Melrose Trading Treasure

It's been a while since I had a good haul from The Melrose Trading Post,

but I hit the jackpot a few weeks ago!

At last, a mirror for the bedroom - $25!

I love the surreal Dali-effect on the right, that's distorting the

image of the cheap Ikea storage thingie I refinished years ago.

The tree branch on left is from the tree mentioned here.

Gorgeous, hand-blown and sunny little glasses (much smaller than they appear) - $10

Vintage Italian glass coasters - $10

These lovely silk scarves were a gift by the gentleman

who sold me the glasses and coasters! He used the scarves to wrap

and create a way to carry them. That's class.

A Citrine crystal pendant (good for third chakra - creativity) - $20

and an Ankh pendant made from recycled bullet shell casings - $3

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

First Redux of 2011!

Haven't had much luck of late at the flea markets and garage sales, so I've been

looking more and more on Etsy where I found these:

I saw a lot of potential with these vintage lovelies (made in Hong Kong!),

and even though I liked the colors that reminded me of Lifesavers fruit flavors

(kept me quiet in church for years), I had a better idea.

Now gracing my bathroom wall...

A little gold spray-paint makes a glamourous difference! All for under $30.

Merci to Endless Collectibles!

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Auto-Archeology or Digging For My Childhood on Ebay

There were two very obscure items from my childhood that left a lasting impression...

Sally Goes Shopping Alone (1940) tells of little Sally's adventures on her first shopping trip alone to the big department store in order to surprise her Mummy with a birthday gift, while getting her doll a bathrobe, new ribbons for her hair and a pair of rainboots! I used to read it at my grandmothers, but like many things, got lost somehow. To this day, this book influences how I prioritize my goals (shopping and otherwise) and reminds me how things will work out, even if it's not as planned. What's particularly fun is how knowledgeable and helpful the people who work in the large department store are, and how they would send any packages you couldn't carry to your home the next day!!!

Money Card (1972) may be why I still aspire to global bohemian jet-setting. You travel around Europe, with the goal of acquiring keys to the glamourous cities and if you have the "money card" you can charge your expenses!!! Nothing like teaching 7 year olds how to get into debt... albeit in a stylish and cosmopolitan way! The game belonged to a neighborhood friend, and I never found it anywhere else or met anyone who ever heard of it.

A couple of years ago, I got a yen to find both of these long-lost treasures, partly to see if I could find them at all, and you can imagine how tickled I was to discover them on Ebay and for cheap (especially since Ebay tends to be $$$ these days). Now they can continue to inspire and make me smile till the end of my days.

The only other thing left I wish I could find is this strange breakfast cereal-like stuff that I was given in early childhood, but never seen since. I think it had the name "concentrate" in the title, came in a small, metallic-papered box with a metal spout and was made up of very tiny flakes (not sure what grain, maybe corn). Seriously I wish I could remember more, other than I really liked the taste. Major golden karma to anyone who can point me in the right direction with this, though I think it may be impossible...

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Loving My Golden Birthday Month

Sweetie-pie wonderfully struck again with another golden birthday surprise... a vintage gold purse sold by one of my favorite flickr/etsy photographer/bloggers, Elle Moss. She sells some of her used props on Etsy and not only is the purse what the French call, Super Cool (imagine the accent s'il vous plait), BUT she included one of her beautiful pictures and wrapped the whole package in the prettiest paper!!! And her prices are beyond reasonable, so please check her out.

June is almost over and I have one more birthday gift to share with you, but I'm awaiting its arrival... I bought it for myself with $ my grandma sends me every year for my birthday (I'm her only/the only grandchild). Stay tuned.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Almost Summer on Fairfax

Channeling the Cote d' Azur with a colorful floral 60's ebay dress (re-worked by changing neckline), my favorite vintage Italian rattan purse (fully lined in fabric that almost matches my dress) and gold sandals (quel surprise)... life's too short to be drab.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Golden Crossroads Adventure

AH SONIA RYKIEL...

So my love of gold shoes seems to have no satiation point. What can I say... it's a gilded sickness! But in my glamorous defense, may I state that most of my lovely lovelies are second-hand and these are no exception. As I was exploring Crossroads Trader the other day, well first I had a semi-star sighting and lovely conversation with Eddie Steeples who plays Crabman on My Name is Earl (see even tv stars like groovy second-hand threads). He says that they won't know if the show is being renewed until sometime next month, so keep your fingers crossed and the good karma flowing! BTW he's just as cute in person... and I think he may have been a good luck omen, because as I turned away from him and saw the shoe rack, there they were: beautiful, golden, FRENCH, and my size!!! (which is rare because I wear between a 5 1/2 and 6) and oh so affordable, $30. Should I mention how comfy they are too? Forgive me, I gush.

So away I made with my golden treasure... on to my next Second-Hand Adventure!

BTW, there's a song called, Who the Hell is Sonia Rykiel? It's on a cd by Malcolm McLaren called Paris. I highly recommend checking it out. Oddly enough I was in a thrift store in New Orleans (Magazine Street!) when I heard the cd for the first time and I've had it ever since.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe