My little friends finished their meal of carrots and seed and before hopping and flying off, they wished a Happy and Joyous Easter to me and my family. I wish the same to you all. Please be sure to hop on over to all the other Vintage Easter posts. Tell them, a little birdie sent you.
Before you leave, just a little reminder of MY 100 FOLLOWERS CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY. Please click here for information. A big thank you to all who enter. Giveaway ends April 10th.
The hats, gloves and egg plate are all Goodwill finds. Happy Easter
Sherrie
I am so excited! A new Goodwill store is opening up tomorrow! Friday March 26th, Goodwill will be opening its new flagship store and donation center. Located at 555 Maine Mall Road, South Portland, Maine. It is a newly renovated building that features a convenient donation drive-thru and 16,000 square feet dedicated to retail sales. Be still my heart. The best part is that it is only 22 minutes from my house!!
Will I find a jadeite piece, a vintage apron, a cookie jar (perhaps McCoy) or a wooden chair just waiting to be refinished? Oh the possibilities are endless, I am sure. Realistically, I will not be a customer till late tomorrow afternoon, hopefully after the initial onslaught of shoppers has passed. I suspect that goods will be continuously making it out on the floor throughout the day, right through opening weekend.
I am very spoiled by retail thrift shops, and I shall explain. I am only 25 minutes at the most from the following stores: the Goodwill on Forest Avenue, Portland, GW at Mill Creek Shopping Ctr, South Portland and now the GW at Maine Mall Road in South Portland. There is also a Salvation Army on Warren Avenue, Portland, and one at Clark's Pond, South Portland along with one at Preble Street, Portland. With the addition of 15 minutes or so to the driving time, you can visit Goodwill shops in Windham and Falmouth. I am not kidding. If my birthday falls on a weekend, armed with my Goodwill card and birthday discount, I can hit 9 Goodwill Stores on one tank of gas and never be more than 45 minutes from home.
Oh I forgot to mention my favorite Goodwill store is 725 steps from my back door. Yes I said steps, as in walking. I live in the village and am a few minutes walk from the store. Unfortunately I work late most evenings and this one closes promptly at 7:00 but I do make it at least twice a week in the evenings and of course on Saturday. (Who am I kidding, I pop in on Sunday as well to check the new discount color and sales of the week.) I am very proud of myself in showing restraint on those days when I do leave the store empty-handed. The prices are so good, that I could easily buy just for the deal and not for the love of an item. So I try to reign myself in and purchase only what I already collect and not start a new collection, definitely a herculean effort.
The dish section is my first stop (I know, no surprise there) then jewelry, then if I have time, the clothing. Last night I picked up a brand new (yup, tags still in place) periwinkle blue sweater from Talbot's, my favorite brand. I have never been in an actual Talbot's store or ordered anything from them online; however, I have a closet full of Talbot designs. I think that there is some size 8 woman in Gorham that is a Talbot's shopaholic and maybe changes her mind about her purchases but is too busy to do a return and has enough money not to worry about the return..... so she donates. Whatever her reason, I am glad that she does.
When people complain that Goodwill prices are too high, I remind them of Goodwill's slogan "Our business works, so people can." If my purchases can help support another person, then isn't it a win/win situation for both?
Here is an open invitation to all my friends, anytime you are up in southern Maine, I will give you the ultimate thrift store tour, you might want to bring a U Haul.
Just a reminder for my 100 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY CELEBRATION.
By the way, I have changed the date of my Giveaway to April 10th. I d
on't want to keep the lucky winner waiting any longer. So if you haven't signed up yet, be sure to check out my Giveaway click here and enter.
Have a Good Day
Sherrie
Today is a very rainy Tuesday. It is cold and wet; however, I am heartened by seeing my yard slowly go from brown to green. I haven't dared to think about my garden yet, I know we are still good for another snow storm or two, but at least it is now officially Spring. I am looking forward to my Garden Club meeting this week, as we will now have lots to share. As co-hostess of this month's meeting, I wanted to do something special and what better recipe for a garden club than flowers and dirt. So today I am participating at Tuesdays at the Table with our hostess Cole at All the Small Stuff to showcase how to make edible flowers.
A couple of weeks ago, I found a wonderful recipe for "dirt". It had been posted by Janet at Stuff I Think About for that week's entry at Tuesdays at the Table. Please click here to view. Her recipe went beyond crushed Oreo cookies and was sophisticated enough to serve at a garden theme luncheon and not just a kid's Halloween party with gummy worms. I wrote to her about how my edible flowers would compliment her dirt and she wrote back asking for directions. Here they are.
