Antiques & Vintage Treasures JunkYard Gypsy Style

Up bright & early this weekend to do a little

treasure hunting.

This is just a small sampling of what I scored.

I consider this early 1900's child's artist easel

a touchdown!  The upper portion use to hold a roll of paper to doodle on, of which the writing section is about 3 inches in height (not much doodling room).  The desk section folds up and becomes a blackboard.  Very sturdy, very cute.

That's my new lamp I scored at auction, that hubby had to go home and collect the truck for since I had already filled up the car.  Hubby says - Note to self - "Do not leave wife at auction all by herself to retrieve truck, because she will have filled up the truck by the time you get back"!

 Note to hubby - don't be raining on my

happy dance auction winnings.

Had to have this metal lamp for the cool beanie helmet - but when I got it home I found out it's way cooler than I thought because it's an adjustable tilt!

I painted the last one red.  Any suggestions on what color to paint this one?  Oh, and my free standing birdcage which needs a redo as well.  Perplexed on what color to paint that as well.

Springed rocking horse has paint wear, but it's in excellent condition for it's age. Fisher Price musical Farris Wheel with the little people guy still churning out tunes!  Some retro bowed-tined mirror in need of a paint job.  Blinky eye doll (can't resist them) in the Box!  With her full wedding garb.

I'm going to use the old antique clock case to create some shadow box art.  Obviously something about time - think I'll save that for a winter project.

Found Bert & Ernie's Sesame Street house set at an unadvertised yard sale.  I love unadvertised sales, I swear they have the best stuff.  Just an ole (I use that lovingly - cause I resemble that remark) hippie couple down the street (he looked like a Prof from Purdue - braided beard - loved it) unloading their shed cause it seem like a good day to let go of some stuff.   I spent over $30.00 just at their sale.

I probably could have spent the day with them & kept buying because she kept dragging out more stuff.  I think I thought I was in heaven.  So anyway I picked up the Fisher Price Choo Choo, tin toy top, and the 1950's puzzle and MADE myself leave the premises.  I'm so tempted to go back, knock on their door and do the Picker TV thing.

I'll let you know if get that brave.

So take that pile and quadruple it and those my finds from the last 3 weekends.  I have a lot of listing to do!  Now if I could only teach hubby new tricks- 

sit, stay, list.

:)

Ciao!  My gypsy caravan friends ~

May your Junking endeavors lead you to Fab finds!

Foxes & Phloxes & Bees Oh My

Foxes

 and Phloxes

 And Bees,

Oh My!

Just some nature shot's out at the cabin last weekend.  Rhonda & Steve had 6 baby foxes right outside their back door, but I only got to capture one on film.  They have a tunnel from one side of the hill to the other, so we're hoping that perhaps the others were over there, and no coyotes had them for dinner.

 

Just a little fuzz ball of fur

 Fox hole is right in front of the log

Baby Fox Pups - they're just so Cute!

 Wild Canary

Turkey Vultures.  Felt like I was trying to shoot skeet photographing them.

  Busy Bumble Bee

 Finally caught him in flight

 Just because I liked the texture of his wings

Bee Butt

 Lilac's - one of my favorites

Hope you're enjoying Spring!

Ciao

KJ - the JunkYard Gypsy

Morel Mushroom Madness - a May Day Treat

They call basketball March Madness  - well just let the warm weather hit at the beginning of spring and round here in Indiana, it’s Morel Mushroom Madness.  Walk into a store, a bar, or get a few locals gathered at a garage sale and they start talking Morel Mushrooms – how much so & so got, where they found them (they lie about that part), how big they are etc…I never knew folks could talk so much about a mere mushroom.  But a morchella mushroom, is not an average mushroom, oh no, a morel mushroom can only be obtained during a certain time of year.  And to date, they can Not be cultivated successfully; (plus they cannot be mistaken for something that will cause an agonizing death) so they are highly prized and fervently sought after.  Those in the know (and with the Eye) guard their secret mushroom haunts and hunting abilities.

