modern thrifter
I love beautiful things and thoughtful design. I also live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, and our family lives off a single income so that I can be at home with our kids. Patience and persistence have been the key to finding stylish things on a tight budget.
Search
Additional pages
Twitter feed
Loading Tweet...
Find me on...
Tag Results
29 posts tagged kitchen
![[ AURORA ANTIQUE PAVILION ]
Wow, sorry about all of the cobwebs over here on the blog. I’ve been doing a bit of design work the past couple of weeks, so thrifting and blogging have taken a back seat for the time being. I’ll share the projects with you all when they’re done. I’m pretty excited about them and it’s been a refreshing change to get my hands back into drawing and designing. Just to clarify, those are Patrick’s hands in the picture, though, not mine.
In the middle of all of the busyness I did find time to take a quick peek inside the Aurora Antique Pavilion with Patrick. It’s been about ten years since the last time we’d been inside, and I sort of forgot about its existence until a friend mentioned it recently.
Let me tell you, this is the type of place that you need the better part of an afternoon to explore. We only had an hour and we tried our best to scan it all, but I know we missed plenty.
My overall (quick) impression is that this is the place to go if you are looking for Pyrex or other kitchenwares. The prices on most of the Pyrex pieces weren’t much more than Goodwill has been charging these days. Also, I saw a ton of Hall china, but it was priced pretty average.
I was tempted to buy this vintage poker chip set, but our game collection (ahem… it’s almost an entire closet filled with games) is overflowing, so I passed.
Furniture was mostly pre-1950, but there were a few pieces of Mid-Mod scattered around. One area that is definitely worth a look is the furniture warehouse. This section felt like it was off-limits to the public, but apparently it is not. I guess it’s just “proceed at your own risk.” A lot of the furniture was already sold and awaiting pick-up, but there was still plenty for sale at pretty steep discounts.
So what did I buy? I’ve been working on upgrading my cheap pots and pans to a mixture of All-Clad and cast iron. It’s been an expensive and slow transition, but every time I swap out a teflon-lined piece of junk for a heavy, even-cooking beauty, I know it’s worth it.
I found this vintage Le Creuset 22cm saucepan with a clever skillet lid, and I scooped it up. Well, actually I admired it for a while and walked away. It was Patrick who talked me into going back across the store and claiming it. I suppose his reasoning was two-fold: one, he loves me, two, he gets better food when I have tools for the kitchen that make me enjoy cooking even more.
I wonder how many local folks have been to the Antiques Pavilion? Is it just me who forgot about this fabulous place so awkwardly situated above the Burlington Coat Factory? I can’t wait to get a free morning to go back and dig through it all again.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m163ucRhwq1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ AURORA ANTIQUE PAVILION ]
Wow, sorry about all of the cobwebs over here on the blog. I’ve been doing a bit of design work the past couple of weeks, so thrifting and blogging have taken a back seat for the time being. I’ll share the projects with you all when they’re done. I’m pretty excited about them and it’s been a refreshing change to get my hands back into drawing and designing. Just to clarify, those are Patrick’s hands in the picture, though, not mine.
In the middle of all of the busyness I did find time to take a quick peek inside the Aurora Antique Pavilion with Patrick. It’s been about ten years since the last time we’d been inside, and I sort of forgot about its existence until a friend mentioned it recently.
Let me tell you, this is the type of place that you need the better part of an afternoon to explore. We only had an hour and we tried our best to scan it all, but I know we missed plenty.
My overall (quick) impression is that this is the place to go if you are looking for Pyrex or other kitchenwares. The prices on most of the Pyrex pieces weren’t much more than Goodwill has been charging these days. Also, I saw a ton of Hall china, but it was priced pretty average.
I was tempted to buy this vintage poker chip set, but our game collection (ahem… it’s almost an entire closet filled with games) is overflowing, so I passed.
Furniture was mostly pre-1950, but there were a few pieces of Mid-Mod scattered around. One area that is definitely worth a look is the furniture warehouse. This section felt like it was off-limits to the public, but apparently it is not. I guess it’s just “proceed at your own risk.” A lot of the furniture was already sold and awaiting pick-up, but there was still plenty for sale at pretty steep discounts.
So what did I buy? I’ve been working on upgrading my cheap pots and pans to a mixture of All-Clad and cast iron. It’s been an expensive and slow transition, but every time I swap out a teflon-lined piece of junk for a heavy, even-cooking beauty, I know it’s worth it.
I found this vintage Le Creuset 22cm saucepan with a clever skillet lid, and I scooped it up. Well, actually I admired it for a while and walked away. It was Patrick who talked me into going back across the store and claiming it. I suppose his reasoning was two-fold: one, he loves me, two, he gets better food when I have tools for the kitchen that make me enjoy cooking even more.
I wonder how many local folks have been to the Antiques Pavilion? Is it just me who forgot about this fabulous place so awkwardly situated above the Burlington Coat Factory? I can’t wait to get a free morning to go back and dig through it all again.
![[ OPEN SHELVES ]
If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have noticed that I’ve been pinning a lot of photos of kitchens with open shelves lately. Our plan is to (hopefully this summer) tear out most of the upper cabinets in the kitchen and replace them with simple shelves with possibly a short cabinet at the very top.
In the meantime, I’ve been anxious to try out some of the support brackets from Ikea to see if they will be up to the task of holding our dishes. We made the trek to Ikea last Saturday and picked up some wood brackets and a couple of shelves from the As-Is section. All total we spent $16 for this project.
I’m the type of person who would rather have completely bare countertops and surfaces. I had previously been storing my cookbooks and radio on top of my refrigerator, and my counter was starting to get cluttered with various dishes and bowls, so having a nice organized little space for everything makes me quite happy.
These are some of my favorite things in the kitchen: My new Jamie Oliver cookbook that my mom gave me, Meals in Minutes, which I highly recommend (really, this is such a great concept… three or four course meals with the recipes integrated so that everything finishes together), a pile of snack-sized cloth napkins that I’ve been creating out of fabric scraps, my Anri teak bowl, a butter crock that my in-laws gave me for christmas, my new little honey jar, and a cute radio so that I can listen to All Things Considered while I cook dinner.
I’ve mentioned before how much I dislike our travertine counters and backsplash. They have been on the demolition list since we’ve owned the house. When I was editing the photos, I thought I’d take a look at what the counters would look like without the backsplash (this is about a two minute photoshop job, so please don’t judge).
Though I’d still rather redo the entire thing, taking out the backsplash would be a huge improvement.
When it comes time to tearing out the cabinets and putting in the new shelves, I’d like to go with white brackets and thick wood shelves like this:
Do any of you have open shelves in your kitchen? Do you love or hate them? I’m guessing the top shelf gets a little dusty, but I’m hoping that having a cabinet at the very top will help a little with that.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lynfeg2mT21qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ OPEN SHELVES ]
If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have noticed that I’ve been pinning a lot of photos of kitchens with open shelves lately. Our plan is to (hopefully this summer) tear out most of the upper cabinets in the kitchen and replace them with simple shelves with possibly a short cabinet at the very top.
In the meantime, I’ve been anxious to try out some of the support brackets from Ikea to see if they will be up to the task of holding our dishes. We made the trek to Ikea last Saturday and picked up some wood brackets and a couple of shelves from the As-Is section. All total we spent $16 for this project.
I’m the type of person who would rather have completely bare countertops and surfaces. I had previously been storing my cookbooks and radio on top of my refrigerator, and my counter was starting to get cluttered with various dishes and bowls, so having a nice organized little space for everything makes me quite happy.
These are some of my favorite things in the kitchen: My new Jamie Oliver cookbook that my mom gave me, Meals in Minutes, which I highly recommend (really, this is such a great concept… three or four course meals with the recipes integrated so that everything finishes together), a pile of snack-sized cloth napkins that I’ve been creating out of fabric scraps, my Anri teak bowl, a butter crock that my in-laws gave me for christmas, my new little honey jar, and a cute radio so that I can listen to All Things Considered while I cook dinner.
I’ve mentioned before how much I dislike our travertine counters and backsplash. They have been on the demolition list since we’ve owned the house. When I was editing the photos, I thought I’d take a look at what the counters would look like without the backsplash (this is about a two minute photoshop job, so please don’t judge).
Though I’d still rather redo the entire thing, taking out the backsplash would be a huge improvement.
When it comes time to tearing out the cabinets and putting in the new shelves, I’d like to go with white brackets and thick wood shelves like this:
Do any of you have open shelves in your kitchen? Do you love or hate them? I’m guessing the top shelf gets a little dusty, but I’m hoping that having a cabinet at the very top will help a little with that.
![[ TWELVE LITTLE SPICE JARS IN TWO STRAIGHT LINES ]
Okay, there may be a little too much Madeline happening in my house (books, movies, music boxes) but when I was setting these spice jars out yesterday to photograph, I couldn’t help humming the little Madeline tune.
I picked these up yesterday at Goodwill for 50¢ a piece. I couldn’t believe that there was an entire set of twelve still on the shelf. They had obviously been there a while because they were half off when I bought them.
They aren’t in perfect shape—there are a few dings and paint chips—but all in all, they are still pretty fantastic. The undersides of the corks are stamped “Sam Mann Designs” but I haven’t been able to find out much more about them.
My plan is to get a thin ledge shelf to set them on so that I can enjoy them instead of hiding them in a cupboard like my current messy spice heap. I’m also brainstorming how I can label them. Ideally, I’d get little vinyl words cut for them, but I haven’t checked into whether it would be budget-friendly or not.
On the shelf right next to the spice jars was this ceramic sugar/honey bowl. I already have a Franciscan sugar bowl that matches my teapot, so I plan to use this for honey. I’ve been buying my honey in bulk for a couple of years, and I’m excited to be able to keep a little of it out in something pretty.
I’ve been spending a lot of time in my kitchen the last few months (um, years), and now that the holidays are past, life is settling back into a more normal routine. January is always the time of year I get the urge to overhaul my whole house and it’s very likely that a little set of spice jars could lead to some cupboards being ripped off the wall.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxe5lhLmVu1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ TWELVE LITTLE SPICE JARS IN TWO STRAIGHT LINES ]
Okay, there may be a little too much Madeline happening in my house (books, movies, music boxes) but when I was setting these spice jars out yesterday to photograph, I couldn’t help humming the little Madeline tune.
I picked these up yesterday at Goodwill for 50¢ a piece. I couldn’t believe that there was an entire set of twelve still on the shelf. They had obviously been there a while because they were half off when I bought them.
They aren’t in perfect shape—there are a few dings and paint chips—but all in all, they are still pretty fantastic. The undersides of the corks are stamped “Sam Mann Designs” but I haven’t been able to find out much more about them.
My plan is to get a thin ledge shelf to set them on so that I can enjoy them instead of hiding them in a cupboard like my current messy spice heap. I’m also brainstorming how I can label them. Ideally, I’d get little vinyl words cut for them, but I haven’t checked into whether it would be budget-friendly or not.
On the shelf right next to the spice jars was this ceramic sugar/honey bowl. I already have a Franciscan sugar bowl that matches my teapot, so I plan to use this for honey. I’ve been buying my honey in bulk for a couple of years, and I’m excited to be able to keep a little of it out in something pretty.
I’ve been spending a lot of time in my kitchen the last few months (um, years), and now that the holidays are past, life is settling back into a more normal routine. January is always the time of year I get the urge to overhaul my whole house and it’s very likely that a little set of spice jars could lead to some cupboards being ripped off the wall.
![[ THANKSGIVING NOSTALGIA ]
Nothing makes me remember the Thanksgivings of my childhood quite like the sound of the ball bearings spinning in a Foley rolling pin. Every year my mom would spend hours rolling out crusts for the many pies needed to feed our pastry loving family. Last year I found a beloved Foley of my own at Goodwill, and I can only hope that it gives my children the same warm memories.
