Funky Friday

Funky, freaky, faboosh, either way it is Friday and I posted a mixed bag of items today.

FIRST:  Musings of a Sea Witch was noted in a blog article, "Top 50 Blogs for Yard Sale Aficionados" !  Whoo hooo.  Alex Deeds created a blog titled Associates Degree and provides collective data to students who are pursuing an Associates degree and also offers interesting side items.  My blog made #13 and he writes "This blogger sells antiques, creates jewelry, and even sews her own creations. Visit her blog to see them all, or get a few tips for your own. A recent entry was on a trip to Georgia."  What is neat about this blog article is that it lists some fantastic sites that I was not familiar with and really opened up my yard sale blog connections.  I hope you enjoy visiting the link and checking out other tag, garage, yard salers sites and a shout out and thank you to Alex for putting this together.

SECOND:  Wanted to share a recent acquisition that I found at the Vintage Village Candlelight Open House.  I was actually standing in line waiting to get checked out when I came face to tail with this item.  Had to have it and I hung a pair of balls from it and now it is a festive item for the holiday.  I know, I laughed outloud when I saw it and I hope you do to.

Yes, this is a tree rats tail (or grey squirrel).  My sons always called them tree rats so it has stuck.  The perfect gift for the "big game" hunter who thinks he has prize trophies.  Well without this, your game room is incomplete.

View from the side, sorry, this just makes me burst into giggles every time I see it.

Wanted to take a better photo of the child's Victorian chaise.  So lovely.  I wish it was adult size, I would have kept it.  I think it is perfect for a sea witch to lounge her tail on.

Found this lovely vintage silverplated water pitcher at Goodwill. Got it for $2.00 as it has a split seam but I thought it would make a lovely holiday floral display.  I dropped in pine florals and a pretty red poinsettia and really liked the way it turned out.  I'm always amazed at how found items like this always looks so good with a little bit of repurposing.

THIRD:  Can't wait for this day to end so I can begin the weekend. Sis and I are gonna road trip to Lexington, GA and check out the little shops there.  Grab a bite at one of the local cafes and just gossip until we drop.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Sea Witch

Candelight Open House - Vintage Village

The season of Christmas Walks and Open Houses is here and my favorite way to start off the holiday season is to visit the annual Vintage Village Candlelight Open House.  Vintage Village does something that not too many shops do.  They turn off the main store lights and only the lights from trees, chandliers and candles are allowed giving off a marvelous glow throughout.  Glitter and sparkle never looked better with the warm hues of pink and yellow from candles and holiday lights.  So join me as I take you on my visit.

I arrive around 7:00pm, and the Open House was already filled with shoppers, visitors and beautiful things which began at 6:00 when the doors open for this first night.  Debby, one of the vintage hags directs me to the only parking space they had left.  Wooo hooo!  I've got a space, my camera, a budget and see the darling "Santa Shops Here" sign that greets me at the front door. The dealers at Vintage Village all partake in this celebration.  Door greeters in pretty aprons hand you a shopping bag so you can put your items in and carry your treasure around with ease.  Others are carrying trays laden with home made goodies and hot spicy cider.

Lovely pink vintage box.

How lovely. Shiny bright mercury glass thermos inserts of all sizes, nestled in sand.  Wonderful display.

A country Christmas display accented with splashes of red and green.

This lovely gold leaf angel is about 30 inches tall.  Magnificent for a table centerpiece or your foyer entrance.

Be still my heart.  This is a child's Victorian chaise in rich red velvet fabric and lovely hardwood frame.  I couldn't resist and purchased it. Can't wait to put it in my Victorian booth.  Such a marvelous piece and wouldn't a photographer love to have this as a prop.

The candles give such a wonderful glow. Really sets the holiday mood.

This sweet Dachshund almost looks real on his holiday bed.

Love me some Mrs. Claus and Rudolph.

Glitter stags against a red backdrop says Christmas.

Pretty little chandelier is a beauty.  
 

Vintage aluminum trees are always a find at Vintage Village and they also had a few rotating colored lights as well.

Crazy about that huge wreath and my gal pal from My Vintage Heart was doing some serious decision making about it.

There was a Christmas Lake on the second floor complete with a boat.  Lovely lake house scene.  The booths here always have such whimsy about them.

The pretty pink glow from lights against silverplate is lovely.

Delightful chalkware candleholders of a choir.

How clever to create a Christmas tree out of a small, folding bed.

Another lovely wreath made entirely of vintage ornaments.

Pretty trees enhance this Christmas Holiday scene. 

I spent about 90 minutes looking at of the marvelous things and another 30 minutes in line waiting to be checked out.  The line is always fun because you get to see what everyone is buying and we all swap stories about the "deal" we couldn't walk away from.  The ladies of the shop ensured that we had plenty of hot cider and cookies while we waited.  I then loaded up my car with my Open House treasure and I hit the road to come home.  The Vintage Village Candlelight Open house is now a two-day evening event and stretches out for five blissful holiday shopping days during the day, so if you can make it tomorrow evening, please do.  They also continue the open house spirit with cookies and hot cider through the weekend.  Holiday blessings to you and those you love. Sea Witch

Getting ready for Christmas Walks

Hello blog friends.  Finally came up for air since my last post 11 days ago.  Like you, I have been slammed with getting ready for family events, end of quarter issues at work and then of course, my favorite thing of all...the local Christmas Walks and Holiday Open Houses that so many local shops have beginning this week. Queen of Hearts holds their huge Holiday Open House on November 18-21st with lots of celebration, decoration and marvelous food displays.  I have been working both booths getting ready for the open house and feel like I'm still behind.  So much to prepare and what I bring in sells before I can have a cohesive look.  That is one of those good problems to have.  So it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Queen.  Enjoy the photos.

Huge Wreath in booth that sells amazing florals.

Delightful rag snowballs.  These beauties never melt.

Pretty mica covered angel.

Love this large angel with pearls.

Warm western look for your favorite cowboy at Christmas.

Cowboy wreath made from lasso.

Sweet penguin table display.

Display at one of my favorite booths.  I had to have one of these snowman and purchased the one in the silver top hat at the lower right of this photo.

 From Sassy Trash's booth...these adorable, laugh out loud bottles are "Snowman in a bottle".  How cute are these.

Now a few photos of my two booths.  Let's start with the Victorian booth,

The tree is filled with vintage ornaments.

Sold my walnut, Eastlake parlor table so had to come up with replacement quickly.  Purchased this pretty, white two tiered table from a dealer friend and added a Victorian wicker 3-tiered tray.   My sister said it looked like a huge wedding cake.

Victorian, man's nightshirt and festive top hat. Love the Dickens look of Christmas.

Closeup of top hat tricked out for the Christmas holidays.

 Set this up last week and the black velvet jacket and the top hat sold.   Had to come up with another hat for the Holiday Open house and it now sports a huge Edwardian hat.

Wonderful Edwardian hat. Brushed cashmere with saucy ostrich feather.

Decorated mantle with union suits and long handles.

Mantle holds a sweet princess carriage, a small toy dog and a corn cob pipe.

Sweet pair of copper clad baby shoes.

 Closeup of antique child's union suite and adult male long handles.  I think these make the best stockings.

Magnificent mink stole.  Circa 1950s

Lovely pair of Victorian prints.

Lovely Mark Roberts wood fairy.

Adorable elf doll.

Pretty stone ware and salt glaze mugs and a pair of sweet, Lefton Mr. and Mrs. Claus banks.

    

 Christmas on every self.  Still so much more to do this week but it was a lot of fun even if it made the weekend short.  Hope you get to visit a Holiday Open house near you.  Blessings to you and all those you love.  Sea Witch

Project Genesis - Bread

I'm a day late, but not a dollar short as they say.  I advocate Project Genesis, courtesy of "oldgreymare" who started this several months back.  A way to be kinder to our mother earth and use what she has given us with thankfulness and thoughtfulness. 

So this month I write...I don't care how big or how small the household is, bread will often wind up getting old and tossed.  Growing up, in our house my mother never, ever threw out bread unless it was rock hard and then she ground it up for the birds.  We used our leftover bread for bread pudding, "eggy bread" (the family term for french toast) and croutons.  So I am sharing two easy recipes for you to repurpose your bread into additional meals...all good comfort food and an easy and affordable way to expand your food budget.

Eggy Bread is the easiest to make and I love the way day old baguettes cook up so tender and light after getting rock hard the night before.

Slice remaining baguette (or use leftover bread) about 1/2 inch thick. Beat one or two eggs until well mixed.  Dip bread in egg and drop in a frying pan using real butter or a little flavored olive oil.  Cook until both sides are done and serve.  I actually like this with a little cracked pepper and salt but my sons always covered it with syrup or powdered sugar.  It is a quick meal we ate any time of the day and we still enjoy.

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Easy Bread Pudding.
Ingredients 
3 Cups scalded milk 
8-10 slices of  leftover bread or about a half baguette of french bread
1 3/4 Cups sugar
1 T butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla


rum Sauce:
2 egg yolks
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup dark rum
Soak bread in 2 cups of hot milk for 5 minutes
Put in greased pan and sprinkle raisins or crushed nuts on top
In bowl, mix remaining cup of scalded milk, butter, eggs, and sugar
Add vanilla, Mix well and slowly pour over bread mixture
Bake 350 degrees for 45 min to 1 hour


You don't need to add the rum sauce, but it is worth it in my book.  A nice scoop of French Vanilla gilds this lily if you choose not to want to add the rum sauce.

Rum Sauce:
In a sauce pan add butter, rum and powdered sugar
stir until sugar melts over heat
slowly add beaten egg yolks
cook until desired thickness
 
Blessings to you and those you love.  Sea Witch

New Header for November

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.  The weather was superb here in the south with lovely fall days, crisp blue skies and the sounds of leaves swirling in little dust devil tornadoes on the street payment. My windows are open wide with lots of fresh air coming in.  As dusk slowly closes in on the day, it gets, as my husband likes to say, "a little nipply outside" and that means warm throws on the feet at night and the toasty comforter on the bed for sleeping.  Getting ready for trick or treaters as well.  Got the urge to change out my header and am jonesing for when I will be back in water (last week of December) and remembered the photo I took of my son's first tropical dive. 

He had just certified in the cold waters of the Atlantic off the coast of North Carolina and my fiance (now husband) and I thought he might enjoy a quick trip to the Bahamas to dive with us.  He was game and we all met at the Freeport Airport in the Bahamas and once settled into our rooms, we hit the waters.  The dive location was in Port Lucaya and was called "The Aquarium" as it was a shallow dive of about 35-40 feet and would have lots of fish/coral life.  Well it did not disappoint and I watched as my son was engulfed with brilliant Sargent Majors and Yellow Tails.  He was hard to find at times and was enjoying this first tropical dive with all of its colorful fish and corals.

So I cropped the photo and thought it made a nice header for my blog.  It makes me smile to see another family member get certified and enjoy the sport as much as my husband and I do.  We now have most of our family members certified and it is always a joy when all of us dive together.  On a "crowing note", I submitted this photo to the Atlanta Journal/Constitution newspaper the following spring when they held their photo contest for things you did over the summer.  I won an Honorable Mention in the category (animals).  I was quite honored and pleased that I made honorable mention as over 5,000 photos were submitted and this was my first submission.   I guess the judges saw the same joy in the photo that I did.   Have a wonderful week all.  Sea Witch