/ˈCHo͞ozē/

As I've mentioned, I've become rather choosy of late. Sure, I could just pick up any odd little treasure and be happy, but then where does it go? Where does it live? At what point does one cross over from collector to stylish hoarder to full-on hoarding madness?

These are the things I worry and think about. So, on a short little thrifting trip in Omaha (capital of all manner of fabulous things as noted here and here.), I looked at many things, but purchased only three:

This large ceramic statue of Quan Yin had a couple of minor nicks on it, but the price was right and it is just pretty gorgeous. I'm trying to find a place for it that is appropriate, beautiful and spiritual. What do you do to lovely things that are nicked or chipped? Rather than try to touch them up with paint, I've thought about highlighting the flaws of a couple of beloved pieces with gilding. Yes, gilding. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

An actual piggy bank that goes with the crazy, day-glo bank collection. What was three has grown from the noted eight to a large group of ten. Lovely all....including another relatively new inchworm...

Finally...
...two sets of six multicolored fondue plates in the original box. You know how I feel about things in the original box! In one of the boxes, the plates were even still in their plastic sleeves with the sticker, 'Japan,' unmarred on the back. Let's do the fondue!

I did not buy the six dozen punch cups for $3.97 in their original box. I DID NOT BUY THE SIX DOZEN PUNCH CUPS FOR $3.97 IN THEIR ORIGINAL BOX?! Mine are 'milk' glass, so these don't match anyways. Plus, Barbara has my Mam-ma's which are numerous and match her giant punch bowl. IF I were to ever need such a large number of cups.

A little boy in a rabbit suit that was oddly appealing, but I already have so many things that are 'oddly appealing.'

An Asian BVM? Or is this some Buddhist deity? Advise please.

A Frankoma mug like we used to have when I was growing up. Sam would crunch up crackers or crumble day-old biscuits into these big mugs, top with buttermilk and a some pepper for a snack. As children, my brother and I were amazed our father would eat such things.

A collection of shampoo bottle in a variety of shapes and sizes, but primarily Snow White.

A lovely electric organ.

There was also a large stack of overpriced vintage games and two owl bookends that were green slab glass I should have bought. But again, overpriced. Looking at eBay, they appear to be Blenko and quite ubiquitous. I would still like to have them.

Bounty Beauty Booty

There were so many beautiful things to be found in Omaha and the more I put in the cart, the more I wanted to find. It's very hard to pass something up, especially when you are traveling and you don't really have to worry about where it goes at that particular moment. It just goes into the trunk of the car, in a big box the thrift store so kindly provided and you can just worry about it later. I couldn't say no. I couldn't resist. I had to have all of this!

Can you identify this item? Like the handy peanut pourer, I have seen it before in the thrift store and just had no idea what it was. Jewelry tree? Utensil holder? Fondue fork stand!

That's right, fondue fork stand. So lovely and elegant, it matches some of the other green items we use for entertaining. Plus, it's in the original box. And I don't have to go into that again, do I reader?

The Lovely and Talented Miss Nettie Jackson loves her new little baby ducky! This sweetly painted china duck is just one of the absurd things I see at the thrift store that I am strangely attracted to. No provenance, nothing that special about it. But something made me want it.

Somewhere, someone wrote of this blog something to the affect of, "Lots of great thrifting finds and no photos of cat or what he made for dinner." We DO try to stay on-brand and on-mission here at MTSS, so I do apologize to that person for this gratuitous photo of the cat.

Back to the show: You know I love food specific serving pieces! I already have a mixed set of bowls similar to this including three bowls with pretzel in different scripts, a 'nuts' bowl and some with flowers on them. But, I've never seen a complete set with a lid. What to to put in them? Potato chips, pretzels, snacks and nuts! I love the ambiguity of 'snacks'...

...and the fact that they stack! Fantastic.

A lovely tin for the tin collection; number three hundred fifty-two. Not really, but beginning to feel like it.

I have been collecting 'frogs' since I was in high school. I know, it's crazy, but I was brought up right going to antique malls, junk shops and thrift stores by my Mam-ma. Somehow, I got started on the glass frogs and have a small collection of them. Mostly glass. For those not in the know, they're used for flower arranging and many vases came with custom frogs that sat in the top, allowing you to arrange more without worry. I think this ceramic iteration will work well in a low dish with some little mums or something. Plus it has that faux bois affect...

Mom had a sewing box like this when I was little. I believe it was green and two-tiered. I remember there were little scissors in it, needles and thread and it had some sort of fascination for me. Who knows. It was very tactile. This yellow one may not have ever been used, but Mitchell will put it to good use.

H is for Hurricane. And sadly, I broke this glass right after washing it!

