Weekend Treasure Hunt

It was a busy weekend for the Sea Witch.  Took Friday off to  be with my sista as she had trigger finger surgery for three of her fingers.  Both hands were bandaged thick like bear paws and by the time I got her back home, she was feeling no pain and flying high!  She recupes fast and already she is back on facebook typing away with her bandaged hands. On Saturday, I made a run to one of my favorite places to seek out treasure.  What a hot day.  The heat was in the 90s before 10:00 am and items on the rows of tables were already too hot to pick up.  I needed to make a quick run through these tables to see if there was anything that I wanted before the sun was really high in the sky.

An adorable little souvenir Indian doll.  Circa 1960s.

Nice Navajo rug.  Soft wool weft and warp and still has its certificate of authenticity attached.

Pretty butter yellow corner shelf that I filled with tobacciana.  Lucked into a grouping of walnut pipe racks and humidors from the 1960-70s.  They all smelled like fresh tobacco, it was a neat scent.

The amber humidor was filled with loose tobacco and smoked stogies.  LOL.

A buggy whip is always fun so I paired it up with the Hefner like smoking jacket.  Hey, love hurts.

Lovely find.  David Davidson, signed hand colored photograph.  Student of Wallace Nutting, signed by David Davidson and titled "Hearts Desire".  Original frame and bubbled glass.

A better  closeup photo. 

Turn of the century riding hat.  Brown velvet.

A terrific find.  Turn of the century carriage lamp.  These were also used with early automobiles in the 1900s.

Lovely, hand tinted photograph of Burgess shipyard in Marblehead, MA.  Dated 1881. Original frame and bubbled glass.

Pretty, cut and etched crystal compote and an ice cream parlor penny lick on top.  A penny lick is a small ice cream dish that the customer paid a penny for a little taste at local ice cream parlours.

And finally, this spectacular hand tinted, etching from 1784.  Bubbled glass and original gilt frame is from the mid 1800s.  This was a marvelous find with a value of $600-800.  With a professional cleaning it will realize that insurance value.

 Love Miz Sophie in her sassy Edwardian hat.  I adore these big, over feathered hats from the Titanic era.

Redid a few of my displays so the booth looks fresh.

Main booth is packed with lots of treasure.  Everytime I would refluff a space, a customer would come in and take something out.  NOt complaining, this is always a good problem to have.  

I was busy making necklaces out of the porcelain hands and really pleased with the way they turned out.  I was selling them as quickly as I displayed them.  Wish I had another hundred of them.

Pretty beads, brass embellishments and porcelain hands. 

It was a fun weekend of treasure hunting, jewelry making and taking care of sis.  Wish I had three more days for this kind of fun.  It's back to the corporate race tomorrow...but in 5 days, it will be the weekend again. Whoo hoo.  Blessings to you and those you love. Sea Witch

Hand to hand.

Several weeks ago I purchased a basket full of porcelian body parts used in doll making.  The heads rolled out of the store (pun intended) but the hands and feet...not so much. I mentioned this to my honey and he immediately says, "Why don't you make necklaces out of the hands?"  Dohhh!   Face plant into my palm...yup, why don't I make necklaces out of the hands.  Both of my hands caress my honey's cheeks and I plant a kiss...thank you baby...that is a great idea. 

The hand is perhaps the oldest of all graphic symbols.  It holds power and the magic of touch in many cultures.  Your hands are the way you relate to the world: how you reach out to others and how others return your touch; what you use to do work; and often, they are the instruments through which your creativity flows to create music, art, or poetry.   Milagros: A Book of Miracles by Helen Thompson, shares that Milagros, traditional Mexican talismans, symbolize that our hands are essential to making a living, without our hands a craftsman can't make his crafts, an artist can't create, a laborer can't work, and a factory employee can't produce. Milagros of the hand are common in societies where the well-being of families depends on physical labor, and in our own highly technological one, hands provide the means for survival, both physical and spiritual. Hands are the connection to others that gives us our humanity, and may be why phrases like 'lending a hand' evoke a sense of the importance of giving something of yourself.

 So, take a little decorative 20 gauge wire and a few porcelain hands.

Add some hand dyed, vintage rayon ribbon (purchased at Queen of Hearts, Buford)

Embellish with interesting beads, stones and metals. 

And you have a steampunk-talisman necklace.

It was difficult not to keep adding items to these, but I wanted them to remain simple in their look and execution.  The wearer may add additional "charms" to them if it calls to them.    Will be putting these in my booth this weekend.  Blessings to you and those you love.  Sea Witch

When Women Gather

Facebook is a wonderful thing.  It is how I kept track of my son while on his many tours in the middle east.  It allows me to see what my raviolis (grandchildren) are up to and communicate with family and friends that are scattered all over the world. 

Six weeks ago, I get a friend request from a high school friend that I haven't seen since the early 1970s.  She asked if I remembered her...how could I ever forget?  We facebooked back and forth, sharing old memories, and before I knew it, other friends came forth.  Great gals from Peachtree High School and we all graduated in 1972.  We were young, ambitious, star struck with what our futures held.  In short, we were smashing!

Long hair, short skirts or hot pants...that was the wardrobe of our day.  I even wore a pair of royal blue hotpants under my high school graduation gown.  It makes me giggle whenever I think about it. 

I had moved to the south in 1970 when I first met my neighbor, Lucy.  She introduced me to her friends, and I was welcomed into this group of southern girls.   They were all pretty and laughed easy and were smart and fun and God-fearing.  I was a loud, Yankee gal, a Kosher-Catholic, who would do anything on a dare.  I was comfortable with an opinion and loved an opportunity for....well for whatever.   I'm sure I was as much as an enigma to them as they were to me.

What fun we had in high school--boys, football games, cutting classes, rolling ex's houses, car-pooling to school with our parents cars.  Lucy, my neighbor and girlfriend; Gail, never without a bag of m&ms, always practicing her drill team routines anytime and everywhere; Janet, the yellow rose of Texas with a hint of the devil in her smile; Kim, tall and smart and always with a goal; and Theresa, a true southern belle and always dressed in the latest fashion.

All continue to live in the surrounding Atlanta counties.  Being the nomad in the group with 17 major moves all across the country and overseas, I had not seen many of these women since 1972.  As we all sat around Kim's dining room table bursting with good food and drink, it was Lucy and Janet who first asked me, "Dari, bring us up to date, what did you do after graduation?"  "Well, following graduation, I went home, picked up my baby sister and we drove to Dairy Queen for a Buster Bar."  The sound of their laughter was like gold and so I said, "Oh, you want more."  And so it went, sharing stories of our lives and learning we have so much in common.  Good marriages, not so good ones.  Children, grandchildren, loss of parents, some still going strong and those a bit fragile.  All of us hit by today's economy and how we cope and manage.  And then those gals that left our lives much to soon.  God be with you Robin and Cathy.  We shared photos and memories and stories, and so it goes when women gather.  Before we knew it the hours had passed by and it was time to return to our homes.

These magnificent women who are more beautiful today then they were a generation ago.  How I enjoyed watching each of you around the table as we shared our stories.   Kim, you have the smile of angels and a heart just as big. Thank you for opening your home and bringing all of us together.  Theresa, you haven't changed a bit girl and I wouldn't want it any other way.  Janet, that devil may care smile is still there and your eyes sparkle with no good.  Sit by me dear, you are definitely the gal who will get arrested with me.  Gail, your smile and heart continues to light up any room you enter and it is you I thank for seeking me out on Facebook.  Who knew?  Lucy, you were the soul that introduced me to these friendships.  You still carry that easy smile, that joyful laugh and the gentle heart you share with everyone.  The most common sensed of all of us, I know you will have Janet's and my bail money when we call.

I hope we will gather again, we still have stories and laughter to share. 

Blessings to you all and to those you love.  Dari (Sea Witch)

Lux Lighting

Do you rewire lamps? I do for simple jobs, but I had two lovely lamps that needed a complete re-wire and the job also required multiple socket rewiring. I did a google search in my area and found the Lux Lighting folks.

 

Gave them a call on Monday of last week and spoke with the manager, Hershel.  Friendly and very accommodating, after we talked about the jobs I needed performed, he had provided me with a repair cost.  I shared that I was an antique dealer and he immediately provided me with a reduced cost.  Additionally, the jobs would be ready in two days.  WOW.  So my honey dropped off the two items for repair and I would pick them up that weekend.

Came by the Duluth location on Saturday to pick up the two lamps and I was overwhelmed by the size of this store.  18 thousand square feet of showroom space and lamps and lighting of every type you can imagine. Oh, and did I mention they have an extensive selection of wall mirrors, art and design elements for sale as well?  All beautiful, but really, it is about the lighting at Lux Lighting.

The ceiling is filled with lamps.

Chandeliers, pendants and hanging lamps of every type.

So many crystal chandeliers and the heavy Austrian crystals sparkle like the sun.  Rainbows shown everywhere.

Aisles and aisles of floor lamps.

Fell in love with this modern crystal chandelier.  It was huge and light just streamed from the crystal orbs.

Lux Lighting has two locations and is open 7 days a week.  Their rewiring prices are the best in the area and their customer service superb.  I am so pleased that I found them as I have been reluctant to invest in quality antique pieces as they often require a complete rewire for safety.  

 If you are in the metro Atlanta area, you must stop in for your lighting needs. If you have antique lighting that needs service you may contact them via phone 770-476-9571 or email.

