Should I Empty Vintage Boxes?

I just ran into some old vintage boxes the other day & I didn't pick them up, because some of them were partially open & basically still full. I wish I had seen this article from Antiques Roadshow.

Click here to read the Full Article

 So it basically says to make sure that you empty them if they are already open, have holes or leaks.  Otherwise, if they are perfectly sealed, it's fine to just leave them as they are.
Another good point they made in the article was to add some structural support to the inside of the box to help it keep it's shape.

Boston Red Stockings Baseball Cards

Worth One Million Dollars!

She's gonna keep em'  ~ That's cool, but I hope she realizes her kids are going to sell them.  I say, sell Granny, take a trip around the world & kick up your heels!

Doing Sushi 70's Style in a Rad Retro Red Sweater Coat

While out antiquing in St. Joesph, Michigan with my best girlfriend we stopped in at Elephants Breath.  Good thing it started raining while we were in there, because we couldn't stop gushing at all our Awesome finds.  Like this Red Sweater Coat from the 70's.
A rad, retro find for sure!

And what better to place to wear it than out out for a night of sushi at Kona Jack's Fish Market and Sushi Bar for the best sushi combo of  tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, octopus and eel.  Followed by some more eel, yellowtail & beef tataki.  Drooling while I write this.  "Sushi Every Day" < should be a song!

Love all this yummy goodness.  Reminds me of Stan's kid's making sushi dinner for us.

What a treat that was!

I so want to have a sushi party, and have each guest make their our own sushi roll to share.  Think I'm going to look over PunchBowl's site for idea's on how to host a sushi party.

Back to the red sweater dress coat.  It came with a matching red knit belt, but I thought it looked better with these rad 70's belts.

 The Alligator belt was the choice for the evening.

Then again I kind of like the Jeweled Urim/Thummin aspect of the Aaron Breastplate.

Which one do you like best?

Ciao! JunkYardGypsyStyle

Autumn Trees ~ Poetry of Fall Colors

Photo courtesy of Mark Bass - Celery Bog, Lafayette, Indiana

Tweed Poncho Villa Goes Out to Lafayette Eatery

Threw on my vintage poncho & headed out to have a lovely lunch with my friend at the Buttery Shelf Eatery.

Beautiful day to wear my vintage tweed poncho

This quaint Victorian home, dressed in colonial decor, sits at the corner of 10th & Main street in Lafayette, Indiana.  The tables are all dressed with pewter plates, goblets & pitchers.

Loved the small intimate rooms, but it was so quiet, too quiet in fact.

They really could use some soft music playing in the background.  And as cute as those pewter goblets are you'll be hard pressed to get more than two sips out of them.  So make sure you've beefed up on your arm curls for lifting that pewter pitcher.

We both ordered the pot roast special and it was delicious, but they served it with instant mashed potatoes.  Wait staff was very nice, but service was surprisingly slow.  Especially since we ordered a special that was already prepared.  No one checked back till we were 3/4th's of way through with the meal, even though they weren't that busy.  When we got ready to pay our bill they didn't have any change, so they told us we could have it for free.  Really?  No Really!  What else can you do when you open up business with out a bank?  But we had enough ones to get them started.  It's all for a good cause, because they always give a portion of their proceeds to some charity work in town.  Plus their prices are awesome, only $12 for two people.  You can't even eat at McDonald's for that price!  Buttery Eatery is only open from 11 to 2 on Sat & 2 other days during the week.

 Bit of JunkYard Gypsy Style to match up with my Vintage Tweed Poncho

Ciao!

Related articles

• Definition of Tweed..

Picking & Junking ~ A BeeHive Teapot / Tea Kettle Is it a Rare Antique?

I've been sitting (well, Not literally) on this

Beehive teapot or Tea Kettle if you so choose,

since my trip to Davenport, Iowa.  When we went to go see the "American Pickers"(Antique Archaeology)

 from the History Channel.

Whom, we didn't get to see :( 

 Mind you Mike, Frank & Danielle were all in town that weekend, but they're such big Celebrity's now,

that you only get to see them at paid events or perhaps if they are Picking at your door.

If they are picking at your door, YOU have a Serious Junking Problem!  Just like We Do, since that's why we picked Davenport, Iowa for a mini vacation.  And guess what we did while we were there?  Yep, we went Junking!

OK, so we went River Boat Gambling Too!

Lost our butts, but whatever, we had fun.