This would be considered the Morel Motherload –

I could only dream about stumbling across something like this!

Many of the people who stopped by for the garage sale (after spying the beautiful wooded setting) asked if we had been out hunting for morels.  “Not yet, but as soon as this sale is over it’s the 1^st thing on our agenda.”  Steve headed out 1^st while we were still manning the sale and came back with two.  They were Huge!  I was so excited, I couldn’t wait to get out there and start hunting.  After the sale we decided to check in the opposite direction, and cover the front part of the woods first.  We searched & searched to no avail.  So we headed back to the area where he found the first two and Bingo I found my 1^st morel.

And not too far away another one!

After that my luck ran dry and I resorted to photographing other types of fungus.

Do you see him sitting in that log?  This is it up-close.  Like some deformed figure.

While watching this cute little snail truck across this log, 

 This little guy was much easier to shoot than that bubblebee

 Steve scored three more!

I would have been happy with my two shrooms, but my friends graciously sent me home with the whole lot.

The biggest was 6” including the stem, about 4” for just the head.  7 mushrooms total -  more than enough to get my morel mushroom fix.

So are you a Morel Mushroom Hunter?

Leave me a comment & tell us how you fared.

I heard it was a bumper crop this year!

  

 Ciao!

Indiana Garage Sales Amish Style

Spent some time with my friend’s at their log cabin in Delphi, IN.  They’re putting their home on the market this summer.  So if you enjoy the ride and your looking for a place to hide this be it, baby!  It’s about a 30-minute drive from Lafayette.

Thursday morning on my way up, I decide to stop in the town of Delphi to take a quick peek in side one of their antique stores, which sits directly across from the courthouse.  I could have stayed for hours but, I knew my friends were waiting for me, so I did a 10 min peruse through the store.  Upon leaving I get to see a guy, in an orange jumpsuit, being hauled back to jail.

Pull out and go around the block.  While I’m waiting in line, I get to sit behind a semi hauling Pigs to... (I’m almost positive)

Indiana Packers Corporation – (pigs slaughtered on site/distributor).  Canned, Frozen, Kosher (really? please explain), Salted or Unsalted Pork.  Unintentional plug for my buddies working the packer’s plant in Delphi.

But wait it get better!  So I’m out there to help them with a Garage Sale.  They have like 13 acres in BFE, and it take like 5 minutes just to get up their driveway – Ok, I’m exaggerating just a bit.  Sale is at 8am – Nothing unusual there, except our 1^st customers of the day are some Leedyites.  And I'm sure most of you are wondering what a Leedyite is; a Leedyite is similar in dress to Amish or German Baptist.  But there are many different sects that have emerged from that culture from which the Leedyite derives.  It's complicated, and can not be distinguished by appearance, you normally have to have an understanding of the history of the religious culture and family name recognition is a big bonus.

(Jockeying their horse and buggy into position)

I had to grab my camera and start snapping away.  I’m laughing hysterically (on the inside mind you – not out loud) thinking – Yep we’re off to fast start this morning!  When my friend reprimands me and says “Hey they don’t appreciate having their photograph taken”.   I immediately stop and rush inside to dispose of the camera.  I wasn’t aware that they forbid cameras & mirrors, as it is a reflection of vanity ~ (So True). Except…and I’ll reveal as I go on.

So they walk up to the house from the middle part of the drive.  They didn’t pull the horse & carriage up to the pavement, but parked them in the woods.  We exchange pleasantries and after a bit of shopping I approach the gentleman and asked if it would be all right if I took a picture of his horse and carriage, and he said I may.

And that is where photography is not so much acceptable to them (because It’s modern technology) but tolerated or allowed because it has to do with nature (for lack of a better word) and not the soul.     I tend to think of it along the line of some Native Americans not wanting to be photographed for fear of stealing their soul.

Her sale went very well, and I helped save a two items, a 1971 Barbie house & Marx train set.  She said that is why she sent for me, but we both know it was for my parking attendant extraordinaire abilities.  Just try maneuvering 7 cars with only 4 parking spots on a single lane.  I even had to jump into peoples cars, back them up and turn around for them!

