Antiques, Fleas, and Garage Sales

I don't know why I do it, but I always find myself looking at the hand-decorated and printed hankies whenever I go into an antiques or consignment shop.  We recently stopped at a new antiques store on a whim and found some nice hankies there that I couldn't resist.  I know the time and effort that goes into creating those beautiful borders and embroidered initials and the prices don't reflect the work at all. 

These two with the "L" on them had to go into my stash.  I'd love to find an R and an M for Rachel my daughter and Michelle my son's fiance just to put aside for their weddings in the future.   I could make them a new one, but then that woudn't qualify as something old, so I'll keep looking.

These little purchases below were at the little flea market that they hold a couple of times during the summer across the street from the condo.  The round pink ceramic "vase" was only a quarter and so different with that opening I snapped it up.  The mailbox was also a quarter and is a magnet that actually will hold a roll of stamps.  The dolphin is supposed to be worn as a necklace, but I will be hanging that on my gypsy rod in the kitchen.

After the flew market, we got on our bikes and pedaled over to a community garage sale not too far away.  Another saucer for 50 cents.

This lamp was two bucks and just barely fit into my bike basket.  I will be changing the panels in that shade, either with a new paper design or stringing beads on it.  Put that on the "to do" list.

This was a real steal.  This stands about 12" tall and just about as wide and the little resin figures inside all came with it and it was brand new in the box for only $1.  I was just going to use the base itself filling the compartments with our beach finds, but for the time being I have the figures in it. 

We had to head home after this purchase because the basket was full and HWNSNBP had to carry this in a plastic bag. 

Hot as it was that day a couple of weeks ago, it was still a great morning fleaing and garage-saling.  We even discovered an old high school teacher from our home town as a vendor at the flea market.  My friend J had noticed a binder with letters in it in page protectors that had our hometown in the address line and upon closer inspection we realized that they were letters sent to politicians in the 70's by a teacher from our school district.  He happened to be the vendor selling these so we spent a little time talking and browsing through the book.  We're out of high school for several decades now and I know I would not have recognized this man had we not seen the address.  You really never know what you'll turn up at a flea market, even a small one!