Thrifty Threads Mystery

I found the equivalent of St. David's Next-to-New in Indy, called Thrifty Threads and run by an auxiliary in the area to benefit the Julian Center. They have all kinds of wonderful dishes, furniture and clothes. It's not organized quite as well as St. David's, but I did find all sorts of things to consider buying: and one item that I did buy.

Vote for the item you think I bought and I'll reveal the winning item after the new year--plus send a special prize to those who voted for it.

Item #1
This set from Mikasa was decorated with a lovely pink leaf design and had cups, saucers, berry bowls and soup bowls.

Item #2
This diminutive set of hostess plates would be perfect for some little nibbles--and what is more fun and whimsical than a little fish?

Item #3
Reader, you know my passion for wooden fruit, but do you know how I feel about stacks of ceramic fruit? And the blue would look lovely in my living room, wouldn't it?

Item #4
Almost everything arrived safely from Texas, but my large leaf-shaped tray was broken while I was unpacking and sorting. Could I have replaced it with this?

Item #5
This lacquer-ware salt and pepper set is much more fuchsia than in the photo, but they are still intriguing objets, n'est-ce pas?

Item #6
You know I love specific-use items, and these ice cream dishes have a distinctive 70s flair.

Item #7
Molly was shopping for a gravy boat last week and I think she might have loved this one. I have several that match specific patterns, but none for general use. Plus, you know how hard it is for me to resist Pyrex.

Item #8
What better way to chase away the winter blues than with a daffodil trivet? The graphic sensibility is certainly appealing. Plus, it can hang on the wall, saving valuable counter space.

Item #9
The David Hicks-style fabric on this chair would look great in my bedroom, and I think I could paint the woodwork.

So reader, which item do think made it home?

Terre Haute Haul

Molly visited a couple of weeks from Wichita for the trunk show we did at the Swope. Everyone loved her beads and jewelry and we had fun running around town over the weekend--including a trip to the Goodwill!

A vintage antiquing kit! Wow.

Molly considered this cake carrier, but she already has a pretty swank one she got with the Wichita diaspora.

Could anyone make this lamp look fab? I think it would be a challenge, but if you succeeded it would be a major triumph. I'm going to guess: State Fair, 1993. Any takers? Grrrrr.

I love this Hawaiian head, but she looks like she is on something. With the flower behind the ear, it's a little Billie-Holiday-on-some-junk-as-a-Hawaiian-lady-sings-the-blues.

Molly debated on some Asian-ish wall plaques that matched some she bought last time we were shopping together in Wichita. At $2 a piece, they were too pricey. I couldn't have resisted since my philosophy is always more is more, less is a bore.

This is a giant phone. Not really, but call me!

MTSS Diaspora

With the move to Terre Haute, lots of things went to the thrift store, but many things also ended up with friends. It's wonderful to know that items will continue to be used and loved by someone else.

Katie was delighted to have a chair and ottoman where she can sit and read as she prepares for her tests and exams next semester. The ottoman was actually a find by Michael who passed it onto me when he left Wichita for Chicago.

My sofa, which I have loved for about thirteen years, even sent a note:

Dear Brian,

Thank you for finding such a lovely home for me. Its very cozy here and I'm already making new pals. I've become fast friends with a little blue end table and a funky vinyl chair. They're also from Thriftsville, USA, so we have a lot to talk about.

My only challenge has been the snobby Scandinavian coffeetable that keeps avoiding me. Other than that though , everything is really great. Here's a picture of Chair, Table & me hanging out this past weekend.

Peace!

The Couch

Thrifting ABCs (Part Deux)

A second installment of the very famous and much-discussed post, Thrifting ABCs. Look for the final installment (only six letters to go!) in the near future and, of course, a reprise of the entire alphabet. Maybe a book deal? Don't you think children would love it?


E is for elegance, as in “Burnt-orange colored phones are a true mark of elegance and refinement.” I don’t have phone service, but still need a one to work the callbox in my building. This beauty does the trick.


I is for indispensable, as in “A killer collection of glass jars with amazing designs on them is really indispensable to day-to-day existence.”


K is for killer, as in “That wood bowl with spoon is going to look killer on the coffee table filled with M&Ms.” Can you have too many wood accessories? I don’t think so. I have platters, large and small, but this unique and funny dish is a wonderful addition to the collection. Killer.


