Childrens books! Or oh how I love you, St Vincent de Paul

There's a dollar unaccounted for from last weekend.  One little dollar that I spent, and did not tell you about.  Confession time: the dollar went to one of my biggest weaknesses.  Periodically, St Vincent de Paul has an amazing deal on them - children's books only, 10/$1.00.  And when they do, you'd better believe I scoop up some books!  Here are some of the finds this time.  I apologize for the quality of the pictures.  Bad light, flash and laziness, I'm afraid are to blame.:

Vintage Disney, another Nancy Drew, and look!  Goonies!

From "Bambi Gets Lost".

A punchline from the Goofy's Gags book.
I'll let you supply your own setup!

I adore this pink and green 1971 "Read and Find Out" book  - Use Your Brain!

The illustrations are fabulous throughout.

There were a couple of these "Best in Children's
Books" ones, but I didn't know anything
about them, so I only picked up this one.

It's an anthology, with a few really lovely illustrations.

The 80s were a magical time, weren't they?

The Scarlet Slipper Mystery.  One day I
should read a Nancy Drew or two!

You may have noticed the picture above only made 7.  That's because I have yet more vintage Disney to show you:

Original flavor Bambi, Pinocchio and Snow White, oh my!

"You can call me Flower, if you want to!"

She was definitely the scariest evil queen of all.

Oh, Pinocchio!  Next thing you know we'll catch you playing Pinochle!

They even had a third, and to me most awesome of all, Bambi title, Bambi's Fragrant Forest, which was a book I had and loved and unfortunately scratched and sniffed to death as a child.  Equally unfortunately, this particular example of the book had been loved even more thoroughly than mine; the pages were falling out of the binding.  So alas, I left it behind.  Someday I'll come across a copy in great condition and I will refrain from scratching all the sniff out this time.


Ah, books!  Buying a new stack like this for one little dollar always makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

Back to the blog

Hello, everyone!

I hope  you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Boxing Day.

I had so much fun with Christmas this year!  I did all the things I always mean to do, like baking and coming up with special wrappings for gifts instead of throwing them in last year's gift bags.  I don't have any pictures of my baking, but here are some of the packages I wrapped (I was inspired this year by Julie Andrews to do these:

Brown paper packages tied up with... er, well, yarn.  

I didn't have any string handy.

I made brown paper curlicues and candy cane hearts and felt awfully crafty!

And used my carry-everything basket to transport them.  

I paid a non-thrift price (a rare occurrence for me) on this basket at a 

street festival I accidentally attended in Springfield, Il over the summer.  

At the time I wasn't even sure why I needed it, but now 

I'm not sure how I ever lived without it.

  I use it at least once a week, and it's sturdy and well-made and pretty, too!

And Santa was very gracious to me this year, too!  I got to spend time with so many people I love, I got a really nice hanging rack for my ever-growing vintage clothing collection, and not one, but two yellow elephants!  It's possible you might not all know about me and yellow elephants.  If so, let me just explain that I collect them.  Because it's fun to say yellow elephant.  Go ahead!  I dare you, say "yellow elephant" a few times, especially if you say it fast - I dare you not to get a smile out of it.  It's a little-known fact.  

I haven't brought everything in from the car yet, so instead of the ones I actually received for Christmas, here are shots of some of the yellow elephants in my collection:

1940s planter and plaster child's-room plaque

Plastic watering can - 1950s?

A trio of planters.  I think the middle one was created for a 

Republican National Convention or something, but in spite of it's political origins, 

it gets along fine with the others, so I love it anyway ;)

Tiny ones!  Erasers.

A bank. another bank that started life as a cookie tin, and a glass paperweight.

I actually have a few others - a couple of not-very-attractive stuffed ones, and some that are in need of repair.  I was discussing the yellow elephant thing with a friend the other day who had, apparently, tried to explain to someone else about my collection with little success.  It is my contention that the more yellow elephants I have around, the more excuses I have to say "yellow elephant", and the more free smiles I get!  Simple enough, right?