the Sweet Salvage occasional sale
If you’ve read this blog for more than a month or two, you already know that I adore Sweet Salvage and its occasional sale. I’ve written about my monthly obsession nearly two dozen times in the last two years. Sweet Salvage is only open on the 3rd Thursday of each month for four days. The rest of the month the über-talented “Sweet Gang” are out “picking” new merchandise and using it to create mindbogglingly beautiful vignettes – all centered around a fun monthly theme. I’m consistently blown away by the gorgeous scenes these ladies set with their well-priced vintage finds.
This weekend, Sweet Salvage celebrates its 2-year birthday with the “Chapter Two” themed sale.
Each month on the Sweet Salvage Facebook page, there are questions posted that followers may answer to then be entered into a contest. The names of a lucky five are drawn. Then the chosen few receive VIP 15-minute early entry into the sale on the highly anticipated opening day.
Guess who was one of the lucky five to be drawn as a winner this month. Yeah, ME!
I didn’t realize I’d won until I was sent an alert that blog follower, Betsy, had tagged me in a FB comment. Thank you Betsy for the heads up!
I invited Sheila as my BSB (best shopping buddy) and we had the best time during our 15 minutes of stress-free, first-pick shopping spree. Maybe too much fun in my case. Here is part of what I snagged this month at Sweet Salvage. Ooh, and they gave us a burlap shopping bag too. Sweet!
I’m going, to begin with my favorite find this month, instead of closing with it. That is how EXCITED I am to have found it.
It is a 12-inch round, 2-inch high metal plate with a list of recipe ingredients around the perimeter.
Can you figure out what these ingredients make? (1 1/4 cups flour; pinch of salt; 3 eggs, beaten; 1 1/2 cups milk; 2 tbsp butter, melted)
August 17, 2013 3 Comments
Sweet Salavage – May Sale
I bought a ton at the May Sweet Salvage sale. Wanna see it all?
Yes?
YAY, I’m excited and happy to show you!
Let’s begin with some of the more fragile finds.
There were two lovely Ironstone brown transfer-ware covered dishes. I couldn’t decide between them – so I got them both.
I researched the markings on the bottom of each and found that they are from the late 1800’s.
I further found a match to the second one for sale at an auction site online. Trust me, I paid nothing close to $150 for my two dishes!
The three little Ironstone hotel creamers are adorable. Two of them have markings, I haven’t had a chance to look them up yet.
The creamer on the left is from the New Southern Hotel in Jackson, Tennessee – you can read about the hotel’s storied history HERE. The center creamer came from the Hotel St. Charles in Winnipeg, built in 1913. The one on the right is from The Belmont. There are many Belmont Hotels all over the world, I have no idea which one this creamer is from.
I actually purchased two of these little gems at the April sale, but since I didn’t post about it, I thought I’d share them with you now.
I especially love the Ironstone brown transfer-ware butter pat dish. Sheila picked up four of five of these cuties too. The adorable flower thing is about as big as my thumb. That is the marking on the bottom of it. I think it’s half of a salt and pepper shaker pair.
The small square dish is from the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, a 5-star hotel in Paris, France that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Looking at the little hotel dish every day, makes me long to be back in Paris!
The rectangular dish has the image of THIS on it.
Ready for more? This batch is mostly metal stuff.
May 21, 2013 1 Comment
package/wrap tote – courtsey of Sweet Salvage
Three weeks ago, my favorite lifestyle blogger, Heather Bullard, posted THIS.
Image via HeatherBullard.com
I was inspired to create a packaging/wrapping tote of my own. I decided to wait the three weeks until the next Sweet Salvage event to see if I could find the perfect container.
As always, the ladies at Sweet Salvage did not disappoint! Not only did I find this fantastic tote and vintage Arizona Winter Sweet Orange crate, but two dozen-plus additional treasures too!
I’m not quite certain what I’ll do with the Blue Goose Growers, Inc. crate yet, but I couldn’t pass it up. Loved the imprint with Tempe, Ariz. on the sides. I found this 1950’s label for sale online. I’m tempted to purchase one and attach it to the front of the crate. I’ll have to sleep on that…
It was an especially good month at the once-monthly sale! I’ll show you my other purchases in the next post, but today I’m going to focus on what I’ve done with the wooden tote.
