What’s on Your Christmas List?

At my house we’ve started exchanging Christmas lists, but each year it gets tougher for me to think of anything to put on it! Usually I list stuff like coffee beans (dark roast), my favorite port (Sandeman 10-Year Tawny, thank you for asking), books and soft socks (Nordic Socks are my new favorite and trust me you’ll want them too). I would add a really good cheese, but they don’t lend themselves well to being wrapped and set under the tree! One year a dear friend sent me luscious bread from Zingerman’s in NYC which I adored.

But I’ve also started to think about what I’m adding to my Etsy store and realizing maybe I should be adding more “gift-type” items like jewelry or books. When I was packing up my jewelry to be moved offsite during our recent termite tenting, I saw a number of pieces that I rarely wear. So I’ve put on my big-girl pants and am starting to list these pieces.

Here’s one from my antique bohemian garnet jewelry collection. If you’ve followed me for any length of time you’ll know I adore old garnet jewelry. Diamonds are my birth stone, but it’s old garnets that make my heart sing. I’ve got this one listed…for now! I may change my mind.

Vintage sterling silver pieces are also high on my list. This Mexican sterling silver and stone bracelet is both pretty and sturdy–a neat boho piece that looks great layered with other silver bracelets. Sadly, I don’t seem to be wearing bracelets as much these days. Maybe you are?

I love real shell hand-carved cameos, but just don’t seem to wear outfits that lend themselves to a cameo. Time to let this pretty girl go. She’s set in .800 silver with both a pin and pendant option and likely made in the 1940s/50s.

For a few years I’ve been buying small vintage/antique stick pins–more to display than wear. Some are in 10kt gold with bits of turquoise, citrine, and the tiniest diamonds. The opal is just stunning with so much flash and color. But I’m wondering if it’s time to find them a new home. Haven’t decided on these.

Well yesterday I went to a boutique thrift store today (on my way to a lunch date with a girl friend–thank you Leigh!) and I kept the holidays (and jewelry) in mind, but sadly all the bracelets, necklaces and brooches were priced close to retail. I couldn’t find one thing with meat on the bone. So I spread a wider net and found a few interesting things.

This funky pottery jar, with a great mix of fall colors (rust, gold and purple), is by artisan Lisa Koch. It’s likely a vintage 1980s piece.

Along with earning a bachelor’s of fine arts at the University of Georgia, [Lisa] Koch studied clay for three months in Cortona, Italy. Her work was also heavily influenced by her four years in Colombia, where she was surrounded by pre-Colombian Indian art….Koch has chosen clay as her medium because “It’s a very pliable material. You can mold it, change it,” unlike a material such as wood. Plus, with clay, “You’re down to the basics around you – earth, water, and fire. I guess I just like the idea of using nature’s resources.”

The Steamboat Pilot, 1988 (Colorado newspaper)

I’m certainly going to enjoy this before I list it.

This vintage cast iron bank was a gamble because I know nothing about banks!! Honestly I should have left it behind. There are so many repros out there and I paid up for it! (Aargh!!)

Still it does have a little wear and doesn’t have a more modern Phillips head screw that often appears in post-1945 pieces. But I will need to do a lot more research to figure this bank out and what I can fairly charge. Here are a couple of articles that I’ll be checking out: Cast Iron Toys & Banks — Tips to Identify Reproductions & Fakes and Real or Repro: Cast Iron Toys.

Now this small ceramic “mushroom” jar is just a piece of hobbyist greenware glazed in the 1970s/80s. Obviously not valuable, but it was so groovy and appealed to my inner teenager. I would have loved this in my purple bedroom back in the day.

So a few fun things, though I wish I wouldn’t have bought the bank and would have bought this vintage plastic (faux horn) and brass Lewis purse for the same price. This was fantastic and right up my alley. I am kicking myself for leaving that behind!

Well, this is what it’s like somedays. Trying to move quickly through a store and making decisions about items and sometimes not getting it right.

Wishing you happy hunting and list making!

Karen