~Welcome to DeluxeVille~

Ruth Wallet

2012-01-30T22:17:00.003-05:00

Ruth Janet Shaw's 1960 drivers license. No photo identification needed! This was the only thing I found in the wallet. Interesting how the wallet is monogrammed Ruth G. Shaw but her drivers license says Ruth Janet Shaw. If only I could get away with having a wallet this small..oh and my name was Ruth!

Bakelite in My Future?

2012-01-26T20:03:00.003-05:00

My upcoming Birthday next month means only one thing....Birthday presents for MaryDeluxe!!! This year I think I'll try to snag a few pieces of bakelite for myself from an upcoming auction. I haven't been to an auction in really long time....I have been so so good on my budget and I have also been working like a crazy woman. So, what better time then to treat myself to something frivolous then on my Birthday. There is going to be 40-50 pieces of yummy bakelite there and here's a few pieces that are the cat's meow! Hey, a girl can dream can't she?

This is my favorite piece followed by my next favorite...

These are just some of the outstanding pieces of bakelite. There is also a nice selection of the basics.....pins, bangles, and etc. Do you have a favorite piece of bakelite jewelry?

Happy Vintage Hunting,
~MaryDeluxe

DeluxeVille Blog Lovin

2012-01-10T21:16:00.003-05:00

Hey Cats and Kittens..... MaryDeluxe ran across a blog the other day that you all might enjoy checkin out too. Hepcat's Restorations Decor & Nostalgia from the 1940's-1960's If you haven't been there yet, you should stop on over....trust me, not only will you be drooling from all of the eye candy but you'll also learn a thing or two about designers from the mid-century and get to see Shane and Mel doing some fab restoration projects. This couple is even more crazy for lamps then I am....can you believe that!? I want that one and that one and the one over there!

See, I told you! Totally drool worthy and a fab collection of some amazing things! I also really enjoy checking out the before and afters of their restoration projects! Have fun reading, I sure did!

~MaryDeluxe

*all pictures belong to HepcatRestorations!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T21:10:00.003-05:00

"The Puerto Rican Pepper Pot" Olga San Juan, 1944

Times Square, NYC, New Year's Eve, 1942

Happy Holidaze!

2011-12-29T20:26:00.003-05:00

Lots of fun holiday times going on here at the Simple Acre and a really bad cold that we can't seem to shake. I've been sounding like a 30 year smoker with a 3 pack a day habit this last week. I'm looking forward to my upcoming 3 day weekend and I'm planning on starting off the new year by getting my hands dirty on a DIY project of some sort. That's how the Sgt and I spent last new year and look how well 2011 turned out! How are you planning to spend your New Year's Eve? I've always been a quiet reveler myself and enjoy small intimate celebrations over being out in the middle of a crowd or on a cold street corner watching something drop! How ever you celebrate, I hope you have a Happy New Year!

Dinner and a Movie

2011-12-23T20:34:00.002-05:00

Dinner: Stir Fry
Movie: The Shop Around the Corner. (the perfect pre-holiday, holiday time classic movie!)

Set in and around a Budapest store, co-workers Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) and Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) hold an intense dislike for each other, while maintaining a secret letter-writing relationship, neither realizing who their pen-pal is. They fall in love via their correspondence, while being antipathetic and peevish towards one another in real life. A major subplot concerns the apparent infidelity of the store owner's wife, and its spillover effect upon the various working relationships in the shop. Comic relief is provided throughout by William Tracy's characterization of Pepi the delivery boy.

~DeluxeVille Oh Sweet DeluxeVille~

2011-12-16T22:25:00.002-05:00

Oh how I miss you sometimes...."Le Sigh"...."Le Purr"*

Now, don't get me wrong, it's not like I hate living here in the little old Farm House with my Sgt sexy pants....I love my Sgt.......it's just that sometimes I miss that little 1950's townhouse I bought for myself oh so many moons ago! And the fun I had turning it into the swanky little DeluxeVille it became. I forget how much hard work and time it took for me to make DeluxeVille what it ended up being. No folks, it sure didn't happen overnight, just like the transformation of the Simple Acre farmhouse won't happen overnight. The farmhouse has been hard work and I see lots more work in the future....like tearing up floors, putting in new windows, tiling, painting.....the list is long. I'm lucky I've got a man with strong shoulders and power tools! Remember my thing for a certain man with power tools....Antonio Ballatore.... sorry Antonio you had your chance...unless you'd want to come on over for a visit and help me with my kitchen remodel???

But back to DeluxeVille....

Insert rant or perhaps words of wisdom?

I think back with fond memories of my DeluxeVille days and all my single girl memories of living there. I'm glad that I've always been the kind of gal to enjoy every moment of my life as it was happening. I never understood people who couldn't be happy with what they had at the moment because they were to busy being sad thinking they needed something they didn't have to be happy. I say.... enjoy every stage of your life even if it isn't exactly how you think it should/would/could be. There is no perfect life....there is right here and right now so why waste it wishing for something else. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow, next week, or next year....stop worrying so much and just enjoy what ya got! OMG there I go being a Bus Stop Goddess again!

End rant....

Okay, back to my fond memories! Well to be honest with this picture, there are also plenty of things that I'm glad I don't have to deal with anymore....like...the time I flushed the toilet and I made a waterfall in my living room..(eeewwww I mean who do you call at 11 at night when that happens?? Trust me, there's no one to call and you just have to hold it!)...shoveling 2 feet of snow in the winter with a flimsy plastic orange shovel...(Sgt made sure to bring my orange shovel in the move, if Sgt thinks I'm shoveling snow this Winter hahaha well I'm just not, orange plastic shovel or not!)....taking the trash out ( it sucked, I lived in a row house, so I had to carry my garbage from out back through my house and out the front door)....the noisy neighbors and their barking dogs (yes, I had a fence, which stopped them from shitting in my yard but they would come watch me through the fence cracks and bark at me insanely)....street parking ....the neighbors LOUD ghetto car that he use to drive around the block at 1 am....(ASSHOLE) the neighbors that use to yell at their young children with all kinds of $%#@#$...(I called the cops so many times on these idiots, yup idiots if you're reading this, it was me!) I'm sure there are many more things I don't miss about where I use to live. There is always a yin and a yang with every picture.

New readers might not know....but the old ones still hanging around out there will know...

My DeluxeVille kitchen went from this the first few months I lived there...

To this for many years....

Then ended up like this for the last year I lived there...

And of course there was the bathroom remodel...and the garden makeover front and back. So many projects and so many happy years of my life! To bad my renter who resides there now doesn't have my love of all things vintage....he's a boring beige kinda guy and it just doesn't look the same...but he keeps things very clean. He just has a problem paying rent on time! Oh the hassles of being a landlady.

Is this not just the most annoying pointless never ending post ever? At least there were pictures!

xoxo,
MaryDeluxe

*A common catch phrase used in the popular classic cartoon "Pepe Le Pew" of Looney Tunes.

Bizarre Christmas Decor 1940's

2011-12-12T21:49:00.002-05:00

Taken from Life magazine, 264 Christmas ornaments. For the non-traditional holiday!

a flaming umbrella?

Now that's a mantel!

Construction paper mistletoe.

I have no idea....

I actually like this simple idea!

Construction paper and a patriotic flower pot.

He doesn't look very excited does he?

A Sunny Spot

2011-12-03T17:26:00.002-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it's December already and the Christmas holidays are right around the corner! The older I get, the more time seems to fly right on by. I'm not a big fan of the cold Winter months, so I'm crossing my fingers they fly right on by in a wink of an eye. However, in reality, Winter is the only time of year that never seems to fly by for me....it just drags on and on until I don't think I can take it any longer. Since I'm living in a new place this year, I've decided to find a nice sunny space to spend some serious time hibernating in. Sunshine in the Winter is about the only thing that makes me feel better. Nothing beats working in a patch of sunshine on a cold Winter day surrounded by some happy plants.

The small 1950's child's table I picked up many years ago at some random auction for a $1. It's in great condition and has a white cracked ice Formica top. I've used it in random ways over the years...I'm loving using it as a small desk. It works great with my Chromcraft fiber glass chair. What I love best about the chair...other than it's amazingly comfortable...is that, it's also a swivel chair! Oh how I love to spin around in my chair! Long time readers might remember me blogging about these finds here.

The plants also enjoy a nice sunny spot. The plants compete for sunny spots with the cats. Now, lets talk about my push pin board above my desk! This was a DIY project. I found the huge wooden frame at an auction this Summer. It had a furniture sticker on the back of it from the 1940's and so I assumed it had at one time held a mirror and been part of a bedroom furniture set. When I found it, it was missing the mirror, but had a bunch of screw hooks in it and being used to hold keys. The minute I saw it, I knew it would be a great bulletin board DIY project. A little paint, cork board, vintage fabric and voila...cool desk bulletin board!

I also happen to be in love with postcards, vintage embroidered postcards, and farmers markets.

I hope you are all enjoying the season... no matter where you are and what ever type of season it is! Stay warm or cool and enjoy a little sunshine too!

Until next time,
MaryDeluxe

Random Weekend Pictures

2011-11-20T20:06:00.000-05:00

The biggest and the littlest

Homemade raviolis

Cuddle time

Daddy time

More cuddle time

The end

Have You Heard The News?

2011-11-09T21:01:00.005-05:00

The Black Pinafore is having a giveaway to celebrate having 100 followers!

Hi Debora! So what are you giving away??

What Debora is giving away is one of her amazing vintage reproduction skirts!!! All you have to do to get a chance at winning her fab giveaway is..... be or become a follower and leave her a lovely comment saying howdy! That's it??? What, no flaming hoops of fire to jump through or quiz to take to win?? Well, that's so easy even a caveman could do it! But I doubt he'd look as cute in one of The Black Pinafore's skirts!

I LOVE this fabric!

If you can't wait that long to see if you get to be the lucky winner, you can always go check out Debora's Etsy shop here....The Black Pinafore!

Good Luck.....pick me Debora!!!! *wink wink*

XoXo,
MaryDeluxe

The Great North East Snow Storm....

2011-11-05T15:01:00.003-04:00

...has kept me out of commission for the last week. We lost power for a total of 6 days! Yup, I was living Amish all week long and let me tell you, at first it was fun but by Wednesday I was like...give me some #&*(%$ hot water so I can take a shower PLEASE! In all honesty, we were lucky as we had heat from our wood stove and a gas range to cook on. It was the lack of water and not being able to turn on the lights in the morning that really got to me.

We had about 10" of snow fall last Saturday and by Tuesday it was all melted. The heavy, wet snow brought down many trees and it sounded like bombs going off outside. Pretty scary stuff!

We also have a new addition to our family here on The Simple Acre...this little guy came meowing and running out of the forest at me on Thursday. Please don't get me started on people who dump animals! I looked for more little kitties running around but found none..or perhaps I should say, none found me!

There was nothing I could do to stop it from clinging onto me. So, I picked him up and took him into the house... knowing the whole time that it wasn't staying here! I have enough cats, thank you very much. All the other cats agreed with me, but we got out voted by Sgt and the dog! As you can see, the dog and the kitten have a very close relationship...actually the dog is obsessed with the kitten. Raven follows the kitten around constantly, sniffing, licking, and in general annoying the little guy to no end. We eventually have to pick the kitten up so he doesn't drown from doggie kisses. Yes, the secret is out, my dog loves cats.

The cats however, have a completely different opinion of the new addition!

Castle Creek Farm

2011-10-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

Inspiration farm stand.....

The Stairway Project

2011-10-26T21:37:00.000-04:00

Yup I'm climbing up on ladders again!

Here's my latest DIY atomic farmhouse project....the stairway leading to the master bedroom. There use to be a door at the top of the steps that you opened to come into the bedroom....that's gone..Yay! There also use to be gross beige carpet in the bedroom and stairway....ummm really gross....that's gone to..Yay! Taking down the door and part of the wall was a smart decision and really opened up the space. You can see pictures of some of the changes here.

Things I love about my master bedroom:
Since removing the door and creating a small section of half wall, we've created a room that gets filled with afternoon sunlight. I love a sun filled room especially in winter time.

The walk in closet just rocks! Okay it's not completely done yet and we still need to build the shelves on the other side of the wall....but I love having a room right off the master bathroom to walk into and get dressed. It's only going to get even more amazing once we get it completely finished!

I'm also loving the hardwood floors Sgt put in last winter. Going to that auction and snagging all that wood flooring is really going to pay off for us and I'm glad we had that opportunity. I recommend anyone who is planning on doing remodeling to try to attend some home builders auctions before you just trot off to the big box stores and spend your hard earned money. Here's what I'm talking about..here!

I've got the walls painted and hope to be moving onto the stairs this weekend! I'm still deciding what direction I'm going in with them. I'm leaning towards painting them due to the worn condition they are in. I'm thinking of painting a fun colorful runner on the steps! Will keep you posted on the final outcome.

Keeping It Simple

2011-10-16T13:55:00.000-04:00

I witnessed something at an auction on Saturday that I've never seen before and hope to never see again...a crazy mental auction bidder! Seriously, this woman must have been having a manic episode. She was literally bidding on and buying everything that went up for sale. At one point she had her bidding ticket in her hand and was waving it around in the air while having a conversation with the fella next to her. She stopped her conversation with the fella and said to the auctioneer, "What am I bidding on?" She spent $50 on an old rusty rake. She bid against everyone on everything it didn't matter what it was, she didn't care, she just wanted to bid. She was bidding on items before the auctioneer even said what the opening bid was for an item. He told her a few times to allow him to get out the bid amount before she started bidding. The auctioneers were starting opening bid prices extremely high because they new she would just instantly bid on it. People left the auction because they became so annoyed with what was happening. Towards the end of the auction, Sgt overheard the auctioneers talking about her behavior and becoming concerned that in the end she wouldn't pay for all she bought! It was so weird. She didn't know what she was bidding on half the time, she didn't care if she over paid for an item, and she didn't seem to have a spending limit what so ever. Yup, that's right, she just waved that number in the air like she just didn't care! I saw the auctioneers go over to speak with her a few times during the auction. Now don't get me wrong, she had every right to bid on anything she wanted at any price she wanted to pay for it, as it was after all a public estate auction. That's the nature of an auction, it goes to the person willing to pay the most for it. It was just the weirdest, most disturbing auction I've ever been to.

But not to worry the day wasn't a complete loss because when the crazy bidding lady was briefly distracted with picking out what she wanted from a bid she just won (yup, she didn't know and an auction employee took her over to the side yard to show her) I snagged up a two piece bookcase I had my eye on for $5. And that was it for my auction buys!

In other fun and entertaining news, this morning Sgt and I pulled up our crop of sweet potatoes that I planted this Summer from the garden! I love hunting for potatoes and we did pretty well with our harvest. I'll be writing about our sweet potato harvest over in the blog we share, The Simple Acre later today...so stop on over if you want to see the Sgt and I gettin dirty!

Blog Loving

2011-10-08T18:42:00.007-04:00

HEY ALL!

I know what you're all thinking, where the hell has MaryDeluxe been this Summer?? Right? Okay maybe not my Mother as she has my phone number and checks up on me on a regular basis....I'm just mainly talking about the rest of Y'all out there in internet-land! Well, I've been just a busy little buzzing bee over here in my new state of New Jerzee! I'm still trying to get boxes unpacked!! GAK! Moving is such a big deal for people who have way to much stuff...ya know. But a good thing is the Sgt and I had a big ol' yard sale in front of the Belvidere Library last week and got rid of a lot of crap-o-la....we also made some nice *cha-ching* chunk of change...which I will happily say, some of that chunk of change was used to fill my belly with yummy Thia food tonight! Sgt also used a bit of the cash to finally fix the dripping shower in the bathroom...such a handy guy that Sgt and I learned a few new curse words to boot! Now onto business!

New Blog Alert!

Here's a fab new blog for you guys to check out! If you enjoy collecting vintage as much as I do, you'll have to drop over and check out My Life as a Collectorator! Now here's a gal after my own collecting heart!

Chartreuse pottery.

CollectoratorToo writes.... I am a Collectorator....It is not a disease but an obsessive state of mind. Technically, I am Collectorator Number 2 as there is a Number 1 Collectorator out there... Visit www.flickr.com/photos/collectoratorone/, and you will see the collection of CollectoratorOne who is the one that inspired me (or is that infected me?).

Wondering what a Collectorator is? It is a person who decorates with collectibles! I should probably change that to obsessively decorates with collectibles. We like to call it Collectorating for short. Oh and decorating yourself with collectibles counts as Collectorating as well.

I cannot take credit for coming up with the Collectoration terminology. Credit goes to Knifezilla, the one that tries to keep CollectoratorOne's obsessive collecting "somewhat" in check.

