Friday, January 31, 2014

This Week's Estate Sales in the Dallas Area

I didn't go to many estate sales this week (relatively speaking), but I went 3 days in a row!
3 days of estate sales, and this was what I came home with.
This week, I had some special guests join me!  Always more fun with a pal, I say! 

I invited my brother to go to an estate sale with me that started on Wednesday because it was one street over from a house he lived in about 15 years ago, and I figured it'd be fun!  Well, it wasn't a great one, but of course it was fun anyway!  And I did make it home with a little jewelry.  This one was on 4330 Middleton, in the Preston Hollow area.  The last day is Saturday, and I bet you can get some great deals if anything's left (but I'm pretty sure it will all be junk because it already was mostly junk on Day 1) Like I said, this one started Wednesday.  Oh, and the house is a tear down, so they gotta get everything out of there ASAP. 

Thursday, I hit a few by myself.  One was on 11031 Joymeadow.  It was hosted by a company called "Attics to Basements".  I've gone to many of their sales, and they're pricing is clearly set for the day when everything is 50%.  It's a rip off if you go on opening day before they take a big percentage off.  Way over priced. I'm officially not going to their sales anymore.  OFFICIALLY.  However, that sale is still going on tomorrow (Saturday) and with that being the final day, maybe the prices will be more in the ballpark of fair. Maybe. But I'm done with them, and you won't hear me speak of them again. 

I went to one in Lakewood, at 6406 Marquita, put on by David C. Turner.  I found a few things there- a cute pink floral dish from France, another blue floral dish, and a pewter bowl with a squirrel on the edge.  I bought the squirrel dish to hold Fermin's collection of vintage cuff links.  The funny thing is, he hates squirrels because they are so destructive to our yard and terrorizing to Lucy and Ricky, so I thought the dish was especially funny.  Next time he goes to get his cufflinks, he'll see it- SURPRISE!  :)
Fermin's gonna go nuts when he sees his new cufflink dish!
 I also bought a necklace and a gorgeous bracelet.  The bracelet was for sure my treasure of the day! I mention David Turner and his wife, Martie's company on this blog often.  They put on great estate sales and I always try to make it to the ones they are running.  Very fair, and very nice.

I also went to one at 3151 Merrell where I found an $8 Alpaca sweater.  I was cold when I saw it, which explains my impulse buy.  But I do like it.  And it is warm.
My illustrated Alpaca sweater, just in case anyone wonders what it's made of.

By Friday, I didn't even plan to go to any estate sales, but I got a text early in the morning from my friend, Steve, asking me if I was going to any.  So, because I'm all about doing for others, I found one for us to go to.  It was interesting because it was the estate of the former personal assistant to Stanley Marcus.  Loads of stuff. 
Yep, I look stupid in a fur coat! 
A roomful of size 6 shoes, lots of fur coats (see side photo), lots of Asian artwork, tons of collectables, the prettiest bookmarks I've ever seen (and I regret not getting one!), lots of stuff from Neiman Marcus, (of course)-- a LOT to look at.  It just started today, and tomorrow is the last day.  I highly recommend checking it out!  Hopefully, they will offer a discount tomorrow.  It was all a little high for me today, and I left with nothing, but it was fun! 

So that's a wrap for this week!  Happy estate sale-ing!

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Be Thou My Vision

My friend Kelly had a horrible tragedy befall her just a few years ago.  In a car accident, she lost both her husband, Peter, and her sweet middle child, Cooper.

Kelly and her two sweet kids, Ben and Abby have a strong faith in God.  At Peter and Cooper's funeral, one of the songs the congregation sang was "Be Thou My Vision".  I'm not familiar with many hymns, but I think it's about keeping God as your vision, through all the seasons of life.  Kelly explained it to me in a text like this, "Since the funeral, this song has helped me to stay focused on the one Presence that I knew could see me and Ben and Abby through our valley.  Craig agrees that it would be a perfect theme song for what we want the focus of our marriage to always be, as well."



That song has brought her and her family comfort and strength through obvious hard times, and now, it's making it's way to good times!

This past year, Kelly met a man named Craig.  They fell in love!  He asked her to marry him, and she said "Yes!" 

She's asked me to play "Be Thou My Vision" at their wedding.



These are exactly the singing "gigs" that scare me the most:  Huge life events, especially of people I love so much,  that I don't want to screw up.  When she texted me and asked me, I was so nervous I avoided replying right away.  But ultimately, I said yes!  Because these, too, are the singing "gigs" that make me feel like I'm a little part of something very special.



