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"Up the Square"

Once upon a time, you could go Christmas Shopping at places like this:

Just beautiful. My idea of what heaven looks like.

;-)

When I was a kid, we had a five and dime sorta like this "up the square" at my grandparent's house. My Nana would always send us "up the square" to pick up a loaf of bread or a carton of milk at the grocery store. She'd always let us keep the change and we always spent it at the five and dime on the corner. Most of that money went for comic books and candy--But I remember how much I loved that five and dime. How I wish it was still around.

I can also remember shopping at Woolworth's when I was a kid. My mom would give us all a few bucks and let us loose in the store for 20 minutes or so and we ran around like crazy and shopped for presents for our siblings, our parents and our grandparents. Most of the time we made them gifts from felt and sequins but I remember clearly one year picking out an ornament in flocking (no doubt made in japan) for my Grandmother. It was the old woman who lived in a shoe--and it was a big green velvet flocked boot with kid's heads sticking out the windows. I thought it was great. Still would if I ever saw it again.

Those were the days, boy.

These pics are from the National Christmas Center in Pennsylvania. There are more great pics of the exhibit on flickr. 

These days I go shopping at a place that is not exactly what I would call the five and dime, but sometimes it is just as fun and surprisingly full of treasures.

A Hunting We Will Go

This weekend I was back at the monthly flea market hunting for vintage treasures. I now realize these trips can be very inspirational--a new bunch of materials can do wonders for the creativity factor!

When I come home I always lay everything out on my studio floor to oohh and aaaahhhh and then I need to organize it all & find space for it and that usually takes me another day to accomplish. It's like a day spent at the thrift shop only multiplied by 30! All this loot represents a lot of haggling and a lot of digging through vendor's booths/tables. The vendors that have it all spread out in holiday finery usually know they have something good and charge accordingly. You have to shop where the people don't know what they got--meaning usually they got a lot of something else and the odd piece of Christmas merchandise is not that important to them. BINGO! That's when I come in for the kill.

Here is the carnage...

One of my favorite finds of the day was all these vintage foil paper candy canes. It was late in the day too and I couldn't believe my luck that they were still around--each bundle was only 25cents! I scooped up the whole lot of 12--giving me 24 candy canes and laquer holly leaves. Yeehaw!

Two packs of Santa paper placemats I haggled for the price of one and the glass bead garlands were a very nice price as well. I do love me some new in the package spun cotton head pics as well as shiney brite putz houses.

 

I also now see the advantage of my monthly romps; these styrofoam made in Japan houses in the original boxes this vendor has had for months collecting dust--this was the third month I had seen them! Knowing this, I ended up getting them two for the price of one as well as the placemats above. I will do a makeover on them, adding some vintage bits and bobs--for next year I guess. Why does it all go by so quickly????

 

A whole pile of foil leaves and some vintage skinny tinsel garland--made in western germany--the way it ought to be.

 

Lots of santa heads and some very tiny deer for the putz houses.

And where would we be without pipecleaners? NO where!!!! I got this package for the great graphics--I feel like framing it and hanging it up in the studio. Not bad for a buck.

 

I got all this spun cotton goodness at the end of the day. How in the world could that be possible?

It seemed like every vendor had a stray corsage or two on their table. I collected all the ones I could get for a buck or less and came home with a box full.

This little lady is showing off her beaded figure and I'm taking notes.

 

Little gnomes on springs From the crabbiest woman vendor I had ever met--I won't be back. She's a mean one, Mrs. Grinch---and a big dirty spun cotton snowman from a kinder fellow.

 

Favorite Find of the day; these Snowman candy containers from Western Germany. I wish I could have made some for the shoppe this year--but it's definately on the list for next year--I vow to start early!!!!

 

And last but not least, Candy container paper mache boots and these plastic figures of Rudolf and a Snowman. I guess I'm collecting these now too. Heck, why not?

:-)

There's another flea market going on this weekend--ANd I'm thinking I might just need to get another fix in before the holiday season is over.

Meanwhile, I've got 4 new Christmas decorations going in the shoppe tomorrow or the next day.
I think they are pretty vintagey cool. Come back for a look!

A Closer Look

The other day I promised a closer look at my Rose Bowl Goodies and so I'm here to deliver! Five hours of combing thru 100's of vendors and haggling my head off -- this is what I have to show for it. All my allowance for the month--spent.

But what goodies! Worth every penny!

All the bead garlands were 1/2 price so that was a great deal. The spun cotton angels I spied on a modern crap little Christmas tree, so I promptly snatched that up and easily took them off when I got home. That was certainly my treasure of the day as there were 18 angels on that tree!

Some Christmas sheet music, tags/seals, bottle brush wreaths and a tree makes the Christmas score complete.

Except I almost forgot, I also got an arms load of vintage Christmas/holiday cards from another vendor for a really great deal. Such wonderful graphics on these--I was in heaven.

 

Might inspire me to make my own version of those old crocheted baskets from greeting cards (note to self: learn how to crochet).

Next up is the Halloween treasury. There is a vendor there that has amazing stuff but highly priced--but the good news is it's everything you could ever want all in one place. I spend hours in her space, and always come back for more before I leave. She gives me some deals and this month gave me a couple of freebies which I'll get to at the end of this post. The little crepe favors are amazing and I'd like to recreate them.  I finally got a hold of some spun cotton witch heads although these are smaller than the norm. I love the satin ball pumpkin head which still has it's "made in Japan" sticker. And I couldn't leave without buying these creepy looking chenille black cats which I have never seen before.

Sorry for the blurry photo, but you get the idea. Creepy!

Oh, and I finally got my hands on some HE LUHRs pumpkin head diecuts from another vendor witch I got at a nice price. Sweet!

Next up is the Patriotic haul: I was digging thru this vendor's piles of vintage paper ephemera and I found this all in a flat box way at the bottom. A ton of vintage flags!

Lots of critters will be holding these come July, I'm sure.

And now we turn to a bit of Easter magic:

 

A whole bunch of tiny flocked easter chicks, some easter seals, shiny raffia, a kid's holiday party book from the 30's and a book from my childhood, THE ENCHANTED EGG.

And even Thanksgiving was represented:

some cards, seals, and....

 

13 honeycomb turkeys!

 

I actually have a plan for these guys believe it or not.

And several bunches of big, velvety, vintage millinery daisies...

which carry my favorite sticker.

5 wooden vintage berry baskets that my favorite vendor gave me for free...

 

And this little lass who alas, has a broken foot which is why she was given to me for free. Works for me, I'll find a use for her--no problem.

 

Then I picked up these Japanese salt and pepper shakers for no other reason 'cept I liked them.

and this book:

 

because I was completely charmed by these sweet bears...

 

and figured it would be great inspiration to get me reacquainted with my sewing machine again.

Have a wonderful weekend Everyone!

Getting the Goods

This past weekend I mentioned I went to the Rose Bowl flea Market to seek out some vintage treasure and it did not dissapoint. I do believe it will be my monthly haunt now for some time. It's so fun! 5 hours of search and discover and this is what I took home:

I'll have to take more pictures for show and tell later today when the sunshine hits my studio; I took this pic yesterday when I was photographing my Halloween Update.

Seems like nothing ever sells for less than a buck there though--a buck is the same as a quarter in these parts. But a vintage Holt Howard Santa Mug from 1960 still looks good for a buck in my mind!