What we brought home with us

It's pretty impressive when I think of all the places Tami and I went to shop and hunt and play while she was in Colorado!  It was at least 10 stops!

We had gorgeous weather for her visit but, as you can see, it was a bit hazy from smoke and thunderstorms that lingered.  We didn't have those crystal clear views of Pikes Peak that we are used to. Still: it was perfect shopping weather!

First I am going to show you my very favorite find: this tiny ring box, with beveled glass...

It reminds me of one I bought a couple of years ago that a friend liked so much I gave it to her...

and have missed it ever since!  It was great to find another (and this one is actually cuter!)  What do you think I should put on display in it?

This is my second favorite find: a gorgeous English Staffordshire plate that will look so nice in my blue and white bedroom!  It has views from my hometown, San Francisco, all around the edges.  We all spotted this at the flea market and, my friends will be so sad to hear, I managed to break it when I was cleaning it the other day.  (But, it's glued now and will be all right, since it is for display and not eating!)

I found all these little pieces of ephemera and fun at my friend Amy's shop, Pink Attic Cat.  Look how she filled that little shoe polish jar with black buttons!  I couldn't resist the dance card on the far left -- nor the little rotary telephone label below it.  Gosh, every time I see a rotary phone in an antique store I have to dial it; the sound of a rotary phone is music to my ears and brings back such happy memories!

I was into metal at A Paris Street Market; above, some really cool aluminum Union Pacific ties which were used to tag containers closed on the trains; that heavy metal chain in the background is for a future art project...

as is this little signal bell I found at a new-to-me antique store in Littleton later that same day.  I HAD to have it!

Tami pointed out that these little door plates, bottom left, are just the right size to hold a tiny frozen Charlotte in an art display, so I bought two of them to do just that!  Also, a pile of pretty, old keys, and a sweet, tiny porcelain ashtray with an adorable girl painted on it; it will become part of an art project I have in mind, too!

Having your artsy friends around is SO INSPIRING!  Above, the beveled glass box and tiny ashtray are arranged on top of a beautiful old plate with a monogram "A".  I couldn't resist it -- it's the initial of my maiden name.

Flea Market McCoy finds...

 and a little Josefs Originals wizard-y figurine (already in my shop)...

plus some ephemera!  The flea market was so much fun that day!

We went off the beaten track to a thrift store I don't hit very often, which is where I found that pretty "A" plate, and this deer flower frog...

Doesn't it look cute by my bread box?  So en-deering...

I loved treasure hunting with Tami!  Who else is going to "ooh" and "ahh" with me over things like this?

What is a "cocktail size" hankie, anyway?  The little case on the right is for glasses -- isn't it sweet!

I found these pretty black trays with daisies; I think I may make them into a pair of message boards: one to use with magnets, the other to string wire across so I can clip tags to it.  Yes, that's right: another project!

Some Waverly wallpaper -- not real old but will be great for Christmas crafts, don't you think?  I bought a whole roll.

Can you read what's woven into the lace, above?  It says, "Forget me not."

We were enamored by the cute sayings on plaques that we saw at A Paris Street Market, using found letters and shapes.  So, we went and found some letters of our own, that have been cut from license plates.

At an antique store here in town, I found this lovely ribbon name tag from San Francisco -- faded silk = love!

Also: Mabel's antique buttons (black glass with silver embellishment.)

More pretty buttons -- don't these look good enough to EAT?!

We both enjoyed scouring the thrift store racks for old jewelry to remake into new jewelry...

and then, at an antique store, I splurged on this WONDERFUL green glass beaded rosary...which will become something else in the future!

Next time I'll show you what I got at The Brass Armadillo -- no, not that dress (although I was tempted!)