End of the Year savings at Kowgirl Kitsch on Etsy

Wow, Its been an amazing, wonderful and exhausting month and Christmas is upon us.  Tomorrow my husband and I leave for Long Beach and hope for sunny skies after days of torrential rains and floods in Southern California.  No matter the weather, I'll treasure the time with my loved ones and wish the same for you.  Merry Christmas.

15% End of year savings discount on all shop items at Kowgirl Kitsch on Etsy - Use Coupon Code EOC10 at checkout.

On The Tenth Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me.....

Ten days and counting - Still time to find some  great Christmas deals on Etsy  from members of the Etsy Vintage Team.

Love red at Christmas - you can find this beauty at Tracelements on Etsy

Stunning Vintage bracelet and earrings at Blackrain4 on Etsy

Pretty hand painted Poland ornaments at Kowgirl Kitsch on Etsy

Seven Swans a Swimming...This vintage swan dish can be found at mamabearsvintage on Etsy

Baby it's cold outside...Vintage Fur Capelet/Stole at Kowgirl Kitsch on Etsy

What memories these Little Golden Books bring back....brought to you from Byheart on Etsy.

Classic pearl luster at Asecondtime on Etsy

What little (or big girl) wouldn't adore this baby doll.....from CranberryManor on Etsy

You'll be a Vision of Sugar plums in this Christmas red chiffon dress from Catseyevintage on Etsy

Ok, now this is really different nutcracker offered by nickhaus on Etsy.

Life Stories

Aaahhh life is good.  The weather has been spring-like here in Northeastern Arizona.  I actually found little sunflower sprouts poking out of the ground while I was outside watering trees today.  I'm loving it and hoping that the weather continues to stay sunny and warm through our Christmas visit to Long Beach.  A good ol' fashioned Sunny Southern California Christmas - can't wait!
Besides having gorgeous December weather, I finished all - I'm talking all of my Christmas shopping.  That is no easy feat when you consider that I have half a dozen kids, their mates and babies to shop for!  I believe this is an absolute first for me.  Christmas' past have found me searching for one or two elusive items on somebody's Christmas list right up until the 24th  when I finally relent in exhaustion and settle for the "close second".   The requested gift is usually some very trendy and scarce request that everyone else in Arizona wants too (last year it was a specific and popular style of girls boots for both of my grand daughters).  So I'm brimming with Holiday Cheer and so very proud of myself.  I have spare time to Blog and list new loot on Kowgirl Kitsch.
The weekend was not only successful for  Christmas shopping; my dining room is cluttered  with new vintage finds...again.  I hit an amazing estate sale this weekend and found goodies galore.  I don't know what I love more; finding new "old" stuff or hearing the stories behind each and every item for sale.  A woman here in town is liquidating her parent's estate and I had so much fun "getting to know" her mom and dad through the stories she shared with me.
As I plucked through pieces collected over the course of their lifetimes, I learned that Marie and Tom were married when Marie was 16, going on 17 and Tom was 24.  They were happily married for 77 years!  I'm absolutely enchanted and blown away by that!  They raised two daughters and spent their lives in this little Arizona Burg on Route 66 and had a 77 year love affair.  Their daughter told me that they never threw anything away and it was evident by the 40 to 50 cans of shoe polish dating back to the 1940s that Tom kept stored in a large bin.  And by the trinkets and kitchen ware that Marie had likewise kept since the 1930s and 40s. And all of it was lovingly cared for and organized.   I spotted a pair of tooled leather platform high heels with ankle straps. Judging from their condition and style I thought they could have been  just a few years old and assumed that they had belonged to one of Marie's grand daughters.  "Your mom didn't wear these high heels, did she"; I asked.  Marie's daughter laughed and told me that her mom had loved her collection of high heels and hadn't given them up or stopped wearing them even in to her 90s. The tooled leather platforms are from the 1940s.  Awesome!
On the one hand I was sorry that I had only met Marie through her daughter's stories and through the hodgepodge of her life's possessions spread out on tables to be sold to strangers;  but on the other hand I was grateful that in a small way I did get to know Marie and Tom and their incredible love story and life. I love vintage shopping and the life stories that are a part of it.

One of Marie's kitsch pieces; A Gilner "Happy Cannibal" dated 1952

These adorable little milk glass dishes are from the 1940s - Marie called them her, "ice cream sundae bowls".

Marie's earrings and her pretty pink satin lingerie bag used for storing her "good" seamed hose in.

I love this gorgeous California Art Pottery Lazy Susan.....awesome for Holiday entertaining.

Awesome daisy-floral afghan blanket made by Dear Marie's hands and took her months to complete.

1940's tooled leather platforms - Marie's daughter said that her mother wanted to be buried in her most beautiful high heels.  I wish I'd known this woman when she lived.

Nesting canisters that still had some sugar and flour in them....I loved that.

Button, button who's got the button?

In my ongoing and all consuming quest to obtain every last vintage goody on the planet I toted a coffee can full  of old buttons home a couple of weeks ago. I dumped the can out in a heap on the table to admire my new pretties.  And pretty they are, in a variety of  vintage shapes, sizes and colors.  My husband, JW, shares my passion for scavenging treasures even if he doesn't always show it in the same way that I do.  I've never once seen him do a little "let's party" dance and squeal when he finds a Pyrex casserole dish.   But still he did seem to be interested in the mountain of buttons and surprised me by  volunteering to sort through them all while he watched American Pickers..
I was grateful for his offer and figured that once he had the buttons sorted I would photograph them in groups by color and list a purple pile and a green pile and a pink pile and so and so forth in one of my Etsy shops. I figured I'd be making all of my potential crafting and sewing and collecting customers so happy by selling them "handfuls" of  my very cool old buttons.  But first I needed to research the market and this is where my troubles begin.
OMG!!!  Who knew there was soooo much to know about buttons?!  The first thing I realized was that shoppers would want to know just  how many buttons they were purchasing for $6.00. Go figure.   I guess it was that nasty lazy streak in me that made me think that I could just sell a "handful" of purple buttons.  Sigh....ok, I'll count them.  But wait, there are buttons that have desirability based on what material was used to make them, as in Bakelite.  And in my research I'm finding that sellers know what year a button was made...huh, how do they do that?
As if I'm not already overwhelmed with collecting, researching, creating, photographing, listing; and, if there's time left, cooking and cleaning!  The buttons are in envelopes by color and soon (I promise) I'm going to start the counting and identifying process.
I did manage to get six buttons listed on my Etsy Patterns Shop  but I know I don't deserve much of an "atta girl" for it cause it was just three cards with two gold colored metal buttons on each card.  There was no sorting or identifying required.

I thought these adorable buttons would be a cinch to list until I realized that they may be Bakelite...or they could be celluloid....or they could be glass.  HELP!

These were easy.

I really love the little sea foam green buttons.  They have little pearls in them.

So....would these be plastic, Bakelite or celluloid?

If anybody has any vintage button expertise I'd be oh so grateful to hear from you.

Girlfriends and Flea Markets

I spent Saturday doing all the things I love most.  My best friend and fellow Kowgirl, Pam, and I met up early (emphasis mine) Saturday morning and headed off to the local flea market, on the prowl for vintage treasures.  Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug.  This time we got to be the windshield. Fabulous vintage goodies were practically calling out to us and jumping into our outstretched arms.  We had barely made it half way through the place when we had to make a trip to the car, unload our booty and  then head back for more.  My  biceps are seriously sore today from hauling around our accumulated  loot - which might be a not-so-gentle reminder that I ought to resume some form of exercise besides typing at the computer and letting the cat in.
Anyhoo, it just so happened that  there was a holiday bake and craft sale being held at the church across the parking lot so we headed there next.  We were like kids in a candy store and had high hopes of finding lots more good stuff.  Alas, it wasn't meant to be.  It seems the dear ladies working the boutique were not charmed with the fact that we had Pam's sister's border collie with us.  At first they just eyeballed us and whispered to each other ( which was disconcerting enough) but then they got flat intolerant and even slightly surly when Sadie jumped on a lady sitting at a table and eating a hot dog.  We were asked to leave but not before I bought two pulled pork sandwiches, two diet Dr. Peppers and two really cute wall sconces for my foyer.
We got outside, found a little table, shared our pulled pork sandwiches with Sadie and reveled in the good fortune of our newly aquired treasures and bargains.  We laughed, shopped, ate and agreed.....we've been kicked outta better places.

