Midwestern Treasure Troves: Estate Sales Recently

You never really know what you’re going to find at an estate sale. For instance, last week, we stumbled across this priceless gem:

Look closer…

closer…

Ahhh piquant lemon lime flavor, how could we resist you for that long 16 years? Finally, for a mere $2.00 (I didn’t even know Gatorade expired), you can be ours! We’ll just conveniently ignore the ominous game expired looming at us.

In particular at estate sales, I always like to see the weeeeeird stuff people collect. Three weeks ago, the woman collected cow totems and the man was obsessed with trains. This past week, I couldn’t escape bowling mementos (prizes, pins, pens, jerseys) only to find out the couple had owned a bowling alley. My roommate loves to go to collect cardinal ornaments (I had no idea people had so many things with cardinals on them. Now that I’ve noticed, they can’t be unseen! Seriously, go check your house). And of course, I’m always on a mission to locate the hats (with varying success). So here’s the haul of the past two weeks:

  Estate Sale One
Niles, Michigan

Bird picture: 1.50/ Carpet Bag: 20.00/ Scarf: 5.00/ Globe Tin: 1.50/ 2 pairs of antique earrings 1.50 each

This one was fairly blase’ no great stories here. Leigha and I were on a mission for headscarves, and as you can see, I found everything else. I styled the headscarf and carpet bag here.

Estate Sale 2
Elkhart, Indiana

Needlepoint of my future house: 7.00/ Sailing shirt: 1.00/ Legit fur stole: 7.50

Next stop- Russian Aristocracy

Texture Combo.

I stayed relatively calm throughout this venture, but J raided the place. I’ve never gone to an estate sale with anyone who walked away with more than I bought, but in J’s defense, at times, it was like walking through an Urban Outfitters giveaway. Like these smashing new swim trunks:

Panda-licious

PreFontaine Meets Brooks Brothers: A Real American Tradition

California, here he comes.

J also managed to snag several tomes on the (alleged) conspiracy that was the Clinton presidency and a 1950s guide to a Successful Sex Life in Marriage (approved by the American Medical Association, New York Daily, and Catholics of America- all for two dollars!). But the greatest find of the day was probably this little guy:

Upon seeing him, Joe immediately said, “Herbert?” And with his reluctant grin, Herbert returned Js gaze.

This sassy little strigiform is making me seriously reconsider my views on love at first sight. He’s so bold, yet demure! Suffice it to say, he and J have already moved in together. May you be so lucky in love on your next adventure! Happy Friday!

 

Fur Better or Fur Worse?

Last year Jacqueline Durran stunned the world with Kiera Knightley’s exquisite costumes in Joe Wright’s rendition of Anna Karenina. However, while absorbing the lush extravagance that was this fallen woman’s wardrobe, I was forced to ask myself: How many people actually still wear fur hats?

We should examine this fur-ther.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know this is Russia we were talking about. But, for real, how many people are out and about in fur hats? Have we as a society accepted use fur as inhumane more overall? Has global warming alleviated the need for these (the answer to that is NO in northern Indiana). Is fur just something few people can afford/ aren’t inclined to spend on? Does a fur hat just remind everyone of Julie Christie in Dr. Zhivago?

Be sure to let me know your thoughts. Personally, I say the fur hat is alive and well, especially since I wore one to my last class this morning. I was pretty excited about it and so in a fit of procrastination, I made an homage to our tragic Russian aristocrat.

WAITING FOR VRONSKY
(or failure… an ambition only slightly better than Godot)

For the occasion, I wore my mink hat, a black silk shirt, and a velvet jacket (that is probably my mother’s for nice occasions. Devon cream and a raison scone also went into the making of this photo set.)

Pictures brought to you by photobooth (yes I’m sorry, but the only other option was iphone selfies. Scylla and Charybdes, I know.)

This hat is mostly feathers.. but why stop good procrastination? Scone down.

And this one I call Bridget Jones at Thanksgiving. Leave it to our girl to wear the turkey on her head.

I realize this photo set was mostly me looking sad (I will spare you a lengthy justification on why this would fit Anna’s character and the spoilers that I would be sure to provide.), but I hope you got a bit of a kick out of it, and let me know if you have any in-fur-mation on Winter hats today.

Fancy: 10

Function: 6 (they keep Russian heads really warm)

Funky: 5

Fashion: ?