You Gonna Eat That?

I have come to the conclusion that people were thinner back then simply because of the food they were presented with for dinner. Whatever they had in the fridge, went in a gelatin mold. "Welllll, lets see here, (opens fridge), I have olives, tuna, pickles and beets, time to get out the mold and get dinner crackin' here!" Every gross concoction was thrown into a shiny gelatinous mess, garnished with random unrelated things, perhaps lime wedges, rutabaga chunks, dill pickles, matchbox cars, whatever, it didn't matter. Nothing was really going to help make it look appetizing. Sometimes they would go all out and fill the cavity of the mold with some sort of creamy mass of meat with an olive or blueberry on top. These books are like a train wreck, you don't want to look, and you know its going to be gross, but you can't help it, it mesmerizes you. Fascinating. Shimmery.

 

I have had the pleasure to come across several of these cookbook gems. I recently sold a very old book that included a recipe for Sea Grass Pudding. Gather sea grass. Cook with cream and sugar, serve. Really, I kid you not.  Actual recipe.

 

That book sold 8 hours after I listed it, so it must have been delicious.

 

 

 

The Blender Way to Better Cooking and Savoury Cooking, two prime examples of books full of stuff you never want to eat. Includes Molded Salmon loaf, molded crab meat salad(garnish with cucumber and radish), asparagus egg mold, avocado mold (fill cavity with seafood salad), and something called Green velvet mold (you don't want to know) and the ever so delish Jellied Tomato Ring and my fave Golden Glow salad (pineapple, and cheese cubes, garnished with mayo)

 

Books available HERE

 

Awesome mid century salt and pepper shakers with a little jar for misc spice and Tupperware collection available HERE

 

 

 

 

Look at pics on the back of the book. Shimmery, jiggly, gelatinous mess.

 

The original Fear Factor.

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, now I really don't have anything bad to say about Wilton. I think they have some fabulous retro cake designs that are still fun and cool to this day. Basic cake decorating skills  never go out of style.  I really love this book! I found it in the bottom of a box that I got from an estate sale. Get your star tip out and get ready to make a wedding cake!

 

 

 

 

Available HERE!

 

 

Cool vintage metal flour sifter and lime green Tupperware available HERE!

 

 

 

 

This one is one of my favorites. I found it here in Florida, but it is from my home city Detroit. Ford Motor Co. used to put out a book of recipes from famous restaurants. I am sad to say that none of these restaurants are still around, but here you can have a collection of their recipes. Book shows much love, but I am crazy about the retro cover picture. I wish I could find more Detroit memorabilia, but chances are, I would just end up keeping it for myself.

 

This book is available HERE! (Please promise to love and care for this book)

 

 

I am in love with this groovy owl planter! This Cheese Cook book actually has some yummy recipes, I'm not going to lie, I copied a few for myself before listing it in my store.

 

 

 

 

The Omelette book is also a good one! Full of timeless recipes that still sound pretty darn edible! It's challenging for me to list these Holt Mid Century coffee/tea cups. I love how quirky and whimsical they are. But I have broken enough mugs in my life to know not to own anything vintage and non replaceable. Available HERE!

 

 

 

Betty Crocker books are usually my favorite, but this Southern Living one is pretty darn awesome. Hi OWL friend! 

 

 

1974 Celebrate cake decorating magazines. Filled with fun groovy cake designs!

 

Love!

 

 

 

Remember to use my coupon codes when shopping, they will expire soon! Shopping for books, use: BOOKS4ME to save 15%

 

Shopping for vintage home goods, use: VINTAGE4ME to save and extra 10%

 

My mom was a professional chef, so I can say we ate pretty good growing up. None of this cocktail wieners with grapes in a jello mold for us! However, one time she made some sort of crazy German meal. Everything was pretty disgusting. I discretely tossed the meal on our brown shag carpet, figuring that our pets would eat it. (I did that often with food I didn't like and one of our cats would usually eat it up, hiding any evidence). Well apparently whatever I threw on the floor was so disgusting that even our cats wouldn't touch it, and I got busted. My mom was understanding however, because even she knew it was a gross meal and we still reminisced about "that German dinner" 30 years later.

 

What were your family meals like growing up?

 

 





 

 



The Eye of the Tiger and a Ruined Shirt

At a recent school function for my kids they had the Kona Ice truck there to supply the kids with their daily sugar overload. Ice and syrup in a cup for $3. But the real draw is the fact that the kids get a cup of shaved ice and get to go to the syrup dispenser and have at it. So they pretty much just pump every flavor syrup until the syrup is dripping off the sides of the cup....thus landing on anything it comes in contact with. My son likes the "Tigers Blood" flavor. Its an orangey-tangerine-mango flavored syrup. Its a nice deep orange color, hence the name. My son was also wearing a white uniform shirt that day. You know where this is going, right?

 

 

Speaking of tigers, I do love me some big cats. We have a place about 10 minutes away from my house called Big Cat Rescue . And that's exactly what it is. Tigers, Ocelots, cheetah, Leopards, Lions et cetera,  that perhaps people thought they could own, and later realized that was a stupid idea. Or animals that had issues that prevented them from living in the wild, or whatever reason they needed to be rescued. I have always wanted to go, but unfortunately it is a bit pricey and you can only reserve for tours, no open admission. But I think its a wonderful cause and I'm sure I will go there one day.

 

My amazing tiger find just listed. I found this awesome kitschy tiger jar, probably made in Japan, He has a cool red hat with a cute little blue bird atop. I really love him and I would like to keep him. Which is one of the hard parts of this biz, its hard to let go of all these treasures!

 

 

 

 

 

I do so love him! But if you promise to be a good owner you can adopt him HERE. Please promise to take loving care of him!

 

 

While in St. Augustine, when I was at that super cool thrift store, Second Time Around Thrift on Old Moultrie Rd, one of the books I found was Timmy Tiger to the Rescue. Both my kids just happen to pick this book out of the stack I purchased, and they decided to read it. Both of my kids absolutely loved it! I don't know why they were both drawn to this book, but I think it has something to do with the super cute illustrations of the tiger with the big sweet eyes. Evan and Avery gave this book a 5 star rating in my store (1-5 star rating system).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avery did not like this page. She thought it was scary. I have to agree with her just because I do not care for monkeys, apes, primates in general. Not a big fan. But Timmy is just so stinkin' cute, isn't he?

 

 

Again, another cute tiger to adopt, please promise to give him a good home.

Available HERE 

 

 

Meanwhile, I will be content loving our Calico cat, Joby. She is a great cat and my kids just love her to pieces. I think she just pooped, because she just did the "poop run" up the stairs. You know the "poop run", Don'tcha? The "poop run" is that burst of energy cats get after they empty their bowels. Its either that or they are trying to escape the stink as fast as possible.

 

By the way, my children are only allowed to get Kona Ice flavors that match their shirts. It's a new family law. Avery can't go wrong because she will wear a rainbow shirt. Evan will probably play it safe and wear black, which should be easy since most of his shirts happen to be black.

 

Here are a few other family laws in our house: 1) No more than two stupid questions can be asked while I am driving.  2) No more than one child crying at a time (more of a law when they were younger, for whatever reason, this law really worked!). 3) No one can use my tape. 4) The kitchen utensil drawer is not a toy chest. 5) If I step on a Lego, it goes in the trash. 6) No one was allowed to use any floaties in the pool once they turned 4. So by age four, they had to completely learn how to swim to go in the water. Worked with both of them.

 

Have any great family laws/rules? ( I call them laws, it sounds more fierce)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Love Me Some Thrift Store Style

Now its my daughter's turn to star in my blog. I told you I wasn't going to exclude her. Her true talents are her mathematical skills and her love of eating. Yes, my daughter can eat like no one business. Mostly good healthy foods, but just massive quantities. One day she ate 15 grapefruits in one sitting. She also loves raw peppers and eats those by the bagful. Yes, she eats cookies and all the other good stuff too. She just eats constantly. In the summer she would eat about 4-5 full breakfasts, pretty much eating up until lunch time. She has only gained 4lbs in the past 3 years. She also has been doing yoga for three years, maybe there is a connection. May we all be blessed with such magical metabolism. She did not inherit this gene from me....

 

On another note, for anyone who thinks they need to pay full retail price at the mall to dress their children cute, boy, are they wrong! Because I am in the thrift shops so often to fill my stores, I always have to check out the kids aisle to see what I can find. I have found Childrens Place, new with tags, school uniforms for just a couple bucks, Sketchers shoes brand spanking new still in the box for $3. If the idea of "used" clothing is a turn off for you, lemme tell you, there is so much that is brand new with tags at thrift stores. Sometimes stores donate overstock and out of season. Sometimes people buy something and it doesn't fit and they lost the receipt to return it, sometimes someone gets a gift they don't love or need. Whatever the reason, their loss is my gain.

 

 

 

 

Here is my 6 year old, Avery showing you my latest find. Black shirt on sale at Target $3, Floral boutique skirt (new with tags)$2 thrift store.

 

 

 

 

 

Old Navy Shirt (new with tags) $1 Thrift store, Jeans shorts with embroidered flowers, thrift store $1. ($2 for this complete outfit, can't beat that!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Navy dress (new with tags) $2 Thrift store. (look at that killer bicep on my little girl! Yoga give this girl some muscles!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Osh Gosh shorts (New with tags) $1 Thrift store, shirt was given to me by a neighbor as a hand me down from her daughter. Freeeeee.

Yep, if my math is correct $1 for this outfit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shirt on sale at Carters $3, Justice tutu skirt (new with tags), $2.

 

As you can see, my daughter is not a fan of shoes. Prefers her flip flops which she would gladly wear year round, because "my feet get hot and slippery"

 

In addition she has been cursed with my big feet, sorry to say. However, I have blessed her with super straight hair, which I hope will balance out the big feet curse.

 

 

You can find lots of new stuff at the thrift stores. School uniforms, formal dresses you name it. I have a formal Limited Too dress, brand new with tags. I paid $3.50, its in her closet waiting for her, it is 1 size too big as of yet.

 

Her glasses cost $400. Can't always be thrifty.

 

Speaking of thrifty finds, Check out my stores! Huge sales on vintage books right now! AND use this coupon code for an additional 15% savings: books4me.

 

Shop HERE

 

 

 

Also savings on vintage home goods! Use this coupon code for additional savings: vintage4me.

 

Shop HERE

 

 

 

Have you found any good thrift store finds lately?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 



Some Serious Art!

As I promised, here is the post about my sons art. He is 10 years old and has been drawing since he was a baby. He never drew scribbles, he would try to draw figures and things. Most people thought I was crazy for giving my 2 year old a Sharpie to draw with, especially since I have a white sofa. But it was never a problem.

 

So now that he is 10, he has grown into quite an artist. He has had group lessons and now private lessons. He enjoys all forms of art, building, clay, stop motion animation, ink, paint, pastels, wood burning. He loves it all, but his favorite is pen, pencil and paper. He loves to illustrate.

 

He has had the opportunity on several occasions to sell his art at a local market. Both times he has sold out his inventory! His style is very unusual and creative. Its not that he draws well, its that he thinks odd.

 

 

Here are a few examples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most items sold before I was able to get a snapshot.

 

 

All his illustrations are framed in upcycled frames ready for purchase. He will be at the Hyde Park Market Sunday, October 6 from 10-2. Come and support the arts and young artists. One day, his work may be worth millions!

 

 

 

And so not to leave my darling daughter out, I will be featuring her next week in a fashion show extravaganza. She will be modeling the latest in Thrift Store Style. (Her passion is math and eating, so I really don't think posting pictures of her doing multiplication or eating would be very interesting).

 

 

 

And on a final note, HUGE sale at my bookstore! Many vintage reads for $3, $2 and under! Get them while you can! Big, big sale! I can not have a blog with out a little self advertisement. That's how I roll.....

 

 

Start shopping here!

 

 

 

Yes, I am proud of my son (and daughter)! I think everyone should be proud of their children. I like to hear other parents brag how great their kid is at baseball, or piano, or school, or just being a great kid. I know some people don't like it and think that it is shameful to be boastful, but not me. I like to brag about my kids and I like to hear other parents that brag about their kids. I think the parents that downplay their children's qualities are the ones that are shameful.

 

 

So let me hear you brag about someone special in your life. And don't hold back!