Technical Difficulties

I am still alive but am experiencing technical difficulties in that my computer and my camera have decided they hate each other. My camera is showing up as existing when plugged into my computer but either it refuses to give my computer the pictures or my computer is choosing to ignore it. Anyways my camera probably needs to be reinstalled and yelled at repeatedly before it starts to function properly again. Argh!

"New" Furniture

I haven't caught up with posting things about my last Denver trip yet I will be on my way back this weekend to finish up the cleaning and estate sale. I haven't found a home for everything yet either but here is the furniture I do have organized which I haven't posted pictures of yet. Included is the Lane dining set with the brochure here.

The "new" dining room set with one leaf in to accommodate all of the chairs.It includes 2 or 3 more leafs so we should be set dinner party wise.

The chairs still have all of their original vinyl in near mint condition. 

the buffet (I'm still working on the knick-knack arrangement)

and the couch. I didn't buy the rug with it in mind but it conveniently matches as does the tiled coffee table. How did that one work out??

Snowflake Pyrex

I usually never stop at garage sales on the way home from work mainly because I just want to get home and also what is left at 4pm? Today while driving home my gut instinct told me to stop at this one. "Ugh, but it's 4 and this garage sale is right off 56th St so surely nothing of interest is left." Then something said "Turquoise Pyrex!!" Me "umm, I doubt it. I rarely find turquoise Pyrex" but I stopped anyways and low and behold sitting on the table in perfect condition for $2:

Snowflakes! It's the only pattern I claim to collect - besides the Butterprint. Yes, both patterns are turquoise-y in color.

 I even cleaned it and found a home for it already!

I also found:

A crazy 1970's architecture textbook

and

Again, I'm a sucker for anything with this color. PLUS it has harvest gold so it should look lovely in my kitchen if I can find a spot for it...

Lane Perception Brochure

I had this scanned a while ago but I got to the last page and noticed a piece of cat fur on the scan. I went back to scan it again and yep, the program froze and all of the pictures were lost so (after a few choice words) I got disgusted and left the room. I'm happy to say I finally rescanned them and they are ready to post! Unfortunately I have now had the dining room set up for too long so the table has become cluttered with mail and such and I don't have a picture of it yet so I will just have to post it later.Though you can see it in its original habitat here.

 

 This is the tag from the dining room set which my grandma carefully tucked in the drawer. 

If only they had decided to get the hutch along with the buffet I would have a huuge area to display my vintage dish addiction. 

 

For a minute I thought maybe they accidentally bought a dresser but the buffet does have silverware drawers so that eliminates that theory. I still want the hutch for the top!

I didn't know so much Perception furniture existed. I guess you could furnish the whole house.

Quirky Confident Poodles

While doing some thrifting in Denver I happened across these guys:

I was laughing so much they had to come home with me! The boy poodle is my favorite with his confident hello and pink fur.

At first I thought they were homemade but upon further inspection we discovered what I can only assume is the remains of a May's Department store tag on the back.

So now I really want to go back in time and see how these were displayed at the fancy department store and I'm also curious about the buyer. Husband: "So honey, what did you find at May's today?" Wife: "Oh, I found these hilarious poodles AND they were on clearance!" Well, that is what MY conversation would have sounded like.
I am now inspired to do some kitschy felt art. I just need the time, oh, and real windows in my room too would help inspire me!

Misspent Toilet Money

If you can consider spending a considerable amount of time digging in the back of closets a vacation then I have returned from vacation!
We did get to do some sight seeing stuff though it was cold and rainy/snowy most of the time.

I did go to Denver with a goal in mind to scrounge the salvage stores to find an antique toilet. I did get to one next to an antique shop which had no toilets older than 1985. My next mistake was to go into the antique shop as I "accidentally" spent the money I had set aside for said antique toilet. 

Oops! But it's cat approved! 

I took a fancy to these chairs a few years ago. Everyone knows I am no stranger to antique stores, thrift stores, garage sales etc. around here and I have been looking for one of these chairs for probably 2+ years. I have never even seen an overpriced knock-off. Did any of these ever get to Nebraska?? 

The day before we had gone into a retro furniture store and they had a Plycraft one for $325 with dirty, ugly 90's, tweedy pink and white upholstery and another knock-off done in new black upholstery with no price tag. So this day I was excited to see this one still with its original upholstery at a price I could consider without being afraid to actually use the chair. It is, of course, a knock-off. I am not sure who made it as there is only a small corner of the label intact. I am sure I will never see a real Eames one, much less at a price I want to spend so this one makes me happy. I know it's currently the trendy thing to own but I like it and it is comfortable.

As for the record stand. I can't take my grandparent's awesome pink bathroom with my grandpa's custom cabinets but I did manage to get a piece from his TV salvage era. This was their console television which could be conveniently hidden behind the roller doors. The television went out so he tossed out the TV (or used the parts), built some drawers, an insert and it became their record and photo album cabinet. I haven't decided if it will house my records or it might get a shelf insert and become our entertainment cabinet. The hot pink is staying either way!

What is a Dolly Gram??

I wasn't expecting to find any new "treasures" this weekend as my mom and I were planning on attending a doll auction where, apart from maybe a troll or 2, the items don't really fit my taste. They did have a box with a few trolls but I had all of them and they went for over $60 soo that is a little out of my allotted troll doll budget. But wait, what on earth are these guys!?

 They are marked Dolly-Gram by Western Union on their rear ends.

I will have to guess they are from the mid-late 1960's and were a gimmick by Western Union to try and regain some interest into the dying art of a Telegram. 

The one on the left is a paper mache bank.

Obviously these guys caught my eye and they were tossed into a box with several other boxes near the end of the auction so I was crossing my fingers all day no one else was itching to buy them. 

Surprise? No other interest whatsoever in them so they came home with me!!

We also managed to squeeze in a fun estate sale which had a basement packed FULL of various holiday decorations. It was mostly cutesy stuff from the past 10 years but I managed to find some festive Halloween and Christmas things. I also found this neat World's Fair book from 1893 for $2 and a 1933 World's Fair plate for $1.

Super cute mini Tupperware which came with the auction lot

Darn it Cara! Is that another piece of Pyrex!? Yes, but it was only .50 and look how lovely it looks on my orange counter! 

I thought it was $1 but it turns out everything was 1/2 price the second day of the sale. The metal stand is too big but I think it will fit my snowflake casserole. 

And I couldn't go the weekend without adding to my troll family. This guy, er, gal is ceramic with very poorly painted eyes for some nice character?