I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Thrift Shopping


Hi! The other day my friend B braved the hot highways and drove down to visit me for a day of thrift shopping. We always have so much fun! We went to the big shop that moved ''far'' away. If we visit a few more times I think I'll be able to find it by myself, on a quiet winter day. We took an easier road---only got lost twice,lol. Pickings were excellent.
Interesting items---
a made in Republic of China copy of a Singer Featherweight sewing machine. It was made of tin and quite garish. Parts were missing too. $34.99. No.


Tie selection for a guy who asked me to look for good ties. LOL the mushroom one on the right was a designer tie, never worn. No.


I also passed up a vintage peanut dispenser, an idea for friend who repurposes oddball machines. But---No.
We found other very good stuff. B always finds clothes, so she was very pleased. 
I found treasures [my total bill was under 20.oo]:


A lidded Nantucket basket. Probably a Chinese repro, so I won't mind lining it to turn it into a sewing box.





It is very nicely made, though. And even still has the leather loop and bone slide that form the latch.


A red Staffordshire plate. I never turn these down, though later I was disappointed that it does have a chip.
Pre 1900. English.


A small candlestick to be the base of a velvet fruit pincushion. [with beach rock]



Fabric in the form of skirts. I loved this olive-gold tweed. It is 60% wool, so it may felt okay?


And this rather adorable cotton skirt.



It doesn't fit me, as it is a size 4, but I bought it for the retro-y fabric. Either for my French fabrics quilt / throw and /or for---what else, lavender pillow sachets.


Cute little earrings. I've been losing earrings often lately, so the price is right. Amethyst for Fall? And the ruby and diamond tiny hearts look like real gold! I haven't gotten them under the giant looking glass to see if they're marked,. You just know I'd never pass up little ruby hearts.



Then I found this neat rough seaglass-like vase or candle holder. It was a gift to my friends who babysat Mo while B and I enjoyed a peaceful dinner on the deck.


We made a quick stop at a roadside flower stand. I need a new pot f blooms for my front door step. Yikes, the prices.


Dinner was so nice. It was a hot still evening but quite dry, so it was comfortable to sit outside. We got home around 6, after checking out a new small shop [closed] for future visits.

I quickly broke out the crisp white wine! Aaah. Cheap but Delicious. You should have seen me trying to insert the corkscrew into what I discovered was a metal screw top. I guess screw tops are good for picnic wines?



I had another wine for us to try too. It was awful, went right down the drain. A Barefoot Vineyards moscato, eeew. Sugar syrup.  [sorry, Barefoot. I love your other wines.]

I set out one of my antipasto platters because we were starved after all that hard work of thrifting.
Rolled salami and mozzarella; brie with pear paste, French mini baguette, and marinated chevre / goat cheese. (Make the day before. Log of chevre, smushed into a lidded container.* I like the kind with herbs on the outside-- fines herbes. Add whole garlic cloves, black pepper and fresh herbs, in this case black basil for my deck pot. Fresh tarragon or sage is lovely too. Pour on good olive oil. Serve room temp with bread or crackers.) *These Weck canning jars are perfect.


Dinner was my fave salad: butter lettuce with bleu cheese and dried cranberries, basic vinaigrette, a bit sweet [add sugar or Splenda].


And "Pasta with Mushrooms'' recipe here I used brown cremini mushrooms and XL-steak cut Portobella slices, cut into pieces. I subbed a large handful or two of baby Italian arugula for the parsley in the recipe. I'm not fond of large quantities of parsley except in tabbouleh.


Lovey fast pasta dish, delicious!



Dessert:


homemade sugar cookies. Raw sugar on the tops. Thin and crispy, yum.



Vanilla gelato topped with mixed berries--blue and straw---combined with a glug of peach Grand Marnier and tiny chocolate chips.


 I love these square bowls! B found them on her last visit but she didn't buy them because she said they would not be useful!?! Wrong-wrong-wrong. We use them all the time for yogurt and granola breakfasts, and they were perfect for this dessert.


The sun set over the ocean and I sadly had to wave B off on the road home. I wish she lived closer.