So, Any who...I didn’t want to make this one post excruciatingly long so this will be a 3 part post – Next up are the baby Foxes & Phloxes, and Morel Mushrooms Madness. 

 

Wishing you long Open Roads and

Wheels to carry you there.

Ciao!

KJ the JunkYard Gypsy

Flower Press - Drying Flowers Naturally

So Spring is here, I can tell by all the rain.  Ah, Spring - It's like a good party that summer has to dry out.
So with all the fresh flower blooms dancing in the rain - I decided I need a flower press instead of using all of our heaviest books.  Because, as hubby reaches for "Mathematics - A Human Endeavor" and I tell him No, no you can't read that it has a flower drying between it and "The Illustrated Concordance of the Bible".  His look indeed mandated a flower press.  But come on - really, when was the last time he ever reached for that book!  Bigger question Why!
So he proceeds to gather some scrap wood and makes me a flower press.

Note it has a handle, so that I can carry it.

To where, I don't know.  Maybe just in case I need to press on the spot.  But it's kind of nice because I could hang it.  But scrap wood looking like that - who would?  Or Wood?

 So I thought I would photograph it and put it on FaceBook.  Just a quickie post - no big deal, right.
(Kind of looks like a tombstone for the flowers in front of it.) 
Till one of my twitter followers suggested that I should do a Blog post.  Well, now I can't very well show an UGLY flower press!  So I had to pretty it up.   (Men, they're always causing more work for me!)  Who knows maybe that's what hubby said when he was cutting the scrap board for me?  So I pulled out my vintage greeting cards and vintage wallpaper along with some other embellishments

and proceeded to plan my design.  Decided it would just be easier to wrap it like a package.  Chose the more subtle fleur de lis pattern to match the main vintage greeting card.

Did a little cutting and trimming; A Lot of gluing, and WaLa

A flower press in a pear blossom tree! 

 And in the grass

And in the living room.

  I kindly removed last falls remnants from between the books (some leaves and butterfly wings from a fatal car crash) to store them in a more Appropriate place. Thank you honey.   Tomorrow I tackle the Easter daffodils and the tulips

That should be interesting as I have to dissect them in order to press.  Thank goodness for my biology classes!
Any suggestions on how to make a one dimensional daffodil and tulip would be most appreciated!

Next up Lily of the Valley, Lilacs and most FAV... Peonies!

Enjoy the Rain!

Ciao!

JunkYard Gypsy

Related articles

• How to Press Flowers (biologygroup.wordpress.com)
• Flower Power (griefresourcecenter.wordpress.com)

More fresh flower Info:  http://www.plantea.com/cutflowers.htm

How to Plant Your Garden

This is a very Cute Email I received today about

Planting your own personal Garden.

I did not create this,  It was sent to me in a email but I wanted to share.

Hope you Enjoy!

How to Plant your Garden

"life is too short for drama, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly"

How To Plant Your Garden 

First, you  Come to the garden alone, 
                           while the dew is still on the roses. 


FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING , 

           PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS : 

1. Peace of mind 
                  2. Peace of heart 
                                   3. Peace of soul 




          

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH: 

1. Squash gossip 
2. Squash indifference 
3. Squash grumbling 
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE: 

  1. Lettuce be faithful 
2. Lettuce be kind 
3. Lettuce be patient 
4. Lettuce really love one another 

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS: 

   1. Turnip for meetings 
                     2. Turnip for service 
                                  3. Turnip to help one another 

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE   THYME: 

 

   1. Thyme for each other 
                     2. Thyme for family 
                                  3. Thyme for friends 


WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.   THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU  SOW.  NOT BAD, HUH?!

 And A Wonderful Easter Weekend!

Ciao!

Related articles

• Grow more vegetables in less space (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Plant Talk | What's next from Renee's Garden Seeds - ruffled lettuces, climbing squash, and striped morning glories (seattletimes.nwsource.com)