I am thrilled with this old barometer  with zodiac signs on it I have a 1960s starburst zodiac clock that would be a perfect mate to it, which is listed on Kowgirl Kitsch at Etsy.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/57138945/vintage-mid-century-star-burst-electric

 

Some of my loot;  a 1959 Farm Journal cookbook, church key can opener, Jim Beam Florida souvenir decanter, vintage Log Cabin syrup dispenser, 1960s goose-neck desk lamp and a vintage  brass filigree hairspray can cover. 

I absolutely love, love, love this hand crocheted table cloth and may not be able to part with it.  That's what is so awesome about shopping for Etsy inventory; inevitably I find a treasure.... or two...or three to keep for myself.

#2 for me.

#3... mine too.

Ok, I'll stop.  But oh how I adore old Christmas ornaments.

The perfect day ended on a perfect note as we headed out to Pam's place.  I'm always inspired by Pam's creative and quirky decorating.  Take a look at why I love her home.

Some of Pam's antique collection spills out on to her deck and is displayed in this fabulous distressed bookcase.

I think this bench was made from old bed pieces.  So creative.

The birdcage is listed on Kowgirl Kitsch at Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/listing/61183756/vintage-shabby-chic-white-birdcage-by 

Quirky.

I met Oscar for the first time. He's overly needy but handsome.

Pam's potting bench made from an old porch swing.  I told you... she's creative.

I covet her tool shed and how she's made is so incredibly cute.

It just gets better...

and better.

This is Mr. Jackalope in Pam's office.  Mr. Jackalope has made guest appearances on Kowgirl Kitsch.  He's very popular.

Another shot of this great outdoor display area.

The coolest vintage Bohemian earrings Pam bought for me at the flea market. Did I mention that she's my BFF?  (photo by my biggest supporter and husband who is also a great treasure hunting partner)

                                                                    

So saddened to read that Jill Clayburgh has died.  She was 66 years old and had battled chronic lymphocytic leukemia for 21 years.  I loved her in "An Unmarried Woman" the 1978 film of a divorcee exploring her sexuality.  She was a class act and talented actress.  

Vintage Cooking

Some of the members over at Vintage Village are contributing to a cookbook of vintage recipes.  I decided to share a very old recipe for caramel pudding cake that my Grandmother, Mamaw, used to make when we would visit her in Texas.  Since I hadn't made it in years I figured I better do a test run on it.  Test successful - almost as good as I remembered (nothing ever tastes quite as good as it did as a kid).

CARAMEL PUDDING
preheat oven to 350

CARAMEL SAUCE

Over medium heat brown slightly, 1/2 Cup sugar. Add 4 Cups boiling water, let boil again. Simmer with 2 Tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

DOUGH

2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/4 cup sifted flour (approximately)
Add enough sifted flour to make stiff dough. Drop by spoonfulls into above sauce. Bake in moderate oven, 350 until brown, approximately 40 - 45 minutes.

Best served warm from oven, with milk, ice cream or whipped cream.

I have this recipe, handwritten by my grandmother, framed and hung in my kitchen

 

So, while I'm on the subject of recipes ......
During the course of digging through my mom's old recipes I came across this mid-century  promotional pamphlet from Coca Cola .

                 


It features a variety of  recipes and occasions that go with Coke.  I love it!  Especially the blue shag carpet on the first page. 

I also realized that "oleo", Miracle Whip and mayonnaise were used abundantly back in the day.

  

All this patio is missing is Sean Connery  as James Bond and Ursula Andress as his Bond Girl.    
                

                                 

Visit Kowgirl Kitsch for Fun Vintage Cooking Wares

Show Pans Sanko Ware

Flour Sifter

Mini cake pans

Pyrex and Anchor Hocking

Federal Bowl

1950s Pyrex