Grateful My Home is My Hobby

It feels a bit shallow and a bit inappropriate right now, but I think I'm finding something that brings me a little joy.  I'm sprucing up my house and re-doing some things that haven't felt right.  No one would question that of an ordinary woman, but since I'm a new widow, NOTHING seems right.  I have lost my goals.  I've lost my plans.  I've lost control of what I thought was my life.  Very little makes sense anymore.  Having anything at all that feels good to do is a gift and I'm grabbing hold of it and running.

I love quotes.  I find tons of inspiration from reading.  First, I came across a bit that I have always believed.

Once is a happenstance.  

A second time is a coincidence.  

A third time is a significance.  

That quote was fresh on my mind when I had a few encounters which seemed particularly meaningful right now.

I didn't give the first encounter much notice. I read a little something about finding a hobby or some little something to do as a way to get past trauma.

Next, I read an article about a woman who had 3 sad events in three years - a divorce, a death in the family and a fiance who  dumped her.  She felt she had lost control of her life (that got my attention).  She had threw herself into decorating a house and found that he healed as she fixed up her house.   She wrote a book about it - Bee Cottage. You can read more about it HERE.

My third encounter was as good as a note from above giving me permission to play.  I bought a used copy of Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach at Goodwill.  I'd read that book (all about gratitude) when it first came out in 1995, but decided it might be worth reading again.  I'm using anything I can to keep me from sinking into dark places.  The book is written calendar style. There's a short chapter each day.  I started on the appropriate date.

The July 29th chapter was The Home as a Hobby.  She quotes a 1929 magazine article. The quote is long and I'm too lazy to write the whole thing, but my favorite part was this -

A home which is not a fair expression of us at our best, a home which lacks what it might have, a home which is in any part more ugly or in any part more uncomfortable than it absolutely need be... a home which cannot be run without waste, a home which by any detail gets on the nerves of its inhabitants and so impairs the harmony of their existence - something ought to be done about such a home.  Why not make the perfecting of the home a hobby?

To me that quote isn't about following the latest style trends or creating spots in your house that would make perfect Pinterest photos.  It's about creating a home that promotes comfort and happiness and life.

I've already been trying to do improve things in my house a little, but now maybe I'll put a little more effort into it.  I don't work fast.  You can't when you prefer to buy used.  The hunt is half the fun.  Well, today's treasure hunting went a little better than expected.  It went so well that I'll need to put off additional treasure hunting for awhile.

First, I bought this extra large stool.  No need to paint or recover - the colors work well as is.  And I got it for a song.  It's in the guest room.

I had moved the bench that was there to my bathroom.  This wood bench was made by my hubby a year or two ago, before he got sick.  When he made it, I wasn't crazy about it.  It's a little too high and the seat area seems too hefty.  Rudy built things as if they were going to be tested in a tornado.  He made the bench for us to sell, but for some reason we kept it.  I'm really glad now.  I like the idea of having it placed where I'll see it more often.  Plus, it's really functional in it's new place.  Also, check out the curtains in this photo.  That's actually a chenille bedspread.  I'm thinking of making it into a curtain and before cutting it up decided to hang it from cafe rings to try it out.  I'm liking it.  One more thing - the walls will be painted white as soon as I get in the mood to paint. Who knows when that'll be.

I've had these three framed greenery pictures in the master bath for a while now. Just yesterday, I thought about how pretty green towels would look in this mostly white room.  I was fairly specific when envisioning the color - celery green.

This photo just shows 2 of the ones I found.  Everything else has been put out.

Guess what I found at an antique mall today?  A towel set of celery green towels.  Two huge bath towels, two hand towels, two washcloths and a fabulous bath mat.  All in pristine condition.  All the tags still intact - they are from Restoration Hardware.  Lush as all getout.  I know antique malls.  I can tell you all about most of the ones in the area.  Towels are not something I recall ever seeing at any of my favorite stores.  To find a set like this was a huge surprise.  I washed the whole set the minute I got home and everything is in place now.  They are fabulous!

I also found these cool vintage metal chairs.  They are finished in a funky bohemian style which really caught my eye.  There are 4, but the vendor came in while I was browsing and it turns out I know her. She's such a sweet lady.  She told me she has two more at home and she's going to bring them in for me sometime next week.  Please don't judge the crowded arrangement and un-put-together look in this photo.  The balmy weather here is horrendous right now.  It's comparable to a Turkish steam bath.  August is usually worse, which is hard to imagine. I may not work on this porch til Fall.

So... my hobby may not be noble, but by golly it's giving me something to be interested in, other than to just get through another day.  And Sarah Ban Breathnach would agree that is something to be grateful for!

Yard Sale Addict

I just finished mapping out my yard sale route for tomorrow.  I looked thru tons of ads and planned and plotted and felt my hopes rising. I keep thinking, "Maybe the next one will be the big one!"  Maybe I'll hit it big.  

Image from Zap2It 

It occurred to me that I'm probably thinking the same things a gambling addict thinks.  The stakes may not be as high for yard sale-ing, but the patterns and emotions are probably similar.  And I lose far more often than I win.  For every good yard sale, there are about 20 duds.


When gamblers win, they are hooked even deeper.  It's no different for a yard sale addict.  I've found THE MOST AMAZING THINGS at yard sales.   Quitting for me would be next to impossible.

Should I be looking into 12 step programs?  Is there any help out there for those of us addicted to yard sale-ing?  I'm only half joking. 

The Marigold Cupboard

A few weeks ago, I bought a vintage cupboard.  My first instinct, not always right, was to put it in my booth at Rockin' B.  It would look wonderful there.  I changed my mind on that rather quickly.  There was a spot in our dining room that needed something tall.  Would it fit?  Yes - barely!

Most would probably describe the color as mustard yellow.  I don't like mustard, so I'm calling it marigold.  A few years back, I wouldn't have cared for this color.  Those 70's colors - harvest gold, avocado green and whatever it was they called that brown were never my favorites.  For some reason, I seem to be liking them more when paired with colors I love, like turquoise or red.  I'm surprising myself.

Hubby felt sure I intended on painting the cupboard.  I gasped in horror.  The chippy paint gives it character!  Hubby doesn't appreciate an abundance of character, but thankfully, he doesn't care about such things enough to let it bother him.

I love the old red handles.  Bakelite, maybe?  The drawer handle was missing.  I plan to try to find something similar at a vintage hardware store a little south of me.  Til then, the glass knobs will do.

I brought home the Ball sign I painted and put it on top of the cabinet.  I decided I'd be heartbroken if the thing sold.  I love the apple tree branches in the granite pitcher.  Both of those are purchases from the same place as the cabinet.  I added a couple of my ball jars.  The arrangement works, but... I really think I need some red up there.  That whole corner needs some red.  It's very likely this arrangement is temporary.

The top doors have a chalkboard finish.  I had fun playing around with quotes and settled on a Dr. Seuss one to start with -

The inside has a backboard of red. It's basic plywood, which I never like, but the color is good.  The doors will stay closed.  Should I ever decide to keep them open and use the spot for display, I'll replace that backing. The shelves gave me extra storage for some things I'd had in high up cabinets before.  I especially like having the trifle bowls more easily accessible.  I love using trifle bowls!  And now I don't have to pull out a step stool to get to them.  Confession - Who knows when I'll use those bowls next.  I haven't exactly been Suzy Homemaker in the kitchen lately.

A side note about leaving the doors open - since I spend so much time on displays and vignettes for my booth, I find myself less eager for displays at home. I don't see myself opening those doors anytime soon.  I'm curious.  Do other booth vendors feel that way, too?

Another side note - I bought this cabinet and a number of other things from a couple in Senoia who were moving further out.  They had a wonderful old house and had even been part of the Senoia tour of homes in the past.  The pieces they were selling were ones they couldn't fit into their newer home.  I can't imagine what pieces they took with them.  The wife seemed rather sad or maybe just tired from moving.  I hope it was tired.  I keep thinking about them and hoping they are happy in their new home.

Vintage Caddies - Perfect for Cuttings

I like growing a plant from a cutting.  There's something very satisfying about seeing a pretty plant or bush and knowing you nurtured it along til it was well established.  I haven't rooted anything in a while - not since my rose bushes, which are huge and beautiful now.  This year, I decided to get back into it, mostly because I came across 3 wonderful vintage caddies over the last month.

The first caddy came with 4 pint sized milk bottles.  I couldn't bear to sell it.  To justify keeping it, I had to use it.  Use it or lose it.  A friend gave me some mint cuttings - more than I could possibly use in my tea. They were perfect to stick in those milk bottles.  I left the mint in the bottles til all the cuttings had a few roots and now they  have all been moved to a nice big pot where they will hopefully keep me supplied with fresh mint for a long, long time. There's also one sprig of rosemary in there.  I've never tried rooting rosemary. I have no idea if it will work or not.

About a week after I found the first caddy, I found another.  Also with cute little bottles.  Amazing.  This time, I stuck gardenia bush cuttings in it.  With buds.  Some have already flowered and gone.  Some of the buds are just beginning to open.  I put them on the windowsill in my entry room.  The smell all around them is fantastic.

After I planted the mint, the first caddy needed more cuttings.  My kitchen windowsill seemed lost without it.  So today I snipped some hydrangea cuttings.  I really should cut off the blooms to promote better root growth, but there's no way I'm going to do that right now.  When the cuttings are planted in the dirt, I'll do it, but for now, they are meant to be enjoyed.

Unbelievably, I found a third caddy.  This one came without bottles, but the sections are just perfect for mason jars.  Be still, my heart.  I plan to use my favorites - old blue mason jars.  I haven't decided what cuttings I'll put in them.  I really should sell this caddy.  I even went so far as to put a price tag on it.  After all, does a person really need three caddies?  For me,  the answer is YES!  I NEED them!!!!!!!!  Really I do!  (Am I going to end up on an episode of Hoarders?)

Pillsbury Doughboy Bowl

Holy Cow!  I was ready to toss this Pillsbury bowl in the Goodwill pile.  I got it in an auction lot with a few other things I wanted.  I decided to look it up before I said goodbye and found that there are some serious Doughboy collectors out there.  I had no idea.

Ignore the dish on the right.  I already had this photo and am too lazy to take another.

This Ebay listing is for a bowl identical to mine. The condition even sounds like mine - PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY BOWL-HOME COOKIN-POPPIN FRESH-OVEN&MIRCOWAVE SAFE! ANCHOR OVENWARE-BOWL IS NOT PERFECT,NO CRACKS BUT SOME WEAR MARKS,VER USEABLE ITEM! NOTE:THESE ARE VERY HARD TO FIND AT BEST!  It sold for $19.99 plus shipping a little over 2 months ago.

I figured that was a fluke, so I looked some more. I found another that lists for $25 on this site dedicated to Doughboy Collectibles.

Trivia -

• The Doughboy (his name is Poppin' Fresh) was first introduced in a commercial in 1965.
• A young Maureen McCormick (Marsha Brady) co-starred with Poppin’ Fresh in his first commercial.
• According To Forbes, Poppin Fresh is the 12th most loved spokescharacter (didn't even know that was a word)

Want to know more about Poppin'?
His official bio can be found here.

More links:
Pillsbury Doughboy Collectibles
Offical Doughboy Site
The Doughboy's Official Facebook Page


If you are a Doughboy fan, please stop here. The next section is in very poor taste and you will find it humorless and tacky and disturbing and it's a bald faced lie!  I mean it.  Stop reading right now.

Still reading?  Don't say I didn't warn you. 
I found this obituary while searching.  I didn't even know he had passed.

Please join me in remembering a great icon. Veteran Pillsbury spokesperson, The Pillsbury Doughboy, died yesterday of a severe yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes to the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a slightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out, including Mrs. Butterworth, the California Raisins, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, Captain Crunch and many others.
   
The graveside was piled high with flours as long-time friend, Aunt Jemima, delivered the eulogy, describing Doughboy as a man who "never knew how much he was kneaded."

Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with many turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, even as a crusty old man, he was still considered a roll model for millions.

Toward the end, it was thought he'd rise once again, but he was no tart.

Doughboy is survived by his second wife, Play Dough. They have two children and one in the oven. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.


Oh my word.  No wonder I can't get things done around here.  I get lost for ages doing stupid stuff like this.

