A Little Thrifting .... a Little Abbey......

Gentle Friends, in addition to my DMV visit and Lowes expedition on Friday I also hit a couple of the thrift stores I would normally get to Saturdays.  I knew I wouldn't be up to running around or have the time Saturday... and thrifting is something I like doing... I found a little something...

... this great small German Volkstedt Porcelain 3-D plaque... I have a couple of these from my grandmothers' estate, they are the blue jasperware, this green jasperware piece is really unusual, in that the cherub is grimacing, I think this is an allegory of Love... the heart pierced with and arrow and the cherub being "Love Stung"... so basically in porcelain form, it says "love hurts."  It's really sweet and for a few dollars how could I pass it up!!

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Sunday afternoon we headed to the Alamo Drafthouse to see the Downton Abbey Movie.  What's so special about this theatre is that it has a full-service menu which they keep serving during the film) and the seats are large lounge chairs and the wait staff was super!!  They make some mean bourbon cocktails!! - and - some killer adult milkshakes!!  It was so fun!  They also have a hard and fast rule that there is no talking, no tweeting no phones at all during the film and that you'll be asked once to stop.  If you don't stop then they'll eject you from the theatre immediately... no refunds.  I love that they enforce the rules and the jibber-jabber and yakkity yakking are nonexistent.  It's these distractions that keep me from going to see movies in theatres more frequently.  The movie was really fun also, we are big DA fans and went with friends who are also big fans so it was great fun wrapping up the weekend.  The ADH is located in the New Mission Theater built-in 1916, renovated in 1932 so there are lots of Art Deco details.  It is a true old fashioned movie palace!!  We're already planning a trip back for another fun evening.

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There you go sports fans, Thanks for stopping by do stop again!

Good Thoughts! Good Words! Good Deeds!

edgar

A Little Thursday Thrifting

Gentle Friends, we were out and about as usual over the weekend and I found a piece of silver that  I am still kind of amazed that was out there to be found... here some snaps...

... I found this in a Salvation Army Thrift Store.  I think because of the odd way it had tarnished and the details that were filled with dried-on silver polish that they thought it was a silver-plated piece.  I even though that for a few minutes, until I started to really look at it and fell its heft.  I've dealt with lots of silver in my life and after a while, you get to know what an older piece feels like and what it should look like underneath.  The marks on the bottom of one of the feet are odd and illegible so that was no real help, but I am sure it's eastern European and probably 800/850 parts silver which is typical of the silver content for the time and area.  English and American are usually the 925 parts of silver.

... a closeup of the decorative masks and garlands...

... and the anthemions on the feet make me believe it dates to the 1870s or so...  when I was checking out I asked if there was another stick somewhere in the store... they said there was only the one that came in, but I'm keeping my eye out for the second one.... as I am sure it was a pair or maybe a set of four or six.... now wouldn't that be wonderful!!

... it's a really big piece of silver and so here's a second shot giving a better idea of the size... the hunt continues!

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There you go sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Good Thoughts! Good Words! Good Deeds!

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, although we're out and about every weekend there's not been too many things that I wanted to bring home from our travels.... so I've collected up some of the stuff I did bring home for a little post ... here's a snap...

... from L to R... I picked up the French hard paste mid-19th-century floral saucer at a Salvation Army... I knew it would fit and work with the cup I had picked up last year... and it did as you can see... The Roseville "Laurel" vase is in perfect condition and was totally mismarked and I got it for a super price!!... the small Edward VIII Coronation cup I just picked up on Saturday, I collect Royal memorabilia and even though he abdicated, I had never added an Edward VIII piece so this fit the bill... the plate is French and from a series called  "The Nations" made in the 1870's this one is Germany... the gilt and violets bowl was another super find.  The mark on the back  I knew was an early Derby mark from about 1800 so I snapped this up for a $1... the sterling butter spreaders I really didn't need but again a good price gets me every time and the tiny little Wedgwood piece was just too cute to pass up!!~  

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So, there you go sports fans, thanks again for stopping by do stop again!!  Have a super weekend!!

Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds!

