Candlewick...my new collecting item...

So...at the beginning of last summer...D and I were walking around old town Folsom and came across a cute shop called Melange. Each section of the store are items from a different vendor (sort of like an antique mall, but these aren't all antiques and it's just a little shop tucked into an old building).

I LOVE glass! Have I mentioned that yet? Yes, serious obsession with anything glass...I also like vintage antiques, '30s '40s '50s eras. I've been on the hunt for a couple years now for the perfect antique style champagne glasses. These aren't tall and narrow like the ones today. If you watch a film from the 1940s you'll see that they were small, short stemmed, and wide like a wine glass but tapered up quickly and stopped...here's an example:

    

glass are a listed item in the shop of OurModernHistory ~ an Etsy shop

So, initially, I was just looking around...then, I was hunting for some glasses. Then I came across this:

These are dessert sets. Large dessert tray/plate with dividers and a matching glass. I've seen quite a few of these...and one I really liked was a set that was pretty smooth and simple but the plate was shaped like a painters palette. Well, this (not an uncommon set) is the first one of this style I have come across that had the "mugs" with the plates...it was a set of four...and it matches the set my grandma has and has used a family gatherings for years! So, I decided these were the ones!

The lady in the shop described them to me, and told me that there are two very similar patterns that were very popular mid-century: Bubblewick and Candlewick. She described the slight differences to me and we left. But, now all I've seen really is the Candlewick (or people calling their sets Candlewick)...so, I'm just going to collect any pieces I like that look like they match these...fair??? So, excuse my ignorance.

About a month later I was at a flee market in town with my mom and found these...I think it was only about $10 for them...yeah!

Then, I was out "junking" for items for my shop, and of course, I found items for myself. I picked up eight of these sherbet glasses at a garage sale...$6!!!

A couple months ago I went to an antique mall with my mom and found more pieces, a pedestal server, a bowl, and many more fun items...but I was able to control myself...until I have the extra money to go on a spree this is the beginning of my collectors set!!! And, maybe my grandma will give me her pieces some day???

thrift shopping

finally had a day today to take a few pictures of some great pieces we've picked up lately...this rounds out our unfinished stock of furniture at (1) coffee table, (2) unique side tables, (1) french louis upholstered chair, (2) duncan phiffe style side chairs...hopefully, we will soon have time (and resources) to get a few items finished and listed on Etsy...

here they are, in their current state...

This chair was SUPER cheap at a thrift shop. The key thing typically is if the original needlepoint seat cover is gone, you can find them at VERY reasonable prices...other thing, we have found that the rear joint between the seat and the back/leg separates, but a little wood glue and some clamps fixes it...and the extra effort is well worth the price we find them at in this condition!

THIS WAS A FIND!

My mom and I went to the local old town street faire, in search of chairs and any other potential "junk" finds we might discover. I have NEVER seen this style of chair with the harp back for the price we did. It even has the burlap seat structure and the needlepoint pad still! However, it is in pretty bad shape and the wood on the legs and back is rather scratched (mostly surface and nothing we won't be able to buff out when we sand it to paint). But the condition of the wood and needlepoint could be the only reason we got such a good deal...typically with this back and the original seat- we find these for no less than $100.

I am so excited about these odd and tiny tables. I think they are so cute, but so unique... They are only about two feet tall!  But I HAD to pick them up. I have been striking out so much lately with only smooth furniture (which typically means it isn't too terrible old)...but these have such great carvings on the pedistal and the edge of the table top.  I am thinking they will end up antiqued or "shabby chic'd" because the design of them would pull it off very well. I also may simply paint one white to get rid of the image of the wood in peoples minds and list it as a pick your color type of thing...haven't decided yet...

More JAM!

Made alot more jam this week...

D and I went up to Apple Hill a week ago and enjoyed the fall feel of things...walked around a few of the different farms up there, we always enjoy High Hill Ranch, there are so many craft booths and whatnot...We took and drive and just took the day slow (which was wonderful!)

a cool selection of pumpkins that were all piled up

D, eating an apple fritter...of course :)

During our drive we did a little junking and found a chair that had the same Duncan Phiffe style that some of the ones we've found before had, so we picked that up! And then we stopped by Boa Vista Orchards and bought some produce and a 25lb box of canning pears!

So, yes, I've been making jam repeatedly over the last week. Raspberry pear jam...it's amazing!

It has such a thick but smooth texture (thanks to the pears), and the flavor is tart from the raspberries but because of the pears has a strawberry-like sweetness to it. It is SO good! My mom used to make this along with the apricot jam when we were younger, and I haven't had it in years!

a little bit of a pick-me-up

well, we've had a rough year...year-and-a-half...ok, it's been a rough THREE years...BUT! we are alive. we live in a beautiful spot in northern california that we both love. my husband (for the first time in years) says that despite alot of our stressors that are still present, he is really happy right now......wow, can't argue with that!

