Your so CHARMing...

Gads!! It's been forever since I posted in here but I still come and visit often and have not forgotten about this blog..As a matter of fact coming up later will be one of my Bizarre and freaky finds at the last Antique show I went to..anyhoo...

I been on this mission looking for old CHARM Bracelets. I was sorting through my jewelery box when I came across my grandmother's old charm bracelet she gave me a long long time ago when I was about 16. On her bracelet she had a wish bone, a cowboy boots, her zodiac sign and a few other things.

I like the fact that you can personalize your charm bracelet to represent all the things you love!
Sometimes On ebay I will see vintage charm bracelets posted that people have found at estate sales and picture just by looking at the charms what this person was like.

Looking at my grandmothers charms you can certainly tell she was into country western. You can always almost find a Key or a heart on just about any charm bracelet as well. I am sure a key will always have a different meaning by each individual person. What a interesting question to ask that a person if you ever see them with a key charm...What is your meaning for the key? Here are a few random Charm bracelets I found online..hmm let's see how I can distinguish the previous owners to these bracelets...


This was obviously owned and created by a lover of the outdoors.
A lover of cats...

A catholic ..

A native American

A lover of travel.it appears maybe someone who had collected a charm from every place they have visited.

Charm bracelets..they are just so Charming aren't they..

The Werid, The Creepy and The Bizarre 1

Now you all know I LOVE Swap meets. I try and get out to the every weekend when I have no party to attend and when the cash is flowing. Last Sunday we went to the swap meet and looked around...My items I had an eye for that day..Barbies and other Miscellaneous dolls.

Anyway I came across this creepy looking clown doll in a pile of dolls at one booth...It totally reminded me of Poltergeist!! So I thought hmm In my collectors corner blog I am going to try and do a new feature of The weird, The Creepy And The Bizarre (a list of a creepy and down right weird items I find) hopefully a few times a month.

So Here is my first Creepy Find of many to come.....


Imagine finding this at the foot of your bed.muahahaahaha

The joy of treasure hunting

I have a Huge HUGE fascination about curiosity shops. Anytime I travel and see some strange little place that has eye catching Junk in front of it I immediately have to make an B-Line through the front doors..GET OUTTA MY WAY !!!

I kid you not I even have DREAMS of winding up in some strange antique store. It used to be a re occurring dream actually from when I was about 9 years old. It was strange.

Anyway, everyday on my drive home from work there is this strange little shop and in front it always has some tiki's, old furniture, old nautical ship stuff and other miscellaneous crap depending on what day you drive by littered on the sidewalks. I never been there before but have always wanted to check it out.

I always find one really creepy looking item when I stop at these stores too. Sometimes I just stare at them and think to myself WHO THE HELL Would Buy That??

I remember this old antique shop in my neighborhood it was in just your average neighborhood and someone converted their house into an antique shop and lived in the guest house behind the house/Antique shop and in the window of this place were these two dolls of Old folks and they had this leather looking shriveled skin that was really tanned and had this big smiles with these teeth that looked REAL..blahh it was like a train wreck too that I just could not look away from everytime I walked by that place.

Hey there Doll Face

Ok now I may collect a LOT of things but one thing I have never really gotten into was collecting Dolls..until now.
I don't know why the sudden change of heart..maybe it is the fact that I am a mother now of a little girl, maybe it was the attraction I got browsing around the flea markets or maybe it was something in the deep dark forest of my subconscious mind that has finally broken free telling me how I have always really wanted to start a doll collection and now is the time to start doing it.
Now I don't want to collect any specific brand of doll..(well technically speaking..I am attracted basically to dolls of the 60's) . I have also been taking a liking to Barbies lately as well. I had a few that I have received as gifts but now find myself buying some here and there.
The last thing I want to do is spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on doll collecting (I say that now). I keep telling myself..oh I will start collecting them for Ava..I know I really want them for myself.
Than once I get the dolls , I will have to scout out the cool custom outfits and accessories that people make and sell on ebay or Etsy...I can see it already..my room covered in dolls..I like the eerie kind too with the big eyes...oh my poor husband.
So my Wish List for doll dolls
are Susie Sad Eyes, Blythe, Chrissy by Ideal, Scooba-Doo, and Keane.
Now I am starting up a pretty good Barbie collection too..Some were gifts and others I have bought to add to my collection (that I'm starting for AVA)..That will be another blog all on it's own
Here's some pictures of my doll Wish List that I did searching images online..

