d.Sharp Journal

Behold - Add it up

I found this vintage toy at an estate sale a number of years ago, and it is one of my most favorite toy finds.

At 5, C is interested in numbers and counting and we have been doing some basic addition and subtraction problems together. The old plastic Add-A-Count is such a great visual for him. It has each number 1 -9, plus a couple of additional low numbers. Stack a couple of numbers together on one side and their total on the other and the arrow will point to Right. It even works with larger sums like 9/4 on one side and 6/5/2 on the other. This toy should be reproduced and sitting on toy store shelves, in my ever so humble/jumbled opinion.

 

 

Behold - ABC's

Educational and Amusing, you say? This is a neat little sign toy from 1942.

Cardboard letters fit snug in the channels so kids can spell things out.

Hopefully they spell out the good 4 letter words.

Behold - Lovely Lady

I met a 70 year old hooker named Velvet. A rug-hooker. I like her name, because back then it wouldn't have sounded so porn-ish like it does now.  Anyways, I had quite a few hooked rugs and wanted to learn how to repair them - a friend wanted to do it as well, so we went to our first hooking bee and met a nice group of lady hookers. I still had my right arm in a sling, recovery from Carpal Tunnel surgery, so it wasn't the best timing. I will also admit that the rug I started is one of many unfinished projects lingering around here.

I like that hooked rugs are folk art -the geometric patterns, colors and naive, funky images. Over time, hitting estate sales,  I found a few that I really love and use. My husband also ended up with a collection of antique hooked rugs from his family.

The lovely lady, below, is so weird that I had to have her. Found at a garage sale I had with some friends - swapping stuff.

I love the fuzzy hair and the painted nails, the topographical boobs.  I love how m-m-m-my Sharona she is. I don't have her out in the house, because she is too weird and it would be even stranger to walk on or wipe your shoes on her. Plus, shoes might flatten her cleavage.

{Sometimes I picture my boys sorting through our possessions in preparation for our estate sale and I really feel for them.}

Behold - Hello Central

 
Since I feel like I have totally been 'calling it in' lately with ye old blog, perhaps it is only fitting to share this vintage find with you. Haven't been to many estate sales in the last couple of years, but stumbled across one a few weeks ago. Amazingly, I managed to stumble upon it, even though it was at the end of a cul-de-sac. Anyway, they had this antique candy container cheap, so it lives with me now.

I love old paper candy containers and bon-bon boxes - I have never seen one like this. It is pretty big, overall about 9 inches tall. The wood grain is paste paper, with metal bells and a wooden receiver and ear piece. Wouldn't it be fun to receive this from a long lost friend, just them saying hello?

Behold - my cast

This is a favorite VINTAGE find, because it was mine when I was a baby and I am OLD.

{tangent: do you feel like the world conspires to make you feel old? Like bringing back leg warmers and 1980's wide-stripe shirts and, oh god, a Smurf movie. I do.}

There are some names on there that I can't read or recognize. But Mom is on there and Love, Daddy too.

Behold - Gravestones

I like my vintage cast iron S & P shakers.

May they rest in peace.

Behold - sterling companion

Let’s go—much as that dog goes,
intently haphazard....
—dancing
edgeways, there’s nothing
the dog disdains on his way,
nevertheless he
keeps moving, changing
pace and approach but
not direction—‘every step an arrival’.

Denise Levertov - Overland to the Islands.




I love this little silver dog. It is nice to have things from people whom you miss.

Do you have a special little something that reminds you of someone?

Behold - paper hatchet

This paper hatchet candy container was used to celebrate Washington's birthday/President's Day, I have also seen little tree stump containers with teenie tiny hatchets.

I find most vintage holiday things very charming. I love that every holiday seems to have been celebrated back in the day, taken as an opportunity to gift a small token of your affection to those you care about. {and eat sweets!} And geez, here I am showing you this 4 whole days after President's Day. I would have never cut it back then.

Behold - Anatomy

I found this anatomy chart about 15 years ago, after we moved back to Portland. Although it isn't in the best condition, I love it - besides it was crazy cheap. I found it at a big rummage sale and made a point of going back to that sale annually, each time finding at least one thing that really made my heart patter, until it became overpriced and kind of ordinary. {I am talking to you Catlin Gabel}

I especially like the detail.

We have it hanging in our kitchen since we have very few large walls without windows or paneling. When M was little he started to learn some of the anatomical names.  I asked C what some of the things on the chart were, this was his object association:

 

It cracked me up when he said "Macaron" - we have obviously been here before. Perhaps we are what we eat.

Behold - King of the Jungle.

The painting is on an aged wooden panel, and the paint is some kind of super thick glossy house paint.

Some girlfriends and I had a big yard sale together a while back. It kind of defeats the purpose of  'purging' if you end up buying things from your friends { and they end up buying from you - it is more like swapping than selling}. That is how I ended up with this lion painting. I think he is pretty fetching; a folk art, Alexander Girard-ish king of the jungle that brightens up C's room.