1930's Book - The Art of Drinking

One interesting thing I came across during my latest thrifting adventures was an old book, The Art of Drinking by Dexter Mason.  It was published in 1930 and is apparently a sought after book for those who collect bar-keeping and cocktail books.

The book itself was a nice find, but there were tons of little goodies stuck inside the book that are even more interesting.

There was a stack of attendance diplomas.  Cross and Crown is church related, so a cocktail book seems an odd place to store these.

Most interesting of all were the old pamphlets with drink recipes stuck throughout the book.  It's quite a collection.

I have no idea how old they are, but just guessing, I'd say they were from the 1930's, 40's or 50's. 

I had originally thought to sell this book in my booth, but I don't think it would go to the right home that way.  This seems to be something that a serious collector would most appreciate, so, I'm thinking maybe I should list it on Ebay or something.  I feel responsible for finding it a good home!

Eat Cake!

Eat Cake brings up a number of hidden meanings.  On the downside, there's the tacky quote Marie Antoinette was supposed to have uttered in regards to the starving peasants - "Let them eat cake."  It turns out that she didn't really say that.  Ahhh, history.....  Once accused, the charge sticks.

On the upside, Eat Cake seems to mean celebrate and enjoy life.  I'll go for that, however, the last thing I need to do is actually eat cake.  I am determined to drop some weight. 

That's fine by me because I've found something related to eating cake that I like even better - vintage cake carriers.  I have found two in the last two weeks. 

First, I found this beauty by Regal.  The top locks on with a couple of turn lock mechanisms.  It's aluminum.  I love the rings around the bottom of the cover.  This carrier reminds me of all the wonderful cake bakers in my past.

Then yesterday I came across this one -

It's stainless steel and is a twist-lock style.  It looks exactly like the 1950's-60's Everedy ones.  It has the exact same USA brand on the bottom.  But - it doesn't say Everedy.  It was really dirty, but in good shape. It's shorter than the first one, but heavier.  I still like the first one best - it looks older and more like the ones from my childhood.

Now I don't really need two cake carriers or do I?  An idea took hold of me as I was looking these up on Ebay.  I kept coming across really pretty cake carriers in all sorts of colors and shapes.  Maybe I need to start a collection!  I could put them on top of my kitchen cabinets.  Maybe my friend Nicole (Queen of all things Retro Kitchen) would help me watch for them. 

I'm not the only one who is smitten with cake carriers. I came across this collage on The Kitchn.  She found these beauties on Ebay.

And I've always loved the Eat Cake letters in Tina's kitchen as seen on her blog - Cherry Hill Cottage.

By the way, I've been thinking about removing the doors below my sink and skirting it.  I don't have a farmhouse sink, but I love the extra something a skirt under the sink adds.

Now, go eat cake!

New Treasures - Side Tables

My thrifting lately has rewarded me with two great side tables.

Before I show you the tables, I need to point out a few disclaimers (excuses).

Disclaimer 1: The family room is not a room I am satisfied with in terms of decor.  It's a major work in progress with all sorts of limitations.  First of all, hubby insists that Lazy Boys (the old fashioned, hideously large, overstuffed style) are a must have and they must be positioned in a certain way in front of a television. Remotes and phones and such need to be close at hand.  He doesn't interfere with too much in terms of decor in other parts of the house, so it's only fair that I meet this request.  In order to make a Lazy Boy look right in this room right in front of the TV, believe it or not, I got two Lazy Boys and made a grouping.  It's comfy, but definitely not my style!

Disclaimer 2: We live in a zoo.  We have dogs and cats and they rule our life.  Living with pets requires certain concessions.  Delicate fabrics or knick-knacks are out of the question.  Light colors are asking for trouble.  Slipcovers are a pet owner's best friend.

Disclaimer 3:  Even with all the limitations, I am confidant that one day I'll get this room looking pretty danged good.  It just hasn't happened yet.  I hate buying new - it's not much fun.  I'm going slow and acquiring interesting pieces from yard sales, estate sales, auctions and other thrifting.  That takes time!   A good many things in the family room are make-do pieces.  I know I'll find something better one of these days.

Sooooooooooooo ------Please don't judge my decorating ability by this room! 

The first table is a retro beauty from 1946.  I know the exact year because it had belonged to the mother of the lady I bought it from.  Her mother had bought it when she first married in 1946.  So the table has a known history.

