Sunday, September 11, 2011

The day that changed the world












Today a 5k race was held in my little town of Gorham, located just a few short miles from Portland, Maine. It was from a nearby hotel in Portland, that two evil men left and boarded a plane on September 11th, ten years ago. The world was irrevocably changed that day. Our little town, here in Maine, thousands of miles from New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania felt that change......... that pain. We lost a friend Stephen Ward. He had recently started a job on the 101th floor of the North Tower. The race today is to honor him and to raise money for the Stephen Ward Scholarship. One of those men on the plane from Portland to Boston, was the mastermind of the hijaking of the planes that day. The world became a smaller place ...... and our lives changed forever. As I write this, I hear the church bell next door ringing. We will never forget.












Got it at Goodwill






Sherrie

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Wednesday is Rednesday

I love red. I love Red Metal. I love RED VINTAGE AND OH-SO FABULOUS METAL!!!! You have seen it here before, there is just something so appealing about old red canisters and trays. (For more of my collection of tins, please click here.) The only thing more exciting to find is red design glassware. Yup, doesn't matter if I am at Goodwill or a lawnsale, any discovery of these treasures will get me dancing my "Happy Girl - U Go Girl" dance. (Goodwill employees are used to it but the looks I get from homeowners, Oh My.) So please allow me to share a few recent finds.

The trays shown above are recent finds; however, I previously sold the same one at my shop. When I found this one, the matching little trays did not accompany it. One by one I have been finding these little "tip" trays to complete a set of 8. I find that it is usually the way, that once an item is found, you just keep seeing the same thing everywhere. No wonder collections can happen so quickly.
You might recognize the red fork and spoon as being from my own Kitchen. They are now up in my shop. The mix and match glasses work perfectly together.

They all share a red and white theme. In my home we prefer glass to plastic. Makes for a stylish table and is good for the environment.

I love to find tins of by-gone products....... even better when the original price is showing.

Such a deal. For $.21 cents you can have Flash. Couldn't we all use a little Flash.

More tins to share. Okay one is more predominately pink, but I couldn't resist showing it to you. "Glass Wax.... now with Vanishing Action" It cleans a window a minute. Simply pour a small amount on a damp "cellulose" sponge and apply a thin coat to glass with with sponge. As Glass Wax dries, wipe off with soft cloth. Dirt Vanishes. No Skips. No Misses. You see where you're cleaning ..... know where you've cleaned. I don't know. Sounds more labor intensive than using vinegar and newspapers to wash the windows. How did our Moms do this, wearing skirts and heels, no less.

I am sharing my red treasures for Wednesday is Rednesday with Sue @ Its a Very Cherry World. Please stop over and say Hi and get your red-fix...... it will cheer you up.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Friday, August 19, 2011

Pink, Pink, & Pink

What's not to love about Pink? It can be warm, soft and cuddly pastel or sizzling hot ....... a very versatile color. And when you are a girly girl like me...... well it has to be your favorite color. Here are a few recent fun treasures.

How cute are these little slippers?
1950's Size 2, from Mrs Day's Ideal Baby Shoe Co. in Danvers, Mass.....unworn and still in their original box. Not expecting to be a grandmother anytime soon, so these lovelies are in the shop.






This cute blanket with the fluffy rabbit applique is still in the original bag. Also from the 50's it is an original "Hollywood Needlecraft" made in California.



The washing instructions ask that you hand wash and touch up with a warm iron if necessary. "Please do not wring, washes like a dream. Treat this exquisite garment with the fine care it deserves".






I don't know about you, but when my daughter was a baby, everything all got thrown into one large load in the machine, regardless of its cuteness.



I can never pass u
p pink dishes. I still have a set of pink Pyrex dishes in the shop and now have the perfect set of glasses to match.












Pink and black glasses just say "French Glam"..... Gotta love them.
























So today is Saturday which means it must be Pink Saturday, a pinkelicious party graciously hosted each week by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Please take a moment to visit her and all the other participants. While I have to admit to having a few favorite places that I always am sure to visit first, everyone at the party shows such fun and pretty-in-pink goodies. You won't be disappointed. Have a blessed day.

Personal note: House is still for sale, and I am still looking for a new shop location. In the meantime, please be sure to visit me at 2nd fl Thriftiques, 8 School Street, Gorham, Maine. Have I got some pink dishes to show you!

Got it at Goodwill

Sherrie

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Strawberries anyone?

Wednesday is Rednesday

Oh my, oh my. I opened up my blog today and could not believe the date of my last post.......May 6th!!! I have never went more than a few days without a post, maybe sometimes a week, but oh my, oh my.... a whole month. Well I have been very busy.

For a brief recap:

1. Officially now divorced
2. Selling my home
3. Looking to relocate my shop
4. Leaving my full-time business of 21 years and looking for part-time position

Of course nothing has been easy...... kind of one step forward, two steps back sort of thing. Today, I am taking a deep breath, saying a little prayer and going forward with a smile on my face and making a promise to you, that I am back to my little blog, and my blogging friends that have kept me sane through this whole process. Thank you for sticking with me on my journey. I knew at the start of the year that I would be taking a new and uncharted path. It has been a little bumpy at times, and there have been a few detours, but my personal GPS is keeping me on track.

Having my house on the market is part of this new journey. I know I have shown photos of my kitchen before, but this photo is from the realtor. It is magic........ look how big it looks and oh so empty (de-clutter and de-personalize). I wasn't getting rid of my I Love Lucy Red chairs.


I wanted to stop by for one of my favorite parties today, Wednesday is Rednesday, with Sue @ It's a Very Cherry World. All that happy red at the party, always cheers me up!! Sorry Sue, it has been too long since my last visit.

My red today is my "For Sale" sign. It is certainly big and red. So if you know anyone who would love an 1853 house with 20 rooms and lots of land with perennial gardens..... there is the number.

I am living each day with this quote:

Faith is not about everything turning out okay.
Faith is about being okay no matter how things turn out.

I'll be back this week. Stay tuned for a virtual tour of my home. It has never looked so good, and of course now it (hopefully) gets sold. Oh well. Also have I got some fun lawn sale goodies to share. Thank you to my friends for being there for me with your thoughts and prayers. I have so appreciated you. Every day is baby steps.

Oh be sure to stop over and say Hi to Sue. It will brighten your day.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

A bit of this and that for Rednesday

Today is Wednesday is Rednesday with Sue @ Its a Very Cherry World. http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/2011/05/rednesday-in-may.html. Please join Sue and the other folks for this always cheery and colorful event.

So as you may know, my house is soon to be on the market. A price has been set, repairs have been made and oh my, the cleaning, de-cluttering, tons of bags to Goodwill and boxes of anything that could be considered recyclable items have gone to the curb. My broker has dared to utter the word (gasp) HOARDER. He doesn't understand why I have so many cans of paint (oops paint),most half empty (or half full as I like to view them). He also wonders why I have boxes of lamp parts. And how many wooden chairs that need to be stripped, sanded and painted, can one gal own? Don't worry, I have been patiently educating him on the art of re-purposing.

But there was one thing I couldn't explain.......... As we toured my home, and reached the second floor bathroom, there it was in all its Red glory.

With oh-so-stylish gold feet.........



There it was in all its beauty, my red claw foot bathtub. When I bought the house, the bathtub was there and it was red along with a red toilet and matching red sink. Did I mention the wall of mirror tiles that was behind the bathtub? Thankfully, the mirrors are gone as are the toilet and sink. But what do you do with a heavy, Really, Really, HEAVY bathtub? You embrace the red and hope that the next owner has a sense of humor.

Last week was one of my favorite sales, the Methodist Church Spring Rummage Sale. There were a lot of nice new things for sale and of course the plants being sold were plentiful. I did find a few fun pieces, like these aprons. I can never say no to an apron, much less red ones.


This year was a bit different than past years. I was more than a customer, I donated about 30 boxes of items that normally would have been on my own lawnsale. Oh I will still be having a lawnsale when my house sells, but anything that would have sold for $10.00 and under went to the church. I am not even a member but years of me being a loyal customer at their fall and springs sales have endeared me to the ladies that run the sale.

I have posted about some of my treasures that I have gotten at these sales. I might buy something for $1.00 to resell for $10 but when I see something that is vastly underpriced, I can not with good conscience take advantage of the church. It is a CHURCH!!!

So when I saw these Austrian Crystal necklaces, I knew I had to speak up. Normally, the necklaces sell for $1.00. the ladies knew that they would be worth more, but were thinking about $10.00. They were worried that the rummage sale buyers might balk at such a high price. Needless to say, I asked the ladies if I could take the necklaces and post them on ebay with the sale proceeds all going to the church. They will be listed starting at $35 apiece. It was the right thing.

SHOP UPDATE: 2nd fl Thriftiques is moving! Come July, the shop will be relocating to a ground floor actual retail space, with plenty of parking. The space is easily 6 times as large as where I currently am. I will still be in Gorham and I will be posting more later on. I am so excited. Think of all the furniture I can now sell and oh my, all the lovely vignettes I can create.


July will be the shop's one year anniversary and I can think of nothing more fitting. New location and expanded treasures. It will be one heck of an open house! Don't worry, you all get an invitation.

Got it at Goodwill

Sherrie

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter

The sun is shining and you can actually start to see green grass. It is going to be a beautiful day. The church bells are ringing from the church next door and I am getting ready to go to the service. I love Easter hymns the best. It is spring!

I have a new energy and purpose in life and like the trees that are starting to bud, I too am budding. It is an exhilarating time. Thank you to all you have continued their journey with me. Your support has been invaluable. I look forward to a lot of new things but especially I look forward now to the start of the lawnsale season!!! After all, that is who I am, and that hasn't changed a bit.

Happy Easter friends and family.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

P.S. Thank you Graphics Fairy for the cute picture

Friday, April 8, 2011

Welcome Back Pink Saturday

It is Pink Saturday.....oh Happy Pinkalicious Day! I know I have been a stranger to the blogging community but things are much better. The birds are singing, the days are getting longer and the snow is melting. (On a personal side note, the divorce will soon be final.) So with a breath of fresh air.......here I am back for my favorite way to spend a Saturday with the lovely hostess Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for the ever popular Pink Saturday.

A few months ago, my daughter and I were shopping at Goodwill, I know what a surprise. It was there that we spied this wonderful little beauty. I was thinking for re-sale at my shop, she was thinking for her bedroom. She won.

What was this fought over fabulous-pinkalicious-makes-you-giddy piece, you ask?

Just look at that sexy arm and leg.....................

The smooth shape and pattern detail.........

Perfect condition pillows and seams....................

Isn't she gorgeous? A mid-century Devan....perfect shape...no rips, tears, stains and the padding is great. Would you believe $39.00 before our Goodwill discount. For the moment it sits in the front parlor but will soon find it's way to a new apartment.

Doesn't this recall the set of I Love Lucy....can't you just picture Lucille Ball sitting here with drink in hand and wearing one of her fabulous fifties dresses.

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to each and every one of you that posted such kind and understanding comments about my new status. It has been a little unsettling to say the least, but now, which each new day, the sun is shining and I am feeling good.

Okay I may not be Lucille Ball; however, I am in pink today. A new look for me and I am feeling pretty happy.

"Faith is not about everything turning out okay.
Faith is about being okay no matter how things turn out."

Enjoy your day and please be sure to stop by and see all the other folks for Pink Saturday. It is good to be back.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

When a shelfski can't be saved

SHELFSKI: Noun. An object of value that may be chipped, cracked or in some other manner, flawed. However, when positioned in such a way as to hide the flaws, remains an object of beauty and value.

(Hairline crack and peeling paint does not make this charming little poodle, any less charming!)

