The Friday Flea

Hello, how was your week? Good I hope. My friend L and I went to the Friday flea again this week. We are calling it just that--the ''Friday flea'' instead of its real name of the Sacred Heart of St. Something Parish White Elephant Tag Sale, lol. Busy! People line up for the 2 PM opening.

My friend L has a really sharp eye for wonderful vintage jewelry. I'm sorry I   didn't get pics of her finds this week. We're thinking of starting a new etsy shop, to sell our finds and her input would be invaluable.

I was interested to see that this visit, two or three weeks after our first visits, almost everything was ''new'', despite the rather high price tags. For instance---these sweet blue and white German Art Deco milk jugs. You can see the tags, $15.oo and 14.oo.  Very appealing, but too expensive. No haggling either.

And other oddities of pricing, a white on white embroidered small bridge cloth [picture size to cover a card table], c. 1910 was a whopping $20.oo! Who besides me is gonna wash that, bleach it, starch and iron it? And right next to it was a large dinner sized tablecloth, with four napkins; linen with white inserted Battenburg lace and hand embroidered blue cornflowers. So beautiful! All for only 8.oo. [c. 1940?].No haggling either.

This week I noticed some interesting furniture. Wouldn't this make a great sewing work table? I liked its light wood plainness and shelf above.

Or this, a simple white desk--- another great table for one's sewing machine.

I also spied this wine cooler, for friends who serve wine in an ice bucket. Good crystal, carved cut glass seashells, swoon. Only $4.oo. I was afraid they'd not like it though so I passed it up.

Then there was a whole table of very charming French Provencal-ish rooster and chicken dinner wear and pitchers. I loved the rich autumn colors.

What did I finally choose?

I got this overpriced pillowcase, hand crochet inserts, delicate hand-embroidery.A pattern I have never seen.

I loved the dots.

It was clean but very yellowed. Looked like it was never used, just folded away in 1930 and never touched til now. Sad?
I took  chance and soaked it in 1 teaspoon of Clorox in a gallon of water.Then washed and rinsed it thoroughly. I'll put it in the sun to whiten more, if a sunny day presents itself.

Also 4.oo, this tiny cream jug. Very overpriced at 4.oo, due to chips, wear snd tear, fading. [we remind ourselves the money goes to charitable endeavors by the church group.]

Tiniest rosebuds along the top.

I thought it was French, Limoges, or more likely Austrian, but when I got it home I see that it is English or American . Edwardian era, by the shape and style, around 1900-1910.

And I was surprised to find a quilt pattern among the large scale woolly and gaudy Bucilla needlework kits. It was priced right at fifty cents! I have always loved Little Quilts. I believe they were very influential in starting the fad for ''doll quilts'' or small quilts, back in the 1980s .

I can see making the little house quilt! So sweet. This is the pattern photo, not a real quilt I found.

And that's all, folks.
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On a different note: I hope to get to the farmers market tomorrow. Might they have lilac bouquets  to buy? And tiny pots of herbs? If I can park I may go into the library and try to get an Internet library pass. Wish me luck with the mean librarians, I haven't been in the library since I got my Kindle in 2009. Anyway, thinking of Spring produce, yesterday  I bought now in season broccolini. Saute with garlic and olive oil. We gobbled it up. And:

Smashed New Red Potatoes

Rinse and clean a bag of 1" baby reds. Boil in salted water until soft when pricked 

with a knife or fork. Drain well.

 In the sauce pan, add a tablespoon of butter to melt, and stir in 4 finely minced garlic buds. [not a whole garlic, just the individual sections, 3 or 4.]. Let the butter bubble,  do NOT brown the garlic.

Return the potatoes to the pan, shaking the pan to coat. 

Take a fork or a potato masher and break up the little potatoes. Don't mash! 

Add a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream and a bit of milk or water. 

Add lots of parsley, a pinch of sea salt and fresh black pepper. 

*****

I served the smashed baby reds with the broccolini and choice of grilled chicken or a small steak. It was a warm delicious meal on a cold windy night. [even if the kids wouldn't eat the smashed potatoes, sigh.]

have a fun weekend!

love,

lizzy

gone to the beach........