Shopping Instead of Unpacking

Let's face it, I should be focusing on unpacking and getting existing treasures out of their boxes. Instead, I was out this morning trolling the stores for new finds. Pickings were slim, but I made a major Asian-ish score at one store...

Yes, basic white rice bowls, but perfect for soups, noodles and other yummy things.  A set of eight for next to nothing?  How could I resist?

It's like they saw me coming: little, teeny-tiny hand-painted Chinese plates?  You had me at little. This set of ten was kind of hiding, but I was so happy to make them mine.  There are ten, only three are the same; the rest are unique designs.  No markings, no words or letters. But, they're already on the bar and I think will be perfect little tidbit bowls for a few nuts, some olives or a scoop of sesame sticks.

Finally, I was super excited to find this peanut pourer.  How do I know it's a peanut pourer? Because I already have a smaller version in the original box!  And this one has the original sticker--made in Taiwan.  Asia strikes again.  I'll have to put peanuts in one and mixed nuts in the other.  Or maybe cashews?  Anyway, a nice little haul that did inspire me to do a little organizing of the kitchen cabinets.  If only to hide my new purchases from you know who!  

Balanced

Reader, it's not that I don't think of you, it's just that life gets in the way.  I feel like I am always making excuses for not writing and I know that you sit at home nightly with your box of tissues crying your eyes out for a new post from MTSS, but I don't have time to shop or a place to put all of my finds.  Please rest assured, when I do shop, you are the first to know!  There isn't some secret blog where I am posting for some other readers about things you aren't seeing, I promise.  It's only you, it's always been you, it will always be you.

But, this past couple of weeks have been insanity.  It is just one of those time with lots of balls in the air and tons of things happening.  I am surviving and I felt the balance last weekend with a little shopping...

I have to say that one of my favorite new tools for shopping estate sales is estatesales.net.  It's great in that it tells you where the sales are, plus has lots of photos of what they have.  You can see if there is anything you might like or discover instantly it probably won't be worth your time...this one was!  The issue of course is that you see things you want, but then you get there and they are already gone.  But, I guess it was my lucky day as the two footed bowls (the same, but with different china markings) were still there and I got them for half off since it was Saturday morning.  They'll be perfect with all of the other white dishes of mixed pedigree. 

Shells.  Faux shells.  You know about my obsession (here, here and here), so I was more than thrilled to add these two, lovely specimens from Wedgewood cast in the bone china to the collection.  It grows, its shifts...it expands.

I always eye salts at the antique store covetously because I want them so badly and they are always fifteen to twenty dollars EACH.  Is the market for salts really that strong?  I guess so, but I was very happy to find four lovely little specimens at the estate sale for next to nothing.  They remind of little crystal urchins and next time I have a little formal dinner I will serve my very exquisite salt in these little guys.

This little matchbook was not priced, but the woman at the checkout was so delighted we wanted something "from my era" that she threw it for free!  From Japan, it opens out the end and has a different little house image on both sides.  It is kind of the palette of our kitchen in Terre Haute and the hanging objets above the sink, which is not to say the same as the palette in the Texas kitchen, although close.  These things are always changing and evolving.

These glasses have been following me all over the country!  I'm sure they're just something basic from Libbey that was just sold everywhere, but I have managed to find them in Wichita, Terre Haute, Madison and now West Texas, amassing quite a collection.

These, on the other hand, I have been hunting forever and have never found.  Until now.  What are they, you ask?  Stemware from Russel Wright for Morgantown Glass, eight goblets and seven sherbets in chartreuse, for a song.  Scott at Ars Longa seems to stumble over a few of these every time he turns around, but for me they have remained elusive.  I'm not a big collector of Wright, but I do love these glasses.  Unlike plates and ceramics, they're unmarked, so you really have to know what you are looking for.  And be lucky!

Plant stand?  Or modern sculpture?  Either way, it is going to look lovely with pots in it until I convert it a serving piece by attaching plates some way to the little pot circles.  Hmmm...

...and then felt revived and restored, with some wonderful finds and a chance to share them with you, my dear reader.

For the Birds!

I missed one amazing item in the parade of thrifting from the holiday trip--this amazing bird bank seen on the bookshelf with a coordinating owl bank. Mitchell has a small collection of these items that is quickly growing and the bird was a great addition. It has a small sticker on it that read, "Chicken Feed Savings Bank" and another on the bottom that reads 'Imports Enesco Japan.' These items share a peculiar aesthetic and day-glo colors that, as a child of the 70s, resonates strongly with me. It's kind of like Schoolhouse Rocks and color-your-own-black-light-posters-on-black-velvet had babies that were banks. I don't know, it gives me a shiver. Here's a look at the entire collection as it currently stands in addition to a peek at the books on my shelves. I know you like it...

Train Bank

Jalopy Bank

Street Car Bank