Mud Boots

I mentioned mud boots a few posts ago, and then found some.

Skinny and Folds

Remember when I wrote about the Brooklyn Flea and preferences for apartment furniture?  Well, this desk is skinny and it folds.  Plus when it is unfolded it is stable and sturdy. Very cool.  More photos at walkerantiques.com

Sights, Smells, Sounds, and Mud of Spring

Spring is coming, and lately I can see, hear, and smell it.  Pretty soon it will be time for the mud boots. There was a farm equipment and tractor auction today, so maybe I should already be wearing them.  The equipment auctions are a regular spring thing in our area of Pennsylvania, though usually they don't get started until the official first day of Spring. For the reason, see the mud comment above. 

We saw that some robins came out of the woods this week. The bluebirds have been hanging around all winter, though, so the robins seem a bit wimpy. We also heard spring peepers the other night.  Were they around in the suburbs when I was a kid? I didn't notice them until I went to the mountains with Keith, but maybe I wasn't paying attention. I don't think the tractors drove by pulling the manure spreader, either, or the dump trucks with loads of mushroom soil.


We did have crocus, though, followed by the daffodils.

Stacking Suitcases

Here is a small suitcase to add to your stack.  Don't have a stack of old suitcases yet?  Then get started.  Old suitcases look great, hold things, and are easy to move around the house. You can store them on their side or standing up. There are lots of them, so they are usually still affordable.

Made in 1961

The other day I went to an auction and came home with this great little red bench.  I liked the color, the shape of the legs, and the fact that the legs were metal, not wood.  So someone had saved them from something else, probably a circa 1930 kitchen appliance; an ice box, one of those new fangled electric ones, or a range - "Now your cooking with gas!"  I like home made, make-do, one of a kind pieces, and when I turned this one over, it had this important message written on the bottom - "MADE JUNE 15, 1961."   The man who made it might forget exactly when he did it.  Who made it? that goes without saying.  Where? that goes without saying too.  By 1961, someone was ready for a new kitchen appliance, and someone else was not quite ready to let go of the old one.  And that guy, whoever he was, made this great little bench.

Skinny Desk

Did you live in an apartment as a kid?  We didn't. We each lived in 2 story 1960s suburban colonial houses, not huge like some things you find today, but large enough not to worry about the precise size of the furniture.  So our experiences selling to the happy crowds at the Brooklyn Flea were eye opening.   Before we went to Brooklyn, a nice vintage furniture dealer told us that skinny desks were always of interest. We nodded but didn't really get it. Now we do, or at least we're better at it. It's like the food rules.  Space is tight. Buy furniture, but keep it narrow or tall. Mostly folding.
  

Apologies to Mr. Pollan. More photos at walkerantiques.com.

Vintage Dress Form with Cast Iron Base

This is an old adjustable dress form.   An antique dealer we once knew used a dress form like this to display scarves, stick pins, and brooches. The entire form was completely covered with old bling. Very nice. When lowered it is 38 inches tall, so can be used for a tabletop display, too.  The fabric covering is worn and has been tacked to the body in spots, though your jewelry collection won't mind a bit. Price: $95. Local pickup or chance meeting. There are more photos at walkerantiques.com