Home Vignettes (part 2)


i've invited you into this cabinet before here.
take another peek if you care to.  it's pretty much the same.


i'm sure you've seen valentino before too but i cant find the link to an old post.  anyhow, we got him for valentines day, maybe three years ago now.  hence the name, valentino. he's very old vintage taxidermy but still in great shape.  he often gets to wear seasonal garb, like a wreathe of flowers for spring equinox or a mask for samhain and dios de los muertos.

our french mounted boar's head looks almost small here.
he's huge in real life!
we have many many R.Atkinson Fox prints from Chad's dad.
most of them are in storage now but here are a few.


my favorite vintage crystal and silver chandelier.
a turn of the last century kids rocking chair turned on its side with a paper wasp nest nestled in it.
and my favorite vintage wood box covered with wood grain and lithographed paper that has birds on it.  it was found at the "take it or leave it: on lopez, for free.


large cement mushroom, tissue paper balls, and in-flight pheasant.

an old small chippy painted table turned on its side and missing its center, a couple basket covered bottles, a vintage vaseline glass apothecary jar from julie and a vaseline glass decanter. and old perfect-blue-color bird cage, another paper wasp nest, and the other side of the beloved lithographed wood box.

more of the box, plus my collection of imperfect ironstone pitchers (i wont buy them if they are pure white and they must look well used!), and two of my vintage paper mache owl decoys.  my orange enamel covered soup tureen is hiding behind all the wine...and so is the enormous copper jam pot my dad gave me last summer, up on the right.
more owl decoys, more pitchers, more ceramics, and the hugest zinc scoop i've ever seen (sticking out of ceramic crock)!

red enamel ladle from the paris flea market, and lots of enamel ladles and utensils, including butter melters and funnels.

my perfectly chippy kitchen gnome

3 wood boxes stacked and wall mounted full of more treasure:
french baking molds, an enamel spice jar from paris flea market, an alabaster lemon jar, a vintage thermometer, and a vintage milk glass hob nail vase holding french beaded flowers.
some blueish/green depression glass, and owl in your cup tea cup, some vintage New Orleans apothecary bottle bought there, a page from a victorian photo album, a stack of transferware butter pats that will get wall hung, 2 old letter press stamps of the circus/carnival, a silver and glass hinge top display box on which sits two stacking cups (hard to see print) that say "we are" (top one)"so good together"(bottom one)...bought at little winter in pdx on girls weekend, for chad and i.
my totoro lantern from pdx, some favorite mugs, a few of my mercury glass candle sticks, the ceramic duck planter that jeremy unearthed when digging at a job, a couple mortar and pestles, a "large" silver thimble shot "glass" that's engraved, "just a thimble full."

and this big guy is a vintage taxidermied capercaille, the largest of the grouse family.


my dad gave me this perfectly green rusty patina rolling three tier cart for my birthday a couple years ago.
it's one of my most favorite things.
we use it for our nature table.
this picture was taken when it was overflowing and in need of attention.
it now looks very tidy and ready for more nature goodness.


this is a small alter area where there is a niche in the wall that seems to made especially for it.
you can see there is quite a mix of religious and spiritual icons here: pagan, catholic, day of the dead, native american, etc.
the vintage jesus and mary alter is heavy old plaster and was carried back from new orleans on my very first trip there.  the black juju doll was made for my by my cousin and is covered in the best odd and unusual charms. i brought back the super vintage nun and st. frnacis stautes plus the large quartz crystals from costa rica and the totem poles are from various local places here.

and buddhist, new orleans juju, crystal-squeezer, fortune teller,
earth mama, goddess lovin paraphernalia from all corners and tribes of the world.


wall mounted vintage glass front cabinet contains the following:

vintage glass ware, vintage limoge/haviland set of dishes, vintage transferware, and a cupid vessel my grandma gave me when i was 16.
mexican heavy etched glass, vintage velvet box from mik, vintage blue paper flowers, a gold edged blue velvet victorian photo album, a blue painted zinc piece from nashville and a danish ceramic vase found in bisbee arizona.
more velvet boxes, more scandinavian ceramics, along with some usa ceramic including two pieces of van briggle, a gold studded small purse from nashville, a child's transferware teapot and pitcher, a vintage zinc flower ice cream mold and a collection of various glass ball-talon feet from old furniture.

i think that just about covers another episode of home vignettes for now.  could also be called, "jennette's butt-load of crappity crap hoarded in every nook and cranny possible" tour!
sheesh!
and that's after paring down, mind you.
my goodness....are you still with me?!!

well thanks to kathy's help i have a ton of linens that are clean, ironed and folded, ready to get priced and go out on the floor.
i also have a lot of vintage doll clothes that are just adorable.
plus the box of stuff that sarah sent from montana.
so there is a lot new still being put out for sale every day.
come take alook!

singing and dancing,
xoxoxo
jennette









 






Home Vignettes (part 1)

(milk glass plate painted with my favorite pansies, a pot metal bird head from New Orleans, and a hand form a vintage mannequin)

hey friends!
today i am going to document and show you some of the vignettes around my house.  i spent the "snow week" blissfully stuck at home, rearranging, clearing clutter, re-displaying, dusting, and sorting, and packing up a LOT of stuff to bring into the shop!


this is my collection of russian carved wood bear toys.  most of them have a wooden ball that hangs down and when you gently swing the toy in circles, the weight of the ball, attached to strings, makes the bears arms move up and down. pretty cute!
i have been inspired to collect old and odd toys over the years because my Aunt Karen always had a shelf full of cool old odd toys for use to mess with at her house.  and now she gifts us with cool old folk toys once in a while and we love that.


so i have a thing for figures and statues.  But they have to be interesting, odd, old or a bit, shall we say, deconstructed! 
starting from the left: an almost naked guy corralling a rearing horse in heavy metal and the perfect patina of gold and silver.  in front of him is a gorgeous woman standing by a bird and holding a star wand in her outstretched hand.  the engraved plate on the front says la nuit, which means "the night" in french and i got her in Tucson.  the tall figure back behind her is old silver pot metal and is missing one arm.  in her other hand she holds a string with a bunch of fish.  not sure who she "is" but would like to find out.  next to her in the back is a very rough bronze cast of a woman in a frilled skirt/dress and a man holding a string instrument.  no markings and i wonder if its a student piece because it is so heavy and primitive.  in front of them, is the silver zinc man whose hand is raised and has a hole thru it to hold something, perhaps a torch.  now he holds a peacock feather. behind him is a very dapper gentleman i found in new orleans.  maybe not dapper....more....flamboyant, with the huge feather in his hat, knee high boots, and cape....a pirate perhaps.  next to him, the white lady, she is the top part of a broken garden statue made of plaster. she is very pastoral and keeps her hands folded.  the little gold 1920s woman figure in front of her is an incense burner from france.  and also from france is the chalk/plaster bust of a woman with dark hair atop a pedestal. 
and there are others as you shall see...


a grouping of fuzzy vintage elephant bobble head, a sly Brownie, and a deity/goddess, Durga, i believe.


a tiny glass house and a very petite french globe


and an old metal train station.
all of the above are interspersed on an old wooden book shelf between books and whathaveyou.


here are some groupings of things on two matching tall bookshelves.
this is a shelf full of things from our Mexico trip, bead work, string paintings, painting, etc.


here you can see some of my vast collection of mercury glass.  the gold cherub candlestick i have had for over 20 years and found at a thrift store while in high school!  i collect old vintage picture frames and they just hang around until i can fill them.  the opaque white bristol glass is hand painted.  one is a vase and the other is a water decanter with a stopper that is a tiny cup!  the piece on the right is an antique french wedding display piece and right now it has a taxidermied turtle popping out of its bowl!


one very large wool carder, vintage binocular collection, a rough carved dutch wooden clog, aluminum topper with a butterfly image, and a huge plaster foot with a snake anklet.


some of my ocean/beach/sea collection


vintage bird beadwork, more mercury glass, old mirrors, a silver bird topped spoon holder, and my beloved stereoscope and card collection.  good old-timey fun!


mexican silver frames, vintage scopes and magnifying glasses, old beveled mirror, a velvet covered wood box, my beloved kerry kate doll, a silhouette of j, and my perfectly creepy and adorable velvet pixie from portland. here's a better picture of him cuz he deserves it:



i'm a freak for vintage luggage, boxes, and trunks.
any kind.  all the time.

mostly vintage leather camera bags, one dr. bag, a leather boy scouts first aid kit for your belt, and a chalkware swanky lady from Nashville.