I remember helping my mother make these gumdrop roses when I was only 10. These were really popular on cakes in the 70's. They really are simple to make although a tad messy. But that is what makes them fun.
You start with a bag of gumdrops, I usually look for a bag with lots of red ones, a personal preference. For these roses I actually used jelly slices instead of gumdrops and thought they would work the same. They did; however, I had to roll them thinner to make them pliable and then they would stick to the table. Gumdrops are easier to manage, to cut, to roll out and to form the roses, so better to use gumdrops.
First I slice each piece into 3 sections (vertically).
Next I place each cut side down onto sugar to coat which helps keep the candy from sticking to the surface when being rolled out.
After you have rolled out your pieces, you then begin to form your rose, the first piece tightly curled to form the center, then another slice on the outside to form a petal, followed by a third slice, slightly overlapping the other piece to form another petal. You can they play around with the petals to position them just right. It helps to keep dipping your fingers into sugar to keep the gumdrops from sticking to you. Each rose uses just one gumdrop cut into 3 pieces for the 3 petals.
Next I take 2 slices of a green gumdrop, rolled out, they form the leaves at the base of the rose.
Here is a picture of the finished project (Only 20 more to make!) They make beautiful cupcake toppers, especially on Red Velvet cupcakes and would be perfect on an Easter or Mother's Day cake.
Please be sure to join our hostess Cole at All the Small Stuff for the other participants today, at Tuesdays at the Table.
I am also linking up with Liz at Hoosier Homemade and the Spring Hop Party, showcasing some fun and tasty Easter goodies. Please be sure to Hop on over there. Click here.
Just another reminder of my 100 Followers Giveaway Celebration. Please click here to enter. The giveaway ends April 15th so there is time to enter. I have been adding to the prize (vintage papers, buttons, and linens), this is so much fun. I am looking forward to sharing all these goodies with the winner. Good luck to all who enter.
A few of my Giveaway Goodies.Have a good day.
Sherrie
Saturday was the first official day of Spring and the re-opening day of my friend Muriel's fun little shop Tinsel Bright Trading Co. Located in the heart of down town Gorham (just outside of Portland), the shop houses Fancy Goods and Vintage Furnishings, a little old and a little new.
I just love the front window display of the white picket fence and garden of cabbages. (The cabbages were found at the Christmas Tree Shop and then dusted with green glitter for an extra special touch). The cart in the window also showcases fruits and vegetables and is one of my favorite pieces.
Here are two views of the cart. Vintage Easter theme books add to the vignette.
Inside the store you will find items such as a vintage saddle, collection of paint by number horse paintings and a collection of porcelain horses. (Gorham is home to 4 horse riding academies, FYI.)
For something softer and sweeter, Tinsel Bright sells lovely nightgowns, soaps, perfumes and other lovely toiletries (Just in time for someone's Easter Basket or for Mother's Day.)
Vintage dishes, artwork and furnishings are also on display.
These are just a few photos of their inventory. If you are up in the area, please be sure to drop in. Hours are Thursday and Friday 11 - 6, Saturday 11-4. Muriel will love to meet you.
Tinsel Bright Trading Co.
2 Main Street, Gorham, Maine 04038
(207) 839-4852
I also just wanted to remind everyone of my upcoming giveaway celebrating 100 followers. The giveaway ends April 15th. I apologize for the wait, my work is keeping me out straight till then. At least it will give everyone that wants too, ample time to enter. It also means I have more time to add a few more treasures to the giveaway prize. This is so much fun! Thank you to all who enter.
100 Followers Giveaway Celebration 
Please enter by April 15th. (Click Here to Enter) Thank you.
Have a Good Day.
Sherrie
When I was younger I thought the number 100 was magical. I remember thinking that 100 pennies must have greater value than a one dollar bill. Of course with that line of reasoning, 500 pennies obviously were greater than a five dollar bill, up until the weight of all those pennies broke my little kiddie purse strap letting loose those shiny copper bits all over the floor of Mattson's Paint store. Much to my mother's dismay.
Of course in grade school, 100 was the coveted grade to be achieved, which I usually did; however, not in Math. Again to my mother's dismay. But we have talked about this subject before. It is my personal opinion that creativity and mathematical aptitude can not coexist. The only time I am accurate in the use of numbers is with baking (okay more chemical than mathematical) and when I am doing my taxes (which is unfortunate because that is when I should be able to be more creative). Oh well.
We use the number 100 as a milestone, to represent an accomplishment, a tally or list of greats i.e. top 100 inventions, movies, or pivotal moments in history. Not everything has to be on the scale of the 100 Year's War. It can be much simpler but equally as important, like opening up your blog one day and seeing that you have 100 followers. That is a significant and very meaningful day, as it was for me. The realization that there are 100 people who decided that they liked what they saw or read, enough so to join me on my wonderful blogging journey, that was a truly magical moment.
I am still just starting, really. When I published my first post, the gardens had been put to bed, my beloved garden shed and retreat was closed up for the season, and all the other outdoor projects lay dormant in both my mind and actually out in the garage. Any time with my sewing machine had been abandoned and replaced with fall cleaning, Christmas shopping and decorating. The environment at my self employed work had drastically changed, which necessitated more hours being spent in Microsoft Word and Excel than with blogger.com.
Thankfully, I did have the holidays to write about and to display my photos (which are getting better but I need to learn how to do the mosaic images). In December I did present what I consider my best post about my then 3 year old daughter helping to decorate "The Perfect Christmas Tree" (If you like, please click here to read). It had only one lone but lovely comment but that there was only one comment didn't matter. As soon as I clicked on the publish post button, I felt as important as any published writer, it was official, my words were out there for the public to find. That is what really matters anyway. This is my blogging journal as well as my blogging journey. I am glad to be able to share, my thoughts, my aspirations, my found treasures, my own works of art, even my family stories ....... and if along the way, I entertain, I educate, I make you laugh or maybe even roll your eyes and shake your head, than it makes me happy.
After I had posted about reaching 100 followers and an upcoming giveaway, my blogging buddy Linda @ A La Carte, remarked that soon she too would hit the 100 mark for followers. Well, upon reading that, I immediately raced over to her lovely blog to add my name as a follower. It was such serendipitous timing that I was in fact her 100th follower! How fun was that. It made me giddy with excitement. Linda is also doing a giveaway, celebrating 100 followers as well as her 100th post! Her giveaway ends March 22 so please be sure to stop on over to help her celebrate.
Speaking of being the 100th follower, I want to say a Big Thank you to Marcia at Blessedmom's Simple Home for being my 100th journey companion. I hope nobody minds that I am giving her 2 extra chances at my giveaway. Of course there has to be a giveaway!!!
I would deliver cake (red velvet) and balloons to each and everyone of you if I could, but hope you will settle for these few trinkets that I have assembled to say a grateful thank you for keeping me company. Yes, you will notice that there is a pink and brown theme. I am very driven in my decorating (again please refer to Perfect Tree Post for an explanation). Here is my coordinated color-theme gift for you.
First I have these drapery sample squares. They would make a lovely pillow or two.
Here is an adorable little bunny, brown with pink nose, and perfect for Easter, along with a paper fan, a set of linen/silk screened napkins, tan makeup bag or purse with flower, and a little pretty-in-pink piece of costume bling.
A few quilt pieces found in a long forgotten box of yardsale fabric finds.
A butterfly shaped box, a vintage pink crocheted edge hankie, 3 pink beaded fabric ornaments, and a mounted vintage welcome baby card. It is an original piece and not a reproduction. I am adding a few more pieces (I forgot to show the vintage buttons) to the giveaway prize, but the rest will be a surprise.
Okay, you all know the rules:
1. Please leave a comment under this post.
2. Please become a follower of my blog (thank you so very much) for a second chance at winning and/or let me know that you already are a follower.
3. Please link back to my blog post about this giveaway with a post on your own blog. Then please come back and let me know about your link. You will then receive a third chance at winning.
I don't have a real button or special giveaway photo, although I do show an amateur attempt at the top of my sidebar. I haven't yet figured out how to make my own one, properly so. But this does give me great incentive to figure it all out in time hopefully for the next celebration for 200 followers. I look forward to the challenge.
The giveaway ends April 15th. I hope I can make that day a little better for the lucky winner. Thank you all for participating and bringing such smiles to my day. I am truly honored and grateful. Thank you.
Have a great day.
Sherrie
Happy St. Patrick's Day. Today is also Wednesday is Rednesday. Our gracious host of the party, Sue @ It's a Very Cherry World, suggested last week in honor of the holiday to add a little Irish green to this week's reds. Long before Domestic Diva Martha made this color combo popular by showcasing her daughter's retro kitchen in her Martha Stewart Living magazine, I had long used that color scheme in my decor .... I love putting bright red accents with my Jadeite plates. So here are a few of my pieces.