Of course I found (just by chance mind you) a town wide sale just over the bridge in Milan, IL.  I know it just sounds wrong, doesn't it - especially being from Indiana.  What's even worse is I found an auction house that was having a sale that night, that we went back to later that evening.  Yes, Saturday night, on our vacation & we're spending it at an auction house.   What's really bad is we got like this VIP treatment.  I didn't find this out till much later, because the rest of the gang had already signed in & I'm by nature such a lollygagger.  So I'm signing in, like 30 minutes later than everyone else & they ask me if  I'm with the Indiana Tour Group?  Which I say No, not knowing what that is or who they are & thinking it's Ironic that there is a group of people from Indiana that are here in this small little town on a Saturday night to attend this quaint, but podunk Auction.  So after checking in the one of auctioneers, stops me as I'm leaving.  Mind you he's kind of cute, and said "Hey, I hear you're from Valpo.  I'm from Valpo too!  And you know the Birkey's (family name)."  Yep, lived next door & around several of them.  They're like a plague up here in the region.  Not a bad thing, love em dearly, but just saying, you can't grow up in Porter County without knowing a Birkey or two or at least hearing about them.  Now Led Zeppelin Dazed and Confused is rushing into my head; how the heck does he know all this? So I locate the  family, and find out that our whole life history has been has been shared with the auctioneers & we're all blood brothers now.  Good thing cause, cousin Tom is spending like BIG Time & doesn't hurt to be noticed.  Did I mention I was out with professionals?  Tom ate up ALL the jewelry, like gosh, $400 worth?  I don't know, but he got just about all of it.   Let's just say it took him several trips to the car to carry it all out.

My partner in crime, whom I sat next too all night was this lady from Davenport, Iowa who said she does a lot of shows (guessing fairs) in Chicago.  We kept bidding on the same items.  Meaning I was driving up her price.  Bless her heart, she bought me several items to take home with me. "Oh here, you just take this girlfriend, I didn't want this part of it anyway"  Saw her & her hubby loading up many items that they had won that night.  Heck, she even had me go check up on him at one point, to make sure he was doing their business right :0

So anyway I snagged this antique, guess I should say vintage, BeeHive Teapot or Tea Kettle.

I think it's from the 1950's, but I'm not quite sure.  From my research, I think It might be a McKee.  It has a BakeLite knob. The ribbed glass handle & body is marked from a 4 cup to a 10 cup level. The bottom is very cool all dimpled for heat transference & marked USA GlasBake 104 on the bottom.

I did a Google image search for a BeeHive Teapot & I'm not seeing a thing, but then again with them trying to cut out the small independent business owners, I'm not surprised.

So I'm hoping someone see's this, and has some more information that they can swing my way.  I think it's just adorable.  I use to sell Princess House & they had a glass teapot with an infuser - which everyone thought was so cool.  Just a new take on an old idea.  Soon this old tea kettle / tea pot is going to find a new home, since I don't drink tea.  But feel free to grab yourself a cup and check out the related articles on teapots, and If you have any information on this quirky old pot or if you just like old teapots, please leave a comment, & I'll join you with a cup of Java.

Ciao Caravan Cruisers!

Related articles

• A Very Brief History of... The Teapot
• Good Design, Everyday Objects: Teapots

Jack Frost

Praying Mantis Hitches Ride on Steamer Trunk

Wasn't planning on going out junking on National Garage Sale Day, but that's what happens when you have a hot fudge sundae for breakfast.  I couldn't resist all the signs.  Signs, signs, everywhere a sign, blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind, telling me I might miss a potential a treasure if I don't follow the arrow at the next neon cardboard 8 to 5 sign!  So I succumbed, much like I did to the hot fudge sundae, and I made the right hand turn off the main drag into garage sale heaven.  I wasn't really in the mood to buy anything, but this fabulous older gentleman talked Himself down from the original asking price of $80 to $25.00 & I came home with this Huge steamer trunk, 5 large Ball canning jars, 3 small ball canning jars, all with glass lids & bailing wire to clamp over the top - plus an insulator!  After he talked me into buying this monster steamer trunk, of which I have absolutely no use for, nor do I know how I would ever ship it (probably put it up on Craigslist), 

I now have to get it home.

So I go home to get the pickup truck.   Well once he saw I had a truck, I ended up carting out three end tables & two bird cages all for a mere $10.  Either he is an excellent salesman or I have developed a serious junking problem.  Or more likely I'm just a sucker for sweet old guy who's begging me to take the crap so he doesn't have to move it all back into his house.  Back home we start to unload our treasure & I see that someone has hitched a ride to our house.

Someone being a Cute Baby Praying Mantis!

Awe, look at those eyes.

Such a tiny nymph, I'm glad I spotted her & she didn't get crushed in the move.  If she's lucky perhaps she'll find mate around here.  Then she can bite his head off.  Ferocious little insects.  Wouldn't want to meet her on a dark leaf.

Ciao!

Fireworks, Fireworks & more Fireworks

These last two weeks it's really been tough to focus, on anything!  It's a post vacation & pre-vacation time period, with lots of weird stuff to send me drifting.  Like the pain in my jaw that lasted way longer than I expected.   Oh did I tell you about wiping out on a wave & being drug to shore on my face?  Sorry I guess I left that out, anyway I had to have emergency dental work, because I busted my back molar in two.  Do you think maybe that wave slammed my face fairly hard?  Wow, the power of water!  I'm just glad I still have both of my front teeth & my nose wasn't broken.

Then I got to do something I had been dreading since October.  I went in for a potential biopsy on my breast.  It aspirated, so a biopsy wasn't necessary and the results came back benign.  I was doing the happy dance over that, but it still hurts & it's been a week.

Along with that we've been alternating the cars into the mechanic's shop for the last 4 days.  Yet I'll I can do is dream about next week.  I'm attending my 30 year reunion

(STOP ~ do not start doing math).

My two best girlfriends & I get to hang out for a whole week, along with a slew of other very dear friends, some whom I've known my entire life.  I attended a very small county school, and most of us started kindergarten there and went all the way through 12th grade.  These people are like family in the sense that we've known each other most of our lives.  I'm so excited to see everyone, I'm just busting at the seams!

So If things come in three's then the Fireworks should be over, enjoy the slide show.

 Make sure to look for the jellyfish and the knife chasing the lotus towards the end - they're kind of cool.

Ciao!

Taste of Tippecanoe Lafayette, Indiana

Taste of Tippecanoe  

Lafayette /West Lafayette Indiana - biggest party of the year.

 5 stages - 20 bands of various genre; 42 restaurants slinging goodies as fast as they can for the swelling crowds.

Taste of Tippecanoe is a great night to run into old acquaintances.  But it's getting so big (over the bridge into Tapawingo Park on the west side) that it seems to be bit more difficult to bump into friends.

What I really like about the Taste is that most of vendors are local restaurants, with the exception of a few like Applebee's, Cold Stone Creamery & Lord have mercy McDonalds was there.  We really need to Quit giving our money to these big chain restaurants.  There are lots of local vendors begging for your patronage.  Their food is better and they treat you like family once you get to know them.

Of course I have to stop and visit my favorite bars while I'm downtown.  One of them happens to be owned by a good buddy of mine, a former Region friend  Jeff Haman.

That's him & his girlfriend standing out front.

I was So impress that he stood out front all day

to greet his guest. ~ Kudo's Jeff ;)

The Knickerbocker Saloon is the oldest bar in Indiana.

This bar sits in the old Larh Hotel.  The very same one Ulysses S. Grant  rode the train up to - (the tracks use to run right in front of the Knickerbocker) to give his campaign speech for president.   I've had the opportunity & pleasure to search every crevasse of this beautiful hotel  from the basement and the lower, original old alley (where they kept pins for the fresh live stock to be butchered) to the top of the roof in the wee morning hours to watch the Amish girls setting up their stand for the farmers market.  It truly is a wonderful piece of architecture - especially that illustrious Marble stair case.

Knickerbocker Saloon use to be a barber shop/saloon.

Stop by their website if you'd like to learn more about the history of the hotel.  It also so has some good true horror/ghost stories like the guest who guillotined himself ~ Boo!

So I finally made it into the Black Sparrow (yeah I know how long it's been open).  This place would so have been one my regular haunts.  Love the ambiance & music, and I hear the foods not bad either.

Nice how they exposed & play up the early construction.

As we were leaving the Black Sparrow we immediately bump into Tom Fisher & his wife.  Tom Fisher's grandfather use to have a Tailor Shop at that location long ago.

Weird that they happen to be the 1st people we saw.

And their guest look like they have a lot of fun.  Thought she walked in with a lighted, rainbow dildo - but I guess it was just some kind of glow stick, since I saw a bunch of little kids outside playing with them. ;)

They we're good sports.  Isn't she a doll?

Taste always ends with a big fireworks show.  Something to whet your whistle for the 4th of July.

Ooops almost forgot these two cuties.

Shooting t-shirts to the crowd

Ciao!

Round the Fountain Art Show 2011 Lafayette, Indiana

The 38th Annual Round the Fountain Art Show at the Tippecanoe County Court house in Lafayette Indiana

was able to start and finish as the eminent storm clouds held off just long enough to let everyone feast their eyes on some amazing talent.

Don't forget you can click on pictures to enlarge for a better view.

Every year I have my favorite and this years Fab Find is photographer & artist Chris Maher - Fine Art Nude Photography from Lambertville, MI

This is the display that drew me in

And this would be the one that Chris would describe as my "A-ha" moment

He was also the most joyful, enthusiastic & informative artist I met that day.  He really wanted you to know about his work - how & why he creates.  He says it best “ I Create photographs that reveal a woman’s beauty and celebrate her intimate connection to the eternal.”

