trillium mama

vintage goodness: mikasa

With all of the dreariness from the economy, I have been hiding in my house a lot, to avoid temptation to spend. Today I had enough, and not only treated myself and Little Bear to goodies at the local bakery, but also a trip to Goodwill. Goodwill is not usually my favorite due to their often overpriced items, but there is one in a town 15 minutes away where I always find good things.

Today was no exception-feast your eyes on this:

 

and this.....

   

oh and of course, this.....

 

let's not forget the cozy cuddle photo...

   

and if the fronts weren'tt yummy enough, we must flip them over and view the backs...

 

   

I know very little about them, but want to know more. They are designed by Vera Neumann for Mikasa. I have determined that they are 1950's to 1970's, and think they are from the 1960's. They are breathtaking-I saw them on the shelf and didn't care who made them, I had to have them. I am now the proud owner of five divine woodland fern dinner plates, and seven salad plates. If you know anything about these, please share. I am beating the world wide web path searching for their story.....

lazy days

This summer has been really great so far. We have had a few scorching days, but mostly the temperatures have been reasonable. This is great news for a person who literally feels as if I'm melting when the thermometer hits anything over 83, especially combined with humidity.

Because of the merciful weather, we were able to get out and enjoy ourselves during this past weekend. Andy, Ava and I started with a relaxing breakfast at our new favorite coffee shop/bakery. They have cinnamon rolls, quiche, and breakfast wraps to die for. We got one of each (to share), and two delish cups of coffee.

Afterwards, we took Ava out to try her new tricycle. We searched and searched for a vintage one, but they all seemed to rusted or too expensive. We settled on a red vintage repro of a Radio Flyer tricycle, and it's adorable. Little Miss did a great job learning to peddle it, and looked great in her matching red helmet.

After a break for lunch, we took Scout and Ava to the Silverton Street Fair, which is a cute little flea market they do once a year. I found the sweetest little breakfast in bed tray for Miss A, and it was only $2-bargain!

It was a great lazy summer weekend, and I look forward to many more before the season is over.

thrifty mitten

Ava and I just returned home from thrifting in our bitty town. Usually we are lucky to find any treasures, but today we found such a great book. The Mitten is one that is very popular right now, but mostly this version. Ours is from 1964, and is in mint condition.

The story in this version is quite different than the one circulating now. In it, the grandson is out gathering wood when he drops his yellow mitten with a fur cuff and red wool lining. A mouse comes upon it and makes it her home. She then invites various critters to come inside because she feels sorry for them out in the bitter cold. She balks at letting the owl in because she is wary of owls, but feels so bad for him what else could she do.

Along comes a little old creaky cricket when the mitten is already holding a mouse,  a frog, an owl, a rabbit, a fox, a wolf, a wild boar and a bear. When the cricket tries to squeeze in, the mitten comes apart and the animals all go flying. The little boy soon realizes that his mitten is missing and returns to find it in pieces. He is not worried however, because his grandmother has been warm at home by the fire making him new ones.

I love this story, and this particular book feels much closer to its Ukrainian roots to me. The illustrations are divine, and the larger cast of animals is splendid. If you ever see a copy of this in the thrift store, snag it!