There are lots of versions of this song on YouTube, and I'll listen to all of them.  Over and over and over. And I'll do my best to come up with my own version to play at Kelly and Craig's wedding.  I will practice and play it over and over and over.  And my goal for the big day, is to sing it meaningfully and from the heart without cryingNO CRYING! What an endeavor~  and one I'm so glad I had the courage to say "Yes!" to. 

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Collecting Vintage Jewelry

I love using vintage jewelry, and combining it with other vintage jewelry parts, and/or modern components and reassembling them into something new. Some people call what I do vintage repurposing, and sometimes it's called vintage assemblage.  Either way, it's something I'm very passionate about.

I've collected so much vintage jewelry over the years because whenever I see it at an estate sale, garage sale, auction I just can't pass it up!
just a very small sampling of vintage jewelry
vintage pins, vintage pendants, vintage earrings---
vintage beads too-  i love it ALL
When a vintage piece of jewelry is in really good condition,  I think it should usually just be left as it is.  So, because of that, I occasionally sell vintage jewelry in my Etsy shop, versus my repurposed or vintage assemblage jewelry.

I've just listed a few items that fall into that category.

CORO clip on earrings, just listed in my Etsy shop, Resparkable Vintage
This pair of earrings is so cute.  They're clip ons, which I use to think no one wears anymore.  But as it turns out, sometimes things happen to the holes in our ears, and clip ons make more sense!  These are dainty, and so sweet. 
CORO vintage earrings- white leaves and berries
They are CORO, a company that was established in 1901 and stopped production in 1979.  This particular pair of earrings are from the 1950s.

I just reduced the price of this Sandor set of a yellow enamel flower pin and matching earrings.
Vintage Sandor demi parure yellow enamel and rhinestone flower pin and earrings
The Sandor company began in the 1930s and ceased production in 1972.  Sandor jewelry, and in particular, the Sandor enamel flowers like these, are highly collectable because they're just beautiful and look very life-like!  This set is stunning, and the color is absolutely gorgeous!  They'd be great for Spring!

I've got a whole section in my shop labeled "vintage jewelry".  Currently, there are about a dozen items listed, with lots more on the way!  I've discovered that brides often peruse Etsy listings looking for their "something old" for their wedding day.  I love that some of these little vintage treasures I've picked up along the way are being put to such sweet, sentimental use. Vintage jewelry also makes great, thoughtful and unique gifts!

You can find these vintage items, as well as lots of vintage assemblage in the Resparkable Vintage store over at the Etsy.com site.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Music Monday- Fare The Well from the Inside Llewyn Davis Soundtrack

Last weekend, Fermin and I went and saw "Inside Llewyn Davis", which I liked.  But I love the soundtrack.  So, my pick for today's Music Monday is "Fare The Well".  This is the version of the song I've actually heard on the radio, but there are a few versions on the CD.  Also, lots of other great music.  I highly recommend it, if you're into the era of 1960s singer/songwriters.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Unique Repurposed Vintage Assemblage Necklace

I worked on this repurposed vintage assemblage necklace over the past couple of days.

vintage floral shoe clip repurposed into assemblage necklace
It just may be my favorite necklace of all time.  The floral pink and red vintage shoe clip is just gorgeous and so unique.  I've never seen another like it!  Although the antique gold has worn off a bit, as you can see in the photos, in my opinion, that only adds to the charm!  All the rhinestones, including the little teeny ones along the bottom and bordering the top of the red "leaves", are still intact!  STUNNING.

The only "new" components to this necklace are the small pink bead strand and the lobster clasp in back.  I found the chunky chain during one of my estate sale days, a friend gave me the vintage red beads, and I have some vintage bead caps I was able to use on those.

I made it pretty short in length, because it just looked best when it was just at the base of the neck.  I really wanted to highlight that clip, and make sure that it was in the easiest place for eyes to fall.

I photographed it, because I plan to post it up in the Resparkable Vintage Etsy store.  But I haven't listed it yet... I'm not sure I can stand to part with it.  I know I'll never see another one like it.  Not even close.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Estate Sales in Dallas This Weekend

I quickly, and I mean quickly! went to 3 estate sales this morning.

