Time on my Hands

Time at the flea market tells a story.
Bits and pieces of this and that,
gathered-
treasured-
and smiling for this photo.

happy holidays!

for the first time, i added christmas ornaments to my hunting list of thrift shop goodies this year and woo boy, did i find some beauties.









merry christmas everybody!!

The winter is long...

During the winter there are not any yard sales in my city. The cold, windy, snowy conditions just aren't yard sale friendly. Yard sales are usually the best places to find good quality items and great deals. It seems that people don't donate what they think they can sell, so our thrift shops tend to be lacking in interesting items. There certainly hasn't been anything fun at the shops the past few months.

I wanted to post something though, because I am alive and reading all the fun posts that the rest of you are making. In the spring I will have fun adventures to post about, until then I will have to live vicariously through your finds. Happy thrifting, and happy holidays, to all!

Vintage Scrapbook

Have you ever found something at the flea market,
knowing that what you have found is very good?
Holding your breath in excitement you dare ask the price...
Knowing it should cost more than what you would want to pay.
Hoping with your fingers crossed,
you ask the dealer anyway and find out,
it is under price!

A red leather scrapbook,
Each page prettier than the next,
Giddy with excitment!

Photo: A page in a French Scrapbook marked 1902!

the luck of the thrift

turned wood bowl, found for 60 cents.

i've been thinking lately how miraculous it is to find beautiful things at the thrift shops, the hands and processes that items must go through to get there. a friend of mine recently revealed treasure after treasure that she acquired from an elderly family friend's house who was going into a senior's home. the lovely old lady had told my friend's family that they could take whatever they liked from the (very packed full of junk/treasures, she was an obsessive hoarded for many years) house and was paying someone to come in and clean up the remainder. we both agreed that the man who was cleaning out the house would take anything of value to auction and then dump whatever leftovers at the Salvation Army. it made me realize the line of people that these things go through, the line of people who don't recognize their beauty and worth, before they appear before MY eyes. in this case, my friend's family had first pick and they all came away with amazing things - furniture, old washbasins, a 60s chrome toaster still in the box, many old tins, etc - then the clean-up man would have had his pick of the still many vintage goodies, then the bits that made it to the thrift shop would no doubtedly be given the once over by the staff there. it's amazing that anything good makes it through to the shelves, really, and makes every find that much sweeter.

Advent Calendar

Antique prayer cards surround a mirror, giving reflection to the days ahead.