The breadbox is a reproduction piece, a gift from a friend, and with its "Jadeite Green" color and red roses, it sets the tone for today's Irish Red. The sweet little napkin holder is festooned with strawberries and has a green stripe around the top. I found it at Goodwill for $1.99. It is marked Japan. Everything else except the bundt pan are lawnsale or thrift store finds. The cake pan was marked on clearance 75% off at my local grocery store. You have got to love the color. I am thinking it would look fabulous with red enamel polka dots painted on .... It's okay, I have other bundt pans for any actual cooking.
Red and green thermoses.
Here is just a sample of my glassware, mostly Goodwill or lawnsale finds.
3 vintage potholders, salt and pepper set and a popcorn tin, all from last fall's rummage sale at my favorite church, at $.25 apiece.
I love to collect vintage kitchen utensils both plastic and wooden handles .....
Red and Green. I just love the green glass handle on the egg beater. The tin is going to become a lamp. I have the parts gathered and just need the time to assemble.
I also use new pieces such as this tin sign found at Christmas tree shop, (after Christmas 90% off - - honestly it almost feels like stealing) and I just love the paper napkins, printed with my favorite jadeite green with a red mixer. The cloth napkin is from a set of 6, the same church sale and same price. It was a very good sale!!!
This metal thermometer is one of my favorite pieces. It has two hooks for hanging your potholders. I remember paying $10.00 at a flea market, more than what I usually spend, but I had never seen anything like it before or since. The red salt shaker was a recent purchase for $.50 cents and the green one was a dime last fall at, you guessed it, the best ever church sale.
This tray was a $.50 lawnsale find, I just love the red roses against the green, and the Fire King pieces were all priced between $1.00 - $5.00. I use the food chopper all the time.
The metal red apple cookie jar was found for free!!! The fabric was a lawnsale find, a couple of yards for only a $1.00. Pieced with coordinating fabric, it will be made into curtains. For the time being, I use it as a tablecloth. The photo does not show very well the jadeite green color found in the flowers against the red background. By the way, I have seen Jadeite spelled various ways, this is how I spell it. I would appreciate any suggestions or comments on the issue. Thanks. Also included is another potholder, a crocheted beauty.
My second red apple cookie jar is a porcelain piece and a lawnsale find for $.25. The clock was at Goodwill for a few bucks. Really, with finds like these, who needs Home Goods or Target?
In an earlier post around Christmas, I had remarked that I had never heard of Holt Howard before Vintage Christmas Monday, and that now I wanted to collect them. Imagine my surprise to find that I already owned a piece. I had purchased this little green and red flower candlestick holder at a Christmas Church sale for a dime, sometime ago. I didn't know, at that time, the name Holt Howard. It matches this Christmas theme pot holder perfectly.
Here is a better view of the fabric along with a rug that I have had for over 25 years. I just love the green and red stripes. The tablecloth was found for $2.00 also at a Christmas Fair. The graphics are adorable.
Well that is it for today's reds (and greens). Thank you again to our host Sue. Please be sure to check out all the other participants of Wednesday is Rednesday (click here) and be sure to wish them all a Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Speaking of happy, nothing brings a smile like a red box of Girl Scout cookies or maybe even two. The boxes are empty, with my family, the cookies only lasted 2 days.
Please be sure to join me again this Friday, when I will be announcing my 100 Followers Giveaway. I am so excited. I couldn't have reached this goal with out the amazing support of all my new friends. I can't wait to show you what I have put together to say Thank You. See you then.
Have a great day.
Sherrie
It is folded in the manner as to be placed in a man's suitcoat top pocket, up by the lapel. The first thing I noticed was the handrolled and stitched edges. I gingerly unfolded the scarf and was delighted with all that I saw.
The scarf is vintage silk and made by Symphony. Their scarves always have a little metal violin hang tag, as you can see in the above photo. I have seen other Symphony scarves for sale; however, they were all missing their tag.
Here goes: A fable for you. Once upon a time, there was a woman, but she was a sad woman, not a happy woman, because she didn't have a ring. She liked 2 beaus but she didn't know which one to marry. Sometime she was nuts about a guy who was an actor, sometime her temperature went up when she saw the guy who was a private eye. She married the actor because he asked her before the private eye did. Moral: The ham is quicker than the eye!!!
