Mother Goose

This last weekend was the only show I participate in anymore, our own Glitter Market.

I thank you if you came and supported us.

A wonderful group of friends, both Makers and patrons.

 I made journals and knits this year for it.

Here is a sweet 1940s Mother Goose book I made into a journal.

Magpie Still

It's been a while since I've posted any flea market finds. Since my husband is collecting so much old stuff, I have found that I have been more interested in other things (i.e. make-up) but...

In September 2011 I did find this basket, book, dictionary...

And my husband brought these home to me.

They are enormous ledgers and yes you can covet them and wish me ill.

 Well, please don't, come to think of it. I have to take care of this boy...

This month Sparkle and I went out to our little shop for a date.

I have not known how to announce this but Sparkle's sweet husband died rather quickly just before Christmas. She is left to deal with her own world turned upside down while watching this grief tear through their nine year old daughter's life...She is very brave and wrote a beautiful post about her fresh grief. It would be special if you gave her some love. I feel wrong to slide this information in on this very seemingly happy post, but that is exactly how his death struck.

Here is a sunset for him.

On a lighter note which I have been so eager to seek, here is a video of cosmetic favorites that is long and will be the longest video I make. I learned a lesson.

But that's what we are here for. Some are not so hard. Others, well, other lessons take the support of many for decades on end...

Magpie May Ten

The last time I walked into an antique store before this month was November of Nine. There are a couple of reasons. I tend to binge on antique stores. Having gone into one, I fret about what I might be missing in all the others. It is usually a flurry of visits followed by return trips to buy that thing I couldn't get off my mind. After a wild week of shopping, I have too much stuff and that feeling of 'ahhh, ughh, shouldna' done that.'

Also, from January through April, I emptied my mother's house. She lived there 49 years and while I have mentioned this before, I will say again, I did it single-handedly in a flurry of fear and anger, driven to accomplish it before mother died. Now it's a blur and I do not know how I did it. I got rid of things I would buy. I just sort of did not want my mother's things. To be sure I kept more than I know what to do with, but not more than a full car load really. It has too much ennui associated with it.

But now, just a month later, I am back to buying other people's crap. And here is how that started. I took just one hit, a trip to the school estate sale. I thought "maybe someone brought in some sewing notions." I spied with my discerning eye the a cardboard box. It was filled over flowing with bags of buttons sorted into colors.

Indulge me.

White, pink, ochre, coral, crimson and black...

Be reverent and enjoy the plate of teal buttons.

And this little dear gal who sorted all her buttons into colorways also saved....

bless her heart....

her buttons cards.

And friends, four dollars later, all of the above was mine. I am glad they went to me because I do believe I share that little lady's joy in these buttons right along beside her.

A stolen hour last weekend with Sparkle the Esquire and I own these matchbooks. Why?

Not sure but Kimmie bought the other bag and I had to have them.

That is a 1969 copy of a 1908 Sears catalog. And a chemistry text, of course.

Also a cool box of blocks with which I could spell Thomas.

And May's last booty...

I will sit with mother today and make a necklace from those beads.

Why does someone else's junk offer up possiblity while my own childhood stuff just holds melancholy?

I guess that question is the answer...

Magpie of April

I recently found this lovely scales seen in the photo above along with those old glass flower earrings. You probably think I will talk about finding balance in my life. Actually the rust is always more interesting than the shine so I thought I would mention that I am a voyeur. I have been one as long as I can remember. I used to look at people while shopping and want to know what was in their bag. I would look at the ladies purses in church and wonder what kind of lipstick might be inside. I have always looked at people's shopping carts and put together a whole story, single, going home to have frozen pizza and ice cream. Mom with a baby and a child's birthday. I started this as I was checking out late one Friday night with Doritos, Oreos and a feminine hygiene product.

I walk my dog after dark hoping to glimpse inside someone's house. During movies I am more likely to look at the drapes than the actor. At the Lourve I noticed the frames rather than the paintings. My name is Robin, I am a voyeur.

In this twittering world of the Internet you can look at people's profiles, pictures and posts. You can sit alone and read, snickering at their spelling, longing for that artwork or the stroll followed by an impromptu picnic. I absolutely love when people post a blog about what they have bought. That is my melange of voyeuristic treats. In that tradition, I will show you what I have collected this month.

I almost always pick up books, new or old. They don't take up much room, have inherent value, look fabulous in the home and as a by-product make you look studious, which I actually am, so that is some truth in advertising. In other words the carpet matches the drapes. Look at the color plate in this one. Chills, honey.

I also collect anything Oklahoma, that is a whole other topic of discussion but here is a Gene Autry book. Oklahoma's yodeling cowboy as if you didn't know...

One can never go wrong with jewelry. If I am to follow the tradition of other blogs I would now say 'you never where where in my work these might turn up.' But the truth is I will probably just leave them in this cigar box only to occasionally run my fingertip across the pieces whilst saying "shiny."

Jewelry doesn't take up much room like, say, if you were to collect chairs. Yeah, well, I collect chairs. Children's chairs, not like sectionals. A ladder is useful as well.

Also I haul home doll chairs since I make dolls. However, I rarely sit my dolls in my chairs, because then you can't see the chairs. There's a good plan.

I compulsively collect utensils. I just do. My dolls often hold them. And that makes sense to me.

So just as you are looking at this, I will be somewhere watching, surfing, jeering, wondering what is in that house, cabinet, closet, purse, wallet, mind....