...a 'Spark of Joy' interruption

We interrupt the regularly scheduled 'ABCs' post with an acknowledgement of 'JOY'!

This time of the year, the web is FULL of articles on "THANKFUL JOURNALS" and LIVING IN THE NOW! While I have never actually formalized this practice by picking up a pen and notebook, I have been trying to make a mental list each morning.  It has been helping me to be more in 'the moment'.  It has also made me aware of how many of the 'SPARKS JOY' (thank you KonMari!) items I currently have are compliments of 'saling'!!

 One of my personal favorite 'guilty- pleasures' is handcrafted or specialty soaps & lotions. Although this could probably be reclassified as a 'non-guilty-pleasure', since it is the rare occasion that I splurge on a FULL Price purchase of this type for myself! 
THANKFULLY, Garage sales provide me with enough of this stock!!!  Now, before you get all 'sceeved' out, and start judging me...  I'm talking 'new', 'clean', & 'sealed', products from 'nice home' sales-  not from the sketchy totes found at  Flea Markets, where the contents have been schlepped around all season and have sat in the HOT sun for days, weathered rainy downpours, and are covered in a layer of dust... (wow, this could be a post for the letter 'S'... sceeved, sketchy, sealed & schlepped!!) NO! 

 I'm talking about: 

 The 'gift set' that somebody received and deemed to be 'saved for a special occasion' ~
( that special day ended up being a Garage Sale!)

~OR~

The Dealer, leaving the business, who has a spare room FULL of samples to get rid of

~OR~

The person who received it as a gift, can't stand the smell and just wants it GONE!  

(Yes!... Believe it or not, these are NOT gifts that everyone appreciates.  For this I am THANKFUL!)

It is no secret as to my love of 'herbies' - growing, studying & using.  So I'm sure my adoration of Patchouli Goat Milk lotion, and everything 'Essential Oils' comes as no surprise.

It is an added bonus that handcrafted soaps and sealed/unused bottles of oils are filtering into the 'saling' scene.  Not only does it make them affordable for 'everyday', but it allows 'dipping your toes in the water' - you know, trying out different scents, without making it a Major Commitment!  Nothing worse than spending $15. on a bar of soap, only to discover you have an asthmatic reaction to it or it leaves you in hives!  If only .25¢ was spent on something, it is MUCH easier to toss it and try another!

~AND~

These products usually have the most adorable packaging!!

What is your 'guilty' 'not-so-guilty' pleasures??

en JOY

& 

Be WELL!

... 'C' is for CYRILLIC, 'CHESAPEAKE CHESSIE CAT' and MORE!

**DISCLAIMER:  The items that I am presenting in this blog are not an advertisement or endorsements for their original intended use!  I am merely presenting bits of oddities, past cultures, and glances of eras-long-gone!**

With that said, 

(until today) "C" was for...

cha·peau

[SHaˈpō]

NOUN

heraldry

1. a hat or cap.

'Chapeau', 'Cap' or 'Hat'... call them what you will

 
and the associated 'pins' that go with them.

~BUT~
This collection, too, has been covered before!







By chance, our morning was spent doing a bit of research on recent acquisitions, and ironically the queries kept resulting in 'C' answers!!  So what better time to share some Useless Trivia Tidbits??!

First up was this adorable Hankie:

Q: What is the relevance of the title of the hankie-"Chessie, Peake and Kittens"?Q: WHY did Kimball need permission from a RailRoad to create this Hankie?

After a quick web search for the CHESAPEAKE & OHIO RailRoad, I soon learned that CHESSIE  was the mascot for C&O Railway, and has a long history dating back to 1934!

While 'on a roll', I decided to dig deeper into The mystery of the wood Print Block...  

Yesterday we picked up a book at an Estate Sale by Carlos Castaneda (there are those 'C's again!!)- it was Russian, and MANY of the alphabet characters in it looked familiar!  Searched out 'Russian Alphabet' - and Voila'! We now know the alphabet on our wood block is CYRILLIC, we just don't know which Language it is in to do a translation!!  I did figure out how to transform our keyboard to the CYRILLIC alphabet though!

   КАРЛОС КАСТАНЕДА

(CARLOS CASTANEDA: The Wheel of Time)

BE WELL

& 

en JOY!

