Pyrex Aqua Snowflake Divided Dish

I made another crazy Pyrex score! I finally got my hands on a Turquoise Snowflake Divided Dish. I love the crispness of the white milk glass with simple design. I think it looks great stacked up with my Dandelion Divided Dish!

For a mere $3 I tucked this beauty under my arm and scooted over to the checkout. I thought the price was great, especially since I have seen prices as high as $7 for just a lid at Value Village.

It was in quite grimy shape but cleaned up fairly well. I'll have to put a bit more elbow grease into the nooks and crannies of the lid. I am guessing that its dirty condition contributed to its low price, and I'll definitely take that deal anytime when it looks easy to clean!

Even though Spring is well underway, I love how these dainty snowflakes look. I've seen photos of the reverse-colour version of this piece, with aqua background and white flowers, which is also beautiful.

Hmm, it also happens to look great with my Blue Scroll Promotional Piece! I love how these Pyrex pieces are so easy to coordinate. =)

Playmobil Sheriff's Office

I feel bad for complaining about missing out on some Playmobil at a weekend church sale where I purchased my cute little vintage Tricycle!  I passed by the Sally Ann the other day, and wandered into the kids section for the first time.

High up on a shelf, I noticed something wrapped up in a plastic bag. It was something organized within a mass of chaos, so it caught my eye. It was a Playmobil 1976 Sheriff's Office set for $3!

I know this little Playmobil fellow is from a different time and space, but he was a great purchase at a different thrift store for 10¢.I wonder who Powell and Wonderly are, and what they did, but there's a $5,000 reward for their capture!

I love the details on this set. The back doors open up to reveal the interior of the office, complete with the gun rack, prison holding cell with bed, and furniture! I think this is a great little set, and wish the little sheriffs and horses came with it too! I'll persevere and keep my fingers crossed. Hopefully they'll cost me a dime each too!

Linking to ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

Pyrex Blue Fridgie Loaf Pan!

A duplicate Pyrex piece has come into my possession! I was at my local Sally Ann where I found the great Melitta teapot. I have never found Pyrex at this store because it is usually chock full of clever thrifters, but on this day, I got my hands on this classic fridgie!

This primary blue is my favourite solid Pyrex colour... no wait, perhaps the primary green from the mixing bowl set is. It's too hard to decide!

I was so happy to find this piece priced at $4, as it is in excellent condition. I love finding Pyrex that was well taken care of, because I think stained Pyrex is always a gamble. I just can't be sure that my cleaning skills will be up to snuff.

My previously purchased blue fridgie had signs of colour loss, but came with the older style lid. Did you know that the newer lids have stripes across the entire lid? The older pieces have a "clear" spot down the middle. Apparently Pyrex found that texturing the entire lid was cheaper for production.

I think one lid between the two loaf pans will do the trick for me. For some reason, I love the look of oranges with the blue Pyrex pieces... Don't you?

British Tri-Ang Tricycle from 1930s-1940s

Last weekend, I woke up bright and early to get ready for the Dunbar United Church annual thrift sale. I was a bit disappointed to see the huge line up when I showed up, but you never know with these sales so I stayed optimistic.

The doors finally opened and the big rush began. I couldn't believe how many people showed up! There were masses of household goods, clothing, kids toys and all the usual items. Then I came upon this little tricycle tucked away, right by the entrance.

I debated long and hard about this trike... I have no idea what to do with it, but it was $4 and I was really intruiged by its age and condition.

After doing some research and getting input from the admins of a tricycle fan site (yes, there are antique lovers of all sorts of things I suppose), it appears that this is a British Tri-Ang Tricycle made in the 1930s or 1940s! The company was made up of three brothers from the Lines Family. Three lines make a Triangle, so the company name was born.

In the early 1900s, the company was selling model trains and cars, and tricycles for kids. Production was stopped during WWII as the government deemed the factories necessary for production of weapons instead of toys.

The funny thing is that I was kicking myself about even wasting time going to this sale. It was crowded, full of low quality housewares, and I was disheartened to see a lady carrying out several boxes of Playmobil toys as I was arriving in the kids section. I was ready to head back home, and saw the tricycle as I was leaving. I think it's human nature to burst through the doors, get our bearings, and look around excitedly. I am guessing that's why this trike was still available when I was on my way out!

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

Sesame Street ABC's Book

Happy Friday everyone! I had to share this little purchase I made recently on a perfect condition 1989 Sesame Street book. For 25 cents, I couldn't resist, even though my pile of books is growing a little faster than I'd like...

"On My Way with Sesame Street -  My ABC's" is the first volume of a series that focussed on different subjects. I remember watching Sesame Street as a kid in the eighties and learning all about the Letter B from the great tune that accompanied it. The show was so clever back then, mimicking The Beatles with puppets in such a memorable fashion. Brilliant. Educational. Hilarious.

I like this page especially because it shows so many of the great Sesame Street characters. Isn't it funny that the detective is named Sherlock Hemlock?

Check out some of my Sesame Street posts regarding a couple of finds I have made in the past!

Corningware 3-Cup Teapot New in Box

Now that Springtime is here, it seems that all the annual rummage sales and church thrift fairs are in full swing. I showed up fairly late to one on the weekend, expecting it to have been picked clean.

Instead, I found this lovely little three cup Corningware "Teamaker", brand new in its vintage box! If you have seen my little Corningware collection, you might know that I love this blue cornflower pattern, and already own the 6-cup teapot. I use it as a water kettle and it sits on my stove regularly.

It came with the original pamphlet which reads: "Let's Get Better Acquainted. Spend a few minutes reading this booklet about the Use and Care of Corningware Beverage Makers and Servers". This is actually the first time I had seen an original box, nevermind the original manual!

