What $30 Can buy You These Days!

Sorry, I've been absent a few weeks..First my dream of a lifetime trip to Israel(which I wish to share once I sort out my photos),..then my kids came for a visit from Boston..so life has been busy but pleasurable.
Still fitting in some time for my treasure hunting hobby, I drove past one of my fave thrift stores "The Collectibles  Store, across the street from my favorite Goodwill, and sitting in  front was a small Eastlake sofa. The upholstery looked old and worn but the wood frame was in good condition
and it seemed solid enough.I could just envision that sofa for one of my guest rooms.
So ,just out of curiosity,I entered the store and inquired from the elderly entrepreneur what he would ask for that sofa outside. Imagine my amazement when he answered $30.
Now I had a problem, how to get that sucker home..no problem..for one who has tied things on top of cars etc. to transport treasures. So..we loaded it into my Camry trunk (don't ask me how) and secured it with that great modern invention ,a bungi cord.
After tearing  off the old upholstery it was discovered that parts of the frame needed reinforcing so with the help of my husband we were able to bring it back to pretty much it's original stable condition.
After a few hours of staplegunning upholstery and hot gluing braid  I was rewarded with the finished product shown above.
Now my husband feels so invested in the sofa's reformation ,he insists it should remain in the living room,not  out of sight in one of the bedrooms..we'll see....p.s. one of my favorite things about this sofa is that it has it's original brass and ceramic coasters.

Invading Israel

OH Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Having finally realized my dream of a trip to Israel and experienced the land of God's chosen people and walked where Jesus walked, I feel an overwhelming urge to recount  and share my adventures with you.It is awesome, phenomenal, overwhelming, and humbling to retrace the history of God reaching out to man and see the Bible come to life right before your eyes.  

Jerusalem has been destroyed 3 times,so that very little that remains is original. These paving stones that are under my feet are a few of the original. Just think the very stones that Jesus, the desciples and Paul walked on.AWSOME!!!

Some great recycling ideas from the ladies of Jerusalem. It must be the latest craft fad!These were displayed on the walls along the street in old Jerusalem.

                      According to Jerusalem women their purses make good planters too!!

Fabulous! Fireplace Fender! $35

Forever I have wanted and longed for a for a fireplace fender at a price within my budget. On a quick stop at Sally's Boutique I found it and well within my budget $35.It is all brass and has a fabulous French motif...what fun!

Another great surprise for me was that my granddaughter decided she would sit on the grand Victorian sofa I bought 2 years ago just for her and just her size. She also conducted a tea party at the little table I arranged for her to enjoy.What fun to be a grandma!

WOW Another Antique Quilt For $7

I have to admit that thrift store shopping ain't what it used to be. Prices have skyrocketed and if you aren't careful you'll spend more than if you went to an antique shop. So, as you may have gathered, my recent thrift store excursions have been very nonproductive; but I'm here to tell you that perseverance pays off!!
I was about  to wind up my thrifting excursion with that familiar lump in my throat that plagues me when I've found no treasures. As I entered the store I spied across the store what appeared to be a beautiful hand made quilt that also appeared to be vintage. I sprinted across the store and,  if I were younger ,I would have made a leaping dash over the racks of clothing that blocked my path. I claimed possession of that treasure and was even more thrilled when the price quoted by the cashier was $7.

It has this extra bonus of coordinated scalloped edging and though a few of the pieces were worn and the edges were worn in places it still is a treasure,at least in my eyes.

After a good washing my quandary was what to do with it.My stair rails could not really accommodate one more quilt.And then I remembered ,my spare bedroom used by my young grandchildren had it's windows darkened so as not to disrupt their naps  when they were visiting . This offended my Victorian senses somewhat but now I have the  solution to decorate my darkened windows. The quilt was a perfect color and offers a warm decorative effect to the room and is beautifully displayed for all to enjoy.

Am I Blue

In the early 1980's the country was swept with nostalgia for all things related to early American. This was due to the popular programs of "The Walton's" and the Depression Era," The Wild Wild West" and other programs of it's genre' and the Victorian Era and "Little House on the Prairie"and the Country fad.
I have have been enamored with all three periods during my years of collecting. Having spent many of my childhood years on a farm, Country Decorating warmed the cockles of my heart.Farm life was a struggle and  Country Collectibles  reminded me of those years. Though they were a struggle  there are so many wonderful memories of my farm life.
Country Decorating created in me a fondness for blue and white china. Every Country or Victorian program had someone sipping tea from a beautiful delicate Blue Willow Cup...hence my consuming fascination with Blue Willow China.
Well as in all collecting fads your tastes will progress from your original passion to a new passion ,discovered during your quest for the former...in my case it became Flow Blue China.
Flow Blue China it seems,though fascinatingly beautiful as it is, was a mistake. In the early 1800's England became consumed with the blue and white china being imported from China. These imports were for only the very wealthy so the Staffordshire pottery companies began to make relatively good copies. The design would be painted or transferred to the white bodied stoneware and fired. Well one day something happened during the firing and the blue flowed on to the white making an attractive blurry  design. It became very desirable and is to this day highly collectible. If the pottery could speak it would look at the blurry blue on it's white body and exclaim"Am I blue",(for those too young to remember this is the title of a 50's pop song).
I'll share with you some of my most unusual pieces and keep in mind they were purchased for $25 or less...they would be much more if purchased in antique shops.

This my most exciting find. Found for $5 this chamber pot has long been my desire. Until my children were grown I couldn't even look at one of these as they would recoil in horror and scream"Don't touch that and don't you dare to bring one of those into our house!As you can see it makes a marvelous planter especially for my powder room.

Below is an especially beautiful pitcher portion of a bowl and pitcher used in bedrooms on a wash stand,  the most convenient item for washing face and hands in morning until running water was available. This is a particularly blurred version to the point that the original design is unintelligible. It is an early design as it is not marked and of a heavier weight. In 1890 a law was passed if pottery was made in England it had to be marked England.Pieces before 1890 are more valuable.Those produced after 1890 are lighter in weight and often have gold trim.

A decanter beautifully presented but of early 1900's as it has gold trim and is marked England.

A lovely set of flow blue finger bowls.Yes Victorians could never eat with messy fingers.

" Fingerlicken Good" was not allowed.

This a milk pitcher. Every Victorian table was set with a milk pitcher especially at breakfast.

Gold trim missing on this but love the lattice work.

My Ames's

For all the descendants od Judson David Joseph Ames
Thomas Eames
  b1548  Fordington St George,Dorset, England
 d1605  Dorchester, Dorset,England
 m Joan ?
b   1525 Dorset England
d  June 6 1587  

From Chipped Gesso to Glorious Restoration( or how to restore damaged gesso on an old frame)

One of my most recent thrift store purchases was this precious Victorian print and even more precious and elegant frame. I spotted it thrown haphazardly on a shelf being propped up by random, unremarkable, run of the mill thrift store items. It was dusty, drab and half falling out of the frame,with multiple chips out of it's paint and the decorative raised areas made of gesso. This of course didn't deter me from taking possession of my new found treasure. Gingerly carrying it to the clerk ,being careful to maintain it's state of disintegration with glass and print falling out of the frame and asked "How much do you want for this old thing." " $5.00" was the answer.
Dilemma... what to do with all the chipped gesso that left glaring white blemishes which were equally garish in the chipped green paint...once I got it home.
Idea...rebuild the gesso design with spackling compound. This I did ,I even used the kind that was pink when applied and turned white once it dried. Oh the miracles of this modern civilization!
This a delicate job to perform to make it look like the rest of the design,but one can come up with a close approximation with the right tools. I had a fine pointed dental too l(just happened to have it on hand,don't we all have one of those laying around the house?)
Once the gesso(spackling) was dry I finished it off with Antique Gold Rub n Buff, great stuff that you just rub on with your finger tips.

Dilemma # 2 ..how to repair the chips in the green paint. The solution was simple enough, just match the color by mixing some tempera paints.. which worked quite fine.
The finished product is very pleasing and looks great  on a wall near one of my hanging candelabras.

This is actually a very large French Style mirror that I repaired in a similar manner. The design was a little more intricate but the repairs are barely noticeable, the price can't be beat, $9.00 at good ol' Goodwill.