Thrift Item of the Moment

An Infinite Number of Coconut Monkeys

Thrift Item of the Moment

Juicer

I could easily become obsessed with collecting old pressed-glass juicers. I’m afraid I’d have dozens in no time because they’re quite common and inexpensive. They really appeal to me as sculptural objects (and I also like to use them to squeeze citrus fruits). I’ve been resisting, but I had to have this one because it’s very deep and holds lots & lots of juice (unlike the one I’ve been using) – and it’s beautiful.

Thrift Item of the Moment

Collapsible Christmas Tree

It’s been years since I’ve had a Christmas tree. This one appealed to me because it folds down nothing and takes no time to set up.

And it looks a little odd and ramshackle, but in an endearing way, like it was drawn by Dr. Seuss.

15 bucks at the Sally Ann. Including the garland and some stray tinsel.

I also bought these beauties to add to my collection of vintage tree ornaments. I’ll post a picture closer to Christmas when I have the tree decked out.

Thrift Item of the Moment

Pineapple Passion

Pineapple corer – 50¢ at a garage sale.

It works like a big corkscrew to scoop out the insides of a pineapple

Easier than it looks in this video. I was aghast when she threw out the shell…

because my whole purpose in buying this gadget was to hollow out pineapples to make vessels for  tropical cocktails.

Pina Passion

1 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce passion fruit nectar
1/2 ounce peach brandy
3/4 ounce Demerara rum
3/4 ounce gold rum
1 pineapple slice
3/4 ounce honey

Blend w/a cup of crushed ice, pour and drink.

Peach brandy isn’t available here, so I used apricot brandy. As well, after searching all over town I couldn’t find any passion fruit nectar or juice, so I used a blend of tropical juices that had passion fruit in it (as well as mango, guava, pineapple, papaya and peach). Mighty tasty regardless.

Don’t forget to garnish.

Thrift Item of the Moment

Gladiator duel

click to enlarge

Best copper picture ever.

Thrift Item of the Moment

Blue Boy & Pinky

Thrift Item of the Moment

Cocktail umbrellas

Box of 144 for $1.99 at Sally Ann. I think I’m set for life.

Thrift Item of the Moment

Luxury aloft

Two Trans-Canada Airlines (now Air Canada) postcards, probably mid-50s, 10¢ each at Salvation Army.

click to enlarge

“TCA’s great SUPER Constellation Skyliners provide a new high in luxury, speed, and passenger comfort.”

click to enlarge

“The four propeller-turbine engines of the TCA VISCOUNT Skyliner make possible new standards of quiet, dependable flight.”

Thrift Item of the Moment

Little buildings and monuments

Made of metal, sometimes with marble or granite bases (in the olden times – nowadays everything’s made of plastic).

Today I found these two at a thrift store:

Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, Paris

These two are quite flat and use forced perspective to give the illusion of dimensionality, as seen in this top view of the Arc de Triomphe.

You might call it “Triomphe-l’oeil” (ha ha).

Empire State Building, New York

Tour Eiffel, Paris

Statue of Liberty, New York

Notre Dame de Paris

Another Arc de Triomphe

This Empire State Building is a coin bank

Still another Arc de Triomphe

Capitol Building, Washington DC

And another Tour Eiffel

This one has a thermometer (Celsius only)

Yet another Empire State Building

Manneken Pis, Brussels

I almost forgot I had these because they’ve been stored in a box in a closet for many years.

Thrift Item of the Moment

The Art of Eleanor Chambers

I bought the two ladies above and the gentleman below.

They have such a lovely old-fashioned look to them, like old family photos. I have no idea when they were painted but the styles look to be from the 1940s (?). I can tell you nothing about the artist beyond her name.

Details:

Some features, such as hair and jewels, were applied very thickly, giving a relief effect.