Friday, August 27, 2010

More - From a Thrift Store...

A few more recent finds from yard sales and thrift stores: A nice Edwin M. Knowles platter (apparently I am a platter freak, too), a small original painting by Anita, a pretty green planter, some lace notions, and a pretty fabric remnant:
I got a kick out of the fact that both my painting and my remnant - found at different shops on the same day - both featured blue coffee pots:
A gorgeous wood tray with reverse painted glass insert, another pretty fabric remnant, nice Melmac bowl, and a pot lid that I couldn't resist because of it's pretty color and style:
A nice vintage TV tray with anthuriums:

A great tablecloth, a small Dala horse (to go with the bigger one that I already had), nice Mid-Century style pitcher and salad serving set, a vintage Whitman book, and a green salt and pepper set:

There's a story behind that green salt and pepper set. Do you ever decide you want some specific thing and go on a quest to find it at the thrift shops you frequent? I already had two nice wooden pepper mills here at home that I used regularly. A tall dark wooden one, and a shorter one in a "blond" wood shade. I used the dark one for black pepper and the light for white peppercorns. Then I ran out of white peppercorns and could not find them ANYWHERE. I looked at every store I could in at least five counties - even had people looking in other areas. No luck. Months went by. My husband thought I was a bit crazy for insisting that I needed white peppercorns. But what would I put in my light wood pepper mill if I had none? Oh - the great problems of life, right? (Snicker.) I finally gave up and got some green peppercorns instead. Just not the same. Then we went to O'Brien's Market in Modesto - and guess what we found?? So - then I decided I "needed" a green pepper mill to transfer my green ones into, to free up the blond shaker - right? (Yes - I know this is a long story and that you are thinking - yep, she's a crazy woman, all right. I won't argue with you.) I wanted a VINTAGE pepper mill and I wanted a GREEN one. Kept an eye out on all of my "thrifting" jaunts. And before long, I found the EXACT thing I wanted. And it came with a salt shaker - actually didn't need that - but who am I to separate them when they've been side by side for all these years?
So- if you come to eat at my house, you will have your choice of THREE shades of freshly ground pepper.
Problem solved.
Crazy woman done writing.

6 comments:

  1. Loving your thrift finds!! And I will happily use the pepper mills when I am visiting!! Sometimes I find what I am looking for, other things I am still looking!!!

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  2. Sorry, I only eat RED pepper. ;-)
    I constantly feel a pull toward a certain thrift store and when I get there always find a special "collectible" meant just for me. It's a gift. Love T

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  3. Nope, you're not crazy at all! At least not to me. We've all got our little quirks, don't we? I like that pitcher and the tray, and I love when a theme unintentionally develops while out thrifting!
    I sent you an email....I got the package!
    Happy Weekend!
    Carol

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  4. john & i are both pepper lovers - so for many reasons i understand perfectly. my very first 'home' er apt when i was first married had a linoleum floor (not squares but solid 'sheet') it was dk blue with an insert of creamy white inset along the outside. in the middle was a creamy white round circle with a dk blue coffee pot in the center. i loved that flooring and i loved that apt so much. our 40th wedding anniversary is sunday so it will be 40 years ago this weekend we moved in to the apt i loved so much.

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  5. Nice collection of thrifty finds! I'm a pepper lover, and like it freshly ground....sea salt, too.

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  6. Yessss! That story is pretty much the best thing i've heard all day. I love neurotic thrifting desires/finds/needs...now that is a true woman's heart!

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