Now, here are the two lamps that I had Lux Lighting service for me.  I am thrilled with how beautiful they look. 

Dale Tiffany hanging pendant lamp.

Double bulb antique hurricane lamp.  The switch is on the metal base.  Bopth lights are on so the pale green of the top shade has been diffused to a sunny yellow.

So pleased with the work Lux Lighting did for me. Now that I had these two beauties rewired and ready for the shop, I did a little junkin on my way back home.  The heaven's finally opened up and it poured for a good hour.  In between the rains and the miles back to the house, I found a few neat pieces.

Found this great mannequin head for displaying vintage hats.

A stack of vintage romance mags from the 1930s.  The covers are fantastic and the story lines a scream.

Yes, be still my heart. LOL 

Pretty set of flow blue saucers. Got them super cheap so I priced them low.

A set of four, pretty handpainted dessert plates.  Now that makes for a pretty tea party.

Love Love Love this pretty pink milkglass footed cake server by Fenton.  The pattern is Spanish Lace. Circa 1950s  Perfect for your best, homemade cakes.

How cool is this department store Santa visit give a way?  A toy that has you flip the wreath on to his mustache.  These Santa give a ways never lasted very long and this has never been used.  Very 1950-60s. 

I moved things around after I hung that lovely, Dale Tiffany pendant lamp.

I am crazy about this lamp, I may have to just keep it.    Lux Lighting did a superb job rewiring the three sockets.

Brought in this neat multi-colored farm, kitchen table.  Orange, black and cream with blue the last color applied to it.  Love the color.

Hank Aaron looks well among the shabby chic.

Not too many doll heads left. I wonder what people did with them?  The Queen of Hearts at Buford is looking great. We have had a lot of new dealers come in and they are getting ready to open an "Old Fashioned Bakery".  Can't wait for that to open.  Nothing like freshly baked cupcakes, breads, cookies with hot coffee, tea or cold milk as you stroll through the many booths at the Queen. Hope everyone has a lovely week.  Sea Witch

A sexy hook

Okay, it's been another wicked week of non stop chaos at work.  I'm hot, I'm tired and I need a laugh and this silly vid came my way last evening and I haven't stopped laughing about it.  Michael Bolton is a scream in this as he pokes fun at himself and movies we love all while laying "tracks" for a popular comic group...but damn, that man can still sing.

This silly little tune remains in my head and I will never be able to look at these movies again without humming a few bars.  Enjoy the rest of the week all and blessing to you, Michael Bolton, and those you love.  Sea Witch

Treasure hunting in the heat.

Another hot weekend in Atlanta.  Temps are pushing 100 degrees and the heat index is way over that.  When it's this hot, not too many estate sales or yard sales are running so I headed to my favorite place for treasure.  The heat was so bad that you burned yourself picking up anything off of their outdoor tables.  Not a lot this trip but the fun is that I never know what I am going to come across at this place.  My first find was a pretty little enamel dogwood dish from mid century artist Margaret Ratcliff.  I have been "lucky" with contemporary art pieces from art glass, prints and pieces like this and they sell quiickly in my booths.

A local artist of Atlanta, born in the 1920s, her pieces are always sought after and especially her dogwood items.

There's no place like home.  Hey, any great pair of shoes will let you click your heels and find yourself in a dream. A great find, lovely pair of Victorian wedding shoes with steel cut beading.  Pretty silk has begun to shred but the leather soles are in excellent condition and these size 6s are actually wearable. 

Neat photograph of a "teaching" doctor, circa 1930s.  I love old photographs, something about them speaks to me.  I always see stories in them.

Another lovely photograph of a young girl reading 1937.  What a sweet face. Don't you love the moment that the photographer captured of this young girl?

Fantastic diamond optic amethyst purple compote.  Very 1960s 

Sold my large chandelier so brought in this huge and heavy pendant lamp.  Looks small in the photo but it is a big piece.

After "fluffing" up my booths, I dropped off some items at the local Goodwill and did a quick run around to see what I could find.

Couldn't believe my luck when I saw a group of Precious Moments figurines. Something I don't usually pick up but they were all priced at $2.92 each and I grabbed every one.  Most of them are from 1976 through 1985 and two of them are music boxes.

Many of them were either retired or suspended.

These were large pieces and in perfect condition.

How cute is this Thanksgiving figurine?

Sweet music boxes play Brahms Lullaby.

Spent most of Sunday looking up secondary market values and pricing for the store.  Because I obtained then at a very low price, I will  price them way below market value to pass a good deal on to the buyer. 

What I love about the hunt is being able to pass a good find to my buyers. Half the fun of of collecting is the "good deal" whether you buy, sell or trade.

Have a wonderful week all, stay cool.  Sea Witch