My Glamorous Life

I love leaving the house in the morning and finding the most delicious vintage items.

Why, it's practically effortless!  Wherever I'm going, I walk right in...

...pick up the best stuff and head home.

I wish.  It's not quite that simple. Surprised?  Sometimes you dig through piles of c-r-a-p-o-l-a,  hoping that a rat isn't going to scurry by, haggle with someone that wants to charge you high-end shop prices for the dirtiest little treasures and head home, praying all the way that you haven't been exposed to some deadly virus in the dirty air.

I had just such an experience last week.  Most of the estate sale companies in our area are reputable. They clean the homes, organize the merchandise and charge reasonable prices.  There is one that doesn't. I usually avoid their sales like the plague, but Kathy called and said it might be worth digging.  I unearthed a few things.

 A bunch of vintage Daisy BBs

Boxing gloves

Cool old pie pans

Nice early funnels

Tole till tray

Primitive cutting board

A friendly pig

Letter sweater J

Awesome parts drawers

A pile of interesting industrial signs

 Sweet little books

..and my favorite, a tiny Victorian powder box

It's less than 2" long; I'm not sure if it was a sample or for a fancy doll...(what do you think?)  Sometimes it's worth digging!

I'm linking up with Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, because, well, it's still Tuesday in some parts!  :)   And you should head over there and check out all the gals that have linked up this week...fun!

Road Trip - Upper Mississippi

With a beautiful October Saturday on deck, CG and I made a last-minute decision to take a little road trip to the upper Mississippi river, and headed out last night. We spent today touring the little towns on both the Wisconsin and Minnesota sides of the river.  Peak color is past, but there were still spots of brilliance here and there.

We arrived at one of the locks just as a barge was going through.

The Nelson Creamery was our lunch stop.  This former cheese factory now serves the best sandwiches...and ice cream!

You can also buy hundreds of varieties of our delicious Wisconsin cheese.

The sense of history in the old towns is palpable.

You can borrow a bike in Stockholm...

We stopped at a few antiques shops; honestly, none were very exciting...but you never know!

We're spending the night above a storefront on the river...tomorrow we head home.

 Did you do something fun this weekend?

Down the Rabbit Hole - A Visit to Simply Iowa

I left early on Saturday for Cedar Rapids so that I could make a stop at Barb's place, (Simply Iowa).  Barb's shop, known as "The Rabbit Hole" did not disappoint.  Barb has a heart that is bigger than the vast acres of Iowa cornfields.  She feels the history of each old piece that comes to her, and finds a place for each one.  The cozy shop is packed tightly from floor to ceiling, with little trails leading from section to section.

There are honest old survivors at every turn. I was awed by the soulful collections, and in looking at the photos now I'm noticing things that I don't even recall seeing!  Enjoy the tour, and don't forget to click on the pics to enlarge them!  

A big thanks to Barb for taking the time to visit with me on a busy day.  (Barb's dear friend Peg is struggling with some health issues right now and many are praying for Peg. Watch Barb's blog for updates.)

Collector's Eye - Iowa

Collector's Eye and the Midwest Antique & Art Show occur together twice a year in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Midwest Antique Show showcases high-end dealers with museum quality primitives, art, advertising and furniture. My favorite sightings included some amazing trade signs. Wish I'd had a chance to get some photos.

The Collector's Eye is a more casual show, featuring a nice variety of mostly traditional antiques and collectibles. Mid-Century and Industrial items were spotted here and there but not in large quantities.

Things were hopping as the show opened, and slowed down in the afternoon. It was 70 degrees and sunny; I imagine that contributed to the quiet afternoon in a big way. Ginger and Garth stopped by and it was great to see them. (We met when I did the Mount Vernon show last year and they saved my bacon several times that weekend!)

Following are random unedited pics from our booth. Kathy and I are still in Iowa and looking forward to shopping our way home today...watch for a report later in the week. (Next post I'll tell you about my visit to the fascinating "Rabbit Hole" at Simply Iowa.)
































Thanks to everyone that visited us at Collector's Eye!