stock up the shop: spring break!

Yippee! Some down time ahead of us this week as the kids and I have a week off for Spring Break. Kicked it off with a quick getaway up to Estes Park for a little creekside cabin/hot tub/Rocky Mountain National park-style relaxation. On the way back from a little snowy hike, we happened to drive by a little thrift shop in town. I dropped off the family at the cabin, and headed back to poke around. I wasn't expecting much in such a tiny touristy town, but I was pleasantly surprised...

Sitting quietly amongst a pile of crap random figurines I spied this little beauty.  A Howard Pierce owl...my gut thought so when I saw the coloring, and turning it over to see the name on the underside confirmed it. Have learned about Howard Pierce via my #thriftbreak friends on twitter and at Etsy, so I was excited to finally find a piece.

A-S Sweden stainless tray. I've been steering clear of the Scandinavian stainless trays as they are sooo common and sell slowly, but something about the style and quality of this one caught my eye.
In the shop soon!

Love this timer so much. It works perfectly, by spinning the entire top. The "white" is actually a bit yellowed, but I think Etsy folks will love the Helvetica!

This is a cute German calendar wall hanging from 1975. Possibly made by Kolf of Austria, but no markings to tell me so. Love the vivid colors and folksy style.

Here are a couple of other highlights of goodies I found over the last couple of weeks:

Pyrex Decanter with Ball Cork

Jackson China restaurant ware platters, shape by Paul McCobb. In the shop soon!

Ultima Thule serving bowl by iittala of Finland

Happy Spring to you all!
~ Jenny

stock up the shop: eek, where does the time go?

Well, I knew it had been a while, but over a month? Geesh. I haven't been out and about as much lately as the "real job" has been extra busy. I did reach a milestone recently with the creekhouse shop; 300 sales! Woot! I feel so lucky to have a hobby I love that earns a bit of extra cash to take us on little getaways now and then.

Here are a few recent goodies I've found:

Morgantown Normandie Smoke Martini Pitcher
I love the shape and color of this pitcher, so I grabbed it without  knowing exactly what it was. My twitter #thriftbreak friends confirmed my thoughts that it was made by Morgantown of PA. We've been known to enjoy a martini now and then, so hubs was kind of wanting to keep it.
We decided that a whole pitcher might get us into some trouble, so list it I did.

Heller 10" Mod Dinner Plates
I have some others of this seemingly popular Heller plastic ware designed by Massimo Vignelli in the 1960s.  It's not selling super well for me, but these plates are in such great condition I decided to list them and see what happens. Here's the link to my other Heller listing: mod heller vignelli plates, mugs, and bowls

Dansk Jens Quistgaard Board
I was so thrilled to find this Dansk by Jens Quistgaard teak board. It is in amazing condition and soooo beautiful with the "staved" style (vertically cut pieces create the lovely visual texture in the center.)
This piece sold in less than 24 hours, and quickly heard from the customer that she adores it. 

Dorothy Thorpe Roly Polies
These also sold right away as they were priced right due to a bit of missing silver on the interior. That is the nice thing about these glasses, the silver is on the inside and the outside so any damage is mostly concealed. We have been loving getting all caught up on past Mad Men episodes, getting ready for the new season starting March 25th.
It really is quite an amazing show!

Mid Century Vase made in Isreal
I don't know much about this vase except that I think it's absolutely beautiful! There are touches of lemon yellow thrown into the earth tone stripes which add a lightness I love. It is marked "Made in Israel" and has the signature "Rachel" on it along with another somewhat mysterious mark. I would be just fine if this beauty didn't sell...it's waiting on my living room credenza and looks mighty lovely right there.

Frankoma Native American Mug
This one isn't listed yet, but I thought I'd throw this into the post. Frankoma is one of those things that could sell, but might not, depending on if there are folks out there looking for specific lines. This one is from 1992 (which actually IS vintage according to Etsy...I must be old.) I see Native American and Aztec motifs being quite popular right now, so I thought I'd try listing it since it seems a bit out of the ordinary.

Trucker Belt Buckle
And finally, how can I not share this? Hubs and I went on a little hot springs getaway to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. The little eclectic mountain towns here in Colorado are really something to experience if you never have. Picture little Victorian towns at 8,000 ft and above sprinkled with gun racks and dreadlocks alike. We spent some time in a pawn shop in one such town, checking out guns, taxidermy, elk hides, you get the picture. Saw this beauty in its original packaging and had to get it. Debating whether or not to put it in the shop...I don't think it really fits in as "stylish vintage for your home." But you gotta know some hipster out there wants this.

OK folks, that was a long one. Hopefully it makes up for my slackage. Happy Spring...it's coming, I can feel it!
~ Jenny

stock up the shop: just a coupla things

Ran around for a bit this weekend and found just a few things. Left several places empty handed, which is disappointing and satisfying at the same time. I've been on a listing frenzy lately, and now actually feel "caught up." So, now it feels good to be able to take my time, be selective, enjoy the process, and take time to learn as much as possible.

OK, on to the finds:

Yes, I already have some similar, Yugoslavian, versions of these in the shop.
After hemming and hawing, I finally decided to grab these  because of their matte undersides... I thought
perhaps Krenit by Herbert Krenchel of Denmark. No real proof that they are unfortunately,
but they're so nice and have great style. Listed here.

This Kolf of Austria fabric has such a cute folksy design to it. I recently sold some Kolf linens, I think they are so fun although I don't know anything about the company. This is a nice large piece, in crispy clean, never-been-washed condition. Vintage fabrics are still so intriguing to me. I have ridiculous amounts of fabric, waiting to be used.
One of these days I'll do a sewing post! This will be listed as soon as I get it measured.

Sometimes I just can't resist the Japanese stoneware. There's a lot of it out there, that's for sure.
Something about these fluttering butterflies caught my eye.

Finally, this is a rare Corning Ware 10" skillet. It coordinates with the classic Cornflower Blue pattern, but it is that beautiful solid blue with a white interior, and nice black and stainless handle. I've only been able to find one listed on Ebay, and nowhere else. I'd like to list it in the shop, but hubs think he might like to cook eggs in it. We'll see.

Have a great week y'all!
~ Jenny

stock up the shop: arabia, seibel, denby

Some weekend finds to continue the stock-up-the-shop efforts:

- Ben Seibel Iroquois Impromptu "El Camino" small pitcher/creamer
- Arabia "Oliivi" 8 cups and saucers (Designed by Ulla Procope in the 1960s. Perfect condition.)
- Denby England "Gypsy" platter (70s-80s)
- Large stoneware shakers (Made in Japan, have handles that are a bit hidden.)
- Stainless cream and sugar set (I try not to buy too many cream and sugar sets, because I really don't think people use them so much anymore, but I really like the shape of these.)

And one more funny little addition:

How fun are these? Friehof Jagertee is an Austrian alcoholic beverage "punch," to be heated and served to hunters, hikers, skiers...after a long day in the alps. :) Doesn't that sound lovely? They definitely feel Christmas-y to me. These mugs must have been a promotional item. I love the graphics, colors, and the vintage nordic ski vibe - the boots, poles, skis, sweaters and hats.

Having a ski-fanatic-Norwegian-blooded husband who did the longer-than-average ski "bum" thing in Vail, then living in our turn-of-the century log cabin at 8,500 feet for 8 years with said husband here in Colorado, and just being a winter-loving Wisconsin-born girl all contribute to my love of all things alpine. These mugs get me excited to practice my measly skiing skills this winter, learning along with my 3 and 6 year-old, and then be rewarded with a warm drink in a cozy mountain lodge. Here's to winter!
~ Jenny