SOLAR TEA SET FIND

This isn't really a thrift store find, I found this on eBay but we were so excited we had to post.  Ebay works great during the pandemic, ha.

Solar Tea pitcher and matching glasses

This is a vintage pitcher and matching glasses.  They have a sun face image and the words "solar tea".  If that sounds familiar, remember when we posted HERE about the vintage solar tea jar that my Mom had found once at a thrift store?

Click on the link for the background on that.

Solar Tea jar and matching pitcher and glasses

Well, here is that same solar tea maker next to the newly acquired pitcher and glasses.  It's the SAME logo and wording!  So some 40 or 50 years after they were originally meant to be together, now they are together once again, ha.  The glasses and pitcher match the big print on the sun tea jar, exact same font and same sun image.  How cool is that?

The weekend is almost here and it's supposed to be really hot.  I think there might be some sun tea in our future. 

CERAMIC CANDLE LANTERNS THRIFT STORE FIND

Haven't posted any thrift store finds recently.  I found these a couple of weeks ago while at lunch.

Hanging candle lanterns

Ceramic candle lanterns with handles to hang them.  They don't look like they have ever been used.  They are a white ceramic and have a beautiful perforated pattern of holes on them.  

Candle lantern

Each one is between the size of a pint and a quart Mason jar. We're not crazy about the shiny brass wire handles but that could be easily remedied.  

While they could stay inside the house, we're thinking of using them on the porch.  We don't even have to use actual candles, we could use the battery operated tea lights.  

The best part is when a candle is lit up inside, it puts out a beautiful pattern of lights that dance on the walls and ceiling.

Price?  $1 each.

SOLD!

SUN TEA JAR THRIFT STORE FIND

This is something my Mom found in a thrift store once upon a time and we just recently found it when emptying another box I had put in the barn. 

Vintage Solar Tea jar

Has anyone ever made the Southern treat "Sun Tea"?  It's made by steeping tea bags in a jar (usually a gallon) of water in the sunshine.  The sun heats the water and steeps the tea.  It really does taste different.

Well this is a glass jar and dates from the 1970's.  It's pretty neat.  It's a round bubble shaped glass jar and all the parts fit into the top just like this for storage.  This has obviously never been used.  

Here are the different tops all spread out...it even has the original instructions!

The first part is the domed lid that allows sunshine to come in through the top as well.  Pretty neat.

The other part is an actual pour spout.  You just unscrew the ring, remove the dome lid and replace with the spout and screw the ring back down.  

Can't wait to use it when it gets hotter.  It will be nice to have a glass of cold sun tea after I finish mowing.

There is some controversy about Sun Tea and its potential dangers.  I can say I had it for years growing up and never had an issue.  But if you do make it, you must follow some safety protocols.  The big worry is that it doesn't get hot enough in the sun to kill bacteria found in tea leaves as opposed to boiling water in a tea kettle.  After some research, the two things you need to do are sterilize the jar before using (running through a dishwasher cycle works) and then pour boiling water over the tea bags and let sit for about 5 minutes.  This makes sure any bacteria present is killed (since sun won't heat it to boiling).  The pour it all into the jar and let the sun do the rest of the process.  Need to do some more research on that but hey, people have been doing it for decades, and they haven't "banned" them yet so as with anything, follow the rules.  

VINTAGE BOOKS THRIFT STORE FIND

So back to blogging.  We're adapting to life with one kitty now and it's a different dynamic for sure.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I stopped by a thrift store at lunch, it was the first time in awhile.  I was roaming around for a bit and found these:

Vintage novels

It's a set of vintage "classic novels", probably made to be books for children to read.  There are no dust jackets, and some staining but overall they are in great shape.  We took them to the farm and put them on the dresser in the guest room.  They look kind of neat all lined up. 

There are illustrations too.  

And inside one of them, we found these:

This and...

...this.  They are two "four leaf clovers" that someone, a child most likely, put in between the pages a long time ago.  How neat is that?

We'll consider them our good luck charms now.  

Classic novels of childhood

I'm sure there were more in the series but these are some good ones to read.  Oddly there was no copyright date but after some Google research, they appear to be from the 1930's into early 1940's.  Best of all, they were $1 each (so $10 for the set).

As technological as we are now as a society, tablets and smartphones and eReaders, it's sometimes fun to just pick up an old book and read through it.  We think it will be nice to catch up on the childhood classics on a cool Spring day...  

LARGE WOODEN TRAY TRASH TO TREASURE

OK, so this wasn't a trash find, but it was dirt cheap.  I stopped in a thrift store at lunch the other day and found this.  It was nice that it fit in my car too, ha.

It's a large wooden tray.  I'm not sure of its original purpose, if it was part of something else or what, but when I saw it, I knew it could be useful at the farm.

There are some scratches and scuffs and water stains so it is not mint condition.  Heck, I'm not even sure if it's old. But it is made from a good solid, sturdy wood and has handles on each side to make it easier to carry.

Large wooden tray

Did I saw it was large?  These porch steps are 4' wide so the tray is probably a good three feet.  

I'm thinking a paint job will be in order.  Maybe cork in the bottom?  A mirror?  Glass with something decorative underneath?  Not sure how we'll end up using it but for $6 (yep, you read that right, only paid six dollars for it!) it's worth trying to do something to it.

Any suggestions?

UNIQUE CANDLEHOLDERS THRIFT STORE FIND

Time for another thrift store find...

Found these at a thrift store last week at lunch.  I'm sure they aren't old but they are fascinating nonetheless.  They are candle holders of course and hold tapers of any size but the cool thing about them is...

...they have handles to carry them. I guess sort of a candle powered flashlight, LOL.  They'll be useful at the farm if we have a power failure or just to maybe carry outside at night to the porch (not in a strong wind though, ha!).

They were $2.50 each so $5 for both, not a bad deal for something fun.  If nothing else, they'll be a great conversation starter. 

VINTAGE EASTER BASKETS, THRIFT STORE FIND

Love love love this find the other day at the thrift store.  I almost passed them up because it was after Easter.  

They were in the basket section.  I glanced and saw they were Easter baskets and I thought "hmm, cute but..." and almost walked by.  

Then I took a second glance.  

Vintage Easter Baskets

They were displayed like they were here.  I realized there were no handles.  "Well that's different" I thought.  So I picked them up and found they were attached, one inside the other...they weren't meant to have handles...instead...

Easter Baskets shaped like an egg

...the "extra" basket next to each actually folded up and over the other part to form a giant, wicker, Easter egg!  How cool is that?  They certainly seem vintage, at least from the age of the wicker and the old elastic closure. 

Once I realized what they were, I certainly couldn't resist.  And at $1.50 each?  Well that was a no brainer!  They are so unique and best of all, there are two.  Maybe I can convince 2nd Man for us to fill them with goodies next year, start a new tradition.  

Adults need candy and treats too, right?  

TIN SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS

Found these in the clearance bin at a store recently, $1.97 for the set...

Retro tin salt and pepper shakers

...and of course just HAD to buy them for the farm.  Not sure how practical they'll be, but come on, they are too cute to pass up!

Any of you find anything special lately?  

STORAGE UNIT FINDS

So a few months back, I spent a day off going through one of our storage units and got one emptied out.  Some was donated, some of it (broken items) was thrown away and then I brought some things to the farm.  For those that are new to the blog, these are storage units that have some of our stuff in there and then the stuff I inherited from my Mom and Dad.  We had three, and now we're down to one large one and another small one that's almost empty.  It has my Dad's tools, workbench, etc that will go to the barn at the farm soon.

This is a coffee pot with sugar and creamer that belonged to a Great Aunt in my family.  I can't remember off the top of my head the maker but it is very pretty and we'll definitely keep it (and use it) at the farm.

These are awesome...my Mom had assembled a collection of vintage aluminum-ware.  She had a red tray, twelve cups of varying colors, a yellow pitcher and four long spoons.  We can't wait to use these next Summer for some ice cream floats perhaps? 

This bowl belonged to my grandmother.  It's not in the best shape with a few nicks and chips and the gold trim rubbed off in spots but it's still a neat thing to have.  We think it will make a nice bowl for sitting out on the counter...fresh fruit perhaps?

She also had this old, vintage print.  It's sort of a painting but not an original.  I think these used to be sold in five and dime type stores.  It's pretty and because of the flower themes, it will go great in the guest room at the farm.

So those are a few of our latest bargains, and I say bargains because they were the best kind...FREE because we already had them!

THRIFT STORE FINDS

On this Friday the 13th, I thought I'd share a couple of finds.  Went to a thrift store at lunch and found this vintage metal rooster mold...

It doesn't have a hanger on it but we'll figure out a way to hang it on the wall.  We tried a nail and balancing it but that didn't work, LOL.  Not sure we can ever use it but regardless, it's a fun decorative item.

And then this...it's definitely old, the fabric is a bit yellowed and has a water stain or two.  I believe these were (are?) called samplers?  It will have to be framed or somehow mounted for display, but when I saw it, I just had to get it for us.  

We'll find a spot for both of them somewhere at the farm, that's for sure!

It's Friday!*

*the thirteenth, are you superstitious?

VINTAGE ART THRIFT STORE FINDS

Found a couple of cool items at the thrift store this week.  

Vintage Mexican painted batea bowl

The first is this bowl. It's hard to tell that it's a bowl, but it's a shallow wooden bowl, hand painted with beautiful flowers.  It's called a batea, which is Spanish for "shallow bowl or pan".  Interesting side note, batea is also what the pans used in panning for gold are called.  This is a folk art piece and is vintage.  

It will hang on the wall in the guest room. 

Vintage Fruit and Flowers print

And this is another vintage piece, not sure what you call these but they are sort of an old version of a modern day print, only on a cardboard type of paper.  

When I saw the edibles in the picture, I immediately thought it will be perfect on the kitchen wall at the farm.

Both for the grand total of:  $7.25!

Lots of errands today, but since a long weekend, will head to the farm at some point later.  Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

BACON DEAL

I often post about the thrift store deals I find, but occasionally, I find some food deals too!  I was in our local Kroger grocery store the other day and noticed a "discontinued" sign on a shelf of bacon.

But these weren't on a clearance special because of expiration date...I asked the meat guy why they were on sale and he said they were an item the store was discontinuing.  So I bought a few...FOURTEEN packages to be exact, LOL!  

They were only $1.99 each, down from $5.99.  

Their loss is our gain!

Oscar Mayer Uncured Bacon

The brand is Oscar Mayer "Selects"...a smoked and UNCURED bacon.  No nitrates or nitrites, which is the main reason we were so excited.  Those all natural/nitrite free packages of bacon nowadays are expensive.  There is even a warning that because it is not preserved, it must be kept below 40F at all times.     

Each package is vacuum sealed making them perfect for tossing in the freezer.  

Fried bacon

We fried up one package (purely in the interest of research of course!) in the good old cast iron skillet and oh my, it was SO good.  Such a different, fresher taste than cured bacon.  I can only imagine what true fresh bacon must be like but hey, at this price, it's a pretty good runner-up.

THRIFT STORE BARGAINS

I realized I hadn't shared any garage sale/thrift store finds lately.  I'm always scouring the thrift stores a few times a week at lunch but don't always find anything.  It has to be just the right item for us to want to add it to the farm.  

These rated as keepers, ha. 

This is an awesome popcorn bowl. It's a heavy, off white ceramic/stoneware bowl and on the outside it says "Popcorn is for sharing".  2nd Man and I enjoy watching movies and enjoy our popcorn...

...and when we're done, well, you see the message.  That's All Folks!

Love it, it will be fun to use.

Then I found this little guy, a nut cracking squirrel.  It's made of metal and when you lift his tail, the lower part of his mouth opens...

...you place the nut in the open mouth and push down on his tail, cracking the nut open.  Definitely another fun find that we will use at the farm.  Too cute!

Happy bargain hunting!

LOVE A CLEARANCE SALE

Was at Kroger (grocery store) yesterday at lunch and they had these on clearance.  When we originally saw them, they were way overpriced (but we still liked them).  But now, this large platter was $24, lowered to $8, and then lowered to $4.

This large bowl will be great for salads/pasta, it's wide and shallow.  This one was originally $28, lowered to $9 and then lowered to $4.50.  They definitely have a nice 'farmhouse vibe' to them, with a French twist. 

Have you had any good bargain finds lately?

NICE TABLE RUNNER DEALS

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Found these really nice table runners at a garage sale the other day and you know I like to share a great deal! 

This one is not handmade (would be amazing if it was) but even as a mass produced table runner, it was just too pretty to pass up.  We put it on the table at the farm to see what it looked like.

It looked great and was the perfect length.

;

This is the other one.  Not sure what you call this, it's also a mass produced one but it has some silk screened type flowers all along the length of it. 

It too fit perfectly, my guess is the owner had the same seized table at one point.  Wish there had been a whole box full of different ones, ha.  

STORAGE UNIT FINDS PART ONE

A while back, I mentioned that I cleaned out one of the storage units that had stuff from my parents in it.  I got it cleaned out (yay) and here is the end result, an empty storage unit.  I should have had a before photo but at one point it was full, front to back, top to bottom.  A lot was donated, some just had to be thrown away and some ended up at the farm.  I won't bore you with every little thing, but I will share a few of the fun discoveries.  A lot of this is stuff that my parents had collected over the years while visiting flea markets and thrift stores so while they aren't necessarily family heirlooms, they are, in a way, part of the family and we're glad to have them.

I found these two metal trays with flower images.  I think they were TV trays once upon a time but there was no stand with them.  Still we think they would make great trays for using around the farm, serving drinks, food, etc?  Thoughts?

I'm not sure what you call these...they are maybe the old equivalent of a mass produced print that you might find nowadays.  We decided to keep it and will hang it in the guest room.  The flowering trees and peaceful nature of the scenery just seemed fitting.

OK...this might seem odd to keep but we want to find a use for it.  It's an old goldfish bowl/aquarium.  I'm not exactly sure what to do with it, but we just loved it when we found it in a box.  Ideas?

This one is a definite keeper.  It's an old, VERY old, Coca Cola bottle opener.  The kind that you mount on the wall or edge of a counter.  Now to find just the right spot for it at the farm.  On the porch perhaps?  


Part two in a future post!