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, although I'm still out and about just about every weekend there's not been too much out there to bring home... so I've gathered up the things I've picked up in the past couple of months...

... so starting from the left... a leather bound with gilt decoration, 1921 "Rubaiyat," a 1st edition of "Homebodies" ( I do love the Addam's family!!) a great transferware pitcher with hand decoration and some gilding, a few silver pieces... 3 sterling bowls and an Italian made 800 silver Silent Butler...  these silver pieces were in sorry condition when I got them, basically black and filthy!!.....and wrapping up with a cute pink lusterware creamer, English c.1840.... not too much but, some fun things!!

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That wraps up today post, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Shopping Fall 2018

Gentle Friends, I thought today's post should show the few things I did buy while on vacation.  I'm really not a shopper, and unless it's an antique shop, thrift shop or estate sale I really can't do the "browsing" thing.  Clothes, shoes and stuff like that I have been buying online for years...so when I travel I usually don't buy much...but I did pick up a few things this trip...

 ... one thing was this sweet little Oil/Board painting at a Brocante (outside flea/antique market) that we visited in Droue (Pronounced Druay).  I passed it a couple of times but kept being drawn back to it.  The third time passing I just stopped...and the dealer cut me a good price...so I wrapped it up and hauled this sucker on the train to Paris then on the plane back to SF!!

Here are the few things I did buy or saw and then bought.... let's start with the book.  I saw this book in the bookshop at Versailles and fell in love with the photography, such intimate images from the chateau of things that were picked to be included... but when I picked it up and hefted its weight I had to stand and there debating whether I wanted to carry around a 10-pound book - or not... I decided to take a picture of the cover.  When I got back to SF I bought it on Amazon and let the USPS tote it to me!!  When I stopped buy Sajou I picked up my scissors, another thread winder and a great little chart from the Bayeux tapestry  "The Battle of Hastings"...  the little bronze double frame I picked up at the Brocante in Chinon... it's a super little frame and came with those photos. The jacquard ribbon I bought at the oldest haberdashery in Paris.  It'll be in the next post... I bought it to replace some old and torn ribbon on a luggage rack that came from my grandmother's house.

... I almost forgot to add this book, which I picked up in Paris, at Shakespeare & Company, a great bookshop on the left bank... 

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Over the weekend I picked up some really super candlesticks... they're old silverplate probably dating to the first quarter of the 19th century and are in really great condition for being almost 200 years old...the original removable sockets are still intact...this is what they looked like when I bought them, pretty grungy...

 ... and after a little elbow grease and silver polish...

...sparkling... they are really heavy and impressive, a super find if there ever was one!

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There you go sports fans, thanks again for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little "Grinchy" Thrifting

Gentle Friends, as you might remember I'm a big fan of Dr. Suess, and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is one of my favourite Christmas stories, cartoon and film.....so when I run up against some Grinchy stuff I snap it up...

,,, I found a great Grinch mug and a copy of the HtGSC game.  I've never seen the game before and was really happy to get a copy.  It's very much a child's game but fun all the same!!  - and - to find another great Christmas mug made me very happy it was great to add it to the "mug" collection which seems to grow ever larger!!

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There you go sports fans, thanks again for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, over the weekend I found a couple of super things..... here are some snaps...

... the first up would have to be this late 19th-century Japanese porcelain vase covered in birds and flowers with gilded highlights.. and a little blue vase made in the US I think in the late 40's...

... another view if the vase...

... and what I am calling the back side with the two little birds...  I also found this great sterling bowl...

 ... made here in SF and marked Shreeve & Co., it was filthy and still had the residue of silver polish left in the decorative band about the lip...

 ... after about 5 minutes of polishing, I had most of the dried polish removed and the silver looking silvery again!!  I think this is a waste bowl from a larger tea service.

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There you go sports fans another week of treasure hunting.... thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thirfting

Gentle Friends, out and about again over the weekend and found a few fun things...

... from l to r a nice little silver plate basket, two carved stone Asian bookends, a great silver lustre English teapot ca. 1920 and a really great find of a set a "Little Frankie" books by Mrs Leslie published in 1870... so there you go some more fun stuff...

