Learning About Walt Disney...

Did you get hit by the big March snowstorm? We sure did! I'd say we got at least 6 inches of new snow, on top of everything that froze from last night's rain, and it's still snowing and blowing like crazy! I'm still feeling under the weather, I just can't seem to shake this cold and it has worn me out. So with the weather and not feeling great, I decided to call in at work today.

I did venture out to the store to pick up a few things, and barely made it back down our road! My youngest son is the only other one who has to work today so the rest of us are just lounging around, reading and goofing around online. I decided to read a book I picked up at the library a week or so ago. It's called Walt Disney, a Biography by Louise Krasniewicz. I thought I'd share what I learned.

Walter Elias Disney was born to Elias (grandfather immigrated from Ireland even though the name Disney is of French origins)  and Flora (Call) on December 5, 1901. He was the fourth son after Herbert (1888), Raymond (1890), Roy (1893), and before Ruth (1903). When his parents were first married, they lived in central Florida, but between the births of Herbert and Raymond, they moved the family to Chicago where his father worked as a carpenter at the World's Fair.

In 1906 they moved to Marceline, Missouri where they decided to try farming. In 1911, they moved to Kansas City and Walt worked his father's paper route. In 1916, the family moved back to Chicago, but Walt stayed in Kansas City. In 1917 he took a summer job working on the railroad, but later joined his family in Chicago where he also took art lasses at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In 1918 while working at the Chicago post office, Walt narrowly missed being injured by a bomb, and that led to he and.a friend lying about their ages so they could join the Red Cross Ambulance Corp. After WWI ended, Walt was sent to Europe to be a driver for the Red Cross.  He sent his earnings (and gambling winnings) home to his mother to save for him, so by the time he returned to the states, he had enough money saved up to start his own business. He also spent time drawing cartoons and sent them back to the United States hoping to sell them but they were all rejected.

In 1919, while working for the Gray Advertising Company, Walt met Ub Iwerks. Their positions were only temporary,so after the holidays when they were both laid off, they decided to go into business together. They called their company Iwwerks-Disney Commercial Artists. Only a week into the new business venture, Walt found an ad for a job at Kansas City Film Ad Company, an couldn't resist the pull, so he left the business to Ub. Unfortunately, Iwwerks-Disney failed just two months later,

Walt was able to recommend Ub for a job at Kansas City Film Ad Company and he was hired. They worked together on animated advertisements that were shown in local movie houses. They were making around $40 a week. During that time, Walt studied a lot of different animation techniques and even tried his hand at filming a short film in his brother's garage. He was able to sell it, but he only made enough to cover his expenses. He made several political cartoons that he called Newman Laugh-O-Grams.

He tried to convince his bosses at KCFAC to incorporate cartoons in their offerings but the bosses weren't interested. So on his off time, Walt created a Little Red Riding Hood cartoon. When it was completed, he quit at KCFAC and got several investors to back him and decided to make Newman-Laugh-O-Grams his full time work, along with Ub Iwerks. They even got a big contract to produce seven fairy tales for a company in New York. Unfortunately, the deal fell through, and they never got paid.

At this time,Walt had no money and he had a growing list of people that he owed money to. He got a job that paid $500 to create and educational film for a dentist, called Tommy Tucker's Tooth. This was enough of a confidence boost that Walt started coming up with new ideas and concepts. He just couldn't get anyone to financially back him. At the urging of his brother Roy in 1923, Walt worked to earn enough money photographing babies (and selling his camera equipment) to buy a one way ticket to California (where Roy was already living trying to recover from TB).

He lived with his uncle Robert, but had a hard time finding work. He hung out around movie studio lots pretending to be looking for work, when he was actually watching and learning everything he could about the movie business. He got a role as an extra in a western and decided to set up another make shift studio to try to make some more animated movies. He tried again to sell his ideas to a cartoon distributor in New York (she had previously turned him down), and this time, she made a deal with him to make one film a month for $1500.

Walt convinced Roy to go into business with him and they created the Disney Brothers Studio. They started out on a shoestring of money they gathered from relatives. Walt's parents even mortgaged their house to support their sons endeavor.

In 1925 both Roy and Walt got married. Roy to Edna in April and Walt to Lillian in July. He met Lilly when She came to work for Walt and Roy as a receptionist. She earned $15 a week and ended up painting cells as well as secretarial work.

In 1926 they moved their business into a larger facility and changed the name to Walt Disney Studios. Their biggest project to date was a series of Alice comedies, that they worked on through 1927. While on a train returning from New York (attempting to sort out some issues with his distributor) Walt came up with the idea to start a new series about a mouse, named Mortimer. Lilly didn't care for the name so Walt came up with Mickey. Mickey Mouse was trademarked in May of 1928, although his official birthday is November 18, 1928.

