For Love of the Automobile!

Welcome to Lakeside Storage!

One sunny Saturday, we got our vintage kicks...but not on Route 66!  On the west side of Provo, Utah...not too far from the Boat Harbor...is a storage business called Lakeside Storage.  The owner has a deep and abiding love affair with the automobile...specifically the art of the gas station.  Since we weren't customers of the business, we asked at the office for permission to walk in and take a look around.  So much vintage happiness!  It made me want to pack up the car and hit the road...find another piece of Route 66 to explore!  That, my friends, is what summertime is all about!

 Road Art Gallery!

I love the re-purposed Phillips 66 sign!

Every corner was filled with color...I could hardly believe the variety!

All the old pumps just happened to have glass tops in perfect condition.

I think the collector was able to find reproductions from a restoration specialist.

My favorite...Superman's phone booth!  

The glass was too little hazy from recent rains to get a clear picture of the Man of Steel.

I'm itchin' to travel somewhere...

PS...A few Vintage Vacation graphics to get you in the mood...

Collecting Vintage Christmas...Snow Domes!

Vintage Christmas Snow Domes!

 The Kitschier the Better...

One of the things I loved about Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion was the "Finders Keepers" feature in each issue. One December article was about plastic snow domes (or globes.)  Plastic snow domes became popular in the 1950's, made in Japan or Hong Kong.  Some of them are so cheesy and cheap looking that you can often find one at the thrift store for less than $1.  Seen together...in a collection...they are colorful and very, very fun!

My Small Collection...

Five Figural Snow Domes

I had already started a small collection of figural snow domes before the magazine article came out.  I was please to find out that figure-shaped domes are hard to find.  Some shapes, like an elf with a gnome and mushroom in its tummy is really rare.  I have a Santa with a Nativity scene in his tummy...how tacky is that?  The tipsy Santa hanging on a light pole is really a funny one.  I don't think any of my little guys are particularly valuable to anyone but me.  I don't always display them, so it's fun to post them here.

Love, Shirley

I'm reposting this from November of 2011.  I hate being lazy, but this is the third year in a row that I've gotten sick the first week of December.  My Christmas Spirit has been sadly lacking and my computer is having issues since Comcast dropped off the new router.  Hope to be back in good spirits soon. =D

New Circus Toy...and Front Door!

More Circus Summer Fun!

 

German Tin Litho Ferris Wheel

I found it yesterday at Sandy Antique Mall.

Now I have to collect more...lol!

 

Detail of Riders...the colors are so bright and happy!

The key was included and it works...turns like a charm!

Patriotic/Circus Front Door 

Still a work in progress...lol!

Lots of burlap and red/white/blue thingamajigs.

Closer View

Circus Wreath.

Antique Elephant Bread Board was a gift from my fun friend

Paula @ Pollyanna Reinvents

Burlap ribbon...and bows made from torn strips of fabric.

Mod Podge paper mache stars.

Kinda busy-looking...but I'm getting fond of it.

I made four circus poster plaques...

...and four clown plaques. 

No scary clowns allowed!

Aren't these the tackiest flowers ever?

And don't you just love them?

I have a hard time finding red/white/blue flowers...these were from Walmart.

 

Happy Summer Decorating!

 

Some Circus Posters...Enjoy!

 

For the Love of Hedgehogs!

I Heart Hedgehogs!

Illustration from a European story book



One of the things I fell in love with when I lived in Germany was the hedgehog...the cutest woodland animal ever!  I loved the way they waddled about in the bushes and sometimes slept on my front porch.  I had a small collection of figurines and one day in Bremen I waited while a glassblower created one out of glass...the dear little fellow taking shape right before my eyes.  Sadly...my little glass hedgehog was one of the things the movers stole when we moved from Delmenhorst to Edewecht.  They also took one of the handmade clown dolls my grandparents made for me before I left home...but that is another story.

 

Anatomy of a Hedgehog...

According to Wikipedia, the name hedgehog came into use around the year 1450...derived from the Middle English heyghoge.  Heyg, or hegge ("hedge") because it often calls hedgerows home...and hoge, hogge ("hog"), from it's piglike snout.  Other names include urchin, hedgepig and furze-pig.

 

Although hedgehogs are covered with spines...they are stiff hollow hairs and are not poisonous or barbed like the quills of a porcupine.  They will roll themselves into tight little balls for protection...hoping that the prickly spines will discourage their enemies from eating them.  Forest hedgehogs have relatively few predators...mainly owls and ferrets.

Darling Spring Card

 

Hedgehogs are fairly vocal little critters...they communicate with grunts, snuffles and/or squeals.  I enjoyed hearing our neighborhood hedgehogs snuffling about in the woods near our apartment building.

A Russian Greeting Card.

