Prize Possessions

What I'm about to show you is currently marked down at #1 in my mental list of The Very Best Things I Own. I own a lot of junk too, but - I've given it an A+ in all of the following categories:

1. Interestingness
2. Rarity
3. Condition in relation to Age
4. Just plain 'ol general awesomeness

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Uhmmmm, whaat!?!? I didn't even know something like this could exist in the world! Not only are there 12 beautiful animal stamps but there's also three ink pads and a slew of other little paper bits all stamped up and colored on!







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I'm not entirely sure on the age. The company was founded in 1860 and one of the ink pads says 1910 on it... so it's somewhere between 150 - 100 years old ... crazy, right? It blows my mind that a children's stamp set could survive its early years with the original owner, never-mind be carried along through the generations! Or maybe it belonged to a very fussy, and particular child who kept their toys neat and shiny and after they grew out of these stamps they were kept safe inside a box only to be rescued years and years later. Who knows! And that's part of the fun about it!

All I have to say about its prior life- whoever this little bebe was had some amaaazing crayon color blending techniques!











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I also really love how simple the stamps are in comparison to the drawings that accompany them!

























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Now I just need to track down a stamp pad. In the shuffle of moving I seemed to misplace all of mine, and would you believe it- Dick Blick doesn't carry even a silly blank ink pad?!?

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NE Loot

I'm back in San Francisco! Somehow every time I come back to California from visiting New England I always, always end up taking back an extra suitcase. This time I was extra embarrassed because they put a "heavy" tag on it... But, my dress form is in there! along with a whole lotta other random things... I even had hair clips from my grandmother's beauty shop shoved into the pockets of my coats... A day in the life of a traveling hoarder is all.

Anyway, I brought back a lot of silly things. Not as much clothing as I'd originally hoped, but I did stock up on things for sending out 1385 packages...

Like a nice 6" stack of old maps. (from my grandmother's house)



and a good pile of 1974 reprint Randolph Caldecott postcards (from Putnam)





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and string!!!!!!!!! I love string.. I think I forgot to add that my list yesterday. I guess I love any sort of old general store supplies. Because I do love old labels too... (all from my gram's attic)





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All sorts of bits, some to put in packages - some to keep (from gram's attic too!)





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And these crazy old lady shoes...A racing stripe down the back of a cork heel and embroidered flowers. Yes, they fit the crazy old lady bill quite perfectly. And I think they're going to be good for Spring. (these are part of this collection and were left behind in the move along with 5 or so other pairs... it's insanity!)



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This special little box once belonged to my Great Uncle, who's 93!! It's his First Communion attire and it's so sweetly placed into that box. I love that its been sitting like that for 80 years!





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I have a bunch of my grandmother's old Cosmetology certificates around the house. I love them because they look like fancy medical certificates - but, nahh - just for gussying gals up. Here's another nice one to add to my collection!



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I found a nice Owens Illinois canister for only $20 in Putnam.. People are always trying to sell these things for $30 - $60. So, if you want to start a collection, be patient!! I found 2 for $30 once at a flea market once! And some anemone bunches from the Ferry Building Farmer's Market ... I could seriously look at these flowers all day!





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And last but not least, and maybe my favorite thing - a little, little baby elephant who once belonged to my Aunt Bettie. My mom set him aside for me and he was waiting for me when I got back to MA two weeks ago. There was also a really sweet letter sitting next to him that my mom wrote to her mom when she was a little girl. Asking for a puddle (in little girl language that translates to a poodle) I took photos of it because it's so darn cute, but I think she might be a little embarrassed to have that on here! We'll see, we'll see ... it's kind of too cute not to post!





And that concludes my New England loot. Well, actually - there's a few more things I found in Putnam including a nice wool dress with a cowl neck, a few cotton Victorian blouses (amy, this means I'm working on a package for you!) and one more other thing that deserves its own blog post - but I can't resist showing a little sneak because it's THAT amazing.



You'll just have to guess at what it is for now!

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Carpet Bags

There's an antique mall in Putnam, CT that's 4 stories high and I swear I always come out of there with a really great haul. My mom loves to go too, which is really nice and it's always really cute to see the things she picks out. We went together this past Sunday - I wasn't looking for anything in particular but somehow I came out of there with a tun of things. (tomorrow's post!)

So, I realize I have many a weakness... and I could find at least 5 things at any antique store/flea market that I really and truly LOOOVE and NEEEED to have and can't LIIIVE without... Pillow cases. Pale colored floral cottons (fabric and/or dresses.) Raggedy stuffed animals. Hankies. Old note pads and note books. Blank ledgers. Rubber stamp sets. Gladstone bags. Early celluloid jewelry. Quilts. Buttons. Lace dresses. Metal boxes....

The list goes on... But. Carpet bags. Ooh carpet bags.. they do funny things to my heart. They're hard to find and always soo expensive. And somehow I managed to find two(!?!) on the same day!

I'll introduce you to the scragglier one first.. Judging by the clasp on it, I think it's from the late 60's. It was in a messy pile of other bags/hats/fabric and I'm glad I spotted it. It has itself a hole and the inside needs a vacuum and it could use a few stitches - but uhh, for $5, whatever!

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And then.....sigh. This one... It was inside of a fancy glass case. I saw it and fell in love and couldn't even bring myself to really look at it. Penniless heartbreak.



As the man was tallying up our purchases I thought I'd show it to my mum.I took her over and one of the sales ladies happened to be right there. And before you knew it the bag was out of the case and in my hands and then I hear the words "20% off sale" and then "We'll take it!" And in those whirlwind moments - I thought my heart was going to explode.



It's amazing and it feels good on my shoulder and that flap just falls right into place so perfectly. The leather along the front is beautiful and soft - and I really love the rivets on the sides.



Now, if only someone would start re-creating these things. Etsy sellers, lets get working here! I think we could all use a little Mary Poppins in our day to day lives!

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A box of sequins

The last time I visited my grandmother's attic I uncovered a box. A very, very special box... Filled with magic. The kind of magic I always hoped existed in her attic, but was never quite sure was actually there. So unassumingly nestled into a crawl space. Covered by some unmemorable junk - shielding the little beauties from dusty attic particles unknown.

Meet me, circa August 2007.



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And meet 5 very special traditional Polish costume sequin vests!



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That vest I'm wearing was found in my parent's basement a handful of years ago. I've had my eye on ebay/my grandmother's attic to find more ever since. I was hoping for one - never mind FIVE !



My 7 year old self would probably be cringing inside right now. If only I could dig up the photos to prove it. Little me, big ears, hair in braids posing by the rhododendron bush with a gap tooth smile and outfitted with my ribbon hair wreath, white lacey collar blouse, puffy white skirt and of course - the vest. A few good years and a set of braces later - who would have thought I'd develop an unending love for every part of that costume.

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I left the vests with my parents back in New England. To compensate for not bringing them back to San Francisco I went totally nuts with the camera. Like, baby's first birthday party nuts. So, I'll have to apologize now for the photo overload. I hope you'll understand but I just couldn't edit! Too many tiny details to look at!











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The under-working stitches are all covered by black satin, except for one... Which is lined in the most perfect chambray - and I think it's my favorite!! All the tiny details meant to be hidden away make me melt!





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(This post is dedicated to Miss Ginny Branch Stelling - the sweetest gal who's favorite color is shiny and who leaves a trail of sequins wherever she goes)!

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