Do you see what I see?

All photos can be clicked to enlarge

Or maybe the real question is, “Do you want to see what I see?”

Or even “Would you want to see what I see?”

Because if you do, you can.

My friend Ethel has gotten me hooked on yet another internet time vacuum fun way to share those random vintage moments that pop up throughout the day and if you’d like to come along, you can see photos of them as they happen.

Whoa.

That’s right! For example, when I spy a piece of rare vintage barkcloth and it's not for sale, you can feel my pain in real time!

I can only guess that the question you’re now asking yourself is, “Where in the world do I sign up for that?!”

On Instagram.  

It’s a great way to feel confident and assured that you’ll never miss an exciting moment such as this:

Or this:

Or even this:

All with riveting captions from me and occasional comments from the internet.

I’m addicted.

So if you want to see what I see, just follow along on your smartphone. It’s easy to download the free Instagram app and follow IntoVintage. The app also allows you to leave comments and to heart the photos that you, well, heart.

The other option for viewing photos on Instagram is to use it on your computer via the Instagram website.  You can also take a sneak peek of my photos by clicking here.

I follow lots of my favorite bloggers along with new-to-me vintage loving folks I discovered while exploring Instagram.

And if you’re posting your photos on Instagram, please leave me your Instagram user name in the comments section so I can see what you see too.

Miss America

Do you ever wonder where bloggers go when they suddenly disappear for months on end?

In the case of this blogger, let’s pretend I was touring the countryside in my imaginary vintage camper, having madcap vintage adventures all over the USA and now, just for fun, I’ve pulled a few snapshots from the photo album to share with you.

   A beautiful Fall day – I threw on a skirt, some heels and a blond wig and headed out for an impromptu hike.

Never pick up bears who are hitchhiking. Ever.  

(There I am, off to the right, fiddling with my camera, getting ready to take a picture of me being eaten by a bear).

My favorite, camping! I know it looks like we’re survivalists smoking a side of beef but it’s really just a little campfire for s’mores.

(I am truly a happy camper at heart. Check out my Vintage Camping board on Pinterest).

I mastered a new sport in one afternoon. This is so much easier than it looks! And the ride down the mountain in the ski patrol sled was much more exciting than the ambulance ride that came next.

This was a wacky day when everyone but me put on their vintage plaid shirts and took turns pulling me around by my foot. I am such a good sport!

There was even a little beach frolicking. That’s me on the far right. In the red suit. With my head under a tiny pink umbrella.  (Not in the tiny black shorts and wristwatch).

All goofiness aside, I’ve missed you. 

There’s a big weekend ahead of junking with Ethel (road trip!) and when we return, we’ll tell you all about it.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All of the images are from the pages of my new favorite vintage book, America's Wonderlands, circa 1959.

Before They Were Bloggers

In a desperate attempt to unearth some sort of vintage Christmas treasure at a local thrift shop, I turned to a part of the store I usually never even slow down for, let alone browse in.

It's that place where old vinyl albums and cassette tapes go to collect forever-dust: The Record Department.

And that’s where I found it.

A very rare, out-of-print album featuring an extremely collectible cover, designed by two well-known vintage crafters before they turned their talents to blogging, spun-head collecting and vintage-Christmas-ornament-locating.

My hands were shaking as I slowly turned it over in order to find the tiny, telltale evidence that this was the gem I suspected it might be.

Ah yes, there it is.

An Ethel & Oodles original.

My lucky day!

Memorandum

TO: Thrift Store Owners and Operators

DATE: November 27, 2012

RE: Vintage Christmas Inventory

It has come to my attention after an unannounced inspection of your shops this morning, despite the fact it is now 5 full days after Thanksgiving, many of you are not yet in compliance with the GYVCIOOTSN(P)* directive sent down from corporate.

As a courtesy, you will be allowed an additional 48 hours to bring your shop up to code prior to the next round of visitations.

Failure to do so may result in a fit and/or tears from one extremely disappointed shopper.

Please make every effort to prevent this.

With your cooperation, we can all have the very best vintage Christmas season ever.

*Get Your Vintage Christmas Inventory Out On the Shelves Now (Please)

Just because I like to say 'Doodads'

 

I don’t recall when it began but at some point I started setting aside little vintage doodads that turn up in the boxes and bags of things I bring home from yard sales and thrift stores.*
 

A fleet of little sleighs came mixed in with vintage Christmas ornaments.

 

Itty, bitty deer appeared.

 

Tiny, tiny white mice were found in the bottom of a bag. (These are a tremendous improvement over my last experience…)

 

Little candy baskets started stacking up along with the occasional googley-eyed glitter bird. (Blogger’s spell check rejects all of my versions of ‘googley.’ )

 

Bells of all shapes and sizes.

 

And one spun head.

All of these doodads end up in a bag marked ‘Ethel’ because The Vintage Crafter will know exactly what to do with them.

 

 

 *Despite bringing home boxes and bags of things from yard sales and thrift stores, I swear on my stack of newspapers from 1987 that I am not a hoarder. 

 



What’s more fun than a vintage box of teeth?

Two vintage boxes of teeth?

Despite their freakishly lifelike appearance, they’re plastic.

I know. A little too real.

I don’t know what gets into me this time of year.

Probably something to do with the weather.

I promise, next time we meet we’ll discuss something much more down to earth like vintage Christmas space aliens.

 



Proving once again there isn’t much I won’t buy when it only costs a dollar

Doesn’t she look like someone just loved her to death?

Literally.

It appears she received some emergency medical treatment along the way.

And a makeover.

From Morticia Addams.

A very nice gal at the rummage sale where I purchased this poor soul asked me “What will you do

with the antique dolly?”

Cue up spooky music.  

I think Dolly will be hard at work on Halloween.



A public service announcement

We (and by 'we', I mean 'I') interrupt this vintage Christmas post with an important announcement.

It has been reported there is another severe outbreak of vintage dish-itis.

Please, do not panic.

While there is no known cure for this condition, the prognosis can remain favorable by following these simple instructions:

1.  Locate any vintage dishes you have that resemble the one pictured here.

2.  Carefully pack, insure and ship them to me immediately.

I will place all dishes in quarantine for as long as necessary.

Remember, I am a professional so do not try this in your own home.

The quarantine process may take months, if not years, so please feel confident that these dishes will be well cared for.

And now we return to our regularly scheduled vintage Christmas programming.