Hi! How was your weekend? The found object comments and emails were so funny! Hair ties, Kit? What else do you all find? Do tell. I found no washers this week, just two quarters [one 1974!] a penny, and a dime.
On the topic of treasure hunting, The other week my friend B visited and off we went on one of our Marie-Kondo-ly [the destash queen]-Incorrect thrifting adventures.You may recall that our fave big thrift shop keeps moving further away and last time the trip was just way too long and difficult? So this time I made up an itinerary of small thrift shops in villages to our west, places we'd never been, new shops to explore.
Who knew? Did you know most thrift shops close at 330 or 345 PM? WE certainly did not. B, bless her heart, drives down from ''upstate NY'' for our outings, a 2 1/2 hour drive that cuts across the Bronx, Queens, goes by two major airports and a giant Mall and the always horrendous GW Bridge. She does it cheerfully, never complains---but early she is not.We're spoiled by the evening hours of the big thrift, she can leave home at a reasonable time; I can do Mo's noon walk, then Mo has a babysitter for the afternoon and evening til we get home. (I don't like to leave him alone too long, pugs get so sad.)
We printed our Google Maps, we located places on our phones, off we went around 2 PM. Here is shop number one.
The drive took about 45 minutes. Result? Yuck. Just because it got 5 stars doesn't mean it was a nice shop. The ladies were nasty, the emphasis was on [old, worn out] clothes.
B tried on her trademark black clothes as I perused the large baskets full of dinnerware.\
Service for twelve? This was once people's Passover china, I bet. Johnson Bros./ England. Pretty.
Then!---after about 20 minutes they kicked us out. Closing Time! snarled the mean lady. A burly man in black with a shaved head and a lot of dive bar bouncer muscles appeared, and jingling his big ring of keys, herded me to the vestibule and pointed to the sign: Hours: 10 AM-330PM.
"But my friend is in the dressing room, trying on clothes!" I pleaded."Don't lock her in!" Or me out in the frigid wind, as B had the car keys.
"Wait here." He made me wait in the glassed foyer outside while he tried to roust B who was in take your time mode. She, and I, had no clue the shop would close so early.
Ugh. They did have nice, albeit dusty shouldered, evening gowns if you're a size 2 with a low rent affair to attend. c. 1980.
Nothing I'd want, no treasures, unless I'd bought the globe for my brother's collection. In, you know, desperation. But no. Nope, keys were firmly jammed into the grubby glass door. I studied the filthy non-slip linoleum dots floor, and read my emails. [Thanks, Kel!].
The next shop on our list was down the street about half a block. It too was closed--- and looking through the grimy window, that was a blessing.
By now B was fed up and she called all the other shops on our list. All had closed or were closing by 4 PM.
Somewhat desperately I suggested Home Goods and Marshall’s. We tried both but no. Chaotic yet boring.
We did an early margarita free dinner and somewhat sadly called it a fail.
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Then Friday at the supermarket I get a text from B : Do I want free fabric? Seems she was in PA antiquing. I was so envious. PA has real antiques shops.
I chose the red velvets for projects like sewing emeries and pinkeep tomatoes or hearts. Velvet washes well. The bits will get a good bath in Woolite.
More pics from PA.
Also if you look closely at the stacks of fabrics, there are a few nice Christmas textiles, probably tablecloths. Perfect for etsy items---stockings, hearts, throw pillows, aprons, teddy bears! I'd be so inspired.
See, quilting friends, this is what happens when you don't actually use your lovely fabrics and hoard scraps instead. Homeless and Free at antiques shop!
Maybe sometime I can go too!?
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Flowers at Trader Joe's. Happy!
Tiny daffs for my kitchen counter--- adorable 2.99.
My vintage McCoy pot. My dad used to bottle dig on old abandoned farms back in IL. Found a few of these sweet flower pots that I now use. I also had McCoy creamers he'd found, a kitty, and elephant, just darling and now $$. [victims of a destash, see how wrong things can turn out!].
Flashback of baby mo 10 months old. He'll be 5 in March
Paperwhites week 2. First blooms!
love
lizzy
gone to the beach...
here, an early morning in the beach fence lane. Stark almost black and white. Hard to imagine summer will be here soon.
I did not get the washed ashore baskets, may try tomorrow. Gale winds = too cold and painful to the eyes.
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Sorry about those ratty thrift stores--we don't have many (if any) good ones in my area...I would have bought those bowls, too..so pretty. i am a sucker for nice old dinnerware. I am a Johnson Bros. fiend. I only have a couple plates of a lovely chinoiserie blue and white pattern left from an early set. I cherish them.
ReplyDeleteFighting a head cold here; mainly trying to sleep it off..Big storms headed out this way Tues-Wed--maybe a little snow...Stay warm out there...hugs, Julierose
Thrift shops and antique shops in PA don't close at 3:30 unless maybe they are all volunteerand connected to a church...!
ReplyDeleteHi! The thrift shops weren't in PA, they are in the outskirts of NYC. Most were charities, run by volunteers. I do recall the thrift by my mom's, in Cape Cod closed at 3 and was open only a few days a week, as was the dump's swap shop. But I never thought about that here.
DeleteI had no idea some thrift stores closed that early! Geez, you think they'd be happy for customers!!
ReplyDeleteThe PA shops look way more fun!!
Around here to find the kind of items your friend found in the PA thrifts, you have to go to the local "antique" shops and they don't carry thrift store pricing! But we did find a number of vintage Christmas tablecloths recently that were selling for around $5 each. Didn't buy any after hubby found that sweet little red and white quilt we ended up using under the Christmas tree. I have one McCoy pitcher which I dearly love and fill with sunflowers for the back porch in late summer, purchased at a flea market back in Oregon. Wish I could find more of that quality!
ReplyDeleteInteresting how these shops work. Have had several close here over the past few years.
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the early-closing shops. It was nice of B to get that fabric for you though!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the rose china in the basket, and those dishes! How far a trip would it be for you to go to PA? Maybe you could talk L into a trip? Or gather all your courage and you and Mo take a road-trip...
Such pretty flowers! I get a little jealous - I can't have them because my kitties would eat them. I need to find some wall vases.
The walkway doesn't look NEARLY as inviting this time of year - looks a little scary, although it probably does have some shelter from wind.
How do this year's paperwhites smell?
Hah! Glad my very late comment on your last post gave you something to do while you waited to be evicted ;) What a lot of effort for no return. The thrift shops I go to around here are volunteer run. They are, at least, open till 5-6 pm.
ReplyDeleteThose dishes are pretty. I probably would have picked up a few. I don't have matching dishes, just like to pick up whatever strikes my fancy. The PA thrift does look much more interesting. Boy, B gets around.
I remember Mo's little self in his little pajamas. How in the world has it been almost five years already?
Thought of your Mom's phrase yesterday...sequin sea? I went to the little beach town just south of us for a walk. As I drove up the street, and the ocean appeared all sparkly and bright, those words came to mind.
Kel
ReplyDeleteVery informative and useful historical post. I see you have a lot of other cool stuff available at your website, simply bookmarking it to check in spare time. Thanks and keep the good work up.
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