Yard Sale Snoop

Woodland Hunted

2012-01-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

As part of my birthday present, my amazing parents gave me two pieces of Woodland Pyrex. I love them both (my parents and the Pyrex). As you can see, my kitchen Kate Bush gazes dreamily in approval if you look closely. Thanks again, Mom and Dad! My mother noted that Pyrex is getting expensive in St. Catharines, but was pleased to point out that she bought them at Value Village on Senior's Day and got a 30% off discount. Go girl! I'll be rocking the discount one day too.

Speaking of beautiful things, Dad found this back-breakingly heavy plant book for me at the Book Depot in St. Catharines and saved it for part of my gift. It's the biggest plant book I've ever seen. It could quite easily convert into a coffee table itself. Every year, they have a "Fill a box with books for $30.00 sale." He couldn't get this book in the box, so they just said, "Take it." My dad has all the luck. If I had tried that, I would have been taken away into a storage room and strip searched. I just know it.
Look how big it is - our fingers deep! Again, Kate marvels in the background.

I've done a guest post at Jordan Dibb's blog. I try to illustrate how I become a Pyrex heat seaking missile when I enter thrift stores. Check it out.

Erin

That Yolk's Not Runny

2012-01-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

I visited my sister Lise yesterday and watched a DVD of an A&E biography of Julia Child. Although it was a light and breezy bio, it reminded me of the good old days when A&E at least tried to show things that were artistic as well as entertaining.

We almost fell off our chairs when they showed footage of a wedding from the forties or fifties. The announcer said, "Child attended the wedding of gay rights..." Huh? Child attended the wedding of a gay rights activist?

Well, no. It turned out that her friend was called Gay Wright. Ba-da- bing! You had to be there.

We got talking about old TV shows and I reminded her of the time we lived in Australia and watched a game called Blankety Blank, which was a knock-off of Match Game, which our family (at least the kids in our family watched a lot in the seventies. Charles Nelson Reilly AND Paul Williams. Who could ask for anything more? I'll never forget the Shaft wah-wah style theme music. Ah, the good old days.

What I've Been Up To

2012-01-04T12:17:00.001-08:00

I'm on the luxurious two-week teacher vacation. I thought I'd do everything during this time, but the days are running by quickly and I'm quite content in the fact that sometimes doing nothing is everything and more.

Last week was balmy in Toronto, but this week, the temperature has been bitterly cold. Nevertheless, I'm trying to keep some sort of Dunkirk spirit of the north going in my mind and tell myself I'm a hearty Canadian and just embrace the weather.

I've seen some friends. My buddy Malene took me thrifting in her West end neighbourhood. Sadly I found nothing. It looks like there is NO Pyrex or nothing vintage at any Value Village stores in the entire city. On a bright note, she gave me this really cool pair of red cowboy boots that hurt her achy feet. How often does a size 9 boot wearer get such a cool hand-me down? I'm sure I'll end up like that character in Wonder Boys who never takes off her red cowboy boots. Thank you!

My man Francisco

The Star featured my man Francisco Alejandri in a weekend food feature. It was a splash piece for such a humble man, but he well deserves the attention. He's not actually my man, but I'd love to have a neighbour like Francisco. I could give him tomatoes from our garden and he could whip me up something tasty to eat. I love his whole approach to Mexican cooking. He calls it, "Mexican soul food" and takes great efforts to preserve recipes from his childhood. He's got this tiny cantina in Kensington Market, which I'm dying to go to. I saw him do a food demo at Harbourfront in the summer and blogged about it at the time. There are some really good recipes you should try. I made the Pinto Bean & Tortilla Soup for dinner last night. I was really proud of myself because A. I marched myself down in -12 temperatures to a Latin grocer in Kensington Market yesterday to get the ingredients and B. the soup was delicious - perfect comfort food for a cold winter's night.

You need:
4 plum tomatoes
1 dried ancho chili pepper (alright, I cheated hear and used dry chili peppers that have been in our cupboard forever)
2 14-oz cans of pinto beans, rinsed, drained
3 cups of water & more as needed
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped white onion
2 tbsp lard (I didn't have any lard on hand, so I used butter)
2-3 tsp kosher salt to taste

Toppings:
1 dried ancho chili pepper
1 tbsp lard
Canola oil for frying
3 corn tortillas cut into thin 1-inch strips
1 cup diced queso fresco (Mexican fresh cheese - so much better than those rubbery Italian cheeses now that I've discovered it).

Place tomatoes in baking dish. Broil in preheated oven to high 8 minutes. Turn with tongs. Broil 8 minutes or until softening and brown.

Meanwhile, soak ancho in small bowl of boiling water 15 minutes to soften. Drain. Transfer chili to food processor with beans and 1 cup of water. Purée. Add tomatoes, garlic and onion (I would cook the onions ahead of time next time because I'm not big on raw onions). Purée.

In a large saucepan, melt 1 tbsp of lard over medium-high heat. Add tomato mixture. Cook stirring often and reducing heat if mixture splatters, until somewhat dry and thickened. Add beans and remaining 1 tbsp of lard. Cook, stirring often for 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups of water. Simmer, stirring 5 minutes. Add more water if needed.

For toppings, I skipped the ancho strips as I didn't have them. If you have them, remove seeds from the ancho chili and cut the skin into strips the size of matchsticks. Heat lard in medium skillet over medium heat. Fry anchos, stirring until fragrant and crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. In the same skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium high heat. Add tortillas. Cook until crisp. Drain on paper towel.

To serve, divide soup among 4 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with cheese. Top each soup with pile of chilies and tortillas. Drizzle with crema or sour cream or creme fraiche. Mmmm. I'm going to make the Lime Charlotte today with Duncan. I'll try to share the experience later. Click here for the Star article. You can even watch a video of my man in action.

I've also been listening to new music on my iPod: Feist's Metals, Colin Stetson, and Timber Timbre.

I've also started to write a story. I'd say it's going to be a book, but it becomes dangerous if you say you're going to write a book. Everyone keeps asking you how the book is coming along, or tell you how hard it is to get published, so why even bother? I haven't experienced this yet, but my confidence is so brittle that I'm just anticipating. I'm just enjoying writing. I have a good idea for part of the plot, but I'm not sure where it's going just yet. The "write what you know" method does make sense.

We've also been having killer games of Clue and Monopoly.

That's it for now. Next week I'm back at work, with hopes to do some thrifting in Scarborough. People - clear out your kitchen clutter. I'm shopping if you're purging.

Erin

Oh, my niece is very crafty and amazing. She collected everyone's clementine peels at Christmas and made candied peel that was so delicious. Here's one recipe you could play around with:

Cut peel on each orange into 4 vertical segments. Remove each segment (including white pith) in 1 piece. Cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Cook in large pot of boiling water 15 minutes; drain, rinse, and drain again.
Bring 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel. Return to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is very soft, about 45 minutes. Drain.
Toss peel and 1 cup sugar on rimmed baking sheet, separating strips. Lift peel from sugar; transfer to sheet of foil. Let stand until coating is dry, 1 to 2 days. DO AHEAD: Wrap and freeze up to 2 months.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Simple-Candied-Orange-Peel-350798#ixzz1iWOsEyuN

Pyrex Christmas

2011-12-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

Hello and a belated Merry Christmas to everyone.

Again, I must apologize for the lack of posts. It was a combination of being overworked and underwhelmed at the thrift stores in December. I'm going for a poke about this afternoon. I don't want to jinx things, so that's all I'll say on the matter.

Look what my parents included with my Christmas gifts - a Pyrex double sided serving dish! I haven't even had time to look up the pattern, but let your mind go wild.

Last night, we went to the Mackenzie House in downtown T.O. for Hogmanay, or Scottish new year. It was a lot of fun. There was a band who were dressed in period clothes from the mid-17th century and played traditional music from the British Isles. We ate haggis, oatcakes and shortbread. Mmm, it was terrific. I've become obsessed with historical buildings lately. The Mackenzie house was once the home of newspaper publisher and rebellious mayor of Toronto, William Lyon Mackenzie. He was also the grandfather of Mackenzie King, the somewhat bonkers PM of Canada from the 1920s to the 1940s.

Looking Today

2011-12-03T08:32:00.001-08:00

I'm going on a hunt for vintage today. I'd love to buy a vintage Christmas gift for someone.

Here's the Audreys and the band they nicked the song from.

Here's an acoustic version post-Michael that makes me want to go to Australia. I was never a big INXS fan, but it's still a good song...

Now I'm Back!

2011-11-20T09:08:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the extended absence. I've been missing my thrifty vintage blogging life, but work has been far more overwhelming for some reason this year than in the past. I'm also tutoring three days a week after school, which is leaving me with less leisure time. Nevertheless, I plan to continue scouring Southern Ontario for treasures to share.

While visiting my folks in St. Catharines yesterday, I nipped into Goodwill, where I found this "old timey" salt/pepper/mustard set. It was in such good condition that I was left wondering if it was a reproduction. I'm still happy with it even if it is. The set cost $6.00.
I also bought a bag 'o random Christmas ornaments for $3.00.
These are what caught my eye. Plastic Made in Hong Kong choir boys singing outside a church. I loved that they were still in the packaging and had the Kmart price stickers on them.
There were two loose ones in the bag too. I love the cack-handed paint job on the mouths.
I also got these shiny tassel things.

I promise to be back much sooner next time.

Love Erin

Breaking Bad

2011-10-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

Do you watch Breaking Bad? I think it's one of the best TV shows on the air. The acting is just superb, even if the plot is crazy beyond belief.

I haven't seen the second half of Season 3, or any of Season 4, so please don't drop any spoilers.

Here's a funny clip from YouTube. If you haven't seen the show, I guarantee it's not a comedy.

Erin

What's Not to Love?

2011-10-17T17:41:00.001-07:00

My wonderful parents also recently bought me this vintage jade-ish green Pyrex bowl in Brighton, Ontario and filled it with local apples. Thank you again! It's a beauty.

Erin

Mom & Dad's Pyrex Find for Little Old Me

2011-10-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last month, my mom emailed me to tell me that she picked me up a Pyrex chip and dip set that was in mint condition. They paid next to nothing for it. Well... here it is!

Balloons! Thank you, thank you thank you! I've got the best parents in the world (and I'd say that even if they didn't hunt for Pyrex).
Maybe I should start using it this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians. We've got a lot to be thankful for.

Erin

TV Show Request

2011-10-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggers and Thrifty people. Please read the following message I received. Drop Kyla a line if you think you can help.

All the best,

Erin

Hi Erin,
I did not see an email address for you.... I am a researcher working on Canadian television reality show featuring Steve Santini - escape artist and artifact collector who buys, sells and trades artifacts that have a dark history.
We are looking for people, collectors anyone in Toronto and surrounding area that might have something in their collection that fits this nature. Examples of things already featured on the show include - executioners swords, jack the ripper knife, torture helmet, Houdini's handcuffs etc.
Have you come across anyone in your travels that has an authentic piece of this dark nature?
Any help would be greatly appreciated if you could spread the word!
Thanks!
Kyla Schmidt
kschmidt@buckproductions.com

Coming Up For Air

2011-09-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hello,

It's been an extra busy start to the new school year. Please forgive me for the lack of posts. I hope to do some thrifting over the next few days. I hope to have something fabulous to share on my next post. Stay tuned...

Erin

Extreme Couponing I'm Gonna Be Sick

2011-09-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

You're looking a little low on sandwich bags. I'd be very worried if I were you. What are you doing standing there? Get out there and steal your neighbours' newspapers. Get cutting!!! Now.

Alright,

I know I'm months, if not years behind in finally getting around to watching Extreme Couponing, but there I was last week, flipping around until I discovered an Extreme Couponing marathon. It's on TLC (The Learning Channel). Didn't they used to show more educational programs back in the day?

Anyway, I watched as much as I could, before feeling dizzy. Canadians, correct me if I'm wrong, but even if we wanted to do some hardcore coupon cutting, we could never walk out of a store with two grand worth of free groceries. It takes me months to clock up a lousy $20 worth of free goods on my PC Financial debit card or Shopper's Drug Mart Optimum card. It's hardly worth it.

There was only one woman profiled on the show who actually gave away groceries to a food bank. Everyone else seemed to have an OCD food bunker ready for the fall of civilization. It was gluttonous and ridiculous all at once. I mean really, if the apocalypse is coming, do you really need 59 Lady Speed Sticks sorted by fragrance in your attic? How much salad dressing can a family go through in a year before it becomes rancid? This must be one of the 7 deadly sins. I just don't get it. There seemed to be a lot of overweight people dumping boxes of candybars into their buggy. I've worked plenty of retail in my life and I'm telling you, I'd be putting up my "closed" sign and taking off for a coffee break if I saw someone with 9 shopping carts and a dossier full of coupons coming my way.

There, I feel better. Thank you.

See the freak show for yourself if you haven't already done so.

Finally - Pyrex!

2011-09-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

The Pyrex/vintage thrifting scene has been so dire in Toronto over the past couple of months, that I thought I was going to have to resort to digging into the Yardsale Snoop vaults and reprint posts from more fruitful days. Well, my fortunes have changed...

Here's what I found at the Value Village near my school. A Daisy Cinderella bowl for $3.99...

A gorgeous pink bowl for $5.99 (sorry that the photo is out of focus)...
And another $5.99 bowl in a soft, buttery yellow colour. All bowls were in almost mint condition. Fortune favours the brave, or at least the patient.

I also found this funky little Fire King bowl for $1.99. The clerk had just put it out and I dived down like a WWII bomber.

Keep on truckin',

Erin

Bret Michaels Award

2011-08-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Along with Keyboard Cat, I'd like to present Yard Sale Snoop's first ever Bret Michaels Award for public annoyance to the guy across the road from us who feels the need to clean his driveway with a leaf blower, even though he has a tiny driveway. P.S. Why must you do this at 8 a.m. Sunday morning? Oh yeah, and why do you always park your car on the street and not in your driveway like the rest of us? Is your driveway paved with the rarest ebony? I realize that my revved up neighbour likely doesn't read my blog, but perhaps someone else out there in thrifty blogland with a leaf blower fetish will read this and see the light. I live in hope.

Smiles,

Erin

South Dakota

2011-08-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

The pickings continue to be ever-so-slim. I found this South Dakota drinks tray at Value Village today for $1.99. I've got a few other states, so it must be another collection. I hope to find something special this week.

Awesome Canadian Blog by Awesome Canadian Woman

2011-08-12T09:32:00.001-07:00

There are so many wonderful blogs out there. It's hard to keep up. I just received a request by Kate to join the Pyrex Collective. I checked out her blog Scientific Culture. Don't be fooled by the title. The subtitle is "A crafty blog where science + cute = awesome." Kate is from British Columbia and she loves Pyrex, gardening, science, crafting, and lot's of other things we all like. Do check it out. I didn't think she'd mind if I shared this sweet cat picture in order to draw attention to her happy blog. Enjoy!

Erin

Mugging for the Camera

2011-08-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Toronto still remains a thrifty vintage ghost town, but I managed to find these swell Termocrisa bowls at my gloomy local Value Village. They cost $1.99 each. From my scant, Yahoo research, I can tell you that Termocrisa was Fire King made in Mexico. I suspect this happened before the whole NAFTA way of doing business took over. I like the tulips and gingham combo.
I know, this looks like the kind of souvenir mug you'd give your grandpappy. I had a massive Mexican mug that I loved, but the handle had a hairline crack and I knew that one morning, I'd end up with a hot mug of coffee on my lap as I was about to rush out the door. For this reason, I reluctantly retired it. Today, I was determined to find the biggest mug that didn't have a corny message on it - "Mom's make cherished memories" or "Brandi's Mug." I've actually been to Fort Henry a couple of times. I'm glad they included their goat mascot.

I hope to find some new fabulous finds soon. Short of hitting an antique store, I'm doing all that's humanly possible. Stay tuned!

I've Been Looking - Really

2011-08-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, the title says it all: no yard sales, no interesting items at the local thrift stores. Nothing for the past few weeks. Today, I rode my new Schwinn out to the Value Village at Victoria Park and Eglinton. There wasn't much there: Woodland and Forest Fancies Pyrex, a dishwasher scuffed Pyrex refrigerator dish and nothing else of note for the kitchen.

I did find this charming hand-stitched hanging. I'll give you the first few lines. Be the best you can be! If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill, be a scrub in the valley - but be the best little scrub by the side of the rill. Be a bush if you can't be a tree... This is lovely. I'm going to fix it up and hang it outside my classroom in the fall. $2.99 was the price.
Speaking of school, I'm teaching grade 1 next year. I'm looking for rhyming books and this Dr. Seuss collection was just the job. The books were .99 each, but if you buy four, the fifth one is free.
I've been looking for something like this for ages. Duncan has a collection of dead insects, bones, shells, and other treasures from nature. I'll try to take a picture once he's put his collection together.
I'm always looking for "thank you" cards. There were two sets inside for $2.99.

Hopefully, I'll hit vintage thrift gold over the next few days. I live in hope. In the meanwhile, here's a sassy song and video for anyone who's ever thought about locking up someone and throwing away the key!

Erin

Oddities

2011-07-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Has anyone seen Oddities on the Discovery Channel? I just discovered it last week, and I'm already hooked. It's very Me - a fact that my loved ones will not dispute, given the number of skulls I've collected. The show is kind of like American/Canadian Pickers meets the Addams Family. The program follows off-beat, slightly morbid collectors/business partners Evan and Mike who run a shop in the East Village called Obscura, that's filled with antique curiosities. I like the Victorian objects mainly. There are some truly weird things in that shop that I wouldn't want in my home: taxidermied two-headed calves, mummified cats, enlarged human gallstones. Hey, if you've got to buy a wedding gift for a surgeon, you just might find that special something. It's a very cool store and I love the way it's run with all the care of a museum.

Evan (centre) with Mike (left) and cool-looking assistant, whose name I've forgotten. I think it's Ryan. Mike looks like a man cave Monday Night Football kind of dude, but he's actually pretty freaky in his interests.

I do like Evan and Mike. They've got a bumbling sidekick who occasionally helps out in the store. It almost seems like the producers added him to the mix to create a little comedy. They've also got a rather dashing assistant who looks like a younger, better looking Nick Cave.

Check out the show and see for yourself.

P.S. Sorry for the lack of posts. I've honestly been looking, but there have been zero garage sales in my neighbourhood and NOTHING going on in my thrift store hangouts. I'm going to have to go further afield this week.

Erin

Viva Mexico!

2011-07-09T20:14:00.001-07:00

On a day like this, I love Toronto. We explored the Corazón de México festival down at Harbourfront Centre today. It was fantastic. Mexican culture is so amazing to me: the warmth of the people, the passionate music, the dancing, the colourful clothes, the humour. What's not to love?

We viewed, tasted, and listened to so many fantastic things today. There were folk dancers and singers, puppet shows for kids...
Here, Duncan checks out our first ever tamale. He also contemplates our yummy beef burrito that could choke a horse.
Toronto doesn't have a large Mexican population the way a city like Chicago does. Slowly, more Mexicans are coming. If the Minister of Immigration is reading my blog - let more Mexicans into Canada!!! They can only make the country a better place!

Duncan works on a mask.

Incredible paper maché Dia de los Muertos figures celebrating the harvest season. These were hand made in Mexico. Awesome.
We also watched a cooking demonstration by cool chef Francisco Alejandri, who hails from Mexico, but now lives in Toronto and runs the restaurant Agave y Aguacate in Toronto's Kensington Market.

Photo courtesy Eye Weekly

Do you want his recipe for Tinga de Pollo and a drink made of lime and chia water? Read on. You can play Los Lobos for mood music while you read or copy down.

Kisses and cha cha cha

Erin

Tinga de Pollo

Ingredients

6 ounces chorizo, about 3 links

1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups of finely chopped cabbage

4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped to make 1 cup

3 canned chipotle chiles to taste

2 tablespoons sauce from the can of chiles

2 cups poached and shredded chicken

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 avocado sliced

salt to taste

1 red onion cut in half, reserve one half for a different use

juice of two limes

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions for chicken

Remove the thin casing from the chorizos and break them apart into a large skillet using a wooden spoon.

Cook over low heat to render out the fat, being careful not to brown the chorizo. Strain off all the fat, reserving three tablespoons.

Add the onions, garlic, and cabbage and fry over fairly low heat, stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon occasionally, until the vegetables are soft.

Add the tomatoes, chipotles, and chipotle sauce and continue cooking over medium heat until most of the juice has been absorbed and the mixture is almost dry.

Stir in the shredded chicken and broth and cook for another 5 minutes or until the mixture is moist but not juicy. Adjust the salt.

Lime and Chia Water

Ingredients:

The juice of 6 limes

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

1/4 cup of white sugar

1 quart of water

Directions:

Combine everything, serve cold, and enjoy.

A Rich Internal Life

2011-07-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

At the end of each school year, we're given an agenda. Everyone flocks down on them, eagerly placing them in their trusty agenda holders. Everyone loves them except for me. I don't use agendas. It's never come naturally to me to write down upcoming events. My mother and sister are supreme list makers. I've tried to do the same, but after a week or so, I fall out of the routine. I do write down random boring dates on a wall calendar to remind me when to go to the dentist, etc., but that's about it. The rest is committed to memory. I figure if I've survived this long without being a slave to an agenda, I'm doing alright.

What I do keep are dozens of notebooks that serve as scrapbooks that I use for bits and pieces of things I come across that strike my fancy. Occasionally work stuff makes it in. I find it comforting carrying around notebooks of treasures. The faux alligator skin notebook you see above is one of my favourites. When I was studying literature at university, a professor commented that Anne in Jane Austen's Persuasion had a "rich internal life." In other words, she had a vivid imagination. I'm like that. Here's a peep into one of my notebooks.
The inside cover has a pile of bird stickers. I'm mad about birds right now. I also traced a tree and cut out the "Ad free blog" owl and stuck it on a branch. Duncan made those marker pictures at Edwards Gardens one day when we got stuck in the botanical library when it was raining. There's also the cover of a Fever Ray CD.
"How to knit hand warmers." I never did make these. At least I've got the instructions.
Anne Sexton's "All My Pretty Ones," with a butterfly sticker.
A postcard of Varley's painting "Liberation." I've always loved this painting. The colours are so magical. Also, more images of the singer from Fever Ray as well as handwritten lyrics from their song "When I Grow Up."

Seamus Heaney poem with Fever Ray singer.

Heaney with a vintage mini postcard from Spain.
Baltimore oriole with the singer from Rockettothesky.
A quote from William Lyon Mackenzie - the firebrand first mayor of Toronto, who started a rebellion. We should be so lucky to have a mayor like him today. His house is a museum that you can visit. We went there recently.
Notes reminding me of bands I liked while listening to the CBC Signal podcast. Elfin Saddle anyone?
Here's some literacy planning for next year. I'll jazz it up somehow so that when I glance at it in a staff meeting, I'll feel a cozy sense of wonder.
A couple of pictures cut from a brochure after a recent visit to Hamilton's Dundurn Castle. You must go if you're ever in the Steel City.

Goths on a Carousel

2011-07-07T12:50:00.001-07:00

A couple of weekends ago I took my son to Centreville on Centre Island in Toronto. We had lot's of fun, but one of the highlights happened when the carousel he was riding was taken over by Goths. Ah the memories.

I stealthily snapped my camera, pretending to take pictures of Duncan. Shh! So excellent.
Minus the cape, this looks a bit like my first boyfriend, Dave. Ah, the memories!
The guy in front of Stripey Tights sat backwards on the carousel. I don't think I would have been so daring when I was a teenager. "We'll get kicked off the ride!"
I'm not quite sure what the look is here. Knights Templar? Still, you've got to admire someone for wearing something akin to Masonic ceremonial garb in the heat of summer.

