Thursday, September 30, 2010

And The Winner Is...


Wow!  Thanks to all who entered my 1 year giveaway!  Also, welcome to the new followers.  I am just 10 people away from having 100 followers now, and I believe that event will call for another giveaway!

So, there were 17 entries into the 1 year giveaway.  Not enough to hit the 20 entry point to give away 2 prizes.  Maybe next time.

The entrants, and their numbers:

1.  Miss Dollie DeVille
2.  Miss Dollie DeVille
3.  Shrinky Inky
4.  Maria Stahl
5.  Maria Stahl
6.  Amy
7.  Rachelle
8.  Rachelle
9.  The Elegant Thrifter
10. Brittany Va-Voom Vintage
11. Jabacue
12. Mick
13. frankensteinbride1313
14. Vintage Girl
15. Nicole
16. Jennie
17. svelteSTUFF

(Remember, if you blogged about the giveaway and left me a link to double check, you received a second entry.)

The photo above might be a hint at who the winner is.  Is that the lot that you wanted?

I took the 17 entries and went over to random.org to find a winner.


Number 4 is Maria Stahl!  Congratulations Maria!  Send me an email at culdesacshack at gmail dot com with your mailing address, and I'll get your goodies in the mail to you!

Thanks to all the entrants, and welcome again to the new followers!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Craigslist Find


I haven't featured a fun Craigslist find for a long time.  I just haven't had time to shop Craigslist for the cool stuff.



Last night I found this amazing Formica table and 6 chairs.  The ad says that the chairs swivel!  How cool!  The ad states that it is in excellent condition, and that's about it.  Price for this gem that would be great for a vintage kitchen?  $75.

You can see the original ad here.

Time's Up!

The entry period for my Pick Your Prize Give-away is over.  Thanks to everyone who entered!  Stay tuned in the next day or two to see if you're the winner!  Good luck everyone!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Mystery Box


I want to give a very special Thank You to Mick from Everyone Goes To Mick's.  I came home last night to find a mystery box on my stoop.  A bright and colorful postcard on the top immediately let me know that it's from Mick and the Casablanca.  So, I rush in, get the scissors and my camera, and get to work.  I did manage to have enough restraint to get a picture of the package before opening it.


Inside I found a great note from Mick congratulating me on my year of blogging, along with some blog birthday gifts and a "wish you were here" postcard showing the beautiful lake that the Casablanca is on.

After reading my post on looking for a vintage ice bucket last Thursday, Mick sent me a beautiful Lucite gold glitter ice bucket with lid.  It's amazing, and just what I had in mind when I wrote the post!  He also sent me a blue and a green Fire King mug in the Kimberly pattern that I love so much.  Don't the bright colors of those mugs make you want to smile?


I couldn't restrain myself, so I immediately got out the box of little glass cups and filled it up!  I love the way that they sparkle through the transparent Lucite.


Here it is all filled up!  Thanks so much Mick!  I have the best blogging friends.  I never would have guessed a year ago that I would make so many wonderful friends through this blog.

Speaking of the 1 year birthday of the blog, today is the last day that you can enter my Pick Your Prize Give-away, so if you haven't entered, you better do it now!

Monday, September 27, 2010

What A Weekend!


This weekend was our fall citywide garage sale.  That's right.  We have two each year.  Spring and Fall.  Both are exciting days!  There were also two estate sales this weekend, and you know that I love a good auction!

First up, I have added members 3 and 4 to my Mixmaster family.  The stand mixer on the left is the most complete one I have come across yet.  Both bowls, the juicer attachment and bowl are all there.  $2!  I also got the fun little chrome Mixmaster Junior hand held mixer.  $1.


This Pyrex addiction is going to have to stop somehow.  Approximately $30 this weekend got me 11 pieces of Pyrex.  I've written a more complete post about all of the pieces that I picked up over at The Pyrex Collective if you want to know details on individual pieces.


Two Hull planters (left and center) and a Haeger planter.  I have a few Haeger pieces in this green color now.  I think it's so soothing.  ($2 each)



Some more planters!


Two great pieces of turquoise Club Aluminum.  Who could pass up that color?  $5 for the set.


Three Fire King baking dishes in Cornflower Blue.  $6.


Lastly, some odds-n-ends.  6 Fire King mugs, a Hazel Atlas liquor measuring cup, a clear glass chip and dip set, and a pink and brown creamer that still has it's original sticker on it from Winart Pottery in Miami (pronounced "Miamah") Oklahoma.  $3 for the mugs, $2 for the chip and dip set.  The other things were a quarter each.

If you haven't signed up for my Pick Your Prize Give-away, you can still do so here!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Pyrex Friday

Movie Friday is on vacation today...mostly because I have not had one night this week that I was home before 8:30pm, and I haven't had a chance to come up with one, or the energy to even consider what I might do.  13 1/2 hours away from home 4 days straight (and I get to do it again today) kind of takes it out of you.  So, in place of Movie Friday, I am posting some fun Pyrex finds on eBay.  I'm so glad that they got the little widget working again.  It was very frustrating!


Please note that I am not in any way affiliated with the sellers of these items, and I do not receive any financial gain for sharing them with you.

Also, feel free to bid on any of these if you are interested.  I never share with you all what I am looking at or bidding on until it is mine all mine.   I'm not crazy enough to try people to bid against me!

Also, if you have not already done so, make sure you sign up for my Pick Your Prize Give-away!

Have a great Friday!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Display Dilemma

I have a box full of things that are very dear to me.  Somewhere between 200 and 300 little things that are very dear to me.  My dilemma is how to display these little things.  What are they, you may ask?  They are communion cups.  When I was a child, we took communion at church from these very cups.  We now use plastic cups, as these little boogers take a while to wash and put away.  A couple of years ago my church had a silent auction, and I snatched these up, along with several other things.  I love these cups, but I have absolutely no idea how to best display them.  Do I need to display hundreds of them? No.  Do I want to display hundreds of them? No.  I have an idea, but I would like your input, and ideas from you all for a solution.  I feel confident that if we all put our retro loving heads together, we can find a solution!


My idea:  I would like to find a fun mid-century clear glass ice bucket (preferably one with some type of great retro design...and maybe a lid.  Would that be too much to ask?).  I think filling the glass ice bucket with these would make the ice bucket look like it has ice in it, and be a great way to showcase these fun vintage communion cups.  I don't think that the cups have any real value other than my sentimental value.  There are a few different styles and I would like to include examples of each style in the display.


A second idea:  Find a glass tea pot or maybe an old Pyrex coffee pot that is missing it's inner workings.

Now, what do you think?  Thanks in advance for your ideas!

Have a great Thursday, and don't forget to enter my Pick Your Prize Give-away, celebrating 1 year of Cul-de-sac Shack!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Pick Your Prize Give-away

To celebrate the 1 year anniversary of Cul-De-Sac Shack, I'm having a give-away!  Yes, I have been secretly hording goodies from your eyes in preparation for this event.  With this give-away, I'm doing something a little different.  I'm letting you pick your prize!  I have four different prize lots below, each with unique and fun mid-century finds.

Here are the rules:  You must be a follower of Cul-de-sac Shack to enter (I do check to make sure you're a follower).  There are a few of you that follow through Google Reader and regularly leave comments, so that I know you are following.  You are welcome to enter as well.  To enter, leave a comment stating what your favorite prize lot is, also state what your second favorite prize lot it.  Why do I ask for your first and second favorite prize lots?  Well, if I get over 20 entries, I'm going to give away 2 prizes.  This way, if you are the second drawn and your first choice has been spoken for, you can still get a prize.  Leaving a comment will get you one entry.  You may get a second entry by posting about this on your blog.  Please leave a link to your blog in your comment, as I will check to make sure that you have posted about it.  (Teachers love rules :P).  I will use a random number generator to choose the winner.  Entries will be numbered in order of receipt.  If you are the first comment, you are entrant number 1 and so on.

Here are your prize choices:

1.  The Pretties

What's included:  Back row: Three pretty floral serving bowls manufacturer unmarked; Middle row: Fashion Two Twenty bath oil bottle (milk glass), two milk glass toothpick holder type things (like my precision of language?), two Haviland & Co. Limoges plates (Haviland, France), and a Porcelaines d'Are Limoges France footed cup; Front row: Korlis China "Exotique" plate (Made in Japan) and a pair of vintage navy blue gloves.

2.  Golden Glitz

What's included: Golden yellow table cloth with white printed design; "Parisian Prints" All Pure Linen "Calories" tea towel with original sticker; Yellow-gold divided bowl "Lane & Co (c) 1960, Van Nuys, Calif. U.S.A., 3000"; a clear glass "Gay Fad" tray with gold design; a smoke glass tray with gold design; and a small amber glass compote.

3.  Frankoma Feast

 

What's included: Frankoma stein and tray (the stein does have two chips, which I didn't notice until getting things together for this give-away - both can be seen in the picture above if you click on it and enlarge it); two small bean pots marked USA on the bottom, and three fun vintage Solo cup holders (for the old style coffee cup inserts).

4.  Linens and Things

What's included: Three vintage aprons, a bag of vintage gift ribbon, and numerous cards of vintage sewing notions.

Entry period ends at midnight Central Standard Time, Tuesday, September 28, 2010.  Good luck!

** Please note:  These items are vintage.  In the case of linens, I have not washed them.  I am leaving that up to the new owner.  They are in as found condition, all were used and well loved.  They may have a flaw or two.  That is part of their charm, in my opinion.  Also, these items come from a smoke-free home, but not a pet free home.  If there is an issue with these items sharing a home with my dogs Rosco and Chewy, you might not want to enter. **

It's The Cul-De-Sac Shack 1 Year Anniversary


I'm so excited that Monday marked the 1 year anniversary of my creation and first post here at Cul-de-sac Shack.  It has been such a great year, meeting new people and sharing with everyone.  At this time I have 79 followers, and I can tell you that a year ago I never would have dreamed that I would have so many people following the blog.  Thank you all!  (I can't believe that I forgot to make a big post about this on Monday!)  363 posts later, I find new ideas difficult at times.  Still, I will always strive to come up with something new! 

I still remember the excitement of my first follower "Tikimama", and how excited I would get with each additional follower.  I still get excited when I get a new follower.  You guys are the best!

Check back later today for a big celebration!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

1961 "Studebaker Today"

Wow! 79 Followers!  Welcome!

Enjoy a couple of great videos from Studebaker!  I believe that this video was created for dealers.



Have a great Tuesday!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Two Auctions In One Weekend!

How did I get so lucky?  Yesterday I posted the things that I managed to get at the sale I attended Saturday.  Today I have a few things to share that I got yesterday.  I got more than is posted here, but they're a secret for a while.  :)

The sale bill listed Pyrex.  So, I went, I looked, I discovered, I conquered the other bidders, and I brought it home with me!


Two Butterprint Cinderella style mixing bowls.  I finally have a dishwasher piece!  I have actually been looking for a mixing bowl set that someone has ruined in the dishwasher for me to use on a daily basis and be able to throw in the dishwasher myself.  If someone else has ruined it, I won't feel bad about putting it in the dishwasher!  The large bowl is a 4 quart number 444 and is in really good shape.  The smaller bowl is a 2 1/2 quart number 443, and if you don't hold it up to the light, you would never know that it had ever been a Butterprint bowl.


I got three clear glass bowls in different shades of blue.  These are newer pieces, marked Oven and Microwave safe.  The small bowl is 1 Liter, the medium bowl is 1.5 Liters, and the large bowl is 2.5 Liters.  I paid $7 per set for the mixing bowls.


I also got a great 9 cup Pyrex coffee percolator.  It has all it's original parts.  Too bad I don't drink coffee!  $5.


Continuing with bowls, I got an iridescent white Federal Glass serving bowl for $2.


This Homer Laughlin platter was a fun find for $2.  Trying to figure out the pattern name for it.  I browsed through nearly 1,400 eBay listings last night to try to find it.  No luck.  Anybody out there able to identify this pattern?  The only good that searching eBay did was to make me want to find platters in many of the great mid-century designs that Homer Laughlin made.  I have several platters now, and the only time that they really get used is when it is my Sunday School class' month to take cookies to church.  I take a different platter or two of treats each week.  I also used one of my favorite atomic themed platters (it's a large roundish one) for the birthday cake that I made Mom.


I loved the shape of this tea kettle.  It is copper (which needs polished badly) and is marked on the bottom "Made in Holland".  $3.


Finally, I may be saving the best for last.  I found a great TV lamp.  This swan is in perfect condition.  It has it's original sticker on the back, identifying the manufacturer as "Maddux of California".  $7.  There are several of these on eBay right now in the same price range, but at least I didn't have to pay shipping! 

Have a wonderful Monday!  I hit 78 followers last night!  I'm on cloud nine!  Welcome!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Saturday Finds (Another Look At What I Found Post)

 Wow!  77 followers!  Welcome to all the new folks!

I was excited to attend an estate sale here in town yesterday.  There were two sales within 15 miles of each other, so the attendance at this auction was a little light.  Good news for me, better bargains!  There was a lot of junk at this sale, so the auctioneers were putting lots of stuff together to make a lot and selling that way.  If you wanted something separate, you just asked them to pull it out, and they sold it by itself.  I did this several times, as I already have enough to haul the 45 miles to the nearest thrift shop.  The auction company that had this sale is my absolute favorite.  Three generations of my family have attended their sales, and my grandfather passed away before I was born.  The younger generations have started taking over the auctioneering, and one of the original auctioneers has passed away.  My favorite part is that you don't get a buyer number with them, you use your last name.