So if you are a Collectorator, we are here to be your support group! We understand, condone, and fully encourage the obsession! Enjoy our Collectorations and be sure to share your own Collectoration with us as well!

Part of her box purse collection! *Drool*

CollectoratorToo is in the process of packing up her things in hopes of moving into a bigger house in the near future. She's taking pictures and talking about her collections as she goes... which is fun to watch... but I feel her pain over having to pack everything away as she waits...I really do. I also know what it's like to part with things along the way. As much as it hurts, it does feel really good to declutter!

Until next time Dear DeluxeVille Readers....Keep calm and carry on!
xoxo
MaryDeluxe

Milo's Master Bathroom

2011-09-16T21:16:00.001-04:00

Here's a look at the first step on our master bathroom remodel. I have always loved how new paint color can make a huge change in the way a room looks and feels. Originally the bathroom was a beige color and had a counter sink that was fake wood with a matching medicine cabinet above the sink. Hello 1980's! I took some white paint to the sink cabinet which was an easy upgrade and replaced the matching medicine cabinet that stuck out of the wall with a flat vintage 1920's wall mirror. Eventually, I would like to replace the sink cabinet with an old pedestal sink...I've been keeping an eye out for a cheap one in good condition. I also plan on tiling the floor down the road because I love tiling! But for now the floor will do just fine and so will the basic shower stall.

I removed the doors from the sink stand because I hated them :) I replaced the doors with hanging 50's bark cloth fabric that I had in my kitchen previously at DeluxeVille. I also made Sgt replace the wood grain toilet seat with a nice new white one. It's a small master bath but does have a linen closet and those built in shelves in the corner by the window. That helps a lot with storage.

Milo on the toilet........ Can't a guy get some privacy around here!??

I love old planters! I have a variety of ones I've picked up over the years. I like to use them for more then just plants. The green one on the sink is holding my soap bottles. The fab turquoise one holds Q-tips and cotton balls, while another planter on the sink holds our tooth paste and tooth brushes! I also have a plant in one! For real!!

Look there's my plant. Actually the poor thing has turned into Milo's salad bar. The peeping window got covered with cheap opaque contact paper I found at the dollar store. It works great and the only reason I know this is because I sent Sgt outside at various times of the day and night to stand in the back yard to check if he could see me peeing! He couldn't......or at least he said he couldn't!? He's a good sport! :)

Get out of my bathroom!

I also like using old boxes to hold things. Recently I received a bunch of old boxes from my cousin Sheri and they turned out to be the perfect size to be used in the bathroom! Thanks Sheri! I also have old boxes other places around the house too. Here's a great tutorial on how to make your own wooden boxes, if you're interested!
House of Smiths : DIY Vintage Crates

This is step one of my bathroom remodel. Down the road as time and money allows, we will be moving on to step two. If you've followed my blog for awhile, you probably have noticed by now that I never do a complete room renovation all at once. I like to go in stages. I do enough to make a space livable for my current standards/needs, make a to do list of what I also want to do with the room, and then do a little more when time and money permits.

A New Motto

2011-09-15T11:25:00.000-04:00

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."

All the new changes I have been experiencing this Summer have given me a new motto to live by. Changes, changes, changes...nothing boring happening here in my life lately! Exciting changes, melancholy changes, happy changes, sad changes, wanted changes, and some unwanted too. Lets face it, life is always changing and it's up to each of us to see what we can make out of our changes. I just keep reminding myself to keep my chin up, take risks, and remember that things happen for reasons.

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.

One of the exciting changes I've made recently was to finally open up a spot in a local antique shop to rid myself of all the crap-o-rama I have acquired over the years. Honestly, I have been wanting to do this for a long, long time. In fact, my dream is to someday have a little shop full of the things I find on my adventures, but mixed in with something else like coffee and pie-in-a-jar. hahaha Dreams are fun, they give us something to work towards. So I decided, since I've started over in a new life, why not take some small risks and see what happens!

DeluxeVille Vintage @ Sleepy Hollow Antiques Center

I have a small spot, but as you can see, I've crammed a lot of crap in there! I'm looking forward to decluttering and simplfying my life by getting rid of things. I'm seriously just trying to prove to myself that I'm not a hoarder of vintage things, but instead, now I'm a business woman! Plus, it also makes your husband happy when you finally get crap out of the garage... a win-win if you ask me! :)

Sleepy Hollow Antique Center

954 South Delaware Ave (Route 611) Mount Bethel PA 18343

610-588-7422

Meet Me At The Candy Store

2011-09-11T15:31:00.005-04:00

The Carmelcorn Shop, Easton PA.....the original since 1931!

On Saturday, the Sgt and I headed over to Easton, PA to check out the local Farmer's Market held in the center square in downtown Easton. After grabbing some veggies and fresh baked bread, we headed into The Carmelcorn Shop, also located on the square. What a neat little blast from the past, I couldn't help but take a bunch of pictures of the cute, colorful interior. I love the red and white stripped color scheme! The Carmelcorn Shop will be celebrating the big 80 years in business on Oct 8th and we will definitely be going back to enjoy the festivities.

You can read more about the history of The Carmelcorn Shop here!

Button Up and Fly Right

2011-09-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

Some how, I've cultivated a small collection of vintage buttons. Geee, I wonder how that happened??? The other day I decided to snag an old printer tray from Sgt and try to organize them a bit better. I ran out of room in the tray and still have a tin of buttons yet to go through. Not all the buttons are bakelite, but they are all old! Now, what to do with all these buttons? Perhaps a little inspiration is in order!

An old printer drawer filled with vintage buttons.

Buttons aren't just for sewing anymore!

Source: Button Down Designs

Source: Etsy Bakelite Baby

Source: Lorimarsha

Source: Morning Glory

The Morning Milo Monster

2011-09-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

I fight this guy every morning for sink space. I call him my bathroom buddy. He demands I turn the water on for him at the sink faucet first thing every morning. I'm not even allowed to pee first.

I've been working on the master bedroom bathroom this week. Hopefully I'll get around to finishing it up and posting some before and after photos. The challenge to this bathroom is the window in the room! I guess it's not a big deal if you don't mind people watching as you use the toilet/shower/have private time/etc. I personally don't like anyone being able to see me pee other than the cat so, I slapped up some cheap shelf contact paper over the glass. It gives privacy but doesn't block the light, which I love. It's a temporary solution until we get around to removing the current window and putting another window higher up the wall. I have a love affair with simple, cheap, creative, temporary fixes. You will probably see me using them a lot as I work on this old house.

Here's a great before picture!

Heeheehee...What the Hell, really? Who designed this house? Okay so the house is over 150 years old, but really, no one since then has ever thought "what a stupid place for a window" and moved it? Oh well old window, your days are so numbered!

Grand Slam Frocks of 1934

2011-09-03T18:36:00.002-04:00

Grand Slam Frocks of 1934! Found at the local Bon-Ton Dept. Store York, PA. $1.69 each and unbeatable price with 12 models to choose from. I love the colors, the patterns, and the fact that the ladies are pictured on playing cards. Pretty cute advertising for 1934!

Which one is your favorite? I'm partial to the Ace of diamonds and the King of diamonds myself. I guess bows were a big thing in 1934?

A Day In Pictures

2011-08-19T15:12:00.003-04:00

Ocean Grove, New Jersey

"Ocean Grove was founded in 1869 as a Victorian-era outgrowth of the camp meeting movement in the United States, when a group of Methodist clergymen, led by William B. Osborn and Ellwood H. Stokes, formed the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association to develop and operate a summer camp meeting site on the New Jersey seashore. The community's land is still owned by the camp meeting association and leased to individual homeowners and businesses. Ocean Grove remains the longest-active camp meeting site in the United States and is known as, "the Jewel of the Jersey Shore." Ocean Grove has the highest concentration of authentic Victorian architecture in the country. This national historic treasure offers one square mile of natural beauty, including pristine beaches, tree-lined streets, serene boardwalk and parks, music & lecture programs, unique eateries, magnificent Inns, and a quaint shopping district."

Day's Ice Cream Shop

The Great Auditorium

Inside the auditorium

Some pictures of the tent colony

There were clusters of these really cute tent colonies all around the Great Auditorium....It's called camping in luxury!

About the Tent Colony

"One of the things that continues to make Ocean Grove a unique community is the colony of tents and the people who occupy them in the summer months. Many of today's "tenters" are fifth and sixth generation tent families who would not trade the summer life style for anything.

As the name implies, Camp Meetings were just that, camp grounds were visitors lived in tents during the summer months to attend the religious meetings held on the grounds. Because of its many groves of trees, especially pines, Ocean Grove, which got its name from the tree groves, was a perfect retreat. Visitors were able to escape the heat of the big cities in the summer and live a more simple life in the tents which surrounded the squares where the meetings were held. Originally Ocean Grove's meetings were open air, with the worshipers sitting on rough hewn pine benches in a semi circle around a "preacher's stand" capable of seating up to 75 ministers.

However, as Ocean Grove grew in size and popularity, permanent structures began replacing the tents and many of the groves of trees were cut down to provide room for the building. Of the original 600 tents only 114 exist today. The fully modernized tents today have a wooden back room, with modern facilities including bathrooms, kitchens and sleeping space. The structure provides a place to store the canvass tents in the winter as well as providing the tenters a place to store their personal belongings. Then in the spring the tents are taken out and placed over their wood frames on the front of the platform. When the summer residents return to their tents they bring out their rugs, furniture and personal items and begin the process of decorating their canvas parlors. Many of the tenters plant gardens and individualize and personalize their tents by painting the porch rails, adding furniture and also decorative elements. Although living in a canvass tent for three months of the year provides little privacy from their neighbors at times, the tenters relish their unique community and return year after year."

source

One of the wooden structure the tents are attached to....Yup CUTE!

Lots of amazing Victorian homes every where you looked.

I love a little history with my day at the shore!

Nom Nom Nom ....Zucchini

2011-08-15T23:31:00.003-04:00

Milo Helping Us Preserve the Harvest
He loves chewing on the zucchini ends.

Off to the Jersey Shore today, where I will marvel in amazement at the bathing suits people are wearing...or perhaps shouldn't be wearing! I will be rocking my red mid century vintage one piece suit and reading my magazines. It's either enjoy the first sunny day we are having around here at the sea shore or stay home and start building an ark. I was never much for working on pleasant sunny days, so it's off to the shore with me!

Happy 100th Birthday Aunt Dot!!!

2011-08-08T15:32:00.006-04:00

Happy 100th Birthday Aunt Dot!!!

Aunt Dot and I last year when she was 99 and I had awesome red hair!

If you have been following my blog over the last couple of years, you already know about my Aunt Dot and all her fun birthday celebrations. Well this year it's the BIG one and my family will all gather to celebrate with our special gal this weekend at her house....yes, Aunt Dot still lives in her own house and my family that live close by keep a watchful eye on her. 100 years, I can't get over it, the things she must have seen in her lifetime!! What an amazing life she has lived.

For fun, here are some things that were happening way, way, way back in 1911, the year my sassy Aunt Dot was born!

Famous People Born in 1911

January 1 – Hank Greenberg, American baseball player (d. 1986)
January 3 – John Sturges, American film director (d. 1982)
January 5 – Jean-Pierre Aumont, French actor (d. 2001)
January 7 – Butterfly McQueen, American actress (d. 1995)
January 20 – Wendell J. Westcott, American carillonneur (d. 2010) (This one makes the cut because I don't know what a carillonneur is.)
January 22 – Mary Hayley Bell, English dramatist, wife of Sir John Mills (d 2005)
February 6 – Ronald Reagan, actor and 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)
February 8 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (d. 1979)
February 11 – Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (Carroll Daly), fifth president of Ireland (d. 1978)
February 13 – Jean Muir, American actress (d. 1996)
February 14 – Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch inventor of hemodialysis (d. 2009)
February 14 – Eduardo Serrano, Venezuelan musician and composer (d. 2008)
February 19 – Merle Oberon, British actress (d. 1979)
March 3 – Jean Harlow, American actress (d. 1937)
March 13 - L. Ron Hubbard, American science fiction author and founder of Scientology (d. 1986)
March 24 - Joseph Barbera, American cartoonist (d. 2006)
March 25 – Jack Ruby, American killer of Lee Harvey Oswald (d. 1967)
March 26 - Tennessee Williams, American playwright (A Streetcar Named Desire) (d. 1983)
April 3 – Michael Woodruff, British/Australian pioneering transplant surgeon (d. 2001)
April 13 – William Tuttle, American makeup artist (d. 2007)
May 8 – Robert Johnson, American guitarist and singer (d. 1938)
May 10 – Bel Kaufman, German-born American author
May 17 - Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish actress (d. 1998)
May 18 – Big Joe Turner, American singer (d. 1985)
May 27 - Hubert H. Humphrey, U.S. Vice President and Senator (d. 1978)
May 27 - Vincent Price, American actor (d. 1993)
June 26 – Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American athlete and golfer (d. 1956)
June 29 - Bernard Herrmann, American composer (d. 1975)
July 4 - Mitch Miller, American singer and television personality (d. 2010)
July 5 – Georges Pompidou, President of France (d. 1974)
July 6 – LaVerne Andrews, member of the 1940s Big Band/Swing group The Andrews Sisters (d. 1967)
July 7 – Gian-Carlo Menotti, Italian-born American composer (d. 2007)
July 9 - Mervyn Peake, British writer and illustrator (d. 1968)
July 16 - Ginger Rogers, American actress (d. 1995)
July 18 – Hume Cronyn, Canadian actor (d. 2003)
July 21 – Marshall McLuhan, Canadian author (d. 1980)
August 6 - Lucille Ball, American actress (I Love Lucy) (d. 1989)
August 9 – William Alfred Fowler, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
September 19 – William Golding, English writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)
October 26 – Sid Gillman, American football coach (d. 2003)
October 27 – Leif Erickson, American actor (The High Chaparral) (d. 1986)
October 30 – Ruth Hussey, American actress (d. 2005)
November 5 – Roy Rogers, American singer and actor (d. 1998)
November 13 – Buck O'Neil, American baseball player and manager (d. 2006)
November 27 - David Merrick, American theater producer (d. 2000)
December 5 – Wladyslaw Szpilman, Polish pianist and memoirist, whose story is told in the movie The Pianist (d. 2000)
December 8 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (d. 1976)
December 11 - Val Guest, British film director (d. 2006)
December 11 - Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2006)
December 18 – Jules Dassin, American director (d. 2008)
December 21 – Josh Gibson, African-American baseball player (d. 1947)
December 25 – Louise Bourgeois, French-born American artist (d. 2010)
December 26 – Arsenio Lacson, Filipino politician and sportswriter (d. 1962)
December 27 – Anna Russell, British comedian and singer (d. 2006)
December 30 – Jeanette Nolan, American actress (d. 1998)

In 1911 they drove cars that looked like this.....

The fashions of 1911...

In 1911:

The first official airmail flight was conducted by Fred Wiseman, who carried three letters between Petaluma, California and Santa Rosa, California
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovers the phenonomena of superconductivity
1911 Orville Wright
Orville Wright remains in the air for 9 minutes and 45 seconds in a glider setting a new world record that stands for 10 years
27th President: William Howard Taft. March 4th 1909 - March 4th 1913 Republican

Inventions in 1911

Road surface marking
Flying boat
self starter (perfected)
CRT television
Hydroplane
Knapsack parachute

The cost of living in 1911...

The average house cost $5,714
Equivalent today: $135,748

The average car cost $780
Equivalent today: $18,531

The average wage was $545
Equivalent today: $12,948

Popular songs of 1911...

1911 was the year of Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" - introduced on stage by Emma Carus - a "cheerful revolt against the prejudices of Victorian America". But Victorian America was of course still alive. Two major hits served as a kind of counter model to the new music from the streets of New York. Nostalgia for the good ol ' days was the other answer to urban life: "I Want A Girl (Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad)" and "Down By The Old Mill Stream". That year also saw for example a revival of "Silver Threads Among The Gold" (Rexford/Danks), a song first published in 1873. Listening to other hits of the year it becomes clear how much "Alexander's Ragtime Band" stood out against the rest.

1. Alexander's Ragtime Band
2. Let Me Call You Sweetheart
3. Down By The Old Mill Stream
4. I Want A Girl (Just Like The Girl Who Married Dear Old Dad)
5. Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey

1911 seemed like a very good year to be born! Happy Birthday Aunt Dot!!!! I wonder what her secret is to having lived such a long, happy life? I will have to ask her when I see her. Here are a few of my guesses...her faith in God, a positive personality, being active and working in the garden, good genes!

What do you think is the secret to living a long happy life???

Side of the Road Sunday...

2011-08-07T09:22:00.002-04:00

Sometimes on Sunday the Sgt and I will go out for a drive looking for adventure. Yup, Sgt and I really know how to live it up, don't we? Anyway, a recent Sunday drive by, netted me this really comfy weather worn rattan tiki chair. Yes, I take free things from the side of the road...I'm one of those people! The chair, which is probably from the 70's, kinda reminded me of the chairs in the picture above! Don't ya just love how they're all sitting the same way and look at their cute shoes!

We also wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your kind comments about the loss of our good dog Bear. We appreciate all your kind sentiments. I have always felt that losing a pet can be just as hard as losing a person. Pets can become just as close to us as humans can and sometimes even closer than our own human families. A loss of a pet is hard, but the joy that they give us in their short life time, always seem worth it to me. Whether good or bad, everyday is a gift.

Our Loss

2011-07-30T08:30:00.002-04:00

Rest in Peace
Bear
1999-2011
~We will miss you more then words can say~

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

I lost a treasured friend today,
The big dog who use to lay
his gentle head upon my knee
and share his silent thoughts with me.

He'll come no longer to my call
retrieve no more his favorite ball.
A voice far greater than my own
has called him to his golden throne.

And though my eyes are filled with tears,
I thank him for all the happy years
He let him spend down here with me
and for his love and loyalty.

Pool Crashers

2011-07-25T10:11:00.003-04:00

Here's a story of our next door neighbor,
who moved outta Vegas some time last year.
They left their trashy daughter in charge,
of their house in Jerzee.

Here's what happened to the house next door,
when nothing was taken care of but the pool.
The weeds grow tall and brotha that ain't all,
other people are swimin in your pool.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
What happens at home when you're in Vegas,
and your irresponsible daughter is no where to be found,
you'll never know about.

You just never know what idiots might crash your pool on a hot 105 degree day! As you can see, I'm protecting one of the * idiot's identities....the other idiot has no idea what has taken place on this day. I have no idea how these pictures got into my camera or who these people are? I was knitting blankets for orphaned hamsters that day and was no where near the neighbor's pool. :) I plead the 5th.

How The Magic Happens....

2011-07-22T15:27:00.002-04:00

Sgt spotted this vintage kitschy adult humor sign at an auction we went to last month. It makes the perfect bedside companion and we've been having fun passing it back and forth on our bedside tables! My favorite saying is...Now, about that mink! Ha. I'm still waiting for my mink Sgt! I'm sure this was probably given to a bride and groom as a gag gift, but I think it's really cute and fairly accurate in today's world too.

Every Dog Has It's Day....

2011-07-19T22:37:00.004-04:00

The Dog Days Of Summer Are Here

Hope you're enjoying the dog days of Summer as much as I am!

Auction Saturday

2011-07-16T20:36:00.002-04:00

I headed out to an auction this morning and came away with some really neato finds! I stuck solely to box lots as they tend to go cheaper than when they sell one thing at a time. A box lot is basically a cardboard box filled with stuff. I love rooting around in boxes to find treasures. Can you find me in the picture below? (Yes, even with a parasol, I still turned into lobster girl!) For the most part, that's pretty much what an estate auction held at someone's house looks like around here. These are my favorite kinds of auctions to attend. Look at all those boxes full of treasures! Two things you need at auctions like this: good eyes and patience. Below are some of the things I picked up off the box lots table.

The box lot below was full of old pictures! I love old pictures! There was about 4 small photo albums full of various family pictures from late 30's and 40's. When I come across family pictures like this at an auction, I always find it hard to believe that people don't find value in holding onto these pictures to share with future generations.

What great family pictures they are! I'm so curious to know who the people are in these photos! Everyone is so well dressed and in one of the pictures you can see that a gal is wearing a bakelite acorn pin on her jacket! I however did not run across the pin at auction. :(

Along with the box of old photo albums, I also got a box lot of travel post cards and pictures. From what I understand, the family traveled a heck of a lot! They even have pictures from Japan mixed in that box.

My favorites are the colorful souvenir folder postcards of the places they visited. Obviously they kept these to remind themselves of their trip because none of them were used and they're all in great condition! I got both of these boxes for $3 which I thought was one sweet deal.

3 more box lots below. This time full of sewing and craft things. The wife was a crafty gal throughout her life and had lots of materials, thread, sewing patterns...etc. She kept EVERYTHING! In one box I ran across complete, mint sewing patterns from the 20's. That box sold for $100! Which was probably a bargain for what was in the box. Some other boxes full of vintage clothing Victorian- 1940's also went rather high in my opinion, trust me I looked and I wouldn't have paid more then $5 a box, went $45-75 a box. People hear and see vintage clothing and prices can sometimes go crazy (it all depends on who shows up). Trust me, I don't mind paying for a bunch of vintage clothes at an auction, but there better damn well be something in there that knocks my socks off! See here. I spent $8 bucks for the box lots below. Yup, I'm cheap and most boxes went out of my $5 or under price range! hahaha

Here's a close up of what I found in the boxes. That cool old red Velvet can had a bunch of bakelite buttons in it! I love buttons and I think adding them to a dress can really make a plain dress pretty amazing.

Another box had a bunch of bakelite belt buckles, purse handles, and more buttons in it. I also like old tins too. I love that people reused what they had for other purposes. Very unlike our throw away generation today.

The Sgt spotted and picked up the box that was full of embroidery transfer patterns for me! He saw metal zippers and sewing stuffs and thought it was a good box for me. Good going Sgt! I'm training him well :)

And last but not least I had to buy a big box of blankets just so I could get this very cute turquoise afghan that she made. I mean look it's an awesome turquoise color, how can I not pay a whole $1 for that!

The Sgt and I had lots of fun and also picked up an old ice cream maker, some galvanized wash tubs, old records, an old wooden advertising box, and a pair of binoculars. I'm planning on using my galvanized metal buckets to try to make a cool water feature like the one we ran across a few weeks ago at an antique shop. Pretty cool huh!? Now I just gotta keep my eyes open down the road for an old well hand pump!

Anybody else come across some cheap, fun finds this weekend? Hope everyone is having a fun weekend!

Cheers,
MaryDeluxe

Around The Simple Acre

2011-07-14T11:00:00.006-04:00

The weather: After spending a few days in 90+ degree, hot, and humid weather, we finally got some rain storms that rolled through and cooled things down. It turned into such a beautiful evening last night that we spent it outside working and playing in the garden.

I made some yummy baked ziti and we sat out under the umbrella and chowed down. With watermelon for dessert!

Under the umbrella. I now have, thanks to Sgt and his auction eyes, two matching 1950's turquoise patio umbrellas. One needs a table for support but the other one as a spike and can be placed into the ground. One is over the patio table and the other one is giving a bit of shade to the fish pond.

The fish pond. When I lived at DeluxeVille, I had three adult fish in my little backyard pond. When I moved at the beginning of June, I brought all my pond stuff with me as we planned on digging a pond here at The Simple Acre. I discovered as I was moving my fish that I had baby fish too. I found five of them as a emptied out the pond! I get baby gold fish every year....because I have whores for goldfish....but only one or two ever survive. When I went back to do some gardening last weekend at the old place, I found 4 more babies swimming in the old pond. Now we have 9 baby goldfish with our 3 adults. I see some serious inbreeding happening in the future! If you live any where near me and have a pond, expect some free goldfish in a few years! I can however, not vouch for their intelligence.

A new resident of the fish pond. I brought my two frogs with me when I moved and as soon as they got here, they hopped off to join the mass of frogs who inhabit the neighbors pool. I was kinda bummed that after everything we've been through together, they just up and leave me like that. Oh well, their loss, because now I got a new little frog to kiss! Who cares about the bazillion frogs in a pool and the breeding potential...I'm with this little frog...having a pond all to yourself is so much better. Eventually, if you croak loud enough another frog will come. If too many frogs come...well, I hear they taste like chicken.

Rocking out! I am not building the rock wall around the pond for a few reasons. 1. rocks are heavy. 2. Sgt is picky about how his rocks are placed. Yup, Sgt has Rock OCD. Who knew??? Seriously, the guy loves building rock walls and apparently there's a method about it that I know, I could never get right. 3. I don't have to do it. Seriously, if someone says, hey, I'll do that....well then please do!

The pond and patio. With of course a plastic pink flamingo for the added kitsch factor!

My favorite flowers are blooming. Sun flowers! When I plant flowers, I always feel an internal conflict about them when they bloom. Should I pick them so I can bring them in the house or not?? It's not often that I pick them. :)

Happy Thursday!

Keds Sale

2011-07-11T12:05:00.003-04:00

Like many of you out there, I love Keds! They go equally as well with dresses as the do with jeans. I also love a cute pair of saddle shoes! So I ask you, what could be better than combining the look of a cute saddle shoe with a Ked?? Nothing of course.... unless they are on sale...which they are! Hurry up and get your pair before they are all gone!! Keds last chance sale!

How's It Growing

2011-07-09T23:57:00.004-04:00

From A Plant:

You Get Veggies:

Which = Yummy Zucchini Bread:

Easy Zucchini Bread Recipe:

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row

The Vintage Tablecloth Dress

2011-06-30T16:11:00.003-04:00

I found a really cute vintage tablecloth dress this past weekend at a vintage shop in Easton, PA. I have never heard of a tablecloth dress before, so this was all new info for me. I love learning new things! The owner said she had just got the dress in the shop and it came from an 85 year old woman who made the dress by hand in the 1930's from an old tablecloth. This is a bit confusing to me as I would guess date this dress from the late 40's/ early 50's. The dress has no zipper in it, but instead closes with hook and eyes in the back. I'm thinking about modifying the dress a bit to add a back zipper to it. I prefer a bit more security when I'm wearing something strapless! :)

With a cute matching sleeveless top.

A very full skirt.

What's your guess about this dress, when do you think it might have been made? Have you ever heard of dresses being made out of old tablecloths?

Vintage Shabby Glider

2011-06-23T18:23:00.005-04:00

Things I love:
Metal gliders
Vintage bark cloth fabric
Throw pillows
A good Summer read
Homemade iced tea

Project 1,753:
Repaint the metal glider!

(right after I take a nap!)

Summer Projects

2011-06-21T14:02:00.004-04:00

Some Summer projects we are working on around The Simple Acre. I had a pond at DeluxeVille that was filled with fish, frogs, and pond plants. I moved everything with me to NJ and that also included the pond items. Sgt spent a week digging a 3 foot deep hole by however wide for the new fish pond next to the patio. It's a project for sure and all the rock-scaping still needs to be completed but the fish sure are happy! It's also awful nice to have the sound of a waterfall next to the patio as we sit out there. The Summer is just beginning so I'm sure this will look completely different in three months!

The garden is looking amazing and has already given us lettuce, peas, basil, and green beans. We just planted potatoes, sweet potatoes, and more green beans. I have to get some cucumbers planted soon and lima beans too. Our tomato harvest will be huge this Summer and I foresee a lot of canning in our future! How are your gardens growing???

I am still unpacking things inside the house and try to divide my time between inside and outside projects. I really need to work on getting my craft room set up so I can get to sewing some curtains and such. I found some very cool fabric at a local antique shop a few weeks ago that I've been dying to turn into something. The floral barkcloth fabric use to be cushions that someone ripped apart on the one side. I think they can be salvaged and turned back into cushions...they will fit perfect on my little two seater glider. The atomic cotton feed sack fabric I have to think about? I think it would be an adorable fabric for a dress and I would have enough yardage for one. I'm just not a professional dress maker, if you know what I mean..hahaha ..I wouldn't want to waste the fabric on a really bad creation made by me. :-)

Everything around here is a project right now. I have a to do list longer than my arm! I should really sit down and sort things into short term goals versus long term goals, so I can stop feeling so overwhelmed ;-). Does anybody else have big Summer/Winter projects they are working on? I can't be the only one out there that has big hopes, schemes, and dreams for their living environment?

Out and About an Outfit Post

2011-06-20T21:50:00.002-04:00

Out and about on the streets of Newton NJ, enjoying the last days of Spring! I hope you're out and about enjoying the last days of your season where ever you live too! Oh how I love me a cute, cotton Summer dress...and this one has been added to my top 10 favorite Summer dresses. Yes, I have a top 10 of favorite Summer dresses.....don't you??? Well, you should!! Go make one.

I'm wearing:

That awesome vintage peasant style bow dress I found at an auction a few weeks back.
My favorite red 1940's sling back peep toe heels with bows
A lucite purse
Some bakelite bangles
And a vintage pair of cats eye shades

Yup, hate me cause I've got tiny little size 6 feet!

The Court House Wedding

2011-06-17T16:34:00.005-04:00

A few wedding pictures. If you look closely you will see the uneven hem of my dress. I picked the dress up from the dry cleaners and when I put it on, discovered they shrank the top layer of my dress. BOO!!! Oh well what can a gal do but wear the dress anyway! No time to fix it, no use cryin over spilled milk, on with the show!!! And what a show we gave the tiny town of Belvidere! An easy, quick ceremony on the Belvidere Court House steps, turned into people watching out the court house windows and slowing down as they walked by us. If you want to visit a tiny town that has amazingly huge Victorian houses and cute small town charm...well, Belvidere NJ is just the town for you. We impressed the court house staff with our vintage style and easy going attitude. Most people they see come in to get married wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so we were a nice change of pace for them. Really?! Just because you're having a court house ceremony doesn't mean you still shouldn't look nice! Oh well, gone are the days of people actually dressing up to leave their house. These are probably the people who go grocery shopping in their PJ's or with the word juicy printed on their ass. To each their own I guess!

Thinking about making a run for it....

been caught thinking about making a run for it.

The Sgt

On the steps of the Belvidere Court House...yup three tiny little steps it had!! :-) Actually there's a sign in front of the court house stating that back in the day, they use to hang people right on that spot. What a great spot to get married on. Hope it brings us luck!

Yup

MaryDeluxe & The Sgt

Thank you for all your comments of congratulations! As many of you know, I've waited a long time and had the not so nice pleasure of riding on a lot of bad bus routes before finding my golden ticket. The Sgt has also had his own share of bad bus riders. We consider ourselves very lucky that by some twist of fate, our paths happened to cross and we found each other. We both look forward to our future together and all the fun projects we have waiting for us around the simple acre! What can I really say other then....On with the show!

Wedding Cake for Two

2011-06-16T22:44:00.004-04:00

Strawberry Shortcake Cake Prep Time 1Minute
Cook Time 45 Minutes Servings 10 Difficulty Easy
Ingredients

* Cake
* 1-½ cup Flour
* 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
* ½ teaspoons Salt
* 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
* 9 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
* 1-½ cup Sugar
* 3 whole Large Eggs
* ½ cups Sour Cream, Room Temperature
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* _____
* Icing
* ½ pounds Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
* 2 sticks Unsalted Butter
* 1-½ pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1 pound Strawberries

Preparation Instructions
IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.
Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.

Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.

Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.

Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.

Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.

IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!

This recipe was found here: Source

OMG this cake is soooooo yummy and easy to make! The perfect wedding cake for two. I just snipped some flowers from the garden to embellish around the 1950's cake topper. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! Wedding pictures to follow so stay tuned!

The Tale of The Lock-Ness-Labrador

2011-06-10T11:18:00.007-04:00

It was a hot, humid, hazy day. Our heroine thought it would be a perfect day for a dip in the local lake. But this wasn't just any local tranquil lake that MaryDeluxe picked for a quick afternoon swim. Oh no, this was the lake that happened to be the home of the Lock-Ness-Labrador.

What was that?? Did you hear a splash???

Did you see something over there in the water??? I thought I saw something???

Poor MaryDeluxe....unaware of the creature that lurks behind her!!!!
Dun...Dun dun...Dun dun...Dun dun dun.....

Attack of the Lock-Ness-Labrador!!!! Oh NOOooooooooo!!! Run MaryDeluxe run!!!!

MaryDeluxe tried to charm the lake beast into letting her live but this lake beast wanted none of her promises of jars filled with peanut butter biscuits.

Down went poor MaryDeluxe into the waiting jaws of the Lock-Ness-Labrador. Poor, poor MaryDeluxe.

Edit....scenes to graphic to display!!
Yum!!! said the Lock-Ness-Monster, she made a perfect afternoon snack!

So now you know.....Beware of the Lock-Ness-Labrador or you too could end up like poor MaryDeluxe!

THE END!

A Work in Progress....The Dining Room...

2011-06-09T13:26:00.007-04:00

Been working on the dining room or as I like to call it, the dirtiest room in the house. Use to be the "dog room" but I'm taking it back as the dining room!! Been painting the walls..... Beautiful color right???!! The color is Persimmon Red from the Martha Stewart line at Home Depot.

What's MaryDeluxe hiding??....hahaha why the rest of the messy room! Not even close to being finished. Lots of trim painting yet to do, furniture placement, etc...etc! But that first picture keeps me motivated to get it all done.

Here's what happens when a naked, hot and sweaty, confused Sgt walks into your shoot! He had been working outside on building a fishpond and had no idea I was taking photos...but I love the look on my face and his confusion. Thankfully I was shooting a horizontal composition!

No work today it's a stinker out there...Hot, Humid, Hazy in the high 90's. My room will have to wait till tomorrow to get finished. All work and no play makes MaryDeluxe dull, so it's off to jump in the lake to cool down and have some fun!

Are You Ready For Marriage 1950's Style

2011-06-09T11:22:00.003-04:00

I ran across this in the nick of time! Actually, Sgt sent it to me and we had a good laugh. I know some of you out there are engaged or planning a wedding and here's the perfect little 1950's test just to make sure you're seriously ready! Take heed and do the test before you go through with your "I Dos" and signed documentation. Maybe you'll discover that your cooking skills just aren't up to par yet with where they should be for a marriage or perhaps deep down inside, you're just not the type of gal ready to put up with all his stag parties. Good Luck!

The “Correct” Answers

“What is your score? If you had the correct answer 8 times out of 10, you don't have to worry, you'll be the kind of a wonderful wife a man needs! From 6 to 8, watch out! You'll really have to make an effort if you want to hold your husband! And for any score under 6, you'd better grow up! Steer clear of marriage until you've learned to share, to trust, to love!”

A Reader Question

2011-06-08T08:00:00.007-04:00

DeluxeVille reader Rebecca recently sent me an email asking a question about cleaning a vintage dress her daughter recently found. She also had a question in regards to the maker of the dress....

Hi there, My daughter is starting to get her own little style thing going on and just bought an adorable Lucy style dress. It has one label in it "Miss Jahara". No cleaning instructions or size. It fits her like a dream and she loves it, but it definitely smells, well, vintage. Any ideas on where to find more info on this dress and how to clean it?
Thanks,
Rebecca

My best advice for cleaning vintage clothing is to give the item a 24 hour soak in a mixture of laundry detergent and one of these laundry boosters for extra cleaning power......biz (people swear by biz) /borax washing soda /oxy clean /arm and hammer washing soda. Then hang outside in the sun shine to dry. I use this method with all my vintage clothing that have that musty vintage smell to them and it works every time. Just make sure your fabric is color fast before soaking and that you also have an idea of what type of fabric your dress is made of. Some fabrics will shrink when washed.
Also have a look at this site for more vintage cleaning advice...
Vintagevixen.com
Fedora Lounge
Ebay

I have never heard of the label "Miss Jahara" so my guess is that this was probably a dress that might have been purchased from an individual dress maker who owned a dress shop in a small town. I'm also giving an educated guess that this dress is probably what I would refer to as a "junior" or "teenage" dress....due to the use of the word "Miss". Perhaps a reader might be able to help with information on the label name "Miss Jahara"? Does anyone else out there own a "Miss Jahara" dress?

At This Moment....

2011-06-07T11:58:00.003-04:00

I have a heavy cat draped across my lap....

A half drank, no ice, glass of ice tea.....

And an old friend wrinkling my freshly made bed....

Not bad for a Wednesday!
Edit....Fuck it's only Tuesday....I can't figure out what day of the week it is anymore! All my days are just blurring together to form a mountain of cardboard boxes filled with all my crap!

My Life In A 20ft Uhaul....

2011-06-03T13:19:00.002-04:00

See what I did this past Memorial day weekend. I can't believe it all fit in there! My life fit into a 20ft Uhaul. Now that I know this, it's official, I could go just about anywhere! But really, I don't want to move again for another 50 years, thanks! After my three day move, I then had the pleasure of going back to work for two days to finish up my contracted school year. I am now on Summer vacation or you could also say unemployed with pay. Perfect timing as currently I am living in chaos and have plenty of reorganizing to do around here. Just trying right now to get back into the swing of things.

Yup, the Sgt and I loaded and unloaded that truck. Hard work that we are still both recovering from. Oh did I also happen to mention it was a hot humid 90 degrees weekend too! We've decided the next time we move, we're hiring people to do it for us!

I figure it's going to take me months to find where I packed everything! I think it will end up being just like Christmas and could save me a lot of money. When ever I feel like spending a little money, I'll just go out to the garage and unpack a box to find things I forgot I ever had. Fun times!!!

Yard Sale Score

2011-05-26T16:22:00.002-04:00

It's yard sale time again...my favorite time of year! On my way home from work today, I stopped off at a yard sale. This certain family goes to auctions and every year they host a "barn sale" where they sale off things they've acquired over the year that they don't want. They always have neat stuff for sale and at crazy yard sale prices. I usually don't venture over that way, as it's not my normal drive home, but today I had an errand to run and had the luck of driving past! I only had a couple of bucks on me, but thought what the heck, I'll stop and have a look! I'm so glad I did because they had a really cute Hey-wake Sculptura vanity stool there for $6.50. No vanity with it, but you know me, I buy one Hey-wake piece at a time and work my way slowly up to a complete set! :-)

I think it'll look great with my Hey-wake pull up chair even though it's not meant to actually go with it! I would actually put the stool next to the chair to take a picture, but the chair is packed away in the garage ready for my move this weekend! DeluxeVille is a barren wasteland! Can you believe I'm still buying furniture even though I have to move this weekend....hahahaha...oh well, one more thing to shove onto the moving truck!

Vintage Wedding Cake Inspiration

2011-05-24T19:39:00.002-04:00

Since Sgt and I are both DIY'ers, we've decided to make our own wedding cake. Okay really, I came up with the idea and Sgt being the strong silent type, just nodded his head and gave in. Smart man...see why I'm marrying him! I just figure since we plan on building a life together why not start out with the simple task of building a yummy fresh strawberry cake together. When I told him we would be making a fresh strawberry cake, his head perked up, his eyes got big, and he left out a whooping "OKAY"!!!

My plan is to do a very simple cake with a vintage cake topper. I love the pictures below and this is the direction I plan to go in. I love the swirls of the frosting and the simple designs used. I'm not a big fan of smooth cakes. They just seem to perfect to me, I like my cake to have some character!

(source)

I'm also loving all the inspiration from the Sweet and Saucy Shop/ Sweet and Saucy Supply. I love the simplicity and color combination of the cakes pictured below. Not only can you order vintage inspired supplies for all your favorite baked goods, but you can also buy some baked goods that are sure to become your favorites! Don't forget to checkout the Sweet and Saucy blog for more inspiration.

(Source)

Now go eat some cake!

The Goodwill Site

2011-05-19T19:20:00.002-04:00

Yes, Goodwill has an online auction site called....Shopgoodwill! I've been shopping there for years and over these years have often posted the things I have found there. So, I thought why not showcase Goodwill one more time for all the DeluxeVille readers that didn't know about the sight! Just so you all know, like other online auction sights, it has pros and cons.

Pros:

Your money is going to a good organization that supports the local community. It's like making a donation when you buy something.
Sometimes (not as often now) the people listing the item wouldn't know what it was they were listing and if one got lucky in their searches, you could steal quite the deals.
No sniper
You can find cool vintage things there

Cons:

Shipping is higher and a handling fee is always charged.
Prices on things can go higher than on Ebay.
Pictures are not very good quality.
Items can be measured wrong or described wrong because the people listing the items are usually not professional dealers when it comes to vintage things.
The sight has become well known so there is more competition in bidding.
Once you buy it, you bought it!
You have to be patient and good at searching!
I don't think they ship internationally...but it never hurts to ask!
You have to really know your vintage because as stated above, they don't always list items as vintage.

No matter what the pros and cons, I really like shopping on the Goodwill sight! I am not a regular buyer on the sight, but over the years, I have never had one bad transaction. I also enjoy finding the deals and have gotten really good at searching for and finding items that were not listed as vintage. Recently I found this cute little 40's Hollywood Sport Life blouse. It was listed as a 70's belly shirt. Score!

I can't remember ever not getting a good deal on something on that sight. I have found some amazing vintage items on there from vintage clothing and accessories to contemporary things. One of my all time best finds is the Cole of California sundress I'm wearing below! I blogged about it a few years ago here. I found out that a sister outfit to this dress is in the Powerhouse museum in Australia! It was listed as "Asian style dress". No one bid on it but me. No one knew what it really was. I was able to tell by the pictures it was from 1950's, I paid $34 when all was said and done. Imagine my surprise when I opened the package to find it was a Cole of California dress!

I have also found these vintage 50's suits for cheap.....Cool Suits

This lucite purse.... .........

And these fabulously awesome shoes.........

There's more but I think you get the idea!

Another Sneak Peak

2011-05-17T19:36:00.002-04:00

But this time it's a sneak peek of my wedding dress! Did you all know "The Original Bus Stop Goddess" is getting hitched in June??!! Yup, it's time for this ol' gal to retire from the bus stops.....forever and ever and ever! "Amen" "Hallelujah", sing the glory to the Goddess of the Bus Stop!

I found this amazing 50's bridesmaid dress along with it's matching shoes and veil on the Goodwill site. I love the Goodwill site and I'm sure many of you know about it too. I have found so many awesome things there over the years. What's even more awesome is your money goes to Goodwill, which is like getting the chance to shop online for vintage things guilt free!

But anyway, back to the dress. I wasn't planning on buying a new dress since the Sgt and I are just getting hitched "JP" style, but when I saw this dress while searching around the site, I fell in love with the peachy/coral/pinky color and had to have it. The last thing I wanted was a white wedding dress, because lets face it, after living in sin with a guy for 5 years, there sure ain't nothing virginal about me...sorry Mom...and I'm just not at all into weddings. I have never been one of those gals to sit around and day dream about what my wedding would be like when I got married. I am however the type of gal that sits around and day dreams about how the room would look with a new paint color! This dress is just perfect and exactly what I had in mind for my wedding day. I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the bow hat with attached veil.

So, what do you think? What did you wear on your wedding day? Anyone care to share their wedding pictures on their blogs? I would love to see them!

xoxo,
MaryDeluxe

Sneak Peek...

2011-05-15T22:29:00.002-04:00

The master bedroom at The Simple Acre is almost done...only a few finishing touches left to do! We spent this past weekend painting up a storm. Here's a little sneak peek. More to come after my BIG move so stay tuned!

Oh My, She Didn't....

2011-05-13T14:17:00.004-04:00

Oh yes I did! Thursday after work I stopped off at a local auction house to have a look at what vintage goodies they might have. Imagine my surprise when I came across the table with all the vintage clothing on it!! I went off to get a bidding number straight away and settled myself down in an old wooden chair. Then I waited....and waited....and waited some more, but eventually I scored the lot of vintage clothing I wanted. I didn't get all the clothing as the bidding numbers were flying! Okay really, it was just me and some other guy who's a regular there and usually buys up all the vintage textiles and such. But not tonight!! Tonight I hung in there and came away with a victory. A more expensive victory then I wanted to pay but a victory none the less. So what did I get?? Well, there was one dress I wanted really, really bad out of the whole lot. I wasn't even sure it would fit but I knew I could at least resale it if it didn't. When I came home, I spun around like the Tasmanian Devil and tried everything on! WWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. It was then that I realized my vintage karma is still right with the vintage universe because not only did the dress I want fit me but so did everything else!

Now I present to you, the love at first sight dress:

Stop drooling on your keyboard.......

I know right, to die for!!! It's so, so dreamy. The perfect little cotton Summer dress and the cutest peasant style neckline. Now admit it, you would have done the same thing if you were me.

Do you want to see what else I got??? I mean come on, I know you do!! I picked up a total of 5 dresses, three shirts, a strapless bra slip, and a cute pair of wool children's winter pants! All for the high price of $150. EEK ! That's like $30 bucks a dress so, that's not so bad is it? I also picked up 6 pairs of vintage 40's & 50's shoes for $3! Yup that was all. I wanted two of the pairs but had to buy the lot of 6 and for $3 bucks it wasn't so bad because the 2 pair of shoes I wanted are killer and they fit me. They were the only ones that did. It amazes me how good I am at eyeballing the sizes of things and being right. Does anybody else do that too?

If you guessed that the two pair of shoes I wanted are the front two, you are right! $1.50 for each pair I wanted and a bonus of 4 more pair of shoes, no complaints here!

Okay back to the clothing! In my lot was also this cute little R & K Original light green Summer dress. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know how much I love an R&K dress! This one is exceptionally nice and has adorable bows on the shoulders!

A lacy cotton pink Summer dress and below that, a cotton blouse/Summer jacket.

Love the embroidery details on the bottom.

I love the print on this top and the color used on the sleeves, collar and pocket. I'll be wearing this one over my jeans for sure! These were some of my favorite pieces, more clothing to show but that will have to wait for another time.

Before I forget, I also picked up these three working fans for $12 bucks. I love old fans and happen to really love the color of these. Plus they still work...why buy cheap plastic crap fans when you can buy well built, still working, metal vintage ones?!

Oh what an awesome night it was and oh what an auction high I got. I can not tell you how rare it is to find a whole lot of vintage clothing come up at an auction. You might get a dress here, or a pair of shoes, but never as much as what was in this auction. I let a lot of things go because I just didn't have the $$$ I wanted to spend on everything. I had to decide on what I really wanted and pool my money for that. I still think I did really well for the money I spent. Proving to myself once again that you can find bargins still out there. You just have to put the time in to look and have patience.

Burpee

2011-05-08T21:07:00.002-04:00

If anyone out there likes to garden like the Sgt and I do, I'm sure most of you have heard of the Burpee seed catalog or perhaps have visited their website...Burpee. This past weekend, we decided to take a road trip and head down to Warminster, PA to pick up some seeds and plants at the Burpee discount warehouse store. I scored some good deals on wildflower seeds and the Sgt picked up a gazillion tomato plants. I see lots of tomato canning in our future if all the plants do well. Oh geezzz!

Here I am holding up a very big tomato....I have my fingers crossed the Sgt didn't pick out this variety of tomato plant to grow!

The outside space of the Burpee discount warehouse.

A nice mix of plants to choose from. Vegetables, perennials, annuals, herbs, and fruit plants. I think their best deals are found inside with the seeds they had for sale. I have gotten better deals on my live plants from local nurseries where I live.

We still did really well for ourselves and loaded up the car with lots of goodies. Then went home and got down to business. The veggie garden is filling up fast and I was excited to see all the seeds we planted coming up. I'll be eating fresh salads any weekend now.

Yay BURPEE!!!!!!! He's such a show off!

A Covet Garden Inspiration

2011-05-04T18:09:00.006-04:00

Hi DeluxeVille readers! I got an email today from DeluxeVille reader Sandra, who sent me a link to Covet Garden, because she thought I might enjoy looking at the recent issue. Boy, did I ever enjoy taking a peek! I enjoyed it so much, I thought you all might enjoy taking a peek too! Trust me, you'll be very inspired by the 40's/50's vintage decor and style of Moira Roe. Not only do you get to look at some fab eye candy, but they also include some killer recipes so you can throw a swinging cocktail party!

And what a neato little online magazine Covet Garden is too.

"Covet Garden is for folks who are curious about real spaces. We take a peek into the homes and lives of some of the city’s most interesting people—spaces that have not been styled by interior decorators. Covet Garden is inspirational, not aspirational."

Now I'm off to take a look at their back issues!

Cheers,
MaryDeluxe

A Scooter to Make You Drool....

2011-05-02T20:07:00.002-04:00

Oh my, lookie what's coming up at an auction!
A Vintage Lambretta!

This is, as far as I can tell, the same Lambretta that was sold at this auction a year ago....Vespa Hunting. It went for over $3,000 then, so I wonder why it's going up for auction again so soon?? Hmmm Weird. I'm sure there will be a $3,000 reserve on it. Perhaps I'll go just to be nosey and see what it sells for this time.

Moving In and Moving On

2011-04-26T20:13:00.004-04:00

My time here in DeluxeVille is drawing to a close and I have but 4 1/2 short weeks until the BIG move happens. I of course have been packing my car and moving things each time I visit the Sgt, but the really BIG move will be taking place the end of May. That's when the moving truck will get packed up and ALL my things will be in the same place and all together again. YAY!! I can not tell you how excited I am about this. I'm a gal that loves to make her home a nest and living here and there and everywhere has just been a super pain in my butt.

As you can see, my things are beginning to take up space in the Sgt's garage. It sure was nice of the Sgt to move his guy toys around to make space for my crap. Every time I visit, my pile keeps getting bigger. Just so you know how sweet he is, Sgt even goes to auctions with me and lets me buy more crap to put in the garage! Now if that doesn't say love, I don't know what does? hahaha Wait till I start bringing it into the house and moving his crap into the garage! He sure will be surprised then won't he!? Just kidding Sgt *wink wink* Okay, maybe not about all your surfboards in the living room...they can go in the garage.... right??

Anyway, I did pick up a really cute kitchen table at a recent auction out in the boonies. Not a lot of people showed up so prices stayed relatively reasonable on things. I got the 50's kitchen table for $10, a very cool atomic pole lamp for $1, an old table I will probably use for a potting table for $1 and a neato Smith Corona turquoise 60's type writer for 50 cents. Which proves the point that there are still lots of sweet deals to be had out there....just keep looking!

The table top is in great condition but the legs need a little steel wool action.

A shabby but chic potting table.

Okay really, how could I not buy this for a $1! It works and it came with the light bulbs still in it. I mean come on, the light bulbs cost more than a $1 now a days!

The cute turquoise typewriter I dug out of the "nobody wanted it pile"!

Can I just add how happy it makes me to have finally found a guy who loves to go to auctions with me, has a truck that he actually uses for a truck, and lifts all my heavy things for me without me even having to ask! I've been looking for a bus like this for a long time! Riding all those wrong bus routes all those years sure does make me realize what a great bus I finally found. Thanks for picking me up Sgt and taking this crazy, vintage loving gal in the right direction!

xoxo,
~MaryDeluxe

Working vs Watching

2011-04-25T20:27:00.003-04:00

Spring Planting

Working

Watching someone work

Watching someone work.

Working.

Happy Spring!

For my Mom....... Yup the rain barrel rocks...Thanks Mom!

Things From Local Auctions That Made Me Drool

2011-04-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Gathering old things together connects someone's past to your
future. When you collect you are a curator of lives.

I love the color and the amazing lines of this sofa! I can picture this sofa in a robins egg blue room.

With these lamps next to the sofa.

Mermaid lamps....every surfer girl should have a set of these!

I love old VW Bugs...I had one just like this in my early 20's! Thanks Dad!

Bunting lawn chairs....the best made lawn furniture.

A pair of 50's slipper chairs.

The Little Devil Grows Up

2011-04-15T07:15:00.000-04:00

A Milo Post

Remember this guy?

Yup, all grown up!

Yes, he's huge and weighs in at a whopping 15lbs! He's still goofy though and enjoys expressing this side of himself in the middle of the night or early in the mornings with what we like to call..."Milo's Circus". He will often enlist the help of the other side show freak on the premises, "The Tailess Wander" in his antics. The circus side show scene often involves, high speed chases (similar to the movie Bullitt), bed bouncing, and the occasional toilet flush. As you might also guess, he's a Mama's boy, but will adamantly deny this fact with growling and hissing when ever I try to love up on him. His hissy pants ways have certainly not changed, but he often forgets himself at bed time when he demands nightly cuddle time on top of Mama! So, just in case you've been wondering....yes, the devil still wears stripes!

If you don't know the reference I made in regards to the high speed chase scene from the movie Bullitt, you can watch the clip below! Steve McQueen...1968...It's one for the car guys out there!

Plycraft Chair

2011-04-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

I went off to an auction a few weeks ago and came across this chair pictured below. I know, you're thinking what I was thinking, Eames chair! But in reality it's a Plycraft chair. Plycraft??? I had no idea, so now of course, I had to discover what I can about Plycraft. Here is the 2003 obituary for Paul R Goldman the owner of the company. Oh by the way, the chair sold for $300 and even had the original Plycraft brochure with it. Do any of you own Plycraft furniture?

Paul R. Goldman
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Paul R. Goldman, 91, formerly of Andover, Mass., and president of Plycraft, Inc., in Lawrence, Mass., died Aug. 12, 2003, in Los Angeles.
Mr. Goldman graduated from the Boys Latin School in Boston, Brookline, Mass., High School, Class of 1931, and the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Economics, Class of 1935.

He married Sylvia Kravath of Dorchester, Mass., and Hull, Mass., in 1935. They were married close to 60 years before she died in March 1995.

The Goldmans moved to the Lawrence area in 1937 and resided at 8 Joyce Terrace in Andover from 1941 to 1994. Mr. Goldman bought the Joyce Castle Estate on North Main Street in Shawsheen Village in Andover and developed the Castle Heights neighborhood on that land.

Mr. Goldman started building his own sailboats and then went into the woodworking business in Lawrence. In his initial business, the Plywood Corp., Mr. Goldman developed Plytube, a molded plywood tubing. With this, he designed and manufactured Plytube products for the U.S. military during World War II and the Korean conflict, including masts for the signal corps and dummy aircraft decoys among other things. After the war, he started making molded plywood furniture and in 1953, started Plycraft, Inc., in Lawrence, making fiberglass-covered boats. He later went back to plywood-molded furniture and continued in that business until 1994, when he and his wife moved to Florida.

Mr. Goldman is considered "the father of plywood technology" and a pioneer in the furniture industry. He was described as one of the "Horatio Algers" of his time in a Newsweek Magazine article in November 1962. The same article noted the installation of his chairs at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Mr. Goldman designed his own machinery to mold plywood veneer into complex shapes, creating beautiful and very comfortable furniture. His first molded chair was made for Herman Miller, then he continued to manufacture all of his own designs.

Mr. Goldman designed thousands of tables and chairs during what is known as the "mid-century modern period". Several of his chairs, including the "Mr. Chair" and the "Cherner Chair", have become classics of this period and are now sold as valuable antiques of that area. Numerous articles have been published about Mr. Goldman. He has been noted in books about this period, and some of his chairs have been on exhibition in museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in Chicago. His most famous chair, "The Rockwell", was first produced in 1956 and is thus named as it appeared in a painting by the eminent artist, Norman Rockwell, on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in September 1961. Another famous chair, coined "The Swinger" because of its shape, has also become a classic. It continues to be recommended by various medical specialties because of its ability to raise the legs above the user's chest, truly the first real healthy ergonomic chair. Companies all over the world have copied this design. Both "The Rockwell" and variations of "The Swinger: are still manufactured in the U.S.

You might also want to check out this interesting article in Collector's weekly about furniture designer Kem Weber! Kem Weber the mid-century designer who paved the way for Ikea

One Happy Puppy

2011-04-12T12:00:00.002-04:00

What does the Sgt and MaryDeluxe do on an overcast Sunday afternoon? Why we plant the vegetable garden and watch the puppy play. hahaha Nothing is better then a dizzy black lab to put a smile on your face! Silly Raven!

Deluxe-a-Fied Part II

2011-04-11T18:52:00.000-04:00

Okay, first off, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed getting comments from you all with your thoughts and feelings in regards to something we all have in common....vintage! A lot of your comments gave me a good giggle and one or two gave me a good eye roll! One of the best things about having technology is that it allows us to connect with other people in regards to things we have a passion for. I started this blog a few years back to do just that, share my passion for vintage crap with others who get it too. I also wanted a place to share with my family the love letters between Fran and George. I never expect anyone to agree 100% with what I say or do in my life. I really don't care what others might think about the dribble I scribble out here on my keyboard. I do this whole thing just to amuse myself and as it turns out, I guess, I amuse other people too. How cool is that!

See how dedicated I am to blogging....any spare moment I get...A sunny Saturday afternoon...blog, blog, blog!

Pricing:
Yup, as I stated before and have been reading elsewhere on other people's blogs, vintage has gone way up in price. And just because I can remember and reminisce about my good ole days of finding $5 vintage dresses in goodwill does not mean anything other then, I'm older than you and have been around much longer. How do I know vintage has gone way up in price in this day and age is simple....I have to pay more for it myself at auction. In the last 5 years auction prices have sky rocketed on anything considered mid-century modern. So, if it's costing the dealer more to buy it at auction, they are going to charge you more to buy it from them. Even though I'm paying more for vintage mid-century items now than I did three years ago, I am still getting it cheaper at an auction then from a dealer. Also about dealers, I have no problem with what they do for a living. There are some really good dealers out there that know a lot about what they sell and price accordingly. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of bad dealers who make the vintage market not such a good place. I am not pointing fingers at anyone here one way or another because to be honest with you, I don't buy online. I hate buying online. There's lots of reasons for this. One reason is that I just happen to love the hunt, finding it online is just to easy and takes away my thrill. Another reason is, I really prefer to try my vintage on and examine it before I buy it. I prefer to support my local vintage clothing dealers when I'm looking for vintage clothes and I enjoy finding my own mid-century crap at auctions, cutting out the middle man so to speak. I pay a lot less to buy locally then I do on the internet. I also know that I am lucky because I live in such a rich area of the country for mid-century crap. Some of you have no choice but to buy over the internet and pay for it if you really want it.

I personally think you can still find good deals on vintage items. The deals are out there, you just need to look for them and be patient. If you have to have a certain type of vintage dress or shirt in a certain time frame, well then, you're probably going to have to pay money for it. But if you're in no hurry and just enjoy collecting vintage, then you are probably going to do better at finding deals. After all, I've been collecting for years just by being patient and waiting till I found things in the price range I wanted to pay. Trust me, as you've seen, I can still find it out there and I don't pay out the ass for it either...I refuse to.

Scenes:
I also wanted to point out that my post was not meant to be directed at any one person I know in my real life or my online life. It has been an observation that I have made over the years about people I would see out and about. I don't consider myself as being in a scene. I personally don't like scenes and would never want to stereotype myself that way. I find that people are way to complex to be stereotyped in one particular way or another. I like what I like and do what I do because I want to. It's that simple to me. I have always lived my life for me and not for other people. Do I get stereotyped into a certain group by people because of the things I like or the way I look...yes. Does it bother me. I will say no for the most part, but every now and again it does. It depends on the situation. Lets face it, EVERYBODY passes judgment on other people. We do it all the time whether you want to admit it or not and it gets done to each of us every single day. It's up to you how you let that judgment affect you.

I tend to have always judged people based on their actions versus the simple image that they try to convey. I try very hard to never judge a book by it's cover and stick to the more important facts of what someone says, how they act, and the way they treat others. If I find that I'm not agreeing with how someone else is conducting themselves, I just stay away from them. No drama and no talking behind their backs for me, I prefer to just keep doing my thing the way I want to. I can't stand being around people who do that shit either. If they are going to sit around and talk crap about someone else and try to start drama, trust me, as soon as you leave the room, they'll be talking crap about you too. Those aren't friends. I prefer to be friendly to everyone, but only be friends with a few. I take this same approach with blogging, if I don't like what I read, no biggie, I move on. I don't feel the need to leave a negative comment or a positive comment. I have never seen the point in leaving a negative rant on someone elses's post. It does nothing but cause drama and in the grand scheme of things....something must be very wrong in your life to leave a negative comment on a person's blog who you don't know in real life. Really, if it bothers you that much what some random stranger writes on the internet....well then, the internet police should take away your internet privileges and force you to go get a real life! Blogging is just another form of entertainment and should never be taken to seriously. If you don't like it, move on....it's so easy, it's called that little arrow at the top of your screen. Remember, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

Here's what MaryDeluxe thinks about negative people....and Sgt taking her picture as she's blogging!

Why Vintage:
The real reason I got into vintage things so long ago is simply because I was poor. I had to furnish my apartment and myself but had little money to do so. As an artsy fartsy kid who loved to be different, vintage was just a natural fit. You could find it cheap at any Goodwill or Salvation Army. People thought I was weird and that fit in great with my artsy, rebel, little poor, punk ass self. I rocked my vintage dresses with my combat boots and converse all over the place! Like many of you out there did or some of you might still be doing! Go you!!! As I got older, I got less angry..hahaha..and more into just pure vintage. I hit up auctions and found things way cheap there too. Now, it's a different story of course. Yup, Madmen...I don't need to say anything about that do I. I've never watched Madmen. But anyway, I didn't start buying vintage things because I was trying to achieve some image for other people, I bought vintage because it was cheap and I liked it. I still do even though the prices have gone up. I love mid century vintage in particular....always have, always will!

Vintage Top Five

2011-04-06T17:27:00.002-04:00

I was thinking tonight as I'm puffing away on the treadmill, if I had to pick my top 5 most recent favorite vintage finds, what would they be? Notice I said finds and not things. As a lover of the hunt, I am ecstatic when I happen to find vintage things and even happier when they come along with a good deal. If you followed my blog for a while, you will know how much I love going off to auctions and coming back with treasures. So after much racking of my brain, I bring you all....

MaryDeluxe's top 5 most recent favorite vintage finds!!
(in no particular order)

This set of Franciscan Starburst from Fall of 2009. $85 score!

A mint 8 serving set of Onieda TwinStar in the original wooden case. $10. May 2008. Yes there's a great story behind this one and you should go see and read about the auction I found this at here. One of my most favorite things about auctions are the wonderful stories I get to hear and treasure along with some of the things I buy. This was a very special auction for me. Because of the family sharing the stories with me about their Mother, I also choose the other items I bought at this auction and they are the woman's 1940s suit and gab pants pictured below.

And me wearing her gabardine trousers below....June 2009....Yes, I do think of her when I wear them! That's one of the great things about vintage that I love, everything has a past and some sort of story. When I wear vintage I like to think about where the clothes might have been before me.

My Heywake Buffet....In the fall of 2008, I had a bidding battle with an old Mennonite man with a cane and came out the winner as he refused to bid higher then $35! Someday I'll find the china hutch for it but right now it works well as a dresser. It will however be moving it to the dining room to join it's place with the rest of the set in a few months!

I can't do a top 5 without including at least one lamp can I?? I think not! So I give you from back in 2006....the charmer himself...Mr Sparkles. Mr S is a Continental Art Company lamp and I fought hard for him at auction, dropping a total of $45! I just couldn't stop myself, I was mesmerized by his phallic little light bulb and just had to have him.

So now I ask, what are your top 5 favorite vintage finds? Do you have a good story behind why they are your favorite vintage finds? How did you come about finding your favorites? Post them to your blogs and send me a link so we can all have a look see please!!! I look forward to seeing your treasures!

xoxo,
~MaryDeluxe

Roadside America....

2011-04-03T18:45:00.004-04:00

the kitschyest place in the world and the perfect place for an afternoon date! I LOVE Roadside America and I try to get there at least once a year, usually in the Summer time. Roadside happens to be about an hour drive for both the Sgt and I, so it worked great for a middle place to meet! Don't worry Sgt, in 60 more days we can start meeting in a certain room in the house for our Sunday afternoon dates! *wink wink*

Roadside America History

ROADSIDE AMERICA is an unforgettable panorama of life in rural United States. The exhibit spans more than two hundred years in time and lets you see, in exquisite miniature, how people lived and worked in pioneer days … through the years since then … right up to the present.

In newspapers and magazines, ROADSIDE AMERICA has been acclaimed as the greatest known miniature village—the most unique and detailed masterpiece of its kind in the world. Actually, it is not one village, but many—really the American countryside as it might be seen by a giant so huge that he could see from coast to coast.

Get ready to be taken by SURPRISE!!!!

Step right up folks! Right through those green curtains and on the other side of that door, you will find more then you every expected with sights that will amaze you. Oh and trolleys and trains to run!

Ta Da!!!

Hello excitement of a 5 year old!

Yup, I'm a complete 5 year old when there are buttons around to push!

I however, was not in this button pushing craziness alone!

There are just so many cool details to look at and a bunch of trains that go running around the town.

Yup, buttons to push that ran little areas in the town...here I am making a train run! You are given a Roadside America brochure that has info to read about each numbered area along the walk around the display. I'm at number 4 and it goes up to 66 so there is lots to see and read about. Oh and buttons to be pushed! Have you noticed button 4 got all the action!

I want to live in this town!

Happy town folk.

"The Twilight Show" which occurs ever half hour, consists of the overhead lights going out, the star lights come on in the ceiling, the houses light up, and they play God Bless America while they picture the Statue of Liberty, Jesus, and the American Flag on the big wall in front of the town! It is absolutely kitschtastic!

When the lights go out the visiting folk tend to get a little stupid! Pirate on! Arrggga

Roadside America from the outside!

Don't forget to wave goodbye to the giant scary Amish couple as you are leaving! Hey it's Pennsytuckey Pennsylvania, what do you expect?? Actually, I love living in this State!

On the kitsch factor scale, I have to give Roadside America 10 stars! A great date or family destination that's fun, a little wacky, and not to expensive on the wallet. There's just nothing like a little roadside kitsch to bring the goofiness out of all of us!

Sunday Date...

2011-04-03T12:19:00.002-04:00

I am off for a Kitschy Sunday afternoon date with the Sgt, but before I go, I just wanted to say....I'm loving hearing from my DeluxeVille readers on their thoughts in regards to my last post! Your comments have brought up a lot more thoughts that I have in regards to "the vintage scene". I really hate calling it a "scene" but hey, it really has become that! It is what it is and ya get what ya get! I leave you with my "underwear from target, vintage wearing ass below!

Vintage late 40's house dress...one of my favorites!
Vintage 50's cardi
Black Keds
Socks from target
Trophy Queen Handbag
My natural hair color!

Xoxo,
MaryD

Deluxe-a-Fied

2011-04-02T16:48:00.004-04:00

Dear DeluxeVille Readers,

Please be advised that many times along the way in my blog, I will write a bit tongue-and-cheek. This is not always appropriate content for all my readers. Sometimes, in my quest for self happiness, I will write or share information that might offend a few people, many people, or maybe just bus drivers! So, I would just like to take a moment to apologize to ALL the bus drivers, hey-wake dealers, non-materialistic people, non-fur wearers, vintage elitists, non vintage elitists, my Mom, my Dad, various family members, ex-boyfriends (you know who you are), all the little people, and anybody else that might have experienced a "bad feeling" about anything I may have written in this here blog. This is my warning, if I've offended you in the past, I will continue to do my best to offend you in the future!

Thank you for your time!

The owner of this here joint,
Miss MaryDeluxe

Now on with the show! A few questions followed by my 2 cents!

Question:

Am I the only gal out there who has gotten to the point where they think vintage has become grossly over priced?

My 2 Cents:
My frugality must be catching up with me...but I think some gals are paying way to much on vintage things. Vintage has so jumped the shark and I'm getting tired of the insane prices for things just because it happens to be from the mid-century era. I'm sorry, but that 1950's dress has a hole in it and it ain't worth $85. You can get pissed at what I'm saying all you want, but I'm probably older then you and in the 80's & 90's, I use to be able to walk into a Goodwill or Salvation Army, head to the "Vintage Clothing" area and buy a vintage 1950's prom gown for $5! I'm sure if you're in your late 30's or 40's you're shaking your head agreeing with me right now....Hallelujah, Amen, Sister Deluxe! Lets face it, vintage is cool, everyone has to have it and it drives the prices up. Eventually people will move onto another trend and prices will fall.

Question:

What the hell is up with the whole competition thing to "look more vintage" then everybody else? WTF is that about??

My 2 Cents:
Really, WTF is that about? I've seen this happening now for years and I 'm glad to know I'm not the only one who just doesn't get it? My guess is vintage has become trendy and cool! So of course now it's going to attract what I like to call..."wanna be vintage snobs". WBVS are the people who have gotten involved in "vintage lifestyle" fairly recently when it's became trendy and now think they can make up rules about who is cool and who is not. WBVS are also the people who buy their vintage in large quantities within a short time frame because they need to have as much as those of us who have been collecting for a long time. They will then say they know so much about "being vintage" because they now have 500 Bakelite bangles, 50 Lucite purses, and the required Shaheen Hawaiian dress/playsuit ....they are now instantly cooler than you. Oh and God forbid you wear something reproduction around them!! WBVS would laugh at you and stab you in the back for sure, they would NEVER be caught in "fake vintage"! I personally am sooooo tired of these fake ass bitches who think they can make rules about what someone needs to wear in order to be considered "vintage". Yes, you are so much cooler than me because you wipe your ass with dead stock toilet paper (because someone told you it's cool) and I don't....now get away from me! I say, wear your vintage proudly even without an armload of Bakelite or the right accessories! While you're at it, wear an outfit more then once and your fake vintage too! Tell the WBVSs to kiss your "underwear bought from Target" ass!

Question:

Since when did you start needing to have tattoos to be considered "vintage"?

My2Cents:
I have wondered about this myself?? I am very happy that I don't have any tattoos other then the tiny one I oh so unfortunately got many years ago on my ankle. I think many times of getting it removed. I have gotten emails from people saying that I would look better and "cooler" with tattoos and to them I say, kiss my "underwear bought from Target" ass.... I'll stay uncool, thanks! I like looking different than everyone else, it makes me standout in the crowd...I'm usually the only girl at the rockabilly show without tattoos and I love it! And before you send the hate emails, I have nothing against people with tattoos, they're just not my personal thing....maybe that will change, but I doubt it. So, if you want to judge me "unvintage" because I don't have the required amount of tattage, please just get away from me.....I bet you're also one of those "WBVSs" who wipe your ass with 1950's dead stock tp. Can I also just add that not dating someone because they don't have "tattoos" or dress "vintage" enough, is really silly. How vain you must be to date an image and not a person. I'm sure your relationships go far!

So Dear DeluxeVille Readers, what I'm saying is, you don't need a certain "vintage image" or "a certain amount of vintage" to impress me. I could really care less about how much vintage crap ya got and how ya wear it. I'm more about the person on the inside then the person on the outside. Isn't that really how it should be?

~MaryDeluxe

ps.....please forward all hate email to the Sgt!

Soap Stars

2011-03-28T16:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend I decided to attempt making my own laundry soap. After doing a little research, I've found lots of great laundry soap recipes online. They were all fairly similar so I choose one and went to town with it.

I used A bar of Ivory soap and grated it into little pieces with an old cheese grater. After that I boiled a cup of water on the stove top and slowly added the soap pieces, stirring constantly as it melted.

In a separate bucket I added 2.5 gallons of hot water. Then added the melted soap mixture from the stove top. Stir until mixed!

I then added 1/2 cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax. Stir until blended.

I poured this mixture into a container with a lid and let it set for 24 hours. It turned into a gel like consistency. I stirred this and then transferred the laundry soap to my empty laundry soap containers! I also added a touch of lavender oil to the container and shook it up. Shake before each use and use a cup per load.

More info and interesting blogs to checkout

I found this really great site that shows just how well home made laundry soap works compared to Tide and how much money you can save by making your own....The Simple Dollar
You can also check out this frugal simple blog called....Down-to-Earth Lots of great ideas to be found there!

Next on my list of things to make to save money is homemade pet food!

Sunday Kinda Sunday

2011-03-27T21:09:00.005-04:00

I spent today baking up a storm. As you see below, I had a special request from one of the dogs asking me for more yummy biscuits....how could I say no to that cute little note? I also made a weeks worth of breakfast muffins for myself and sent a batch home with the Sgt too. I topped off my day by whipping up some bread for the week in my R2 bread maker. I love that little bread maker and use him all the time, it's one of my best auction finds ever and I totally have gotten my $10 out of it! Plus, it saves me lots of time because he does all the hard work for me!

Saturday I went off to an auction just because it's been months since I've been...I wasn't planning on buying anything, I am being faithful to my self imposed frugality, I just needed the fix. I bought absolutely nothing and to be honest, it made me feel extremely powerful. Being frugal has given me a weird sense of power. I love figuring out how, where, and what I can do to save money. Like for instance, I also made laundry detergent this weekend! Now I will never have to buy laundry detergent again....hahahaha...suck it laundry detergent companies! *insert evil laugh here* My philosophy is becoming more and more.....Why continue to buy something if you can make it, fix it, or grow it yourself? I ask myself often....do I really need that? Is that what I want or need to spend my money on? Usually the answer is no and I actually feel better for not buying it! Being frugal gives me self discipline and a sense of power. It's pretty amazing. Auctually, I think living frugaly is living more of a vintage lifestyle then going out and buying all the vintage you can get your hands on with the use of your little plastic credit card. People back then didn't do that. They lived for the most part very modestly. I always think it's funny to see people in today's society trying hard to look vintage and live a "vintage lifestyle" by going into debt doing it. What a complete oxymoron!

Enough with my rant onto the recipes!

PB dog biscuits.....aka Puppy Crack

6 cups whole wheat flour
2.5 cups of water
2.5 cups PB
2 tbs blackstrap molasses
2 tbs canola oil

Combine wet ingredients in a bowl and slowly add flour until a thick dough forms.
Roll out dough to desired thickness and cut shapes.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 min. Treats should be crunchy and dry. Let treats dry out over night and then store in an air tight container.

8 Week Cholesterol Cure Muffins

2 1/4 cups Oat-bran cereal (Quick Oatmeal is what I use)
1/4 cup chopped almonds (I usually don't add the nuts)
1/4 cup raisins (I have started using blueberries also)
1 tbs baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar or 1/4 cup honey (I use honey)
1 1/4 cup skim milk
2 egg whites
2 tbs veggie oil

*Note...I will sometimes through in a cap full of vanilla extract too.

Pre heat oven to 425... combine all ingredients in large bowl and bake 15- 17 min.

Muffins are 130 calories each, are made with no flour and high in fiber! Good for lowering your cholesterol!

Sour Cream Bread

Water 2 1/2 tbs.
Sour cream 1 1/3 cup
Salt 2/3 tsp
baking soda 1/4 tsp
sugar 1 1/3 tbs
bread flour 3 1/3 cup
yeast 2 1/2 tsp

The Master Bedroom Project

2011-03-26T15:19:00.000-04:00

This is a big project that has been slow and steady in the winning the race department. How did I know that my simple request..."Please build me a walk in closet in the master bedroom"...would turn in to Sgt's nightmare? But really, you can't put the hardwood floors down or build a closet until the floor beam above the kitchen gets replaced. Sgt deserves a round of applause as he has been the one to take on most of this never ending project. But not to worry, I get the pleasure of re doing the master bathroom this Summer! So, I'm sure I'll get mine soon enough.

Before: Shot of the master bedroom. Don't mind his mess, remember, he's a straight man and a bachelor...trust me, I was very happy to see his bachelor pad looking like this when we started dating, it proved to me that he was in fact single! So ladies don't be so hard on a guy who's a little messy...now however, if you can't find the floor to walk across it due to all his dirty clothes, well then, that's another story and he probably needs a maid not a girlfriend.

In Progress: Look at the formation of my walk in girly closet below! All that lovely space for all my girly vintage things! Oh and I'm sure there will be a little space for some of Sgt's things too. ;-)

Before: I took this shot from where the new closet is . The old closet and door are now gone! Part of the wall has been removed to open up the room and let more light in. The yucky wall to wall carpet was also removed to make way for the hardwood floors Sgt and I bought at auction. Since the back stairs only lead to the master bed room there really is no need for a door. The stairs on the other side of the house lead to the other two bedrooms. Gotta love old farm houses.

In Progress: See closet gone. Door way gone. Wall gone. Just waiting on the electrician to come out and move the wires. Then it's on to the rest of the dry wall and finishing up the hardwood floors! Then I get to paint and layout the walk in closet. I'm dreaming of color combinations as we speak. Fun times ; ) Poor Sgt's aching back.....I think Sgt must really love his MaryDeluxe!

For My Chicago Vintage Lovers

2011-03-23T17:12:00.003-04:00

Hello Dolls and Gents!

I was contacted today by Kathy from ReCollections Ltd, who wanted to let me know about a huge estate sale that they are having this weekend in the Chicago area. Now, some of you are thinking, well so what, lots of estate sales happen across the country everyday, what's so special about this one? Well, Kathy wanted to let me know that this estate sale featured a fab Moss DeLee Hawaiian girl lamp that I raved about wanting to own someday in this post!

Here's the picture from the sale.....Kathy says the lamp also has the original shade too! OMG! Then I also looked at the other pictures of the sale and began to droll upon my key board! No kidding if I lived any where near this place I would be camping out on the front lawn the night before!

A few more pictures to make you drool! It's so not fair that I'm the only one drooling.... so I'll share and we can all sit at our keyboards in puddles of open mouthed drool! If only I lived closer and wasn't on a self imposed budget!! DANG!!

All pictures are taken from the ReCollections Ltd website and they have more pictures over there to look at so bop over and have a peek! Please somebody in the Chicago area.... go buy things and take lots of pictures so I can see what you snag.

Now back to the chicken coop for MaryDeluxe!

xoxo,
~MaryDeluxe

Happy Spring!!

2011-03-21T17:32:00.002-04:00

I'm back from my online vacation and feeling much better! I'm still of course crazy busy with my real life, but I can definitely see the light at the end of my tunnel. All I saw last month was dark winter days that just dragged on and on and on and on...yuck! Nothing I could do but keep my nose to the grindstone, shoulder to the wheel, struggle on, and wade through it. Sometimes life just gets like that.

Just so you all know, I haven't been lounging around and eating bon-bons on my little break, I've actually been planning and working on projects both here and at the Sgt's. And let me just tell ya, this living in two different places, 2 hours away, and in 2 different states.... has gotten old really fast. My things are here, my things are there, my things are in a storage unit, my things are every where....MaryDeluxe has too many things and I can't find anything I need! hahaha Just kidding, it's not that bad yet, but I bet it will get to that level about mid May. That's when I'm really planning to lose my last thread of sanity and or dignity too. Keep reading and watch me unravel, it should be a good time!

Onto the garden project!! Sgt and I happen to both love gardening and so it's only natural that we spent much of the Fall and Winter months planning and dreaming about the projects we would begin to do in the Spring. The first thing on the list is to create raised garden beds in the back or on top of the hill. We wanted to do this ASAP so we can use them for early Spring planting.

Look, there's the bottom garden followed by the patio...you can see Sgt's swanky patio project that he built last Sept. here. At the top of the slope are the newly built raised garden beds. Three so far with more to follow I'm sure.

Top of the hill with the king of the raised garden beds! Just so you all know I had dirty knees too! Sgt made me dig up the dirt from the lower garden and bring in up the hill in the wheel barrow...he's a slave driver and I wasn't even allowed to take water breaks! Okay I'm kidding, he did most of the work lifting and putting together the wood beds....but really, I did bring some of the dirt up the hill in the wheel barrow. I swear, I did help! I also transplanted from the lower garden volunteer spinach plants that seeded themselves from last year and then Sgt added some more from seed. Then I planted the top bed with a variety of lettuce. Peas will be put in the bottom garden.

Not only was I dirt girl for the weekend, but I also did a little abandoned chicken coop exploration and pulled out a metal chicken nesting box that I plan on using in our chicken coop this Summer. Yup, I said chickens! Sgt and I both love chickens and we have both raised backyard chickens before. There's just nothing like fresh eggs people, so we decided to put chickens on our garden project list. YAY!!! Someone told me chickens are the cool, trendy new thing to have! I can't wait to see women walking around with them in their purses or under their arms! hahaha

The ole chicken nesting box in all it's glory. Not bad for a rusty old relic! See the old delapidated chicken coop in the background...lots of crap in there to look through but I better get a tetanus shot first. I was afraid it was going to fall on my head! I did spy an old metal chicken feeder in there too that I plan on rescuing later. We plan on ripping down the old chicken coop and building the new one in the same area. We also plan on building our compost beds back there. Nothing makes good compost quite like chicken poop!

Lots more projects coming soon!

Taking A Break

2011-02-27T15:35:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you all know due to my hectic, crazy, stressful life right now, I've decided to give myself a break form my online life for awhile. I really need to spend some time taking care of me right now. I hope to be back some time in the Spring or perhaps Summer? Take care!

xoxo,
MaryDeluxe

Inspiration

2011-02-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Jennifer's Vintage Glam Loft. How did I miss this one?? I found this over on Apartment Therapy's sister site Re-Nest, which was posted last August. Wow!! It sure inspires me, how about you? Do you think it's to much stuff?? I don't! Looks cute, charming, and comfy to me. I also love the light from all those amazing windows! See, living vintage is living green....who knew we were all so hip and trendy all these years?

(Images: Therese Maring)

A Funeral

2011-02-18T12:36:00.006-05:00

I hate funerals about as much as I hate weddings....A LOT! But I go to them out of respect for the person I know. Today, I went to a funeral to celebrate the life of my friendly neighbor who lived across the street from me. His wife called me last Friday to tell me he was sick with stage 4 cancer that had spread and would I come for a visit because he was feeling down that day. This was the first I had heard that he had cancer and I said I would try to be over to visit but it was a Birthday weekend and I had tons of plans. I didn't make it over that weekend and so planned to bake bread and make a stew to bring over on Tuesday. When I called after work on Tuesday to see if he was up for a visit, his wife told me that he had died that morning. I missed him. So, today I took a day off work, got dressed up and went to his funeral to celebrate his life. I couldn't have asked for a better neighbor. I even posted about "Harley" before in my blog and this is also the story I shared today with his friends and family.....

The first summer I lived here, I took down the front section of trellis. That's when I met my neighbor from across the street "Harley" I call him this because he's a Harley guy and has even taken me out for rides. Harley is in his 70's and tattooed all over...he even has a cute little butterfly on his neck which takes away from his scary persona...no man with a butterfly tattooed on his neck can be that bad! hahaha Harley and I have a great friendship, I borrow things from him like tools and he watches out for me like I'm his daughter. I can't get away with ANYTHING around here.

And this one too.....

The man who lives across the street from me is my favorite neighbor on the block. When I first moved in years ago, I brought the my Mom aka "the Blonde Bombshell" over to see my place. As we are standing on the front porch, "TBB" sees my neighbor looking out his front door and freaks out! She's yelling at me to open the door, open the door!!! When we get inside I ask her what the deal is and she said the neighbor guy was scary looking. I look out the window and of course he's gone. Later that summer I'm out on the front porch ripping down the wooden frame around it and got to met the "scary" neighbor. At this point I have to point out that as a 20 something, I have brought home boyfriends to met my Mom that were way scarier so I wasn't sure what the hell she was talking about??? My neighbor who'll I'll call "Harley" is a little out of the ordinary, (yes, they talk about him too! lol) He's in his 70's, wears a bandana do rag, has a full beard, and tattoos on his arms, legs, and neck ( a butterfly on his neck!!!! hehehe really scary!!!) But, he's my kinda guy as he will see me working outside and bring me tools to use, he also takes me for rides on his motorcycle... this past December when I hurt my back so bad he gave me a call the day after it happened. Apparently he noticed me not being able to get out of my car the day before and when the mailman delivered my mail that day he noticed my keys were still hanging in my front door!! So the mailman went to "Harley's" house to tell him what was up with my keys in my door. I can't get away with anything in this neighborhood! Sometimes it's a good thing that everybody's always up in everyone else's business.

This is very true, he knew about EVERYTHING that was going on in this neighborhood! I will miss seeing him wave at me this Spring from across the street but I'm glad I had the pleasure of knowing him. Rest in peace my buddy from across the street.

XOXO,
Betsy

Carved Hawaiian Tiki Shoes Deal of the Day II

2011-02-17T16:23:00.003-05:00

I know some of you gals LOVE your Lucky Lou shoes and if you've been reading my blog for a long time you will know that I blurted all about Crafts of Hawaii's website back in July of 2009 as my secret deal of the day! Yes, Crafts of Hawaii is where Lucky Lou buys their shoes from and Crafts of Hawaii happens to sell on their website the same shoes for much cheaper. That's way this is MaryDeluxe's secret deal of the day part II! Go check out the sale they are having on their Rockabilly Collection of Tiki Shoes and my, my, my what a deal! A shoe style you would pay $79.00 for on sale at Lucky Lou's you can get for $59.00 or $49.00 on sale at Crafts of Hawaii! Hey I know, buy two pair!

A Birthday Weekend Bash!

2011-02-13T20:33:00.003-05:00

Unlike so many people out there, I absolutely LOVE having a birthday! Flowers, cake, good food, family, presents, and another years worth of accomplishments! Birthdays are the best days ever in my book. Actually, I like to celebrate for the whole week and I also celebrate my half birthday in July. Yup, I love having a birthday!

Thursday: My Birthday!

The birthday flowers the Sgt sent me on my birthday. Notice the lemon in the vase...he says it's because one of the things he loves most about me is that I like to think positive about things...I make lemonade out of lemons!

Friday: A day off and dinner with the Sgt!

Sgt took me to my favorite restaurant too...John J Jeffries... organic, local food restaurant! These are the roses that Sgt had waiting for me at the restaurant table when we arrived. Sneaky stinker...I never realized they were mine until the server mentioned how much he liked my flowers...then I did a double take and noticed no one else had flowers at their table. Plus he made me a card and a pair of salsa eyes (an inside joke between us) ...yup the guy is romantic and crafty! Oh, he also gave me a charm bracelet that he plans on filling with charms when we share special occasions. *Swoon*

Saturday: More flowers and a yummy dinner with my Dad and Step-Mom!

Sunday: I'm tired by now, but we mustered up the strength for a brunch with my Mom and Step-Father!

Sgt and I also spent some time working on projects around DeluxeVille this weekend. It's nice to have strong fella around to move things for me! :-) It's weird to see a for sale sign swinging in the breeze in front of my house. Weird but exciting!

Hahahahaha...he makes me laugh so much.... reason #3,655 why I love this man!

MaryDeluxe had the Best Birthday Ever!
Thanks Family!
Thanks Sgt!
xoxo!

Where's Milo?

2011-02-11T13:40:00.003-05:00

Just a picture post of all the crazy amounts of staging work I've been doing around here to get DeluxeVille ready for the real estate market. I found a great real estate agent who understands the vintage look ...and let me just tell you all, I have a great story to share about a really bad real estate agent encounter... but that will have to wait for another day! Onto pictures....how many times can you find my little beastie Milo??

Simple Living

2011-02-09T17:29:00.004-05:00

I really must be honest and admit that I am becoming more and more interested in modern homesteading. But not in the "dancing around naked under a full moon while chanting to the Goddess Mother Earth" kinda way. That's just a little to cornball "hippy" for me. I mean the "growing your own food, saving money, wasting less, and being self-reliant" kind of way. If you've followed my blog for awhile you will know that I love to garden and the farming gene runs in my family on both sides. I remember having chickens, veggie gardens, home canning, raising steers for meat, and homemade clothing in my early childhood years. My Dad heated the house with a wood stove, he still does...it's just fancier now and called a pellet stove. Then something weird happened to society and people began to get materialistic....I'll just call it the 1980's. I've been noticing a lot lately that people have been returning to this frugal/green/homestead/sustainable "call it what you will" style of living again. I think mostly due to this awful recession that has collapsed our economy. I think the economy is beginning to get better out there, but even as it does, I think people will continue living more within their means and being frugal. Being frugal is trendy! I think people who live a vintage lifestyle are already frugal unless of course you're just into vintage cause you're trying to be cool. In that case, you're the kind of person who inflates the prices on things that a normal vintage lover knows isn't worth paying that much for. Eventually vintage will stop being trendy and you will move onto the next big thing. The next big thing will probably be gardening on fire escapes in urban areas while wearing big sombreros and talking pig Latin! Just remember you heard it here first!

Look what this family did in their urban neighborhood with the little bit of land they did have available to them. Very impressive! I could have done more with my little dirt patch here in DeluxeVille...oh well.

I look forward to seeing what the Sgt and I will be able to create out of the 1 acre of land at BachelorVille. I think we will start off by renaming BachelorVille as it will no longer be a place for a bachelor. Perhaps we will call it Green Acres or maybe MarriageVille?? We've been planning some Spring projects for our outside space which includes in no particular order...

Earth Oven
Expanding of the veggie garden space with raised beds
Chicken Coop for chickens
Fish pond

It's going to be a busy Summer and I'm sure more things will get added to this list as we go along. I think living simple is the direction that we will be choosing to go together. I would never be able to give up my modern conveniences like a cell phone or my computer, but I could definitely do without all the materialism and "new" things that society says we need to have in order to be happy. I could definitely get by with just the basics....roof over my head that I can get nesty in, basic food in my pantry that I don't have to spend a lot of money to get and can be used in a variety of ways, a small wardrobe with pieces that can be mixed and matched to create a bigger wardrobe, the unity and strength of my family whether it be a family of friends or blood, and a job that allows me enough money to be able to save and afford to live at the same time without sucking out my soul.

How have you been simplifying your life lately? Anyone else have ideas on how they plan to live more frugal, simple lives?

More info on the Durvaes Family at UrbanHomestead.org

Motivation

2011-02-01T18:45:00.000-05:00

I know you guys have been waiting for another underwear post and since I've been behaving myself so well these last few months, I figure my Mother's heart could probably take the shock again, so here you go! Actually, the real reason I've taken some "look I'm in my underwear" pictures is to document my progress for a "biggest loser" competition I joined at work! Now I know some of you will say, "What?? Are you crazy, you look fine" and just so you all know, I think I look pretty swell, not bad for an almost 39 year old broad! Yes, seriously, I'm almost 39. I also think I've done a most excellent job at maintaining my weight loss all these years, (yes, I was overweight) but I really felt like I needed something to help me stay motivated and on a healthy track this winter. I don't know about you but this gal always gets a little blue in the Winter, eats more and exercises less. I think this is common for a lot of people in the colder climates, but this year, I really want to avoid the winter blahs and decided to join in the competition with some of my other co-workers.

My biggest goal for the competition is simply just to tone up more. I've always loved exercising but have never been a big fan of weights. I'm really going to focus more on making sure I get a weight workout in three times a week along with my cardio. I hit up the gym with the Sgt this past Sunday (which was a lot of fun) and he gave me a bunch of weight exercises to get me on my way to a toner me! Lucky me, I have my own personal trainer!

Some of my other personal goals for the competition include:

take a daily vitamin
stop drinking diet soda and drink more water
track my daily food intake
exercise 4-5 times a week
Break outta the 120's....I feel good about the number 115!

I completely accept the fact that I won't be winning all the loot in the "biggest loser" competition at work.... there are some teacher who have a lot of weight to lose. They all look at me like I'm crazy! But that's okay cause I'm gonna impress them with my kick ass slow and steady pace! ; ) I also know that I have petite curves on a well proportioned hour glass body and never will be a stick skinny girl, which is absolutely fine by me. I think it's important to stay healthy and fit not only for yourself but also for your significant other in your life. When you're taking care of yourself, you tend to feel and look better and that makes your relationship better! I'm really happy that I get to share healthy eating and exercising with my significant other....I really don't know if I would have started dating Sgt if he was a fast food, beer chugging, sheet cake, dozen donuts eating kinda guy. But that's okay cause I know he wouldn't be with me if that's the kinda gal I was either!

My Stats: Recorded on January 22, 2011

My weight as of this morning is 122.4! I'm feeling quite excellent about this btw!
Height: 5'3"
Bust:35"
Waist:27"
Arm:11"
Hip:38"
Thigh:21.5"
Calf:14"

I also suffer with hypothyroidism and take synthroid daily to help manage my levels. I've been working really hard to keep after my thyroid. What a pain in the ass that little thyroid is and he can wreck havoc on your metabolism! Screw you thyroid, I'm losing another 10 lbs whether you like it or not!

Anyone else out there on a healthier you in the new year quest?? After all, bathing suit season and VLV is right around the corner....anyone care to join me in feeling the burn??

Cheers to a healthier me and a healthier you too!

xoxo,
MaryDeluxe

Sunday Kind of Love

2011-01-30T22:00:00.002-05:00

I am such a lucky girl that I get to share my life with him.....

A Sad Day In My Vintage World...

2011-01-21T16:17:00.005-05:00

I learned early this morning on facebook that my favorite vintage shop, the one I've been going to since I was in high school in the late 80's caught fire last night and was completely destroyed. The owner Steve Murray was also badly burned and transported to a burn hospital were he is listed in critical but stable condition. Today is such a sad day. When I was in high school, this was one of the places that sparked my love for vintage. Actually, Steve had 3 very cool alternative shops happening on the 300 block of N. Queen St. in Lancaster city. I loved all three. In my early 20's, I rented my first apartment in the city from Steve and spent some time working for him in his shops. You would be completely AMAZED at the things he had, it was like a vintage wonderland and I'm completely devastated to know that everything he has collected and worked for all these years is now all gone. You can read more about the story here at the local news channel website...but do you really want to look at vintage going up in flames?? My prayers go out to Steve and his family.

Bad Listings

2011-01-17T20:32:00.003-05:00

As you all know from reading, I've been spending a lot of time these past two weekends preparing my house for the real estate market. I've been painting, filling in cracks, decluttering, and all around prepping my house to look it's best! To make myself feel better, I did a little research on the internet to see if I could find a blog that showed bad MLSs, (multiple listing services) ....ya know, there's a blog out there for everything. I came across a blog called Hooked on Houses that does hilarious and sometimes frightening posts on bad MLSs. There's even a whole blog called, Bad MLS Photos that's all about bad MLS photos! Geeezzz After viewing some of these, I realized I've got nothing to worry about.

See beige isn't so bad! I'll post new pictures when I finally get everything staged the way I want it. As Sgt says, it's gonna look nice no matter what you do because you have that design ability. See, reason # 5,557 as to why I'm keeping him :)

Blog Lovin

2011-01-13T17:37:00.003-05:00

Hey DeluxeVille readers, here's a new blog for you to go check out...... By gum, by golly! written by the cute, lovely, crafty, retro lovin Miss Tasha.

If you happen to be a crafty knitter, you will love Miss Tasha's colorful sweater posts. I'm also loving her decor! So, drop over and say Hi, I'm sure she would love making new friends of the crafty, vintage loving variety. Tell her MaryDeluxe sent you! :)

Upcoming Auctions

2011-01-12T20:02:00.004-05:00

Some awesome auctions coming up around my area this month and I spied with my little eyes a few things I would love to snag up! Unfortunately, I've been living on a tight budget and seriously, I don't need any of these things. But, it's always fun to look right! Plus, I buy vintage from auctions, so I'm recycling and saving the environment at the same time I'm getting my auction fix. :-)

A Hawaiian set of DeLee figures...I've always wanted this set but they are hard to find and go for $$$.

This Hey-wake china hutch , I only need the top to match the piece I already have. I can just picture all my pretty china in there!

Of course this killer set of lamps....yup still got my lamp addiction!

Another Cat Story

2011-01-11T17:44:00.002-05:00

If you've been reading my blog for the last year or so, you are already aware that I am known around my block as an animal lover. I especially seem to always be getting poor, sad, lonely cats shoved off on me. Most of the time I end up getting lucky and finding places for them, but it's not always the case...remember Milo. If you don't remember how I became the proud owner of Mr toilet flushing, hissy pants, Milo, read about it here...Vintage Kitten

As I arrived home from work today, I look on my front porch and spied a box covered with a sweat shirt and thought what the hell is that?? I walked over to the box and saw it was a pet carrier. I crouched down to see a furry orange face looking out at me. OMG my poor cat Bosche had gotten out this morning when I left and my neighbor must have found her! Poor thing must be freezing, so I hurriedly opened my front door to which I found all three of my furry faces waiting for me and demanding to be feed. WTH! Impostor cat! I lifted up the sweat shirt and found a note from my crazy neighbor who lives 5 doors down from me....found this cat in Linda's yard next door...is it yours? Leaving it on front porch for you, good luck, let me know how it turns out...ps please return my cat carrier. Nice right? Have you found a cat, just put it on MaryDeluxe's front porch, she'll take care of it. If you don't believe me, read here....Jasper, Asshole. All the neighbors do this crap. I'm lucky I only have three cats! I took imposter cat out to the garage to have a look at him and to keep my cats from having "another cat in the house" seizure. Wow, as soon as I opened the cat carrier it was obvious this guy was a house cat! He weighed at least 20 lbs and he came out swinging. Boy, Dozer sure was pissed off! He came at he hissing, growling and in general all puffed up. Then he would stop and rub up against my leg for a moment, then remember he hated me and started his tough guy act again. But who was he kidding, he had no front claws. I started laughing and it just made him madder. He chased me around the garage. Ginger cats sure do have attitudes. I left him with some cat food and decided to knock on some neighbor's doors to see if anyone was missing a big fat dozer of a cat. I didn't have to walk far because the third house I stopped at said they had a cat but he wasn't missing. I said well this cat is orange and HUGE. The woman said, OMG that's my cat! She didn't even know he was missing because she works at night and sleeps during the day. He must have snuck out when she came in the door that morning at 5 am. I went and got the dozer and brought him home, which made a 3 year old very excited to find that his cat was out and about having adventures! Tom where have you been, he says??

The big guy Tom who looks a lot like.... my big girl...

Bosche, who also has a bit of a temper...just ask the Sgt's dogs...she keeps them in line!

Thank God, I still only have three cats! Trust me, I was doing the "Yay, I didn't get stuck with another cat" dance as I walked back to my house! It's bad enough I have three cats laying on me in bed at night, I couldn't even imagine having Tom the 20 lb tub of lard somewhere on me too.

Milo Thinks Beige Is Boring

2011-01-09T21:11:00.003-05:00

First off, I'd like to say that none of my things are for sale. Hahahaha but thank you all for stepping up and wanting to snag things up! I am simply packing them away not selling them. The only thing for sell will be my house :). As far as painting goes....sorry folks, I've already started. Yes, it's sad to see DeluxeVille go (a few tears today) but it's okay because I'm ready to let go. Repainting for me is my letting go. I want anyone to be able to walk into my house and see themselves here. I want them to make this space theirs, a blank canvas so to speak, to create their own DeluxeVille and not just try to live in mine. Selling a house in this market can be hard and I'd rather have people walk in to my house and say..WOW, look at those ceilings and not Yuck, look at the turquoise! People usually aren't appalled by the color beige. : )

Taking the Deluxe Outta DeluxeVille

2011-01-04T18:43:00.002-05:00

January is my go month. The month I start un-doing everything I've done to create a space that I've loved living in over the last 8 years. January is the month where my little house stops belonging just to me, but now belongs to the hungry home hunters on the prowl. And really, what do hungry home hunters want?? I doubt they want 1955! They want Pottery Barn 2011! What does MaryDeluxe want? She just wants to sell her house, get decent money for it, and go be with the Sgt! So, this gal knows she needs to pack up all the Deluxe-O-Rama crap and bring on the beige walls! It's not about DeluxeVille anymore it's all about PotteryBarnVille and that's what the buyer wants. I've been dreading this nasty little month of January. January the beginning of my future but the erasing of my past. Who knew a month could be so exciting but melancholy too? It's okay though...because as God as my witness, I'll have turquoise walls again....plus a hot guy in my bed that I will get to call husband.

Secrets of a Bus Stop Goddess...Ex-Bus Riders

2010-12-30T17:45:00.005-05:00

I recently had an experience that made me start thinking about past relationship partners and how often our lives will get "interrupted" by them in our future. I'm not just talking about my own individual past relationship buses here, but also those of my current significant other, the Sgt's . Yup, everyone has a past and I'd be more worried to be riding on a bus who had no former riders then I would be of a bus with many ex riders. And if you must know, yes, I've been on one of those "no prior riders" buses and the bus was not running on all cylinders....it was a short trip for me! Every Bus Stop Goddess should expect their bus to have had prior bus patrons and BSGs should also know that no other previous bus rider could compare or be as amazing as you, the current rider. With that in mind, a smart BSG always leaves the past, their own and the buses, in the past.

So recently, my bus the Sgt, had a past rider that tried to jump back on and take a trip again. I know right, the nerve of some women! I mean really, didn't she see me sitting there? To be fair to her, I will say that she probably didn't know that the Sgt had a new rider and I can also understand her desire to try to hop back on my amazing Sgt bus. But really, this gal is obviously NOT a Bus Stop Goddess because any self respecting BSG knows better then to reride a bus that THEY decided to get off of a year ago. Yup, she pulled the string and dinged the bell to get off the Sgt bus because the Sgt bus wasn't able to provide her with the regular routine bus schedule that she had requested. This is another example on why she is NOT a BSG. BSGs never demand that a bus develop a regular routine bus schedule for them, they allow the bus to want to provide that for them on their own. I mean really, who wants to be told when and how often they should be spending their time with another person. Being needy is always a big turn off for a BSG or a bus and who the hell wants a demanding bus rider or bus? And just so you know, if a bus is really into their rider, they want to spend time getting to know them whether they live close or at a distance, a bus that's into it's rider makes the time. Both this non BSG ex-rider of the Sgt bus and I, live a distance from the Sgt bus.....the difference being, I'm a Bus Stop Goddess and she isn't! So, please remember BSGs, if you decide to stop riding a bus for what ever reason, ya don't get back on the bus again! Just assume that the bus has moved on to other bus stop riders and honestly, after a years time, you should have too. But to be once again, fair to her, the holidays are a lonely time of year for some people and it makes some gals lose their better judgment.

So, how does a Bus Stop Goddess deal with a previous rider who is trying to hop a ride on their bus again? Well, to be honest with you, the smart BSG does nothing but watch how her bus handles the situation. A good bus will share the information with it's current rider (because honesty is the best policy) and then be polite but firm to the imposing previous bus rider by informing the ex-rider that the bus is no longer driving by bus stops and is now a chartered bus with a regular bus rider. This type of treatment by the bus will hopefully end any attempts the previous rider was planning on making to weasel their way back on an off duty bus! A smart BSG will then praise her bus for providing such a smooth ride and perform a little routine bus maintenance by checking the fluid levels under the buses hood. *wink wink* A bad bus will keep encouraging the previous rider to continue to contact them, they might even try to do a midnight bus stop drive by, thus creating a very bumpy bus ride for the BSG full of pot holes and black ice. I've been on buses like this before, these buses are a waste of time and only feel good if lots of woman are trying to flag them down at the bus stops. If you're looking for a regular, routine bus route with a one rider capacity, this is not the bus for you. I'm a lucky BSG, cause my Sgt bus is one of those good buses. No worries on my bus!

Bus Stop Goddesses know that no matter if they're standing at a bus stop, riding the buses, or on a regular bus route, it's always important to remember their Bus Stop Goddess status. Just because I've got a regular bus route on the Sgt's bus now, doesn't mean I stop being a BSG. Maintaining your Bus Stop Goddess ways is important to yourself no matter what stage of the journey you are on. It's also important to remember that not all women will value themselves or play by the BSG rules. A lot of these poor women tend to ride around in circles making the same bad mistakes with buses. Eventually, every BSG will run across one of these women on their bus route. Just remember, keep the past in the past, watch how your bus handles it, and never get involved in your buses past unless the previous rider pulls you there....then by all means, bitch slap her!

Happy Bus Trails To All!

xoxo,
MaryDeluxe

More knowledge of the Bus Stop Goddess can be found here:
Bus Stop Goddess
Words of Wisdom from Ms Desi De Lu Lu
Secrets of a Bus Stop Goddess

Crafty Christmas II

2010-12-20T19:43:00.005-05:00

I've been building houses again. Into the Christmas baskets they will go, so advert your eyes family members! I'm thinking about doing a series of mid-century modern ceramic houses next..... I'm calling my series, "Welcome to DeluxeVille"....of course. :-) I'll let you all know when that happens....hmmm I think I smell a DeluxeVille giveaway idea!!

"The people living in the valley always had the strange feeling they were being watched!"

The lights are on, but no one's home!

I opted for plain colorful houses because I just didn't have the time to create intricate designs like my Starry Starry Night house. The house's shapes are all based on the same template, but I changed them up a little to make them each a bit different. I was working on a limited time frame. Next year I will have to start my Christmas crafting earlier!

Santa's DeluxeVille Workshop...

2010-12-19T18:33:00.007-05:00

Yup, that's right, Santa's workshop has been located at DeluxeVille ever since Thanksgiving this year and your favorite elf, MaryDeluxe has been busy making baskets full of homemade Christmas! As one who has never cared much for "The Holidays", I've been having lots of fun this year researching things to make for my Christmas baskets. Lots of fun but also lots of work!

These are 1960's made in Japan children's Santa mugs that I snagged at a thrift store for 25 cents (they are in mint condition and still had the original store price tag on the bottom...2 for 50 cents!). They reminded me of Holt Howard winking Santa mugs...doncha think? The fellas aren't much help around the workshop but they sure do look cute as a button holding my chocolate covered pretzel rods!

I've been busy doing lots of things! I don't know how to knit or crochet yet, so I've been busy weaving Christmas scarves on my inkle loom instead. One of the perks of being an art teacher...I've got access to a lot of crafty things! I would tell you all more but I don't want to give away the surprise. Anybody else out there getting crafty for Christmas this year???

House it Going?

2010-12-06T20:06:00.002-05:00

Fresh out of the kiln.

I built my Starry Starry Night house in 2007 to demonstrate a lesson I was teaching to my ceramics classes at the time. I bisque fired it and left it sit for a year or so. I finally glazed and finished it! I wish I had more time to work on my art, I just don't. It also doesn't help that I like to dabble in so many different mediums. To many interesting things to try and discover...so little time.

A new work in progress.....

The Demo at BachelorVille

2010-12-05T20:38:00.003-05:00

The kitchen demo at BachelorVille has begun! I was planning on working on the kitchen renovation when I'm actually living there next Summer....but when I was over during Thanksgiving, we noticed that one of the floor support beams was in dire need of being replaced. Apparently, when the Sgt bought his house 6 years ago, the previous owners knew there was termite damage to the beam, but hide it by puttying it up and painting it. Nice, I know. Anyway, the beam is in bad shape and needs to be replaced before the hardwood floors go in above. Really, what's the point of hardwood floors in the bedroom if the floor is just gonna fall through to the kitchen below anyway. I'm still trying to decide if it's lucky that I live 2 hours away or not.... Sgt was pretty much on his own for this demo and didn't have me around to supervise. Funny how he went from a simple ceiling demo around the affected floor beam to demoing the whole kitchen ceiling... Oh my! At least he kept me updated with demo pictures....that's my guy. :-)

Look ceiling on the floor!!! Sgt tells me he bought his house because of the fire place. As you all know, I'm not much of a rustic, farmhouse kinda girl, but I happen to enjoy a good design challenge. Also, before you ask, I am planning on staying true to the character of the house and not planning on making it into something it's not. Goodbye mid-century modern dreams and hello vintage farmhouse charm with contemporary updates! Or maybe I'll create my own mix and do mid-century vintage farmhouse? Sounds good yes? But, what ever I do, there will be vintage involved so, before you ask, I will not be putting in granite counter tops "yuck" but would like to do a white farmhouse kitchen sink! I would also love to put in a big old vintage stove, but I don't think the Sgt would go for that since he loves to cook so much....I smell a viking stove in my future.

The damaged floor beam that started it all! There are some really good things about the house that I like and of course some things that I don't like. All in all, for being over 100 years old, the house has got some good bones and I'm looking forward to getting my hands dirty again with projects.

My demo list has begun.... I smell a Summer kitchen demo party!

Burning Bridge Antiques

2010-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Burning Bridge Antiques is a must stop for anyone traveling through the Lancaster County PA area. I stopped in just to have a look the other day and was impressed by their amazing things, tons and tons of very cool stuff! I also love who ever it is that dresses the building's huge store front windows....no matter what time of the year, the window displays are always something else. BRAVO to them! Here are some pics of their Christmas window displays....Enjoy!

Thrift Store Score

2010-12-04T17:34:00.003-05:00

See, you still can find good things in thrift stores! Much thanks to my eagle eye Aunt Georgia, who saw this nifty little dining set at her local rescue mission and sent me an email about it! So, I being the Hey-wake freak that I am, woke up way early and drove over to stalk, eerrr I mean, patiently wait to be the first person in the store this morning....it was like my black Friday okay, don't judge...you would have been there too if you knew about it. Actually there were 8 other people waiting to get into the thrift store too, but they weren't shopping for Hey-wake. Apparently the Gettysburg Rescue Mission is the place to be on Saturday mornings at 9 am. Who knew??

The table is a little rough and needs to be refinished, but that's no big deal to me. The seats have been reupholstered but I checked and the original fabric is still there. I'm just not sure what type of shape it's in? I'll find out next weekend when I make the Sgt go pick it up with me. Okay, I guess you're all just dying to know what MaryDeluxe paid for this cute little dining set??? Well, don't hate me because I only paid $350.00 for it all. I could have never gotten it all for that price at an auction.....BAM......take that my arch-nemesis evil hey-wake dealer. Hahahaha, na-na na-na boo-boo stick your head in poo-poo! ;-p

P.S.
*Please send all your hate mail to the Sgt...he's now in charge of my complaint department.
Thanks,
The DeluxeVille Management

Love in Jars

2010-11-26T21:16:00.003-05:00

I've fallen in love with things that can be made in jars. Crazy?? I think not! I made individual pumpkin pies in jars for Thanksgiving...how cute are those! Perfect size and easy enough to top off with whipped cream or ice cream.

Pumpkin Pie in a jar
Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Peppermint Stick Cocoa in a jar
Peppermint Stick Cocoa Recipe
Bird Labels

This is one yummy cocoa recipe and I plan to give mine away as Christmas gifts! Easy to make and assemble. My cocoa jars are currently hanging out in Sgt's pantry. Can you tell Sgt likes to can?? We are currently canning apple pie filling for Christmas gifts too! Nothing beats a basket full of homemade Christmas goodies.

Wooly Bully

2010-11-20T12:55:00.003-05:00

I went off this morning to a box lot auction at one of my favorite places to snoop around. I often find some darn good things when I'm hunting around in boxes at this auction place. I wasn't really expecting to get anything on my measly little $20 budget, so I went mostly to have a look see. I also like to listen to the dealers talk when I'm there...they spend a lot of their time complaining about each other and how hard it is for them to find a good bargain anymore because there's so much competition out there for it. *insert MaryDeluxe chuckling quietly to herself here* This is my theory on auction and dealers...you need to be smart and good at predicting what will be in high demand before it is and buy it when nobody else wants it. If you wait to start buying it when it's the hot new thing, of course you're going to have more competition and pay more for it. DUH! *insert eye roll*

Okay, back to my box lot buys! Yes, I bought some things and I stayed under budget! I was really shocked with all the dealers there, none of them wanted wool blankets?? Oh well, I win. Look what I got for $15! Bonus is.... they are in minty condition with no moth holes and smell like cedar. (I LOVE that smell!)

2: WWII Wool Military Blankets
&
Vintage Jacobs Oregon City Mills Wool Blanket

2: Vintage 40's North Star pink plaid wool throws
&
Vintage 40's quilt style comforter

My favorite buy of the day... a vintage Hudson Bay Company4 point wool blanket! Isn't the color lovely!

Who's going to be warm and toasty this winter? Oh yeah, me!

A Belated Birthday Wish

2010-11-17T20:08:00.002-05:00

Happy Belated Birthday to my big brother who turned the "BIG 40" on Monday!

Me and my big brother! Santa apparently came to town!

I was a very sloppy eater but at the same time extremely glamorous with my cool sun glasses and hands on hips pinup pose! I see my big brother was working the patriotic angle. Check out my sweet ride...with a banana seat! I'm so freakin retro, I can't stand myself!

The Fixer Upper

2010-11-14T19:15:00.003-05:00

I don't mean him....I mean his house. Yup, the Sgt has a fixer upper house that at times, if I think about it to much, can seem a little daunting. I think he probably feels the same way about his house. Or maybe it's just me that seems like a daunting task to him? hehehee MaryDeluxe can be a handful at times! But, since I will be relocating my whole life next Summer to the fixer upper, there are a few things that I asked him to do for me to the house before I move in...actually I made a list and my requests were things he planned on doing eventually anyway...he just now has a specific time frame to complete them in...like before I move in! (insert MaryDeluxe being a handful here)

So, about my list, one of the things on my list are hardwood floors in the bedroom and a walk in closet! I really hate wall to wall carpet and the carpet in the bedroom is old and needs to go. Hardwood floors are great and add resale value to a house. Of course, I've never priced hardwood flooring before and can I just say, Wowza!! Geee do you know how expensive hardwood floors are! We went and priced them at a local hardwood flooring store and to do just the bedroom 270 sq ft, it was going to cost us close to $1500.(just for the floor) I don't know about you folks but I work really hard for my money and I'm picky about what I spend it on and how I spend it. You know me, thrifty all the way and how can I get something cheaper! Nice thing is, so is the Sgt. (We plan on being a bunch of cheapskates together but making it look like we spend a lot of money on things.) Anyway, we started exploring other options of locating hardwood floors for the fixer upper. As luck would have it, we just happened to find a builders auction going on this weekend in my area and went to check it out. The renovation Gods must have smiled down upon us because at auction, we scored an insane deal on hardwood floors.... 960 sq ft of pre-finished maple hardwood for $1.25 a sq foot! That's right, we spent the same amount of money we would have spent on 270 sq feet and now we'll be able to do all the rooms on the second floor! Heck, all the rooms wasn't even on my list...a MaryDeluxe bonus!

Mirage flooring is a really high quality maple hardwood that comes from beautiful Canada! The Canadians really know how to make a good quality hardwood floor. I'm sure if we would have gone to a flooring store, we would never have been able to afford this at the regular store prices. So seriously, if you're remodeling your house, it is so worth going to check out a builders materials auction. Just make sure you know exactly what you're looking for and what the price would be in a regular store so you don't over pay for it. Sometimes people get into bidding wars and you don't end up getting the deal you think you got. I see many more builders material auctions in our future as we continue to renovate the fixer upper.

Pretty, pretty floors!

A very proud, triumphant moment for the Sgt as he is sitting on a huge score and has conquered the auctioneer! Yes, Sgt is having an auction after glow or as I like to say...bidders high! But before he gets to cocky.....I hope he remembers he still has to put them in! Oh and build me my walk in closet...tick tock, tick tock Sgt.

The War Stories

2010-11-11T20:07:00.002-05:00

In honor of Veteran's Day, my local public radio station played some of their recorded stories from people who lived in the area during WWII. I think the stories shared were interesting and thought some of you might also enjoy reading about and listening to them.

More information can be found here: Stories from PA History...Arsenal of America: Pennsylvania during the Second World War.
WITF on Yahoo: War Stories

Love Your Mr......

2010-11-09T20:12:00.005-05:00

Why I'm keeping him reason #2....

When I'm feeling blue and missing him, he takes the shirt that he is wearing off (his favorite shirt btw) and over-nights it to me in the mail.....just so I can feel closer to him. He also includes a little love note of encouragement.

That's why I'm keeping him. A great way to make your girl cry Sgt....

I'm a lucky girl.

To see reason #1 go here (He builds things with his hands)
To see why he keeps me...see the post below! :)