Simple Pleasures and Finds

Gosh, are we really only a few weeks from September?!! I feel like I’ve barely gone anywhere or done anything fun this summer. Still I have taken pleasure in little things and that has made the difference. I’ve enjoyed fresh tomatoes and herbs from our front yard. I’ve been to the ocean on a sunny day. I’ve danced in the street with neighbors. I’ve shared laughs with my husband and daughters and had long phone conversations with family and friends further afield.

Sometimes that’s enough.

And of course I have done a little vintage hunting here and there which always gives me pleasure. Here’s what I’ve been buying or not!

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Neighborhood Thrift Store Finds

I found this little signed ikebana pottery vase in a striking red and purple color combo. This would have been right up my alley in my teen years in my purple room with its smattering of exotic bits!

This almost 60″ square vintage woven paisley shawl by Linda Allard Ellen Tracy was in the bedding section of the store. Likely a wool/wool blend, other than a couple of small snags on the backside, it’s in beautiful condition. My youngest daughter assumed I’d bought it for myself because it’s just my kind of thing…which is so true!

I love, love, love this small Jan Schachter burnished pottery weed vase. I know some of you are thinking seriously? And the answer is yes! It’s simple and perfect and I plan on keeping it.

I swapped it out for the blue vase I got last week and really like how it looks here on my mantel!

My Thrift Store “Rejects”

I spotted this purse and knew from the closure that it was a Coach purse, but it was almost $36, needed conditioning and honestly it’s not a style I like. So despite the Coach name, I didn’t buy it. Could have been a mistake.

I also debated and dithered about this vanity mirrored tray priced at $7. Likely circa 1930/1940, it was fabulous and I could picture it once upon a time covered in little perfume bottles and jewelry bits. But it would be a pain to ship and I wasn’t confident there was enough money in it. Maybe I was wrong but in the end didn’t buy it.

From FaceBook Marketplace

A few weeks ago I bought a lot of old photos from a gal on FB Marketplace for $30. I hadn’t seen all of them before I bought them and I’ll admit I was smidge disappointed. Many of the cabinet cards had condition issues and most of the 1950s/60s snaps were rather staid.

Still I started going through them and thinking of how I could group them for sale. I thought “out of the box” on these and decided to turn these mini antique cabinet cards into Christmas ornaments by punching a hole at the top and adding a leatherette string. I know some folks may be aghast that I damaged altered these photos like this, but I’m hoping it gives them new life! I think they’ll look great tied to a pine swag draped on a mantel.

These two antique cabinet cards were in good condition and I put them together in a lot.

Here’s one of the snaps–a professional one from a casino in Austria. I’ll admit that guy leering in the background creeps me out! I added this photo to a lot of 21 European party/drinking/smoking photos.

Finds from Around My House!

Because I was a collector long before I became a seller, I am still finding interesting bits and bobs I had tucked away. I’m trying to be ruthless in letting more of this stuff go!

I’m not sure what I had intended to do with this vintage/antique Belgian lace collar, but I am sure I have never worn it. It’s beautiful and quite large and I hope someone will want this.

This older sterling silver baby birth record bell has a few dents and is tarnished, but is unengraved so it could be used today. I think it would make a fun pendant.

This simple sterling silver vintage locket has beautiful engraved initials. (Originally I had intended adding this to a charm bracelet of large charms, but never did.)

Surprisingly, both celluloid covers for the photos are intact.

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Even though summer isn’t over, I am already thinking about autumn (my favorite season) and the upcoming holidays. For those of us who sell online, now is the time to prepare for Q4! I’ve got shipping supplies to order and am trying to stay focused on listing, listing, listing.

Wishing you happy hunting,

Karen