This is not playboy fluff.  These are some of the the most tasteful and creative nudes I have ever seen.

Hubby spotted the one that resembled a flame and insisted that I photograph it.  Chris asked him if he noticed the bodies.  Hubby looked at him and said "Duh".  Chris said it is amazing how few people do.  I can understand that because the "Flame" is so perfectly formed.

 

Just amazing

To view more of Chris Maher's work visit DreamsOfTheGoddess.com

I wish the lighting had been better so that I could show off this artist who wants to share the love of his craft. He is Berry Davis co-owner of Neptune Hot Glass from Celina, OH.

Berry Davis & Collette Fortin use heavy precious metal to create solid glass sculptures, to portray ocean themes.  Berry and Collette spend the entire winter making these beautiful glass statues and then spend the summer traveling around to art shows selling them.

Ecology is alive and well in the artist community. With the purchase of any of his sculptures that have "Save Our Seas" etched on it, he will donate 5% to aquatic preservation.

Neptune Hot Glass doesn't currently have a website, but you can contact them by email at colletteinneptune@bright.net  Each piece is it's own unique creation.

When I spotted Lindsey Elizabeth Tull - a painter from Shelbyville, IN. - I was thinking how awesome this would look in my living room!

 

"Paintings filled with Light & Imagination"

I'd say she's having a Whale of good time.  Ok, so it's not a good pun, but it's the best I could do after a day like this.

Visit LindseyTullStudios.com 

Bronze Indian Sculptures by James A. Ford 

from Richmond, IL

Jumping in & out of tents my flash didn't go off.

My pictures don't do his pieces justice, so please stop by his website JamesAFord.com to see how exquisite these sculpture really are

You can also Like his FaceBook Page

Love the colors in this Randall Scott Harden painting

from Noblesville, IN.

And it says "Vintage"!  Another piece that works really well for me.  Randall's website was not up and working at the time this was written, hopefully he'll have that corrected soon.

Interesting Ceramic Wall Art by Steve & Miky Cunningham - Cunningham Pottery - W. Des Moines, IA

Love all the different textures and colors

Kyle Spears Photography out of Nashville, IN.

is an Awesome Photographer

 His booth is always bustling with activity

 The crowds really try and absorb every detail

he captures with his camera.

 He practically had to kick us out of his booth

Definitely worth making a trip to his website KyleSpears.com to see all the wonderful photographs

He also has a FaceBook Fan Page

Apologies to Deborah Keese and Alan Freund from Ann Arbor, MI for drooling all over their counter, but these burl wood boxes are the bomb!

The woodworking craftsmen ship is outstanding.

All natural - No stains are used.  Pieces are cut from solid blocks of wood so there are no joints.

Visit BurlWoodBox.com to see more of their

jewelry & trinket boxes

Contemporary Abstract Textured Paintings by John Blower from Fennville, MI

To see more of John's paintings visit BlowersStudios.com

Wagar Glass by Mark Wagar from Riga, MI

Yummy

 Mark does not have a website but you can reach him via email at wagarglass@hotmail.com

Thoroughly enjoyed Mixed media artist Darron Chadwick from Carmel, IN

Darron uses actual old comic book pages, vintage postcards & stamps (not reproductions).

Learn more about Darron's art at ChadwicksStudios.com

Really like Sculptor Thomas Yano from Vermilion, OH.  Unfortunately he does not have a website or email address to obtain scheduled upcoming shows where he is participating.  Phone number is 440-967-4623

He works mostly in bronze, brass and copper.

JT Dunphy - Woodturner from Mount Vernon, OH.

"He uses rescued hardwoods from storms & landscaping casualties thus the business name Turned Treasure"

My friend inspecting Turned Treasure's fine craftsman ship

No website but you can email him at JDunphy1@columbus.RR.com

Ceramic Artist - Paul M. Jeselskis from Michigan City, IN.

Designs functional & decorative porcelain pottery

You can view more of his pieces at Pauljeselskis.com

Some musicians popped in this year

to add a little flavor to the festivities.

Turned out to be a very pleasant day.  However, in the midst of all the cavorting, I got home, only to realize we had not bought one single thing to brag about!  What were we thinking?  Of course, I do have their addresses!  Now to decide which one - hummm?  My living room is Blue, Yellow, Orange - I have the "Hair" album on display.  Can you guess which picture I decided on?  I'll give you a hint -

It will work really well with my strobe light.

Hope you get a chance to go out and visit

with your local artist this summer.

Ciao!

KJ the JunkYard Gypsy