After stenciling on the front, I loaded that puppy up in no time!
Shipping labels, muslin, and flat glassine bags.
Vellum envelopes and mini corked bottles.
Clay kitchen tags for baked goods and other food gifts. Numbered clay tags and the entire alphabet for unique and personalized gift tags.
May 20, 2013 7 Comments
meant to be…
At the January Sweet Salvage sale, I spotted something “fabulous” as I was standing in the checkout line. It was something very similar to a thing I’ve been dreaming about for months now. I looked at the price, looked at all the stuff I already planned to purchase, and knew I could not have it all. I let the “fabulous thing” slip away.
(Hint #1 – the “fabulous thing” is in the photo above. I swiped this image from the Sweet Salvage blog. Can you guess what it is?)
For the rest of the month, I regretted not putting everything else I had in my hands down and getting the “fabulous thing” instead. But I held on to a glimmer of hope that “fabulous thing” would not be sold and would still be there when I returned for the February sale.
Kim and I walked into the door on the Friday morning of the February sale, and I headed straight for where it had been the last month. And…
IT was still there!
(Hint #2 – the “fabulous thing” is also in the February Sweet Salvage photo above – this image is also swiped from their blog. Do you spot it yet?)
I was so relieved! After being filled with regret all month long, it was still there, a sure sign that I was meant to have it! At least that’s the ‘sign’ I read.
(Hint #3 – I’ve been dreaming of this fabulous thing ever since I first learned that such a thing even existed. I had seen something very similar to it on the blog of the talented person I love to stalk. A year and a half ago, I read THIS post on Heather Bullard’s blog and have been coveting the item ever since.)
March 7, 2013 2 Comments
more cookbooks
This past Wednesday, the day that the article about collecting recipes came out in the Arizona Republic, I received a call from an elderly gentleman in Mesa. He left me a message saying he’d read the article and thought I might like to have his deceased wife’s collection of cookbooks.
With the hundreds of cookbooks I already own, it may not seem as though I am picky about what cookbooks I have, but honestly, I am quite selective.
I called back and after I listened to the man’s story of losing his beloved wife and the bookshelves of cookbooks that he wanted to empty and be rid of – I said, “Yes, I will be happy and honored to come over and take the books off your hands.”
Connor, my dad, and I, drove to his home in Mesa and piled all the books into the back of my car. Once we got home I went through them, hoping to find a treasure or two.
Guess what? I found my treasure – the kind of gift that just keeps on giving.
It’s called “How to Entertain at Home” by Sylvia K. Mager with the editors of Today’s Woman. Published in 1952 by Fawcett Book. Its 142 glorious pages sold for a mere 75¢.
And yes, that bottom photo on the cover is of children trying to bite at hot dogs dangling on strings from the ceiling!
Please allow me to share some of the important requirements for entertaining in 1952.
December 30, 2012 8 Comments
vintage French ephemera and more
Today the plan was to post all about the fun things I found at the Rose Bowl Flea Market on Sunday. Instead, I’m going to show you the super awesome things I bought at Sweet Salvage yesterday. Yes, that’s right, I found more wonderful treasures right here in Phoenix than I found when we traveled 380 miles to California to treasure hunt. It just goes to show that you never know when and where the best stuff will be.
My #1 favorite find in all the time I’ve been shopping vintage?
The best thing ever?
By far, are these 10 sheets of vintage French ephemera!
I have been searching for such a thing for nearly two years, ever since I saw the same thing on Heather Bullard’s outstanding blog.
They are French receipts dating from 1909 to 1934. I plan on framing several like THIS and creating an arrangement with framed vintage maps of France that I’ve been collecting.
So what are ephemera, you ask?
“Ephemera is any transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, bookmarks, catalogs, greeting cards, letters, pamphlets, postcards, posters, prospectuses, stock certificates, tickets and receipts.”
These are all of the small items I purchased at Sweet Salvage this month. Well, not the plate of cheese and crackers or the glass of red wine.
Following are close-ups of a few of my finds…
October 19, 2012 3 Comments