The great thing about vintage Corningware is its durability, so I'll be making use of this piece in my kitchen!

Figgjo Flint Tor Viking Pattern Saucepan Made in Norway

Based on last weekend's success with positive thinking on the teak ice bucket from my thrift wish list, I headed off to my local VV store, literally saying in my head over and over again: "Cathrineholm, Cathrineholm..." all the way to the store.

What I found instead was a different treasure from Norway. A Figgjo Flint sauce pan in the Tor Viking pattern! I've admired this pattern from afar, but have never seen any of these pieces in person. Those big cheerful flowers are so striking, and I love all the green and blue hues.

The piece is marked as Figgjo Flameware on the underside, "in Vulcanus quality for gas and electricity". It looks to have been well used with some heat marks on the underside. It has a pour spout on one side, and could be a gravy or sauce warmer, but I've also read that they were used to warm milk.

Figgjo produced several well known patterns; the designer Turi Gramstad Oliver was responsible for this Tor Viking creation. She also designed the more familiar Lotte pattern with the charming girl and mustache-clad boy while at her time with Figgjo between 1960-1980.

Sadly, this pan is chipped on one side. When I was at the store checking over the condition, I noticed that the chip felt quite rough and fresh. It pains me to think that it was damaged while sitting on the shelf! I love this pattern and am just glad I can take better care of it from here on. =)

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

MacDonald's Tobacco Tin of Buttons

I happened upon this great vintage cigarette tobacco tin the other day. It had an image of a lady with the MacDonald's brand reading "Gold Standard Export Cigarette Tobacco - Finest Virginia Leaf."

I've always loved old metal tins, especially now that so much of our packaging is made of lower quality plastics or cardboard. Vintage tins made in the past were often re-used rather than thrown away - My mom still keeps her little sewing kit in a vintage Quality Street candy tin with a beautiful image on the lid. This sounds silly, but even the sound of opening and closing a vintage tin is music to my ears.

When I opened up the lid on this tin, I realized that someone was using this tin to store goodies too. Inside was a collection of buttons, all carefully packaged by type and colour.

Although I don't know much about the company nor the tin itself, it appears it was made in Canada due to the note about "Montreal" on the side of the tin. This is a nice little piece that brought a comforting memory of a simple sewing kit to mind!

In hindsight however, this was a compulsive buy that I don't have much use for as I don't sew! If anyone is interested in trading with me, I'm open to ideas... my email is under the "About Me" tab!

DIY Light Studio Tutorial

I am no expert on photography, but starting up this blog has encouraged me to tinker around with the camera. During the dark days of Winter, I wanted to have the freedom to take photos in the evening when little natural light was available. We decided to read up on making our own do-it-yourself light studio.

Mr. SixBalloons ended up building two models, one of which is made of salvaged plastic white sign board material. We simply taped together the pieces with the white backsides as the interior walls of the photo studio.

Another common style is made with an ordinary cardboard box with the sides and top cut out, covered by some translucent white material. I used some white fabric purchased at a thrift store to diffuse the light.

Taking my Kathie Winkle Corinth Teacup as a subject, I tested out the various lighting situations in the cardboard model as follows:

Light Studio with Diffused Light

Natural Light Only (Evening)

Natural Light, with Camera Flash

Clearly the first photo taken without flash in the diffused light situation worked best at mimicking natural lighting and showing the true colours. The light bulbs do create some glare spots, but it might be worthwhile experimenting with say, two layers of white tissue paper instead of the sheer cloth I used.

Because of the bright and reflective surface of the plastic signboard, I prefer the plastic light studio over the cardboard model. I feel that the light bouncing off the smooth white surfaces diffuses the lighting further, reducing shadows and creating a more natural look. The Primary Bowls below can perhaps show this.

If changing backgrounds is important to you, the cardboard model makes it very convenient and versatile. The table runner I often use as a backdrop to my photos lays easily through the cardboard opening at the top of the box.

The bottom line for me? You just can't beat natural light for freedom when taking pictures. However, I love having a simple home-made alternative that lets me take photos after sundown.

This was a fun DIY project for us, and rewarding because we saved money by salvaging and re-using. The adjustable desk-clamped lamps were collected on various thrifting adventures for about $3 each. We decided it was important to get proper lights and purchased these Philips Compact Flourescent bulbs which output 100w while actually using 23w of energy. We know these will last us a long time.

Teak Ice Bucket with Brass Handles

Before the weekend starts, I sometimes catch myself drifting off and thinking about what goodies I would like to find while thrifting.  On Friday evening, I started absent-mindedly jotting down some wishlist items...

Since summer is just around the corner, a teak ice bucket was on my list. The very next day, I found one in great condition, with a set of teak tongs! I paid a grand total of $4 for the lot.

It was my first visit to a monthly thrift sale held by a local seniors home. I actually never knew about this great volunteer-run shop, even though my dear Gramps spent his final years at this care facility. The team of men and women running the cash and stocking the shelves were seniors, and I loved their gusto and friendly banter.

The piece is solid teak on the exterior, with an aluminum insert to hold the ice. A plastic rim keeps the lid nice and dry, safe from condensation and moisture. The handles and knobs were a brass colour, but the teak tongs were held together with a silver coloured band. The tongs even have some silver teeth to grip onto the ice cubes. The tongs were probably not original to the set, but I think it still pairs well with the bucket.

Thrifting often represents so much more to me than just the material items. Yes, I definitely love finding good quality items at bargain prices. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the researching and learning about new things, and of course writing and sharing my experiences. However, there is a definite sentimental value to many of my favourite finds. This one has given me a real appreciation for these seniors who are staying active, working at the shop and building their community.

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday!