More Vintage for the Kitschen

Out with the old, in with the new... old stuff.  I'm getting rid of some napkins I wasn't crazy about, 'cause today I found these:

I love having things no one else has, especially when I find them super el cheapo.  I seriously have a hard time enjoying things that aren't a good deal.  When I passed through the Hill Country on the way back from accompanying a dear friend to a photo shoot in Austin a couple of weeks ago, I found these:

I had actually set them down on the shelf above the aprons I was perusing, and didn't remember until I was almost in the next town.  Sooo, like a crazylady, I called the number on my receipt, and the kind lady from the little shop found them just where I had left them, and sent them to me- paid over the phone with a little added on for shipping.  I was afraid they had arrived early and been stolen when someone ripped 1/4 of the mailboxes here out of their unit.  (Crackheads.)  Either way, one of my neighbors got them in their mailbox, either by accident or by the clever kindness of our postal carrier.  

Now, being artsy and all, I have an affinity for hand-embroidery, which I took up as soon as I could ask my momma to thread an embroidery needle with floss. Sublime Stitching got me started again a few years ago, so much so that I sometimes draw my own designs or do custom orders- like the time an older lady at work had me embroider a fitted tee to say "Cabrona" in pretty cursive.  I love handmade vintage goodies, like this little appliqued and embroidered towel that I found today for almost nothing. 

I found more than linens today.  I found a spoon rest- or at least a dish I'm gonna use as a spoon rest.  I've kinda had my heart set on a particular Japanese-made lemon one, and missed it in 2 auctions.  That was my secret I wouldn't tell.  However, I found an "onion" pattern California pottery dish today.  It looks like a big ol' clove of garlic, and I've been known to eat a whole roasted bulb of it on a single piece of toast (I swear that stops sickness in it's tracks, and besides, it's yum), so this is great!

Strawberries and garlic! Yaaaaay!

In other news today, poor New Orleans, which I love so much (along with the friends who live in it), apparently just got a lot of rain and winds unloaded upon it by Hurricane Isaac on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Ironically, some of my friends there I met as Katrina evacuees... who moved back.  Oh, the perils of living on the coast.  At any rate, I collect old plates and glasses from places I love, and I found this the other day for practically free:

And speaking of things that are turquoise, I don't think I ever showed you this:

My neighbor gave this to me a while back, and I cleaned it up quite a bit, or tried anyway.  It was dark when I came home from dancin' that night ('cause it was night), and she just started handing me vintage treasures of all kinds- magazines, hats, a radio, souvenir plates... and the thingy pictured above.  "Car parts!  I love old cars!"  It's dark, she's handing me all this cool stuff, I'm tired..... that thing is not a car part- not a window handle at all.  It's a can opener!  Therefore, it goes in the kitchen. 

Now I just need to find a way to get the rust off without also inadvertently getting rid of any of the paint.

Speaking of things that are turquoise... and rain...  let's throw in some suede fringe and mullets while we're at it.  I love this song, and it's relevant on a lot of levels right now.  I always assumed it was Randy Travis when I was little, (bless his heart- you seen the news lately?), but I looked it up to have a listen and found out otherwise today.  My Daddy always says "You learn somethin' new every day."  Now I gotta call him and learn how to get the rust off of that can opener without hurting the paint.