Yes, More Vintage Kitchen Things

I had the best of intentions this week to post about crafting. For weeks, I have been meaning to get on task about several projects for my kitchen (I'm kitchen obsessed, as you see). The problem is that I've only manged to make one thing, a giraffe envelope-style pillow for my mom's birthday. My sewing machine shames me every time I pass it. The alarming part is that I don't miss it all that much. I almost hesitate to say it, but could this be the end of my craft posts? Because if I have to push myself to do something that's supposed to be fun and a hobby, perhaps it isn't for me. Is everyone out there cool with seeing more recipes and kitcheny related things instead? Cool, I'm glad we're all in agreement :)

Besides, I'm having way too much fun thrifting. I've developed a real thrill for the hunt, and a real love of all things antique kitchen. I scored these Pyrex pieces over the weekend. The turquoise bowl is especially beautiful, and I was very lucky to get it from a seller who didn't know its value.

Cathrineholm was a line of mid-century enamelware designed by Norwegian Grete Prytz Kittelsen. It's very beautiful, but not easy to find. A medium sized bowl can sell for upwards of $60 on ebay. That's a bit too rich for my blood, but I have enjoyed looking at pieces from afar on flickr and pinterest.

At a thrift store this weekend, I spotted the above Cathrineholm bowl for $30. That seemed like a fair price. Not interested in paying a fair price (it's bargain basement or bust, baby), I put the bowl back on its shelf without a second thought. But then I happened to look closer at the price tag and realized I had read it wrong. The tag said $3! Needless to say, the bowl came home with me.

 

While not as collectable as some of the other pieces, I'm also happy to have found this vintage flour sifter. It's made by Foley, and if that's a brand that sounds familiar to you, it's might be because you own a food mill. The food mill I inherited from my great-grandmother is also a Foley. I needed a flour sifter, anyway, and this one had the advantages of being cheap and having a cute, aqua handle. I can't wait to use it!

Thrifting in Pictures

Hi, my name is Abby, and I'm a thrifting addict. A few months ago, I had never stepped food inside a Goodwill store. Now I'm a regular, constantly scouting out the housewares section for amazing deals. It wouldn't be so addicting if I didn't keep finding the coolest stuff.

My latest Pyrex finds.

Mugs! I'm pretty obsessed with antique milk glass mugs lately. They're the cutest things, and I generally pick them up for 50 cents. I had to have the middle mug because my husband was a Philadelphia bicentennial baby. However, I think the "Kiss Me, I'm Polish" mug (made by Glasbake) is my favorite, even though I'm not the least bit Polish.

Some Fire King bakeware I've already put to good use.

I loved this enameled frying pan the second I spotted it, even though I have no clue what to do with it. As to who made this piece and how old it is, that remains a mystery.

Hope everyone is having a happy (and thrifty) weekend!

Thursday Pictures

Happy 1st birthday, Sundae! I remember that day, one year ago, I went to the SPCA and a little black and white kitten racing around her cage caught my eye. I picked her up for the first time... and she bit me. Even so, something in my gut told me this was the kitten for me, and I've never once regretted taking her home. Sundae is a truly special cat, and she lights up my days.

Found this little Pyrex bowl at Goodwill. Picked it up for $2.

One of the perks of when I volunteer with my mom is the free cookbooks. Can you believe they were going to throw these away? They are Time Life books from the 60s. I don't come across too many Creole or Viennese cookbooks, and so I snatched these up. Flipping through the Austrian cookbook, I was confused at first, because half of the recipe titles were in German and half were in some Slavic-looking language. Then my 8th grade social studies kicked in and I remembered the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Can't say I've ever seen another Austro-Hungarian cookbook, and doubt I'll ever see one in the future. I consider this a good find.

Currently, I'm working on some baking projects. I've tested about a dozen recipes in the last week, all of which have been flops, and I'm working on the catering for my brother's graduation party. I'm a little stressed, but posting pretty pictures helps!

Bakeware Snags

I've never been much of thrift shopper, but since starting my vintage bakeware collection, I've been regularly stalking my local Goodwill. A couple of weeks ago, I found this little cutie, a 1.5 pt Pyrex casserole. It's the Homestead print. I got it for $3.

Found this great FireKing piece at Goodwill as well. It's a 2 quart casserole dish in the Candle Glow print. I love how very 60s looking this pattern is. I snatched this up for $5.

I've been using vintage fabrics in the background for these pictures. I can't decide whether I think it's cool looking or really distracting.

My Newest Not-Collection

Did some thrift shopping over the weekend. Apparently, Amish country is a flea-market hotbed. However, in the three decades I've lived only an hour away, I've never gone. This was my first ever flea-market experience. I doubt it will be my last, though, now that I've discovered the world of vintage bake ware.

I had a vague understanding of vintage Pyrex from what I'd seen around Flickr and the blogosphere. But it wasn't until I saw it in person that I "got" it. This whole time I've been baking in drab looking metal pans and clear glass dishes, I could have been using something far prettier! I just had to come home with a couple of Pyrex pieces. I couldn't leave behind that cute little yellow Fiestaware, either. You understand.

After I came home with my pieces is when I started to do my research on vintage Pyrex (because I like to do things as backwards as possible, evidently). I couldn't find the name of the pattern on the bottom dish anywhere. I had learned that Pyrex put out promotional pieces, and it started to get into my head that maybe this pattern was super-rare, so rare as to not have been previously photographed. I started to think I was secretly a thrift-shopping genius. Then it occurred to me, the genius, to flip the dish over. The piece isn't Pyrex at all. It's Glasbake. It's still very pretty, though. I'm thinking of making a cloth insert with matching embroidery and using it as a bread dish.

The top dish was an accidental purchase. I turned it over to check the price tag, and the lid fell off and chipped a corner. The dealer felt bad for me, although he needn't, as I've come to terms with my clinical clumsiness, and he gave me a discount. It's not a piece I would have bought otherwise, but there's a bright side to that, as it gives me the confidence to actually use it.

When I saw the orange mixing bowl with the wheat stalks on it, I instantly thought of Thanksgiving and what a great serving dish this would make. I hosted the holiday for the past two years. I don't know if I'll be hosting again, but I do know this bowl will make it on to the table, even if I have to bring it with me.

The aqua-on-white mixing bowl is probably my favorite piece. This picture does not do it justice. The color is bright and fun, and it's in perfect condition. I might use it as a pretty storage bowl. It's too perfect for kitchen use.

I'm not looking to have yet another collection in the Cats and Casseroles household. But is resistance futile? I ask myself this in between thoughts imagining how great it would be to find a matching butter dish.