Hi everyone. I know I have been absent for awhile. Please let me explain my blog MIA status. For those of you who read my blog, you know that I have been having problems with my computer and technical problems with the look of my blog. My banner/background problems were fortunately resolved by a very sweet fellow blogger who was kind enough to help me out. Now for the computer, no sooner had I paid to get it fixed then a new problem started with the screen. Suffice it to say, I now have a brand new computer along with a much smaller balance in my savings account. I tried to work around the squiggly lines darting across the screen; however, the ensuing headaches after a session of trying to use my laptop just was not worth it. Of course, I had lost everything when my hard drive fried, (the first repair) all my stored memories, documents and photos......gone!

Oh well. Time to start over. I held out hope for as long as I could that it might get better. In the end , you have to know when to admit it can't be saved and that you have to start anew.

Normally I do not mind if something is broken, like my beloved "Shelfski's". A crack here or there, if positioned on your shelf in such a manner as to have the flaws hidden from view, only adds to its charm. Unfortunately, computers are a different story. Even worse, when it is your marriage that is broken, with new cracks multiplying daily and no longer being able to hide all the flaws from view................ That is where I find myself today, with a 30 year marriage ending.

Oh well. Time to start over. I held out hope for as long as I could that it might get better. In the end , you have to know when to admit it can't be saved and that you have to start anew.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I had just needed a little time to take a deep breath, get my thoughts and feelings in order, and go forward. My new Year's chat was about doing just that (please click here). My personal GPS will always keep me going in a forward direction, even if I miss a turn along the way, as long as I keep going forward, I will reach my destination. Like I always say, life is a journey.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Pink, I am drooling, Pyrex

I love my "Pink Bamboo" by Salem Plates. Nothing could ever be as good, that is until........


Pink Flamingo!!! Yes a set of Pyrex milk glass with oh so pretty Pink, Pink Flamingo to be exact, rim. A set of four, in mint condition..... are you drooling yet?

But wait there is more, a pink pie plate, and casserole dish! Yippee!!!!

Add a loaf pan, square casserole and large round with cover casserole dish. Talk about a giddy moment!!! These are mine, all mine!!


For the moment I do have them in the shop, but quite frankly, I think they might just have to come home. What do you think?

Thank you to everyone that has offered suggestions and comments as to what is the purpose of my vintage thingie that I previously posted. Basically, I seem to have a UFO fondue/plant pot. Still searching for the answer. If you would like to see a strange piece of pottery, please click here. It seems that no one has ever seen such an items. Your guess is as good as mine. Thanks. Hey it is pink so I thought why not run with it again for today, as it is Pink Saturday.

Thank you to Beverly @How Sweet the Sound for being the hostess for this always Pinkalicious party. Please click here for your invite. Have a great day.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Can you help name that Thinge?

Okay I have been waiting for this party all week, Vintage Thingie Thursday with Suzanne @ Coloradolady. I found this wonderful pink and yellow thingie at the home (actually buried out in the garage and yes still covered in dust) of an elderly lady. Her family has no idea what it is, but that it has been sitting out in the garage for at least 40 years.

I have been showing it to my dealer friends in hopes of gathering information about this unique piece. It stands about 20 inches tall and is a container of some sorts. With the lid removed, you can see some rust spots inside that you might see inside a plant pot, residue from minerals in the water. There are no drainage holes. It is a ceramic piece.


Here is the base with the same silver design as the lid.

Possible suggestions have been plant pot, fondue pot and ashtray. I would have just called it simply an art piece, but the lid suggests a function. All have agreed that both the colors and the style would indicate a mid-century piece. Any ideas? Let's play the game....."Name that Thingie". As always, thanks for your help.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Childhood red toys

Iconic Raggedy Ann & Andy rag dolls. Chalkware Raggedy Andy hangs above the dolls.


Today I am sharing a few vintage red toys. They are a part of our cultural history. I thought this would be a nice addition for Sue's Wednesday is Rednesday @ It's a Very Cherry World.

Spokes, spools, rods and reels . . . Playskool's Tinkertoy® Construction Sets, the tools of America's tinkerers were invented in 1914. Tinkertoy® Construction Sets are one of the truly classic toys of all time. They have driven the imaginations of children for generations, proving that fun and stimulating toys never lose their appeal.