I had a great time at the sale until the daughter of the owner started taking stuff out of the sale because things weren't selling for enough.  I finally had it when she started running up bids on people so that they could get more money.  She did this to me when I was bidding on a couple of chairs that were desperately in need of reupholstering, but had good frames and wood trim (they were going to go with the French Provincial sofa in my living room).  I had enough at this point, told the auctioneer that if the family wanted to run up the bids on people the family could keep the chairs, asked the clerk for my total, paid and left.

So, what did I get before I got upset and left?


I absolutely love this vintage Seth Thomas electric mantle clock.  Model #701-000, it has Westminster chimes in it.  The clock runs, but is a little noisy (I am going to take it to the local clock repair shop and have it oiled) however the chimes are not working (I'm going to have the clock shop look into this as well).  This little beauty was a steal at $10.



Isn't this cart great?  It folds up when you aren't using it!  The sticker on the bottom calls it the "Versa Table".  $2.


Beautiful cake carrier.  Needs a good washing.  I think that I gave $4 for this one.  (As the auctioneer sells using your last name, they also don't use the little carbon copy receipt things.  They record everything in a notebook, so I don't know what each piece sold for unless I wrote it down or I remember for certain.  This is the only piece of the day that I'm not certain about.)


Anybody have a suggestion as to what the pattern on these glasses might be called?  They make me think of India.  $2 for the set of 6.


Hull pink footed planter, has gray lip with turquoise interior along with white speckles over the whole piece.  $2.  The little bird planter on the right isn't marked, but I love the colors on it.  $2.


The above piece is marked Royal Haeger by Royal Hickman number R071.  It's somewhere around 12 inches long and 5 inches wide.  Not sure if it is a planter or what it's use is.  I was sold on the shape and the brown color with the green around the lip.  $2.


I am in love with the great blue color of these glasses!  There are 11 of them in all.  They are marked "Gelado" on the bottom, along with "Brazil".  Anybody know anything about these?  They remind me of jelly jar glasses. $2.


There are 7 of these little flowered juice glasses.  Too bad the 8th one is no longer with them.  $2 (along with a large box full of other stuff that has already been sorted out for the thrift shop).


These antique photographs are dated 1905, and the mats have been hand dated along with the name of the location of the photo.  I love the way these have a vintage, yet contemporary feel to them.  $2 (noticing a trend here?).


This poor old kitchen cart has seen a lot of use over the years.  I'm fairly certain it has spent several years in a shed now.  I just wanted it for my garage.  When I got it home and got to looking at it closer, I discovered that it is really old.  Older than mid-century in my opinion.  The style is pre-mid-century, and look at those little wheels!  They're wooden!  This one is going on the list of things I need to restore. $2 (bet ya couldn't have guessed that, huh?).


Finally, I got one piece of Pyrex.  This 2.5l casserole dish in the Homestead pattern.  All I ever find is the Homestead pattern in blue, so I was shocked to find a piece in brown.  It even has it's original lid, which makes it even better.  Has a rust stain on the back that I need to work on cleaning off, but it will be great for everyday use. $2 (had to get it in one last time :P)

There's another estate sale in town today.  Haven't decided if I'm going to it yet or not.  I would like to, but my sister and brother-in-law are bringing the baby over for church and then Mom is fixing dinner, so we'll just have to wait and see.  Have a great Sunday!

The Pyrex Collective


I can't remember if I have mentioned this on here before or not, but I recently became a member of The Pyrex Collective.  If you love Pyrex, this is a great blog for you to check out.  Grab a cup of coffee (if you drink that horrifying stuff!) and spend some time today checking out all the amazing pieces that people are sharing!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Child of the 90's

Being in my late 20's, I consider myself mostly a child of the 90's (of course, I am most definitely a child of the 80's).  The years in which I matured were in the 90's though, so that's what I think about the most.

I still don't know what got me into 1950's / 1960's stuff, but I'm thinking it was probably the great old shows that Nick at Nite used to show.  (Mr. Ed, I Love Lucy, Green Acres...)

Anyway, back to the 90's for today's post.  It's gonna be a little lengthy, as I'm sharing some of my favorite music videos from the time.

First, Ace of Base: The Sign


Second, Real McCoy: Another Night


Third, No Doubt: Spiderwebs (oooohhh...Gwen Stefani :P)


Fourth, The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony (Cruel Intentions, anyone?)