Yet another surreal moment.

Storage Wars

2011-06-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me about Storage Wars. In case you haven't seen it, here's the scoop: A bunch of misfits bid on storage containers around L.A. They take a look inside the container for five minutes, but they can't go in or touch anything. The highest bidder gets the contents of the container. Sometimes the container is filled with valuable treasures, other times they end up with a bag full of bedbuggy pillows.

I like it more than my husband because the characters seem to be right out of an Elmore Leonard book - especially the aging hipster collector Barry. He's got a zillion cool '50s shirts.

The downside of the show is that the A&E show producers feel obligated to weave in a contrived narrative each episode. I can't believe the station that once showed arts and entertainment now shows Gene Simmons Family Jewels marathons every other day. The plus side is that you do get a close up look at some cool vintage gear. I'd never want to live in L.A., but you can see that there's a thriving thrift/antique scene. There is a store for every oddball obsession out there.

Any thoughts?

Hey, two more days of teaching and I'm off for two months. I hope to get my thrifty self back in action.

Taking One for the Team

2011-06-19T19:41:00.001-07:00

While visiting Daddy-o for Father's Day yesterday, I was lucky enough to score this not-so-common Pueblo promo casserole dish, that comes with a cradle. It was only $5.00. The lid slipped out of my hands and I had to stick out my shin to cushion the otherwise lethal blow of the lid hitting the floor. I now have a bruise and a great piece of Pyrex. It's always worth a look.

Bits & Bobs

2011-06-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pieces that have slipped betwixt yonder cracks. At the bottom, you'll see some of today's finds. Man, the yard sales are pretty dire in my neighbourhood this year.

Above and below, "flower fashioners." I saw this little time-stained box at Vincent de Paul's Value Shoppe a few weeks ago. I was prepared to buy whatever was in it for .25 just because the box held so much promise. I know, I'm crazy.
If you're forming a band, feel free to use any of the names mentioned on the box.
This is what a quarter bought me. The base is a little suction cup. I can actually see me using these down the road. My ham-fisted flower arranging can only improve.
At Southworks Antiques last week, I bought three cards dating from 1910. I'm so sick of seeing people texting and surfing Facebook instead of talking and looking where they're going. Bring back the pretty cards, I say!
This Easter poem enchanted me.
The lighting outside washed out the detail on the above card, but you get the idea.
I bought this puffy, stuffed nativity set at a yard sale this morning for $2.00. I already have my Mexican folk art nativity set for our home, so I may take this to school next Christmas.

The back of the backdrop had "Away in a Manger" printed on it.
A bird in the hand costs .10 in East York. I'll likely attach this to something in my class. I always have people saying, "Your classroom is so much fun to be in. How do you do it?" I guess it's down to creativity and being a thrifty-minded teacher.
We hit a yard sale thrown by a slightly gruff elderly Greek man with a cigarette hanging out his mouth - not that all Greek men are like this, but that's who he was. He turned out to be a decent guy. He sold us a ton of Hot Wheels' track pieces and threw in a truck for Duncan. I also got this vintage souvenir Centennial glass from 1967. The whole enchilada cost me $2.00. I'm hoping to head out this afternoon to do some thrifting or post-yard sale pickin'. How's your day working out?

Kingsley's Chair

2011-06-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, an elderly gentleman who lived across the street from us passed away. His name was Kingsley. He was a classy man who sat out on his porch reading the paper. I loved the way he slept in late and seemed to enjoy his little East York garden so much.

His relations are still clearing away some of Kingsley's furnishings. I garbage picked this chair the other day. I just loved the style and the colour of the seat covering. This looks sixties to me. What do you think? My husband didn't love it as much as I do, but he told me he'd help me fix it up.
There's a little bit of wear and tear. I'm wondering if I could get it professionally mended.
There's a tiny bit of wear on the wood, but this is an easy fix. I guess I'm a bit of a sentimental picker, but I had to have it.

Cambridge - the Pyrex Capital of Canada?

2011-06-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today, we took a day trip to beautiful Cambridge, Ontario.

It's difficult to take a bad photo in this town. Everywhere you look, you see old churches and limestone houses. They've done a better job of preserving their buildings than Toronto.

Oh yes, and they happen to have the best antique market that I've come across within an hour's drive of Toronto. It's called Southworks. As the sign says, it's filled with over 30,000 square feet of collectables. We'd been there before, but I hadn't become a Pyrex collector. This time it was different.It didn't take long for my Pyrex radar to go off. I was scared to look at the prices, but you know what? They were reasonable, considering it wasn't a thrift store.
There were so many other treasures. If I had unlimited funds and a huge house, I could have easily bought many other items. Check out these old time leather photo albums.

A very old enamel colander.

Barber's chair

Very old Pyrex science lab kit.

I know, I know. Contain yourselves. I'm really regretting the fact that I didn't pick up the Delphite (?) fridgies. One was $8 and the other was $10. By the time I got to them, I'd already amassed a few pieces. The workers clued into my Pyrex quest and began telling me about Pyrex locations. They also took my heavy loads to the counter for me. Talk about service!
I didn't realize that there was a Friendship casserole dish in this oval shape. I think it was $16 and pretty scuffed up, so I didn't buy it. Underneath was something unremarkable and pricey. Possibly a solid blue casserole.
Here are the aforementioned fridgies. I'll cry myself to sleep tonight.
Does anyone know what this is? It looked like it had survived one too many runs in the dishwasher to be worth the money. Shame.
So here's what I did buy. Before we even hit the antique market, we went to the Cambridge Value Village. They had a few Pyrex pieces I already had, but I scored this Spring Blossoms divided dish for $7.99. The cashier told me she like it. That's never happened in Toronto. Maybe we should move to Cambridge.
I did get these two red fridgies and a longed for Butterprint fridgie. Each cost $8.
I also bought this pretty Horizon Blue 409 (or 407) Cinderella bowl for $10.00.
YES! I thought this day would never come - the 444 Butterprint (4 qt) bowl for $10.00. I thought it was worth it.

I couldn't resist this little blue 409 for $4.00.

And more Spring Blossoms. This 402 bowl was $7.00.
Last but not least, we've got two of these Atomic Age drinking glasses which I bought for next to nothing at Value Village in Toronto last year. Because I had bought those for such a small amount of money, I didn't mind forking out $5 each for these. At least we have a small set now.

How was your thrifting/antiquing weekend?

Erin

At Long Last

2011-06-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hello there,

What I've wanted more than anything recently is to be able to shop for vintage treasures and blog about it. I've been doing another reading course and teaching full time, so when you factor in motherly duties, it doesn't leave too much time.

The good news is that I hit the Goodwill in St.Catharines when recently visiting my folks. Here's what I found:

I'll be blogging about my adventures in Toronto architecture last weekend on one of my other blogs, so stay tuned if you like that sort of thing. Looking ahead, I've got thrifty plans for the weekend, if we don't have big thunderstorms in T.O.

Welcome to my new followers. I can't believe this many people are reading. I'm the Lady Gaga of thrift.

Cheerio,

Erin

Having a George Moment

2011-05-15T19:14:00.001-07:00

I've blogged about my man George Clarke before, but I keep discovering new shows he's on. When does this handsome architect ever rest?

I first noticed him on my favourite show ever, Build a New Life in the Country. He followed it with Dream Homes Abroad, which I didn't like as much. It was mainly a lot of rich, English professionals with their bored teenagers looking for a weekend retreat.

Right now, George is back on Canadian TV with the Home Show. I'm sure if you live in the U.K., it's old by now, but we're on our fourth episode tonight. Here's the promo. The Beyonce song doesn't really work with the show.

While I was YouTubing, I stumbled upon another George show: Restoration Man. Why oh why can't we produce shows half as good as this in Canada? Tell me!!!

"Tray" Bien Georges Briard!

2011-05-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Forgive me. It's been two or more weeks since my last post. I haven't been able to get to garage sales, partly because of the rainy weather, and partly due to Saturday morning fatigue and other commitments. My son went to a birthday party today and before we came home, we hit my local Value Village in the hope that some little glimmer of something special would reveal itself.

Here's one of those little gems: a Georges Briard tray. I believe it was Valerie from Vonlipi's Favourites who educated me about this designer in the first place. Friday night is American Pickers night and after seeing it last night, I was prepared to crouch down and get dirty in my quest for vintage honey. I found the tray buried under a pile of forgettable trays.
I like that it still had the original label on the back. I guess it also means it hasn't been left soaking in the sink. After Googling Briard, I stumbled across another cool vintage blog called No Accounting For Taste. If you like my little 'ol blog, you'll love this one. Read the post about Briard.
I also found this dinky little Federal Glass dish for .99.
Earlier in the day, I bought these zebra tomatoes. The picture doesn't do justice to the colour.
I also bought fiddleheads. My son hated them and my husband told me that he thinks they're over-rated. I liked them. They taste earthy and healthy. I also bought black radishes that look like black beets. They were white on the inside and not as peppery as regular radishes.
Here's the best news. Last Sunday we celebrated both my sister's and father's birthday, along with Mother's Day. My mother presented me with this pretty Pyrex divided dish. She bought it at a rummage sale in St. Catharines for next to nothing. On her way out, they made an announcement that all kitchenware was half price. I'll have to confirm what she actually paid for it, but it was less than a cup of Starbuck's coffee. A lot less. Thanks mom. My mom's also been asking about my blogging absenteeism. I'll try to get my groove back. Besides my day job teaching, I'm completing a reading course right now. As Joan Rivers would say, I'm working harder than Charlie Sheen's liver. Yuck yuck!
I just have to find the lid now. I know it's out there.

Here's some primo early French electronica to go along with my Georges Briard tray. Enjoy!

East York Picker

2011-04-30T20:00:00.001-07:00

"Hey kids, knock it off. It's shenanigans like this that's costing the taxpayers billions each year!"
I've been scanning the local paper, waiting for the Westview Presbyterian Church Bazaar. It's a good one and there's always tons of garage sales running the same day. Well, that day came today. And the weather was perfect.

A happy day with a happy soundtrack to listen to as you view my new treasures.

I first hit the bazaar. I did the initial desperate scan for Pyrex. I'm sure five minutes before I got there, someone loaded up a U-Haul with all my longed for pieces. After accepting that there wasn't even a dishwasher abused casserole dish to be found, I began looking for other interesting things that would put a smile on my face. The prices were rock bottom. Books were .25 and I got the funky cow creamer, the Made in Japan bird planter and tea cup stickies, along with a brand new science experiment kit for $2.50.

It's amazing what a lousy quarter can still get you if you apply yourself.
I love these tender old Golden Books. This one is to teach children about different species of birds.

The illustrations are a thing of beauty.

I bought a flower press a couple of years ago at Value Village for $1.99. I couldn't resist this homemade flower press. I got it along with the thermometer, picture frames, and hankies you'll see below for $2.00.

Here's the science kit that let's kids create stinky scents in test tubes.
This was from the Christmas Posy book at the top. I loved the title.
Off I went into the East York neighbourhood that lies behind O'Connor Bowl. These people are real meat-and-potato Canadians. No latté moms in yoga pants here. Look at the weird desk organizer I got for next to nothing. I had no idea why that picture was in it. I think it was probably the generic picture that came with it and they never bothered to take it out. For $2.00 I got the desk organizer, the very old English candy tin, the tube piggy bank that you can turn to give you computational number facts, Crayola markers and pencil crayons, and a cheese container from the Ontario Dairy Farmer's "Cheese please" era. I used to hate those commercials. I preferred the "Stop cooking with cheese" commercials from a few years ago.

At another house a I bought this compact chalkboard/whiteboard for $1.00 from a friendly mother who was clearing out junk. It will be used in my Primary classroom next year if I can sneak it out of the house without Duncan seeing it go.

