People Make Etsy

Well, you know those items that bring back those warm fuzzy feelings? YES, well, this one did. I was out and about doing my hobby, as hubs says, and stumble upon this wonderful McCoy Pottery Stove Oven Cookie Jar. It immediately reminded me of my Grandma. As young children my Mom and Dad would let us spend the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa at their home in Northridge, Ca. My brother and sister and I would go there in the summers and have fun swimming on hot humid days. After we swam, Grandma would ask if anyone wanted to make cookies. We all screamed YES! of course. Who wouldn't? From scratch home baked were the best. Grandma didn't have any fancy baking or cooking tools, or even a fancy kitchen. (She and my Grandpa grew up in the Depression Era here in the West. To look at them back then who would have thought they had any money. BUT the love and memories they gave us was well worth more than any money.) She would go about getting all the pans, tools and ingredients out. We'd help by measuring the ingredients, cracking the eggs, stirring, and drop spoonfuls onto the baking pan. She'd heat the oven and we'd put them in to bake. MmmmmMmmm! The wafting aroma of chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies always drifted from the kitchen to all parts of the house and even outside. The best part was lifting those warm sugary delights off the pan with a spatula and onto a plate or paper towel. A nice cold glass of milk always complimented their flavorful wonderfulness. Rarely would any be "leftover". But, Grandma DID have a cookie jar. Hers was a Pawnee White Elephant Cookie Jar. It was always tucked away in the corner of her kitchen counter behind the bread drawer. Rarely were any cookies ever found in there, although I remember looking a few times! When she and my Grandpa passed I inherited them. It brought back good memories for me and I did not want to lose them. So when I saw this Stove Oven Cookie Jar I had to snatch it up. I knew someone else would want those memories that they made with they cherished loved one to be remembered. The person who bought this did just that! Objects like this cookie jar do just that. I hope that your cookie jars make others think of the love you showed them. Happy making cookies and memories!
To view items from my shop Holey Gwackamoley! click here

At Once or Later?

At Once or Later? Are those sayings what dictate what you do when you do? Lately that feels exactly how each thing I do in my day feels. Of course, most everything feels like it must be "at once" though there just is not enough time. I recently found these items at a garage sale. I had never seen them before ever and I inquired about them. The gal said they were hers. She had bought them when her husband enlisted and went off to the Korean War. She said that he had left some debts behind that she had to figure out how to pay. Because she got these and used them I'm thinking the debts were paid. Just needed a mindful person and a will to "get 'er done" grit. She no longer needed them hence the reason she was selling them. I thought, humm, I need these because I know someone else needs these. So, if you need a bit of help in organization with bills and want some vintage style go and snag these in my shop Holey Gwackamoley! on Etsy.com http://www.etsy.com/shop/HoleyGwackamoley  And may all debts never stay outstanding, they can always be put off to "Later". Just make sure to get them done "At Once"!

That Back Burner Project

Ever have a day or time that you remember that item or items that are screaming for your attention? Maybe it's a paper due for class, a chore at home that needs to be done, work on the car, the pile of leaves that need to be raked, or that project at work that needs your detailed attention? Well, I know I am not alone. In this line of work, working my shop I sometimes find items that "I" want (meaning "I" want to KEEP). It isn't necessarily something big, but something that has peaked my interest. This time it's been a Scotch Tape Dispenser I acquired almost a year ago. Here is a link to it in my shop:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90222824/atomic-yellow-flower-power-vintage  It was rough but underneath I saw it's potential beauty even with the chippy paint and gunky sticky tape on it. It has sat around my home for the last year coming out from the woodworks to taunt me to take care of it. So, after our Christmas break, and being sick after my return I had been pushing through to get better, I decided to take her out and give her the love she needed. Her, meaning this wonderful little tape dispenser. To me she's a cross of the atomic era and the flower child days. She has HAD her days in an office somewhere. She was long forgotten when I got her and I continued to forget her. Well, not anymore. I got some elbow grease invested into her and now she shines even with the chippy paint. The old tape that was gunked in different spots on her got cleaned off (Thank you Goo Gone!!). She got a new tape spindle put in her and a new roll of Scotch Tape on. She now works like a charm waiting for someone to appreciate her again. She wants to tape up some gifts again just like in the olden days. I still want to keep her but I am no where near having my own office yet. She needs a home. Happy taping!

Fresh Home Made Ice Cream!

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's like freezing outside and you want to talk about ice cream????? BBBBbrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!! I've always loved ice cream makers, in particular the electric ones. Who wants to do all that hand cranking anyway? When I was growing up in the 70's and 80's my parents owned one of these electric versions. It had a big green bucket I believe with an American Eagle on the side. And Oh, Dad was passionate about ice cream. He used to tell us stories of how his Dad too loved ice cream but was very particular about how much each kid got. I think too he told me something about a chart on the side of the freezer where his Dad would mark off who had what and how much. Thank goodness Dad didn't adopt that same concept for us! I remember it being a big ordeal that Dad made vanilla ice cream. The ice and the rock salt, as a kid I couldn't figure out WHY you needed to put salt on ice. Now I've figured out why. But it all still is magical! Well, those of you who know me know I frequently go out in search of my treasures I list at my online store http://www.etsy.com/shop/HoleyGwackamoley . Just the other day I came about a brand new in box vintage ice cream maker. Now anyone who visits vintage shops on Etsy must know that Etsy considers anything 20 years old or older as "vintage". So, I brought it home to offer buyers the opportunity to own one of these working and wonderful ice cream machines. Usually the items hang out in my kitchen or dining room for a few days while I find out all it's pertinent information, photograph and package it up. My youngest son asked me if this ice cream maker was "ours" or was I going to sell it on my shop site. He was soooooooo dissappointed that I was selling it. HE said that I get all the cool stuff and just sell it. Well, my thinking is that I have enjoyed these items in the past. Even though it may be a different style or maker I still appreciate them the same. And being a recycling Queen I'm all for using an item that has had a life before and give it a new life in a recycling kind of way. The sad part about this one is that it really never had a life before. It looks brand new and never even used. So, it will be loved in a 2nd chance and better kind of way. That one is up for sale on my shop site: http://www.etsy.com/listing/88540139/you-scream-i-scream-we-all-scream-for . So, after considering all my son said, and that I too LOVE ice cream, I tucked the notion of finding one just for us if I should ever meet up with another again. Well, lo and behold, what found me today was a newer version of these machines. It is brand new in the box and PINK! HA! Throw it in your face....Mom brought home a hot pink ice cream maker for US! So, there, you have it!
Off to drool over ice cream recipes....and if you got the notion for some too I've got one ready to ship off for you!
Julie~
Holey Gwackamoley!

Most of my outings are a miss, but sometimes they are a HIT!

You just never know what you are going to find. That statement often runs through my mind as I go to different yard sales, thrift stores, or even off the beaten path antique stores. One in particular antique store I patron about 2-3 times a year. It just so happened that a couple weeks ago when I decided to go that there was a sale going on. This antique store had recently moved things around and cleaned it up a bit. There are half a dozen  "booths" if you will with different sellers. Oh, and this place goes on like forever! Rooms that lead to more rooms. I have my method of madness to hunt and dig through all nooks and crannies. If I don;t then that is when I miss the best items. So, I'm coming toward the last room. The last wall. There, lo and behold, were a pair of old vintage clear glass swag lamps. One had damaged glass but were being sold as the pair. Found out that the sale price would fit into my budget as a vintage resaler (and reworker of lamp wiring), so I jumped on them (not literally). I carefully carried them to the counter and purchased them. So, with what I got I was able to clean up the one good one and extract it's innards for new wiring, socket, chain and light bulb. Oh la la! What a beauty it is! And since I was only able to make one I had other parts and put together one more piece completely different in look and feel. These are now listed on my shop site Holey Gwackamoley! So, really, just one more stop along the way and you CAN find an item that you may just cherish. I do but now I put them up for sale in my shop so you can enjoy the benefits of vintage in your home too.
Julie~

Holey Gwackamoley!

"What is IT?" at Lake Cachuma

OK, so here it goes: Family and I head out and arrive at Lake Cachuma Campgrounds the 4th of July weekend. As soon as we pull in I notice a sign saying that there will be a garage sale the next day (Saturday)to benefit the Nature Center there. I thought, "Alright, something fun to do!" (All collectors and vintage enthusiasts get their kicks off of digging through stuff and finding great deals.) So, I set in my mind that THAT was what I was going to do Saturday morning. So, hubs was so kind as to come with me. He's one of those husbands who would be waiting outside a store while the wifey shops. So, there's a method to my madness. Look at everything to the right and go the perimeter. That way I shouldn't miss a thing! After all hunting and digging through stuff is how one finds things. First off I find this wonderful little sewing machine item. I did not know what exactly what it was. Through some research and a wonderful plethora of knowledge over at Etsy Vintage Lovers Team I got what I was looking for. Turns out that this is a Jewel Antique Hook Rug Needle Loom Shuttle, used for making rugs. Looks like now it would be a beautiful decorative object for that sewing business or sewing room. Finding relics like this makes me appreciate the rugs and carpet I have now. So I will be listing that later today at my shop site Holey Gwackamoley! Now here comes the interesting part. Now IF you were at a garage sale and there are mostly older men and women working it whom also donated items wouldn't you think that someone would know about one particular item? Well, as I neared the end of my garage sale-ing I saw guy things like tools and fishing gear. One item was just sitting there begging me to be curious. I thought, "Hum, I wonder what IT is?" Then after picking it up one older gentleman chimed in and asked, "So, what is IT?" I looked at him, shrugged my shoulders and answered, " I don't know. You mean you don't know?" Then another volunteer worked would ask the same thing of me. Then another, then another. Someone said, "Oh, that's the item everyone has been talking about and wondering what IT is. I thought that if so many older people don't know what it is then I was going to find out. I picked it up and proceeded to check out. (They had a wonderful organized set up that made garage sale-ing FUN!) Even the check out lady asked me what it was. I was laughing inside. Proud of myself and wondering what knew things I was going to find out about this item. I had some speculation. So, I buy the two items and hubs and we head off to the general store to get something to quench our thirst on that HOT day. As soon as we walked it (items in hand) the younger gentleman there asked me what IT was since he and the volunteer workers were talking about it the day before. I was amazed that it was such a conversation piece in such a small and friendly community. (I was so glad that I bought it!) I thought to myself, "Now I have to write about this in my blog" So, here it is. So, just after that the older gentleman who worked at the general store said, "Oh, that's a hod." What??? HE KNOWS WHAT THIS IS????? WHAT????!!!! So I asked more about it. He said that it is used to carry prepared plaster to the workers who actually plaster buildings. It totally made sense then!!!! IT is a "plaster hod" carried by plaster hod carriers who then hand it off to the plasterers, sometimes up a ladder or scaffolding. For some reason Popeye the Sailor Man comes to mind....(I think in one of his cartoons there was a plaster hod in it.).. I digress.....So, sure enough IT is a plaster hod. Looks good enough to use today but really it looks like it would make a great home decor planter inside or out in the garden. OK, so there you have it. If you want to check it out just click on this link to my shop: Holey Gwackamoley! I still have to list it.
Thanks for reading and thanks to the volunteers at Lake Cachuma Nature Center!
Julie~
Holey Gwackamoley!