Tinkertoy® Construction Sets are the invention of Charles Pajeau, a stonemason from Evanston, Illinois who established The Toy Tinkers company. Inspired by watching children play with pencils, sticks and empty spools of thread, Pajeau developed several basic wooden parts which children could assemble in a variety of three dimensional abstract ways. He designed his first set in his garage, and with high hopes, displayed the toy at the 1914 American Toy Fair. But nobody was interested. He tried his marketing skills again at Christmas time. He hired several midgets, dressed them in elf costumes, and had them play with "Tinker Toys" in a display window at a Chicago department store. This publicity stunt made all the difference in the world. A year later, over a million sets had been sold. Playskool acquired the Tinkertoy® line from Child Guidance in 1985.


I love the price tag. It reads $1.18. Below that price is says "Price west of the Rockies $1.29". The actual price of the can of toys was $1.15.


This next game Alley Oop is based on a comic strip that appeared 78 years ago. At its height, Alley Oop with its caveman and dinosaur characters was carried by 800 daily newspapers. It was popular around the world in both comic strips and book formats.

The game featured the comic character in an interesting mural on its reverse. One to four players get to flip their "oops" into the can. Manufactured by the Royal Toy Company, Inc. Copyright 1937 Stephen Slesinger Inc. (Stock Number 005alleyoop)


How fun are these games..... makes you want to be a kid again. Please be sure to join Sue for some more fun. For more childhood fun, please check out my vintage Wild West toys @ Thriftiques.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Monday, February 21, 2011

Happy President's Day

Happy President's Day.


Washington's Home - Mount Vernon

President Lincoln

Hope you all have a nice day.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie



Friday, February 18, 2011

We have a Winner


We have a winner!! The Fifth Annual One World One Heart worldwide blogging party sadly has come to an end. Thank you Lisa Swifka for hosting this huge party. I know it must have been a lot of work and your efforts are appreciated. Thank you to all the folks that stopped by for a visit. Once more I met so many nice people. It really surprised me to see how many participating bloggers come from England and Australia. But it was a Kentucky girl that won, Jacque of Detailed 4u Collections was the winner of my Maine-themed giveaway. So my lobster goodies are on their way down south. Sorry I wish I could send the edible kind. Hope you Enjoy.

Thank you Graphics Fairy for the clip art.
Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Wednesday is Rednesday and a new background, oh Joy!

My kitchen chairs and table....would you join me for a cup of tea?

Do you see this wonderful background? Isn't it amazing? I just love the colors. Yesterday, I posted about my sterile and sad looking blog. There was a glitch in code for my background design. I had spent weeks trying to address the matter, all to no avail. So I asked for your help and did you deliver. Thank you all, especially my friends Linda @ A la Carte and Carol @ Old Glory Cottage for their kind thoughts and suggestions. It helped. But a big thank you goes to April @ Abramyan Avenue for telling me all about Brooke @ Babbling Brooke Blog Custom Designs. Brooke is a genius. To make it simple, she found a leftover background widget on top of another widget. I was never going to have a background in place until that got deleted. You had to be able to read code to have found it. Now I can cut and paste code, but reading code is like reading a foreign language.... I am clueless.

This nice lady, that I just met, took the time to solve my background mystery. I know it may seem silly to you that a missing background was causing me so much stress, but honestly, it would be like coming to my house and not having a single curtain in the window. I want my blog to be inviting. So thank you Brooke for helping me put my "curtains" up. By the way, they are a Brooke custom design. Perfect timing, Brooke is having a giveaway over at her Custom Designs Blog. I am entering for a chance for background and banner make-over. After all the effort she put in yesterday on my behalf, as a blogging friend, helping another, you better believe that win or not, a new look will be coming to my blog. Thank you Brooke.

I thought it would be fitting today to show some red and turquoise (from my kitchen) that match my new background. Since there is a little red and I haven't been over in a while to her party, I am joining Sue @ Its a Very Cherry World for Wednesday is Rednesday. The cherry red posts always bring a smile and with my new background in place, I have all the more reason to smile. Thank you.