This is why I'm Yard Sale Snoop. I had the exact same Woody Woodpecker nightlight when I was a kid. I have a feeling my childhood light came from a yard sale in the seventies. I got this light, along with a box of toy cars and a pile of vintage Fisher-Price toys for $18. The woman originally asked $20 for the lot. My jaw nearly dropped. I was thinking more like $10. For a moment, I turned into one of those American Picker guys and offered her $15. We settled on $18. She was elderly and she told me that her husband had recently passed away. On top of that, her adult son was in a wheelchair and they were HIS toys I was buying. I knew Duncan would be over the moon and the toys would be played with more than a newer toy that would cost more, so I swallowed my thrifty pride and forked out the dough.

Duncan was so excited when he opened the bag of goodies. "You were so generous, Mom," he said. I asked him what the word generous means and he said, "I don't know."

The motherload.

Fisher-Price brings on an ecstatic state of toy delerium.

The ambulance was cool. It comes with a stretcher and sleeping bag inside.
With the $2 I saved by haggling down the toys, I bought this Cardinal windchime foe $1.00 and still had change for Duncan's first tooth that came out this evening. We'd been waiting for two weeks for it to come out. Tonight, he was chewing on the head of his stuffed Ikea rat. I tried to pry it out of his mouth when "pop" out came the tooth. I think he'll get a toonie from the tooth fairy.

Let's hope this is the start of a bountiful yard saling season.

Calling All Bird Lovers

2011-04-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

Last week, we had a surprise guest arrive in our humble East York backyard. It had the size of a pigeon, but it looked almost like a Downy Woodpecker due to the red marking on its head. It was pecking away at a dirt patch where raccoons had attacked our grass. Sigh! Does anyone know what this bird is? Sorry about the terrible film quality. I took the pictures through a dirty screen window.

Cheers,

Erin

Awkward Love

2011-04-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

If you're feeling blue and you need a good chuckle, just visit Awkward Family Photos. You won't regret it.

She was always on his mind.

Whoa Nelly!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all my friends!

Easter 2009

Easter 2010 - Toronto

Easter 2010 - Nana & Gradpas' home in St. Catharines

Easter 2011 - How quickly kids grow up!

Forthcoming Election

2011-04-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

I usually keep my political opinions to myself, but I just read in the paper that Jack Layton is gaining in the polls and I thought I'd do my part to rally thrifters in Canada to push him towards victory. Ha! I don't like Stephen Harper. He's our PM. He comes across as cold and overly controlling. Michael Ignatief is running for the Liberal Party. He's too much of an academic intellectual. Jack is a people person and I feel like I can trust him.

Anyway, vote for the person who will do good things in your riding.

Thing Called Love - Finally

2011-04-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks to P who helped me find the embed code on YouTube. At long last, we can enjoy Dennis Quaid in Bonnie Raitt's "Thing Called Love" video. I remember enjoying this as a teenager, even though I was at the peak of my moody, gothy phase. That's the power of a well-crafted song by John Hiatt. Enjoy!

Lucky Thrifter's Awesome Finds

2011-04-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

I was just visiting Lucky Thrifter's blog. You must see her fabulous treasures from a recent sale. Check it out Lucky Thrifter. You'll feel good when you read the story.

Erin

I was going to leave a song, but the embed code seems to be gone from YouTube. Does anyone know about this?

Just the Ticket

2011-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night, I hit our local Value Village, looking for something - anything good. This is the store with the scary manager with the bad perm. Not only was he not there, but I found these two Spring Blossom Cinderella bowls for $4.99 and $5.99. Not bad. Never throw in the towel with this collecting caper.

Have a fun and fruitful thrifting weekend.

Erin

For Love or Money? My American Pickers Post

2011-04-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

Don't be too dazzled by Mike's matinee idol good looks. He's after your grandmother's ring collection for $2.

As a thrifter and lover of old timey treasures, you'd think I would have been following American Pickers from the get-go. Not so. I'd heard about it, but could never find it on the TV dial, until last night when I stumbled upon the History Channel. I guess I never watch the History Channel. If you're living abroad and not sure of what it is, American Pickers is a show that follows two funny guys around the sheds and storage facilities in America, looking for cool, old junk that they can sell in their antique store back in Iowa. If you're interested in Americana and vintage goodies, it's required viewing. Still, I found that my heart broke a little when I watched Mike and Frank offer an old widow rock bottom prices for treasures her husband had collected. They were practically rubbing their hands together as they loaded the van and drove off, calculating how much profit they could make. Sure, they've got the expenses of running a business and they're trying to make a living. Also, some of the sellers they encounter ask extortion prices for their decaying ephemera... but still, it's pretty cut-throat. I for one could not bring myself to not buy something that I love and want to keep.

Here is the perfect example of an old treasure that I'll never part with. My father is a real collector and he recently gave me this very old whistle. It's got the classic whistle shape and it's sturdy enough to survive a nuclear explosion.
Here's the best part. My father's Australian and look where it's from: Sydney, Australia. I love it. I'll have to ask him how how it came to him. How could I ever sell something like this?
It's called Aussie Thriller and if you look closely, you can still see the old cork ball inside.
On the other side of the love or sell debate, here are some vintage souvenir tea towels I bought at a garage sale in my neighbourhood a few years ago. The seller wanted $5 for each. It seemed a little steep given that it was a garage sale. You could tell she was a Martha Stewart-type who had done her research. "They're worth a lot more than that. They're collector's items." I'm loath to haggle over prices. I'm a take it or leave it woman. When you see how charming they are, you'll see why I gave her $10 for the pair. They make me happy. One day, I'll press these towels and mount them in frames.
I wish pickers would leave garage sales and thrift stores alone for the lovers, but it's a free world.

Anyway, I'll still keep on collecting for the love of it. I have no intention of ever opening up an antique store. For those of you who are amassing a collection of old things in your basement or garage, dust them off and enjoy them before it's too late. One day you'll be dead and the pickers will come-a-knocking.

Despite my mixed feelings about the way these guys do business, AP is a highly watchable show, so check your local listings. The History Channel has several episodes on AP's page. Canadian Pickers is starting this Tuesday. Ironically, the Canadian Picker guys look more American than the American guys, who describe themselves as "a couple of hayseeds from Iowa." The Canadians look like stand-ins from Bonanza.

Above: the Canadian Pickers. See, I told you they look like they're from Texas. This show is coming soon to a TV station near you - at least in Canada.

First Rummage Sale of the Season

2011-04-02T10:30:00.001-07:00

Hello there. Today is a warm, perfect spring day in Toronto. I hope you're feeling bubbly all over, where you are. At long last, my first local church rummage sale came today: Hope United Church. The sale started at 10:30 and if you've ever had the pleasure of trying to get a five-year-old out the door, you'll know how painfully slow it can be: "Get your clothes on! Brush your teeth fast!" I could just imagine someone snatching a piece of dream Pyrex off the table seconds before we arrived. Well, I didn't get any Pyrex, but I did find many other things that I love. I paid $10 for everything you see in this post.

I love trees and old books, so I had to have this beautifully illustrated book.
I can't help thinking of the history behind the things I find at sales. Now I know that this book came from a Grade 1 class that used Room 4 at Huron Public School. The book was published in 1962.

I found this pretty painting in a box that was stuffed with picture frames. I see the potential in it either with a modern frame, or if I give the existing frame a make-over.
The back is taped up in a DIY sort of way and there's a very old envelope address stick-on with someone's name on it. Is she the artist, the former owner of the painting, or both?

Very big and very old paper fasteners.

I'm sure they'll come in handy for something.

Big 'ol Christmas tree skirt. This looks like it's from the sixties. We'll use it for years to come.

So cheerful.

Wiggly handmade scarf.

Handmade candle holder in pleasing earthy green tones.

Rear view.

I almost didn't buy this, but I was charmed by the quaintly patriotic feelings one goose can stir up. When I paid up, one of the ladies working their looked at her elderly mother standing beside her and laughed. She told me that it was made by her mother's sister-in-law. I asked if it was a mistake that it was being sold and whether they wanted it back. They told me it was alright. I asked them if S. Powell was still alive and they told me she was.

Bag of crafter's yarn for the eco craft club I'm starting at my school this week.

Doesn't this look like cotton candy at a glance?

Let's pause for a moment of Simpsons' nostalgia.

These pillowslips look cooler in person. They've got a sixties criss-cross line pattern on them.
Duncan wanted colourful golfballs to horse around with in the backyard. The sleeve that looks like it holds matches actually...

holds golf tees.

Oh my, Noddy and a Martin Short/Tim Allen DVD. Junior's been picking things out.
I love this cookbook. It's so old that it's falling apart. The cover looks like it's got a rare skin disease, but you know that means the book was well-loved.

I just can't get enough of the bright, technicolor photographs.

I'm making this Christmas tree thing for sure.

The chapters are in sensible order for the busy person.

This boy looks like one of those little brats running around Big Daddy's party in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Isn't this what we all want to come home to each day? Tea and biscuits on a fancy tray by a roaring fire. Life doesn't get any better. How was your day thrifting?

Erin

Beachcombing and Thrifted Treasure's Art: Framed!

2011-03-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

My husband framed and hung the beautiful prints that Alice from Thrifted Treasure sent me. They look amazing and I always think of Alice and Australia when I gaze at them. Thank you again! You are a gifted artist. For fun, Ken framed up four of the five Swedish art cards we bought at Ikea. We're both drawn to the bright colours and cheerful designs. They're at a lower level for Duncan to see.

On An Apple a Day, I noticed photos from a recent beachcombing trip in and around New York. I'd always heard that you could find old bottles, etc. washed up at Toronto's Don River. This past weekend, I dragged Duncan on a long excursion to see what we could find. As you can see from the photos, we found some old bottles.

I can't wait for garage sale season!

A Yard Sale Question

2011-03-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hello,

A good friend of mine is holding a yard sale in a few weeks and was asking me for pricing advice. I was wondering if people could offer their opinions and I'll pass them along to her.

She is getting rid of a lot of the following:

leather jackets
leather shoes and boots
belts
handbags
books (including coffee table books)
plates
small appliances including several humidifiers still in original boxes

My friend just wants to get rid of stuff and not trying to get the most money possible in a greedy sort of way. Any thoughts on fair prices. I'm pretty sure most of these items are either lightly used or not used at all.

Thanks,

Erin

Winkle Winkle Little Star

2011-03-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Happy First Day of Spring!

I visited my folks in St. Catharines yesterday. The cupboards were bare at the Value Village and Goodwill that I normally go to. There was scuffed up Pyrex at Value Village which I didn't buy. Nothing spectacular. I did get this flower cut out for my classroom for .50.

My find was this genuine Kathie Winkle platter which I got for $2.00 at GW. The lady at the checkout commented that it was underpriced. Start the car!

Pyrex Inventory & More

2011-03-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Yard Sale Snoop, especially if you found your way here via the Pyrex Collective. As well, I'd like to send out a huge thank you to my new followers. Due to my self-effacing-low-self-esteem-Canadian state of mind, I'm always amazed that people want to view my cabinet of curiosities and hear what I have to say.

If you're new, I welcome you with a virtual cup of coffee and a song by Kate Bush to make your trip more pleasurable. Today it's "Oh England, my Lionheart." Try not to cry.

Now on with the thrift... P.S. I'm doing my best with pattern names thanks to Pyrex Love. I left my Pyrex book at work. If I've made any mistakes, please let me know. I'm numbering the photos.

#1 Junior's bed doubles as a weigh station for thrifted goods.