In 1930, Mickey was featured in a comic strip in a newspaper and was touted as "The World Famous Movie Character, Mickey Mouse". In 1940 Mickey was featured in his first comic book. By 1942, and World War II, there was a paper shortage, but that didn't stop them from producing and selling over a million copies a month. They were licensed and produced all over the world in many languages, and by the 1950's over three million comics were sold each month.

In the 1950's, Walt admitted to having had a mental breakdown in the 30's from the stress of always working, always striving to improve, and not making much money. He and Lilly took an extended trip during that time, that led them to Washington D.C., Florida and Cuba for some rest and relaxation. They called it their honeymoon, even though they had been married for ten years. They had their first child (a daughter), Diane in 1933 and adopted a daughter, Sharon Mae in 1937.

In 1938 Walt received three honorary Master's degrees and joined the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. It would seem with all of the acknowledgements happening in his life that this would be pretty good year for Walt, but it turned out to be a very tragic year for him and his siblings. His parents, who had recently moved to California to live near Walt and Roy (in a house the boys had built for them) succumbed to carbon monoxide fumes from a furnace that was improperly installed. Flora didn't survive, but Elias did. He was said to never be the same as he was before the tragedy.

In 1939, Walt received a special academy award for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and some Disney artifacts were included in a tie capsule for the New York World's Fair. In 1940, Pinocchio was released and Walt and Roy made stock in the Disney Company open to the public. Later that year, Fantasia was released. In 1941 they won an academy award for Pinocchio for best song and best music score.

During the years of 1942 and 1952, many films were released and then re-released, and in 1952 Walt created WED Enterprises (his own company) to develop Disneyland. In 1953, Peter Pan was released and Walt and his team started researching locations in California to eventually place Disneyland. As a way to fund the building of Disneyland, Walt agreed to start a television series. It debuted in 1954 with over 30 million viewers. Within one year, the television show won an Emmy. The amusement park officially opened on July 18,1955. In 1958, the team started researching a location for the second Disney amusement park.

Mary Poppins was released in 1964. It was a combination of animation and live action, and a collaborative effort between Disney and P.L. Travers. It was a hard fought battle to get Mary Poppins to the screen, and the reason I decided to read Walt's biography, well, the new movie about the making of Mary Poppins called Saving Mr. Banks is what actually piqued my interest.

Walt passed away in 1966 from lung cancer, from a lifetime of smoking. He had already purchased 27,000 acres in Florida and had begun work on Disney World when he passed. His brother Roy continued working on it until its grand opening in 1971 and he passed soon after.

I found it interesting that even though he faced a lot of failure and opposition, he kept getting back up, dusting himself off and trying again and again. I was impressed with his family for sticking with him and supporting him every step of the way. Even going as far as mortgaging their home to raise money to help him start yet another project after many failed attempts.

It is also very interesting how one man could have such an influence on our culture. He died before I was born, but I very strongly remember sitting on the couch on Sunday night watching the Wonderful World of Disney. When my boys were little, we had every Disney VHS tape we could find and we watched them all over and over and over. My very favorite is Robin Hood. I even watched it when the boys were napping sometimes! What's your favorite, old or new Disney movie?

Things seem to have changed a lot from those days. People are busier, spending less and less time at home. Off to run kids to sports or clubs or groups. I wonder if any family with young kids actually has a set night where they all gather around the television for a specific show every week like we did when I was a kid. Back then, it wasn't just one night or one show, it evolved into several nights a week with several shows. Remember Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Dukes of Hazzard, and many more?

I hope you enjoyed reading about Walt Disney as much as I did, and as much as I enjoyed sharing it!




 

2014 Michigan (and surrounding areas) Flea Markets, Festivals, Sales and Antique and Collectible Malls and Shops---My Favorites!

I guess I'm a little behind on this list, but I'm glad I'm behind, because I get to add in some new places that I just found this year! Every year, I make a list of my favorites and share them here so you can go and enjoy them as well. This is my new list of favorites for 2014. They are listed below in random order starting with festivals flea markets and sales.

1.  Michigan Antique & Collectibles Festival in Midland and Davisburg (NEW LOCATION). With over 1000 dealers on over 80 acres in Midland and 5 indoor buildings in Davisburg-you get your junkin fix along with a good workout! Admission is $6 per person. This year's dates: Davisburg - May 3-4 and Oct 4-5, Midland - May 31- June 1, July 19-20, and September 20-21. Opens at 8am on Saturday, 9 am on Sunday.

2. Warren's Greatest Garage Sale in a parking structure at Warren's city hall. I haven't  been to this sale for a couple of years, but the last time I went, admission was only $1 per person and if you can think of it, it will probably be there! This year's dates are May 25-26. Opens at 10am.

3. Flat Rock Historical Society Flea Market at the Flat Rock Speedway. Free admission and parking-with up to 300 vendors. This year is their 70th semi-annual flea market. Their usual dates are the first Sunday in May and the first Sunday in October 7am-7pm. May 4th is this year's first market. I haven't been to this sale in a few years, but I do remember stopping at a fun antique mall very nearby.

4. Greenmead Flea Market located on the historic Greenmead Farm in Livonia. They don't have their 2014 dates posted yet, but I am assuming they will be Sunday, June 1 and Sunday, September 7-same as it has been the last few years. Admission is $2 per person and they have up to 175 vendors.

5. Royal Oak Parking Structure Sale located in the 6th and Lafayette parking structure.  I can't find the 2014 dates, but I am assuming they will be July 13-14-admission is $2 per person. I haven't been to this sale for a few years, but the first time I went was over 10 years ago!

6. Williamston Antiques Open House March 22 and I am assuming another half outside/half inside sale in June-like last year, and years prior. They have a great Christmas open house too. They make the atmosphere fun and have lots of free yummy food!

7. Mega Mall Summer Flea Market located in the parking lot of the Mega Mall in Lansing. It is on the third Sunday of the month April-October 10am-3pm. This is a really FUN flea market! With sales inside as well. 

8. Ingham County Superfest Flea Market &  Sale located on the Ingham County Fairgrounds. This sale already happened Feb 1-2. I haven't been for a few years, but hoping to catch it next year. 

9. Michigan's Yard Sale Trail located along US 12 Heritage Trail August 8-10. I LOVE this sale!! I've done it several times and plan to do it every year!

10. World's Longest Yard Sale or 127 Sale from Gasden, Alabama to Hudson, Michigan. 2014 dates--August 7-10. I haven't done this sale since 2008-I've wanted to go back every year, but things keep popping up to keep me away. I hope to get back to it this year!

11. Springfield Antiques Extravaganza located in Springfield, Ohio. This event boasts up to 2500 vendors all in one location! I've been wanting to go for a long time, maybe this year will be the year I finally make it! May 16-18 and September 19-21. Admission $5.

Antique and Collectibles Malls and Shops:

1. Maumee Antique Mall located in Maumee, Ohio. Huge mall with over 300 dealers. Great variety and reasonable prices. This is a new favorite. I plan to visit a few times a year. If it were closer, I'd visit more often!

2. Mega Mall located in Lansing, Michigan. Very big mall with new, vintage, old, and handmade items. Has a cafe inside. This is one of my favorites! I try to visit it at least 4 times per year. If it were closer, I'd be there at least once a month!

3. Maple Street Mall located in Mason, Michigan. This is a new to me antique mall, but I loved the time I spent there! Great selection, with very reasonable prices and VERY friendly staff! They made the shopping experience a very pleasant one. I'm already planning my next visit, and planning to take friends!

4. Columbia Street Mall located in Mason, Michigan. This is another new to me antique mall. I went on a very cold winter day, and part of this mall is in a big unheated building! I rushed through to keep from freezing, but I am already planning my next visit.

5. Fratz Consignment located in Fenton, Michigan. This is a great consignment store where you will find old and new and everything in between. Sometimes you have to dig to find a treasure, sometimes it's just sitting there waiting for you. Like most consignment stores, they have a price discount after a certain number of days, and at this popular place, shoppers line up to get the deals on mark down days. This is a regular stop for me.

6. Antiques, Art & Collectibles located in Pellston, Michigan. This place is my every summer, must stop place! Whenever I visit my parents in the Upper Peninsula, I always try to find time to stop and shop here! I love this store and have gotten some great deals in the main store and in their bargain attic.

7. Knightsbridge Antique Mall located in Northville, Michigan. This is another of my regular stops. I try to get there every few months. There is a wide variety of things to look and and buy. the owners have always been very kind, welcoming and knowledgeable and willing to take time to talk with you.

8. Odd Fellows located in Berkley, Michigan, this is a new to me shop, and I'm glad I finally made it there this year! I am already planning my next visit. There are two levels of vintage and very old treasures to be found.

9. The Little Red School House Antique Mall located in Lansing, Michigan is a great place to find what you are looking for. With two big rooms of booths filled with antiques and crafty items. I'm looking forward to another visit real soon!

10. Treasuremart located in Ann Arbor, Michigan near Kerrytown, this three level consignement shop has it all! From antiques to collectibles to vintage clothing, linens artwork, and furniture. I've gotten some great treasures here, and every time I'm even close to Ann Arbor, I try to figure out a way to squeeze in a stop. Parking is really difficult here, but it is well worth the walk if you have to park far away.

11. Antique Warehouse located in Saginaw, Michigan. I've spent many hours in this mall as I drive to and from my parents house to mine. It's a great way to break up a long drive. They have lots to look at and lots of great variety with great prices.

12. Collette's Vintage located in Davison, Michigan, it is inside of an old Harley Davidson motorcycle showroom. This place is HUGE! They have weekend artisans like glass blowers and blacksmiths demonstrating their art and flea market vendors on Saturdays.

14. Six Corners Antiques located between Howell and Fowlerville, Michigan this is a small space, but each booth is always stocked and ready for shoppers to look for treasures. It is off the beaten path, so it isn't as busy as some, and the music they play (at least every time I've been there) has been pretty loud and mostly hard rock-it doesn't make for a pleasant shopping experience, but if you can block it out, you will find some fun things.

That's it! That's my list of must visit Flea Markets, Festivals, Sales and Antique shops and malls. Hope you can check some of them out for yourself. Send me an email if you 

All Ready for March...my last March

It's interesting how quickly I've gotten over closing down my booth in the antique mall. I thought I'd have regrets, I though I'd always wonder "what if", I thought I'd start to second guess myself, but none of that has happened. I've had fun doing it for a little over 3 years, but now it's time to move on. The hardest part is getting through the 60 days (from the 30th) notice that my antique mall requires you to give when you leave. It used to be 30 days, but of course, the month that I decide to give my notice, is the month they instituted the additional 30 days. By the time I move out I will have given 78 days notice.

Today I am starting a 20% off 'Moving Out" sale. Everything, including items marked "firm" will get an extra 20% off. Then starting April 1 everything will be 40% off until the 30th when I pack everything up one last time and move whatever is left out.

Here is what it looked like last Sunday when I set it all up for March...

Jeffrey's, Bad Creek, Maumee...OH MY!!!

Yesterday my junkin buddy, Auntie from Kitschy Vintage and I took off on a southern adventure that included stops to Jeffrey's Antiques in Findlay, Ohio, A Swan Creek Candle/Antique store, Bad Creek Antiques in Delta, Ohio, and the Maumee Antique Mall in Maumee, Ohio.

WoW! What a FUN day!!! We pretty much shopped til we dropped! We had one more place on our list to hit on the way home and we were both too tired to even think about getting out of the car. So, I think we'll have to plan a trip to Blissfield so that we can hit the Swan Creek Candle/Antique store in Dundee since we missed it on this trip!

I didn't realize that Jeffrey's is only about an hour and a half away. I've only ever gone to it on the way to Florida or on the way home. Now that I know how close it is, we'll have to make plans to visit it a few times a year-at least!

The dealers at Jeffrey's all pretty much seemed to have full, well-stocked booths. Although, some dealers had stuff just laying on the floor, or sitting on the floor-no tables! It didn't look like they had a table at one point and someone bought it. It looked like that was just how they chose to display their stuff. Dishes, linens, kitcheware, all just on the floor. I don't get that! My way of thinking is, how can you expect people to value your stuff enough to buy it if you don't value it enough to put in on a table or display it in a way that shows it off to its best advantage? You've seen me complain about this before. What are your thoughts on this? Do you mind going into crowded booths with stuff all over the floor?

We had a great visit, but I am afraid I might have pushed Auntie a bit faster than she wanted to go. She was a great sport about it, but I know she likes to take her time and go through things at a much slower pace than I do. We both got some good things at Jeffrey's, and I think we both really enjoyed our time there-time well spent!

Look at this AMAZING tub-for sale at Jeffrey's! I don't love what they did to the feet, but the rest of it is pretty sweet!!!

Then we started back north toward home and a few stops along the way. First stop was at  a Swan Creek Candle/Antique shop, where we raced to the antiques and then back out as quickly as possible. The candle smell is so over-powering, and with my cold-it really hit me hard!! Then we stopped at a little estate sale in a heated garage. We found a few fun things we couldn't leave behind, but the cigarette smoke from the person holding the sale, pushed us out the door pretty quickly! I did manage to grab a pair of giant pearl-like, clip-on earrings for a friend's daughter for only $2-I hope this is what she was talking about when she asked me to look for them.

A couple of months ago, I found an antique shop on Facebook called Bad Creek Antiques in Delta, and I've been dying to check it out in person. I almost hopped in the car one Sunday not to long ago after church, but I stopped to look them up really quickly to see what their hours were, and found out they aren't open on Sunday or Monday-whew! That would have been a very long, wasted trip!

They seem to specialize in repurposed or repainted furniture, with a few household antiques tucked in here and there. I'm not even sure how I found their Facebook page, but I think it had something to do with the gorgeous white outside, turquoise inside corner cupboard! As I was looking at their pictures, I noticed an iron bed. Guess what!?! It was still there!!! AND...it was 30% off!!!

 Oh, if I only had the room!!! LOVE this cupboard!!!

Look at this chair shelf! We both commented on it-we've seen them before with the whole seat at the shelf-I like this a lot better!

 I've been looking for a few years for a second white, iron, twin bed for our spare bedroom., and I was THRILLED to get this one-it goes really well with the one I already had.Now, I just need to get rid of all the excess junk treasures from that room, and not use it as a storage room, so it's more comfortable for guests!

I also picked up a Fire King, Tulip splash proof mixing bowl in wonderful shape (it's in even better shape than the large one I got a few years ago at Greenmead. I had no idea the one I had was so yellow until I put the one I got yesterday with it), and an old rolling pin with red handles. I'm looking for one with green handles and one with black handles now. I'd love to find one with turquoise handles and one with pink handles too.

We asked the lady who was working there if there was a good place around for lunch and she recommended a place right across the street called 109 Tavern and Restaurant. So, that's where we went. Our food was really good and the atmosphere was interesting. If I ever go back to Bad Creek around meal time again, I would definitely go back! It was pretty reasonable and I enjoyed what I got.

After that we were supposed to stop at another place on they way to the Maumee Antique Mall, but even though their sign said they were OPEN, they had a big metal gate across their door and it was padlocked. It was a tiny little place, that I won't make a special trip to go to, but it was frustrating to once again go to a place that wasn't open when it was supposed to be.

Our last stop of the day, and probably the longest stop of the day was at the Maumee Antique Mall, in Maumee, Ohio (near Toledo). WOW! I can't understand why it has taken me so long to go there!! It was AWESOME!!! TONS and tons of booths with a wonderful variety of items to look at and buy. Great prices for the most part-some were too high, but you get that at any antique/collectibles place. They even had shopping carts that you could push around so you wouldn't need to make any trips to the front to hold the stuff you want to buy. We didn't take a cart, but we probably should have, we both made several trips to the front.

I feel bad because I coughed sooooo much while we were in there that Auntie said she never had to wonder where I was when we got separated, because she could hear me coughing-ugh!!! How embarrassing!!! We filled up my car with all of our finds-good thing my seats were all out from Monday when Mr BHTS picked up our new stove!

I'm looking forward to another trip, hopefully early summer to Maumee. It is very worth the trip! I just hope that when I go back the workers don't say, "hey, aren't you that lady that coughed non-stop last winter?"

My treasures for the day include: a fuschia and white tablecloth and two vintage hat pins from Jeffrey's, a blue aluminum pitcher from the estate sale (it was in really rough shape-the outside was all frosty looking, but I took a chance for $2), the iron bed, tulip bowl and rolling pin, from Bad Creek, a Fiesta green covered casserole with a very small chip on the base, a multi-colored drink shaker, a glass orange drink bottle with cardboard lid, and a Kitchen Kraft green teapot from Maumee Antiques.

I saw the Kitchen Kraft teapot out of the corner of my eye as I was hacking up my lungs, and trying to get away from other shoppers but on my quick, glance I noted no "rings" even though it was the right color to be Fiesta, and by that point I was just rushing to get past the people I was irritating with my coughing. Auntie came by after me and picked it up. She was going to buy it, but graciously gave it up to me to buy-isn't that a sweet friend!?! When I was paying for my stuff, the cashier told me green must be my color. I didn't even realize I was getting two things in the same color. Must have been from lack of oxygen from coughing so much!

The lid on the casserole is mint! I got both pieces for less than the lid alone. I am one happy treasure hunter after finding the casserole dish and lid at the price I got it for!!! Now the hunt begins for the lid for the Kitchen Kraft teapot!

I'm glad I took a chance on the blue aluminum pitcher! After some elbow grease with Bar Keeper's Friend and some stainless steel wipes, it looks like it will look pretty mint once I get the whole thing done!

Bottom side is done, top side is all frosty still.It was hard to capture how much of a difference there was-but believe me, it looks like night and day different!

What a FUN day!!! I can't wait for our next adventure!! How about you? Have you been on any fun adventures lately??

Hartland Antique Show

Last weekend was the weekend for the big antique show at the old Hartland High School in Hartland, Michigan. My good junkin buddy Auntie from Kitschy Vintage and I have gone on and off for years and we love it! This year we got a little bit of a late start, but I really don't think we missed anything. Usually, we are standing in a mob of people waiting for the doors to open so we can pay our $4 to get in. Sometimes people are pushing, shoving and line-hopping-they must think there's gold nuggets hidden in there for how some of them act! This year, we got to by-pass the craziness and walk right in!

They changed the entrance, so I think that helped with things too. Our fellow junkin buddy Jennifer had a booth at the sale and every time we walked by it, it looked like it was packed with shoppers! I hope she had a great day. She had a most amazing, vintage wire triple hat stand at an incredibly low price! As we were leaving a couple was holding it and talking about hanging it from their ceiling and putting light bulbs in it to make it into an industrial looking light fixture. I wonder if they bought it.

I picked up a yellow and white tablecloth at a corner booth inside the gym and a bright, chartreuse green tablecloth from a couple of ladies that we've seen at several of our regular junkin adventures over the years. They even include printed washing instructions with every linen purchase for newbies! I don't necessarily agree with what they suggest (I would never, ever add bleach), but it's nice of them to be helpful.

These are my new tablecloths:

I am always thrilled when I can find new vintage tablecloths in bright colors in styles or patterns that I don't already have or haven't ever seen before!

This antique show happens every year and even though it's not huge, we usually find treasures to bring home-so mark your calendar for next year!

WARNING!!! Serious Junk Shortage!!

Today was a super fun day-even though there was only one piece of junk treasure to be found. I started off the day at Town Peddler Antique and Craft Mall, then to Town & Country Antiques, a Salvation Army, and the last stop Yesterday's Antiques & Collectibles. Then it was on to the part of the day I was MOST excited about...meeting a very dear friend from way back (when I worked at Lenscrafters at the Briarwood Mall-I met her 23 years ago!).

While I was here, I found a Pyrex bowl marked $22 on the inside and a $2.99 thrift store price tag on the bottom-oops!!! 

 Interesting shop, really high prices (IMO) though. 

Nothing jumped out at me this time, but it's a regular stop for me!

We had a wonderful lunch! Chatting and catching up! I think it's probably been about 10 years since we've seen each other in person. We've kept up (as much as we can) on Facebook, but nothing is as good as face to face! What a great lunch date it was!!! I don't plan to wait another 10 years to see her again-that's just crazy-we only live about 45 minutes apart!

After lunch I took my friend's advice and tried a nearby Salvation Army and Goodwill. I was shocked at how low the inventory was! At the S.A. workers were actually spreading things out on the shelves to make them look fuller than they actually were!! All three thrift stores that I visited today had plenty of clothes, but the housewares areas were severely under-stocked. The furniture was really low too.

After that, I thought I'd take a quick stroll through Ikea since I was right there, and the last time we were in the area, I asked Mr BHTS if he wanted to stop and he said why would he want to go there!?!? Since I was by myself-I decided to stop. I picked up a really cool metal tray that comes completely flat and you bend the sides up and bend a little metal tab into a slot to hold the sides up. It's painted an old fashioned green color and I'm thinking of using one of my Meyercord decals to vintage-it-up.

You really can't take a quick trip through Ikea. They have it set up to draw you through the entire store. The last time I went they seemed to have a lot more vintage-y type things. This time, not so much.

On my way home, I stopped at a little antique shop in Ann Arbor. I've tried to shop at this store for a few years now, and every time I go, no matter what day/time of the week I've gone, it is closed! I got there today at 4:30 (their sign says they are open til 5), and it was locked up tight and not a single car in the parking lot. I was bummed!

I headed in the direction of home and decided to stop at a little place in Hamburg which also was supposed to be open until 5. I saw their neon "OPEN" signs lit up from the road and happily pulled into the parking lot, only to be disappointed! Someone had locked up and left early-forgetting to turn off the neon signs-booo!!!

With only one more possible junkin stop left before home, I decided to give it a try. I was half expecting that store to be closed early as well. I guess the single digit temps kept shoppers at home today-or maybe everyone is just sick of the cold and stayed home.

I was surprised that the consignment store was really bare too! I've never seen it so bare-I've been shopping there for years. It was very discouraging, and I was almost back around to the front door when I caught a glimpse of that much loved radio-active red color that I love so much!

I found a Harlequin pitcher, that was marked as "orange ceramic pitcher"! It was priced as low as a generic ceramic pitcher and not a piece of vintage Harlequin-I got a GREAT deal!!! The cashier recognized the style and she asked me if I knew about Fiesta. I told her I collect it, and this was actually Harlequin. She laughed and said she was sure I knew what I was getting. I think she was surprised it was priced so low.

Tomorrow I am going to an antiques show at the old Hartland High School. A friend and fellow junker is going to have a booth there, and I'll get to spend the morning hunting for treasures with my  junkin buddy Auntie from Kitschy Vintage.

Next Friday we are taking an adventure to the south-I CAN'T WAIT!!!

The Sun is Out-Let's Go For a Ride!

We can't wait for the snow to melt away so we can be outside! We are all getting very tired of looking at the same walls and faces at our house-I guess you could call it cabin fever! Am I alone in this, or are you feeling it too?

After church yesterday we hopped in the car and headed to a new-to-me antique store in Fenton called The Treasure Shack. It's a small little place that is packed with a lot of good junk! There was a good mix of something for everyone. The prices seemed reasonable too. It is really small, so if you plan to make the trip, add a couple more stops to the route to make it worth the drive. We added in a couple places in Holly (Arcade Antiques, Water Tower Antiques, and Main Street Antiques. As well as a quick stop at Fratz Consignment).

It was a perfect day to be out and about in the sunshine-soaking it all up to be able to make it until next weekend. We saw some interesting things and some same old same old things-just like at every other antique shop or mall.

The things I'm looking for (Pink Gooseberry Pyrex refrigerator dishes, vintage Fiesta, and various other vintage kitchen items) seem to be hiding! That's o.k., it just makes me more determined to find them, and give me more of an excuse to hunt for them!

The whole trip took a little less than 3 hours and I only bought one thing:

I took a few shots of some things that jumped out at me...

 Why? Was someone really that bored that they had to make a fancy covering for the lid of their chamber pot? Seems mighty unsanitary to me-ewww!