The first, was at 6242 La Vista.  It was advertised in big, bold letters as being the estate of Willetta Stellmacher.  It said, "she was a ravishing beauty in her youth, a dancer at Chicago’s prestigious Edgewater Beach Hotel, the steady girlfriend of a Chicago mobster, and a lady who rubbed elbows with famous singers and bandleaders.  After years traveling the country, Willetta returned to Dallas and put her business skills to work managing hundreds of apartments in Texas and California.  This is the lady Whitney and his staff are paying tribute to starting this Wednesday." Tons of beautiful art, furniture, antiques and collectables.  And all of it out of my price range today.  If you're looking for inexpensive little knick knacks paddy wacks, this one probably isn't the one for you.  But it's fun to look through everything and to see the inside of a house like this one!  They were even selling some of the gorgeous chandeliers.  I'm pretty sure the house is in the historical district, so hopefully it cannot and will not be bulldozed down, but instead someone will come in a restore it.

I also went to one at 2105 J.J. Pearce in Richardson. The house was full of a lot of vintage 50s, 60s, and 70s furniture and decor.  It was okay.  Prices weren't great in general, and costume jewelry was a little over priced.  Nothing for me-- boo hoo.

Fortunately for me, the 3rd one was a charm.   It was done by David C. Turner, and I always like he and his wife's sales.  They're fair, nice people.  Theirs this weekend is at 5719 Greenbrier in Dallas. Again, this one had lots of vintage 50s, 60s and 70s, but at better prices!  Here's what I took away from that one:
small vintage bowl, vintage decorative trinket holder, vintage pin
The small bowl was only $1.50.  And I got the fancy little dish for $1.  Which made me super happy.  Because LOOK!!!...
outside view of porcelain trinket dish
inside view with previous price tag! 
I love little bowls and dishes like those.  I put them on my shelves and put little trinkets in them.  I also put them in the drawers and use them as cute containers for all sorts of things.  It's just a pretty way to organize things.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Newly Listed in My Resparkable Vintage Etsy Shop

To see more, please visit my Resparkable Vintage shop!

Cheese Souffle in a Crock Pot

I got a huge cookbook at the library the other day, full of slow cooker recipes.  1400 recipes full!  It's called Fix-It and Forget-It.
the beloved crock*pot
I've made some yummy things over the past week or so in my crock pot, thanks to this book.  I'll share some of those recipes on the blog, starting today.

Last night I made this one:
I only made a few minor changes, mostly to make 2-3 servings , rather than 4.

I used only 10 slices of bread (wheat), 2 cups of reduced fat sharp cheddar, just a few little dabs of butter, 5 eggs, 2 cups skim milk, 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce.  I reduced the salt just a little as well.
I loved this recipe because it was super fast and easy, didn't require many ingredients, and could be ready to eat in as little as 4 hours, or as many as 6. 

ingredients in...
I was able to fix it in about 5 minutes, put all my ingredients in the crock pot and forget about it while I went running errands and walking pups.  All the while, my house was smelling better and better!
...and 4 hours later
Although the recipe called this a "souffle", it was a little more like a quiche.  We had it for dinner, which was fine (I made a spinach salad to go with it), but it would be ideal for brunch, too!  It would also be great to throw a few veggies in it, or even some diced chicken.

Friday, January 17, 2014

More Estate Sales in Dallas This Weekend

Whew!  I spent my morning driving all over the place and ended up going to 7 estate sales today!  It's an exhausting endeavor, but I'm more than happy to do it!

So since I've eaten up so much of the day, my time is a bit limited- so I'll try to keep this brief and just give you an overall rundown of the estate sales that started today.  All of them continue thru at least tomorrow (Saturday) and most of them end on Sunday.

1.  3676 Asbury- This one was mainly women's clothing, ranging from a really cool Betsy Johnson long embroidered coat to odd granny clothes.  Oh, and lots of minks and various furs.  A few other things too, but that was the overwhelming, obvious thing for sale.

2.  9646 Hilldale- This one was pretty big, and pretty crowded.  Lots of different things- so maybe something for everyone.  There was a little costume jewelry, most all of it was junky and all marked for the same low price.  Most of it was overpriced, even at just a couple of bucks.  But I found a pretty vintage watch face that I just loved! But to stand in line about 20 people deep for just one teeny item seemed a little ridiculous.  But of course, I did it! Totally worth it!!
vintage watch face to be used for repurposing soon!
3.  914 Edgewood- I could have skipped this one full of junky junk and moldy shoes.  Ew.