That's Dolly posing in the chair.

One more disclaimer - I haven't had time to put the finishing touches on the table decor.  First order of business - I'm considering lots of options for containing things on that shelf.  And the lamp - I love the vintage base, but the shade really isn't working.  It's another make-do.  Also - the red caddy under the table holds pet toys.  I want something more stylish for that.

I fell in love with this table at first sight and that baffles the heck out of me.  I usually like beat up, sturdy, hunky, chippy pieces.  This one has modern retro lines. It does have a bit of wear and tear, but nothing even close to "beat up".  It has a maple finish, which I generally like to cover with paint.  I appreciate that style, but it's not a look I typically swoon over.  But, swoon I did and I continue to swoon as I look at it in my house.  I'm thinking it must have some sort of magic.  That's the ony way I can explain it.

If you look closely, you'll see Lulu peeking out from behind the shelf.  Don't look too closely - you'll see tattered upholstery and dust bunnies.

Regardless of the style, the size and proportions are so much better in the room than the smaller make-do table we'd been using. This table is quite large for a side table - about 30 inches square.   Hubby wishes it were a tad shorter.  I told him he could cut the legs down a bit if he wanted.  He seemed satisfied with that.  Meanwhile, he really likes the table, too, and I hope the leg-cutting thing is something he'll never get around to.

I had always thought I'd have a painted table between the chairs, but I don't think it would be right to paint this one.  It would take away from the look.  That's surely more proof of the magic in this chair - I'll paint most anything!

The second table I found is one that I planned to sell in my booth.  It needs just a bit of TLC under the shelf.  Not much, it's it pretty great condition overall.  Hubby is fairly busy right now, so I knew the TLC wouldn't happen for a couple of weeks.  Meanwhile, I decided to put it someplace where it would be highly visible (and not forgotten by Hubby) but wouldn't be in the way.  Well, when I put it in this corner, my plans for it changed.  I really like it there.  I may one day come across a piece that's better for the spot, but this is definitely a make-do upgrade! 

Sissy (the sweetest, smartest kitty on earth) approves!

Some Big Pieces in the Booth

I have been super busy and have so much catching up to do on this blog.  I'm not even go to bother to post in order.  I'm just going to catch up randomly.  I'll start with some new pieces I bought for my booth.

The previous post from a week ago shows photos of our new larger main booth.  I'm thinking it needs a name.  We call our white booth The B Hive.  We call our first booth our primary booth.  I also used to call it Booth 188, but we actually have two numbers now - 188 and 488.  It's very confusing and all of those names are really dull!  Anyway, once we moved the PB (Primary Booth) over to the new larger space, we had all sorts of extra space.  And suddenly, I came across loads of big pieces.  The booth is fairly full again!

My major find were three beautiful oak pieces.  A lovely army family was moving out of state and downsizing.  They had a sale and I was lucky enough to find it.

I wanted to keep all three pieces, but ended up keeping just the vintage fireplace mantle.  They had used it to create a faux fireplace at a number of Army base homes. They put a screen in front of it and made it look quite real.  When their friends would come over, they would all ask how they'd been lucky enough to get a base home with a fireplace.  Knowing some of the stories behind this mantle will make it even more special.  I'm so glad I'll be able to keep it.

I don't have a fireplace and have been really wanting to try a faux look.  I've seen some amazing faux fireplace looks on blogs and even did a post on that topic last November.  It's a great post with some wonderful inspiration photos.   I'll be revisiting it when I make final decisions on setting this one up.

For now, the mantle is sitting upside down on our bedroom floor.  I rotated the photos so you could get a better idea of how it looks.  On the inside of the mantel, they used a faux brick panel. It has a bit of it torn off, but that doesn't bother me because I'm thinking of a different treatment.

The mantle details are really pretty.

It looks like I'll have a place to hang my stockings this Christmas!

The other two pieces I very reluctantly put in my booth.  I hope they find a wonderful home because I really, really, really fell in love with the previous owners.  So now, this sale is personal.  Am I the only one who does that?  I'm doing it a lot lately.  I may need therapy.

This oak icebox was placed front and center in the booth.  It's a great piece and has obviously been well cared for. 