A thrifting footnote: My other best friend L was a good sport and went with me to this new thrift shop in town! It's only been open for maybe 6 months? What a mess. My fingers were itching to do some tidying. But maybe it's worth a peek in now and then.

OMG, the mess
Now it's just about the hottest muggy-est day of the year so far. Mo has to stay indoors and I've been keeping him company for awhile.  He 's napping in front of the AC, he won't miss me when I leave, so I'm off to the beach for my swim.


Have a wonderful evening! Be cool.

''mommy left me at the babysitter. alone!''

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach





last Sunday: beach crowds!

8 comments:

  1. Oh, lots to see this post!

    LOL, I liked the mushroom tie! I don't even know what's in style anymore - narrow, wide, medium??? I always want to get a bunch and make a skirt, but the nicer ones usually cost too much. It'd take a lot of them to go around me!

    Love the basket, can't wait to see the sewing basket you make. How big is the basket?

    The candlestick is very nice, just about the right size for a handy pincushion!

    I liked the skirts. It may be 'iffy' felting the wool one. I'll wish you good luck with it and let me know how it goes! Felted wool for pincushions? Other projects?

    I had some Barefoot moscato not too long ago. I like the sweeter wines but it was a little too sweet even for me. Not that I tossed mine out!

    Your dinner looked really good and your dessert looked divine! I bet it sure tasted good!

    Yay for L for going thrifting with you! That shop sure does look crowded, but then maybe it's hiding some fun things. It seems like sometimes they take in too many clothes though, and it crowds out the more interesting things.

    LOL, that last picture of Mo looks a little like he's frowning at you for going to the beach without him. Is he a grumpy boy when it's hot out?

    It wasn't as hot today as it has been, but it was muggy. I went to help my daughter wash down a dining room set she bought at a yard sale, and I was dripping sweat even out on a shaded porch! I should like in Alaska or Washington or Oregon, somewhere it doesn't get so hot!

    Thanks for sharing your day!

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    1. Hot days make Mo grumpy and lazy. I try to have indoor playtime for him instaed...but today he ate another bed. :(

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  2. Wow...what a fun day! Love the sewing basket. All your food looks so good and I am a sucker for a thin crispy sugar cookie! Recipe? It's very hot and humid here also. I'm at the end of my kitchen reno with countertops being installed this afternoon.....It hasn't stopped me from cooking though...I've been using makeshift plywood countertops!

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    1. I ll post the sugar cooky recipe next week.

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  3. Exciting day trip for you girls. I have a terrible sense of direction, I still carry written directions for a business I patronize about every five weeks or so...for probably six or seven years now, lol.

    The food and wine look just perfect, you are the best hostess! I need to live closer to you. I like the recipe for the mushroom pasta. The dessert looked so cute. Presentation is everything. I went to the thrift store recently to pick up small bowls to use for food dishes for the cats, and I ended up using a couple of them NOT for the cats. Cute small to medium size bowls that I think are referred to as berry bowls. All my stuff was too big or too tiny to use for just such things as yogurt...or berries :)

    Kind of hot and muggy here again too. Hope yours passes soon so that Mo can be your side kick again.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Kel

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    1. I m pretty good once I figure out how to get somehwere...tho I ve been known to sail on by important exits sometimes, always a huge hassle.

      I like the white ramekin bowls from Pier One or Target / Threshold. They have staright sides so the pets don t shove the food out on the fllor. I have enough for two or thress days, because I put them in the dishwasher after each use. I roiginally found the bowls I like at the old thrift shop, new have bought more at Target.
      [they may be too deep for cats?] Mine have vertical stripes. These are a great value tho.

      http://www.target.com/p/threshold-stripe-ramekin-set-of-8-white/-/A-14172104?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=14172104&CPNG=Dining&kpid=14172104&LID=16pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14172104&kpid=14172104&gclid=CKqq__GQhMcCFUoXHwodzqoHsg

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    2. Thanks! They look cute, I'll have to check them out in person to see if they are a good fit for kitties. Fostering two little boys right now. Soooo cute. -Kel

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  4. Oh my goodness, Mr.Mo is adorable! He is so funny ! What a fun day you must have had!! Great finds too...

    Blessings
    Gert

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