Road Trip ~ New Thrift Shop

Hi! Yesterday my thrifting friend B arrived for one of our shopping days. She has a beautiful new car and our sights were set on exploring a thrift shop she'd found online.

The day was windy, grey, and dismal. Bridges were rumored to be stuck open, traffic was snarled!

To me the shop was far far away, I think 50 miles. [yes I know you all who live in the wide open US spaces don't think that's far, but it's far for me. Another world.] B's new GPS took us via every huge congested expressway it could find, so the hours of driving weren't for chatting but for keeping silent while steering safely through the crazed traffic while the nav person directed. I know not to chat at times like those.

The shop was big and clean[ish]. Another cement floored cavern with flickering fluorescent lights.

Some bric-a-brac to sort though, a small shelf of books; no furniture, no linens or craft items.

A few potential finds peeked out here and there. But no.

I swear some of the dresses were the same ones from the old shop that closed, by Marshall's.
What did I find, you ask? I did rummage out a few goodies.

Tropical Plus sized pants, 5.99 marked down to 2.99, chosen for their generous amounts of fabric.

Pretty tropical,  in my new ''fave-but-not-really" yellow [Pineapple String quilt?]:

and this darling menagerie tropical in chartreuse and turquoise. It almost looks like a Lilly Pulitzer, but is some unknown off-brand. Both are nice 100% cotton.

Look--giraffes!

And unicorns!

I never/ rarely buy clothes for myself to wear but I loved this wool plaid swing coat, from I think Saks catalog store brand. Never worn.

Interesting details in the cut.

Cool big buttons. Retro swing shape. I think next Fall, with the right pants and sweater, it will look cute. Warmish wool-acrylic mix in the soft Autumn plaid.

Pearl and ribbon necklace.

Love the taupe grosgrain. This design originally is from Anthropology but the little tag says its a J Crew  knock off. Big marble-sized pearls. Probably very passe, but I liked it and I think it might be fun in the summer, casually worn with tank top, black? and capris.

A Little House on the Prairie Christmas book [99 cents], fun to read next December.

I adored the books as a child; the drawings seem so familiar .

Little House books probably inspired my  lifelong interest in US pioneer history and social history as revisited while making Westering Women quilt a few years ago.

And a yelloware pitcher picked up at the last moment.

What IS it? It's real yellow ware, yellow clay not glazed yellow; the decal design is sort of 1940s,

but the base looks brand new c 2019. Unmarked. Cheap and ugly? Not sure.

It goes really well with my bowls, so I got it. It will be interesting next fall with black-eyed Susans or mums maybe. Price was right.

We had read online that the prices here were extremely high:"I can buy this stuff new, for less, at Walmart." [If we had a Walmart. Maybe.]. But to us the prices seemed fair AND were very  discounted, most pieces 50% off. Only the coat, at 9.99, was not on sale. I'd give the store 3.5 stars, the road trip definitely 5 stars. So fun!

My friend brought me these fabrics she'd found while antiquing in PA. The shop's table said FREE but some were $1.oo, lol.

Lovely velvets, hard to show the rich strawberry red. The darker one feels like silk velvet, maybe.

Taffetas? The pink is so sweet, no clue what I'd use it for so far.  It would make a darling party or prom dress for a young girl if girls wore dresses like that.

This black I liked for maybe a quilt backing [she'd sent photos via her phone]. It's quite odd, feels like cotton but also like taffeta???  I'm running a swatch through the wash now---I think the pink rosebuds washed off.

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More shopping: scented candles for summer, also for Mothers Day if you need a quick gift. I love them all, quite herbal and fruity, lovely. My candle supply was getting low. You may think they are an indulgence but the glass enclosed three wicks make somewhat safe storm candles too. So I keep a supply on hand. B&B Works had a half price sale.

We had a great shopping day, despite the rather long swaths of driving. We did sort of lose track of time and our Mexican dinner, post-Cinco de Mayo was cancelled as I had to rush home to Mo.

He is a bit spoiled and cries pitifully if I am out too long, despite a long visit from his walker, who reported the crying. He is okay if I am out during the day, or for an evening, but not both. Other family and helpers weren't around either, so he got very sad and cried! When I rushed home he was sitting in his bed with his green baby doll, all big eyed and whimpering. The loud wind wasn't helping matters either. Gotta plan better next time, we don't get out so often.

have a fun weekend. Gonna be cold!

love

lizzy

gone to beach......

PS Church flea has been a bust again.. No parking! Last week when I went dozens of  police were closing the narrow road with orange cones, all the lots were filled. The tiny town town has two Catholic churches and BOTH has massive funeral masses that Friday at the exact same time. Plus the flea shoppers. Crowds of mourners milling about. Someone[s] important? A union leader or some such, lots of working man types. Bizarre. I'll try next week before giving up.

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........