A Super Estate Sale Weekend

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends it is a blustery Monday morning here in the City by the Bay.  Our weekend weather was just odd....  Saturday was a gorgeous sunny and almost warm day.  We had the house open most of the afternoon - perfect for running around to estate sales and such. Then Sunday was completely overcast, cold and raining all day.  When that pushed through yesterday evening we go lots of cold winds that are supposed to be here through the day.  It feels like a crisp Fall day.  I would guess its March coming in like a lion.... we'll see if it leaves like a lamb.

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We started off the weekend going out to dinner with a friend for his birthday to Olive Garden.  We waited for almost 45 mins for a table.  By the time we were sat customers where being told that the wait had gotten to and hour+ wait.  The meal and company were a great way to start off the two days.

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Saturday we do our grocery shopping for the week and this past Saturday was no different.  We drove over to the Potrero Hill Safeway - there's a Noah's bagel place next door so we had a bite to eat there first.   i do love an asiago "bagel mit."   They have a few tables for outdoor seating - since the weather was so pretty we sat outside. It was really nice to see all the little sparrows hopping around for crumbs.  You are not supposed to feed the birds, but I'm a sucker for a cute bird and so I was dropping little crumbs about.  Some of the birds where pretty brazen and started to hop on the table and on my leg and on my arm.......  It was then we knew it was time to go get up and get the shopping done. 

After getting that done we started our rounds of the sales.  I had mapped out the Estate sales I wanted to get to - so the plan of attack in full swing by 10am.  At two of the sales I found some great pieces I wanted, but the prices where on the high side so I didn't get anything, but knew that coming back around on Sunday the prices get slashed and we could certainly stop back in the morning - to see where the prices had fallen to and if the things I wanted had been sold or where waiting to go home with me.  I always shop with the attitude that "if it is still there then it was meant to be, if not then those are the breaks."

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Here is a little something you don't know about us.  We cat sit quite a lot for neighbor's in our building.  We love doing it and know that they would do the same for us if we needed the who hounds to be taken care of.  Over this past Christmas and into the New Year we took care of the neighbor's kitty's while they where on vacation in South America.  They wanted to take us out to dinner to thank us and so Saturday evening they took us to "The Front Porch."  A great little place that does great food with a Southern slant.  I had a gator po'boy that was super tasty!!

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Back to the weekend shopping

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Sunday morning, like I said before, was completely overcast grey and raining.  We went to early Mass and then on to breakfast at Eddie's.  After stopping off at the little farmers market we were then off to check out the Estate sales from the previous day.......

I walked into the first one and still on the mantle was this lovely thing....

I couldn't believe it was still there.  This great old sampler in a beautiful old frame was something I really wanted, but the price was pretty steep the day before.  Now with it being the last day of the sale AND the weather being so bad the price had fallen to where I could afford it.  A really nice thing about this sampler is there is a hand written card on the back with its provenance... "Embroidered in Sweden in 1891 by Matilda Stromvall (Peterson) 13 years old  Eleanor's mother."  I love knowing something about the history of the piece, but find it very sad that no family member thought enough of it to keep it or that the family is completely gone and there was no body left who cared.   It now hangs in my house and will for many years to come.  It is very similar to the Pauline Schawrtz SAL that is going on right now, a bit smaller but stylistically very similar.

I also picked up these pieces....

The beautiful transferware plates came from the same Estate as the sampler and had little cards with their provenance....  "1886 Eli's parents wedding" - the date is right for the pieces and they are in perfect condition.  The Hallowe'en mug and frog came from a thrift shop - I do love me some Hallowe'en!!  and I know there is always a need for another frog!

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We also stopped and another Estate sale where I had passed on a couple of things the day before.  Once again the fates where with me and I picked up these two beauties.......

Two more pieces of Belleek!!  Both of these are marked with the Second green mark and date to between 1955 - 65. Both of these will also go into my March Gift a-Way - so that means that there will be three winners of Belleek. When we stopped off on Saturday I only saw one piece.  But, when we came back on Sunday I found the second - I am really happy to be able to have three winners.  If you haven't thrown in for the Drawing then click HERE and post a comment.  You have to enter to win - and anyone anywhere can win - do make sure I can get in touch with you by email - The drawing will be March 17th , St Patrick's Day, and I will announce the winner on Friday March 18th.

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That's about it for today sport's fans.  Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments!! Do come again.

Take care,

edgar