Fifth, Counting Crows: Mr. Jones


I could go on and on and on and, well you get the idea. So I'll just limit it to five for today.  The songs are in no particular order so the first one is not necessarily my favorite.  Have a great Saturday, and enjoy some great 90's music!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Movie Friday: Grease

First of all, I am excited to say that I have hit the 75 follower mark!  Wow!  I am still amazed that so many people take an interest in my blog.  Thank you all for following!

I would also like to wish my mom a very happy birthday!



Okay, so Grease is a classic!  I still remember the first time that I saw it in high school.

This classic musical from 1978 stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.  The movie centers around the high school summer romance of Danny and Sandy.

If you want all the details, check out what Wikipedia has to say on the subject.  They can tell you more than I ever could!

Have a great Friday!  (Oh, and if you have songs from Grease stuck in your head all day, even better!)

Grease is the word...

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Blogging Blahs...

Do you ever get those blogging blahs?  Feel like your creativity has run out?  Don't know what to do next?  I know that some of you have, I've read your posts about it!  The most recent one was by Miss 1950's Atomic Ranch House just yesterday.  I have great visions for my blog, but I'm still working out in my mind how to make it what I envision.  I am getting really tired of the "look what I bought" posts.  I like my finds, but the posts seem to get really repetitive when I'm writing them. 

Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere!  I'll still be doing my (almost) daily posts.  I love reading everybody's blogs, even though I don't comment a lot of the time.  Please know that even though I may not comment does not mean I didn't enjoy the post.  I just may not have anything to say.

Be sure to stay tuned next week, as I have something exciting that I'm going to announce!

I wonder if any Vitameatavegamin would help my blogging blahs?  It probably wouldn't hurt!


Have a great Thursday!  Where has this week gone?  Christmas will be here before we know it!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I Would Like To Introduce...

my beautiful new nephew, Cody!


Yesterday was a very exciting day!  My little sister and her husband had their first child, a beautiful baby boy! Congratulations Megan and Doug!  Of course, Uncle Mike might be just a little proud as well!


He was born while I was at work, and I'll be danged if I was going to let a little thing like work stand in the way of seeing my new nephew.  I took half a personal day and left at noon.


So, Cody brings me up to being an uncle for the 8th time...and still no kids of my own...  I'm sure that it will happen some day!  Although, being an uncle is great - I get to play with them all I want, and send them home when I get tired!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Cities Service


Get the big, big, big, big gallon...

Gotta love these old commercials!

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Planters and Pyrex...Oh My!


I was talking to one of my fellow teachers last week when she mentioned that she had a flea market booth where she was selling off the stuff of her parents that nobody else in the family wanted.  I asked if by chance there was any Pyrex among their stuff, and she said that there were some pieces.  So, after work on Friday, I rushed over to the nearby little town to visit the flea market that she had her booth in.  From the moment that I walked in I was like a kid in a candy store!  Lots of great stuff, all really cheap!  And, as such, I am keeping the name and location of this place confidential, 'cause it's MINE ALL MINE!!!  :)

I found four different planters in the store that I wanted (I could have brought home a lot more, but I was restraining myself).  They ranged in price from 50 cents to $1.  From left to right, in the above photo: Floraline (by McCoy) pedestal planter, Haeger round green cylinder planter, gold planter - simply marked USA on the bottom, and a white USA planter.

Then there was the Pyrex (and a piece of Glasbake).  I almost picked up a piece from a company I had never heard of, and if it's there the next time I go, I may still pick it up - the company marking on the bottom was "Maid of Honor".  I found 2 "Maid of Honor" pieces, and one of them looked like a Federal Glass piece, and the other looked like a piece of Glasbake.  Has anybody ever heard of "Maid of Honor"?  I'm wondering if they weren't a company that sold items manufactured by other brands under their name, such as a company brand for Sears or Montgomery Wards.  I don't know, that's just an idea.



I now most definitely have enough divided dishes!  From the top down, an Opal Pyrex 1 1/2 quart #1063 divided dish.  This piece is a different shape than most Pyrex divided dishes.  I have found through my research only Opal and Delphite Pyrex divided dishes in this style.  I have not found any with decoration in this style.  Second from top is a Town & Country divided dish.  Third down is a turquoise Snowflake divided dish.  Finally, on the bottom is a Glasbake Currier and Ives divided dish.  Unfortunately, none of the pieces came with lids.

I also found a Verde divided dish (2 actually) with their original lids for $3.75 and $3.95 (2 different booths).  I felt like I had enough however, so I left them for someone else.

Here's a photo to show the difference in the Opal Pyrex shape from the standard Pyrex divided dish shape:


The Opal dish is on the bottom, and you can clearly see the difference in the shape of the handles.

So, how much did I spend?  $12 before tax! Ha Ha Ha!