Dreamy White Milk Glass - Auction Find!

A couple few weeks ago I was yakking about attending auctions and how I was looking forward to an upcoming auction because there was this dreamy milk glass cake stand I was lusting over.  Then it snowed here.  Big time snow.  Well, not big time snow for folks from Wisconsin, but big time snow for folks in Kentucky (meaning our country road was a disaster). 

So, no auction and I assumed I had lost out on that particular cake stand.  But, behold!  They had not held the auction and held all of the items over for the following weekend.  Yeah!  Another chance! 

And win it I did!   I was super excited to get this pretty sample of milk glass for a whopping five dollars.   

I just love milk glass and am looking forward to adding some more pieces to my fledgling little collection.  The stemmed bowl sitting on top of the cake stand came from a thrift store, I think it was only three or four dollars.  And somewhere around here (still hiding in an unpacked box) I have a vase and a candy dish... It'll be like a mini Christmas when they turn up and I unwrap them! 

Hunting and finding these treasures is kind of addicting.  The thrill of the hunt, how inexpensively can I source the item(s), daydreaming over display  ideas.  This is as much fun as actually finding what you are looking for.  It takes patience, and knowing that if you don't win your item at auction, or don't find what you are looking for on this trip to the thrift store; there's always tomorrow or next week.  There will be another auction, there are more flea markets, plenty of antique stores, and soon there will be rummage and garage sales.  Have patience, there are good things out there. 

Ohhhh, come on spring and summer, I feel the need to prowl through a flea market or two or three. 


 

Open Kitchen Shelving - a (small) success story

One would think that putting up 4 shelves is a somewhat small task, especially in comparison to the much more daunting tasks of replacing joists, leveling floors and replacing subfloors.  One would think that, hmmmm? Well "one" does not know my husband.  He is the king of procrastination when he does not want to do something.  Don't have the right materials, don't have the correct tools, and so on.  But that I entirely different subject, right?  And this time, I won! 

After weeks of debates, false starts, and do-overs, I have open shelves along one wall in the kitchen.  (Please bear in mind, the last coat of paint still needs to go on the walls, the new kitchen window is still sitting n the garage awaiting installation.  But I have shelves!!!!  Yippee, skippy! 

And here they are. 

I need to "style" them a little better.  Still have to dig about in boxes to locate more of my white dishes and I definitely need to introduce a natural element or two.  A little pot or two of fresh herbs might work. 

One thing (or four) off my list.  And as can plainly be seen, there are only a few more things to be completed.  Now, let's see.  Get rid of these awful cabinets, purchase, paint and install the new ones. The over-the-counter microwave, the dishwasher.  Install the new kitchen window, hang the pedestal light fixture.  Oh, yeah and new flooring.  Gee, almost done.  Yeah, maybe in September or October....  sigh.   

But I have open shelving in my kitchen.  And guess what, husband said that they turned out way better than he expected them to.  (duh)  I win!   Neener, neener. 

More Auction Goodies!

It occurred to me that I never did post about the finds we brought home from the last auction.  We thought we missed last week's auction all together because of the snow.  I really didn't want to go out in the snow -- seemed silly to chance it for a cake stand that I'd been eyeing.  But the husband wanted to go so out we trudged and promptly got stuck in our own drive-way (to which I was secretly breathing a sigh of relief). 


Anyway the items below are actually from week before last.  And we had quite the little haul!  Spent a bit more than our mere $16 the first time out.  But the McCoy cookie jar was $30 all by herself and I just love her! 

The little Big Boy is actually a coin bank and while we are quite sure it has no real collectible value...it's value to us is good enough.  That's the charm of memorabilia.  It can have a collectible value in dollars and cents, but there is no limit on the personal value! 


Also scored a couple more of my pretty blue tinted canning jars, a pink depression glass candy dish (for a whopping $3), a small silver creamer with two tiny spoons and a carved wood pull toy (that cute little goose-y guy). 


Isn't Big Boy going to look awesome displayed with the old soda bottles we found when we dug up the backyard? 

And I know, the cookie jar is collectible because it's black memorabilia and because it's labeled McCoy...but regardless of that, I just love her, just cuz. 

And that's the best thing about collecting, and auctions, and flea markets....  yeah, yeah, there can be a real $ value attributed to items, but most of the time for me it's more about the value to me, personally. 


Whether it's furniture, or pottery, or glassware... it has to speak to me.  It has to spark something in me, make me smile.  There is the real value.  Oh and guess what?  We didn't miss last week's auction at all!  It was cancelled and the same items were held over for this Saturday's auction!  Ya-hoo!  Keep your fingers crossed, I really want that cake stand!! 

Creative Entertainment

OK, so I can't really unpack my paper and art supplies into the drywall dustbowl that is now my house (let alone the fact that there is nowhere currently to store these things).  Now what does a normally creative person do for entertainment? 


Besides daydreaming about what various rooms could look like upon completion (whenever that may occur), or conjuring up storage solutions for a near closet-less house, we have taken to attending the almost weekly auctions at a nearby auction house. 


Our first week attending one of these auctions scored a small primitive bench and an antique tin full of goodies.

 (Please pardon the poor quality photo.  Amongst other things, my camera bit the dust before we moved and I am using husband's old HP, which is about to bite the big one...or get thrown into the creek, whichever comes first.) 


We spent a whopping $16, not counting the chili dog, two beverages and small container of Pringles, that was a whole $5 more.    No charge for the people watching. 


 It's cheap thrills (comparatively speaking).  Depending upon what you might purchase, it's way cheaper than going to the movies! 


The little bench is now holding a large stack of bath towels next to the tub (which, yes, also needs to be replaced--a whole other story that!).  And the tin, plus bath goodies?  Well for now they are in stand-by mode.  But I believe the bath goodies will make their re-appearance in the bathroom in an old cabinet I have set aside to hang up in there.  And the tin will probably show up again in the kitchen. 


Already looking forward to next week's auction!