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Please, I need help fixing my background

A 1930's book embellished with ribbon and flowers. The story was forgettable; however, the little girl's face on the cover was enchanting.

Good morning all. It is another cold day in Maine. Now that we have gotten past Groundhog's Day and Valentine's Day, we just will have President's Day and St. Patrick's Day before we finally get to the most important day........March 20th and the First Day of Spring. For all the cold temps we have been having, the good news is that this is the first winter that my pipes have not frozen. Unfortunately, a bad ice dam, apparently a very heavy one at that, caused a large section of a gutter to come crashing down. As soon as the weather permits, that will have to be fixed. Oh well.

it is almost spring........It Is Almost Spring........... IT IS ALMOST SPRING! If I say it loud enough, will it get here any faster?

As you might have noticed, I have not been my usual chatty blogging self. I have a blog problem and I need your kind help. As you can see my background and template have changed. My previous background was a sweet piece that I got from Shabby Blogs. In January I was notified that I would have to get new code for the background. Wanting to oblige this request, I tried and tried and tried. Any time I would add a new code design, it would stay for just a second and then disappear. Also, when I went to my design page to delete the original background, there was nothing showing on that page that corresponded with the background. You know, like simply deleting a gadget.

So the time came, when my old background did get removed and it left a blank background but added a blurb about photobucket right in the middle of my banner. So I thought it would now be easy to add the new background. Wrong. Every time I copy the code and try to add it as a new gadget to the page, the image stays for a second than again is gone.(Thank you to the folks that have directed me back to ShabbyBlogs site. I can get the image but it doesn't stay.)So I tried playing around with the template and using one of the free images that came with the template and ended up with just a solid color background, even though the image shown in the preview shows the background being in place. Honestly, I have to admit that I now hate how my blog looks, rather sterile, so I have not wanted to blog. To make matters worse, also in January, my computer crashed and I lost all my wonderful photos. Over Christmas I had stocked up on images that I had planned on using over the next couple of months. They are all gone.

So please, if someone could help me out. I would love to have something pretty for my background once more. Hopefully I have explained what steps I have taken adequately enough so as to help in solving this problem. Any help that you might suggest, I would be so grateful.... for a pretty background and removal of that photobucket blurb. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.


Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie

Friday, February 4, 2011

Pinkalicious Pink Saturday



At the start of each month, I create a new "center" display for my shop, 2nd fl Thriftiques. I've showcased vintage wedding items for "June Brides" and Amber Glass Goodies for November's "Harvest Gold" vignette. Of course, who could forget December's "Christmas Seusical" display.

It was the obvious choice to go Pink for February. Nothing saves Happy Valentine's Day than a pink-sensory overload in my "Pinkalicious" Display. From a vintage pink women's electric razor, to pink shoe stretchers, pink jewelry, pink chairs, pink dishes and glass........ you get the idea, it is "PINKALICIOUS".

I love this pink rose that would have adorned some fashionable lady's hat, back in the day.

Pink oil lamp, a trio of pink aluminum bells, and a sweet 1960's tile picturing young love at the soda shop.

I love the speckled pink glass salt and pepper set. The large white chocolate you see in the foreground is actually a candle. Not only do you get a pink treat for the eyes, when you enter the shop, the heavenly smell of chocolate greets you.



This sweet "calling card" seen above is probably one of my favorite pieces of the display. Found in a book as an unexpected treasure, it reminds me of a story from one of the books in the "Little House" series, when calling cards were a very fashionable fad for Laura Ingalls Wilder and her friends.

The pink apron with the black ric rac edged pocket sold immediately after I took this picture.

This set of Ironstone plates followed the apron. It was a service for 8, and yes the customer is planning on a special Valentine's day dinner.

An "ideal" sweet dollhouse chair and a "Superior" cabinet. I would have loved these for my dollhouse.

So these are just a few of the photos of my display. I am joining Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for her always "Pinkalicious" Pink Saturday. (Please click here for your invite). I promise more photos of the shop display for next time that Pink Saturday rolls around. Wait till you see the furniture.

Stay safe, stay warm. Another storm is on its way to start the week. Is is Spring yet?

Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie