Esquire Cook Book 1955

Last Spring, I picked up this great vintage cookbook at a United Church thrift sale in the FREE pile and forgot all about it. I took it with me because of the whimsical drawings on both the cover and inside of the book.

It is the Esquire Cook-Book published in 1955 and illustrated beautifully by American illustrator Bill Charmatz. Charmatz was known for his editorial sketches, and was featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and of course, Esquire Magazine.

He passed away in 2005 at the age of 80, but this wonderful book provides such a quirky look into recipes catered towards men... in the fifties!

I love this image of the poor fellow fretting over what he sees on the scale, while being surrounded by thoughts of all these tempting treats!

Like any typical recipe book, this one is organized with appetizers, types of meat, dishes for entertaining, etc. I love how this tuxedo-clad gent is kicking up his feet in anticipation for his party.

This book is going for big bucks on etsy, with some sellers pricing it at almost $70! I sure am glad I plucked it out of the free bin - it may have been destined for the dump otherwise.

There's also a neat centrefold set of drawings teaching the readers about butcher cuts of meat - my photos don't do them justice - they are worthy of framing and putting up in the kitchen!

Linking up to Vintage Thingie Thursday!

UPDATE: For some reason, blogger won't let me comment on my own posts...! Rest assured I am enjoying your lovely comments, but unfortunately I can't respond to them (this glitch has been going on all week).  I'll keep trying; in the meantime, please keep leaving me your thoughts!

Salvatore Ferragamo Vara at Thrift Store

At my favourite church thrift, as usual, I scope out the housewares first, and then the books if I have time.  The other week when I was there, however, I decided to check out the shoe area where I scored the vintage Ballys.

I was rewarded by the familiar sight of these navy blue Salvatore Ferragamo Vara shoes, made in Italy... with a $10 price sticker! You may recall in my post on the Manolo Blahniks that I once saw a pair of Ferragamos at the thrift in the same style, in white - but they were far too small for my feet.

I got downright giddy when I saw that these fit me perfectly. I know they could have been cheaper, as most shoes are priced at five bucks at this place, but I wasn't too upset.

Fashion bloggers seem to adore this shoe. You see, the Ferragamo Vara was introduced in 1978, with its timeless low heel and iconic ballet flat style, and has endured through the decades. You can still purchase this shoe style today!

The catch? A new pair would set you back about $400 at your local Salvatore Ferragamo boutique!

There is also a little bit of "old-lady style" to the shoes in my opinion... but I still think they're cool.

The highlight of the shoe for me is the grosgrain ribbon bow and signature brass buckle. It looks as good as new... The signature is crystal clear on the shoe vamp.

I was inspired to keep digging around - You know that theory some thrifters have? If someone with great taste and goods came to the thrift to drop something off, it's likely that they dropped off more than one item.

Lo and behold, I found another pair in the same size, but black instead of navy blue!

I ended up selling the black pair and keeping the navy one for myself. I didn't make a lot of money reselling them, but let's just say I ended up owning the navy shoes for better than free!

Linking up to the the Penny Worthy Project, HLA's Flea Market Finds and ATG's Thrift Share Monday.

Vintage Vera Neumann Scarf with Ladybug Signature

I found a wonderful scarf designed by Vera Neumann at my local Salvation Army thrift store recently for $2.99. Although it isn't silk, it had a beautiful pattern that attracted me to it, and it was signed with the Vera logo with ladybug.

According to some great blogger sources, Vera and her husband started the company in 1946 designing textiles. It appears that my scarf was likely from the 1970s, as the Vera signature changed over the years. I am surprised to find that it is 40 years old as there is barely any wear to it!

I really love the subtle floral pattern and vibrant Springtime colours. According to fashion blogger Solo Lisa, Vera scarves were worn by Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe!

Wish it was a silk scarf but with the beautiful pattern and rich history, I couldn't leave it behind, right? I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful Christmas and is relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing today!

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

Vintage Bakelite Egg Beater by Turner & Seymour

Earlier this year, I scored this awesome vintage egg beater with a rotary handle at Value Village. I paid $2.99 for it and just loved the beautiful aqua colour. I didn't know much about it, as it was only marked with "Made in Canada".

Recently I found out some more information about the piece, which has a shield logo on the bakelite handle. It turns out that this whisk was made in the 50s or 60s by a company named Turner & Seymour and the piece was likely called the Deluxe Super Whirl! What a quirky name.

I love learning new things about some of the mystery vintage items that I find. I first posted about it here along with these aqua coloured goodies, before I learned about the maker and of the bakelite material.

So glad I was able to figure out something new about my old egg beater!

Linking up to Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingie Thursday!

Vintage Pink Apron

At one of my favourite weekly church basement sales, there is a section devoted to linens - tablecloths, handkerchiefs, towels, etc. and I always like to take a look to see what's there. The other day, I visited and spotted this beautiful vintage apron.

It's in great condition and I love the delicate floral pattern and eyelet trim. Not to mention the colours! The pale pink and mauves attracted me to pick it up in the first place.

Once I iron it, I think the pleats along the front of the bodice will look perfect. How could I resist for the $1 price!?

I wonder if this was handmade by someone? The size is a bit on the small side. I'm not sure if it's meant as an apron for kids. It is really too bad that these vintage treasures we find can't tell us their stories! I'd love to know how old this is.

Hope everyone had a great weekend of relaxing or shopping. I'm hoping to find some good Christmas decorations at the thrift this week for our tree. =)

Linking up to Flea Market Finds!

Sunkist Snacker - Vintage Orange Peeler

The hubby and I were getting some quotes on upholstery one day and walked past a St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. He looked at me and said, Wanna go? I said, Yup! and in we went.

It's funny that going thrifting has become so natural; I think it's because we have learned that there could be surprising treasures lurking inside. I had no luck at this particular store, but Mr. SixBalloons found this snazzy vintage orange peeler made by Sunkist.

The kitschy package reads "The Snacker: Fastest Peeler in the West"! I wonder what they marketed this as on the East Coast... I really love that old Sunkist logo. It takes me back. Can you believe this was still in the original package??

There's some instructions on the back, which I think are pretty funny. Not sure why, I guess it just seems so obvious what you could do with the peeler...

We didn't find any fabulous treasures in this store, but I thought this was a pretty good bargain for 25 cents. We're a little reluctant to open it up because the packaging is so retro and cool, but how else will we find out if it's really the fastest peeler in the west??

Linking up to HLA's Flea Market Finds!

Vintage Pan Am Purse Bag!

With the popularity of the new TV show Pan Am, I was reminded by a great purchase I made at a garage sale almost 10 years ago!

My Dad and I have this thing where we drive around on the weekends in the summertime and shout "GARAGE SALE!" in unison when we'd spot a sign. On one such occasion, we came across a lady selling an assortment of goods laid out on tables. We were her only customers, and most of the items were a bit boring until I spotted this sweet vintage Pan Am purse!

I casually asked her the price and was pretty pleased to hear it was $2.  =)  Don't you love garage sales?

I was always fascinated by this old airline, not having known much about it, but having been intruiged by the luxuriousness of airplane travel at the time. My mom used to check the zippers on clothes when we were kids - she told us that if the zippers said YKK, it told her the materials used were of high quality. I love the quality of the grommets and zippers on this bag. Everything is very sturdy and smooth.

This purse is pretty handy for toting around every now and then. I have to say though, I probably liked it a bit better before they started making reproductions of Pan Am bags!

Linking up to Her Library Adventures and ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter

One of my favourite church basements had been slim pickings lately, so I got up bright and early this weekend to jump on the place when it opened its doors. I was rewarded by the sight of a beautiful vintage Royal Quiet DeLuxe typewriter priced at $15.

Royal produced this typewriter in the 1940s and it is said to be a workhorse. The typewriter came in its original case and still functions properly! I loved tapping away on the glassy keys.

I get a real kick out of the nice old fonts, and how the shift key reads "Shift Freedom".

There are so many eye catching things about this typewriter. Peering over the top, you see the fan of where the keys reach the ribbons like a piano. Instrument or work of art?

I know I am getting a bit nutty with the photos here, but I wanted to show you the keyboarding lesson paper that was still in the machine.

Someone had been typing the familiar "A quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" a few times.

Big picture, one of the things I appreciate about vintage goodies, is how durable they are. Look at this great little tab that reads "Magic Margin". It just looks so simply made but has endured all this time. The typewriter is basically in perfect condition, from what I see. There are no scratches nor dents. The case has seen better days, but this must have been really well kept, or not often used.

