BailiwickStudio

Small Treasures

Finally, I was able to visit a flea market this past weekend. It had been months since the last time.

We felt leisurely and arrived much later than we normally do, so the place was quite crowded. Carts fully loaded with delicious things were being pushed about. The vendors were cheerful and full of smiles - which means they were having a good day!

I could only buy small things this time, since we were in our small car and we were picking up my mother-in-law from her daughter's house afterwards (along with her car-filling baggage which includes a wheelchair and a walker). That didn't leave any room in the car for tables or armoires or sideboards, but it wasn't a problem because my favorite things are small anyway... scrolly rusty metal, film reels, old glass, linens, buttons, tarnished silver...

I always look for old wooden toy tops - there's something so charming and sweet about them. I found two this time. I really ought to keep them instead of selling them, but do I really need another collection? I also found a pretty bit of old tapestry (which I've already made into a sachet), and a piece of white cloth monogrammed with my initials. How could I pass that up?

At the very end of the day I found more red striped French linen, just in the nick of time - I used up the last of my stash last week.

I'm already looking forward to next month, and the Spring and Summer beyond. I think it will be a good year for flea marketing!

A Flea Market Sunday

Today was a perfect day for a flea market. The weather was warm and sunny (almost too sunny for photo-taking), but for once I remembered that I had my camera with me so I took photos anyway. These are just some of the things that caught my eye.

I love the round box in the top corner, and the faded white deck chairs, and the old keys, and I absolutely adore the vintage Noah's Ark (below).

This place was packed - there's nothing like a bright sunny day to bring out the crowds of vintage enthusiasts!

I'm joining Mary at Little Red House today for Mosaic Monday.

A Good Deal

From the first time I saw one, I was totally smitten by those charming folding bistro chairs. I thought I'd love to have a few on my patio, but the prices were way up there. I saw a pair of them at the Long Beach Antique Fair a couple of weeks ago for $150!

But last weekend I was in the right place at the right time. At our little local flea market I walked by a space with three of these cuties and I asked the price, even though I expected it to be as high as all the others I'd seen. The guy said, "oh, how about $5.00?" $5.00??? "Each?" I asked. "Oh no", he said, "for all three". I whipped out a $10 dollar bill, but he didn't have any change. I was about to tell him to keep the whole ten (my mind was still boggled by the $5.00 price), but he was already dashing off with my ten to find change for it.

So now I'm three bistro chairs richer. It's true, they're a little rough - the slats are wonky and they wobble a bit, but for $5.00? I'll happily live with the imperfections!

Be sure to visit Kathleen at Faded Charm for more White Wednesday!

Flea Shopping

This morning we went very early to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. All the way there it was softly raining so I wondered just how it would be, and between that and the fact that it's Mother's Day the crowd was thin. Such a contrast to the last time I was there, when you had to jostle and side-step your way down each aisle! I bought very little, really, or maybe I just bought small things, because my cart wasn't very full at the end.

One of my must-stop-at booths is the fabulous Euro-Linens, and Will told me afterwards that while I had my nose in a barrel of $1.00 linens, an ABC camera crew went through filming the booth! I had no clue, my attention was so zeroed in on digging through that barrel. I pulled out some great old embroidered tablecloths, though! Elsewhere, I found all the things I love so much - pretty bottles, old silverplate, bits of lace, rusty iron, and a short ladder with just the right amount of age, paint spots, and wobblyness.

And just for me, I bought a crown. Won't it look pretty in an old urn with ivy growing around and through?

Be sure to visit Mary at Little Red House for more Mosaic Monday.

Sorting Silver

Today was one of those wow-did-I-hit-the-jackpot-at-a-yard-sale days. We saw an ad for a yard sale where there were two 50' containers full of antiques being sold off, previously owned by an elderly woman who was a self-professed hoarder. Today's sale was just half of one container, and it alone filled up the front yard. We were among the first people there, and I bought lots of little things - embroidered linens, books, bottles, dishes, etc - but the best purchase of all was a vintage suitcase full of old silver.

I started sorting through it as soon as I got home. There are bits and pieces of various patterns, and two complete sets, so with my trusty flatware identification guide in hand I'm figuring out what is what. Some of it is so pretty I want to keep it! But soon, all (or at least most of it! ahem) will be in my etsy shop.

I'm already looking forward to the next sale. Who knows what I'll bring home!

I'm joing Beth for March's Silver Sunday today.

Bits and Bobs From an Auction

a bucket of old clothespins...

a vintage doorknob...

a nifty folding box full of sewing machine attachments...

an old suitcase (that came without the cat)...

dusty but pretty glassware...

faded vintage ornaments...

a pile of keys...

a pair of vintage egg baskets...

Since I opened my vintage shop, I've been prowling thrift stores, flea markets, and yard sales as often as possible. Then I discovered auctions.

I'm not sure yet how I feel about them - I've been to two now, both of them outdoors on freezing cold days, and I've come to the conclusion that there's a lot of waiting involved while the auctioneer makes his way to the stuff you want to bid on (which is usually last, naturally), and then of course all the other women there intend to bid on the same things. The routine seems to be, the women bid, hand their wins off to the husbands who are standing just behind them, who then run to their cars when their arms are full. I guess it takes a team of two to attend an auction around here! At yesterday's auction I missed out on some wonderful old bottles and flatware because I couldn't calculate fast enough in my head to figure out how high to bid before I was beyond making a profit (math was never my strong suit), but I suppose that's the thrill of it all - you might get it and you might not. I did manage to nab a few things, but I'm still a trifle put out that I was outbid on some lovelies that I had kept an eye on for four hours!

It's an intriguing pasttime, so I think I'm willing to try it again regardless of frozen toes and lack of mathematical skills.

I'm linked to Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Love Letters

I've been collecting these vintage printer's letters for quite some time, and finally have enough to put together in a good-sized collage for the wall. Today at a flea market I found seven giant ones (well, they're over 6" high, and that's pretty large for letter blocks like these), which rounds out my collection quite nicely. So today I played with them one last time while they're still loose and fancy-free, just to wish everyone a lovely Valentine's Day!

I'm joining with Mary at Little Red House for today's Mosaic Monday.

A New Vintage Shop

Something new for you today! After thinking about it for the longest time, I opened a second etsy shop called BailiwickVintage. I love going to flea markets and thrift shops, as many of you do, but I was becoming overwhelmed with things I didn't need. So, I finally made a concerted effort to declutter around here.

I gathered things up from all corners of the house and corralled them into a cabinet before they could find their way back to wherever I found them (a couple of those things really gave me a hard time, or was that me giving myself a hard time about letting go?). In any case, they're now listed in my new shop, with still more to come. I hope you'll visit! And I'll love having a clear conscience about doing more shopping - what better excuse is there to buy wonderful old things than having a shop to keep supplied?

 

Vintage Linens

I'm joining Barbara at Southern Lady Vintage for her "Vintage Love Saturday". Today it's all about linens.

My great grandmother made the tablecloth above, which is quite large and has a basket in each corner plus the large one in the center. My aunt told me she remembers her sitting in a sunlit corner of their breakfast nook stitching away, all through the 30s and 40s. She was in her 70s and 80s at the time. She also made the handkerchief below.

Linens are way up at the top of my list of things to look for at flea markets. I've collected several tablecloths and runners over the years. I love their embroidery and lacy edges.

and these vintage crocheted pieces are so pretty.

But my current favorite piece is this old grain sack that's a part of my haul from last weekend. It's exactly what I wanted to cover four of these chairs, which are going to be painted a chippy white. Maybe I'll get to that this weekend, now that I finally have the fabric.

I love vintage linens, and feel so pleased that they've lasted through the years. I often buy them with the intention of cutting them up for sewing projects, which is incredibly hard to do - sometimes I just can't! I've already been wondering if I'll be able to take scissors to the grain sack when the time comes? We'll see!

My New Old Sideboard

Several weeks ago at a flea market we found an old sideboard whose beauty was hidden under some awful red paint. It was exactly what the dining room needed for extra storage space, so we bought it and started in on the renovation.

This is how it looked then...

I stripped the paint (which bubbled into what resembled tomato sauce)...

and put hours into sanding and scraping...

in the company of this inquisitive cat who feels he must put his nose into everything going on around here...

I did a bit of research on this furniture company, called Berkey & Gay. As pretty as this design is, it's one of the plainer styles this company produced - most of what they made was very ornate. This one was built sometime between 1920 and 1940, according to the embossed metal plate in one of the drawers, and this piece is no. 222.

Finally, it's finished! And of course, it's white.

Just for fun I painted the inside behind the doors a luscious aqua...

and I covered pieces of cardboard with black velvet for the silverware compartments.

I've looked for a sideboard ever since we moved here a year ago, so it pays to be patient. I love this piece - it's a keeper!

Linked up with Faded Charm for White Wednesday, The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday, and My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.