Fab Finds

With travel for work, hither and yon, I hadn't been to the thrift stores in Midland for a few weeks, so I thought this weekend was a great opportunity to see what might have appeared since I had last shopped. And dear reader, guess what? There was quite a bit...

The first couple of stops yielded nothing. I mean, if I had been shopping for white, ceramic cats then it would have been the mother lode, but I think that is even beyond my kitschy sensibilities. However, at Trade-n-Treasures, I came across one of my favorite things: a lovely faux sea shell. (More on my faux shell obsession here, here, here and here.) Of course, someone had filled it with flower arranging foam and the most hideous plastic flowers you have ever seen, but I just ripped those right out and stuffed them into another pot. No reason to take them home! Plus, I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't think they were as hideous as I did. They would be wrong, but to each their own.

Of course, I had just rearranged the salon table a week or so ago, bringing my small collection of faux shells to the forefront with the addition of some stones and gems. The effect evokes an essence I would consider to be a la Jung, meaning 'in the style of Jung' as in my friend, sister in thrift and the muse of MTSS, Stephanie Jung.* While arranging them, I thought, "I could really use a couple of more major faux shells to make this really come together." Ask and ye shall receive; thrift and ye shall find.

The next find is a little hard to describe: a pretzel-style lucite and silver candlerabra? Whatever you call it, be sure you use the word 'fabulous' as part of the adjectives. This is one of those odd, special, fabulous, mod early-70s accessories that can mix in anywhere. Really. The problem is that I have a box of candlesticks, inherited and purchased, that I rarely use. But, this was on sale and I could not resist its unique quality. A real conversation piece.  However, sometimes I think my house is so full of conversation pieces that they are all yelling at each other!

The next stop was Dress Up's, but Miss Dress Up wasn't present. Instead, I was manically greeted by who I can only assume is Miss Dress Up, Jr. and her two children. There were lots of lovely things to be had, including a very charming, yet over-priced bar, which MDU, Jr. kept telling me locked and included a key--as though a locking liquor cabinet was the most important aspect to consider! There were a couple of items I could not resist, the first being the diminutive plates above. I love tiny bowls, little plates or any sort of Lilliputian dishes, so I had to have them even though they hadn't reached a discount yet. I had to have them. I'm sure I will find some specific and satisfying use for them.

Finally, the strangest find of the day was this clown art. Now, we already talked about white, ceramic cats being beyond my aesthetic sensibilities and I'm sure you probably have the talent to take an arrangement of clown pictures and make them look quit chic. But reader, as fond as I am of sending photos of clown finds to my friend Jessie who is absolutely terrified of clowns, I don't usually purchase them. This, however, isn't just a clown picture. No, do not be deceived; this is a music box and the nose is the handle! It does work and plays a rather maudlin rendition of 'Send in the Clowns.' I could not resist it and had to have it. Where will it go? I'm not sure, but its existence amuses me and owning it amuses me even more. So, I've included a little video for your enjoyment:

 

That, my friends, is a good day of thrifting if I do say so myself...

*For those new to MTSS, it was actually started as a paper zine after I moved to Wichita, KS and was missing thrifting with my friend.  I started drawing my finds and including musing on thrifting, which I sent to several friends.  But, they were created with the intention of both amusing Stephanie and keeping her up-to-date on my thrifting adventures.  Eventually, it became a blog which was a helluva lot easier to manage.  That was eight years ago.  I still don't have a book deal, but I am still blogging, amusing myself and keeping her, and you, updated on all my fab finds.

Just Buy It

After last weeks little finds, I had the fever. I wanted more, knowing full well there was no room at the inn. No room in the closet at the inn. And definitely no room in the storage unit that is behind the inn where this is no room.

"That doesn't matter," I told myself, "You'll just find something small and delicious like you did last week." I was thinking something that could be tucked into a drawer or maybe stored in something that was already somewhere. I didn't know! I was just trying to justify it.