we got in a car accident the day before his birthday...we decided to go for a drive to relax and de-stress...and on our way out of town we were rear ended.  so much for relaxing!  we thought it was just damage to the bumper, but it actually crushed part of the frame rail on the passenger side also...so it totaled our hand-me-down that we were hoping to sell for a little bit of money so DH could look for an old jeep or chevy pickup that was in working order, but could become his project car. well, that seemed to be out of the question at this point. we were positive we wouldn't get enough out of it, that the insurance wouldn't cover our repairs, and that (obviously) we wouldn't be able to sell it either. yesterday, we received our settlement check for his little old corolla and it was towed away, and last night while searching Craigs List D found a CJ7 for the perfect price. we got up super early this morning drove down to the valley, we were the first ones there and told them we'd take it. 

you should have seen his proud face driving that thing home!  sure...there are a few little issues with it, and we need to clean it out and just do some maintenance on it, but for the price we got it...wow. it runs great, (sounds wonderful), and it is the perfect start...it even has a hard top so D won't freeze this winter! we are so excited. our agreement was that he could shop for a "project" if the amount we spent getting it to running order where anything we did beyond that could wait and was optional was no more than the amount we received from the insurance...and we got that.  it hasn't been messed with, (except for the silly gold miner hood ornament and the giant roll bar sticking out the front) -- so as he decides along the way to upgrade or refurbish or paint...etc...he is starting with a blank slate...

so excited, i grew up with my dad's toy being a '55 CJ5...he built and re-built and re-built that thing. it's beautiful, and the whole family has sentimental value for it. looking at it as we were finalizing the sale, it was hard to believe, we were getting our own......hopefully, this ends up being our family nostalgic vehicle!!!

...took this while D was looking around the inside...

thrift shopping

well, my birthday was on a friday in june...and the hubbs had tuesday, wednesday, and thursday off so he took me shopping and endured alot with me those three days! i dragged him in and out of four or five thrift shops, he was a good sport about it!

my original intention for thrift shopping was to find vintage/bohemian clothing for cheap...but i had no luck. i guess that is how you start that type of shopping, eliminating the shops that don't necessarily cater to what you are specifically looking for. so, i ended up shopping clearance at urban outfitters and found a few items.

however, i did score a couple of random items at the thrift shops! an old wood framed chair with an upholstered seat, two matching table lamps, and a set of four divided dessert plates with glasses (the exact ones my grandma has).

D has already begun work on the chair...re-gluing and stablizing it, and he cut a new board for the seat. i got a fabric for the seat, and he recently paint the chair with an enamel...my other thing is that i've been wanting to do this as a side business type thing, like on etsy or something...the chair was only $6 and at that rate i could do pretty well refurnishing them. but i haven't decided if that's what i'm going to use it for and get super creative with it, or if i'm going to use it in our house and need to decide where...

 

the lamps i found are great...i got REALLY excited because (especially with the shades) i figured they were from the '60s or something. but they have switches for "three-way" light bulbs, so they may be much newer than that...but i have been searching for the perfect lamps for our side tables in our bedroom and everything i like costs a fortune! so, these were a find, the perfect color and i love the shape and style of them! i just need to get a couple of large hurricane type shades for them now...

well, hopefully i will find a treasure of a thrift shop at some point that has the type of clothing i'm looking for...but the search is still on...

a few weeks after this trip, my mom took me shopping and we went to a flea market here in town and found additional pieces for the dessert plates/glasses...a creamer and sugar, and i believe a bowl...so cool!

then, just a few days ago i went into goodwill looking for an old book with small drawings, small font, and yellowed pages (i am going to decoupage the pages onto my dress form for a more decorative look for photos)...and while i found one, our other find was even better! an old singer sewing machine!!! it works, ish...there is no belt but the mechanisms work, and there is a cord with a pedal for it (but the wiring is a bit scary)...it is very well used and seems like it likely sat unused in someones garage for an eternity, but i'm excited about it! $30, and we looked it up tonight...the serial number is from 1947!!!  ya...i'm happy with it even if i never use it!

etsy.com

...etsy...

ah, the joys of perusing an ONLINE user/seller site...i love etsy...

here's my issue...i signed up last fall, when i first found the site, because i kept finding stores that i wanted to be able to shop at again. however, you have to confirm your email address, well i re-sent it three times and no such luck. so, i waited a couple months, still no email so i tried resending it again, then emailed their support...no reply. well the other day (having forgotten all of this) i found quite a few sites that i loved and wanted to "add to favorites"...well since i attempted to create an account before, i couldn't "create an account", so i re-sent the confirmation email...AGAIN. nothing. i emailed support again and received an apology email and all she said was to check my junk mail folder..............well, i replied and said that after 12 attempts and i do check EVERY folder in my email account for hopes of something and still have nothing, and ask again that if someone can simply manually confirm for me that'd be great...no reply since...OYE!

grrr...well, i am attempting again today. we will see how that goes. i just want to be able to save my favorite shops...(though i know i can't buy anything right now) there's jewelry, and antiques, and decor, and vintage dress patterns...and on and on and on......if you have not discovered the bliss of this little online haven, please go see for yourself!

(here's an item that got me very intrigued the other day...i love vintage, and the hats in the 40's ish era were amazing...i was on etsy and this had made it to the front page and caught my eye...just one of millions of fun finds on there...)

Green Olive Martini by itsthelittlethingsut