Celebrate the Season Swaps!

...or, a festival of lessons in generosity and procrastination. Generosity from all of my swap members, and procrastination on my part in posting about them!

Earlier this fall, right after Halloween, the wonderful faerwillow announced this year's round of Swaps. Four in number, I opted to participate in all! Why not re-create the wonder of years past when the post contained lovely packages from afar, with goodies unknown? I joyously anticipated each swap arrival..

On Yule, I opened all of my packages..

** When reading, click on any of the tiny images to open them in a new window, full-size **

First, I exchanged 3 gifts to give with our Mistress of Swaps, faerwillow, and received a box of delights from nature and from talented and crafty (in only the best possible way!) hands.

Handmade Blessings, Petits Cairns, Ornaments that Delight

Boxes of Music & Tools of the Trade, all with instructions for use!

I did not photograph a lovely Blue Bauble and some sweet-smelling pine needles, but they are well-loved. Speaking of pleasure, I do think that this lovely Willow wand I received has a new would-be user:

Next, a Yule~holiday card arrived in the post from Moontides. Bright-red and full of cheer, it has a warming influence on my mantel:

Moontides was also my ornament exchange swap partner, sending along a quartet of Angels to guide and inspire:

Tracy of The Faerie Castle was my book exchange partner sending along this touching tale of giving, grief, and the reclamation of hope:

 I highly recommend it for all of your little friends.. and grown-up ones, too..

I am so blessed to have been a participant in these swaps.. Let's keep this going in 2011 and beyond!

 

 

 

All of my new Twitter followers will get a coupon code for 10% off everything in my #etsy shop, Miss Howe's Curiosities! Please follow me on Twitter (see the link on the right hand side) and get a little something nice for yourself in the shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop/misshowescuriosities

Thrift Share Monday : Brooches and Braces and Pearls, oh my!

Welcome to my belated edition of Thrift Share Monday! A few bits and pieces were found, and I think they have a lot of pizzaz..

First, this nifty little brooch, with paste stones and black and yellow enamel:

A funky pair of '80s enamelled,wedge-shaped pierced earrings:

I found this wonderful pair of vintage men's braces - or suspenders, depending on where you're from ;) - modelled by my boyfriend!

..and of course, the aforementioned, if plastic, pearls:

I've been pleasantly surprised by what I've been finding in the markdowns or clearance sections of consignment shops. Although higher priced than your average thrift store find, there are bargains to be had and the items have already been cherry-picked for their condition and quality.

Thrift Share Monday: Last Minute Holiday Crafts and Decor

I made a quick stop into the much-maligned Central Square Goodwill, just to see what Holiday-themed goodies I could find. Hoping to find Christmas and other December holiday gear, may I say that I was not disappointed.

First, I found this tiny, tiny Nativity Set - no more than 2 1/4" high by about 1/2" wide. It's probably destined for my etsy shop:

For you last minute crafters, an assortment of faux "bulbs" from a company that is still in business ..

.. and a packet of 12 plastic reindeer with wire stakes, perfect for a holiday cake or a wreath.

Entertaining, and worried about your glass tumblers being broken? I found these 8 plastic Old Fashioned glasses, some of them new in their individual sleeves, and still in their original, if somewhat battered, boxes:

I was hoping for some more Boonton Ware, as I found a couple of months ago, but instead found a plethora of Holiday wares. Happy Hunting, all!

 

Children's Christmas Book Giveaway at My Mink Betty

The Fabulous Betty at My Mink Betty is having a Children's Christmas Book Giveaway! I've just entered, so do stop over and enter to win  7 Christmas-themed children's books..

She's also got a great post on her family Advent Calendar, too.. I'm preparing to get one for the first time..

Thrift Share Monday: The Ring's The Thing

While not a thrift store, I have found some exceptional values and unique things at consignment shops. On his way home from work a few months ago, my boyfriend saw a sign for a new shop of this type, with a rather amusing name - The Mad Closet. Located in Cambridge, MA (on the Cambridge/Belmont border), it is a small space packed with wonder.

Taking advantage of a recent Buy With Me group deal, I purchased a $50 merchandise certificate and resolved to make a visit. I had nothing particular in mind, but knew that as soon as I spied this on the front counter that it would be mine:

Firey opals set in copper, their flame spoke to me, even though I am not typically a ring person.  Amazingly, it fit my ring fingers, both right and left, perfectly - as if it were made for me. The most amazing part of all of this was the name of the creator - Chas Howe. My surname, though I'm pretty sure he's no relation to me.

Notice the twin titles of both jeweler and optometrist? I love the mix of creativity and practicality. A quick Google session led me to discover that he was a practicing Optometrist in Northern VT in the early part of the 20th Century. Can anyone with an Ancestry.com subscription send me anymore information on him? Please? I'll be eternally grateful and feature you on my blog! Of course, if anyone has any more jewelry from Charles Howe I'd love to see a picture of your wares!

