Weekend thrift store score including vintage plaid Thermos picnic set, mid-century modern rolling kitchen cart and lots more kitschy goodness.
There's a little antique mall in a podunk town not too far from here that sort of doubles as a thrift store or flea market. They have a porch area that vendors just toss their "lesser" stuff on and mark it really cheap just to get rid of it.
I love that place!
I've found many things there over the years, from my son's over-endowed stuffed squirrels to various lunchboxes and thermoses.
Did I just say the "T" word? Why yes, I did.
This week, I found this super cute, jadeite green colored Icy Hot vacuum bottle (aka a thermos) there.
It's jadeite green, for gosh sake!!! I had to buy it!
And while we're talking jadeite colored things, I found this singer sewing machine buttonholer case a few weeks ago at the very same antique mall / thrift store / flea market.
Without the actual buttonholer parts, but it makes a cute case to hold pens and paper clips on my desk.
Probably would have made more sense to have taken the photo with said pens and paper clips actually in the case. You live, you learn.
This is a little boring, but I bought this metal jello mold for a buck.
Hopefully you'll see it in action in a few weeks and no, there will not be Aunt Bee's jello salad being made in it.
Although I could go for some orange jello with banana slices in it right about now.
In the past, I have made Birdseed Suet Cakes out of them and Glittery, Kitschy Jello Mold Christmas Wreaths. So the sky's the limit here with jello molds.
Whenever I run across a vintage metal canister set and it's under $5 I buy them.
They're a little too rusty to store flour, sugar and whatever else people who cook store in these canister things, but they are great to hold all sorts of stuff in the office or craft room.
You can see similar canisters, picnic baskets and whatnots used in action in my Home Office Decor: Vintage Style or Home Office Organizing: Vintage Style blog posts from earlier this year.
I have NO IDEA what I am going to use these for, but I found 3 vintage barkcloth deer curtains just setting in a plastic bag thrown underneath a table.
I don't know if they are faded or if this is what they are supposed to look like, but my rule is to never pass up barkcloth when you find it at a good price. Never.
I may use one panel for winter porch pillows. They don't exactly shout Rudolph and Santa, but I thought it might be good for a low key rustic cabin look?
Now, when I found this baby I immediately fell in love with her. She's a vintage mid-century modern woodgrain metal kitchen cart in pretty darn good condition for her age.
I was thinking she would make a great bar cart, but after I pulled out my vintage Libby Golden Foliage bar set I realized
a) I really have no other pieces of barware and
b) I don't drink
At least not enough to have a bar cart!
You normally see these carts in bright colors with chrome legs, but this one has nice golden legs with black accents and she just shouts mid-century era coolness to me.
She even has her original lucite/plastic rollers.
Now to just decide what to do with her.
And last, but certainly not least, I found a vintage plaid Thermos picnic set.
And . . .
wait for it . . .
It was in original packaging!!!
It doesn't look like it's ever been used or out of the packaging.
Sort of like finding the unicorn of the Thermos world!
Check out these groovy 1973 graphics.
And just because so few people follow my Instagram feed, here's a little video I pieced together of my Instagram Stories from that day.
Some things to keep in mind:
- IG Stories are 15 seconds clips of your life sort of done in real time, so this is a bunch of 15 second clips throughout the day stapled together.
- Instagram Stories are a more natural way of doing video, so it's not all about the beauty shot. It's more real life, down and dirty, maybe I need to get my hair colored again or put on lipstick sort of videos. If you're looking for perfection, look elsewhere.
- Oh, and I'm not cross-eyed. I'm looking at the screen on my phone, but the phone is shooting the video from the camera which sets right above the screen, so it makes it look like I'm not looking at you. Anyhow, I haven't perfected the art of walking and talking at the same time, so filming myself and looking at the right spot on the phone may take a while!
- And can I say that people think you are nuts when you are basically talking to yourself on your phone. It's odd enough for this little antique mall/thrift shop when I tell them I'm taking photos to post on IG, but start talking about posting a video to IG Stories and the weird looks go to a whole different level.
If you want to pitty-follow me on Instagram you can find me at House Of Hawthornes on Instagram .
Barbara O
You had my little heart going a pitter-a patter when I saw that Singer buttonholer box!!! I am to vintage sewing machines an accessories as you are to thermoses!!
FLORENCE @ VintageSouthernPicks
That sounds like a fun thrift store/junk shop/antique shop place! Just my kind of hang-out. Wish I could take a peek at it. Actually I'm limiting myself right now, but I do miss junkin.' So you got some neat items! Love the canisters! The red plaid thermos set is very nice!
Sounds like I need to check out IG stories myself. Of all the SM sites, I do IG the very least. Who can do them all? So IG usually falls through the cracks, as does Twitter.
Fonda
I'm with you on that. I can't even seem to keep up with blog land, let alone my survey sites, banking and political action groups wanting my signature for petitions {and there's quite a bit of that going on since the new administration continues to come to fruition after only 8 months — the date the winner was declared. Will it ever be done?}.