M is for mine, as in, “Hands off that avocado Tamac casserole, bitch! It’s MIIIINE.” Honestly, that didn’t happen. I don’t think anyone else walking by even knew what this wonderful piece of pottery was, so I got it for a song. Some might consider Tamac’s odd, organic shape a little ugly and its colors a little gauche. Not me. It’s genius and it’s mine.


Q is for quixotic, as in “Quixotic kids covet all cool china.” Whatever. We have a two-plate rule: if you find a cool china pattern, there has to be at least two plates in order to buy it. Because of that, we have a huge ‘set’ of matching plates for dinner and always have something different to eat off of. Thankfully, the ‘two-plate rule’ does not apply to salad, bread or dessert plates and I have no intention of amending it anytime soon.


R is for really, as in “Really? REALLY? You aren’t collecting decorative tin platters and canisters? I took all of my money out of the stock market and put it into tin platters and canisters. It’s much more stable.” It’s actually more in canisters, but this little dish matches one of those, so it makes a nice addition to the portfolio.


Z is for Zen, as in “Zen is not a design-style you idiot, it’s a philosophy. Everyone in-the-know says Asian-ish.” A killer faux-bamboo ceramic box is the quintessential definition of Asian-ish.

Unmarked (but still Briard)


The obsession with Briard continues and there is no end in sight. In one of the basement displays at the Vigo County Historical Society, I spotted a set of Georges Briard enamel canisters and was told that a company here (still in existence) had been producing enamel ware for over 100 years, including these. So, I'm on the lookout.


Meanwhile, Mitchell found this lovely tray with a geometric design. It screams Briard in style and shape, but is missing the curvy signature that is found on almost all of his work. But, the remnant of a sticker on the back confirmed it: classic Briard. Well loved and slightly used, it's still a beaut.

Why does the birdcage sing?

There hasn't been a lot of good finds at Goodwill lately: just a lot of holiday junk. But Mitchell found this wonderful birdcage, which matches the one I found in Austin. (Just so you know, the Terre Haute cage was 75% cheaper than the Austin one.) Apparently, the previous owners of the new one had it hanging, because there is a little bit of color discrepancy between the top and bottom, but it's still lovely and the matched set is going to look stunning.

We have a light in the first one, so they may both become some peculiar lamps in our new thrifted apartment.

Sympatico

Stephanie, the muse of MTSS (You did know there was a muse and inspiration, didn't you?), delivered some beautiful things to yours truly. Every time I see her, she has a goody bag of selections from her own thrift shopping.

Two of my favorite things: faux bois and a tidbit tray in one amazing combination. I can't wait to bake some delectable treats and show it off at work.

She sells faux shells in the thrift store. As Stephanie said, there are lots of faux shells out there, but most of them aren't worth owning. This one is a beauty.

There was also another treat, which is holiday specific and I'll save for a you as a special treat on a later date.

Thanks Stephanie!

It's a Collection!


As my loyal, longtime Reader, you know how I feel about objects and collections: one is of interest, two is a pair and three is a collection. Well, I an happy to officially announce that I now have a collection of wooden fruit in bowls!

Of course, you're as pleased as I am, but I cannot helped noticing that quizical look on your face that seems to wonder whether or not I actually need another set of wooden fruit. Well, it happened most accidentally, I assure you. I was driving by the Goodwill and decided to pop in for a moment, knowing there wasn't going to be anything of interest on a Sunday afternoon. But, I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I passed up treasure after treasure, so that when I came to the bowl of wooden fruit, all of my resistance was spent. I snatched it up without question, threw my money at the cashier and ran for the door.

Now, I also have some juistification:
1. This set is in a low, wooden dish. It will look perfect with the other two sets which are in compote style dishes.
2. It has a mango. And a persimmon. I don't have a set with a persimmon! Plus, some other exotic fruits I cannot identify. I love exotic wooden fruit I can't identify even more than just plain old wooden grapes, bananas and apples.
3. Photographic evidence of the things I did NOT buy, articles A, B and C:

I think congratulations are in order.

Madison Again & Again

Last weekend, I went to Madison, WI to see Jessie and Dave--Barb and Mitchell also came up. I am always surprised at how good the thrifting is in Madison. It's a college town, so you expext high prices and for everything to be picked over. Not so! Every time I am there, wonderful things abound.

Jessie knows of my love, nay obsession, with Georges Briard and did some preshopping in advance of my visit, presenting me with a lovely highball glass. Most of my barware is gold and black or gold and pink, so this will integrate perfectly. Come on over, I'll shake up some cocktails and we'll toast the mad genius of Georges. (I also found a set a Briard glasses when I was in Austin. No picture, but they are lovely and covered with leaves. I liked them and was wavering, but once I noticed that familiar signature there was no choice.)

This is definitely one of the strangest things I've ever seen in a thrift store, and I should have bought it. Surely someone I know would have loved it! This item hangs on the wall, but gives the appearance that you have installed a cask in your wall--like so many people do. But, hiding behind the secret door is your barware and booze. What could be more handy? The owner wrote was concerned about mistaking gin for bourbon in a drunken stupor, that they wrote 'gin' in marker on the bottle.


Can you say Jessie Brinker and the silver skates? Ms. Eisner-Kleyle found some sweet skates and will have some fun on the frozen ponds and lakes of Wisconsin this winter. Of course, only if she can take the time away from being the Mussolini of photography teachers!

Mitchell stopped in Wichita to pick-up Barb en route to Madison. He found this wonderful salad set in a thrift store there. It's dark, in a modern shape with six matching bowls. The only question is if I have salad servers to go with the set? I may have to do a little shopping...

Some Thrifting Goodwill

The Goodwill stores in Austin, TX rarely provided any wonderful thrifting finds. They were filled with surplus merchandise: bottles of off-brand shampoo; not-so-cute artwork for the home; and an assortment of things one expects to pick up at the dollar store. Not so in Terre Haute! The Goodwill here is filled with an abundance of treasures at prices that are truly astounding. Below are some recent grabs:
--a lovely tin for the tin collection
--a small metal serving dish
--a wonderful Haeger pot in a very dark green

More to come!

Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Well, Jesus anyway. And the twelve disciples! Rendered in a luxurious plastic that many people, with a less trained eye, might mistake for real gold. The background is mirrored, so as you look at the objet, it appears that a giant monster is looming over the last supper.

Miss me?

Okay people, the rumors you heard were true: the offices of Manic Thrift Store Shopper were attacked by an angry mob of hipsters dressed in American Apparel and brandishing eighties candlesticks. They were jealous of our finds, so ran everyone in the office out of town on a rail. True. Of course, we lost most of our office equipment in the attack, but had luckily backed up a few things before narrowly escaping the vicious twenty-somethings.

Where to go? What place is perhaps the cultural opposite of Austin, TX and its rampant, roving bands of hipsters? Some place where no one cares about great vintage finds?

Terre Haute, IN. That's right fools, MTSS has relocated to the center of the thrifting universe: downtown Terre Haute, IN. If you come through, bring it because we no longer take crap from hipsters and we still know where the good stuff can be found.

Hold your breath, ya'll. New posts soon.

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.

Introducing...

....my fabulous, thrifty friend Jennie! She is as obsessed (if not more) with thrift shopping as I am, but we never really shop together. Today, we both happened to have a short day at work, so we met for lunch and then headed into Next-to-New to see what we could find. This mirror looks fancy (and Jennie looks lovely in it) but the frame is actually very thin plastic.

This double boiler is made from Pyrex glass, but not that strange stuff they tried to get everyone to cook on in the 80s. It was kind of amber colored? I can't remember what they called it, but my Mam-ma would always talk about how 'during the war' you couldn't buy metal cookware, so they had a lot of glass. Possibly like this? I didn't buy it, but considered it strongly.

Jennie almost bought this blue ceramic bowl, but it was obviously missing the lid. Cute, kind of Pennsylvannia Dutch modern?

She did pick up this lovely porcelain butterfly, with designs to use it to hold jewelry. Delicate and whimsical, it has a happy feeling. Plus, she can hang it on the wall if she wanted.

Jennie and I oohed and ahed over this set of thirteen Asian teacups decorated with delicate images of birds and bright pink peonies. Thirteen seemed like a lot, even though my usual goal is service for twenty-four. Jennie suggested we split then and I was so happy that I hugged her. The other shoppers looked at us like we were crazy, which we are. They have a thick wall and are perfect in the hand. I served tea in then that very evening, during a Project Runway screening.

Next-to-New had a huge collection of Hall's Jewel Tea pattern. This was one of my Mam-ma's favorites and at one point she had a large collection she eventually sold off. It was one of those things she was obsessed with, almost as much as that Anchor Hocking Star of David crystal. I have a single pitcher from her Jewel Tea collection that reminds of her and seeing this large selection made me gush. Her birthday is January 19 and she would have been 89.