This salt and pepper set is very mod, with metal clad over glass. We couldn't get one of them open at the store, but thought we might be able to at home. No luck. Any suggestions?

These guys came from the same store as the fondue forks and stand. Barely anything had a price, so when I asked how much the fondue forks were, the checker named a very affordable number. Then we asked about the banks, expecting a similar affordable number and she hesitated and then said, "twenty-five cents a piece." What?! A steal. The hippo and cow appear hand-painted, but the king is from a company, 'Lego, Fine Quality Japan.' Most of the ones we have are from Japan and these fit right into that very strange aesthetic.

Surely this wall plaque had a partner (Pepper? Is there pepper on that?), but it was nowhere to be found. Regardless, this one came home and will probably find a place in the kitchen. Eventually. The kitchen is small and already packed full of kitsch.

I spotted this coffee carafe perusing the kitchenware section. It was nice, with a great design and mod, Jetson-like handle in a pleasing plastic. But, after discarding a large collection of these when departing Wichita, it's hard to start adding back to the stash...

...UNTIL, I spotted the triangular warmer for this triangular pot on the other side of the store. As soon as I put them back together...."REUNITED and it felt sooo good," I had to have it.

So yes, when it is snowing outside I'll be sipping warm coffee from this pot.

Last but not least, an open divided vegetable by Georges Briard. Sigh. It has a hairline crack, but was just too fine to pass up: the shape, the size and the pattern. Fantastic. I wouldn't serve anything liquid-y in it, but it's perfect for...M&Ms! Pretzel on one side and plane on the other?

"Mmmmmm! M&Ms for dessert."

And that, my friends, is how we shop Omaha-style.

Salon de Refusés

Reader, you know there has been a dry spell, but the clouds have broken and a sweet bounty of thrift has been poured about the earth! Rejoice! Rejoice throughout the land!

From whence did said bounty appear? Omaha. Omaha, Nebraska. The new promised land of thrifting. Every time we visit I find the most amazing and beautiful things. One store in particular yields a trove of treasures and I have said before, I could furnish an entire house in one visit. Or at least get a start. Before I get to the good stuff, I thought I would share a few images of the things I did not buy to prove the point that I am selective and I do not buy every dusty, dirty relic my pinky finger grazes. No matter what you might think...

I'm really not a seasonal cookie jar type of person, but I love the color and design of this one. IF I were going to buy a seasonal cookie jar, it would be the one. I'm not, so I didn't.

Can you imagine if you came to my house and after each course I got out the silver plated crumb knife and pan and cleaned the tablecloth? I'm sure you can, but don't worry, it isn't going to happen. I'm reading The Help and just such an item was referenced as a detail relaying the pointless accoutrement of the bourgeoisie wedding register. This one was monogrammed and looks like it might actually have been used.

This lamp is over the top, with four faux candlesticks fitted for light bulbs. You know how I love my faux, but there is no place in our home for such a large and ostentatious lamp.

A pricey and mint condition big yellow bowl, but I already have two...

I have been asking the universe for a Georges Briard tea kettle for a while, but one that is mint and usable hasn't turned up. This one looks fantastic on the outside, but the interior was a mess and I had to leave it there. A lot of the Briard enamelware was produced in Terre Haute, so you would think there would be more of it appearing at the Goodwill, but not so much. Come one universe!

Temporama, the 'wedding china.' They had a sugar bowl, some cups and a few bread and butter plates. I think the only pieces I'm missing from this set is a butter dish and the salt and pepper, so I left all of these where they were. I culled the set down to service for twelve during the move to Austin, TX, so it's pretty much stabilized at this point.

Jessie hates clowns, so it's all I can do not to take a picture of every one I see and send it to her. I resisted, but I'm posting here for your amusement. Hopefully it'll still give her a good fright. This looks like paint-by-numbers and if it really were, then I would have snapped it up. But, it's just a printed piece.

Hey there pretty, elegant lady. Fancy.

This bizarre curio cabinet was plastic and rather shaky. Something about it was very attractive though...

I should have bought this table. I don't know what I was thinking. Even if I didn't use it, I'm sure I could have found a good home for it.

Georges Briard Pyrex, but a pattern I could resist at a price I would never pay.

I was so excited to find this double vegetable by Ben Seibel in the Impromptu pattern and greatly disheartened to find it was chipped on both ends. I have the open vegetable in this same pattern and this would have made a great addition to the amazing white dish collection.

Who could ash in such a cute little ashtray? Isn't she saying 'Please quit smoking' with her eyes?

And that was what I DIDN'T buy! Are you ready for the good stuff? Drum roll please....

