Thrift Share Monday - January 14

Well... it's official, after 11 1/2 months I am no longer unemployed.  Finally I've acquired a job, and start orientation at my new job today.  Yay?

Bitter sweet it is.  I've come to enjoy my peace from procrastination, sewing, thrifting, to not having to be somewhere at a specific time besides at school to pick up my kids (that in itself cuts a day down to almost nothing).  I use to always think I'd never be able to not work and be just be a homebody, that is if I didn't have to. I would think I'd go stir crazy, but boy did time fly the second the kids were both dropped off at school. Sadly, all this time I didn't miss working one bit.

My sister has joked with me, telling me to say "good-bye" to thrifting/estate sales, but don't worry, I was doing this whole thrifting/blogging thing a year before I lost my job.  However, there might be some truth to that, as in say good-bye to Friday and Saturday morning estate/garage sales,  but I should be able to make it to them later on Saturday or Sunday.  I know, I'll miss out on some really good stuff, but I need to do my best to not think of that (it'll make me sad).

Alright, enough with all that.  Time to share my thrifted goods.

There was only one estate sale I went to this weekend, and I came out with a few good items, but nothing big.  I'll also include some small bits from the previous weekend that I didn't squeeze into last weeks post.

I think these were my favorite finds this weekend, some metal pieces.  A really awesome Viko aluminum pitcher, a stainless steel butter dish (?), chrome ladle, and a Danish bowl.
 

I do LOVE these old school aluminum ice trays.  



Some vintage canisters.




And here are some books from last weekend. I really try to stay away from books, mainly because I don't know which books have value.  When I first started out I bought a whole bunch with no knowledge and ended up stuck with them.  I use them now as elevation display pieces in my vintage booth where I sell my goods.



Oh, how I love the movie "The Graduate", and when I saw this 1963 book I just had to have it.  I'm sure it will make an interesting read by figuring out what's in the book that wasn't in the movie.  This shall occupy my free time this week at orientation, during breaks and lunch.  

The shorthand dictionary, from 1943, was really a surprise.  I had no earthly idea that shorthand was like this.
 

I always thought short hand was just an abbreviation of a word or words, you know like our current "LOL", not squiggles to make up words.  That's amazing that you would have to learn a whole new language to take shorthand. 

And I couldn't pass up this giant World Atlas.

Whoa! Texas is big!
 

When did the moon and constellations become part of the "World"?

At $2, I just couldn't leave it behind.  It was interesting to run though it once I brought it home, but now what?  Side table?

There you go.  That's all I got for now. 

This weeks I'm linking up with...

A Living Space
Sir Thrift A Lot 
Apron Thrift Girl










 

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Thrift Share Monday January 7

Whoa! Time flies when you're doing other things....and nothing at all.   Where did December go? We are already a week into 2013.  Holy Cow!

I did very little thrifting last month, I was busy running all around town...or so it seemed.  As I mentioned last month I was accepted to be a part of a 28 day art/craft show, Blue Genie Art Bazaar, where I sold my handmade goods.  That alone kept me busy sewing (or thinking I should be constantly sewing), not to mention the driving to the venue every couple of days to stock up and straighten up my space.  I also had to make regular trips to another shop, Austin Gift Company, where I now have a booth space to sell my vintage finds..  Plus there was the Austin Flea last month, where I sold vintage.

On top all that running around for shows, shops, and sewing (I made a lot of trips to Joann's), I still had to run around shopping for four birthdays AND Christmas.  It is always a tricky time of year.  All the running around and shopping for birthdays you tend to get fooled and think you're almost done with Christmas shopping, but then the birthdays pass and your left with no more gifts to give.  Yikes!

Then I ended up on the "desired" potential employee list in my job search, after 11 months of unemployment.  (It's amazing how desirable you become once you cut off a big chunk from your salary.)   I got scheduled to take two test, one for the city and another for the US Post Office. Then I got schedule for two interviews...then a drug test....then another interview at a second post office.....then offered a job at the first post office(then also by the second), then an appointment for new hire paper work, which then sends me to DPS for finger printing.   

So, at this point in time I think I have a job with the post office.  I've passed my drug screening (no surprise there), and now I'm just waiting on my criminal/background check to come back.  There should be no issue there either, it's just you never know how or when someone else with a similar name will get linked into your info and tangle up your history (I watch to much tv).

So there was my month/end of year chaos.  Crazy, crazy, month, sadly with very little thrifting.  However, this last weekend has made up for it.  So here we go.

These beauties were actually scored at a garage sale mid-December, 13 Kimberly Fire Kings mugs, and they look to be practically in mint condition.

I purchased these from what I would guess was a vintage, seller, hoarder.  She indicated she was clearing out stuff, and many of the items still had thrift store price tags on them.  As I asked for prices on some items she would quote what they would sell for online....then give me a price.  Some stuff was more than what I could/would sell them for so I passed, but these colorful mugs I couldn't resist.  She did initially put a high price on them individually so I walked away....just to come back and ask for the whole lot at a much lower price, and I scored.  Thank you Frank and Mike (American Pickers), bundling is like magic. 

Now on to my ton of finds from this weekend. 

A fantastic Pyrex find, promotion 1959-1961 Blue Bird piece. 




What is that cute blue case? Well nothing more that a super cute Beauty Salon, hair dryer with cap.



Vintage mirrored vanity tray, textured amber glasses, and Granada sugar bowl with creamer.



Some  random smalls, plastic snack trays, melamine bowls, Anholt ashtray, and some funky shaped shakers.

Cute tiny vintage bags(?).  I'm not sure what these would be used for....your un-mentionables maybe(?). Giant check books?  Maybe I can start making some of these....if only I can figure out what to use them for.  Any guesses?



Not one, but two packages of vintage paper placemats.  A weird purchase....yes, but you know what's weirder?

These placemats were bought at two different estate sales, 50 miles apart.  How weird is that? Very weird.  My nice thought for when this happens, finding same items around the same time when you normally don't see such items, is that "they" get released into the "wild" at the same time...just scattered around.  The sad way to look at this, in all reality it's more along the lines of people of a certain age are passing away at the same time. *sigh* 

Ok, no more sadness.  Let's think of this as I'm helping get the things they might have once loved to someone else who will also love these items.  Right?  Like this fantastic McCoy swan vase, and dachshund planter.


 
Some more Fire King mugs.



 A super fab pot belly General Electric percolator.



An awesome vintage bun warmer. 



A very worn/distressed doctors bag, and a metal suitcase.  



And a pair of really fun 4oz shot glasses.  Silly rabbit, no liquor for you.



I think my thrifting new year started out pretty damn good.  What do you think?  Did you have any luck this weekend? 

I'm linking up with The Nifty Thrifty at A Living Space.

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