Last shot here - I love how they had to mix up the letters to the QWERTY format to prevent fast typesetters from jamming the keys. It's funny that this standard has endured up to today, when it's not really even necessary to slow typists down...

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

Vintage Bally Peep Toe Pumps

After all of your comments on the missed-out $13 Manolo Blahnik's, I have remained on the shoe lookout while thrifting. I was digging around at the local church basement when I came upon a beautiful pair of vintage Bally peep toe pumps.

The colour blocking of taupe and black was what originally caught my eye, and when I pulled them out for closer inspection, I saw that they were a great looking pair of shoes! The condition is quite good, and the "Bally Canada" tag on the insole is clean and clear. There is a nice fan-shaped detail just above the peep toe.

The interior and exterior sides of the shoe are different colours. I think they are a classic looking pair of shoes, but not in a fuddy duddy sort of way.

I always find that the leather soles are always a good indicator of a shoe's quality. These are marked "Cuir Veritable - Geniune Leather" on the underside. Bally has long been known for making quality shoes, and these shoes are still in great shape. I do wonder how old these shoes are, and why the lady who owned them didn't wear them more often!  I should mention that this church thrift sale is based in quite a nice part of town...

Believe it or not, the shoes were actually a perfect fit for me, and the price tag said $5. I'm not a regular wearer of heels, but how could I turn them down?

I hope everyone had a great weekend thrifting! Linking up to Thrift Share Monday!

Vintage Canon A-1 SLR Manual Camera

One of the first items we purchased off ebay was a vintage manual Canon film camera. Mr. SixBalloons is a bit of a camera buff, and he thought it would be nice to experiment with an old classic.

The Canon A-1 was introduced in the 70s, and was eventually sold between 1978 through 1985. It was a popular seller at the time, and remains a collectible vintage camera today. The A-1 originally sold for $635, which I would imagine was a princely sum at the time.

What I love best about this camera is that it produces photos with a slightly yellow hue... it reminds me of my childhood family photos taken in the 80s. Speaking of photography, we have set up a light studio at home and have been playing around with taking some shots in it. I took these white-background photos with the light studio setup.

We purchased this camera for about $40. The Canon A-1's were very durable and popular, and as a result there are still many of them functioning today. These cameras contained no plastic gears and were built to last.

We were also able to pick up some vintage lenses recently at a Salvation Army 50% off sale, so that will give us an opportunity to experiment further with this camera and our new DIY light studio!

Kathie Winkle Teacup Saucers and Dinner Plates!

Our friends J&R piqued my interest recently about vintage tableware designed by Kathie Winkle. Working for the Broadhurst pottery company, she started her career as a painter and eventually went on to design over one hundred patterns between 1958 to 1978.

I came upon some teacups and saucers in the pastel green and blue Corinth pattern at my local Salvation Army thrift store. Believe it or not, it was near the end of a 50% off day, and nobody picked these beauties up! I scooped up each teacup for a dollar, and each saucer for 50 cents.

These Broadhurst lines of tableware included dinner plates, side plates, teacups, saucers, bowls, and teapots. Each line used the same basic ceramic foundation pieces, had a black and white pattern printed on them, and were hand painted before glazing. The handpainted finish is so charming, as some of the "imperfections" give each piece individuality.

I am really glad I decided to buy them, because they were a bit of a mystery when I first saw them. You see, the teacups are only embossed with "ENGLAND" on the underside, and the saucers read "Ironstone Broadhurst Staffordshire England Handpainted Underglaze, Colour Detergent and Dishwasher Proof". No mention of Kathie Winkle, but I suspect this is because the size of a saucer plate doesn't allow room for her swirly signature. I do know that Corinth is a KW design however, because it appears in The Designs of Kathie Winkle book.

A few days later, I found a couple more Kathie Winkle pieces at a Value Village. This time, there was no mistaking what I was looking at - the distinctive Kathie Winkle signature was noted on the back of the plates, and I picked the two up for $3.50.

Now that I've had time to admire these pieces, I like them even more than when I first saw them! My main problem is that I have only two teacups, five saucers, and two dinnerplates. It's definitely not enough to make a set, so I'll have to think of something to do with them... Any suggestions?