 This creepy guy popped out at me as I came around the half open cabinet door. I think it would stop kids from stealing a cookie when mom isn't looking as well as cause nightmares!! 

 Mrs. Beasley! I remember having one of these when I was a kid, wish I still had her!

 I remember having one of these too!

Sometimes hunting for treasures can be kind of bitter-sweet. Like when you see something you had when you were a kid, or something your grandma had when you were a kid. I even have gotten choked up over seeing a toy my brother had when he was a kid! At first I choke up and get teary-eyed, then after that wave of emotion, I end up smiling, remembering that person or the good times associated with them.

So, even though I won't be a booth renter in an antique mall any more after April 30, I will still be an avid treasure seeker-the thrill of the hunt is what gets me the most-never knowing what you might find, or what price you might get it for. I do love selling, but not as much as hunting. I may still do a flea market here or there, or even try a different mall somewhere down the line. It's not carved in stone yet, but I'm looking forward to the new adventure, and I'll bring you along for the ride!

Take the Elevator to the Penthouse Floor...

I went to an interesting sale this morning. It was in a gated Apartment community and the entrance was off of the parking lot of a giant mall. You actually had to turn into the mall parking lot and drive around a ways to turn into the gated community's road.The sale was on the lower of 2 "penthouse" floors (or the 5th floor). The ad said you needed the apartment number to key in at the gatehouse to get in.

I tried and tried the apartment number, but it kept saying it was an invalid number. Finally, a lady who lives in the complex drove out and swiped her pass and we got in, along with the lady in the car behind us who was also going to the sale.

Once we parked, we waited in the airlock for about 20 minutes, then we were buzzed in. only the first 10 people fit on the elevator, so we waited for the second load to go up. I've never been to an estate sale where I've had to take an elevator to get to the sale-have you?? We were numbers 11 and 12.

Once we got to the floor, we had to wait outside of the sale for a few more minutes. It wasn't a really fancy place, and once you were in the apartment, it looked like the inside of a million other places I've been to before.

I was specifically going for some vintage Pyrex, a vintage rolling pin, and a glass grinder and stained glass supplies for my mom. There were a few old red and white spice jars and some green depression shakers, but those got snatched up really quickly-along with the vintage Pyrex-boo!

I did find a few things and according to my mom a smokin hot deal on the grinder and colored glass and supplies. I almost walked away from the glass stuff because to me, it seemed ridiculously high. I walked past it 3 or 4 times then I decided to send a picture text and the price. Her response- "Buy It"  "Buy It". I couldn't' believe she wanted it at the price they had it for, so I had to send her a text to confirm it!

After we left, I called her and she sounded so excited about it! I still can't believe it-I wouldn't have spent that much on it, but she would never dream of spending what I spend on vintage treasures. One mans' junk is another man's treasure!

Mr. BHTS wanted to stop at Gander Mountain, so I went to Home Goods. A very happy visit for me--I found a VERA tablecloth and dish towel!! We stopped at a couple of other places then had lunch and came home. We finally end up with a day with no commitments, and no volleyball in the evening to rush home for and we can't find enough to fill the day-go figure!

I went through the boxes of glass supplies that I got for my mom. It all cost $40, and I think she did pretty good, I stopped counting at about $55, so she at least got her money's worth.  I didn't pay the price marked on the VERA tablecloth, it was less than a third of the actual price.

Did you find any sales today??

Another Place to Check-Out!

I've gotten a few emails from my blog friends telling me I needed to check out another antique mall in Howell called the Bird Cage Antique Mall. I hadn't heard of it, so when I went online to find it, I was pleasantly surprised to find it is housed in the old Touch of Country building on M59 just east of Latson Road.

I found their facebook page and an ad on Craigslist for their Cabin Fever Sale, so I decided to head over and check it out. I used to visit quite often when it was Touch of Country, and even a few times when it was confused and barely had anything in it so I was familiar with the building.

I was afraid I would be disappointed like I was back in the days of when someone was trying to make a go of it, but it seemed to be confused as to what it really was. I wasn't disappointed at all! As soon as I walked in the door, the man behind the counter greeted me with a friendly smile, and I felt welcomed right away. That isn't always the case in antique malls or stores.

I wandered around and was very glad that my blog friends recommended that I check it out! I got some fun things at great prices! One ad that I saw said it was an antique mall with garage sale prices. I wouldn't go that far. The prices seemed reasonable, and some were cheap, but don't go there expecting garage sale prices.

I even inquired about booth space, and found that their fees are about 1/3 of what I am paying now. They also are much smaller and I don't imagine they get the kind of traffic the mall where I am at right now gets. They were full right now anyway. It's something to think about though.

This is what I brought home-everything in the picture was less than $20.

Who Was Vera Neumann?

I have fallen in love with vintage tablecloths, napkins and scarfs that are marked with four simple letters       V E R A. I love the bright colors and the funky, sometimes abstract designs. I have a few scarves, but haven't been lucky enough to find a vintage tablecloth-- yet.


Here is what I learned:

Vera Salaff was born in Stanford, Connecticut on July 24, 1907 to Russian immigrants Fanny and Meyer Salaff. She was the third of four children. Her parents encouraged each of their children to find their passion and go with it. Vera's passion was drawing and painting. When she was a child, her father encouraged her passion with an offer of fifty cents for each sketchbook that she was able to fill with her drawings or doodles. He also took her to the Metropolitan Museum of Art every week on Sunday to further foster her interest in art.

She went on to study art and design at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art where she was honored with their Outstanding Alumna award.  She graduated in 1928, and continued her studies by enrolling at Traphagen School of Design in Manhattan.  Her first job was in New York as a fashion illustrator. She then went onto be a textile designer and then on to design fabric and then murals in children's rooms. She was considered to be a shy and private person who once said, "color is the language that I speak best." She believed that art should be accessible to everyone, not just a select few and that it shouldn't be limited to just hanging on walls, but that people should surround themselves with it.

She married George Neumann, who was of Austrian descent, (I couldn't find any information on the year they married or if they had any kids. I checked several sources and a lot of them had the same type of information but some specifics (dates and addresses specifically) were different everywhere I looked) and they moved into a small studio apartment in New York.

They had a small silk-screening machine and started their business in 1947 on their kitchen table. They were limited in the beginning to place mats and napkins, (that they cured in their oven) because the silk screener was so small. They called their company Printex.  They had another partner, Werner Hamm, and they each put in $1000 to start the business. Werner personally carried their place mat and napkins (designs adapted from Vera's water color paintings) to the B. Altman department store on 5th Avenue and things really took off from there!

During World War II, they were finding it difficult to get the materials they needed to make place mats and napkins, so they tried surplus silk from parachutes and then launched into manufacturing scarves. When her artwork was transferred to place mats, napkins and scarves, she kept her signature that was on the original artwork. She was the first designer to ever put her signature on textiles and scarves (1947).  By the 1950's her signature evolved to include a tiny little lady bug. Vera said they hired a team of designers to take Vera's original designs and transfer them to other products.

Vera was very particular with making sure the colors she intended for her scarves were actually used. The printing of the scarves was done in Japan, and along with the design, she sent a completed scarf as well as specific instructions as the the colors and dye formulas. She

All of her designs were copyrighted. By her death, there were over 8,000 designs copyrighted by the library of congress. She was inducted into the Resident Associate Program at the Smithsonian in 1972 and she has been celebrated by many colleges and art schools for being such a driving/changing force in the industry.

Before long, her scarves were very popular among celebrities and women around the country because of their bright, colorful and cheerful designs. Her designs even hung in the white house and covered furniture (Jack in the Pulpit pattern) during Bess Truman's stay.

In the 1960's blouses and dresses in cotton and silk were added to the lines of scarves and household linens. Demand for Vera products was at an all time high when tragedy struck with the early death of George in 1962. Vera held on to the business for another 5 years, and then sold it to Manhattan Industries in 1967. She stayed on as their main designer, often working up to six days a week, only taking Tuesdays off to get her hair done and take time for board meetings. Her career spanned five decades, and boasts over 20,000 designs for scarves and thousands of pieces of art.

By the 1970's her products were being sold in over 1200 stores and her company was making over a hundred million in annual sales. In 1988 she sold her company called "Vera Licensing" to Salant Corporation and Printex was closed. She continued to paint and design until shortly before her death in 1993. In 1999 Vera Licensing was sold to The Tog Shop (a catalog company that had licensing rights from Vera). In 2005 Susan Seid, the former vice president of merchandising of The Tog Shop bought The Vera Company (the current name of the company.).

Susan also owns the extensive library of Vera prints and over the years, she has worked with many well known retailers to reintroduce vintage Vera artwork into new items available for consumers today. She has licensed the rites to the following companies so they can reproduce the vintage designs in new items; Anthropologie, Bed Bath and Beyond, Bindya New York, Bloomingdales, Crate and Barrel, Lord and Taylor, Macy's, Nordstrom's, Target and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I'm very excited to see that her designs are coming back and that I can go right out and get a tablecloth-I live about 5 minutes from Target and Bed Bath and Beyond! Guess where I'm going tomorrow!?! I've never found a Vera tablecloth at an estate sale. I think everyone in the house, shopping the sale will know by my whoops of excitement if I ever do!

I am hoping that some day Pyrex will catch on to the fervor and excitement of all of the collectors that crave finding vintage Pyrex to add to their collections, and reintroduce a new line that pays homage to the old designs, colors and styles. I've even written an email to them suggesting they consider it!

I hope you enjoyed reading about Vera as much as I enjoyed learning about her. I hope the next time I mention Vera that I'll be able to include some pictures of my find!