Junking in Georgia

Fun with Junk

Monday can be spent cleaning and restoring order after the weekend. After an entire morning of doing the afore mentioned, I saw that I was running low on cat food so off to Pet Smart. While I had the car in motion, I went to Pet Smart by way of Goodwill ( not on the way but what is a junker to do ?). Driving the Prius does allow little side trips like this these days. What was there waiting in Goodwill for me? Two 1970's era wicker elephant plant stands..

They will be spending the summer on my front porch. The photo shows them holding petunias which will be placed elsewhere when the wind dies down.

They had to be cleaned as they were dirty. They have spent a lot of time in some one's basement but now they are back in the sunshine. Fun with Junk can turn up some great stuff.

Vintage Fair Weather finds

A shot of the area above the kitchen cabinets in the mountain house. To the left stacked one on top of another are three old tin lunch or picnic hampers. They have either tin or wooden handles. I collected these over a long time and then held on to them until I had a place for them. The second group of objects contains a tin that held Camp fire marsh mellows. Years ago we lived in Decatur in a craftsman style bungalow built in 1926. I had a friend old enough to be my Mom. We would take walks through our older neighborhood and see this tin sitting in the back yard of one house. I'd talk about how much I liked the tin. My friend was planning a trip and I helped her with some information and maps. The day before she left on the trip she gave me the tin... she'd explained to the owner how much I liked it. I have kept the tin for over twenty years again waiting for just the place to put. The straw picnic hamper and the big thermos are more recent finds from the local thrifts. The straw demi-johns are another collection I've put together over time. All these old things represent people out in nature enjoying it. I think they bring good karma to my place in the mountains.

Spring is slowly coming to the mountains of North Carolina.

The week is off to a cold start here- Winter's last gasp. Gardeners who have rushed the season and planted annual flowers will be struggling to cover them to protect them from the freeze we are supposed to have tonight. Once the cold air leaves on Wed. we will begin the big warm up... sometimes we go straight from a short spring into the long, hot summer the South is famous for.

Back to Junking on Junking in Georgia

Junking has been on the back burner for me for most of 2008. The addition of the Mountain house has caused me to go through everything I had found and saved in the past. It was a lot. Then there was all the practical stuff to track down- bedding, shower curtains, all the stuff you use every day. Yesterday in a search for stuff I debated going to a distant thrift store. In the good old days I found some pure treasure at this thrift store, but in the last year or so the finds have been way down and with gas the price it is even in a Prius I rarely go in this store any more. My search took me to a place so close to the thrift store I told myself what the heck I'll go through fast then get to my errand. I am going through the place and see this:

An oil painting of a seascape ... in a pretty mission style oak frame.. signed T. Bailey.. it's $6.88 so I buy it bring it home and do what I always do look it up on the internet. T. Bailey is the signature of William Frederick Paskell 1866-1951. He is a considered a White Mountain School artist. He often painted the area around Roackport Mass. I don't know when it was painted but from the frame I would guess around 1910 -1920. I will be doing more research to see if I can find out anything more. This will be going to the Mountain house.

An Old Photograph

This is a rare photograph recently found of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. Helen is holding one of the dolls she loved so much. This is an AP photograph of the original photo. Doll was the first word that Anne spelled into little Helen's hand. It was the word water that Anne later spelled into Helen's hand that caused the break through and lead to Helen's understanding and learning. If you have not seen it the film "The Miracle Worker" tells this amazing story of a unreachable little girl and her amazing teacher. Anne Sullivan is the perfect example of all the best qualities of a teacher. She was an amazing force in Helen Keller's life who improved Helen's life. Many of us have been lucky enough to have had wonderful teachers who changed our lives for the better. Amazing English teachers impacted my life. I crossed their classroom doors with a love of reading and they introduced me to the great literature. Thank you Mrs. Franz, Mrs. Lovings, and Mrs. Kyle I will never forget what you taught me so many years ago. They loved what they taught, it was clear to even a silly teenage girl. I loved what they loved, and I went on to major in English in college. Our society needs to value its Anne Sullivans more. Education in America seems to be based on performance on standardized testing alone in 2008. Teachers solider on under bad conditions. At times I think our society is very anti-education. Children are exposed to anti-education messages by some forms of popular culture. What would Anne Sullivan say about it all I wonder?

Dream a little Dream

Old buildings are an something I am fond of. This one is close to the house we are buying in the mountains of North Carolina. The house closes on Friday, leap day. We are picking up a u-haul trailer this evening to load with basic things like beds. Thursday we are are heading up there. It is a new beginning for us. For a while we will be camping out in the mountain house. It will be a lot of fun. I will be junking in Georgia and in North Carolina every chance I get. Weekends and holidays we plan to be there. It will be wonderful to have a new area to explore and enjoy. I am pretty sure it gets very dark at the new house much darker than here in the city. I have plans to sit on my new deck and see the stars. I think it will be very quiet with only the creek you can hear and the wind in the trees. I can see lots of mountains from the deck.. Chimney Rock, Whitesides, and Cow Rock. I plan to learn about how they got there names. We've been told we should expect to see some black bears and other wildlife. We have a lot to look forward to; we're very excited.