Scooba-Doo

Blythe

Susie Sad Eyes


Chrissy

Let's Lighten things up a bit

Well It has been awhile since I blogged in my collectors corner blog..I blog every day in my everyday life blog and I have been slipping on days there too.

Anyways Yesterday we had a earthquake here in lovely California which I just so happen to be lounging around on my couch when I felt a small rumble and looked over at my Swag Lamp that started swinging ..which brings me to one of my favorite items I collect...LAMPS.

I have a HUGE fascination with lamps. I find that Lamps can really set the tone to ones home decor..I guess since I have so many from all eras.. this is why a few have commented my home looking like a consignment shop which some may feel insulted by that remark but I LOVE consignment shops so I think it is kinda cool.

I really wish I could just cover my home with all the lamps but the irony there is I am more of a Dim lighted atmosphere type of person. I have several table lamps,paper lanterns, velvet swag lamps, TV lamps, even Neon beer lights (those stay in the garage).

My ultimate favorite lamp though is my extremely ginormous gaudy White goddess rain lamp!

I remember my grandmother having a rain lamp as a child and I would spend the night there and I would be soothed to sleep by the sounds of the oil pump of the lamp. I always ALWAYS wanted to touch the little oil beads that would cascade down the clear sturdy threads.
(I always find that the things I cherish most are from memories of my grandmothers house)

Here are some pretty cool lamp photos I found from Lamp dealers around the US.

A room with a View

So my son has show and tell at school and I always try and think of something cool and unusual to give him to take (which I am sure what is cool to me is probably lame to him).
I had him take the pez collection last month.
Anyway I was going through my closet and found a huge box of Viewmaster slides from the 50's and a couple of viewmasters. I was thinking what a cool item for him to take. I than got to thinking after looking at the selection of slides..would any of these kids even have any interest in the slides..for example let's see what do we have to show..
I am really wanting though to get all the old Disneyland ones (not in this selection)
Buck rogers
The lone ranger
Tarzan
King Kong----maybe cool------
The story of Easter
Arizona
The Washington monument
Batman----------------this they may find cool
Rudolph the red-nose reindeer
The grand Canyon
Red Rock
Joshua Tree

I was thinking back to when I had a viewmaster the slides I had
ET
She-ra
The Hobbit
Dark Crystal
Land of the Lost
Just to name a few...

After going though through my dusty old shoebox of brown rust stained slides and old plastic smelling viewmaster with the much needed oil treatment on the clicker I thought these first graders would destroy these slides...maybe I better just let him pick something out....As long as it is not the nintendo DS!

Where's my Mai Tai??

Yeah I ask myself that question every Friday when it is time to kick start the weekend and there is no better way to have a tropical libation than served in a Frightfully decorated Tiki mug!

I never got the desire to collect tiki mugs but I have to admit I do have a few. I can thank my mother for that one. See she works at a thrift store and she knows how I love old vintage pop culture knic knacks and she knows as well as everyone else under the sun.. loves tiki. What is there not to like about it. Just drinking out of one of those mugs is a tiny piece of tropical paradise.

Anyway she brings me home every once in awhile some vintage Polynesian items that get donated to her store. (She of course pays for them at a low low price). As a matter of fact one wall in my kitchen is dedicated to tiki culture. (thanks to my husband)

There are so many people out there collecting mugs now that more enthusiasts are even creating their own special tiki mugs and selling and trading them online. There is even a book about it.

I just love the creativity of each tiki mug you see out there. Some of them have so much detail and I love the old ones with the rhinestones embellishments on their eyes. ( I have a thing for Rhinestone eyes)

You know though what I like better than drinking out of a tiki mug??? How about one of those Big Coconut Shells that are carved like a monkey!! Now that's what I'm talking about!

This is a must have if you collect Polynesian stuff

I have this mug in my collection..But who doesn't?? Seriously this mug is in ever collection I see.