Here's a couple of snaps of the silver basket...  a before and after..

... this is how I found it so I took a  chance...

... and after a little silver polish, it came up pretty nice, with some silver wear.  I think this dates to around 1900 it was made by the Pairpoint Silver company.  

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There you go sports fans, thanks again for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting and a Fun Fall Stuff

Gentle Friends, so it's been a while since I've posted any new finds..... and here's a snaperoo...

... from the left... a small oil on board sketch by Louis Morin, "Allegory" ca. 1895.  I think the sketch is for larger work that I'm researching...  next up is a walnut Victorian frame that has some nice gilt work and faux bois with chip carving, the picture in it is a really nice Wallace Nutting coloured photo called "The Old Drawing Room" ...and ... although we certainly don't need them I picked up a large Pink Willow cup and saucer and a Wedgwood mug with maps of roads in the UK and the "Dominion of Wales" ca 1650... it's become my new favourite cup!!

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You all know what a nut I am for Converse chucks... well, the new "skull" shoes have come out and of course, I had to get a pair....and along with them I got another pair of Looney Tune shoes... and here's a snap...

... the skull shoes this year are really different from last years offering of pastel ...

... the little skulls are really great!!  Very Halloween!!   All Hallows is on its way and I'm very excited...only 83 days away!!!

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There you go sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, out thrifting this weekend I found a couple of things...

... I found the vase in a thrift store and it was pretty filthy when I got it but it cleaned up nicely... from the mark on the bottom, I would date this c. 1918 or so.... and dived bowl with sterling base is nicely wheel cut with a wheat motif and I would think it dates c. 1950 or so...  

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There you go sports fans, thanks again for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Framing

Gentle Friends, a while back I took a few pieces in to get framed and over the weekend I picked up two of them...

... the first piece is this small etching I found in a consignment shop. It's by the California artist Jeanette Maxfield Lewis (1894-1982) and probably dates to the mid-1930's.  She was born in Oakland, went to art schools here in the Bay area and NYC, married and lived in Fresno and had a home in Pebble Beach.  She is known for California scenes from all over the state.  With all that said, I bought it just because I liked it, I like landscapes and farm scenes and this little piece ( it's only about 3 1/2 x 2 1/2) just appealed to me on every level.  It was only after I got it home and did some research that I found all the info about the artist.  I am sure this image is a scene from San Joaquin Valley around Fresno were she lived. 

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This second piece is something I stitched a while back and originally thought I would frame it myself in an antique frame.  That didn't work out since I couldn't find the old frame and just went with getting it framed in an "antique" style frame.  It's hard to see but that is a small worn gold stripe that kind of adds to the "age" of the piece.  The chart is from Beth Twist over at Heartstring Samplery, "Baby it's Cold Outside."  As I get the other pieces back from the framers I'll post them ...

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There you go sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, over the weekend I found a few fun things...

... I was as surprised as anyone.... so here's what I found.... some great mid-century pieces - a black "Couroc" type tray with a heavy sterling silver border, and a couple of small sized vases.  I also found a transferware plate from St. Augustine of the "Old City Gate"... the border contains oranges and orange blossoms with 5 cartouches that include the Hotel Ponce de Leon, the Castillio de San Marcos, the Hotel Cordova, The Alcazar and the Old Cathedral.  It's a plate I've seen before and wanted since I lived in Florida... and truth be told it's one of the few places I would ever move to if and when I think about retirement.  It's a lovely little historic city I've visited many times and would revisit in a heartbeat!!  

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There you go sports fans thanks again for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, out and about over the weekend and found this lovely little cabinet plate...

... it's about 7" in diameter and beautifully crafted with hand painted flowers .... made in Germany between the wars it's a super survivor!!  I'm such a  sucker for a piece of porcelain and I just couldn't pass it up!!

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There you go sports fans... thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, it's been quite a while since I posted any fun finds I've picked up running around the City.... the real reason is that there's' been a dearth of things to buy!!  I looked back at my Posts and it's been like over a month.... so here are the few fun things I found...