An Easy Lesson on Making Things Cuter

When I was thrifting in Omaha, I made a $.80 purchased that changed my life, my outlook on the world and my perspective on cute: a miniature sombrero. It's true. I picked up this little hat and began to put it on everything around the store, instantly amping up the cute-meter by five points with each switcheroo. How can that be?

Just look:

This little doggy was already pretty cute, but look how cute he
is in the miniature sombrero? Everybody say, 'ahhhhh."

You probably wouldn't describe the BVM as cute,
unless she was is wearing a miniature sombrero!

And Raggedy Andy? Sure, he is kind of cute in a saccharine kind of way,
so in this case the miniature sombrero brings his cuteness down to a palatable level.

Santa is always cute, but Santa in a miniature sombrero is excepcionalmente-cute!

This caroler looks super angry, like she is put out by having to wear the miniature sombrero. And the guy behind her doesn't look very happy that it is blocking his moment. Isn't that cute?

Our Lady of Ventriloquism looks cute too, and I'm sure it's the miniature sombrero.

What have we learned?

1. Accessories are everything.
2. You can have a helluva lot of fun for $.80 in a thrift store.
3. Everyone is cute at some point, even the BVM.
4. Smile, don't be so serious.

Look for the miniature sombrero to pop-up in future MTSS posts again and again until it becomes so funny you won't be able to stand it. Laugh, my puppets, laugh! De Nuestra Señora de la ventriloquia commands it!

Thrifting Through the Blizzard

My darlings, I have for you a much delayed post on the holidays which took us on a long, snowy tour of the lower Midwest to see family and friends. The travel was dangerous and grueling, but as they say, "When life gives you lemons, make time for thrift shopping." And we did, finding many wonderful and amazing items along the way.

I popped into a thrift store in south Omaha that I only hope I can find again: there was so much it was unbelievable! I could have outfitted an entire kitchen and dining room with the wonderful items they had. And after you finish this post, you'll probably think I did...

I wish there had been ten--no twelve--NO TWENTY--of these bowls, I would have bought them all. They are low, but deep enough for soup, pasta or a big salad. And perfect for spaghetti and meatballs. I won't every eat spaghetti from anything besides these bowls again, I promise you. They are that perfect. And Pyrex. Did I mention they are Pyrex? With a lovely greenish-blue rings that match my favorite coffee cup. One of my favorite coffee cups--I try to remain impartial.

Say what you will about hoarding, but I will never pass up a chip-less, lotus bowl if it is a color other than white. These are the smallest size and I now have two in red, two in green and two in yellow. Traffic light! Plus, twenty or so in the slightly larger size in a variety of colors. For rice bowl emergencies. Geez, I've totally explained this to you before and it is completely logical.

This lovely little bowl is a very light gray and unmarked It reminds me a of a shape from either the 40s or the 80s and is perfect for some nuts, olive pits, sesame seeds, soy sauce, ketchup, flaky salt or anything else you might want or need to put into a small bowl. Hello, my name is Brian and I'm addicted to small bowls. I can stop anytime I want. I just don't want.

I'm calling this lovely 70s Madonna and Child wall plaque, 'Our Lady of Ventriloquism' because it does kind of look like he is her puppet. Sweet regardless, it's now hanging beside the front door which took some getting used to as I kept seeing it out of the corner of my eye and thinking, 'What the hell is on the wall!?!'

This fantastic serving piece is that Japanese-made plastic that is supposed to kind of look like lacquerware. It has six little trays that are removable and a center wooden section for....sauces, a fondue pot, condiments, a centerpiece....or whatever. Did I mention it's fantastic?

These trays are plastic, but made to look like a gold-veined stone. Very unique, I could not pass them up...

A silver tray shaped like a giant leaf was impossible to resist.

In Wichita, we did a little shopping with Molly, popping into the DAV at Central and Edgemore to find...giant piles of Russel Wright dishes! It was so strange, at first I spotted some creamer tops to the Iroquois Casual China and then some tea cups in a variety of patterns and colors. Eventually, saucers, bread plates and dinner plates began to reveal themselves in the mess of dishes on display in the store including: service for eight in the Iroquois Casual China in Pink Sherbet with cups, saucers, bread and butter plates and dinner plates. I have always coveted this pink. I'm not sure why as I'm not really a pink person (give me some fuchsia here and there, but not pink pink), but every time I see it I just think, 'That is the perfect pink.' So, dear reader, I could not resist when presented with the opportunity to buy such a large group at the thrift store.

When I got home, I realized that the pieces came from different production lots because of the variety of markings. I think all of this china must have belonged to some collector who might now be in the 'big Russel Wright shop in the sky' and their family didn't know what this was. Just a bunch of old china! So, I'm glad I rescued a collector's collection, or at least a little part of it.

This beauty was already featured in the gravy-boat-confessional-crossover post between MTSS and bigYELLOWbowl. But, it's still quite the find. Perhaps I should give it away in some sort of contest?

Returning home, I guess I was still hot and heavy for shopping (twas the season!), so I popped into Goodwill and found this lovely shell in a deep brown practically black for the faux shell collection. I think I'll fill it with BVMs.

Since then, I have kind of been ignoring the thrift store. Trying to be good! Fret not, it won't last...

Holiday Thrift Round-up

This year, we did the tour of the 'ahs' for the holidays--Wichit-ah, Omah-ah and Tuls-ah. It was a long, LONG trip, but I did some shopping and peeking at what other people had bought.

Wichit-ah
I got to see Molly and Jamie's new place, which is very cute. It's a bungalow with nice details in the same part of town where I used to live. Molly gave me the grand tour and I got to see some of her thrifting finds along the way.
I need another pitcher like I need another platter, but if I had seen this beauty at a thrift store, I would have snapped it up. Perfect for iced tea, punch or the beverage of your choice. Sangria anyone?

Molly bought this corner shelf at IKEA last year when she was in Austin. It looks so nice in the kitchen displaying some of her thrifted finds. Note the Pyrex, just lovely.

In the basement, Molly and Jamie have carved out an amazing studio space for her glass, fabric work and other creative endeavors. I've never seen Molly look so organized and the beautiful workspace is surely inspirational. Pink flames on the wall? Excellent.

Tucked into the corner of her studio, you will find the Ironrite ironing machine. It's one of those monstrous, 1950s appliances with lovely details, including the logo. Molly says its impossible to move, even though the included information promises to allow you to 'take a holiday from ironing drudgery for the rest of your life!' I guess the makers of Ironrite didn't come up with a way to allow you take a holiday from moving giant ironing machines drudgery for the rest of your life. But oh well, it's still a beaut.

On the tour of the place, I also noted some of MY old thrifting finds that had been passed on to Molly when I left town, including this cute set of glasses and the little yellow pot. There was a chip and dip server that matched the glasses, but I'm not sure if Molly has that or it went to another good home.

Emily, another Wichita friend, has opened up a great little store on Douglas called Frank and Margaret's. She stocks vintage finds, refabbed furniture and lots of wonderful new things for an eclectic mix of limtless choices. I didn't get to visit the store while it was open, but did peak in the window and snap a couple of quick pics.

Omah-ah
Omaha has lots of great thrift store, but since it was a holiday weekend, I didn't get a chance to visit any of them. I did go to the rambling, junk-filled antique store in the Old Town area where I stumbled upon lots of great things and really cheap, Nebraska prices.

This golden calf immediately made me think of Moses and the Children of Israel. Where would you put a giant golden calf but on a giant altar at the base of Mount Sinai?

I really wanted this beautiful bird cage suspended on a stand, but it was not priced in a cheap, Nebraska kind of way. Would I put a real bird in it? Have you been to my house?

This little church lamp reminded me of the offering bank at my grandparent's church. It was in a sleepy, little lake town and during the service children would walk to the front and put their offering in to a bank that was shaped like a church. It was very exciting, even if it doesn't sound like it now. The bank was shaped like your quintessential, American church of the 1950s. I wonder if the mega churches of today have giant mega church shaped banks that kids get to put their offering in?

The sign on this mannequin says she isn't that kind of girl, but something tells me that she is!

This cute little elephant is a small lamp or night light. Perfect for a desk or children's room. Perfect for anywhere, actually!

The sister of the Priscilla Presley bride doll that Mitchell found in Omaha last year (Picture this doll with black hair and in a wedding dress.) and that we sent to Jessie. I was tempted....to send this one to her too, but didn't.

Tuls-ah (or Owasso, rather)
The Goodwill in Owasso, Ok, where my parents live, is a gold mine. My guess is that it's because of its proximity to the Oklahoma Baptist Retirement home. Plus, I don't think any of those bougie people in Owasso shop at the thrift store. Here's what you might find:

Serving pieces in an obscure Franciscan pattern--there are so many and, as I've said, I've never met one I didn't like.

Weird African-style statues.

Frankoma! Egg plate! Two of my favorite things, but I already have one glass egg plate and one that matches my 'good' china. Plus, this isn't my favorite color of Frankoma glaze.

A very cute teapot or coffee pot from Hall.

Amazing, eclectic set of napkin rings.

A Dutch girl that I assume used to dangle a salt and pepper shaker from either side.

More dishes. I want to buy all the dishes that I see, and these were especially attractive. What kind of dishes are you looking for? Let me know and I'm sure I'll find something to suit your taste.