Happy Thanksgiving.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv4wwtxC2A1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ THANKSGIVING NOSTALGIA ]
Nothing makes me remember the Thanksgivings of my childhood quite like the sound of the ball bearings spinning in a Foley rolling pin. Every year my mom would spend hours rolling out crusts for the many pies needed to feed our pastry loving family. Last year I found a beloved Foley of my own at Goodwill, and I can only hope that it gives my children the same warm memories.
Happy Thanksgiving.
![[ MODERN PYREX PATTERNS ]
Pyrex has been all the rage for a few years now, though for many, it’s been a lifelong love affair. I’ve collected a few pieces here and there, but a lot of the patterns I come across aren’t really my style. Lately though, I’ve been stumbling upon several more modern looking dishes that I’ve happily added to my stash.
My most recent finds have been a large Cinderella Bowl in Verde, refrigerator dishes w/ lids in Spring Blossom, and casserole dishes in Terra and an unidentified solid gray pattern.
Due to Pyrex’s increase in popularity, I’ve noticed the prices at the thrift stores going dramatically up, but when the condition is nice, I still think they are worth it. In an effort to organize and simplify my kitchen cupboards, I’ve been appreciating the lovely way the Pyrex dishes stack. Check out the Solid Cherry blog and see how they look in Madge’s cupboard!
While researching the pattern names for my new acquisitions, I found out there is a Pyrex Museum just short ferry ride from my home. How have I never known that before? I sense a day trip coming soon.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lumqk3vGJt1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ MODERN PYREX PATTERNS ]
Pyrex has been all the rage for a few years now, though for many, it’s been a lifelong love affair. I’ve collected a few pieces here and there, but a lot of the patterns I come across aren’t really my style. Lately though, I’ve been stumbling upon several more modern looking dishes that I’ve happily added to my stash.
My most recent finds have been a large Cinderella Bowl in Verde, refrigerator dishes w/ lids in Spring Blossom, and casserole dishes in Terra and an unidentified solid gray pattern.
Due to Pyrex’s increase in popularity, I’ve noticed the prices at the thrift stores going dramatically up, but when the condition is nice, I still think they are worth it. In an effort to organize and simplify my kitchen cupboards, I’ve been appreciating the lovely way the Pyrex dishes stack. Check out the Solid Cherry blog and see how they look in Madge’s cupboard!
While researching the pattern names for my new acquisitions, I found out there is a Pyrex Museum just short ferry ride from my home. How have I never known that before? I sense a day trip coming soon.
![[ LIGHTING SWAP ]
Last weekend I found out, via Twitter, that Velocity Art & Design was having a warehouse sale. We had planned to spend the weekend prepping our floors for our painting project, but after seeing a photo on twitter of the sale lighting selection, we abandoned our plans and made a mad dash downtown.
Thankfully, there were two Nelson Bubble Lamps left in the size that we’ve been looking for, and they were both 40% off. Unfortunately, we were beaten to them by literally thirty seconds. There was a nice couple who grabbed both lamps, debating over which shape they preferred. After some eavesdropping, I concluded that they were only planning to purchase one, so quickly asked them if they would hand their rejected lamp to me when they made their decision. I admit, I never let the two of them out of my sight, just in case they forgot. After much deliberation, they decided to go with the “Apple” shape, and we happily snatched up the classic ball shape.
40% off a Nelson lamp is still nothing to sneeze at, and we typically wouldn’t throw this much cash at one item, but I still had all of my proceeds from the sale of my dining set. Since the chair hunt seems to be going nowhere, we decided to use those funds for the lamp, and wait a little longer for chairs.
Here’s the thing about the discounted lamps… they didn’t come with the canopy/mounting hardware. For us, though, it wasn’t a big deal. We knew we wanted to switch the ceiling mount from the kitchen into the dining room, because it was custom built for our house and was the right size for the beam over our table. We just needed to find a new canopy for the kitchen ball pendant.
A quick trip to the ReStore resulted in the perfect white metal canopy for a whopping $1.50. Patrick made the switch over the weekend, and was able to raise the kitchen light in the process. I’ve been annoyed with that light since we moved in because it was originally hanging at nearly eye level. Sorry for the terrible before and after photos. I never remember to get a good “before” shot until we’re half-way through a project, so the one on the left was all I could find… and the photo on the right, well, let’s just say I was too lazy to get out the good camera, so I settled for an iPhone photo.
In other good news, Velocity has announced plans to open an outlet store at their warehouse. It sounds like it will be open once a week and by appointment. I’ll update you when I hear more details, or you can watch for news on their blog.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lm5hxmbwHZ1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ LIGHTING SWAP ]
Last weekend I found out, via Twitter, that Velocity Art & Design was having a warehouse sale. We had planned to spend the weekend prepping our floors for our painting project, but after seeing a photo on twitter of the sale lighting selection, we abandoned our plans and made a mad dash downtown.
Thankfully, there were two Nelson Bubble Lamps left in the size that we’ve been looking for, and they were both 40% off. Unfortunately, we were beaten to them by literally thirty seconds. There was a nice couple who grabbed both lamps, debating over which shape they preferred. After some eavesdropping, I concluded that they were only planning to purchase one, so quickly asked them if they would hand their rejected lamp to me when they made their decision. I admit, I never let the two of them out of my sight, just in case they forgot. After much deliberation, they decided to go with the “Apple” shape, and we happily snatched up the classic ball shape.
40% off a Nelson lamp is still nothing to sneeze at, and we typically wouldn’t throw this much cash at one item, but I still had all of my proceeds from the sale of my dining set. Since the chair hunt seems to be going nowhere, we decided to use those funds for the lamp, and wait a little longer for chairs.
Here’s the thing about the discounted lamps… they didn’t come with the canopy/mounting hardware. For us, though, it wasn’t a big deal. We knew we wanted to switch the ceiling mount from the kitchen into the dining room, because it was custom built for our house and was the right size for the beam over our table. We just needed to find a new canopy for the kitchen ball pendant.
A quick trip to the ReStore resulted in the perfect white metal canopy for a whopping $1.50. Patrick made the switch over the weekend, and was able to raise the kitchen light in the process. I’ve been annoyed with that light since we moved in because it was originally hanging at nearly eye level. Sorry for the terrible before and after photos. I never remember to get a good “before” shot until we’re half-way through a project, so the one on the left was all I could find… and the photo on the right, well, let’s just say I was too lazy to get out the good camera, so I settled for an iPhone photo.
In other good news, Velocity has announced plans to open an outlet store at their warehouse. It sounds like it will be open once a week and by appointment. I’ll update you when I hear more details, or you can watch for news on their blog.
![[ CHALKBOARD WALL ]
By now, chalkboard paint isn’t that new or exciting, and I’m pretty sure that the chalkboard wall fad is quickly waning, but can I tell you how pleased I am now to finally have a little section in my kitchen for jotting down notes, lists, and announcements. I like to keep my counters free from as much clutter as possible, and I never seem to have any scrap paper around. If I put a notebook in the kitchen, two days later it will be filled—literally every page—with drawings of cars and trucks.
We have a small area above the counter and door in the kitchen that we decided would be ideal for a chalkboard. The tile backsplash (even though I don’t like the way it looks) works great as a ledge to hold the chalk and eraser. Also, it’s a spot that is nearly impossible to accidentally rub clothing against.
The process was as straightforward as any interior painting project. The hardest part was waiting the recommended three days for it to cure before drawing on it—torture! The only thing I would do differently is use a smooth foam roller, because the surface came out a little bumpier than I’d like.
Yesterday we used the wall as a spot to post the schedule for our church community group, which meets most weeks at our house. I have dreams of making even more elaborate signs and announcements, much like these amazing ones. Patrick is in complete agreement.
We also decided to use the paint to make a small rectangle on the front of two cupboards. We have our garbage and recycling in a strange spot in the kitchen because the drains under our sinks come down too low to fit the containers. Since we have guests in our house so frequently, we wanted an easy way for people to locate them when we’re not in the kitchen.
Now there are only two things left to do for this project: change out the light switch and outlets to black, and buy some dustless chalk.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljmn098k341qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ CHALKBOARD WALL ]
By now, chalkboard paint isn’t that new or exciting, and I’m pretty sure that the chalkboard wall fad is quickly waning, but can I tell you how pleased I am now to finally have a little section in my kitchen for jotting down notes, lists, and announcements. I like to keep my counters free from as much clutter as possible, and I never seem to have any scrap paper around. If I put a notebook in the kitchen, two days later it will be filled—literally every page—with drawings of cars and trucks.
We have a small area above the counter and door in the kitchen that we decided would be ideal for a chalkboard. The tile backsplash (even though I don’t like the way it looks) works great as a ledge to hold the chalk and eraser. Also, it’s a spot that is nearly impossible to accidentally rub clothing against.
The process was as straightforward as any interior painting project. The hardest part was waiting the recommended three days for it to cure before drawing on it—torture! The only thing I would do differently is use a smooth foam roller, because the surface came out a little bumpier than I’d like.
Yesterday we used the wall as a spot to post the schedule for our church community group, which meets most weeks at our house. I have dreams of making even more elaborate signs and announcements, much like these amazing ones. Patrick is in complete agreement.
We also decided to use the paint to make a small rectangle on the front of two cupboards. We have our garbage and recycling in a strange spot in the kitchen because the drains under our sinks come down too low to fit the containers. Since we have guests in our house so frequently, we wanted an easy way for people to locate them when we’re not in the kitchen.
Now there are only two things left to do for this project: change out the light switch and outlets to black, and buy some dustless chalk.
![[ RECENT FINDS ]
Sadly, my weekly thrift store outings have been quite sporadic as of late. I have picked up a few small things in the last month, though. The first was this unmarked canoe-shaped bowl that I bought for $5 at the same estate sale where I found Tula’s embroidered artwork. It’s bigger than it looks in the photo, measuring almost 17” from end to end. I’ve been keeping it on the dining table and lining up a few oranges or apples in it.
I also found this teak tray at the flea market, that is marked “RAINBOW Products Sweden” on the bottom. I have found a few other vintage Rainbow teak products, but I can’t find any details about the company. The tray was also $5, and in excellent condition, just in need of a little oil.
It’s a great size for holding bathroom things, though its beauty makes me want to take a hammer to the tile that we’re currently stuck with. Thank you previous owners for thinking diamond patterned tile would be a good idea in our house.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lizx093m3i1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ RECENT FINDS ]
Sadly, my weekly thrift store outings have been quite sporadic as of late. I have picked up a few small things in the last month, though. The first was this unmarked canoe-shaped bowl that I bought for $5 at the same estate sale where I found Tula’s embroidered artwork. It’s bigger than it looks in the photo, measuring almost 17” from end to end. I’ve been keeping it on the dining table and lining up a few oranges or apples in it.
I also found this teak tray at the flea market, that is marked “RAINBOW Products Sweden” on the bottom. I have found a few other vintage Rainbow teak products, but I can’t find any details about the company. The tray was also $5, and in excellent condition, just in need of a little oil.
It’s a great size for holding bathroom things, though its beauty makes me want to take a hammer to the tile that we’re currently stuck with. Thank you previous owners for thinking diamond patterned tile would be a good idea in our house.
![[ A LITTLE CATCH UP ]
So far, 2011 has been off to a busy start. We’ve hosted a few babyshowers and house guests, taken a trip to Montana, and put together a birthday party for Alden. The party is today, and I’m hoping to hibernate for a few weeks afterward. Actually, I have a lot of little projects that I’ve wanted to get to, so I imagine that I won’t sit still for long. I’m also hoping to get back into a better blogging groove, so thanks to all of you have been patient with my sporadic posts.