... so here ya go... I found the early Victorian mahogany letterbox in the baskets section at a Goodwill - and after I picked my jaw up off the ground - I thought about it, I really didn't need it or have much room for something like this but it was marked $2.99 so how could I not buy it!! After I got it home, polished it up... it turned out to be a lovely piece of wood and totally handmade!!  Who just gives stuff like this away, I ask myself!!

... and I have a really hard time passing on old pieces of porcelain... and most of the time I really restrain myself... but the mid 19th century scalloped plate with the hand-painted transferware is a super piece and really unusual... the great little gold lined Royal Worcester demitasse cup and saucer is a lovely shade of green and the pate sur pate dot decoration is superb!  The rimmed saucer with a pretty magenta transfer and silver luster was only .99 so I had to rescue this late 18th early 19th-century piece from oblivion!!  I found the great Russian laquered box last week and since I'm a real sucker for them, it came to my house to live!! 

There you go sports fans, thanks for stopping by dos top again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Stitchin'

Gentle Friends, over the weekend I found some interesting things on our usual journey through the thrift and consignment shops....

... I found this great sterling "Pansy Bowl" and after cleaning it up...

it turned out pretty nice!!   The Nativity triptych is a great find and that when it is folded up the has a "night on the desert" kind of painting on the outside ...  I think it was made in the 1940's or so just from the way it is made and the painted images ... I also found the beautiful old lustreware plate with hand painted decoration that dates to ca. 1810 or so...

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by !!  Do stop again soon!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends,  I've still been going about to the thrift and consignment shops and a few Estate Sales, but there's been next to nothing to buy and bring home.  Lots of things I liked, but for one or more reasons I just passed on ..... however, things turned around on Saturday when I ran up against a super piece of stoneware...

 ... here is when I got it home... a little on the grubby side, but after a good scrub and some silver polish.....

.... this great jug/ewer cleaned up like I knew it would.  I found it at a Goodwill, in the 1/2 off section.  The sterling collar and lid both have full sets of English hallmarks which after I did a little research can be dated to 1870 and London made.  I think this was made by Doulton in Lambeth, but there are no marks on the stoneware, and I'm going on the shape and quality and finish of the piece.  This Victorian piece is, I think, a reinterpretation of a Germanic Bartmann Jug.  

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There you go sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, even though I've been out and about every weekend there's really not been anything to talk about until I found a couple of things this past weekend...  here's a snap....

...  the "icon" with the angel is nice but I can't identify where the image comes from.... and the bright cut trumpet vase was a great find and not a chip in sight!!

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, last Saturday we were out and about and I found a couple of really great things.....

... we hit the most of the same places we normally do and at the last "Goodwill" was this super, small ladderback child's chair.  I saw it sitting on the top of a dresser on the "on sale" side of the furniture room... so not only did I get a really wonderful early 19th-century chair - but I got it on sale.  I usually just glance at the furniture since our home is just stuffed with so much already.  However, occasionally there is that special little piece that I can "just" squeeze in.... so home it came.  I also found the pair of early and rare "Venice" transferware dessert plates. 

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.... so what to do with the little chair.  I had packed up a little doll that my Grandmother had made back in the 60's.  It was one of the things I kept after she passed.  I remember it sitting in her kitchen when they lived in Charlotte before my grandfather retired and they moved to Florida.  All the years they lived in Florida I never saw it again until we were going through things after she passed.  So I kept it and now have a cute chair for her to sit on again.

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, there's not been much out there in the thrift and consignment shops and the Estate Sales have been sparse at best... and nothing I was interested in buying...but over the past weekend, I found a few fun things...

from l to r... a nice plate from Lenox with a geat sterling rim (the rim photographed really yellow), a lovely bright cut "corset" vase, a nice vase from Denmark with seagulls and a super little Belleek cup.... not too much but some nice bits....

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks again for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Thrifting

Gentle Friends, out and about over the weekend and poking in those dusty shops as I do and I only found a single fun thing to bring home.....

... I'm usually not a big fan of Roseville Pottery but this console bowl in the "Florentine" pattern ca. 1924 struck a note with me.  It'll make a nice addition out on the "Veranda."

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Ther you go sports fans, short a sweet today.  Thanks again for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar