Afghan a Fan

 

 I don't know about you, but I'm a BIG fan of vintage afghans!  You can find a vintage afghan in just about any thrift store out there, in all sorts of colors and designs, from all different decades.  Yup, it dosen't matter what decade, somewhere, some one was knitting or crocheting an afghan!  I usually snag mine up when I see them out and about at various estate auctions.  I can never afford to drop $200 on a quilt or $80 on a chenille blanket, but I've always been able to afford a colorful fun granny afghan!  I think no matter where you live, you should be able to find a basic vintage afghan at a reasonable price.  So, my advice is to go buy them now, while there's not a huge competition for them and a healthy inventory out there!  

This weekend, I attended an auction where I was lucky enough to acquire 3 beautifully made vintage afghans.   They were under a table, tucked away in old department store boxes and smelled like a cedar closet!  These afghans have been carefully cared for.  I wish I knew more about the afghans.  The one on top left corner is extremely old...I'm guessing 1930's perhaps.  The others I'm assuming were from the 1940's and 1950's.  They are all extremely well made.  No one wanted them.  The ladies were all going crazy for the box lots on top of the table and could have cared less for the colorful afghans under the table.  It always amazes me what's hot at auctions and what big time dealers are buying to bring to their clientele.  Here's a hint....it's not afghans!

 

This auction had a HUGE selection of very cool mid-century items.  The prices were going high!  This husband and wife kept everything and some of it was NOS!  It was a really fun auction to be at.  (You learn a lot just by watching and seeing what things are selling for and what people are buying) She had lucite purses, bakelite, vintage dresses, vintage ties, bark cloth fabric, the list goes on.  Not a lot of MCM things, but basic things that everyday people used in that time period.  It always blows my mind to think that there are still elderly people living in the original homes they bought 60 years ago who still live with the original items they purchased 60 years ago.   I love old people who still live in a time capsule....I wish I could just hang out in their houses and look at all their stuff while they tell me stories about their life. 

This is what happens when you leave your boxes unattended in the house for a few minutes around here. A box squatter moves in.

Happy Sunday!
~MaryDeluxe

A Soggy Earth Day Sunday

After having an absolutely amazing, sunny, warm Saturday, we are now experiencing a soggy chilly Sunday around these parts.  Saturday we finally got around to tilling our garden and planting!  We had been so busy building our chicken coop that we hadn't had time to start work on our garden until yesterday. Today we've been hanging out inside watching Ellery Queen shows, staying warm by the fire, and eating soft pretzels! 

 

I ventured outside briefly to see what Sgt was up to in the garden.  I found him putting straw around the baby bean plants to help protect them from the next few chilly nights and we also checked in on the gals in the chicken coop.

 

 Sgt the scarecrow!

  The fish pond getting a much needed refill.

 

I love old galvanized tubs and use them for a variety of things.  Right now they are collecting rain water.

  

My 1960s Squire Applegate wheelbarrow....awesome graphic of a man smoking a pipe!

I can't wait to see my veggies start growing in the garden and the first taste of strawberries in May. There's nothing more invigorating to me then being out in the fresh air all day working in the garden, I absolutely love this time of year!

Happy Earth Day!

~MaryDeluxe

Hey-Wake Auction Find

If you have been a DeluxeVille reader for a long time, you know about my love/obsession/lust/fixation for Heywood Wakefield furniture. I've been collecting it piece by piece over the years when I see it and can afford it.

Sgt and I went to a local estate auction in town on Saturday and I was able to snag 6 beautiful pieces of hey-wake furniture for the measly little sum of $350.00 ...a sum that is pretty much unheard of in the hey-wake world. Actually it was 7 pieces but a display shelf that they thought was hey-wake isn't really hey-wake. It's still a very cute piece and goes well with the bedroom set so I can see how they might have gotten confused.

There's that really cool display shelf. I just have to dig around and find some things to fill it with.

Yes, I keep my jewelry in an old metal tackle box.


The 1940's mannequin is from Watt & Shand, a Lancaster, Pa dept store that is no longer around. She used to sit on top of the jewelry showcases.

All in all, I was able to purchase a tall dresser, a dresser with mirror, utility headboard and frame, one side table, a set of side tables, and the wall display shelf. I spoke with the son of the woman who originally purchased the set in 1955 and he told me his Mother would be happy to know that her furniture which, she loved, was going to someone else who would love it too! I told him I was super excited to be going home with her furniture and that I would enjoy it and take good care of it and that I would always remember where I got it from. I love personal history with my vintage stuff! Keep looking, there's still lots of good deals to be had out there!

Happy Hunting,
~MaryDeluxe

They Call it Puppy Love

Hello to all my new DeluxeVille readers!



And they call it puppy love
oh i guess they'll never know
how a young heart really feels
and why i love her so
and they called it puppy love
just because we're in our teens
Tell them all please tell them it isn't fair
to take away my only dream
i cry each night
my tears for you
my tears are all in vain
i hope and i pray that maybe one day
you'll be back in my arms once again
Someone tell me please
is the answer up above
how can i tell them oh how can i tell them
This is not a puppy love

~Paul Anka

Still working on dem thar* stairs! Nothing says tedious project like a painted stair runner! What the hell was I thinking??!? I'm still digging my cool 50's novelty smock shirt I snagged last Spring at auction. It's sooooo cute, easy to wear, and perfect for when you're having a casual "I feel like a blob today" day! :) Remember the awesome auction I found it at last year....here. Wow, the memories....makes me need an auction fix.

Happy Friday!!!

~MaryDeluxe

*ps... grammar police I misspelled on purpose!

Homemade Goodness

I ran across this recipe for homemade ritz style crackers a year ago and won't ever go back to store bought crackers! These are so easy to make and when ever I make them, they go fast. Today I threw together a pot of soup and decided these would be the perfect companion.

Homemade Ritz Style Crackers

This recipe is made in a food processor.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp + another 1/2 tsp salt for topping
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter + 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt in the food processor.
• Pulse to combine.
• Add cold butter a few small pats at a time, and pulse to combine.
• Add vegetable oil. Pulse to combine.
• Add water a little bit at a time. Pulse to combine after each addition. The dough should start to form a ball.
• Roll dough out as thin as you can.
• Use cookie cutters to cut the dough out. You can make them Ritz-shaped or any shape that you like. I used a ravioli cutter to get the round shape.
• Poke holes in the dough. Keep in mind that the holes are not just decorative; they help the crackers to bake correctly - so be sure to poke some.
• Bake the crackers on a parchment sheet for ten minutes or until the crackers just begin to brown.
• While the crackers are baking, melt the remaining butter and mix in the remaining salt.
• As soon as you remove the crackers from the oven, brush them with the salty butter.

As for my kitchen pot of soup, I start off with veggie stock and throw in what ever I have sitting around! This pot includes....a sweet potato, the last bag of frozen green beans from our garden last year, two jars of Sgt's canned tomatoes from last years garden, frozen corn, beans, a half a box of orzo pasta, carrots, frozen peas from last years garden, salt & pepper, Italian spices, and onion & garlic seasoning. Throw it all together and let it simmer for a few hours! Easy, hearty, and yummy!! I also love how we are still eating our garden veggies from last Summer. I look forward to growing lots more veggies and preserving the harvest again this year!

Happy, Healthy, Eating!

~MaryDeluxe

A Spring Sunday in Pictures

Cat Love


Chicken Coop building


Helping Daddy


Barred Rock Babies


Seeds a growing


Open window cat perch


Balancing act

Happy Sunday!

~MaryDeluxe

The Ugly Chicken Stage

Just dropping in for a quick hello and to share a few pictures of the girls! They have reached what we refer to as "The Ugly Chicken" phase...when their feathers start coming in and changing them from cute chick, to awkward teenage chick. I sure hope they aren't expecting braces!

As you can see, the chicken whisperer is still on duty and from time to time receives a chicken kiss for her efforts! This of course she absolutely loves and makes her all excited! There's nothing she loves more then when the chickens acknowledge her presence. This will be a big chicken coop building weekend around The Simple Acre, we've built the floor and framed in three walls so far, but have lots more yet to do before the girls get to call it home. I wonder how Sgt would feel about a turquoise painted chicken coop?

Source