Here's another look at both ring and box:

Don't you just love it when you are drawn to things? Have any stories of just being attracted to something, especially if you found that you or your family or friends had some connection to it? Do tell in the comments below!

 

Thrift Share Monday: Delman Shoes and Kitchen Kitsch

Yes, it's practically Wednesday, but I have to share the loveliness I found recently! That, and I need to come back from my accidental posting hiatus..

You know those incredible old church thrift shops, run by lovely older women who are the real gems of the store? Well, even their brilliance was eclipsed by this find:

Two pairs of vintage Delman shoes, I believe from the late 60s to early 70s. In a size 8AA narrow width, they were most certainly worn by a lady who lunched. They are co-branded with the Charles Sumner mark, an exclusive women's clothing store that was on Newbury St in Boston until the mid-90s. How much for these beauties? $4 apiece!

I also found this Mid-Century (late 50s - early 60s) Kitchen Paper, Tin Foil, and Wazed-Paper Dispenser at the Cambridge Goodwill:

 A little bit of retro for only $3.99!

Happy Thrifting!

A Spot of Tea, ca 1941

Need some guidance on making the perfect cuppa, under all sorts of conditions? Look no further:

 

Love the scientific approach - tea in a giant test tube!

Thrift Share Monday: Things to Keep, Things to Give, Things to Sell

I've made myself promise that I cannot, simply cannot bring another thrifted or junqued item in here unless I've either got an immediate need for the object, think it would make a great gift for someone I know, or will be listed on eBay or etsy within the week!

The current Miss Howe's Curiosities villa is a mere 283.5 sq ft, with high (10 1/2 ft) ceilings and a lovely marble fireplace. It was a master bedroom in the 1860 townhouse that would one day be chopped into an assortment of cell-like apartments (anyone in the UK or Australia, think "bedsit") with small kitchenettes but thankfully deep bathtubs and well, unique quirks like single-paned windows two blocks from a New England River, and being within walking distance of a host of businesses, restaurants, and attractions. I have enjoyed living here, but I absolutely cannot hoard a thing.

In the spirit of making room, here are a few lovelies I picked up. Can you guess which ones are for gifts, resale, or just for me?

First, sturdy metal bookends - remember them from your school library - were 50c apiece. These still have their Harvard Coop  price tags attached! I wonder if there's a field of study, like forensic economics, that can date an item based on its original cost?

Next, a set of three plastic yet lacquer-look Japanese trays, defintely made for the American Market..

 

.. and a Vegan Blue Suede Coat!

 

If I'm especially prolific in posting to eBay or etsy this week, it's due to the candy corn, Mellocreme pumpkins, and the promise of more eclectic goodness!

Giveaway Cookbooks and Pamphlets from Food Manufacturers

Does anyone else love vintage "giveaway" cookbooks and pamphlets that food producers, soap companies, and other manufacturers of home or women's items used to distribute? I remember seeing these in the kitchen drawers and bookshelves of my grandmother and some of her friends and relatives. Prominently featuring everything from a certain brand of flour to yeast brands long since absorbed, or as a promotional giveaway with certain brands of soap, they were chock-full of recipes which ran the gamut from staple to disturbing.

I found this Fleischmann's cookbook on home-made, manual bread baking at a library booksale; if I've read the "5-48" in the back cover notes correctly, it dates from May, 1948!

My early introduction to this genre was through a small Dell paperback entitled, "One Pot Cooking", which my grandmother received with a Dove soap bar purchase; as soon as I could read the title, it resonated with me on a soul level. I am now an unabashedly proud one-pot gourmand (well, as much as the sanctity of the recipe permits!). I wish I hadn't thrown it out, what an interesting re-read that would have been..

Do you have any favorite giveaway pamphelts and/or cookbooks that you are looking for or simply cannot live without?

 

Thrift Share Monday: Treasures Found

This past week I went to my local Goodwill in Central Square, just to see "what was there" and maybe find some stock for my Etsy store. Meaning only to be there for a few minutes, I browsed for over an hour, witnessing folks knocking items off of shelves, found meaning and answers to internal questions while perusing housewares (could this be called "junkomancy"?), and of course found some gems.

First, I picked through endless saucers and cups, dessert plates and abandoned Tupperware to find a lovely mismated set of Boontonware cups and saucers. I've only posted one cup and saucer, but more pics will follow soon.

A few skeins of Aunt Lydia's Krylon Rug-hooking yarn:

.. and perhaps my favorite find, a Vintage Ecko Red-Wooden Handled Eggbeater, which I think dates from the 1920's - does anyone know where I can find the age of and more information about this implement?

That's all!

Welcome to Miss Howe's Curiosities

Hello! My name is Eleanor, and I'm the curator here at Miss Howe's Curiosities, a blog devoted to vintage wonders, artifacts and sensibilities. I've grown up as an only child, surrounded by my Mom - who is a generation older than my peers Mothers - and grandmother, plus legions of Great-Aunts, Second Cousins twice removed, and a network of folks who lived in the present but remained firmly connected to the past.

Join me as I search for common items from the past that bring delight and joy to our today!