"Oriental" /Asian mishmash

This is one of my panther TV lamps.One wall has my bird pictures from Mexico, but I love the colors and they seem to go well.A few of my figurines etc. I've had the red and white flamingo vase forever!More figurines

Just thought I'd show some of my oriental living room pix, I got three of them from my friend Merilee, my retro vintage partner in crime. She looks for my kind of stuff and I look for hers. Although today she got an awesome mermaid lamp that I am lusting after. The paint by number is probably my fav. But the Lady is really old and I love her too. Now can you see why everybody calls my living room the Opium den??

Salvation Army Attack!!~

This is a rooster wall pocket planter, and I used to find this plastic stuff all the time I was excited, but it's so fragile I broke it right away...can you tell though? I think it still looks divine. What my sucky photography doesnt' reveal is, the planter is Turquoise. My fav.I also found this black ceramic Unicorn pen holder. I love all the desk stuff, and I may end up putting this on my desk at work. My office is retro/WWII/vintage, and my residents just LOVE the trip down memory lane! I actually got my own office back today again after a year of being cramped up like a sardine with two other Social Workers. Now, I can go back to mood lighting and music! YES!I couldn't remember if I have showed yall my atomic fruit basket curtains? As usual, not the best pix, but they are really unusual. The rest of the stuff I scored tonight on a quicky run through Salvation Army!These are my new trailer lights my beautiful daughter India  and her boyfriend Brian bought me for Mother's day, plus a really great candle and a fab dinner at a Mongolian Grill!

OK so I am stuck in the age of VCRs-but that's what I find at the thrift stores for 50 cents! I have been finding a PLETHORA of movies made in the eighties that are supposed to be in the sixties or fifties. Leonard Maltin sez,"What do you get when you mix T-Birds, Bermuda shorts, bubbleflip hair-dos and incredible dancing? You get Shag!" I get some kind of guilty pleasure in watching these eighties Brat Packers and if it's set in the periods I love, all the better!! I'll give you a thumbs up or down from Zootsuitmama, as soon as I "screen" it.

I'm trying to decide what will premiere at my "Drive In". I'm thinking Long Long Trailer, by the trailer. Thanks to Mick for the idea! Well, everybody, Schools Out for Summer! So time to have FUN!!

Trying to get back in the swing of things!

Ok, this Mother's Day weekend turned out really great! First, my oldest son, his wife  and the two baby girls came over, then my youngest son called, and my daughter and her boyfriend took us all out to eat dinner (grandma too!). I bought some more flowers, got 8 tomoato plants planted and one pepper plant, and have some more to plant tomorrow. Love flowers! Can ya tell? I'll post pix of my groovy mothers day gifts, but the best gift is just being with my family.

This is one of the dresses I found for .50 at a garage sale. It's perfect for work, with the little tie around the neck, very "JOAN"ish. Then I found another sleeveless dress, with black and white polka dots and a little belt, that will also be a good summery work dress, topped with one of my vintage button up sweaters.

Not the best picture, but you get it? Just a plain ole dress with shirtwaist and a semi full skirt. Whee!

It wasn't the most fruitful of garage sale weekends, but I did score a "cannister set"- silver chrome and black, the kind with the slide out "bins". And -last but not least- A VCR tape! (yes I still watch them)-"Making Mr Right"...a movies in which a very "80's girl falls for an android...Her house is to die for, all retro and vintage fifties! Remember, it all came back in the eighties!

John Malkovitch and Anne Magnusen are in it, along with a lot of great characters. If you have never seen it...check it out -it's very cool and hilarious! Well, more tomorrow, I'm getting sleepy with all this rain! Chow!

Finally hit the thrift stores...

Well, I got to go to the thrift stores tonight, but didn't really see anything great. I did get a couple of books for 49cents a piece One is about '70's collectibles (my daughter will like that) and the other is Americana and collectibles...if nothing else, there are a lot of examples of dish patterns, etc. to look at and recognize stuff that's considered collectible. I just go by my own guage of things, if they turn me on they turn me on! I also finally picked up more tomato plants, flowers and ....hold on, cuz I know you won't believe it, PINK LAWN FLAMINGOS!! Yes, new and still in the box. Dollar General has them this year! 10 dollars. The box is pretty groovy in itself. So, tomorrow I can make my little flower bed out front cute.It's been a very long week at work with lots of strange things happening with the residents...fights! etc. And school was also weird. Hey, maybe its me? They say wherever you go, you take you with you! LOL Well, I'll post pix tomorrow-so can't wait to hear from my blogging buds! Zootsuitmama

Sorry I'm so Boring!

Well, it's time for finals. Yes, I am an old student - and it's starting to wear me down! I am just getting done with a case study for my drug and alcohol class and the final's tomorrow night. Then, one more on the internet for Anthropology. My garden is growing.I planted some flowers last night and some Cilantro, Dill, and other spices from my heirloom non genetically altered seeds tonight. Tomatoes on Fri! It's hot here, or maybe it's just "my inner child playing with matches". I havent' even hit a thrift store for two days!! AHHHHHHHH!

Well, I'll be back in the swing of things soon. In the mean time, I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places....at your cool blogs, that is! It keeps me entertained...

my bargain....not the best picture..

This is a kinda crappy picture of the couch. Pay no attention to the dirty floor! It's so damn long I couldn't get it all with my cheapo camera. I'll take more later, with the funky floral cushions. The wood is my fav!

Why I love Saturdays

I looked at the blogs that I follow, and figured out why I love Saturdays so much. Everyone posts their treasures from the weekend. Thrift stores, estate sales, whatever!Stuff just gets shared on the weekend. Alas, I don't have any pictures taken yet of all my finds. But BOY do I have something to show ya'll! I walked into Disabled Vets Store around 8:30 this evening on a "whim" (is there such a thing??) and spotted a long long couch sticking out from the other furniture.. It is brown with kinda curved teak-like legs. The arms "jut" out at an angle. I don't know if it's sixties or seventies. But, the tag said '60's style couch...I looked at the price. I thought it said 149.00, but NO. It said...are ya ready?? $14.95! I looked it over again and everything is in perfect shape except a small tear on the back, which is not a big deal. It's really amazing. I hurried up and paid for it, after the manager stated, "somebody must have changed the price!" and almost wouldn't sell it. I certainly didn't! but he finally said, "Well - just this time!" Now, where will I put it??? I'll just have to find a place, because I couldn't pass it up! My daughter would like it, but she's still living at home. Can't wait to post pix!!

I did find some of the plastic dishes my Grandma used to get at Krogers grocery store when I was a kid. An ice bucket in good shape!

and, more "animorphic fruit"..

Also, I got my pole lamp from my friend Merilee at the lake, and it looks awesome in the living room, which of course I cleaned and rearranged today...again.

Well, until tomorrow!! I just looked at the clock and it's almost 2am!!

Wednesday's ramblings

Summer is on my mind today, the sun was out, blue skys...you know the kind of day! I love my travel stuff when Summer is on the way. The USA of my childhood meant vacation time for many, "See the USA in your Chevrolet"...sang Dinah Shore! These postcards and plates remind me of those days. Even tho I only made it to Miami Beach as a child, and the Lake of the Ozarks of course, I still love looking at travel souveniers.

And, I found this egg plate in the same design as my coffee pot. I like it, but cannot think of the pattern's name.I stopped at the thrift store last night for a quick run through and found these strange lamp shades. They are some sort of waffle like plastic, and have the lacing around the edges, not bad for 1.99!

Well, bye for now. You kitchen winners should be getting your packages soon! Til then, keep cool!

How do we do it?

Howdy all! I was trying to think of a way to "stimulate" conversation about how we all manage to get through the day doing our regular lives, and keep "vintage" in our hearts? For me, I slacked off on wearing my vintage look for years because I thought I had to be a certain way. Oh yes, I would run back home at the end of the day to languish in my retro wonderland. But, I want to know how all of you got started living vintage, keep going despite work etc..the real world, and tips to others on how not to let people get to you when you choose your vintage look! Start postin' On your mark, get set, GO!

Part two of the thrifting finds...

I found this John Waters film that I have never seen. I loved Hairspray and Cry Baby. This is bizarre...and I have only seen the first part. Melanie Griffith?
This Chicken cookbook was made in 1961-and has some cool pix!

this was actually from last weekend and I forgot to post it! I have a casserole that matches!
This is an alarm clock that plays four different songs from Grease, wakes you up with the music and the flashing neon jukebox lights! One of the strangest in a while!

Well, it's time to set this alarm and hit the hay! Monday will be here before we know it!

A Thrifting We Will Go-Go!

A stash of 80's 45s.....

Collectors blue vinyl, ltd. time only!Peter Gunn theme 45!atomic juice glass         

 Easter Parade children's 45 front and back 29cents ?Grease container (has all the strainer parts etc, This is a metal cake plate w/cover I couldn't pass up, even tho it has a few dents.

Howdy, and sorry I haven't posted for a few days! My best friend came up from the lake of the Ozarks and we have been on the go! Last night, I took her to downtown Kansas City to see the Power and Light district. I am so glad they have renovated the downtown area, including adding a lot of new restaurants and a vintage theatre. It's good to see people actually walking around doing things after dark again! We ate at a Thai place, really good Spring rolls with peanut sauce and some spicy basil shrimp dish that was awesome. Of course, today was filled up with thrift store shopping. We are definitely "partners in crime" in the thrift store world since way back when..and it's funny to see us try to get out of the car and run in first! (Don't tell her, but I kinda let her get first dibs on stuff, since she doesn't get to come up that often!) Here's some of the cool finds of the day-

The thrift store Gods heard me again!

Well-I know you've all experienced this...OK? My daughter is HOOTOWL crazy. I mean who the heck let the owls out? Who Who Who?? So, we are drooling over all the cool Enid Collins Owl purses on the Internet and I said.."I WILL find one!". Tonight, somethnig told me to go to the Salvation Army. I was literally headed to Savers, the thrift department store and did a Batturn to go the other way. I had no sooner got inside and WHAM! behind the jewelry counter is THE purse! 14.99-The Big HOOTer of a purse in Perfect shape. Perfect as in NEVER BEEN USED! Now, I sit and wait for her and her boyfriend to get home from the movies...(Cue Carly Simon's ANTICIPATION>>>ANTICIPAye_YeA_SHU!)Here is a pix from the internet. I haven't had time to snap a pix. But, it's exactly like it! Not one rhinestone missing! I LOVE when this happens! Later, ZSM

Thrift Scores: Zootsuitmama 3-Salvation Army-0

Ha! Just when I was about to give up on finding anything besides some Aunt Jemima bottles made into candle holders, there they were! Two Souvenier pillow covers in near perfect shape! Also, while perusing the reject Dollar store lace panels, I struck gold! Even if it's only one long barkcloth panel, the possibilities are endless with what one can do!Just wanted to brag, I mean share, my win over Salvation Army! Not bad for a quick Monday night run through!

Oh, and a PS on my Aunt Mary blog- This is the formica top to the card table I got from her. Never seen one like this! Very sixties.

Have a great Tuesday! Zootsuitmama