Antique Loo Sign

Notice: I now charge 25 cents (inflation).

In my ongoing quest to have an über cool  laundry room (which also has a bathroom), I found this little gem at an antique store in Jamesport, Missouri.  Jamesport is an Amish town that I used to adore visiting, but it’s become one of those too-touristy, kinda running down towns.  However, there are still a couple of neat antique stores there, and I do so love visiting them when I’m in the area.

I’ve been looking for an antique bathroom sign, preferably metal from an old gas/filling station, and while this one, being stock paper with an old frame, didn’t quite fit my vision, I found it very charming and for $15.00 my large man-hands grabbed it and ran to the register!  It appears to have been made in what I would take to be 1909.

It’s got interesting information on the back of the frame which, now that I think about it, makes sense.  It’s not like 100 years ago one could run to Michael’s and pick up a frame!

What, no zip code for NY necessary?

The Picture Moulding and Picture Frame Code Authority?
Imagine making that crazy group mad!  Ooh, scary!

I might have to increase my toilet fees to pay for more antique and thrift finds!

Saturday Snapshot

Earring Holder

I have an addiction, and I have it bad.  Earrings: dangling, sparkly, handmade, unusual, antique, retro—you name it, I covet.  I don’t covet other jewelry, just earrings, and I’m not particularly fond of posts, but give me a pair of dangling earrings, and I’m your gal for life!  I had three jewelry boxes holding my collection, but they looked goofy and dated on my dresser.  Then Better Half bought me beautiful bedroom furniture which has jewelry drawers in the upper portion of the dresser.  Trying to find my earrings in those drawers was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.  Apparently Kincaid Furniture has an amount of jewelry that they deem reasonable for a collection.   Apparently Kincaid’s designers are men.  Urg.  I needed a solution.  I hit upon this idea and frankly, I was a little worried that Better Half (who on a whim can convince himself he’s a professional interior designer; so get ready because apparently leaving your jeans on the floor is a must for this year’s chic bedroom) would cringe when he saw my idea—he approves!

I take old picture frames (or in the case of the top holder, a very old wooden window screen with the screen already fitted) and paint them with black paint, fit them with screen, and hang ’em on the wall.  Pretty neat, eh?  Just poke my little bobs in and I’m set!

And no, this is only about half my collection of earrings. . . .

Old window screen prior to painting

Vintage Luggage Rack

I spent a great day with a friend antiquing last weekend.  Karma must have been in my path because as we were perusing an off-the-beaten-track antique shop, I saw IT.   What I have been trying to find for years.  Sitting on the front porch of this derelict looking shop, pushed up against rusted, dirty, and battered antiques and junk— a vintage luggage rack.  I’ve been looking for one for our guest room for years.  I wasn’t specifically looking for antique or vintage; new or gently used would have been fine.  I just didn’t want to spend mucho dinero on a “luxury” item for a guest room I never “guest” in!

When I first saw, I didn’t get my hopes up.  I have found several vintage/antique racks, yet when I pull them out they’re torn, wobbly; just plain junk.  I couldn’t believe my luck!  This one, other than the mahogany wood needing refinishing, was perfect.  Well, almost.  It was filthy and had big wads of dirt between the wood and tapestry straps, but otherwise, perfect.  Super sturdy, no parts broken, no parts missing.   My first thought was wow, my next thought was how much?  And there it was; on a blue piece of painter’s tape: $3.00.  Holy cow!

I’m now the proud owner of a vintage luggage rack.  I cleaned it up and discovered that once I delicately washed the tapestry straps, they look quite pretty and don’t need replacing.

I then noticed an old gold sticker on the underside:  “This is a genuine Scheibe product.  Fine quality accessories since 1914.”  Well, well.  So I did some quick research, found out that Scheibe had been bought by another manufacturer, but they are still producing the same luggage racks; even this one.  It’s pretty obvious, based on the hardware, condition, and the infamous gold sticker, that my luggage rack is definitely not new.  How old, we’ll never know.  I do know this–the new ones sell for almost 30 times the amount I paid!

Most items in this shop were very reasonably priced and it was a super fun place to “pick.”  The owner was a very pleasant, laid-back gentleman; good karma is coming his way.

Cool lights

I saw an idea similar to this on a blog, but it involved canning jars, Outdoor Mod Podge, coloring, blah, blah.  As I said, I like all things crafty, but my ADD brain does not allow me to actually follow through with complex instructions.  Okay, I really can, but I prefer to do things FAST.  I like instant gratification.  So, here’s the FAST way to accomplish these super cool lights, which I must say, look quite lovely outside my window at dark… Better Half, when he gets home from out-of-state, is going to wonder why we need “more junk”  (his words, not mine)!

What I did was scour my old jar collection (I did go to one antique store and bought two $1 jars) and found an old blue Vick’s jar and an old amber snuff jar.  I bought two uber cheap solar lights from the local big box store (I know, I know, but I have no other option in the boonies) and tore them apart.  I cleaned the jars and using wire (Better Half had in his garage/playhouse) I attached the solar lights to the jars.  On the Vick’s jar I dropped it into a small quilted canning jar I had.  The results:  well, you tell me!  $3.50 or less each and they make me feel special.