Since my brain has been swirling with a bunch of random things worth mentioning, but not big enough for their own post, I thought I would consolidate them into one crazy post. Here we go…
Margaret Ann’s Pyrex obsession inspired me to buy the little bowl in the photo above. It was $3.99 at Goodwill. It’s not in the best condition, but it’s one of the prettiest patterns I’ve come across. The size is great, too. I have several large mixing bowls, but I’ve been needing one this size—just slightly larger than a cereal bowl. Thanks to Margaret Ann’s suggestion, I was able to easily identify the pattern as “Friendship” over at Pyrex Love.
Saturday we went up to my in-laws to celebrate Alden’s birthday with the family, and Patrick’s dad was able to dig up a pile of great photos of the USS New Jersey and its crew. Now I need to find some frames.
It seems like we’ve been celebrating Alden’s birthday for a month (it’s actually been about a week), but today is his “friend” party, and we decided on a space theme. Alden is a science lover (he has nerdy parents, so really, it was inevitable). I love putting parties together (remember Tula’s Hello Kitty party), and I totally geeked out on this party, channeling all my sixth grade diorama skills. I think I’ll try to post more details from the party later in the week, but if you can’t wait to see all of the photos, you can follow me on twitter for a few sneak peeks.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgz9u7hUM01qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ A LITTLE CATCH UP ]
So far, 2011 has been off to a busy start. We’ve hosted a few babyshowers and house guests, taken a trip to Montana, and put together a birthday party for Alden. The party is today, and I’m hoping to hibernate for a few weeks afterward. Actually, I have a lot of little projects that I’ve wanted to get to, so I imagine that I won’t sit still for long. I’m also hoping to get back into a better blogging groove, so thanks to all of you have been patient with my sporadic posts.
Since my brain has been swirling with a bunch of random things worth mentioning, but not big enough for their own post, I thought I would consolidate them into one crazy post. Here we go…
Margaret Ann’s Pyrex obsession inspired me to buy the little bowl in the photo above. It was $3.99 at Goodwill. It’s not in the best condition, but it’s one of the prettiest patterns I’ve come across. The size is great, too. I have several large mixing bowls, but I’ve been needing one this size—just slightly larger than a cereal bowl. Thanks to Margaret Ann’s suggestion, I was able to easily identify the pattern as “Friendship” over at Pyrex Love.
Saturday we went up to my in-laws to celebrate Alden’s birthday with the family, and Patrick’s dad was able to dig up a pile of great photos of the USS New Jersey and its crew. Now I need to find some frames.
It seems like we’ve been celebrating Alden’s birthday for a month (it’s actually been about a week), but today is his “friend” party, and we decided on a space theme. Alden is a science lover (he has nerdy parents, so really, it was inevitable). I love putting parties together (remember Tula’s Hello Kitty party), and I totally geeked out on this party, channeling all my sixth grade diorama skills. I think I’ll try to post more details from the party later in the week, but if you can’t wait to see all of the photos, you can follow me on twitter for a few sneak peeks.
[ THRIFTING OBSESSIONS ]
My friend Margaret Ann emailed me recently about her newest obsession: Pyrex. Since she is a gifted writer (I still hope to be privy to some of her poetry one of these days), I’ll just let her explain.
“I seem to go through waves of obsession when it comes to thrifting. For a long time it was cool wooden toys, favorite movies, the ever elusive Dansko, dressers, et cetera. Lately, it’s been kitchen goods—cute mugs, serving dishes, and now, vintage Pyrex. At least, I think it’s vintage. I looked up the pattern on a Pyrex website and they placed it in the 1960’s (with a question mark). It doesn’t really matter—I love these bowls. They are bright and fun and slightly reminiscent of my childhood (which was firmly in the late seventies/eighties, but my mom held on to a lot of her kitchen stuff from before I was born). I don’t know if I’ll use them for mixing—I’m hoping to use them somewhere more visible.”
I, too, have gone through similar obsessions. Right now I seem to be bringing home a lot of books and games. Patrick’s obsessions for years have been chairs and vintage office equipment/electronics. What things have you been drawn to recently?