So, I did find something. Something that hangs on the wall! Something that, actually, is a spot where something else can go and hang on the wall. So, double brilliance. Right? Right. But, it was like $1.29 and I was cashless and thought, "Ok, I'll buy it if I find something else to buy also," not wanted to debit $1.29. So, I continued to walk the store. And found nothing. Nada. Zip.

Okay fine, I'll put the cool hanging shelf thing down and just forget about....wait. What is that, tucked under that table over there? Um...

That's right. A Heywood-Wakefield end table. For nothing. Granted, it needs a little loving care, but for the price? Not a problem. But an end table? Now reader, I'm not part of the Hey-Wake Church of the Rising Eagle, or whatever it is they call their cult. I used to have a 1960s H-W china cabinet, but it wasn't the collectible style everyone loves so much. I LOVED it, and it loved me. But it was nothing special to the collector.

I don't know, to me H-W always makes me think of late 80s vintage. Pretty in Pink sort of cat-eye glasses and big bouffants. It seems old-old fashioned. So I debated and debated and finally, just bought it. What the heck. I'll fix it and use it or fix it and sell it or fix it and find a home for it with someone who loves it. Someone with cat-eye glasses and a big bouffant with an altar to Heywood-Wakefield built in their living room.

So I bought it and the wall hanging shelf thing which looks great with the new arrangement of found art and objets in the office.

This started with just Juan-Carlos, a portrait that some love and others despise. Then we added the horse (yet, unnamed) and the little yellow owl. Mitchell gave me the trees for my birthday and they are from Home Interiors and I love love love them, but couldn't decide where they go. The yellow wall hanging shelf thing looks great with the group and provides a place for a changing array of little bibelots. Just buy it.

(That cat on the floor still needs to go somewhere, but one thing at a time.)

Collections & What To Do With Them

So, you find something cool while you're shopping at the thrift store. And you buy it. Mesmerized by it's unique beauty.

Then a while later, you find another one and you buy it, thinking, "it's so neat to have two of those things." You keep shopping and a third one pops up and then you have a collection. And it grows. And your aunt notices, so she starts shopping for those things for you too. She also mentions it to your mom. Soon, you have TONS of those really cool things that you used to just have one of. What do you do with them?

If those cool things are dishes, you find the most awesome china cabinet you can and fill it with the beautiful objects until it is just bursting! Of course, you can't just put dishes in it, so you also include cute figurines. Or little statues of snails because they are so hot right now and it seems so incongruous to find them in a china cabinet. Then you even start putting beautiful objects on top of it. And people start to look at you a little sideways. But, you don't mind because it's your collection and looking at it helps you stay grounded. It makes you happy. It keeps you real.

But, what if those things aren't dishes? Or radios. Or books that can sit around in a cool pile with a vintage cast-iron library book press decorated with dolphins in front of it.

What if those things sit around and begin to gather dust. And pile up. And take over! What do you do then?

You hang those bitches on the wall. That's right, you heard me. YOU HANG THOSE BITCHES ON THE WALL. Everything looks better hanging on the wall. It says, "Look at me, I'm special." Hanging thing on the wall elevates the object to a much higher and more interesting thing. Think about Carl Andre.

Do you even know who Carl Andre is? Of course you don't, because he made art that goes on the floor. On the floor! And he even murdered his wife (Ana Mendieta) who was also an artist, but didn't go to jail. And you still don't know who he is. Now do you know who Vincent Van Gogh is, right? Of course you do, because he made art that goes on the wall. Like you are supposed to. Where people want to see it.

How do you hang things on the wall? Nails are nice. Screws and tape work too. Or a shelf. You could use a small decorative shelf. Plate hangers that adhere to the back of things are also awesome. And made in England where they know about hanging crap on the wall. They practically invented hanging things on the wall! Although some revisionist historians are now claiming it was the Chinese.

So, what is sitting around that you could hang on the wall? Huh? Do it.