The chest of drawers is in the back, but it's actually in a very nice spot - it's not being hidden, for sure.

This photo was taken several days ago and the area around the chest has been tweaked a bit since then.  I tried to put a few things on the chest to create a nice vignette, but left it sparse enough that the beauty of it still showed.  It has a slight curve to it.  Oh, my goodness.  I wish I had been able to keep it.  Even now, I'm thinking I'd like to bring it back home and move something else out.  My hubby would not be amused.  He'd have to be the moving man and he doesn't come cheap!

When we went to pick up the pieces, I ended up getting a tour of the lady's house and seeing some of her other vintage items.  While looking at a fabulous Hoosier, I spied some fabulous tea towels. They had belonged to her husband's grandmother, but her husband had no interest in them.   I'm a sucker for vintage linens and tea towels are my favorites.  I seldom use new dish towels any more.  She was willing to part with some of them and I came home with two tea towels and a pretty tablecloth (oops - I forgot to take a photo of the tablecloth).  They will be loved and used by me! 

I will think of my lovely Army family every time I use them.

Yard Sale FUn - Turn on the Lights!!!

I had a precise yard sale plan mapped out when I left to go yard sale-ing yesterday.  There were 5 sales in a very swanky area that I was going to make a beeline to. I had a printed map with the quickest route for all.  I had maps of others in the area that I could go to after the big 5.  But... my yard sale plans are always apt to change.  There was a wreck on a major road.  As I inched forward, I realized that I would pass by the road to one of my extra, less important sales.  I decided to go there and hope that by the time I left, traffic would be moving.  It was fate.  I got 95% of my treasures at this one sale.  Most of the treasures were lamps and shades. Lots of nice ones!

The best was a stained glass, Tiffany style lamp.  

I had planned to sell it, but... it looked good on my kitchen counter. :-D

Another lamp I planned to sell was this lacy one.  But then, I turned it on to make sure it worked well and, mmmmm, it was really pretty lit up.  The Battenburg lace shade did wild and wonderful things to the light and the details on the base were highlighted, too.  It's a keeper.

I really am going to sell some of them.  The tall lamp (on the left) is going to my booth.  The shade is very interesting.  It's red on the outside and has a swirly black pattern on the inside.   Why didn't I take a picture of that?  The base is pretty, too.  The short bronze lamp (on the right) is going into my holding area.  I don't want to have a million lamps in my booth.  The shade on that one is really nice.  It's so ice I thought about keeping it, but it's more formal/traditional than my decor. 

Some of the lamps came without shades. 

I went into my stash of shades and made matches.  

It's good to have a stash of shades! 

This lamp didn't have a shade or a finial.  I had one extra finial lying about and it was an ugly brass-y mess.  Black Sharpie marker to the rescue!  I colored it.  It looks great and looks wonderful on the lamp.  This lamp is nice, but I'm not keeping it.  I have a couple of lamps in a similar style and that's enough. I prefer to mix it up and have different ones.

I got three pairs of extra shades as well.  And they are really nice. All are lined and have extra details that make them look pricey and elegant.  Those are in my holding area just waiting for some pretty bases to come along.  I had one base with no shade.  None of these extra shades would work with it.  A shade will come along for it one day. Note, there are two of the gray shades, too, but I didn't photograph them together.

I had some other good finds as well, mostly from that same sale.

I'm keeping the Appolia gourmet sunflower dish.  It's nice!!!

I'm keeping the framed roses... at least for a little while.  

I'm keeping the shams.  They've already been cleaned and put into use.

The chair, I'm going to paint it my green and use in my dining room, 'til I find chairs I like better.

The basket is a keeper, too.   It still had the tags on it.

That's all.  I'm headed out the door for some more thrifting!

Yardsale Bliss - Seeing RED

Last Saturday was really nice outside and warmer than usual - 82 degrees!  With the warmer weather, more and more folks are having yard sales and I went to some nice ones.  I came home with lots of goodies and most of my favorite items were RED.

My amazing deal of the day was a teapot, which it turns out is probably a coffee pot.  The lady selling it was selling a few other vintage items, but I didn't think the teapot was old or particularly special.  I just thought it was pretty.

