15 March 2007
In an effort to use up my remaining holiday days before the end of the month, I took yesterday off and went to Stillwater with Sara. We arrived in time for lunch, which was the only disappointing element of the day -- apparently The Main Cafe doesn't consider omelettes to be lunch food. I'd been thinking about that omelette since the night before! Maaaan.
Still, I recovered, and we managed to get in some quality antiquing.
This anniversary tin of Avon talcum powder cost more than I usually spend (which isn't to say it was expensive -- I just like to find things that are dirt cheap!), but it's so pretty. I love art nouveau motifs. Is it fair to say art nouveau is similar in style to Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who is in turn similar in style to Frank Lloyd Wright? I like all three, and they're very connected in my mind (despite their differences), but I don't really know about these things. The eras seem right, anyway.
Behind the tin, you can see an Easter postcard I bought the last time I went to Hopkins. It's so sweet; I don't think I'll have the heart to put it away after Easter! You can also see the progress of my apple orchard back there. I had to fell one of the trees earlier today, as it seemed a bit poorly, and I didn't want it to contaminate the others. I'm still waiting on my first crop of apples -- I'll keep you updated.
I also picked up the glass carafe on the table there. I saw a few of these yesterday, including one that had a nice glass lid (but with a pattern I didn't care for). This one was the cheapest of the lot AND I like the pattern AND it has a (plastic) lid -- the others were lidless. I hadn't been looking for this, but once I saw it, I realized it was just the thing I needed. I've been wanting to drink more water, and now it can come chilled from the fridge, with no plastic-y taste.
I made the bag in the background specifically to take with me when I thrift/antique. I often buy postcards and other trinkets, and a bag with extra room is just the thing to drop them into (after I've paid for them!). It's nice and light, so as to not weigh me down (speed being essential when thrifting), and it showcases one of my very favourite Liberty prints. Perfect!
i don't want to disappoint you, but did you know that apple trees cannot be grown from apple seeds?
posted by apple at March 15, 2007 09:15 PM
Dear Apple: Curious....if the apple seeds won't grow into an apple tree, what will those green things growing in the pot turn into if not apple trees?
posted by at March 15, 2007 09:25 PM
I think what she means is that they aren't likely to bear fruit. If they do, the fruit is even less likely to be edible. I think it has to do with all the grafting and other things they do to the trees. Even if they don't bear fruit, we can always use more trees around, eh?
posted by Dana at March 15, 2007 10:22 PM
The tin is beautiful! You have such nice things, whenever you post pictures I look around at my stuff and think about why it isn't as nice as your stuff. Le sigh.
posted by jessie at March 15, 2007 11:20 PM
Apple and Dana -- Yes, I do actually know this! You think I would just plant an orchard without doing a little bit of research first?
Nothing I start from seed ever survives anyway; if I have a tree (whether or not it bears crab apples, if any) in six years from one of these seeds, that would be miracle enough for me!
posted by Anna at March 15, 2007 11:28 PM
The tin looks right at home with all your other stuff! I'm thinking about taking Jeff to Stillwater on Saturday. Thanks for introducing me to the joys of Stillwater antiquing...I had a lot of fuN!
posted by sara at March 16, 2007 02:01 AM
Anna,
great finds!
As for art nouveau, I'm no expert, but there are definitely some commonalities amongst those three. We went to the (Alfons) Mucha Museum in Prague last weekend - you might have swooned. :)
I, too, love Macknitosh, but after seeing some works at the MAK in Vienna, I'm more in love with his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. There is a stunning frieze of hers on display and a chest for which he came up with the general concept then she finalized and executed the design. Now I want to learn more about her and I wonder how much of her work is attributed to him...
posted by Auntly H at March 16, 2007 09:13 AM
Have you been to Buffalo to do any antiquing? That is my hands down favorite place to go. There rae so many good places (especially the first Thursday--Sunday of the month when certain places are open just for those days). It's really fun. Glad you had a good time in Stillwater. It is a fun and pretty place to go.
posted by Allie from Minneapolis at March 18, 2007 07:09 PM