Merry Christmas 2024 │ Last Sale of the Year

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas. This year is special to me because both of my boys will be leaving the "nest" soon. My oldest gets married in May and my youngest moves away to college in January, so next Christmas will be the first "different" one we've had in decades.

I hope you can celebrate this time with family and friends, this Christmas. That's what matters the most. You never know when things will change because, in reality, everything changes. I'm so thankful for what I have right now and will miss certain things. But change always makes room for growth.

A little side note, my vintage shop will be having a 20% off sale on most merchandise on December 26th and 27th only: a 48-hour sale. 

This is the last sale I'll have for months since I'm changing the format of my store to "less is more." Sales won't really be a part of my shop much, except for maybe once or twice a year (but free shipping to the US will always be a part of the deal - if I'm not on sale!)

The ornament on this little tree in my family room is from a friend who passed away several years ago. I miss her greatly, but love having one of her ornaments. She's still with us in spirit with this piece. 

Love you all, my vintage friends. Merry Christmas. I hope you're happy and spending it with someone (or many people) you love. ♥

Kumquats and Christmas Cactus │ My Vintage Garden

What do kumquats and Christmas cactus have in common?

It signals Christmas is just around the corner.

In case you were hiding under a rock, and didn't have a calendar, these two singular natural events - kumquats ripening to perfection and the Christmas cactus opening its succulent flowers - signify that Christmas is nigh.

Here's a little snap of my overladen kumquat tree. This is the first year - after five years of taking care of it - that we have gotten a huge bounty. The tree is overflowing, whereas in previous years, we were lucky to get fifteen tiny fruits. The branches will probably break if I don't start harvesting the fruit! Guess I better get out there.

The Christmas cactus sits in our kitchen's sunny bay window getting the right amount of indirect sun and plenty of shade. Currently, the blooms are spectacular. It only blooms once a year, and now is its time to shine! It's obviously the most wonderful time of the year.

Merry Christmas, my vintage friends. Stay warm, stay joy-filled, and watch for miracles.

Pyrex Snowflake Blue │ Thrifted Pyrex

It’s amazing that in spite of collecting Pyrex and seeing duplicates out in the wild, I still - after nearly 4 years of collecting via thrifting this collection - still find pieces I don’t have and need. Today was lovely as I found two more pieces I didn’t have. They're a part of the Snowflake Blue Pyrex pattern, which is appropriate for the season: a bowl (402) and a smaller casserole (042).

Here's how they look in my cabinet - it's the two in the middle left.

Here's the snowflake casserole with the lid. Got her for $9.99.

Then found the smaller bowl, 402, that goes with the set too.
$4.99. Both pieces are in excellent condition.

Later that morning, I found a gorgeous princess-style wool charcoal long gray winter jacket for the shop. I wish she fit me. She's small and best fits a petite in stature.

Look at the back! That's what got me the most. The shoulders are pleated as is the back. Just perfection. She'll be in the shop this week, probably in a day or two.

For those who say you can't thrift Pyrex anymore, it's just not true. Be patient, be consistent, and it will come to you. ♥

Here's the latest shot of my collection. It is 99% thrifted, and the other 1% were gifted or antiqued. Just amazing. I'm still in awe of being able to find what I want. Click here for my past articles about Pyrex!

-Heather

365 Posts Within 365 Days

I started this blog in early January 2024. My goal was to write at least 365 posts for the year. The reason for this was simple: the more people visit my website, the more people will want to hang around and read it, and the larger this fun vintage community grows.

Now, I do have a couple of ulterior motives. One is that it leads readers to my vintage shop. I sell vintage clothing online on Etsy, and I've just begun my 15th year there, so naturally, that's where I want people to end up (if I have any business savvy, that is).

My blog is also monetized, meaning any time someone clicks on an ad, I'm rewarded for it. Now it's not much. We're talking literally a penny or two for a click.

I'm definitely not going to get rich writing about the joys of vintage, but then again, that was never my intention. I love vintage. And writing about it is a perfect outlet for me to keep my writing skills up (I'm an independent writer) and keep my vintage knowledge growing.

Now that it's December, it's hard to believe I've accomplished that goal of 365 posts. In fact, this is my 368th post, and I'm so grateful to you if you're following along and enjoying my finds and learning as much as I am learning. The more I research vintage, the less I feel like I know anything, so I'm learning all the time.

If you ever feel the need to click on an ad that shows up on your device while you read my posts, great. :) Click away. Know that it's always deeply appreciated and every little bit counts. 

 Thank you for following along my vintage journey with me, and I can't wait to see what 2025 brings me in my vintage endeavors.

I plan to keep blogging, though I don't have the desire to do 365 posts for the next year (Whew, that was a lot!). I'll post when I feel led to post but I'll still be here. I have a substantial base of posts for folks to peruse and that was my goal for 2024! Mission accomplished.

Have a blessed rest of December. And I'll post again soon with my next vintage find. Thank you again for reading my work and being just as excited as I discover all the vintage goodness - and love for vintage fashion that leans heavily into slow fashion - that surrounds me.

-Heather

Thrift Haul │ Vintage Finds December 2, 2024

I had a fun vintage-sourcing excursion on Tuesday. As is the way with the future of my shop (quality over quantity), I will tell you that's exactly what I found.

• two pairs of '80s Levi's 501s - I even found that awesome label again in one of them!
• one '60s military shirt
• one '80s / '90s Eddie Bauer wool cardigan
• one '80s Otagiri mug - yes, I'll probably be keeping this one for myself.

I'll take a small -but incredibly strong - thrift haul any day. ♥

It's all headed to the shop this week or the next.

In the decade I've been selling Otagiri, I had yet to come across this one. So cool.

I can't believe I found this label again! This is only the 3rd time in fifteen years.