Magic Carpets

Oriental Rugs are magic carpets. What they add to a room is magical. The beautiful colors and patterns are a tremendous foundation to build a room on. A hand knotted rug takes many hours of work to produce. It is simple to tell a hand knotted rug if you turn it over and look at the back. A hand knotted rug will be very irregular while a machine knotted one will be prefect. I do remember one visit to a local thrift store when I violated the first rule of thrift store shopping : never, ever look in someone else's buggy and see what you've missed. I looked and saw a large, beautiful hand knotted rug. That one got away, but it does pay to keep an eye out. Great rugs can turn up anywhere.

The design of a rug can indicate where and who made it. I was talking with a rug dealer recently who said that it is becoming harder for experts to know for sure where the rug comes from. Some makers are making rugs in the style of other regions if they think they will sell better.

I'm currently looking for a rug for my mountain house. I am enjoying the process. All the rugs are so different in design and so colorful. I doubt I will be lucky enough to see one at my junking spots.

Another week end has arrived. The last one in Feb. come on spring! The daffodils in my yard are blooming some two weeks early. A week from today will be leap day... 2/29/08. The Oscars are Sunday evening ... I predict "No Country For Old Men" will win best picture, and Daniel Day-Lewis will win best actor. Enjoy the weekend.

OLD PAINT

What is it about old, flaking, fading paint? What makes it so interesting? Is it the evidence of the passage of time? It is the evidence of enduring or weathering? Is it the texture or the surface below that shows through? Is it the faded color... all of the above I think.

On this old barn door there is more paint off of it than on it. The paint that is left has been clinging to the door for a long time. There is no question when you look at it... this is old.

This chest is a masterpiece of old paint. The worn finish speaks of years of use by many human hands. Only the paint tucked into the cracks and curves has made through all the years. The patina on this old wooden item is priceless. I don't care for a room full of old paint, but a bit of it here and there will add so much interest. Real old paint is one thing then there is the entire world of faux finishes - new paint made to look old with techniques that are also very interesting. In the 1960-70s there was a huge antiquing fad now it is called faux finishing. I took a great class on faux finishing. We learned how to paint faux marble, to comb paint, to sponge on and off using a variety of things, to rub back paint, to use wax to retard paint, to glaze, etc. Some of the methods I have never used and others I have done more than once. It does help to start with an item you have picked up for a small amount while out junking. You feel a lot more free to be daring when your canvas is not something you are worried about ruining. If you think you'd like to try your hand at a faux finish a picture frame can be a great place to start.

Mexican Folk Art

One of the things about this trip to Arizona that was delightful was the chance to see some Mexican folk art both antique and new.
This wonderful Santos is an example.

These antique figures could tell some interesting stories if they could speak.

And pots! Huge ones! I would love to have a courtyard with some of these wonderful pots.. maybe one made into a fountain.

The colors and textures are all so vivid and full of life. It makes a space a happy one.

Folk art of any kind is so full of life and the hands that create it.. it makes any place warm and comfortable. Sleek and modern has its place but fill mine with wonderful stuff like this full of character.

OLD MIRRORS

A wonderful element to include in any room is a beautiful old mirror. I find my love for old mirrors grows as I age. I find I look better in a gentle more forgiving old looking glass.
Enjoy the weekend. I will be heading on Sunday.

A ROUGH GUIDE TO DATING (ANTIQUES)

Anyone who has watched an episode of the "Antiques Roadshow" is aware of the importance of makers' marks on everything from silver, china to jewelry. If you walk through your home and pick up an item, the mark on it can tell you a lot of information other than if it is Tiffany or Wal-Mart. In 1891 McKinley was President and a tariff act became the law. From this date everything had to have a stamp or a label on it giving its country of origin. So if you are out at the Salvation Army store and you see an old tea cup if it is marked "England" or "France" without the words "made in" you have an old teacup. If it has no country of origin it could be even older. Around 1919 the words "made in" were required. So in order of age no mark= oldest, single country name=older, and made in country name =newer. This is an easy to remember rough guide for dating things in the field.

If you want to do more in depth research, on a mark there are books and web site to refer to. Ebay is useful for more than shopping. If you find something look on ebay a for similar item. Many auctions give great information about what they are selling.

Here are some more date indicators. Any hand written marks tend to be pre-1800. A kite shaped mark with
"RD" in the center dates from 1842-43. A printed or stamped mark in any ink other than blue is post 1850. If the term "LTD" limited is used it is after 1860. The word trademark used after the name of a country of origin dates to after 1891. If an item has a US patent number it can be used to date the item.

It is sad that the mark we see most often these days is Made in China. This mark on an item does nothing to make you think the item is well made. In the future there will not be many vintage items left with Made in China on them they simply will not last that long.

Last week I was out in a local Goodwill store looking for marks on China. The display shelves in this Goodwill are at least 5 feet high containing 3 shelves. I was standing close to a woman who was talking away on her cell phone. She knocked a stack of at least three taped together full size dinner plates off of the highest shelf. They fell and the edge hit my poor foot. It hurt, and I screamed I couldn't help it. The woman did not miss a beat she kept on talking didn't say she was sorry or ask if I was ok. Some other shoppers came to my aid. The woman still blabbing on the phone rolled her buggy out of sight and I limped on.

A grade school Valentine vintage 1950... removed from an old scrapbook.. if you look closely you can see the vintage paste on the front.