Garage Sales Using iPhone Navigation

I finally took the time to learn how to make my iPhone give me verbal map directions. LOVE IT! I'm pretty sure it can do a lot more amazing things with these maps but I'm happy for now.

My favorite find were these old souvenir pennants from Paris, France. They are two-sided with a colorful image of the Eiffel Tower on the opposite side.

My other favorite find was this vintage TV-shaped, snow globe, salt & pepper shaker featuring a gnome. It caught my eye because it was a Christmas themed snow globe but then I noticed that it was a salt and pepper shaker. And after I got it home, I noticed that it was shaped like a television set.

Tiny Tiered Tart Pan Tidbit Tray

The name of this post is a bit of a tongue twister.

I like tiered tidbit trays. They make me feel like a party is about to happen even when used as an everyday organizer. I decided to create a variation of a tidbit tray when I found some tiny tart pans at an estate sale recently. The largest tart pan is only 3 3/4" across.

Office Decorating Update - Button Magnets

I have been slowly adding more repurposed vintage items to my office at work. First I created my non-corporate nameplate using Scrabble tiles and an old ruler. Then I repurposed a painter's dropcloth as a backdrop to my cubicle walls and added rosette clips here. And then I repurposed a vintage doll suitcase as my inbox.

Recently I started using a vintage metal child's chalkboard desk as a bulletin board in my office. Here is what it looked like originally. I am using just the desktop part as the magntic board but it needed some special magnets.

I searched through my button stash and used almost all of the aqua buttons for this project. I glued them into stacks of either two or three button high and then onto magnets. I can also use them for the office Bingo game.

This project was so simple and it just brightens up my office wall.

This is linked to:
Bowdabra Blog, Cherished Treasures, Craft Envy, DIY Showoff, Hey Whats for Dinner Mom?, Homemaker on a Dime, I {heart} Naptime, Marvelously Messy, Mod Vintage Life, Sew Can Do, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Girl Creative and The Southern Institute

Almost Too Hot to Thrift

We are experiencing a heat wave here in Southern California. It is almost, but not quite, too hot to go  thrifting. I hit a few sales early this morning and then it just got too hot to keep going.

Even with this heat I was able to find a true treasure. My favorite find is this silver plated trophy. It was awarded to the Seal Beach Grammar School at the Huntington Beach Armistice Day Parade. I believe this dates to about the late 1920s. It has such a lovely patina. I have been hoping to find an old trophy for quite some time.

I also found an interesting anatomy book from 1919...

Thrifting on a Budget

NOTE: I have begun truncating my blog posts because of content theft. I hope my readers will understand that it is just a matter of clicking the {READ MORE} button at the bottom of each post to see the complete blog post.

So once again Dear Handyman couldn't join me in my thrifting adventures so I {sort of} promised him that I would not spend more than $20. I wasn't sure if I could keep that promise but I am quite proud to say that I spent much less and still found some wonderful treasures.

My favorite find of the day was a jar of buttons. The jar wasn't very big but it did contain a large percentage of Bakelite, glass and unique shaped buttons.

Designers Craft Connection Blog Hop - September

Welcome to the Designers Craft Connection Blog Hop for September. "Vintage Showcase" is the theme this month with the idea to create something that celebrates all things vintage. Normally I would select something vintage and create something from it or repurpose it into something else. But I thought I would do something totally different this time.

I created a purse {above} that was inspired by an old radiator water bag I found at a garage sale. Below is the inspiration piece.

What? This old thing? Nah, had it for years...

Okay, everyone act natural...

Dear Handyman couldn't join me today so I had to go out treasure hunting on my own. The last time I did that I came home with an industrial scale. So if we all agree to act natural as if there is nothing new or unusual then maybe he won't notice what I found today.

She is an old French dress form. And it was a choice between her and a large cubby hole display shelf that I really didn't have room for anyway. At least she takes up less space and I've always wanted one and she was a good price and, well, I had a tough week... Well, maybe Dear Handyman won't even notice her or ask any questions. Ahh, but don't you just love her?