Rockin'.

Our lovely neighbor across the street is moving. She assured me it had nothing to do with us. (We seem to be losing neighbors like leaves off an autumn tree! I'm starting to get a complex...)

The one and only good thing about her moving was the sale of her house's contents. In addition to scoring a shelving unit for our basement and a much-needed dehumidifier, I bought this purple velvet rocking chair for $100:



I didn't buy it right away, but after seeing this Victorian glider at a local auction earlier this month...

...and falling for it but not for the $275 it sold for, I had vintage purple velvet rockers on the brain. So when the neighbor's rocker didn't sell the first weekend of her sale, I went back in the second.

The woodwork is in great shape, and has lovely detail:

And while at first I wasn't 100 percent sure where I'd put it (oops), after some shifting around it found a perfect home in our almost-completed master bedroom next to the dresser that is still one of my favorite thrifts:

This makes the MBR almost ready for prime time. The one "situation" that still needs to be addressed is the closet doors:

When we moved in the room was what I would describe as Very Dusty Rose, and the metallic lilac-washed (!) closet doors with lavender (!!) curtain panels seemed right at home in the pink palace. Mike's first reaction was to rip the doors off the hinges. But they are old and charming (I could insert "just like him" here but I will resist the temptation. Oops! It slipped out...). Just look at the doorknobs:

The people we bought the house from salvaged the doors and the knobs (separately) and built the closet around them.

I started my long-awaited door improvement project this past weekend by sewing new panels out of inexpensive white faux linen, which definitely softens them a bit:

Now, do I paint the doors white? That was my original intention, but with all the dark woodwork I fear they will stand out like a bad set of over-bleached choppers on a Hollywood starlet.

Any ideas? Stripping the doors is really not an option, I don't think. With all of the layers of paint on them it could take me into 2013 easily. As it is, scraping paint off the glass took me about six (wo)man hours.

Bay Head Bargains

This weekend I went on the Kitchens by the Sea house tour in the upscale seaside community of Bay Head, NJ. We got to sample the food of ten local restaurants and caterers in some of the nicest kitchens my sandy toes have ever stepped in. I wasn't really supposed to take pictures of the homes but I did so here's a little bit of an idea of how nice this town is -- this is one family's backyard:

That would be the Atlantic Ocean.

Are you as jealous as I am?

Each house had tables decorated by local designers and florists, and this one was done by my friends James and Spence:

They showed these ladies who lunch that a festive table can be had on every(wo)man's budget. A combination of yard sales, Target, Home Goods, the hardware store (for a painter's dropcloth to drape over the table, and plumbing parts used as napkin rings) and a floral arrangement supplemented with flowers picked from the home owner's backyard kept the entire tablescape at under $200.

Speaking of budget...Anyone who's familiar with the area knows that "Bay Head" and "bargains" really never appear in the same sentence together. But I stumbled onto a church bazaar while we were in the town, and the rest is thrifting history.

And guess what? Even though I was late to the party, I arrived ten minutes before the "stuff-everything-in-a-bag" for $3 started. And you know how much I love that. (Click here, and here, and here for some of my earlier stuff-it-in-a-bag conquests.)

Game on.

Unfortunately, the salt air must work wonders because the Jersey Shore elderly are limber and quickly beat me to a lot of quality crap stuff while I was deciding if I wanted to play the game.

I didn't fill my bag (!) but I did get some interesting things:

The scarf is one of two, but the other found a home immediately on my friend Karen's neck. One of the church ladies knitted them for the sale, and I'm just sad I didn't scoop them all up! (See aforementioned limber elderly.) They would have been great little holiday gifts.

The black striped fabric is three perfect yards of thick cotton, and the blue and white ticking (hard to see) is two, half-yard pieces.

This sweet little easel will be a great perch for vintage postcards, or a slate announcing the evening's meal (which may just be "Pizza from Asbury Pie" but at least it will look classy):

And this set of six silverplated footed bowls really rock my socks...

...especially since I scored a new Cuisinart Ice Cream maker for $10 at Trinity Church in Asbury Park the week prior. I think I smell an autumn ice cream social!

The large vase was grabbed as I headed for the door:

I figured Spence could help me do something fabulous with it! (No pressure, Spence...)

Time flies.

How can the summer be over? It seems like just yesterday I was planting sunflower seeds in the not-quite-yet frost-free ground.

This summer wasn't the best, if I'm honest. But I'm looking forward to a festive fall, and spending a little more time on this little neglected blog.

So far the fall is off to a brilliant start. Stretches of empty beaches and beautiful weather...


...and seashells untouched by the little hands that are now safely tucked back into their school desks.



All of the early summer rains (I thought it would never end!) are making for streetscapes dotted with flowers that are still blooming.


And there is still plenty to do at the shore...particularly over these next few weeks. On Saturday I popped over to the wonderful Allaire Historical Village for their fall flea market. I stopped, looked and listened, just like the sign told me to.


I picked up a small bag of vintage sugar sacks and quilt squares from my local linen connection (jeez...when I write it like that, it sounds like I need an intervention! "I copped a fix from my local connection..."), and a small, turquoise chipped-up (rustic!) McCoy vase. Both of which I didn't photograph (some blog poster I am). But I did manage to take a photo of the all-rubber duckies table:


Speaking of photos, there's a fabulous exhibit on the Asbury Park Boardwalk through September 27 if you're in the area. "Be True" offers 30-somewhat photos of Bruce (no last names necessary in this part of town) taken by renowned lensman Danny Clinch. This candid photo collection is an amazing glimpse into Bruce's world this past decade -- from rehearsal sessions at the Asbury Park Convention Hall, to behind-the-scenes at the Seeger Sessions recordings at Bruce's modest looking (though I'm sure it's not!) Colts Neck, NJ, horse ranch. If you are a fan of photography or Bruce, you may want to stop by. If you are a fan of both, get in the car right now.


And speaking of Bruce, happy 60th birthday boss! Wow...talk about time flying.

"Flea-ing" from a big storm.

The Ocean Grove Flea Market was a bit of a wash out on Saturday. There was a weather issue on Friday...and by "weather issue" I mean I was waiting for for Margaret Hamilton to fly by on a bicycle. In our time at the shore house it was by far the worst storm we've seen. Trees down, tents' roofs flapping in the wind, water reaching the boardwalk, Maggie cowering under the table -- the whole shebang. But I do have to say, the most magnificent skies appeared before and after the storm.

But back to the flea-ing...Due to the weather a lot of the vendors didn't make the trip, and those who did set-up on the late side since the morning was all soggy.

We were expecting guests so I only did a quick late morning run through, also reminding myself that I should be saving my money for a big road trip I have in the works with Jean Martha. I only spent $10, and that's including the money I spent on an ice tea in a container the size of my head.

Believe it or not I've had a tough time finding a yard stick for my little sewing projects, so when I saw a stack of vintage ones for $3 each I grabbed the one with the sassiest typography. It's hard to get a good shot of a yard stick, so here's a little peek:

I also picked up two transferware egg cups ($5 for the pair). Not because I plan on making myself a fancy brunch any time soon, but because I wanted something to collect the bits and bobs gathering in my bathroom vanity. They're perfect!

(Design Sponge also just did a little feature on egg cups, using them as succulent planters. Click over to have a look-see.)

There are a couple of flea markets nearby this Saturday: The Atlantic Highlands Historical Society one, wisely postponed from last week due to aforementioned floods and pestilence, and one in Allaire Village. I'm heading to Allaire where my vintage sugar sack connection is setting up shop (she bailed on Ocean Grove). I've never been to a flea there so I'm looking forward.

Any good fleas in your neck of the woods?

The savvy shopper goes to the dogs (and cats).

That's right -- it's back-to-back savvy shopping trips for me. Three people in two weeks' time recommended the Monmouth County SPCA's Maureen O'Brien Cats and Dogs Thrift Store, so it was high time to check it out for myself.

First let me say that the Monmouth County SPCA is one impressive place. I've never seen a nicer animal shelter.


It is surrounded by what Realtors would describe as a "wonderful park-like setting."


While I was looking around, a gorgeous pit bull-mix named Teddy was out for a frolic with one of the volunteers. I made the mistake of making eye contact with Teddy. The last time I made eye contact with a pit-mix at a shelter, I came home with her. So I quickly diverted my gaze and moved on to the thrift store (which is not to say I didn't think of Teddy the rest of the weekend).

Lovely and organized...just how I like my thrifts!


I spotted a bunch of reasonably priced items that I liked, like this set of four owl glasses ($2 for the set of four):


This gorgeous covered dish ($5), made in "Occupied Japan" so it has some age to it. It's maybe a bit too classy for moi but in absolutely spectacular shape. I did a little online research and found her side dish mates on eBay ($36 for six).


A nice little marble covered cheese dish ($3) that was thisclose to coming home with me:


This little set of plates below ($3 for seven) was a bargain. Only one plate had some damage, and that still leaves you with a nice set of six.


And how about this absolutely fantastic chartreuse dream? The pitcher and six glasses were marked $15 -- definitely one of the higher priced items in the store, but really lovely.


I couldn't help but think of Jean Martha when I saw these ties. She may have just strapped the bucket to her back, and would have whipped up some crafty goodness mere hours later.


Of course, I didn't leave the store empty handed. That would be crazy!


The milk glass pieces were $1 each, and the silver vase was $4 but required a little elbow grease. I forgot to take a before picture, but here's a little glimpse at what the "during" looked like:



Filthy. Mess. But look at her now, with her lovely little Deco detailing:


She just needs a quick buff to remove some residual gunk, and she'll be a total peach. Add some white roses and she'll be a knockout.

I couldn't resist the 50 cent ties, either.


Four of the five I bought will be used for a craft project...but not this one:


Talk about a diamond in the rough! I think the silk Burberrys of London will actually be worn by Mr. Shorehouse at one of his fancy-pants business thing-a-ma-bobs.

I have an appointment tomorrow to drop off some stuff leftover from a yard sale I had last month (which was such a whirlwind, I didn't even get to take pictures. I think I enjoy *going* yard saling a lot more than I enjoy hosting.). I'd be shocked if I don't come home with something...maybe even that cheese dish.

The savvy shopper.

I took a little Monmouth County road trip with local lovely Susan that brought us to the ARC Thrift Store in Red Bank, NJ. I think I actually heard the big “50% OFF EVERYTHING” signs in the window calling our names as we pulled up.

It was pretty picked over (the sale was the whole month of August, and goes until September 12) but I guess that just makes the “game” a little more interesting and fun. While I did pass on the mug pictured above (though, if the mug fits...) I did find a couple of little treasures to add to the thrift collection.

At 50% off, the trio came to $1.70 before tax. Not bad, huh?

The hobnail milk glass is Fire King, and the little dish (you know what I’m doing with that) is Hutschenreuther. The challenge is removing the grease pencil that ARC uses to "brand" the pricing on with, especially if that something you've bought is glass.

One set of dishpan hands later, the little covered jar now houses my Hamilton King Ocean Grove Girl postcard. And a couple of shells I plucked from my neighbor’s post-yard sale trash.

While at the ARC Thrift I also spied a light fixture tucked high up on a shelf. We’ve been looking for a light for over the pool table, and while this wasn’t exactly what we were looking for I took a quick photo to see if it could work.

It had opaque glass, which was a big plus. The fixture that came with the house wasn’t our style, and had exposed bulbs that were more like interrogation devices than soft lighting for a friendly game of billiards. But in fairness the previous owners used the dining room to actually dine.

The next day, the man and I went back and picked up our new/old light fixture for $17.50. Score! More shockingly, we’ve already installed it.

While this new/old fixture isn’t necessarily 100% our style either, I do like the sort of fleur de lis motif that’s going on in that center contraption. It’s a perfectly suitable placeholder fixture.

And by “placeholder” I mean it will likely be years until we find something else.

Too soon?

Is it ever too early to talk Halloween?* At least I waited until September. Which is almost October.

I was doing a little exploration on the Gump’s web site at work for corporate gifts, and couldn’t help but check out the (somewhat hidden) Halloween sale section. The fancy Gump’s certainly isn’t one of my typical thrifty shopping outlets (just wait until you see the Halloween decor I picked out of a neighbor’s trash!), but you’d be surprised what you can find in their sales section.

This flocked black chandelier ($39.99, marked down from $98) would look ghoulishly good over my dining table:


And I’m having a hard time picturing my front door without this sparkly witch silhouette ($24.99, down from $65):


I’m thinking she would also be a good little home craft project, but she’s 25 inches tall and that’s a lot ($$$) of glass glitter. And the glitter really makes the girl, after all.

And speaking of glitter, how about these tea light holders:


At $14.99 for the set of three (down from $45), they may fly to the shore house on the back of Miss Witch’s broomstick.

Speaking of witches, I’m a little witchy myself. I’m once again under the weather, and getting a little sick (pun intended) of it. Hrmph. I had a brief respite last week, and now the hacking and wheezing portion of the program has returned. I did go the doctor’s today (a big step for me), had some tests, and judging from my symptoms it could be anything from allergies to tuberculosis. How comforting.


* It’s also because my camera cord is AWOL and my blog pics are trapped in my camera.