Elizabeth Holcombe ~whimsies and words~

Mushroom Love

Hello, My Friends!~~

I was so thrilled to find the cutest vintage sewing notion at an estate sale this past weekend and had to repurpose and repair it into a pin cushion. Here is what I made...

The mushroom comes off and is a sock darner...although I don't know who darns socks any more, but it is still cute.

 

Just listed here :)))))~~~XXOO, Beth

Stuff

Hello, My Friends!~~

I recently read the book "Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things."

Is anyone out there as obsessed with the hoarding TV shows as much as I am? They are my guilty pleasure shows. They also inspire me to clean out a drawer, closet, or my studio.

I do, like many of you, like to shop estate sales and flea markets for cool stuff. I realized that I only keep about 1%, if that, of what I purchase. I use what I buy for my crafts and put other useful and cool vintage things in Dime Store Chic. What I usually keep are things for our yard, like this cool painted concrete frog I found at an estate sale yesterday:

I found a whole lot of cool goodies at this family run estate sale seconds from my house yesterday and can't wait to use them in crafting or to offer them to you on Dime Store Chic! So, today I'll be adding a big group of goods in Dime Store Chic and hope you find one or two goodies to add to your "stuff" or to use in your clever crafts or to use as a unique gift. I hope you all like what I find for you. It is so much fun! But the froggie will stay with me :)~~~XXOO, Beth

Old Chick

Hello, My Friends!~~

I have just listed a batch of 8 new pin cushions and one fun Easter wreath in Beth's Bagz etsy shop!

One of my favorites is a pin cushion made from this very old German chick...

What a fine chippy fellow!

And if bluebirds are more your style, about 3 on one pin cushion?...

Now that's a sweet crowd!

Or wreaths with loads of pastel and spring charm may be more your style...

These goodies are more are available now! If you have a minute stroll on over to Beth's Bagz for a peek. Thanks so much!~~~XXOO, Beth

So Spring!

Hello, My Friends!~~

Spring! I want spring! So I'll have to make my own Spring in the studio...

Oh, yes, Spring...

Ahh, Spring...

Spring...tweeeeeetttt....

These and more Spring goodies are fresh in Beth's Bagz this afternoon!~~~XXOO, Beth

A Piece of 1966...

Hello, My Friends!~~

I was thumbing through a stack of magazines from the mid-60's and found this ad from 1966 for 7-11...

Read the caption. Ok, now you're thinking "whaaattt?" Here's a close up in case you didn't believe your eyes...

What "Madmen" advertising genius thought this was a good way to promote 7-11? I guess this was before the Big Gulp or Slurpee and they were looking for some way to attract attention. But look at the kids...

At my count, there are 7 kids hanging in and out of the car. How hot is it in that car on that sunny day? Are there enough seat belts? I remember when I was a child that seatbelts were an option in cars and no one used them. It's a wonder we made it through the 60's. So back to this ad. I find it both hilarious and scary. More hilarious today because I think (I hope) that parents today use seatbelts for themselves and thier children AND they take their kids into the 7-11 and load them up on Slurpees in cups the size of their head and those gross-looking meat roll ups by the check out. I was that kind of Mom, and I have the stack of plastic Slurpee cups to prove ;) But we still use our seatbelts, promise.~~~XXOO, Beth

 

Pink and Perfect

Hello, My Friends!~~~

Last year I bought a cute pink clock radio for $5 at the Route 11 Yard Crawl. Even though it needs an antenna to pick up radio stations, I love it! I finally put the radio in my studio on top of a new storage unit I bought on sale last November at Michael's.

I had a lovely vintage metal scrolly shelf just above the storage shelves but decided to put the radio in its place as I wasn't using the shelf. I adore that shelf but thought it was time to let it go to someone else who may love it. You may find it here.

I just adore this sweet pink radio and love to see it my studio.

Now, if I can find an antenna I can listen to my favorite AM station, whatever that is :)~~~XXOO, Beth

15 under 25

Hello, My Friends!~~~

I have just listed 15 totes in Beth's Bagz for special below $25 and $4 shipping (USA only) no matter how many you buy!

Lots of barkcloth totes!

And whimsical totes too!~~~If you have a minute, take a peek!~~~Thanks so much!~~~XXOO, Beth

Bupkis

Hello, My Friends!~~~

I drove to a relatively close by estate sale, waited in line about 15 minutes, and emerged with nothing, nada, bupkis. But that happens sometimes. However, the sale was one of the oddest ones run by an estate sale company that I've ever been to.

First of all I learned that the homeowner who is 90, insisted on staying there during the sale. I didn't see him, but as I was in the upstairs of the house, I passed by a small room that looked like there was items for sale, but I didn't go in. Why? There was a scary looking woman lounging in a La-Z-Boy watching a small TV. She gave a "I dare you to come in here look." I wasn't sure if she was with the sale or related to the homeowner. Either way there wasn't anything in the room I wanted to explore, so I walked on by.

Second as I was waiting to get in to the house, this lady and man walked to the door and opened it. The guy with the list at the door spoke to them and found out that the lady was there to clean the house...at the request of the homeowner! What the heck?! But as I walked aroubnd the house I didn't see the lady cleaning. I mean...really???

As I told you I bought nothing. I did see a book that I asked the price of and was quoted 10 dollars. I put it down because why would anyone in their right mind pay 10 dollars for a torn up atlas from the 70's? Not me. Not anyone I know. I assumed that the reason nothing in the house was priced, was the estate sale company folks must have been too lazy to price. But they weren't too lazy to ask stupid prices.

Isn't this a pathetic and weird tale? It is proof positive that you can't always get lucky at an estate sale. But the lucky times far outweigh the times when I get bupkis.

I hope you all get far more than bupkis on your treasure hunting, and that some scary lady doesn't freak you out from her La-Z-Boy!~~~XXOO, Beth

 

Got Office?

Hello, My Friends!~~~

Yesterday, I went to a family run estate sale in a nice old home in Arlington. Hubby was with me and he enjoyed poking around at the tools in the dusty dingy basement, which sort of reminded me of the basement in that house in Silence of the Lambs---I expected to find a well in there. Shivers! Ignoring that I forged ahead with my trusty wee flashlight, and uncovered some fabulous goodies that hadn't seen the light of day in years!

This Force brand numberer is so cool! Just pressing down on the slick green handle (it may be Bakelite, but I'm not sure) gives a satisfying "ca-chunk!" as if I was a grocer pricing cans of tuna at the A & P!

The wooden handle of this cute Crown rubber number stamp is so nice to hold and display. This is one useful gadget!

I don't know what I like the best: the wonderful graphics on the paper bands or the nice alphabet fonts on the index 3 X 5 cards!

And red lead pencils in a cool vintage cardbaord sleeve, how fun! You can sharpen them on either end. Reminds me of that stern-faced teacher in "A Christmas Story" who gave Ralphie Parker a C+ and "P.S. You'll shoot yur eye out!"

These office goodies and lots more are freshly added to Dime Store Chic!~~~XXOO, Beth

Letting Go...

Hello, My Friends!~~

I finally decided to use some pieces that I have coveted in my studio for quite a while and turn them into pin cushions...

I have kept this German over 100 year old bunny in my studio for a while now, but decided it was time for him to live in another loving home. He has feet issues but when turned into a pin cushion those issues disappear!

And I was thrilled to find this angel/devil Valentine vase as I have never seen anything like it before. I paid a lot more than I usually would for a whimsy to incorporate into a pin cushion. Time to let this cutie go too!

These and other fresh whimsies are in Beth's Bagz etsy shop beginning today! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!~~~XXOO, Beth