Warning:  

I've included lots of info on this coffee pot in this post. 

It's interesting to me, but could bore someone else to tears.  

You may want to skip over this section.

Once I got home, I decided to look it up.  The first one I found was priced at $212.  Holy cow!  I kept looking. Most of the ones I saw were over $100. I found one for $58, but that was the only one less than $100 and it had different markings on the bottom.

I think I paid $3 for mine. Or it might have been only a dollar.  I paid a bundle price (a whopping $15) for lots of items so it's hard to remember.

After lots of research, I am still confused on a few issues.   I found that it's made by Hall China in East Liverpool, Ohio. They were the largest producers of teapots in their heyday. They made this model for the Tricolator Company, Inc.

The style is Buchanan.  Some call it a coffee pot.  Some call it a tea pot. Which is it? Judging by the sources, I'm pretty sure it's a coffee pot. The originals were made in the 1930's. The Buchanon came in two different lid types. A screw lid makes it more rare - mine has a screw lid.

 I found a drip section for the coffee pot on Etsy.   Description: A very unique vintage aluminum art deco style drip coffee maker circa 1920-30's. Built by the Richheimer Tricolator Co., Patent date of 1923 engraved in filter. Top cap has "MAXWELL HOUSE COFFEE" and "GOOD TO THE LAST DROP" stamped into it. This early drip "crown" was designed to be placed on top of a serving pot. Ground coffee is placed in the basket and hot water is then poured over the grounds. The coffee steeps and drips into the pot below.

I found this complete set on GoAntiques.com.  It lists for $95.99 plus shipping.  The vendor dates this as 1923, which conflicts with the other dates I saw. Regarding the bottom stamp on the pot (there was no photo of this), the description says,  The tea pot is marked "HALL" on the bottom and stamped "Pour Right."   It looks like the Buchanan style.  Again, more questions.

Richheimer Tricolator made the top metal parts for coffee makers, so this is very likely the company Hall made the pots for, even though another source called it Tricolator Company, Inc.

NAGGING QUESTIONS

The teapot looks so good.  I wonder.  Is this one of the newer replica's?  Hall has been producing replicas of some of their patterns. I didn't see the Buchanon for sale now, but maybe they produced it for a short time and then moved on to other patterns. I don't know.  On the other hand, all of the Tricolators up for sale look equally good.  Maybe they held up really well.  Hall, after all, was famous for their amazing techniques with china.

My Tricolator - Screw Top Lid & Bottom Stamp

 On the other hand, my stamp looks exactly the same as the one selling for $212.  It looks the same as the ones over $100.  HALL is not stamped on the bottom of any of those.

The $58 dollar Tricolator had a bottom stamp very different from mine.  The Ebay description claims it, too, is vintage.

I'm guessing a newer version would have Hall on it since they would no longer be making it for another company.    I'm keeping this little jewel, at least until I find out more about it.  The good news is, even the replica's seem to go for around $50 or so.

More info on Hall China:

Hall China and Chinese Red and Hall Teapots -  Ohio River Pottery (Note - This was my source for the ads!!!)
Hall China - Yahoo Groups
Tea or Coffee: Hall Had it - by Antique Week
Hall Chinese Red - Replacements.com

I picked up a number of other 

red items at this same sale:

• DAZEY wall mount can opener Model #85 in a fire engine red with chrome and Bakelite handle - 1940's - sells online for around $26
• A vintage egg beater/hand mixer by Maynard. 1950's. This one is really nice and it works great!  I already have a red vintage beater that belonged to my grandmother.  The Maynard one works better. I'm keeping it. These sell for around $10 to $20 depending on the color and condition of the handles.  My handles are in perfect condition!  They've obviously never been tossed in the dishwasher.
• Small red cast iron utensil holder.  All the old utensils were crammed into this heavy pot.
• The chrome and red dish drainer is probably not vintage.  I think this one may have been sold by Ikea at one time.  I'm going to use it as a display rack in my booth. 

And as if that weren't enough, I also got these from the same sale.  

They aren't red, but I guess that's OK. :-D

 I've joined these link parties:

• Thrift Share Monday at Apron Thrift Girl
• Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm
• Three or More Tuesdays at The Gypsy's Corner
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