glass front cabinet holds preserves and loot.
to the left you can barely make out the inner remains of an old pony saddle hanging on the wall, a vintage beekeepers veil hanging on the pommel, and a perfectly decayed violin hanging beneath that.
to the right you can see my growing collection of vintage nets with wood handles. they used to rest in our big picture windows but for now i am keeping the windows totally clear and bare.
below are some cabinet interior shots:


i think i have shown you my favorite ladies before.
these are vintage french plaster pin cushion dolls and tops.
perfectly odd, creepy, and decayed.
love!


on the left are two crowns i found diggin in a cruddy old shop in the french quarter in new orleans.  one still has the purple silk material and one doesn't.  the harvesting girl is a print on a little old wooden box, and the paper mache bird j made at art class. love!


here is a collection of small baskets i have made over the years.
the shelf edging paper is vintage and i love it.



that's an old scale with a dried shelf fungus in the back.  and a resin mushroom specimen and remains of a paper wasp nest too.


all my jams, marmalade, jellies, chutneys. and the other vintage shelf edging crepe paper that i adore.


and lastly on the two matching book shelves, a velvet framed mirror, a ceramic snake pot holding a cast metal snake head, two painted horns, a shoes brush advertising caskets, a piece of carved wood from nashville, a silver heron, a turkey leg holding a crystal ball, a wax head with one glass eye, a big metal 3D bee, an old clock, a covered scarab print jar that was the first thing chad and i bought together 18 years ago, and a floral engraving plate. whew! and the wooden guy below is this guy:


he holds a bowl and it holds crystals.
i am a sucker for any kind of wood carved figure.
bet you couldn't guess that, huh.


and an vintage owl on an old gourd bird house.

wow.  that's a lot of stuff.  and there is a lot more to document and show you here.  so stayed tuned for part deux.  there's another glass front cabinet full, the other glass front cabinet full, the alter shelves, the nature table, and other random bits of goodness you may, or may not, give a hoot about.  come back if you want to see.  it all has the potential to end up in the shop!

other news: i am going on a little buying trip to southwest washington and portland this coming weekend so there will be even more new stuff in the shop next week.  i will be posting about the new finds and other road trip adventures in the coming weeks.  also, watch for a possible shift in store hours.  you'll be the first to know.

pricing, rearranging, displaying and merchandising,
xoxoxox
jennette























Vintage Silk Kimono Jacket

this is a beautiful and delicate vintage silk kimono i picked up at a vintage clothing store in Tucson last spring.

it is old silk with silk embroidery

the workmanship is gorgeous and amazing

there is so much fine detail and i see something new every time i admire it.

if it weren't so delicate i would definitely wear it

i have it draped over an old mirror frame to hold it up and out

i love the waves and water depiction

the sleeve trim is just incredible

right now the kimono is living leaned up against these mirrors on a ledge by my front door

i need to find a different place for it to live because my front door is all glass and the light that shines through this south facing door is not good for the silk.

on a quest for another space large enough (fat chance),
xoxoxxxo
jennette


December Finds

Some new Kilim pillows.

Another lovely carved shell dish that goes well with this one I scored awhile back:

This one, which I've had a few months now, is very old, has gold trim and is just lovely to me.  You cant see it here but the inner shell pink color contrasting with the muted gold trim patina is just so awesome!

More Dec. finds:  5 vintage arrows with various fletching and colors.  Love!

This gorgeous, full size, wool paisley shawl was scored for $16 at Apple Annies!  Yes, you read that right, $16!  Total score!
It is not in perfect condition but pretty darn close and if you know anything about these, you know what they are worth and how excited I must be!  My lovely Auntie Karen collects these but hers are all in PERFECT condition so I may end up making her something out of this one if I can bring myself to take scissors to it!  we shall see...

Sorry to be so late with some December 2010 finds but better late than never, i suppose.

xoxox
jennette, at smashing rubbish headquarters



Antique Show Loot

So I totally scored on this vintage, in perfect shape, Granted -ish sweater at the Swap Meet part of the sale on Saturday.  I had just read about Granted on the lovely Bliss and had told myself,

 "You like those!  You should keep your eyes peeled for one you like and that fits since they cost over $360.00, brand new!!  Yes, they look like your old blue one that has a big horn sheep on the back and says 'Alaska' but it never fit just right, a little too small, I guess.  So watch out for one that fits and that you like the design of, girl.  You know you can manifest this if you follow your heart and not your head!" 