 

... 'B' is for BOSSON, brooches, Buddha and MORE!

**DISCLAIMER:  The items that I am presenting in this blog are not an advertisement or endorsements for their original intended use!  I am merely presenting bits of oddities, past cultures, and glances of eras-long-gone!**

With that said, 

"B" is for...

  BOSSON (and similar!)

BOSSON, MADE IN ENGLAND: produced by the W. H. Bossons Company of Congleton, England between 1948 and 1996

We first stumbled upon these 'wall masks' while scouring sales for 'Tacky Chalkware'.  These are of higher quality and detail than the general Wall Chalkware.  Bosson produced a wide variety of masks and figures, but their 'Nautical / Salty' pieces stole my heart! 

*NOT all of these are 'BOSSON', but have a similar feel*

...and they are the perfect accents to our Sea-Loving décor!
We have but only a few - but 
' three or more, a collection does make!'
THANKFULLY, these can be pricey for the 'serious collector', and are seldom found in my price-range (a couple of dollars!)
**Just realized I have done a post previously on BOSSON, I am linking it in case you would like to go check it out!

Of course, "B" is also for...
(But, as with many of our collections, these have been covered in Past Posts TOO!  I am linking to these in case you missed them!)

BROOCHES!

(which we could do an entire ABC's series on in itself!  Amethyst, Bling, Cats... - hmmm, Maybe?)

~AND~

BUDDAH! (PART I)

BUDDAH! (REVISITED)

~AND~

Of course there are MANY MORE, but I will spare you!!

Yesterday, I made a 'new-to-us' find that has been on my list for MANY years...

It was only $8 - so even as a faux-décor piece, I grabbed it in a heartbeat!  BUT it is HEAVY - made of mahogany with a brass center.  No markings.  We have been trying to research it, but are not having much success.  Anybody know how to tell a real vs. faux SHIPSWHEEL??

Regardless of the Shipswheel lineage, it is a sweet addition to our home!!

BE WELL

& 

en JOY!

... 'A' is for ASHTRAYS (pocket & purse)

**DISCLAIMER:  The items that I am presenting in this blog are not an advertisement or endorsements for their original intended use!  I am merely presenting bits of oddities, past cultures, and glances of eras-long-gone!**

With that said, 

"A" is for...

ASHTRAYS (pocket & purse).

'perfect' start for an Alphabet Series of the New Year?

probably not...

• One of the highest ranking New Years Resolutions is to 'Quit Smoking'
• Smoking is now tabu and Politically Incorrect

BUT here they are!  

A flashback to when the fashionable 'LADY' was always a LADY, and if her (or her husband!) needed a smoke in a place when they were out, she could just pull this little (average size about 1 1/2" x 1 1/2") beauty out of her purse, and VOILA! Thanks to the hinged cover, the ashes and butts were contained until you had a place to put them!

  I haven't been able to get a good 'dating' for them, but I'm figuring 1950's - 60's??

These little purse accessories had it all... 

• hinge cover (sometimes with mirror inside to check that your lipstick hadn't smudged while smoking!!)
• a 'rest' for your cigarette
• a small handle so as to 'daintily' hold - if there was no available space to set it down
• occasionally even 'crossed' with a PURSE HOLDER - to support your purse from the edge of the table and not subject it to the detriment of the floor!

 Oh. So. Stylish as well!!

FUN 'souvenirs' from a bygone-era...

(Search the bottom of junk-jewelry Lots, and they can still be found for a couple of dollars!!)

Be Well

and 

en JOY!!

...language interpretation??

We recently purchased a wood printer's block...

BUT

We have no clue as to the language - or even the alphabet!!

This is a 'mirror image' of the text...  the way that it would appear when printed (or maybe it's upside down??)

If anyone can give us ANY clues, it would be Most appreciated!!

...MY ABC's!

Step back. Observe. EnJOY. Repeat.

During these prolonged Winter Days in the NE USA, re-discovering my 'story' helps me to beat the Winter-Blues.

The next 26 posts of svelteSTUFF will be dedicated to The ABC's of our house.  Hope you will join in and let us know Your 'love' of each letter!!

BE WELL

and

en JOY!