It’s been a while since I reported on some of our odd and fun finds. So it’s time to catch up!
If you were expecting Christmas crafts or seasonal decorating… sorry to disappoint…
I’M A SCROOGE! A GRINCH! CHARLIE BROWN!
(not really… I ‘m just being dramatic)
Christmas is lovely when it’s someone else doing it. I LOVE IT! Bring on the tinsel, the wreaths, the lights and tree. Show off your holiday baking and hand stitched stockings. I will soak it in and “eat it up”. But all you’re getting from me today is the crap we found! HA HA!
First off, another compass. I know, I know, I’m kind of thinking it’s weird that we keep finding compasses. Hummm… I wonder if that’s a sign that I need to travel — go somewhere and possibly get lost. Well, if it is a sign I have plenty of cool ones to choose from. Here’s one more for our collection. I love the see through glass face and leather strap.
Next up is a printer’s type set drawer. Richie rolled up with this and I just about peed my pants. I remember having one of those little miniature shelf displays when I was a kid and I have no idea what happened to it. Of course this idea of using the actual drawer as a shelf is super cool to me. I love that it had a purpose and life that is now completely different.
I cleaned it up and added hangers to the back. I have no idea where I’m going to put it because it’s pretty BIG. I may have to do some rearranging. I love the weathered, old look of all the wood next to the peeling paint.
I added a few weird things to it for the photos and then quickly realized how much fun it was going to be to place and replace items as I see fit. All the weird crap we pick up here and there looks pretty great in the drawer.
I actually have a lot of old block stamps that will fit perfectly into this display. When I finally get it into its final resting place and all pimped out, I’ll do an update.
I’m a cat lover and whenever Richie finds a wood cat, he snags it for me. This one is the cat’s meow! She now joins the litter. Look at her sweet little self! Too cute. I really love this kitty because it’s exactly how my cat looks at me first thing in the mornings. She gets away with murder!
Are you kidding me? Who could resist that face?
Last week I came home from work to find this in the driveway. If I had a place to put it, it would get a total makeover. Unfortunately it was only there for about 2 hours after which we sold it to a friend who owns a resale, vintage shop here in town. It looks shabby here but you can totally see the potential. I always thought I’d live in an old warehouse or loft and it would be filled with things like this. (sigh!)
Last winter Richie picked up one of those tactical scarves like they wear in the military and I found myself stealing it from his closet quite often. So he found one at an estate sale and brought it home to me. I’m not sure if it was a sweet gesture or if he was telling me to stay out of his closet. Either way, I’ll definitely enjoy the scarf …. cuz sometimes a girl just needs to be a little bad ass! No machine gun required.
You can find them in surplus stores and online… but not for $2.00. They’re light weight and pretty large in size so they could even be used around the house. Maybe a pillow, a curtain for a small window or a table runner. These guys look pretty good in them, huh?
We’re always finding stuff and if you’re one of those folks who loves to hunt for treasures you know how fun it is to score… big or small.
As far as Christmas goes… I was totally kidding. Well, sort of. I’m not a grinch I’m just lazy tired, I guess. I do love the beauty of the season but I struggle with the commercial side of it. Richie asked me if I was going to put up our tree and I didn’t even hesitate. I SAID NO! The look on his face was one of such disappointment. It made me feel so bad. So who knows, maybe it’ll hit me soon. Until then I love seeing other bloggers celebrate the season with all their sparkle and creativity. Bring it on!
You make me drool over your finds. I love EVERYTHING! That light was quite the cat’s meow, oh maybe it was the carving. I’m a cat lover too and I get those same irresistible looks from mine too! Can’t wait for more goodies you have stashed away.
Hey Karen! Hope you’re doing well and gearing up for the holidays. Aren’t those kitty looks the best! Sometimes she can tilt that little head and look at me and it changes my entire mood. I’m glad to know you’re a cat lover too. You definitely get that, then. The light made me sad. I really wanted to keep that thing but it wasn’t practical. I have to show you a light we found years ago soon in a post. It’s crazy cool!
Have a great weekend and as always… you’re so sweet to check in on us and say hello. I love hearing from you. :-)
Years ago (when we had thoughts of moving to California), we purchased a huge building. The building was chalked full of antiques, leftovers from the Hotel next door – well, you get the picture. In all of that there was a surgical light, the kind that lights up the operating table and can be tilted. It would have been a great conversation piece except that in a house, it grows in size and was just too different that we decided we just could not utilize it like we wanted to. It made us sad since it was such a unique find.
I was chuckling earlier as I was reading your reply and thinking that our tastes are so much alike that if we were to go shopping together, people would probably think we hate each other simply because we would find the same thing at the same time and start fighting over it.
Jeeze, you find the best stuff!!! I love your display case and everything in it. And that scarf is sweet!
Hi Dana! Thanks and if I could lend you that scarf today I would because I know you are so cold in Fort Worth today. I hope your modernist nest is warm and cozy inside.
oh my goooooodness (said in shirley temple’s voice). i love these!! that compass is awesome and i love the little leather strap attached to it.
jordan and i have a drawer like that and have all manner of bric-a-brac displayed in it! i’ll have to shoot you a photo of it. it’s so overflowing, it’s about time we found another one!
oh boy. i LOVE those cats. both the wooden ones and real one! i love the long fur. both of my (real) cats are short hair. better for fur control, but not as cute!
and put up a damn tree, wimmin! go hog-wild!! i wiiiiish i could find one of those old school metal ones (for cheap). THAT will be the day….
good finds, lady bird!!! oh! the scarf. you look totaly femme badass. now i want one.
ps. yay for babydoll dead hand! :D
LOVED seeing your shelves today. You’ve inspired me to really get mine all fixed up and looking sharp. One other thing we found but got rid of like ten minutes after Richie brought them home (didn’t have time to take pictures) was a set of old school metal lockers. THEY WERE AWESOME, Tamara. I thought of you. I would have kept them but the bottom of them had a pretty good amount of rust. I guess someone must have let them get wet or something. I will be keeping my eyes out for another set. SOME DAY…..
Tomorrow morning, I am going to look like a total copy cat. I swear to god, the post is already written, and it is a few things that Douglas and I found in the trash last week. I am going to have to add a link to your post. I guess great minds think alike.
Also, my sister recently gave me back the type set drawer I had in my room as a teenager. I am still debating where to put it. Yours looks great.
Loved your post, Jessica. Us junk lovers have got to sick together! Thanks for the link.
You should definitely get your drawer filled with treasures and on display. I think I’m going to have a blast with mine.
Thanks for looking!
Okay, I am not a cat person, but I have developed a crush on the one with the whiskers behind the newest, meeeeow!
I can see how that treasure drawer/display case would provide hours of entertainment – “let’s see, how about this?” “now this?” “what if I put this here and…” Of course, if you do this whilst wearing that hardcore yet cute scarf, and the set is lit by that big mama spotlight I think you’d have a goode one-woman show on your hands. Oh wait, you really already do have that… :)
YOU’RE NOT A CAT PERSON! Oh no, you’re a gnome person! (just as good!) I’m highly allergic to dogs so cats have invaded my home and heart. I love it when Richie finds a new one for me.
Wouldn’t that light be awesome all fixed up. Man, I wish I had it in me to take that on… or had a place for it. I just love stuff like that. Thanks Jocelyn!
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Oh, love the scarf, Stacey!! I remember those set drawers, they were immensely popular over here when I was young. Such a great way to display your little gems. I hear you on the decorating issue… Every year the whole commercial circus starts a bit earlier and to me it gets a little nauseating…
Hello LOVELY! How are you, Tove? Yes, yes, when I was young these little shelves were a HUGE deal. All my friends had them and our parents would buy us little trinkets to put in them for birthdays, Christmas, etc. Who knew that I’d be starting over at 45. Totally in love with the idea, again. Today was a good day to wear my scarf. We went from 80 degrees (26C) yesterday to 42F (5.5C). Our weather in Texas is crazy… so I’m all warm and cozy now!
As for the holiday circus… I’m sure I’ll be “shooting out of a cannon” soon. It’s only a matter of time before the pressure to participate gets the best of me. How about you? Do you do lots of decorating? If you do… I’m sure it’s gorgeous. You have amazing taste!
There’s something to be said about people who can take a whole bunch of found stuff and transform that into a attractive, inviting, funky and interesting display. In my hands, the stuff I find looks like junk. But you my friend have a special talent, a special eye!!! I can stare at your drawers all day!!! (Ok, that sounds a tad weird…) I love the magnet, the typeset, the little bottles… and the hand! So cool! Aw…. and look at your with the scarf, you look so sweet (one would never believe you swear like a truck driver in your screen casts, hehehe!)
Natalie
XX
Blahh ha haaa ha ha! You are hilarious, woman! I love it when you stare at my drawers. When a girl gets new drawers she appreciates someone taking notice! (giggle)
Yes, I’m a sailor and a truck driver rolled into one. I have to make a conscious effort to act like a civilized person out in public (and sometimes on my blog) but the real me always sneaks in.
(Especially when I trying to act like I know what I’m doing and then screw it up. well.. SH@#T!)
Thanks Natalie. I’ve got big plans for this drawer and maybe I can get to work on it during the holidays. I’ve got lots of time off work so it could happen. Thanks for visiting me. Love that you’re here!
Well, now you’ve made me feel really OLD. I am SO OLD that when I was young and worked for a printer in college, I knew the California job case layout, and yes, I have even set type out of one! I wish I could find one now–so cool! I love the wooden cats, too. As you know, we have lots of real cats … so they are something I should be collecting! Now go out and find an aluminum Christmas tree! :)
Oh how awesome! I would love to work for a printer or a design/printing company. So cool that you got to do that! I find the old school way of doing it so much more appealing.
Oh yes.. our sweet kitties. I know how much you love them and I wish there were more people like you around. I loved your posts about the kittens. How are they, by the way? I hope they are still showing up now and then. As for the aluminum tree… My days of finding those are over. We have three of them in different sizes but I usually only put up the big one. Maybe I’ll do two this year. They’re fun.. but kind of a pain with all those individual branches. Richie is moaning and groaning about getting it out so I guess we’ll be doing that this weekend. Are you knee deep in tinsel and lights?
Happy to say the kittens are living in their little chalet on our front porch (which now has a heated pad). Dot and Dash will even sneak in the back door if I offer them Party Mix! They clearly like us –as long as we don’t touch them!
I should have known you’d have not one but THREE aluminum trees! With what’s been going on in the kitchen this week, we are way behind in the tinsel and lights department. Have to get up to speed this weekend because we’re entertaining next Friday! Ack!!
Great stuff. I loved the little scarf, it’s very cute. Awesome post!
Thanks Kara! I wore it the other day and it kept me so warm and toasty! It’s kind of masculine but I think that’s why I love it so much. Girlie stuff gets boring, sometimes. HA HA!
Thanks for visiting!!
Oh Sweet Mercy so this is where all the good stuff in thrift stores is? I need to go visit Texas!! Our thrift stores have been robbed lately and full of 80’s furniture and not the good kind. I love all of the above. All!
Hey Alex. We NEVER find anything at thrift stores. We’ve actually stopped going to them over the last few years. Almost everything Richie finds is at an Estate sale. But to be quite honest, even those are most times disappointing so I know exactly what you mean. I’m starting to think all the good stuff is gone and may stay that way for quite some time. You should come to TEXAS ANYWAY!!! Ha Ha Ha!
Beautiful scarf! And oh how I am checking out that industrial light. All fabulous finds! happy new year :)