4. 3741 Pallos Verdas-  The main thing I remember about this one is LOTS of rubber stamps, but all priced at $4.50, which doesn't seem like that great of a deal to me.  But I'm no expert in the world of rubber stamps.  Also, quite a bit of doll house furniture.  I don't see that too often.

5.  4327 Mendenhall Dr.- This one was pretty small.  Some older/vintage stuff.  Nice people ran it.  I have no idea what this hook thing is, but I thought it was pretty, and it was only $2 so I grabbed it.  I'll find something to hang on it.  Does anyone know what it's suppose to be use for?!  I'd love to know it's real purpose.
hook
6.  4434 Gloster-  This house is in Preston Hollow, and is going to be torn down.  So all the contents of the house, plus everything else (sinks, light fixtures, cabinets, etc.) is for sale.  Some of it was overpriced on Day 1, but some wasn't.  And it will be much better once mark downs start happening tomorrow.  I did find this adorable pink vintage clock with no tag on it.  I got it for $6, which was a super great price.
Pink with Rhinestone vintage Big Ben clock
7.  833 Sylvania- Overpriced crap.  Just my opinion. 

So that's it.  I went to 7 estate sales, and came home with 3 items. 

estate sale finds of the day
But they are items I love, and I had a great morning.  Always fun to look, to see the inside of houses, and to meet some nice people along the way.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Estate Sales in Dallas This Weekend

I haven't been to many estate sales lately~ mainly, because there haven't been many, with the holidays and all.  So today, I hit a couple that had a Thursday start and will run thru the weekend.

The first was at 5748 Lindenshire Ln. (Dallas).  It was fairly small, but plenty of stuff to look at and the prices were great.  I got this vintage owl trivet for only $1.  This owls nice and big.  I've made the mistake in the past of buying small trivets, but they just aren't very functional.  This one is not only functional, but cute-- and very wise! Whoot! Whoot!
vintage owl trivet
There was a table in the front room of items they hadn't yet priced.  I found a few vintage pins and got them for a steal!  Although I like it when things already have the price tags, I tend to get some of my best deals when I can just ask how much something is. 
a few vintage pins- the fancy bird totally cracks me up! 
After going to this estate sale where the prices where more than fair, it was such a turn off to go to the next one, because there, everything was way overpriced!  And to make it even worse: no vintage jewelry.  That one was on 7003 Southridge.  But don't even bother until they start marking stuff down.  I did however, like the house!  And I think it's for sale. 

That's all for my field reporting out in the world of estate sales for today.  There are several more tomorrow, and I have a feeling I'll make it to at least a couple.  I will certainly report back here to let you know if I recommend them or not.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado

For Christmas, Fermin gave me a cute pink down jacket and surprised me with a trip to Colorado.  My first question, of course, was, "Have you made arrangements for Ricky and Lucy?"  And just like the Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky that he is, he said, no, he hadn't.

"You're seriously leaving us here?"
But I called up a few neighbor friends, asked if they could partake in care for the pups, and they all gave an enthusiastic, "Yes!" response.  Such short notice, but thank God, I've got neighbors that are friends too.  One pair of neighbors were the official dog walkers.  Another neighbor was the official meal time gal and was in charge of tucking them in at night.  Yet another neighbor said she's stop over just to give them a little extra love.  Because can the Ricardo's ever get enough love and affection?!  Probably not

Still, it was hard leaving them behind...  I thought I was going to cry.

But I didn't.  Because I knew they'd be well cared for and loved on, and that we would get to see them in less than a week. 

We flew into Denver, and it was 72 degrees!  It was 30 degrees colder in Dallas.  What the what?! 

Fermin got us a great apartment rental on the top floor of a hotel/living building.  Our view from the 37th floor was amazeballs...
our room with a view- downtown, Denver CO
And it was huge!  I'm not kidding, nearly as big as our house.  Which, I guess, is another way of saying that our house is not so big.  :)  I kept thinking we would have had plenty of room for Lucy and Ricky.  They could've even had their own bath and bedroom.  But it was pretty romantic, it being just the two of us.

We stayed in Denver a few days, ate many great meals, and got to see the downtown area of Denver for the first time. 

Then it was time to drive to the mountains of Breckenridge.
gorgeous drive from Denver to Breckenridge

The temperature had already dropped in Denver by that time, and it just got colder as we approached higher elevation. 

i can ALWAYS find a bead shop!
beads from Colorado
I've gone to Colorado many times during my life.  And anytime I've gone during the winter, it was for skiing.  But I have to confess:  I didn't ski!  The day we intended to ski ended up being very cold, and very snowy.  I just couldn't talk myself in to getting excited to ski.  And the cool thing is, I didn't have to!  Fermin went without me, and I just shopped around in all the cute little shops in town.   Of course, I was able to find the local bead shop!

My neighbors took great care of Lucy and Ricky.  And every day, I got at least one text up-to-dating me on how they were doing.  They also sent me lots of cute pictures.

pretty littly Lucy
handsome Ricky
We had so much fun, and before we knew it, it was time to fly home.
leaving on a jet plane. ok, not a jet.  but yes. a plane.
We were greeted sweetly by the pups, as I knew we would be.  Lucy was so happy she cried for about 30 minutes straight.  Ricky was equally as excited, but he handled himself like a man.
toys and bones, scattered all over.
I love Colorado.  And Fermin planned this trip out so well for us.  We had a great, great time. It was the perfect amount of time away from home.  (Any longer, and I might have cried harder than Lucy did.)


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

40 Cute Dog Tricks

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am re-committing to fun dog training/playing with Ricky and Lucy more this year.  I've gotten a little lazy the past 6 months or more and it's not fair to them.  They are super smart and they love to play and learn.

While on vacation last week, I brought along the book Chaser by John Pilley, and it gave me some ideas of things I want to try with the Ricardos.  Chaser, as you may know, is a very smart Border Collie with a vocabulary of well over 1,000 words.  Here's a link to a video on her you might want to check out if you've never heard about her before.

So I'll be naming Lucy and Ricky's toys, and using play games to teach them specific toy names.  We'll see how it goes.  I'm excited!  I'm going to try this by simply playing as rewards- not with the usual treats.  Sometimes they get so excited about getting the (food) treat, they seem to lose their senses, and it even seems to hinder their learning.

I'm a sucker for a good dog trick, but sometimes, it's just hard to think up what trick to teach. Lucy and Ricky already know lots of tricks, but I'm always on the lookout of new ideas.  I ran across this video the other night that gave me such inspiration!

Friday, January 3, 2014

3 New Year's Resolutions

What is with the relatively new movement of having a word for the new year, rather than good, old-fashioned resolutions?  The first time I heard the idea, I thought it was sort of cool, and something I could lazily get behind. Then over the last couple of years, more and more people started talking about, and posting their word, and I decided that NO. This "One Word" movement is not for me.

Sort of like twitter.

I set up a Twitter account. And even tweeted a few times. But only 140 characters per tweet.? Ug. And all that hash tagging and at symboling? I just can't grasp it.

I'll stick with blogging. Good, old-fashioned blogging.

AND, good, old-fashioned resolutions.

I think I've lapsed over the last few years in actually declaring my New Year's Resolutions. But I always have goals. By writing them down, especially on my blog!, it's bound to be more encouraging than just goals (that tend to get lost) floating around in my head.

So here they are...my 2014 New Year's Resolutions!

1. Cook more.
Because I love to cook new recipes. Occasionally, they turn out great. And almost always, my husband tells me it turned out good, even when it didn't. The only time I hate cooking, is when I feel rushed, or realize I'm missing a necessary ingredient. Or two. This resolution, like all of mine this year, should be fun, and good for me. I just gotta be sure to plan ahead.

2. Get back to playing learning games with my dogs.
I'm currently reading Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog That Knows 1,000 Words.  It's so interesting AND it's also very inspiring. There is nothing I love more than connecting with Lucy and Ricky. I know they love learning, so I wanna get back to playing fun learning games with them. I've been a little lazy this past year, but I'm stepping it up in 2014! They deserve all the time and attention I can possibly give them.

3. Work a lot more on promoting my Resparkable Vintage shop on Etsy.
I think thru blogging, Instagram, Facebook, taking great photos and tagging things well, I can up the traffic and therefore put a little more of my handmade jewelry out into the world.  I am obsessed with vintage jewelry. I love repurposing jewelry. I don't spend enough time on the promoting side of things, but this year, I will! I love blogging, Instagram, Facebook, etc, so I'm going to remember: this is fun! All of its fun!

That's it. Just those 3 resolutions. Good things come in 3s. 3 is my lucky number. And, at least for me, better than just one word.