Just because I like to say 'Doodads'

 

I don’t recall when it began but at some point I started setting aside little vintage doodads that turn up in the boxes and bags of things I bring home from yard sales and thrift stores.*
 

A fleet of little sleighs came mixed in with vintage Christmas ornaments.

 

Itty, bitty deer appeared.

 

Tiny, tiny white mice were found in the bottom of a bag. (These are a tremendous improvement over my last experience…)

 

Little candy baskets started stacking up along with the occasional googley-eyed glitter bird. (Blogger’s spell check rejects all of my versions of ‘googley.’ )

 

Bells of all shapes and sizes.

 

And one spun head.

All of these doodads end up in a bag marked ‘Ethel’ because The Vintage Crafter will know exactly what to do with them.

 

 

 *Despite bringing home boxes and bags of things from yard sales and thrift stores, I swear on my stack of newspapers from 1987 that I am not a hoarder. 

 



Write here, right now.

Making chalkboards isn’t exactly a new-fangled idea but I am a simple gal who has a soft spot for easy projects that have already been perfected, in this case, by countless chalkboard-makers before me.

For me, chalkboards are all about the frames they’re in.

(Frames that were made by somebody else, of course, although I have been known to paint some of them. See previous sentences for references to simple gal and easy projects).

And maybe there’s a clever phrase or two, written in ... well, chalk.

The only word I could come up with: Scarves.

Simple. Gal.

It’s right about here where ‘simple gal’ takes on a whole new meaning because for some reason I’m at a loss for words when it comes to writing on the chalkboards I’ve made.

Other than something subtle like “THIS IS A CHALKBOARD” or “I AM FOR SALE” or “I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING TO WRITE HERE,” words escape me.

So now I just take the vintage hieroglyphics route.

THIS IS A CHALKBOARD.  *sigh*

For lots of chalkboard inspiration, check out this post from Donna of Funny Junk Interiors.



Where vintage gathers

I’ve now officially completed one full revolution in my adventures as a vintage vendor.

You may recall it all started last July when I drove a giant cargo van out to the country, packed Beverly Hillbillies-style with vintage anything-&-everything, and set up shop at my very first vintage event, A Vintage Gathering.

Green garden cart has moved on to a new forever home.

This July I hooked up a u-haul trailer to my freshly installed trailer hitch (look at me grow!), stuffed it full of things from the Garage Where Cars Can’t Park and rambled off to the country & A Vintage Gathering. Again.

And it was awesome.

Again.

If you're looking for milk glass, I think I have all of it now.

And I learned a few more things this time around.

Little pink dresser didn't sell but everything around it did.

I took my time unloading and was beyond careful in order to avoid breaking any (more) bones.

That plan seemed to work better than the last one.

Miracles can happen! I remembered to hang the sheet banner!

Having a u-haul attached to my car makes me want to buy crazy-big vintage things because I have a way to get them home. (But I didn’t. I don't have enough crazy-big space. Still…)

The Square credit card reader is a wonderful thing to have as a vintage vendor, especially when selling at a venue that may not have an ATM machine. I didn’t use it until the last hour of the day which seems to be when buyers have spent all their cash. Then I used it a bunch. Love it!  

It’s also handy to have if you’re holding a garage sale; those handwritten, neon poster board YARD SALE signs around town can now include the Visa/MC logo!

I can never predict what will sell.  Some of the things I think will sell right away sit there and gawk at me. Some gawk all the way back home again. Some are still gawking from the “What was I thinking?” pile.

Me and my friend Annette. Why didn't I tuck in that shirt?

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who worked so hard to make this amazing event happen!

*******************

PS I’ve created a board on pinterest with the rest of the photos in case you want to see the other vendor’s spaces. Just click here.