FLORENCE @ VintageSouthernPicks
I don't think so Fonda.
Fonda
It's kind of sad that a grown group of men {and some women} can't get their poop in a group long enough to accomplish something that's good for people. Gee whiz.
FLORENCE @ VintageSouthernPicks
So true & sad.
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
I would have so much fun shopping with you, Pam! Such fun finds! Love the video!
Kim
Your thrift store is amazing. Mine totally stinks, actually all of them in my area are kind of stinky. They are generally overpriced with nothing of a real vintage nature. If it's even remotely aged, it goes to an antique store and then it's out of my budget. Great finds!
joy
Looks like a good haul! Just wondering if you are doing the 127 sale (starts Thursday-Sunday)
We will pick 127 up in Cincinnati--Covington, Ky had a nice antique street fair last year that had some reasonable really good junk!
Maybe we will see you there!
Pam
Ugh. I want to go soooo badly! Not sure if I'm going to get to go though. The last time I went with a group of people and we started in downtown Cinci and went North through Fairfield and then we lost part of the group when they decided to go to Ikea. I know Ikea is special and all that, but there was a huge yard sale going on!!!
I'm going to see if I can find that street fair on the map, that might be a good place to go with my son if I can get out this weekend.
Bev
What wonderful finds!! Recently, I saw some of the old jello molds repurposed into cabin wall hangings. One was painted a deep burgundy and aged with black paint dry brushed on. The other was spray painted with oil rubbed bronze spray paint. They were hung on the wall in the kitchen. Another pic showed them painted on the inside, too and used to hold a candle in the middle and nuts, acorns and pine cones around the sides. Really country/primitive/farm house looking. I especially love the matching thermoses!! The Brits never go anywhere without their thermos of tea.
Pam
Now that's an idea! I'm going to look around Pinterest and see if I can find some painted molds.
Marsha
I inherited a yellow cart like yours from my best friend who recently passed away. I always wanted it, but now I'm not sure what I want to do with it. Maybe my patio, or my sewing room. She loved butterflies so I keep waiting for one to fly by and tell me what she wants me to do with it.
Pam
The sewing room sounds like a wonderful place for it. Or a blogging friend of mine puts hers in the kitchen and has all her vintage Pyrex stacked on it.
Ann
Put little red noses on the deer for Christmas!
Pam
That would be cute. Most of the barkcloth I come across is more colorful, but this is so muted it's throwing me 🙂
Debrashoppeno5
You really got some great items. My mind was thinking of all of the possibilities, especially the Barkcloth. I was thinking exactly like you said.
Pam
I guess I could use the other panels as actual curtains too. But really, the only place I have a need for new curtains is the dining room and I'm not sure they're colorful enough for in there.
Fonda
You could sandwich those curtains between clear {or frosted} shower curtains and hang them on your porch. You might still have a little sun damage if Ohio is so nice as to provide some. Porch curtains are so fashionable these days...not for me, though! It's all I can come up with on such short notice.
Amy S West
Hello like new or new really, thermos picnic set! Score!! Did you squeal? I would have.
Pam
I did! The plaid is so much more crisp and colorful than the ones that have sat in the basement for 20 years!
Sue Pagels
Love everything but especially the barkcloth and thermoses - or is it "thermi"?? 🙂
Pam
Maybe it's a herd of thermos? Or a gaggle?
Sue Pagels
I like "herd"!!
mary scott
I've commented before that you & I could NEVER go shop together because as you replied, we'd be rolling on the ground slugging it out over every thing! I'm sincerely hoping you are planning to make a pumpkin out of the neat-o jello mold. That bark cloth! SWOON. Thanks!
Pam
I had not thought of a pumpkin, but I may change my plans now!!!
Ruby
You sound so interesting.
Pam
Aw, thanks!
Barbara Chapman ~ French Ethereal
That's too funny about getting weird looks while you are filming!!! Love it! You found some really cool things, especially the Thermoses! After watching some American Pickers the past couple of weeks, all I can think is How Much Will it Sell For? 😉 Lol! Sorry!!!
Cool stuff,
Barb 🙂
Pam
I think their initial thought is "Is she talking to me?". Nope, not at all 🙂
Fonda
How much will it sell for vs. what it will really sell for! Sometimes, the numbers seem to me to be way, way out there. I'd like to actually see a sale in action, although, since it's TV, I won't believe it!
Alisa Canter
What a great haul!! Can't wait to see what you do with the cart! I gave you a follow on Instagram as well-- I share all my flea market finds there and love see what others are finding, especially in Ohio! 🙂
Pam
Fantastic. I'll find you over there!
Kari Wagner Hoban
I think someday when I come to Ohio to visit family, I am taking a day to go thrifting with you.
Let's put that on the calendar.
Pam
Come on over!
Fonda
Me, too!
Barbara O
hey - wait for me!!