Happy Anniversary

I had the chance to watch this movie again and it is just as good as it was when it first came out. A synopsis of the 2005 movie, Coach Carter, would tell you it is about basketball at Richmond High School, academics and showing youth the value of education.  It is excellent and should be shared with our children and grandchildren.  The lessons on values, what is really important and the lack of some to see that teaching our youth is more important than using sports to get ahead are a reminder of what many people believe.  Although, I do not embrace all that Marianne Williamson   has written this portion of the quote used in the movie speaks volumes. 

Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to  manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. 

When I started my Carmel Collectibles Shop I had my husband pushing me to expand my world.  There were others who saw me as a foolish person, or a collector of “knicknacks” or junk, or someone not wise enough to be able to do it.  I took the step and am glad I did.  I have succeeded to have kept the shop open since November of 2005. I have lost a partner, closed a brick and mortar shop and have had very lean years.  Have I made oodles of money, no, but I have enjoyed what I have done.  Have I enjoyed the hunt, oh yes!  Do I have way too much inventory and could some say I border on hoarding, oh yes.  Do I still have nay sayers in my family who believe I should load up everything into  black garbage bags and walk it to the trash, oh yes I do but to them I say, no. 

It is another shop anniversary.  To my buyers and friends thank you for your support.  If you find something you like lower the cost with my blogger 20% discount.  Just mention the name ”coach”.  Why the blog about the movie?  Coach Carter defied the nay sayers and he believed in what he believed in and I hope I always do that as well and not let anyone  convince me this is not the right thing to do.  Happy Anniversary to me and Carmel  Collectibles.    

Most people head to the second hand store looking for items to buy but I also look for “the lookers”.  I enjoy browsing at next to new shops, The Rescue Mission, Goodwill and Salvation Army.    I love to watch people picking through the shelves of the Goodwill Store.  I have kind of categorized the people.  There is the   ”select picker”.  They lean over slightly with their hands on their back or at their side and they only pick up if they are truly interested.  When they pick up they don’t scrutinize the item they just take it.  There are the “lookers” who wander but never touch.  They just tip their head from side to side or elongate their neck to see the upper shelf.  They never seem to find anything to buy or hold.  Then there are the “grazers”.  They pick up, set down and pick up again.  Glance at the item and put it back.   Their cart usually has only one or two items in it.  Then there are the “grazers” who pick up everything they like and put numerous items in the cart and after they walk through the aisles they go back and put half the cart back on the shelf.  The ones I always am amazed at are those who are not intimidated by the search.  They are willing to spend an hour checking out the tubs piled high with items not on the shelf yet  or search piles of clothes to see what is at the bottom.  I call them the “bottom finders”.  Often they find a goodie way down underneath that no one else ever even saw.   And finally   there are the “collecters” who selectively look at items checking the bottom for marks or ringing   the edge looking for nicks.  You see them in there a lot and some days the cart is full and some days they leave empty handed.  The clerks know them and they exchange a hi or a smile.  Next time you head to the Goodwill Store play the treasure hunter game and see how many of the “lookers” you can identify.

It is definitely Fall.  My yard is 3inches deep in leaves so I have had to move my vintage garden containers to the shed for the season.  The tomatoes have been picked, My two cucumbers are waiting in the frig to be eaten.  I had fadja last night with some of my yellow and green pepper cuttings.  I did so love my little garden and will do it again next year.  Are you ready for cold and snow? I wish the gold and orange colors had stayed but our hard frost ellininated the seasonal colors.  I sure miss the Wisconsin  maple bright colors.So here are a few of my vintage garden shots.  

gardening in vintage

Fall is here and it is time to clean up my vintage garden.  Using vintage items in the garden has been so much fun this year.  I actually have had vintage items in my garden for years.  This cream separator has been a member of my yard for years and always finds itself full of flowers each summer.  Obviously my lab finds it a restful area to just relax near. My stove actually came with the house and in pieces.  We put it together and hopefully I never have to move the jigsaw puzzle and put it back together again!  this year I made a vegetable vegetable garden area and had some success gaining a few tomatoes, 2 whole cucmbers and some peppers in red and yellow.  I had a few failures like the peas that did not like their new home location and the squash that lost to the volunteer moss roses but still I think it was a success.  I will do it again next year. It was fun finding the iron pieces to put out in that garden.  Fits right with what I love!

Fall surprises

I love this piece and can see it with one of my favorite casseroles in it or green bean casserole.  I love the cattails swaying on the outter holder and the way the green peaks through.  I keep fighting with myself to take it off and keep it.  So many kitchen items attract my attention.  I can see it on the Sunday dinner table.  A pretty table is so pleasing to me.  A table with fall colors really makes me smile.  Greens, golds, browns and yellows are so calming. 

http://www.rubylane.com/item/357173-692035/Northington-green-dish-w-tigertail

Holdin on to fall

I love fall.  I keep saying that phrase.  Normally I say it with enthusiasm but today hearing the weather report I say it with sadness.  The weather man's report for Montana speaks of snow on Thursday.  Hopefully it is just in the mountains but reality is the temperature will be dropping and so the turning leaves will be falling.  I spoke to a friend yesterday who proudly told me she uses her lawn mower to mulch her yard of leaves.  Not for me! I like to rake.  Strange isn't it. I want to jump in the leaves with my grandchildren, I want to do a heave ho of my youngest granddaughter into that mound of crunch.  I want to decorate my home outside and inside with pumpkins, leaves and glassware with the colors of fall.  I love harvest time.  Canning or freezing the fruits of our labor.  The wonderful sweet flavor of  the grapes from my arbor are so good.  I don't like the fact that the birds drop their seeds from their finds on the roof of my car!  Fresh applesauce and plum jam tempt my palate!  It just ends way too fast!  So I found this wonderful "fairy jar" on the internet.  I wonder if I could save some of fall in a jar for another day?  Oh, I guess not so I will just keep putting out pretty vintage things that show off my love of the season.  

Being wierd, Being vintage

I went out to my car to load something into it and coming down the sidewalk was a little boy about 9 years old.  Dressed in jeans, a helmet, wearing knee pads and carrying black roller blades.  I smiled and he smiled back.  I said" Gee you  look ready for fun!"  He smiled a bit weary and said ,"Uh, I'm taking these to my friend over there so we can play."   I looked at him and smiled.  "That can be alot of fun", I said.  "When I was your age I skated too", I explained.  He asked, "Like these? Were they black?"  I laughed out loud and proceeded to explain that my skates had a skate key that made them open up and then they clamped on my shoe.  I tried to describe the roller skates of my childhood days ending with telling him about my skating experience up two steep streets and then down the other nice sidewalk hills to start over again right next to Lake michigan.  He looked at me puzzled and  Quickly said, " That's wierd!  Sounds really old.  I have to go. Thats just wierd! Bye."  Off he went to roller blade and I stood there wondering when I got to be so strange and old.  Sometimes being vintage is not a good thing.  On the other hand someday he may remember that wierd gray haired lady who told him about how she skated with keys and decide to collect vintage roller skates!

Here it is Remember?

Oh the memories looking at this cover!

Happy reading,Happy memories

Remember those favorite books you read when you were younger.  I read Hardy books, Nancy Drew, Clara Barton Nurse of the Red Cross, the Sue Barton nurse series, The Silver skates and the boxwood children.  Oh my, I could go on and on... One of the first books I remember is Nurse Nancy from Golden Books.  It came with bandaids inside and I read it over and over.  Here is a picture of it I found on the net.  There are so many quality books out there for children to explore that are vintage.  how about the Happy Hollisters.  They had so many adventures.  My grandson is reading the boxcar children.  Remember them?  They were forced to live in a boxcar and I poured over every book in that series.  What adventures they had and now my grandson is loving them.http://www.rubylane.com/item/357173-482030/Happy-Hollisters-1954-Book-w

Here is Hazel.  She was quite a character but always smarter than everyone else. boy, I am dating myself.  1961 to 1966

Falling leaf sale now at Carmel Collectibles
Get 20% off this McCoy Vase Blossom Style Just mention my blog when you order
http://www.rubylane.com/item/357173-99C324/McCoy-double-handled-Blossom-time

ABC's of Love

Blessed Mother Teresa's   "ABC"S"

Always have the courage to say sorry

Be kind, be compassionate

Control your judgements

Don’t let yourself get discouraged

Every minute is precious don’t waste your time

Find out what is nice in each other

Give until it hurts

Have deep respect for each other

If you really want to love God, love one another

Just do small things with great love

Keep your heart clean

Learn to pray, love to pray, and pray often

Make time for each other in your family

Never tell lies

Only believe you are precious to HIM

Put love in whatever you do

Quite alot of people have forgotten what love is, so begin to give the joy of loving

Refrain from prejudice

Smile at each other

Take the trouble to listen

Use your talents for the glory of God

Very often, we look but we don’t see. Let us look AND see

When humiliation comes, accept it and offer it

eXcuse rather than accuse

You must learn to forgive

Zeal is a second name for love. Do not lose that zeal!

                                           Ave Maria Meditations

“Among the virtues and vices that make up the British character, we have one vice, at least, that Americans ought to view with sympathy. For they appear to be the only people who share it with us. I mean our worship of the antique. I do not refer to beauty or even historical association. I refer to age, to a quantity of years.”

William G. Golding quotes     (English Novelist and Poet.  Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983. 1911-1993

The Fishing benefit

The Camp-mak-a-dream Walleye benefit that I run with Peggy was a success.  We had 34 teams this year and I think everyone had a great time.  One of the young ones got a fishing pole and I wish you could see his gallop step to pick up his free pole.  It WAS what the event is all about.  It's about family, kids and fishing for fun and a good cause.  The camp is for children with cancer.  It allows these kids to come to a camp where they can try new things and experience being a normal child.  They come cost free and stay for a week.  Their days are filled with fishing, crafts, camping, swimming and making friends.  Our little event helps this great crowd. 

A New addition

A new grandchild born today.  Little Hazel is here!  Little Hazel?  She was 9 pounds 6 ounces.  A quick birth but everyone is healthy. Six grandchildren  Praise God

Falling prices

                               
  Mention "maple leaf" and get a 10% discount on anything in the shop 
                                      Carmel Collectibles
  Mention this post or the one on Vintage Village and get 20% off this
                                      McCoy Blossom vase

http://www.rubylane.com/item/357173-99C324/McCoy-double-handled-Blossom-time

Wow, did I luck out!  Good old Goodwill came through for me.  I looked at the ads on the day after the tree incident and everyone had patio items on sale and I was concerned I wouldn't find anything if I waited.  So I headed into town and instead of driving past Goodwill I decided to stop just to see if they might have some lawn furniture.  Surprise, they did!  They had 3 metal patio chairs prabably from a set and the price was $4.95 a piece.  What a steal!  They also had a chaise lounge for cheap as well-a very sturdy metal one that folds up for winter.  I went from there to Home Depot for cushions.  Not any I wanted but they surprised me and had the matching pots to the ones that were split.  Then to my surprise on the top shelf there set my chiminiea fireplace.  A perfect copy to my damaged one the kids gave me 2 years ago.  the clerk said they found it in the storeroom just that morning and put it on the shelf at 9 am.  It had no price and they had to do some searching.  I was delighted.  Then I headed to Lowes for cushions and they were there and on sale.  What a day!

A special find

I found the neatest old stove in an antique shop on Minnesota avenue to put in my vintage vegetable garden.  It is just the right size as it stands maybe 20 inches tall and has a flat surface on the top to rest a planter,  It  has one loose leg which my son will fix.  It should fit right in.  I have used some regular planters that are redwood color and green.  I set up the window box metal piece I have had for years.  I guess I am a true packrat. the greenhouse had a small rectangle plastic planter to set it in it.   A friend gave me some river rocks in various sizes.  I made the area look like cobble stones by burying them partially in the ground.  It had rained so it was a real soft, muddy mess but I just could not wait.  So the garden is starting to look nice.  The old metal  wheelborrow will hold the squash plants.  I love acorn squash so I hope to they do well. 

Wind, trees, plants and Collectibles

Well, my life has again changed.  I came home last Saturday to find a third of a tree down on my flowers and seating area.  My wrought iron  chiminiea fireplace, yes that is what it is called, was ripped apart and ruined.  The pots were torn in half and the chairs smashed and broken.  Nothing is covered by insurance  unless the house shows damage.  The irony is that it had finally been completed and I was so pleased with myself and sat down to enjoy it just the night before.  It can all be replaced, it is just "stuff" but how frustrating.  My vintage area was just toppled by the wind so it was okay.  I guess I will be busy in the next days.

The vintage garden

I have been having so much fun preparing my vegetable garden.  I just want a small number of plants so I decided to go with vintage hand me downs I find in shops.  My center focus is a a long planter a friend was getting rid of that was at the end of the bed,  It is metal and has wonderful curved legs and will be the back drop for the area.  I also found a ice cream metal chair for cheap that I am going to use.  Each time I get out to look I find new items.  So much fun!  It is getting hot so I had better get out there to work on the area.  I promise I will take pictures so you can see.

Where do you like to go looking for collectibles?

What kind of store do you like to go looking for antiques and collectibles?  I like all kinds from a nice antique store to a Goodwill or Salvation Army store.  I really like the messy ones.  The ones that you have to peer around and under to see what is there.  I also like the antique stores that are multi kind for looking.  Give me an antique mall with lots of types of  collectors.  I love the hunt and finding unique pieces of history.  The finding of things that the shop owner did not think was anything but something pretty or unusual to display but they saw it as having little value.  I like finding something that someone says "I never saw that.  Where did you find that?" You know those bins from the back of Goodwill brimming full of items sitting in the aisle waiting to be put on the shelf.  Looking before they are shelved is a delight.   That's the joy of the hunt.  You know, I have an extra hour today maybe I'll head to Goodwill.  A hunting I will go, a hunting I will go.  

well here we go!!

Life has changed a bit since my last post.  I have been asked to watch my grandkids for 2 days of the week.  Of course I said yes!  My granddaughters are 8 years and 8 months so it gives me a bit of time with both.  Yesterday I played baby from 7 am to 3 pm and loved it!  The 8 year old just was there for 45 minutes but the little one was all day.  So much fun !  But, oh do I have to baby proof the house.  She rolls everywhere not quite crawling but she gets places anyway.  So much for working on the shop.  Getting organized is my next job after cutting the grass etc, etc, etc!

What do I love?  Hmm, I love milk glass!  Display it can be tricky because it is only white.  So I have displayed my pieces with some black glass and a bit of figurines.  I love the different habits of the nun figurines so I tuck those in among the pieces.  It sure makes the look striking.

May 2
      I stopped into one of my favorite antique malls in Billings today, Yesteryear Antiques.  I found a pretty satin yellow Fenton bowl with a candleholder in side it.  Very unusual, as I have never seen the design before.  Fenton glass is so pretty and I seem to be drawn to that glass where ever I go.

May 3
       I had a good chuckle at the mall yesterday.  Two ladies were looking at items and the younger friend kept seeing a new item to look at.  Each time she ran to see something  (and I do mean ran) she said to her friend, "Oh, look Brittany, come see what I found!"  Her friend would dutifully come and see what she wanted her to see.  She jumped from shop to shop never seeing the same type of item to show her friend.  She giggled with glee and her enthusiasm was so contageous.  Finally her friend said, "can I look at something!  Slow down!"  The atmosphere was so contagious and we all just broke out laughing.  She just exclaimed, "but I love it all!"  Have you ever been that excited to look around a shop like her?  I have.  It was a real adrenalin rush!