This Dallas Junior League cookbook is haunting me. I almost bought another copy with a similar design actually imprinted onto the cover of the book last week when I was in Houston. I didn't buy either, because I really don't imagine getting anything interesting from the Dallas Junior League recipes. I'm sure there is a section of how to achieve big hair. Maybe another on dressing for lunch? I'm sure each recipe begins, "Ask your maid to prepare this recipe the next time you are having friends over for bridge."

There were eight of these RED Sango bowls, so I snatched them up. They're low and very modern, with color on the exterior and white inside. I imagine using them with the Georges Briard Asian plate and Metlox Shore Line. I love to mix different styles and colors up on the table. But, you, dear reader, already knew that. I emphasize that the bowls are red, because they were labeled orange by the store and there was much discussion on the color between Jennie and other guests at the house the evening after they were purchased. Red, red....RED!

They look lovely, combined as mentioned above and topped with an olive green lotus bowl.

Like moi, Jennie was born to (THRIFT) shop.

And God Said...

....let there be platters. And there were. And they were good.

Okay, so I counted up all the platters after the reference I made a couple of posts ago. I have a lot of platters, but I'm not embarrassed about it so you shouldn't be either.

1 large Russel Wright platter in chartreuse, square
1 medium Russel Wright platter in coral, rectangular
1 large Temporama platter, roundish
1 small Temporama platter, roundish
2 large Metlox Shoreline platters in Wet Sand, rectangular-ish
10 china platters, round or oval
1 glass platter, round (matches the hostess set I got inherited from Barbara)
3 kitchen glass platters, round
3 large plastic platters, rectangular
3 medium plastic platters, square or rectangular
4 china platters, rectangular
4 wood platters, assorted shapes and sizes
2 metal platters, rectangular
----------------------------------------------------------------------
36 platters, total

That's not so bad, right? I bet you have more, right?

Finds and Not-so-Finds

Over the holidays, David and I popped into Next-to-New to see if there was anything I needed to pick up. There were several things I had my eye on and I wanted to check if the prices had gone down.

Remember my dream soup tureen? I noticed this plate at the store several weeks ago, and was convinced it belonged with my tureen: same colors, same markings, and same date. The price was a little crazy, especially for something that SHOULD have come with the tureen. I perservered and now the rejoined set has pride of place in the china cabinet in the front room.

When I saw this little, plastic basket I just couldn't resist it! David thought it was silly, but it's really perfect for the car or toting things around the house. Magazines. Bottles of wine to the park. It has a Kelly green interior and you just don't see craftmanship like this in woven plastic baskets anymore.

For those of you who think I just run out and buy every little thing that I see all willy-nilly, I have to say, "not so." I am always going for a 'carefelly curated' collection of objets and I passed up both of the pieces below...

An especially nice Pyrex pattern, but I already have about twenty divided casseroles. This one is adorned with dandelions.

I rarely see a pattern from Franciscan that disagrees with me, and this platter was no exception. More platters? How many platters do I have? I don't know, I'll count them later and post the total.

The Venn Diagram of My Blogs

I have two blogs on two fairly different subjects, but a little bit of an overlap pops up every once in a while. For instance, you often see my wonderful dish finds from MTSS displaying my cooking or food finds on bYb.

Last week while I was shopping at Half-Price Books, my blog worlds collided when I found a copy of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's The Physiology of Taste , first published in 1825. The edition I found was the 1949 translation by M.F.K. Fisher, herself arguably one of the most important food writers of the twentieth century, with delightful illustrations by Sylvain Sauvage. The book is inscribed "Darling, I hope you enjoy this delightful gentleman & his world as much as I have done. Love & happy birthday, Mother. 1990."

Some important quotes by Brillat-Savarin:

Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are.

The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a star.

A dinner which ends without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye. (My favorite. Bring on the cheese!)

M.F.K. Fisher, a pretty woman with two eyes!

And a quote from M.F.K. Fisher
People ask me: "Why do you write about food, and eating, and drinking? Why don't you write about the struggle for power and security, and about love, the way the others do?" . . . The easiest answer is to say that, like most other humans, I am hungry. (I concur.)

You can read more about Fisher is the biography Poet of the Appetites: The Lives and Loves of M.F.K. Fisher by Joan Reardon. You can also pick up a paperback version of Fisher's translation of the Physiology of Taste at Amazon.