 

 Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal...but depending on the species may be more or less active during the day.  He may sleep for most of the day under cover of a bush, or grass, or under a rock or in a hole in the ground...a den he dug himself.  Pet hedgehogs love to stick their heads into tight spaces like toilet paper tubes and walk around with them stuck on their heads. This behavior is called "tubing."  McDonalds had to change the design of McFlurry containers, because wild hedgehogs would become trapped inside and starve to death.   ..

Steiff Hedgehog Family.

I have wanted a hedgehog doll for over 30 years.

I couldn't afford the very expensive Steiff animals when I lived in Germany.

 

Hedgehog Couple

Henrietta and Fritz Hedgehog

I found Fritz and Henrietta in the Etsy shop of one of my favorite bloggers, Julie of A Vintage Chic. They are the creations of her mother, Karen O. Smith.  Her designs are influenced by the classic German doll makers of the past...which have inspired Karen since she was "just one small girl."  They are crafted from 100% German Schulte mohair and 100% German wool felt. Fritz's lederhosen are suede!  These jointed dolls are amazing in their detail...heirloom quality.   I am so delighted with my treasures that I just had to blog about them.  You should visit Julie's shop "Just One Small Girl" and meet the other dolls and hedgehogs.

 

Just One Small Girl

 

Isn't he the sweetest little thing in the woods?

 

Thanks for letting me share a bit of hedgehog lore with you.

I think Fritz and Henrietta are going to need some accessories...

it will be fun thinking about some German-style furniture.

 

 



I Heart Vintage Tin Toy Kitchens!

 New Fun Find...A Fridgie!
George was a good sport yesterday and took me to the Treasures Antique Mall in Springville yesterday. I bought a couple of Valentines and was going to call it a day...when I heard this sweet little white and red Wolverine fridgie calling my name.  I answered sweetly, "For only $25...you can call me any time!" I've enjoyed the fun posts around the blogs lately about dear little stoves and darling doll houses.

This little fridge is in really nice shape...just needs a little cleaning...which I didn't do before snapping the picture!  I plan to give the cute couple a home on my laundry room counter as soon as I rearrange a few things.  I wish I had taken my camera as there were two more stoves...both different from mine. One was made in West Germany.  I also saw a toy washing machine with wringer.  As I was wasting time today,  I found a bunch of pictures on Pinterest of toy kitchen appliances, so I thought I would share some of them.

For the Love of Tin Kitchen Toys!

I have probably pinned this cupboard more than once!

Was available on Etsy.

Red, white and black!

Kind of looks like plastic maybe. ..eBay

Shelf one of a collection found on Pinterest.  

They belong to a woman nicknamed LittleNell.

I wanted a pink set when I was little.

German...from eBay

Shelf two.  The collector has a shelf unit filled with miniature kitchen appliances.

 

Shelf three.  Aren't they cute?

"Ginny"  Made in Japan...eBay.

Every now and then I find myself trying to buy my childhood back.

Even if I can't go back there to stay...I sure wish I could visit for a while.

Do a little shopping maybe?

Repost...Life is a Fiesta!

Getting back my blogging mojo...
I guess it's my turn to have Blogger be a pain in the upload pictures department.  I sure hope this isn't going to be a continuing problem, since I haven't posted since December.  I feel like I'm losing my blogging mojo.   I haven't anything new to blog about...but I have visited several blogs where my friends have mentioned how much they hate the lack of color in their homes after putting Christmas away.   My answer is to share an old post from September of 2011 called "Life is a Fiesta."  Fiesta Dinnerware is so fun and colorful in my kitchen that I almost don't miss the Gingerbread Fantasy thing I had going on!

Life is a Fiesta...
We all have a little collector bug living inside us. What do you collect? My sister Patti, collects vintage tablecloths, "Crap I've Made" blogger Char, collects Pyrex bowls and casseroles http://crapi'vemade.com/, and my daughter Sascha collects "Alice in Wonderland" themed dolls. I collect too many things, but my all- time favorite is Fiesta dinnerware.

Fun, colorful Fiesta has been charming homemakers since 1936 when it was introduced by Homer Laughlin Pottery at the Pottery and Glass Show in Pittsburg. It was cheerful, inexpensive and came with almost unlimited accessories and "go alongs" like glassware, flatware, and serving pieces. Just the thing to help brighten the gloom of the Great Depression. One of the things that makes me extremely loyal to the brand is that they are now, and have always been, "Made in the U.S.A!" I started collecting Fiesta more than a decade ago. I love how they come out with a new color a couple of times a year. My favorite color...of course...is Scarlet! =D

These are my everyday dishes. Most of what you see is Fiesta.

This hutch features vintage Fiesta pieces, with a few modern plates.

Some of the cream, patterned china was designed by other companies to "go along" with Fiesta

Fiesta is available at Macys, Kohls, and other major department stores. If you are interested in collecting vintage Fiesta, The Collector's Encyclopedia of Fiesta can be found on Amazon.com. Maybe your library will have a copy. O-Lay!

I hope you enjoyed this blast from the 2011 past!



 

Yikes!  I can't even download any thing from my my signatures file.  I do hope things are better the next time I try to post!