We have a third bedroom that currently doubles as a storage room. In other words, it's the room I dump all my thrifted goodies into until our kitchen renovation is complete. My husband needed to get into that room yesterday and asked if I could, "Clear a pathway," so that he could get at the bubble envelopes at the other end of the room. I began the lengthy process of moving my vintage stuff out. As I looked at all of the Pyrex on Duncan's bed (which served as a waiting room), it occurred to me that this would be the perfect time to begin a Pyrex inventory.
#2

I brought the pieces down and began washing them out with soapy water. Yes, there are some pieces here that aren't Pyrex, but there are some great pieces out there which aren't Pyrex. Check out my turquoise and white Hazel Atlas bowls on the right-hand side. It's amazing how many price stickers I didn't remove at the time.
#3 These were two bowls I thought were the same. I can hear Vonlipi now. "No, no, no, my child. Use your eyes!" Alright, what you're seeing is a 401 and a 403. These numbers sound more like highways than names for beautiful crockery. These came from Value Village (VV).
#4 These two go together. For the life of me, I can't think of their name and I'm having trouble identifying them. I'm sure if I hunt around on Pyrex Love or the Pyrex Collective, I'll figure it out. They're not part of Butterfly Gold are they? I believe the larger one says 407, but the bottom is a little worn. These came from VV fairly recently.

5. This is Butterfly Gold.

6. Ahh, a no-brainer. Friendship. Here we have 473 (1 qt white bowl with red and orange birds), 474 (2 qt orange with clear lid with birds), and 503 which is a white baking dish decorated with more of those pretty birds. The round dishes came from an independent thrift store in Owen Sound. I loved that the store owner hand wrote the prices in marker. The rectangular dish was a Christmas present from my niece.
#7. Friendship from above. The best part of this whole experience was when I had all of my Pyrex spread out on our dining table and my husband told me how great he thinks it is. He told me that now he understands why I love it so much. Yes!
#8 Spring Blossom bowls (Please let me know if one of them isn't.) The big one was my mother's. it is 444 (4qt). Yes, it's massive. My mother has used it for humongous bowls of mashed potatoes and stuffing at Christmas. The small bowl was a birthday gift from my sister Lise.
#9 Not-so mellow yellow: Here we have the Daisy oval divided dish. No number was on the bottom. We also have two 443 (2 1/2 qt yellow Cinderella bowls). I had no idea that I had two. We also have a 402 1 1/2 qt bowl and a 442 1 1/2 qt Cinderella bowl in a delicious apricot colour. It's one of my favourites and gets used a lot. I can't remember where I bought any of these, except for the divided dish. I bought it at a Value Village in St. Catharines for $9.99. It still stands as my most expensive Pyrex purchase to date. I suspect the other ones came from assorted Value Village stores.

#10 Does it get much sunnier than this?

#11. This is a 503 soft buttery-coloured baking dish. I like the understated colour and it's a handy size for a small family. I'm pretty sure I bought this at a Goodwill in St. Catharines for $3.00.
#12 Apart from a butter dish that's buried somewhere in the basement, this 401 is my only piece of the coveted Butterprint pattern. I'm holding out for more. The bowl behind it is 441. Does anyone know the name of this pattern?
#13 Here we have 442 which I think is Colonial Mist. This is the blue Cinderella bowl at the front. Interestingly enough, the size for this bowl and the 402 behind have sizes listed in metric. Using my keen sleuthing skills, I infer that they were made in Canada. They are both 1.5 litres. Over to the right is a 043 casserole dish with lid. I'm not sure what the pattern is on this casserole dish. Is the white bowl also Colonial Mist? The only piece here that I remember buying is the casserole dish, which I bought at a yard sale a couple of summers ago for next to nothing. I think I paid $1.00 for it.

#14 Well well, it's Forest Fancies 407 and 401, which I lovingly call "Shrooms." These came from Value Village and the bowl on the right is the one I famously went to war over. I was able to complain the price down to $3.99 and I still wasn't happy.
#15 These bowls I named Big Red (15)and Little Red (410). The colour looks like femme fatale lipstick red. They came from a yard sale that was being run by a woman who was trying to clear out her collectable vintage kitchenware. I've dreamt of this sale repeatedly. I bought a bunch of stuff from her for a cheap flat rate.
#16 The number on the bottom of this jade mixing bowl had worn away with time. I suspect it's very old. I paid $3.00 for it at a Goodwill in St. Catharines.
#17 This 442 Daisy mixing bowl came from the same Goodwill as the jade bowl above. It too was $3.00, but badly scuffed.
#18 Heres 045 Pink Daisy given to me by the "Queen of Pyrex" Valerie (of Vonlipi's Favorites). She mailed it to me and I was blown away by her kindness and packing skills. I still love it.
#19 Here's some sundry English Pyrex that I still love. The little dish at the front is a 505. I bought it at a Goodwill in East York for $3.00, I believe. The other two are a vine pattern. They came from a Value Village store near my home. One is missing a lid and the other one has a lid that doesn't go with it, but still fits.
#20 Here's the large, 475 Woodland dish. It's another metric baby (4.51 l). It's missing a lid. I bought it for $6.99 at my local VV and then spent the rest of the day kicking myself for being ripped off.
#21 Here are two Pyrex bowls (14 & 22) made for Hamilton Beach. White is kind of boring, but they have a simple elegance to them. I forget what I paid for them, but I remember lugging them home from a sad Goodwill out in Scarborough.

#22

#23 Here's the piece that got me started collecting Pyrex in the first place. It's 22 Constellation divided dish with a cradle and candle warmer. It was bought at a church rummage sale for $5.00. It's in mint condition. When my mother found out I was collecting Pyrex, she gave me the exact same Constellation dish (cradle and all) that I'd forgotten had been in my family for years. Dad had given it to her as a Christmas gift after they were married in 1957. I still have a few other Pyrex pieces that aren't in these photos, such as my set of Old Orchard bowls that I'm contemplating getting rid of (perhaps as a donation to the staff room at my school so I have a Pyrex moment at work). I also have a set of those more modern clear-bottom Pyrex bowls which are quite nice.
#24 Alright, this isn't Pyrex, but I wanted to share another treasure that was buried. This is a Made in Japan cowboy casserole set that I bought at a Goodwill in St. Catharines. The whole set, including salt and pepper, and oil and vinegar bottles cost $10.00. This was one of my happiest purchases ever.
#25 They even included branding marks for decoration.
#26 Close-up of bucking bronco and chuck wagon.
#27 I see myself going out on the porch in a long suede skirt clanging on a triangle and yelling, "Ok boys - it's chow time!"
#28 Yes, I have an obsession with post-war Made in Japan ceramics and crockery. I love the crude artwork and bright colours. I'm amazed that more people aren't charmed by it. It's plentiful and always cheaply priced. I mentioned this before, but my mother said that buying someone a gift that was Made in Japan in the sixties was considered the height of cheapness. I guess it would be like buying that special someone a gift from Dollarama today.

#29 More Made in Japan stuff I don't need, but love anyway.

#30 Here's a bunch of vitage Anchor Hocking, etc. bowls.
#31 Here is my collection of milky glass mugs. Many of these are Fire King/Anchor Hocking. Pyrex didn't do many mugs from what I've seen, but I'm holding out for a Pyrex Ponderosa mug. Our family always went to Ponderosa for birthdays. Is that restaurant still going in the US?
#32 Here's the last piece that was shut away in the storage room. It's a mallard duck hanging vase. I got it from the vintage lady's yard sale, so I got it for next to nothing. It doesn't really go with the look of our house, but I have a dream of having a cottage one day and I'll hang some of my Canadiana pieces in the hallway. It's always good to dream a little dream.

#33 Oops, I forgot a Pyrex picture. Let's call this Lime Love. Here we have a 024 lime green (2 qt) dish my mother gave me and a 209 lime green pie dish.

#34 Oops, I forgot my Spring Blossom fridgies, which were in my cupboard. Here we have 502 and two 501 respectively. You may recall that my good friend Mary Lou from work surprised me with them in January.

That's all folks!

Thanks for reading.

Erin

Dry Spell Has to End

2011-03-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been popping my head into the local Value Village lately, but the cupboards have been bare and I mean BARE. I don't have a lot of money to be splashing about either, so it's just as well that I haven't found piles of goodies. Even thrifted finds can add up if you're not careful.

I'm hoping that this dry spell will end soon and if good fortune comes my way, I'll be able to share some photos by the weekend.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Erin

Here's my favourite U2 song. Ahh, the memories...

For Those in Japan

2011-03-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

Most Beautiful Blog Ever?

2011-03-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

There are so many beautiful blogs out there, but I just had to mention An Apple a Day. Does anyone else know about it? I love nature and it's filled with gorgeous photos of flora. Click and take a little journey.

That's The Way the Apple Crumbles

2011-03-06T12:03:00.001-08:00

Here's what you get when you put some Friendship Pyrex together with some beautiful Gala apples...

Mmm...

Crisp or Crumble?

2011-03-06T08:18:00.001-08:00

I'm going to make apple crisp with Duncan today and I'm going to try to bake it in my Friendship Pyrex dish.

Do you call it apple crisp or apple crumble? I've heard it called both. I may have to ask my mother to settle this one. I think whatever you grew up calling it is best. I just can't remember what we called it growing up. I'll post some pictures later.

Cheerio,

Erin

P.S. Here's another piece of eighties gold. ABC actually have this lyric in "That Was Then But This is Now": "Can't complain, mustn't grumble, help yourself to another piece of apple crumble." I'm not making it up. See for yourself at 1:11-1:20. I guess I mustn't grumble.

Thom Yorke & facebook Keeping

2011-03-06T07:13:00.001-08:00

A while back, someone I worked with created a facebook account for me. I never used it, but I did receive emails telling me that people I barely remembered from elementary school were wanting to get in touch. This was nice, but weird. In the past year, I've started receiving similar emails, but from students at the school I teach at. This is even weirder. Yesterday, I pulled the facebook plug and I felt liberated. My family and current friends and blogging buddies matter the most. Everything else is just in the past. Memories should be just that, I think. RIP facebook page.

If you like Radiohead, you probably already know about this, but YouTube is filled with Dancing Thom videos right now. Some of them are very funny. People are photoshopping all kinds of things in. If you're sitting there, bored at work - have a look. You'll be laughing.

I don't condone guns and killing, but this is pretty funny too.

Thrifted Treasure Profile

2011-02-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

My husband did a really great job framing the stunning prints that Alice of Thrifted Treasure sent me last month. Now we just have to hang them. When that happens, I'll post the photos.

Speaking of Alice, she is the subject of a recent profile on the blog Thrift Core. Alice answers questions about thrifting in Australia and shows off some of her snazzy pieces. I'm happy to learn about this blog, which is now linked in my favourites. Support it and Thrifted Treasure if you don't already. http://www.thriftcore.com/2011/02/thrifters-around-world-thrifted.html

Pop Goes the World

2011-02-25T14:08:00.000-08:00

Today's post is brought to you by a perfect pop song from the eighties.

Look at all the poppy treasures.

For .49, I had to have this Made in Japan Pop mug. Duncan's going to give it to Ken for his birthday on Monday. Ahhh.

At Value Village I found this cool Andy Warhol Tomato Soup bag for $2.99. That's good pop art value for money.
It looks like it's genuine Warhol merchandise likely from the Warhol museum in Pittsburgh.

Pop is also for popcorn bowl. I've now got three of these vintage wooden snack bowls, including one from my childhood. VV charged $3.99 - my most expensive purchase.
For $1.99 I had to have this Made in Japan lemon/lime dish.
Pyrex for $1.49 at Value Village? Has the pricing dictator switched to Sanka?

Little Mysteries #1: Still Life at the Cornell House

2011-02-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

It's always wonderful when you stumble upon a place you never knew about when you've been living in a particular city your whole life. Recently, we discovered the Cornell House. As much as I like mid-century vintage design, I love pioneer times: the smell of burning wood, cinnamon, candles. I also love the way everything was made by hand. I could live in this house.
The Cornell House dates back to 1858. It was built on Markham Road in Scarborough (part of the greater Toronto area in the east end). It was moved to Thomson Park in the early sixties where it now sits as a pioneer museum. If you live in Toronto, Thomson Park is on Brimley.
Dig the plank walkway. Even though the house is very much pioneer-style, the planks give it a wild west feeling.

The McCowan log house.

Outhouse in the snow.

Above and below: frozen in time treasures in the work shed.

Below: Furniture and object d'art from the Cornell House.

The Cornell House is also the Scarborough Historic Museum. Volunteers dressed in period costume were handing out cheese straws as well as the recipe for how to make them. Scroll down to find out more.
You'll need 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda (I'd use less baking soda and salt next time), 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon of dry mustard (I left this out), 3 tablespoons of butter, 2 cups of grated sharp cheddar, 1 egg, and 5 tablespoons of cold water. Preheat oven to 425, mix dry ingredients together until it has a "breadcrumb" consistency. Add wet ingredients. We put the cheese in last. I'd even say that you could use 1 1/2 cups of cheddar and they'd still be cheesy.
The cheese straws they gave us at the Cornell House were shaped like crescent moons. My mother confirmed that they are supposed to be straw-shaped, so I got my palms a-rolling.

Here's the cheesy dough.

Because of all the grated cheese, it was hard to get perfectly rounded shapes. Duncan even made a cheese "snail" and an arrow. I like the rustic down home look.
And here they are. If you like scones, you'll enjoy these.

Erin

Sparkle in the Snow

2011-02-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

This post is brought to you by life's simple pleasures: freshly laundered pillowcases, percolating coffee in the morning, the golden drips of butter on an English muffin...

Music by Ryuichi Sakamoto. I never knew that there was a solo piano version of this song until my husband and I heard it on JazzFM back in December when we were driving home one evening from Ikea. Duncan had fallen asleep in the back, so we sat in the car until the song was over.

I scooted up to Value Village after school today, forgetting that it was their Boot Scootin' 50% off sale, or whatever it was called. I didn't walk away with cowboy boots, so I'm disappointed.

Needless to say, the cupboards were bare. The household goods weren't even on sale. You Value Village people are SO CHEAP. I'm sure this sale will soon be replaced by a 10% off cracked fish bowl sale. That day is coming, mark my word.

Now that I've vented, I'll move on. My vintage radar was in overdrive. I knew I'd find something good, but I'd have to work for it this time.

I found what appeared to be a teardrop-shaped piece of pottery that looked like it had scabies. Throwing caution to the wind, I picked it up with my gloved hand and inspected the piece. I saw beauty hiding beneath the barnacles.
For $1.99 I picked it up, took it home, gave it a good soapy scrub and...
Voila! A stylish plant holder. I love the colours and shape.
It looks like something my grandmother would have had her African violets in. Oh, the nostalgia.
Here's the sweet bonus: it was handmade in Canada in 1966. I'm so happy that whomever made this saw fit to put the year on it.
Yesterday at the Value Village near my house, I bought one of those mumbo-jumbo bags of random cards. I could tell that there were a few vintage cards in it. Well, turns out that I hit the jackpot for $2.99.

There were oodles of pretty floral cards.

Quaint cards full of whimsy. I'd love to have someone send me a card like this if I were under the weather. Email just doesn't cut the mustard.

More get well soon messages showing sweet scenes.

Have you ever seen a geranium on a card?

The only pregnant person I know right now is the drama teacher at my school and she'd probably find this card hokey if I gave it to her. I would have been tickled pink. Sorry for the bad pun.
Above: more birds. Below, the most utilitarian "man card" that I've ever laid eyes on. I can imagine the designer: "We'll just put a bunch of old tools on the front of the card. No frills."
Inside, the card reads: The things that make you happiest are wished you all year! To me, this would be the male equivalent of giving a woman a washing machine for an anniversary gift. "Oh honey, you shouldn't have."
Below, cult members on vacation. Actually, I'm not sure what's going on here. It could be wiener roast quickly turning into a forest fire.
These were nifty cards. They're taco-shaped, as Duncan would say. Unfold them and you have a disc card.
Something for everyone in the family. Well, I'm getting hungry for more vintage gems. We'll see how the rest of the week pans out.

Erin

Winter in Canada

2011-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

For those living in a more temperate climate, I thought I'd share some snaps of what these days look like in Toronto. I watched a short film about singer/poet/photographer Ingrid Chavez's life in snowy New England (I've linked the second half of the film at the bottom here). It's so beautiful and it shows the mystique of a snowy, cold winter. It also captures the solitude. When we're stuck on a treadmill of daily routines, it's hard sometimes not to appreciate what we have. Take a minute to look around. Play a song, stare out the window, look up at the sky...

View from our kitchen: I took this picture as I was getting ready for work one morning last week. The clouds looked like floating funnels. Believe it or not, the sky is bright at 6:45 a.m. compared to a month ago.

I thought it was high time that Duncan go skating for the first time. We went down to the skating rink at Harbourfront yesterday. It's magical skating by Lake Ontario with frozen boats in the harbour. Check out the infant behind Duncan. Some parents are really hardcore about getting their tots out on the ice. "C'mon, you can walk, you can skate!" Check out Duncan's "poor relations" helmet which consisted of a tuque with a bike helmet strapped on top. Hey, when I was a kid, we didn't even wear helmets. We just took our concussions graciously.

That's a concert stage in the distance. I've seen so many shows there: Billy Bragg, Junior and the Peas, electronic festivals, Rosanne Cash, Inuit throat singers, the list goes on.

Skating must be in the blood of Canadian kids. Duncan had no problem walking in his skates off the ice. He literally threw himself onto the ice without any fear.

This isn't to say that he didn't spend 90 percent of his time on his bottom, but he had a good time.

First Zamboni sighting.

Here's a view of the frozen harbour from a pedestrian bridge we were standing on. You can see the Roger's Centre between the condos across the street. I hate that they changed the name from the Sky Dome to the Roger's Centre. Why must everything be so corporate? If I had billions of dollars, I'd just invest it quietly into hospitals and the arts without having my name splashed about.

This boat was really pretty. I'm not sure where it came from. In the next picture, you'll see it's name.

The Car Drives Like a Dream

2011-02-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my last post, I've become obsessed with that Royksopp video that someone out there in YouTube land put together. I did a bit of hunting around and found a clip from the same era. Can you believe that GM made such a trippy film for their cars? I guess someone was inspired by the Twilight Zone.

This reminds me of Yellow. Check it out. "I love you." "I know."

Nut Canister & Welsh Tea Towel

2011-02-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

Ken was working late tonight, so I dragged Duncan down the street to the Value Village at Woodbine and Danforth. I'm happy to say that in his own 5-year-old way, Duncan's developing a thrifty eye. He was over in the toy section a few feet away from the crockery section, where I was debating whether or not to fork out over $20 for two Forest Fancies casserole dishes with lids. All of a sudden, he cried out, "Mom - where are you?" "I'm over here with the Pyrex." He came running up to me and said, "Look what I found - Playmobil!!!" Woo-hoo! Playmobil stuff is pretty expensive. We've bought him a lot of new Playmobil and this police paddy wagon fits in nicely with the rest of his sets. Cost: $1.99. By the way, the Pyrex is still there. I didn't love it enough to fork out the big biscuits.
I did find this pretty, vintage nut jar for $1.99. It has a comforting feeling about it. I'm sure if I psychoanalyzed the situation, it's probably the seventies colours of my childhood.
It was Made in Japan. Was Japan still mass manufacturing things in the seventies?

This nut canister goes really well with my seventies tin, purchased at a thrift store in Thorold before Christmas.

And now, a Royksopp interlude. I love this song and the film clip someone set the music to. I can't stop watching this. The woman is such a happy dancer.

I also bought this charming souvenir tea towel featuring whimsical images from Wales and several Welsh words. I now know that bryn means hill. Who needs a university degree in linguistics? The tea towel cost .99.

I also bought some deluxe kids books, including this Eric Carle book about clouds which I've never seen before.
It comes with chalk and a mini Eric Carle chalk eraser.
Children's books generally cost .99. I loved the pictures some enterprising child left behind for us to enjoy.
My mother is a retired teacher. She used these Mr. Mugs books when she taught Grade 1 back in the seventies. She used to bring them home for me to read. I still love the stories and illustrations.
This book was from a little later and featured non-Caucasians.
Oh no - Peanuts the cat is sticking his paws in the brownies again. Meanwhile, Mr. Mugs' fur has had the Donna Mills hair poof.
I LOVE this book. Duncan already has a copy on his bookshelf. It's a sweet book showing all the different types of houses in the world.

Duncan and I like the Swiss boy the best. Our favourite line in the book is: "I sleep in a bed with a big puffy puff. Come over some night, We have puff puffs enough." What I'd give to sleep with a puff puff.

Oh - I finally saw Crazy Heart last night. Wow, what an amazing film. Jeff Bridges totally deserved all the recognition he received this time last year. He showed a complete lack of vanity, making the character of Bad Blake so believable that I kept thinking of him all day at work, like he was a real person. I loved the music, the story - everything about it. Go rent it if you haven't seen it already.

Ikea Art Cards, Pink Pottery, and Another Hole

2011-01-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

We were at Ikea this week and I saw something I wanted so badly, I couldn't wait until we got to the right department.

Yes, it was a set of beautiful art cards of Swedish cities. Aren't they great? Sadly, when we got to the art and frame section, we couldn't find them and the floor clerk had no idea what we were talking about. I'm tempted to drag myself out to the Etobicoke location tomorrow so that I can have what my heart desires. They are sold in a set of five for $4.99. Good, arty VFM (value for money) if you ask me.

My urge to thrift had to wait this week. I can't even begin to describe how chaotic the week at my school was, so I won't even start. I took Duncan to the Science Centre today and I thought that we'd pop by the Thorncliffe Goodwill on the way home. They had had one of those 50% off sales yesterday and there was barely anything on the shelves today. I did spy the small sized Autumn Harvest Pyrex bowl, which I have already and I don't especially like. That was it. I saw some guy buying it when I was in the checkout.

I did find the pretty piece of pink pottery that you see above. I think I was charged $1.49. The woman who rang me up seems to be a hard worker who isn't a pricing dictator, so she tends to price down if the goods don't have price stickers on them. Thanks.

Lastly, I'd just like to say that every day this week, I've taken off my winter boots to discover that I've got another hole in another pair of socks. This has happened with new and old socks. I even cut my toenails and I still managed to get holes. What's going on? I'm starting to think there's some sort of sock conspiracy going on. Better call Jesse Ventura.

Welcome new followers, by the way. Thanks for joining in on the insanity. And to Sir Thrift-A-Lot, that wasn't me peeling stickers off Pyrex. I should have been so lucky finding any Pyrex this week. I'm usually the woman dragging a dirty blonde five-year-old boy around who's almost as tall as me. LOL.

Erin

Fretless and Fearless

2011-01-29T18:22:00.000-08:00

I just learned that bass player Mick Karn died this month after a battle with cancer. He famously played bass with Japan and had a solo career of note, as well as playing with many other artists. His style was unique and hard to describe. You just have to hear him. Below is one of my most favourite songs that shows how melodically he played.

In memory of Mick Karn 1958 - 2011 RIP

LYRICS:

"Buoy" - Mick Karn/David Sylvian

Underneath a burning sun
There's always work to be done
We take much more than we care to give away

You'll be the moth, I'm the flame
I'll bless you and keep you safe and sound
Until sunrise comes around again

I’m like a mountain made of stone
I’m like a new day dawning
I’ll be here every morning, close to you

We'll sail on a river, way out to the Baltic sea
Love will keep us together
And the tide will draw you close to me
(Never words so true, never words so wise)
Love will keep us together
'Cause there's more to this than meets the eye

I burn a candle in your place
I picture the passions on your face
Feelings that rise on a wave and fall away

All the pleasures have returned
All of the lessons I should have learned
Return again to light, for us to see

You're like a map of buried gold
I search for treasures in your soul
And when I'm gone, you'll know I will come back to you

We'll sail on a river, way down to the salty sea
Love will keep us together
And the tide will draw you close to me
(Never words so true, never words so wise)
Love will keep us together
'Cause there's more to this than meets the eye

I’m like a mountain made of stone

Viva Vivienne Westwood

2011-01-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Has it really been ten days since my last post? Three words: report card writing. I'm trying my best to counter the bureaucratic side of work and sub-zero winter days, with creative projects. In our class, we've started a huge unit on the history of communication: from cave art to tweets. My brain is a thirsty sponge. As Anthony Bourdain says in the intro to No Reservations: I'm hungry and I want more. No kidding.

Inspiration comes from so many places and so it was a great surprise when my husband told me last night, "I'm recording a show at ten o'clock about Vivienne Westwood's London. Are you interested?" Well, I was so interested that I couldn't wait to watch it later. I'd sit through it, commercials and all.

Westwood made this travel documentary with the intention to make people see the importance of culture. She's on a mission and it was great to watch her riding her push bike around London, stopping through neighbourhoods south of the Thames and the East End, which has become more gentrified than when she used to frequent the markets three or more decades earlier. She took us into art galleries and discussed oil paintings that have inspired her. She is massively interested in classical art and watching the show, you can see how she borrows from previous centuries to create her original designs. I think she's amazing and she looks really cool these days. She kind of looks like how I imagine Queen Elizabeth I in her sixties with her hair down.

I couldn't find the exact documentary to upload, but I did find a clip that was taken from the same filming in an art gallery for Vivienne Westwood's London. Watch and then go to an art gallery.

Winter doldrumily yours,

Erin

P.S. I will aim to thrift and blog this week. Stay tuned!

Treasures From Thrifted Treasure

2011-01-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled today when I came home today only to discover a parcel from Australia in my mailbox. I knew it was from Thrifted Treasure's Alice. A while back, she had a pay-it-forward contest and I was a lucky winner. I shamefully tried to do a pay-it-forward too, but my intentions to pass on the goodness became snowed under by my working life. I do believe I still need to pay it forward to Mom Wald and someone else. In other words Alice, don't feel bad about the time that has passed. You're a very busy mom. And to be honest, your blog itself is a gift that I'm always happy to pay forward as a link to people I know would love your style.

Here's the pretty package. But wait to see what was inside...
A beautiful letter and three beautiful prints made by Alice herself. I'm very touched by this. They will be framed and will hang in a place where my family will enjoy looking at them each day.
Here is Kookaburra. This connects to my Australian father and family "down under."

Here's an amazingly abstract Bird of Paradise.

And an owl called "Hoot Owl."

Thank you again, Alice. These prints will be cherished for years to come.

Erin:)

Thrifty, Not Cheap - or am I Developing a Complex?

2011-01-12T21:26:00.001-08:00

This here cake pan cost .99 at Value Village. Nobody loved it until now...

Two things that the majority of people I know (other than you, loyal thrifty-loving reader of thrift blogs) don't get about me:

1. I like to thrift, but that doesn't make me a total weirdo. I also shop for new things at new stores for boring things like pants. I don't bother discussing it because there isn't much scope for a conversation about buying a jacket on sale at Old Navy. New things don't have a back story or mysterious history.

2. Blogging is great fun, but I don't actually put EVERYTHING on the blog, nor do I write about every thought that comes to me.

If you blog, do you have people in your life who don't quite get it? Now that I'm 40, I should care less, but yesterday, a staff member made some friendly quip about how I must like the cost-cutting measures taken at our school to avoid paying for supply teachers during professional development workshops. "You must like it since you love yard sales so much."

I just laughed and told myself to let it slide since it would be pointless trying to explain that there's nothing wrong with buying anything at a thrift store or garage sale. And there's no way I could convey the happiness thrifting brings to myself and others when we find that perfect collectable dish or maybe something else that's pretty for the house. I guess it's a hobby that isn't as socially acceptable as tennis or sushi making.

Now it's filled with Rice Krispie treats and makes the wee children smile.

Thank You For The Love

2011-01-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all the sweet greetings regarding my recent 40th. I was touched until I read Bounty Huntress' comments at which point I almost fell off my chair. LOL. I'm in very good company in the 40+ group.

Anyway, being young and toned isn't always ALL THAT (I've been waiting for the right time to re-air this clip).

In the spirit of 40-something jazzercized firmness, I offer you a young, spandex-clad John Travolta working the leg warmers as a token of friendship.

Love Erin

Never Mind "You're Fired"

2011-01-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hello friends.

Well, yesterday it was time to throw another log on the fire that is my life. This time it was a very big log.

Just in case I forgot what number my ticker clock had clicked over to, my niece made me this nifty birthday card. It must have taken her hours to find things in the flyers that were 40% off, just so she could collect enough numbers. What state would you compare the shape to? My U.S. geography is not stellar, but I'm thinking Arkansas.

Before I move on, here's my belated present to myself: a Kate Bush interlude.

Well, it was raining Pyrex on my birthday. Part of me thinks I'm not worthy, but the other side hears Heather Locklear's Nice and Easy commercial from back in the day. "You're worth it." At the last minute, I suggested to my sister that she find Mauzy's Pyrex: The Unauthorized Collector's Guide for me. I love the "unauthorized" part. It makes it seem kind of scandalous. Lise was able to order this from Amazon and it arrived in less than a week. More on the book below.

My folks had stashed away a bundle of Pyrex for me, along with some other nice gifts. Somehow the stash was misplaced during the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I'm happy enough to wait. I hope the Pyrex pieces materialize in the middle of the summer when I'm going through a dry Pyrex spell. What amazing kin folk I have. I like saying kin folk.

This book is a lot of fun. Even if you're not a collector of Pyrex, it's hard to flip through the pictures and not be a little charmed by the pieces. Even the most boring person who only buys new boring stuff would have to understand why people like collecting vintage Pyrex after looking at the book.
I just want all the coloured glassware. There are some pieces that I really want. Look below!
If I ever find this beauty, I'll be a happy forty-something. If I ever track it down, I'll more likely be ninety-something. Sigh.
Here's the Early American pattern that I love so much. What I would give to have a piece of Pyrex with a cat on it.
Anyway, here's what our neighbourhood looked like last Saturday morning. This is the classic Canadian weather of my childhood. Here's #1 son messing around with his shovel. Apparently Toronto's going to get walloped by more snow overnight. Torontonians are notoriously wimpy when it comes to a little snow. I can just hear my friend Barb, who hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba. "Try spending January in 'the 'Peg'."
And here's hubby and my lovely next-door-neighbour, Rosa digging out. Yes, I was still in my pjs looking out the window contemplating a nice, hot bath, subconsciously savouring the dog days of my thirties.

Chin chin!

Erin

Snowy Saturday

2011-01-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

This snowy day in Toronto is sponsored by insanely happy pop music from eighties Scottish band Altered Images. Does it get any better?

Two moments I've been waiting for will be realized today...

I'll be taking my son tobogganing on this very old wooden toboggan that I bought at a garage sale almost three years ago. It cost $5.00. The woman who sold it to me told me about all the happy memories she had about their family piling on to this beauty. She even made the customized pillow for added comfort. I can't wait to start our own family memories. Too bad my husband's working today. We'll rope him into it another time.
Ahhh. Here's little Duncan when he was two. He's such a big boy now. Note the chocolate on his face. He'll have more fun tobogganing in the snow than on the grass in our backyard.

Here's the other thing I've been wanting to do: use Pyrex fridgies. This is one of the ones Mary Lou gave me. It's now storing apricots.

Cheers,

Erin

Gerry Rafferty - RIP

2011-01-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

I just read in the paper that Gerry Rafferty died from symptoms related to alcoholism. That's a shame. He's famous for two songs - "Baker Street" and "Stuck in the Middle With You," the latter song made famous in the ear scene from Reservoir Dogs.

I'll stick to "Baker Street." This song is hated by many for the non-stop sax solo. Of course, I like it for nostalgic reasons. It's another song that I remember hearing on the MUZAK at K-Mart and places like that when I was a kid. My husband's from London and when we were there together, he took me down the real Baker Street - made famous by Sherlock Holmes. Ken used to work at British Telecom which wasn't too far from there. So many memories conjured up in one song.

Spring Blossoms - Already

2011-01-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

Pyrex lovers - stop me if you've heard this one before. This morning, my school's Office Administrator, Mary Lou surprised me with a bag of her mother's kitchen pieces that she was clearing out. It was the happiest start to any school day I've ever had. Thanks Mary Lou!

Included was this Corningware coffee pot. It's so seventies that it subconsciously brings back happy seventies memories of growing up.
Also included: a set of Pyrex Spring Blossom refrigerator dishes. I'm so happy that I finally own these. They are very hard to come by and I know they'll actually get used in the fridge.

Ta-dah!

The Party's Over

2011-01-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

This post is brought to you by Roxy Music's "Avalon." The first line is, "Now the party's over. I'm so tired." That's exactly how I feel right now and I haven't even been partying. It's a romantic song and the video makes me think of eccentric rich people in England, so it sort of goes with the book Blow By Blow, which I'm currently reading.

Anyway, if you feel like it, you can play the song and have a look at some of my favourite Christmas decorations that I packed away today. I go back to work tomorrow and I realized that if I didn't do it today, it wouldn't be until March that I got my act in gear.

I love stained glass. My dream would be to live in a house with cathedral ceilings and gothic stained glass windows. I bought the pear and two birds at Tracy Hardware on the Danforth near Main Street. Kelly Grunge Queen knows about this store. It's a very old hardware store, run by an elderly woman. Her daughter buys antiques and other curiosities and puts them in the front windows for sale. I found these pieces about three years ago. Duncan was still in a stroller and I used to go on these far flung walks just to get out of the house. I don't think I paid more than $8.00 for the three pieces. I had a nice chat with the proprietor. She had to get this grabby hook thing to reach the pieces down. I eventually had to climb up onto the raised display case to get down the last bird.

This decoration is my favourite. I bought it on the main street in St. Catharines at a gift store. It was on sale. When we got back to my parent's house, we just learned that my uncle had died. Now the ornament makes me think of my uncle. I agree that delight reigns in a garden.
This felt cat came from this big outlet store in Myrtle Beach called Waccamaw Pottery. When we used to go to Myrtle Beach on family vacations, Waccamaw was a huge place filled with all kinds of clay pots, etc. When we were last there a few years ago, it looked like it was closing down. They had a Christmas section and that's where I found this cat for a dollar or two.
On that last trip to Myrtle Beach, I also found a Christmas store. We were at one of those surreal shopping centres that has a dungeon and dragons-style mini golf area. We saw Pirates of the Caribbean there too, I believe. Anyway, I found Halloween Christmas decorations, which was very Tim Burton. I bought a few pieces. I love this witch's boot. It reminds me of the Wizard of Oz.
This is one of my newest favourite pieces. A very sweet boy named Zach in my class gave it to me along with this huge, scented candle. His mother is lovely and she told me the decoration is for Duncan. I love that it's a Canadian nutcracker.
Above and below: foam decorations that Duncan made at his daycare. I'll always remember my five-year-old boy and his amazing babysitter when I pull these out each year.

Another Waccamaw treasure. My sister and I both bought a goldfish. What can I say? It's nice having a fish hanging on the tree.
The tin bird came from a house and home store on the Danforth called Moss. If you live in Toronto, you probably know about it. Duncan has some non-Christmasy tin birds from Moss hanging in his room.
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that Mexican folk art is one of my passions. Not surprisingly, I've amassed a few tin Christmas decorations. I even have a tin nativity set, which I forgot to photograph. I'll try to do it later because it's very special.

Here's a very old felt elf that's been around forever. I'll have to see if my mother remembers where it came from originally. It's so old that a soft sneeze could knock the pompom right off the hat. I love it.
When we were kids, we used to pose the legs in funny directions and make the elf look like he was lounging around.

I'm not sure what happened to his feet.

I bought the white elf recently and now Big Green has someone to have snuggles with. Don't you love a happy ending?

Have you started packing up Christmas yet?

A New Year - New YSS Features

2011-01-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

Never lose your sense of fun!

Welcome to Yard Sale Snoop 2011! I'm looking forward to another thriftastic new year filled with old treasures and good blogging friends. I'm also adding two new features. One is "Books I'm Reading," which you'll find as a sidebar on the right. I hope that by sharing what I'm reading, I'll be forced to actually complete books and read more. I'll eventually add a section "Completed Books" where I'll say a few words about the book and maybe even rate it.

The second feature I'm going to add is called "Little Mysteries." Lately, I've been feeling like I'm surrounded by a culture that's overcooked. I'm completely bored with tabloids, useless celebrities, and fluffy banter about things that are boring. I realize that by blogging about little mysteries, I am in essence taking the mystique away somewhat, but this isn't the Huffington Post with a zillion readers. I'm just part of a small, but passionate community of people who like a lot of the same stuff. So what's wrong with that?

I've already filled a page in one of my many notebooks with little mysteries that take me down pathways that a million others haven't. A big thanks to Kate from Love You Big for sparking many of my new artistic interests. Kate also has a reading list on her blog, which is fascinating. Do check out Love You Big.

All the best!

Erin

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

It's already the new year in the Southern Hemisphere, so Happy New Year to those in Australia, New Zealand, and any other countries down there.

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, have a great night. I'll be back on tomorrow to tinker on this little blog. Cheers.

Here's the best fireworks scene in a movie. I think you'll agree.

Erin

Christmas Thrifts

2010-12-29T08:42:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a swell Christmas. The week between Christmas and the new year is always one of my favourites. Many people are still away in the city and our street is a semi-quiet oasis. All the cars parked on people's "parking pads" have vanished and you can almost imagine what the street looked like back in the 1920s. I always try to read the very old English story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It's a seasonal story that takes me back to a wonderful course I took at university. If you're not working this week, I suggest that you surround yourself with the things that interest you, block out the noise, read a good book, and enjoy the season.

I received many wonderful gifts from my family. My niece was kind enough to give me this Friendship Pyrex dish, which I don't have. Wonderful!
On Boxing Day, we went to the Value Village in Niagara Falls. There wasn't much there for me, but I did clean up on vintage tins. They were .99 each.

Above and below: English fruit cake tins.

Pretty tea tins. I like that they're hinged and a bit rusty.

This one is textured. I like touching the bumps.

Merry Christmas Pogues Style

2010-12-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all my blogging buddies. You know who you are. Mom Wald, thanks for the crochet pointer. I'm not exactly sure what you meant, but I'll ponder it over the holidays. Why don't I have people like you as next door neighbours? Can't you just imagine it. Ding-dong. "Oh, it's Erin again. She's trying to make a blanket, but it looks like a cloak worn by Stevie Nicks after being slammed in a car door."

And thanks to those who randomly pop by for a gander at what I'm discovering. Oh yeah, thanks to my mother for being the only person in my family who reads this blog. Here's a little James Garner circa The Rockford Files for you, Mom. Go on. Have a moment.

Here's a funny story. I was just washing the dishes listening to Q with Jian Ghomeshi on CBC Radio. He was interviewing the son of the man who invented the Yule Log. The son introduced his father by saying that he was born in the year that China abolished slavery. I was thinking: "Hmm, that seems totally out of context" and snickered to myself. When it was over, Jian and comedian Elvira Kurt completely lost it on air. I love it when TV and Radio personalities crack up. Remember my beloved German weather lady who couldn't stop laughing?

Merry Christmas to you all. Here's my traditional Christmas song which I'll play every year until I expire or stop blogging. It's Ireland's The Pogues, with the late Kirsty MacColl. Enjoy!

Lover Erin

Isabella Blow

2010-12-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

* I mistakingly wrote that Isabella Blow was a milliner in my original post. She did indeed wear many amazing hats in her life, but she didn't design hats herself:)

I first learned about fashion editor Isabella Blow when designer Alexander McQueen died earlier this year. She was his muse by all accounts. I wanted to find out more about this genuine English eccentric, so I Googled her name only to find out that several years ago, she had committed suicide. McQueen also took his own life. Last week, I read a book review in the Toronto Star about Blow by her widowed husband Detmar Blow, appropriately titled Blow by Blow. Today, I decided to use an Indigo gift card and buy this book as a little Christmas gift to myself. Problem was, I couldn't think of Isabella Blow's name at the time. I managed to convince a clerk to Google "McQueen muse" and sure enough, he discovered that they had one copy of the book in the fashion section.

Of course, I couldn't find the book in the fashion section, so I had to ask another clerk. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Oh, hello. I was told that you have one copy left of Blow by Blow. Could you help me find it?"

Clerk: "Who is the author?"

Me: "Blow."

Clerk: "Who is it about?"

Me: "Isabella Blow. She was a hat designer. English. Very famous in those circles."

Clerk: (scanning section) "Blow, Blow, Blow..."

Me: "It's called Blow by Blow, it's by a guy called Blow, about Isabella - his wife. But she's dead now."

Clerk: "Here it is" (shoves it in my hands).

Me: "Thanks."

I can't wait to read it. Do Google Isabella Blow in the meanwhile if you're interested in modern-day surrealist fashion design. Here are some pictures from the book.

Oh, on a totally different note, my scarf is looking a little better. I pulled out my seriously wonky stitching and started again. It's still not perfectly straight at the sides, but it's not looking like Krusty the Clown's tie anymore. I figure, it's my first project and I can stretch it out to make it look more even if necessary. I'm sure Martha Stewart would scold me if she heard of such poor craftsmanship.

Sorry about the photo quality. Right now in Toronto we seem to go from harsh light to no light at all.

Erin

My D-List Life As A D-List Canadian Celebrity Spotter

2010-12-23T16:54:00.001-08:00

Earlier in the week, I had to withdraw some money from my local east-end bank. I noticed a man skulking around by the window. He was wearing a pseudo hipster casual suit and his hair was bottle black. He looked familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It was my turn to use the machine, so as I was pressing the buttons, I turned around to see if this man had left yet. He hadn't. He was beginning to creep me out a little because he was trying so hard not to be noticed that he stood out like someone dressed up as a hotdog at a funeral. I can only assume that the woman at the other machine was his girlfriend and he was waiting for her. I finally realized who it was. It was the "Simon Cowell" judge from Canadian Idol. I couldn't believe that he was trying so hard not to get noticed. He should be so lucky that someone would actually stop and say something like: "Oh, aren't you that wiener who willingly got paid to listen to teenagers singing Phil Collins' power ballads and then complained about their song choice?"

Definitely D-list Canadian celebrity, rapidly descending into obscurity. Watch the clip of manufactured tantrums below. The judge that was skulking around bank machines in East York is the wanker in the leather jacket, not the wanker in the bad sweater. Meeeow.

This reminds me of the time we took our son to an after-hour children's walk-in clinic for pink eye. Like all the parents there, I was kept waiting for an eternity. Who else was waiting forever? It was none other than the premier purveyor of the most over-rated, boring films in Canada. I think only film critics have actually made it through any of his films and only because they have to. Like the Canadian Idol judge, this gentleman was doing everything in his power not to be noticed by the common people. He had his back awkwardly turned away from everyone and had his head down, when he wasn't on his cellphone. His poor son had to come and tell him when it was his turn to go in. Maybe I'm being too harsh. Perhaps he was hunched over his final revision of a scene from a film that was being filmed the next day.

When I told a table of teachers at my school about it, they didn't even know who I was talking about. Who am I talking about?

On a happier note, I saw a cool Canadian DIY celebrity today. I only know about Jim Caruk (of HGTV's "Real Renos") because my husband watches the show. I find the show boring, but Jim is funny. You get the feeling he spends 90% of his time on his cellphone and the other 10% he rides around on a forklift and they get the action shots for the show. Anyway, I was working on my crochet at a Tim Hortons up at Yonge and Eglinton in the lunch hour today. As I gnawed on my cheese bagel, I noticed a manly man dashing across the street. He needed a good haircut, but was wearing his "touch of grey" quite well otherwise. It was Jim. He doesn't care that everyone knows he goes out in public and crosses public streets. Good for you Jim! He actually smiled at me, or perhaps looked in bewilderment at a woman hooking and chewing at the same time.

Yeah baby! The closest thing we Canadians have to a Mike Rowe dude. I bet he uses a two-in-one shampoo and never has his hair touched by a stylist.

D-List Canadian Celebrity Sightings

2010-12-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

Within the past five days, I've spotted two very D-list Canadian celebrities, one who acted awkwardly and the other who seemed like the cool dude that I thought he'd be. This reminds me of a time a few years ago when a B-List Canadian celebrity was at the same after hours children's walk-in clinic.

Should I dish or be professional? Bear in mind I don't have enough money to hire a lawyer, so if I get taken to court, I may have to pass the tin can around. LOL

I'm going stocking stuffer shopping. Will respond later.

Erin

Oh Dear

2010-12-22T08:08:00.001-08:00

I decided to relearn how to crochet on the weekend. I watched some YouTube tutorials and figured I had it all figured out. Alright, how is it that my scarf is turning into a triangle? I realize I'm decreasing the stitches, or whatever they're called in Crochetland. I'm going to need a little roadside assistance. I hope to fix this problem and be wearning my funky scarf by next week.

Can she do it?

Stay tuned:)

Two Tiered System

2010-12-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

This post is brought to you by the truly eye-popping, digitally remastered, director's cut, etc. version of Simple Mind's "Up on the Catwalk." I always liked this band - especially their early dancier stuff. Click play and enjoy as you look at what I found at - you guessed it - Value Village today.

The fact that I don't know what this is called speaks to what a bottom feeder I am in the world of domestic goddesses. Anyway, I've always wanted a double decker serving dish. I never thought I'd find one so old timey and Gun Smoke. I want to say it's not vintage, but repro, but there's absolutely no manufacturers' mark on it. The wood and brass don't seem like a modern touch, so who knows? I'm always loath to spend more than $5.00 at VV, but this was $9.99 and I knew I'd kick myself if I didn't buy it.
The bottom plate is essentially a larger version of the top, but includes a few extra details, such as a broom. How charming. I feel this uncontrollable urge to make little sandwiches with the crusts cut off. I also found what I thought was one plastic Made in Hong Kong Christmas chip bowl. I loved the vivid colours. The world's most miserable cashier was there again to ring me up. Despite her hang-dog customer service, I stayed chipper and thanked her. When we got home, I saw that she charged me .49 for the bowl. Duncan quickly discovered that it was stacked on an identical bowl. How two adults missed this and a five-year-old figured it out is so typical. Well, I'm slowly recouping all the money I've spent on over-priced goods at VV, forty-nine cents at a time. At least someone's smiling. Cheeeeeese!

Finally, Pyrex and the Quaids

2010-12-20T14:38:00.000-08:00

If you want to see a nicer picture of my latest Pyrex bowl and read a story about it that rivals the finest literature of Balzac and Tolstoy, you can read about it at The Pyrex Collective.

In my last post about people who got into heaps of trouble or were very annoying in 2010, I forgot to mention Randy and Evi Quaid. I highly recommend that you buy the latest edition of Vanity Fair. First off, just look at who's on the cover!

The cover price is worth it just to have this fine portrait of Johnny Depp. There's also a huge story on Jackie O's life as a book editor. But the real guilty pleasure is the feature on Randy and Evi Quaid. Talk about a car crash of a couple. The interviewer met up with Randy and Evi, who were on the lam, hiding out in Vancouver last month. The Quaids are clearly pathological liars who don't know how to manage the money Randy gets in royalties probably because he's smitten with his control freak wife who spends every last penny on designer clothes and shoes. Somehow, they've concocted this whole crazy story about how there are people in Hollywood who are trying to "whack" them. Truth is, they don't make their mortgage payments on time like us hard working folks have to. Their theory about being targeted makes no sense whatsoever. They seem way too "Life on the D-list" to even warrant a celebrity whack. Do read this piece.

Erin