Yep.  That's what I was saying to myself when I saw the Bliss post.  It is not, however,  what I was saying when I was done at the antique show and arguing with myself, in my own head, about whether I should go over to the flea market part or just leave since I wasn't feeling 100%.  Chad had encouraged me to take the time to myself so I finally argued myself into going over to the flea market and now I am so glad I did!  I followed my heart, the always wanting to see one more thing and find one more treasure heart.  And I did not follow my head, the you always gotta push it, squeeze in one more thing, never satisfied, head of mine.  Oh, that darn head of mine. 
The guy who had this was asking $35, I offered $25, we settled on $30.  I got it for $30!!!  Total score in my book!  It looks so similar to this one but I think mine is cooler with the trees and all!  Yay me!  But now Chad wants one so unless my manifestation mojo keeps a spark, I'll be forkin' over big bucks for his when he can finally decide which one he wants.  It is hard to choose so that's one more reason to accept what comes along your path and make it your own (although I would have picked the horses or the whale!).

So, I'll just start with all the stuff I scored at the flea market first.  I collect antler handled cutlery so when I saw this knife for $7 I scooped it up in a hurry.


This old Fisher Price Circus caravan will be remade into some fabulous upcycled project when I can get around to it. 
Cost: $10

Vintage photo and frame.  Bought for the frame.  Vintage frames are getting harder to come by.
Cost: $5




Gotta grab up the old tin types when you can find them.  And the weirder, stranger, and more unusual the better.  I use these in different collage and multi-media projects.  These are from the actual Antique Show, not the flea market.
Cost: $2 each
This little guy, reminding me of Jasper,

riding his polar bear with a basket on his back,

full of vintage wool felt flowers!
Will fit perfectly in here.

Another old rag doll boy.  Again, for in here!

Lately I have a hankerin' for all things "tiger eye."  These have already been turned into 'regular' earrings, for my pierced ears with sterling silver hardware(which is all my ear lobes can handle).

Velvet patchwork doll blanket.  Er...yeah....I still have the everything doll related fetish going.  When will it end?!

2 paint-by-number cat/kitten paintings for resale.  Any takers?!

A roll of vintage green ticking from the east coast.

This old flour bag from a Coville estate will be deconstructed, reconstructed and upcycled into an awesome cotton and leather bag!  TOTALLY gearing up for my Etsy shop to be stalked after vacation.  Just you watch!  And hold me to it, please!!!

Old black painted wooden hand held mirror.  It's a mirror thang.

Up next I will attempt to show you the AMAZING vintage clothes I got at the show from my friend Jane.  She has a lot of family on the east coast and she brings back van loads of stuff a few times a year after she attends auctions back there.  She had some sweet vintage clothing for me, at incredible prices, and I couldn't pass them up!

This sweet little red shift just needed a good wash and a little mending.
Pocket and trim detail.

Collar, trim, button and fabric detail.  Love.


A gorgeous cotton and lace Edwardian-type jackety-type thing that I will wear over t-shirts.  Love.

Cotton and linen wrap around dress.  Love.

And last but not least I must end with sharing photos of the superduper old quilt I got.  The colors!  Oh, the colors.  These photos do not do the colors justice.  The khaki color is truly green and the blue and red are so vibrant.  Stop by and see it sometime!  I have hung it over/above our bed since we have no headboard.  It's from The Carolina's and is old homespun wool that is falling apart in several places which is so endearing to me!  The backing is a pinstripe that I just love, almost enough to hang it the other way!  Check it:






So.  Does anyone know what this pattern is called?  I still need to research that.  And.  Can you even begin to imagine doing all that stitching by hand??!!!  OMG!  Makes my mind spin!
I gotta get a photo of it over my bed to show you.  I will wait for a nice day to get good light for the photo.  It's funny since I don't usually like things that are so geometric-like but it was really the colors in this quilt that stole my heart.  I walked around the antique show several times, going back to visit it, to see if it was still there, to discover if it was meant to be mine.  And it was.  It's mine.  And I love it!

Off to gulp down the banana, blueberry, peanut butter shake Chad just made me.  Yum!

xoxoxo
Jennette