My French Heaven

Of all my vintage French postcards, and there are beaucoup that live with me, this is the very best one. The chambermaid is presenting a beautifully set table, including a riot of Peonies stuffed in a vase at the center of it all. The caption reads, "Madame is served!"  

This, my friends, is what heaven will be like.

Did I Pay Too Much?

It was 50 cents.  50.  And it's not just any spoon rest.  It's a gourmet spoon rest.  I might have even paid $1 for it.  I especially like the radish.  Pardon me, the gourmet radish.

A Christmas Tree Created From One Gal's Trash

Merry Christmas!  I SO wish I could take credit for this most festive of Christmas trees.  It's currently in the shop window at Patti Smith West in NE Portland.  Crafted from torn corrugated boxes, vintage recycled glass ornaments and lights.  The "tinsel" is shredded sheet music.  Genius!  Fantastic!  Made by Trina Hesson.

Want a closer look?  Of course you do!
Patti Smith West is located at 3746 NE 42nd St. Portland 97213

You're Preaching to the Choir

It has always been my habit to peer into dumpsters as I drive by them to see if anything looks interesting.  Well today, something looked very interesting.  So interesting in fact, that I slammed on my brakes, did an illegal U-turn and sped back as fast as the Kia Rio would take me. 

When I arrived at the dumpster, I got a better view.  And look...another passerby saw something he liked, too!

In less time than you can say "preacher's pulpit", it was safely ensconced in the back of the Rio.

At the Bottom of the Barrel

The other day, I stopped by one of my favorite junking spots. It's the kind of place that has stuff in large quantities. Barrels of old wine corks, barrels of bottle tops, barrels of discarded ribbons. You know, barrels. One of them held an impressive variety of fake flora, mostly the plastic & synthetic stuff that makes my skin crawl. However, on this particular day, look what was at the top of the pile....

A vintage bump chenille flower. And it was ORANGE. How lucky can a girl get only 3 weeks from Halloween, the orangiest holiday of the year? I snatched it up and started to dig further and further into the synthetic flotsam and jetsam. HELLO! The rest of the bump chenille bouquet appeared!

I promise you that I gasped out loud when I saw it. No one heard me, so if it's like that whole tree-falls-in-the-forest thing, I have no way of proving it. You can trust me on this. I gasped.

And now, look at the happy arrangement in my pure black English Ironstone jug. Girls, sometimes in this life, you just gotta dig.

Somebody (Almost) Just Like Me

Well girls, I've decided to re-launch my blog.  I've been on an OGT hiatus while tending to other projects, namely THIS.

What better way to get back into the swing of things than by highlighting another lover of trash?  I saw this incredible sight the other day and just about drove off the road.   At first, I thought a tree had fallen onto the roof of the car.  But as I passed by, I could see there was much more to the story.  Like, a string of holiday lights, tinsel and various other bits and bobs.  In the middle of it all...a ginormous stuffed bunny holding (I think) a plastic doll.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a collector, too.  But my junk is on display at home, or tenderly packed away in boxes marked: "even more stuff I can't get rid of".  I don't drive around with my treasures piled into an arrangement on top of my car.  To each her own, I guess.

All Good Things Must...Move to Another Website

Dearest friends of One Gal's Trash,

For the last several years, many of you have checked in here regularly to read the ramblings of a junk-loving crazy lady in Portland, Oregon. And I thank you. You've seen photos of my vintage holiday decorations, heard about scary people at estate sales and even read about my hellish trip abroad with someone famous.

About 18 months ago, I headed in a new, but related direction...as a vintage market producer. Plucky Maidens Junk Fest! launched in August 2011 and has grown by leaps and bounds.  We host 3 large and festive vintage shows a year, in and around Portland. Our "Smorgasbords of Vintage Wares" feature 50+ vendors, refreshing cocktails, yummy food & live music. We drink! We nosh! We dance! And my o my, how we JUNK!

The stories I used to share on OGT can now be found on the Plucky Maidens facebook page HERE.
Come on over for a visit and "Like" us, will ya?

Our other big, fabulous news is that we're launching group buying trips to the flea markets of Paris and London this year. More information can be found on our website HERE.

As for my One Gal's Trash blog, I don't have the heart to shut her down. I'm just going to officially put her on hiatus. Many thanks for all the junky love over the years.

xoxox
Pam

A Very Determined Tomato Plant

Disclaimer alert: This post isn't about anything vintage or antique or upcycled. But what I'm about to tell you took place near a trash dumpster, so at least there's a connection to the name of this blog. I spotted this bit of green the other day in an alley, and at first thought it was a weed. I took a closer look and realized that it was a tomato plant. A big tomato plant.

But here's the thing. Tomato plants aren't normally volunteers, or perennials for that matter. You plant one where you want it...it grows for a season...end of story. This one is growing out of a crack in the pavement.  See?

So, here's what must have happened....Someone tossed a tomato in the dumpster, but missed.  A random seed from the squashed tomato happened to end up in a bit of dirt at the intersection of the building and the sidewalk and the parking lot. And then, it got enough sun and water to survive and thrive.

It's even producing fruit!  Don't you just adore nature?

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make An Apron!

My pal, Amy, of Into Vintage and Vintage Market Guide collects vintage tablecloths....including the ones with holes and stains. Then she sits down at her sewing machine, cuts them up, and turns them into something fabulous, instead of just letting them pile up in closets and drawers like some people I know. Anywho, I recently handed her a sweet but holey yellow cloth festooned with pineapples and lemons and asked her to work her magic. She did.

The pocket is my favorite bit. The black vintage trim is perfect!

Amy dug through her stash and crafted the tie from a color coordinated vintage sheet.  The only problem?  I can't imagine actually using the apron while cooking.  It's too pretty to ruin with splatters of spaghetti sauce and cheap red wine.  Maybe I'll only wear it while I'm reading.  Thank you, Amy!

Concrete Chaos

This is not my yard.

It could be my yard. But it's not.

I adore the bunny placement in the strawberry patch.

I Was So Happy He Didn't Have a Rifle

I've seen this dwelling a thousand times on our way to the Oregon Coast....but there's never been a "sale" there before!  My kids thought I was out of my mind to even consider stepping foot on the property. But I had a gut feeling that there was some great junk under the piles of plastic flotsam and jetsam. My gut feeling turned to concern when I saw an enormous "100% NRA" poster on the front door. Still, I persevered.  "Hello....Hello...", I called. Finally, a mountain man came around from the back of the house. Happily for me, he was not carrying a weapon. We did a little business.....

6 glass bricks: $2 each.  The metal crate: $1.

Galvanized tub: $2.  6 wooden legs: $2 for the lot.  Milk bucket: $1.  Wire canning basket: $1.  Lamp fixture piece with glass flowers: $1

Keys: $2 for the lot.  Many of them are imprinted with words like "Castle", "GAS"  & "U.S.A."  Perfect for crafting.

Lesson learned:  Sometimes you have to risk your life to get the good stuff.

Dreams Really Do Come True

I saw a ginormous one of these enamel jugs (with spout!) when I was in Paris. There was no way for me to get it back, so I had to leave it behind. I tried to make myself believe that someday I would find another one. Last weekend, I discovered this compact (yet no less fabulous) version in a filthy garage at an estate sale. I gave it a warm, soapy bath and then added a Hydrangea bloom, sprigs of Bishops Weed and Tasmania Vine. It's just so perfectly perfect!

Desserts I Will Never Eat

Vintage recipe books are fabulous. There's something about the photographs. They're color saturated to the point of nausea. They attract. They repel.

The names of some of the desserts are charming. This one is called Strawberry Sunshine Pie. I don't want to taste it, but the name is very cheerful.

This Date & Nut Cake should go down the garbage disposal immediately. And you can toss those creepy Chrysanthemums in too while you're at it.

And this one is the worst of them all. Ingredients include lime peel, green food coloring, whipped cream and melon balls. The name? Seafoam Canteloupe Pie. I couldn't make that up if I tried.

Wooden Flowers

So, I went to an estate sale on Sunday, which is half price day in my neck of the woods.  I was perplexed and thrilled to see that no one wanted this box of vintage shoe forms. I saw the "ALL $2" price and grabbed it before I even twigged that it would set me back one dollar.  While I was in line to pay the cashier, a humorless gal glanced at my score and sneered, "What are you going to do with those?"  I practically shouted, "I'm going to put them in a vase and make an arrangement!"  Her tight-lipped response:  "That's odd."

Odd this, lady!

It's The Simple Things in Life

Who knew an empty jar could bring a gal so much joy?

I spotted it on a dusty basement shelf at an estate sale today. It speaks to me for many reasons...Skippy was the snack spread of choice in my house when I was just a peanut myself.

The bottom of the jar is pretty great, too. See the A underneath the H? Hazel Atlas produced it.

The top is the best part. It's so friendly, and packed with information! I am especially partial to the white fence graphic and helpful arrow.  The copy compares the mixture to butter, but it's not actually called "peanut butter"....that must have come later.  I think I'm going to go fix myself a PB & J.

An Ever Growing Strawberry Collection

My friend Astrid came by my new place yesterday and brought a house warming gift...The sweetest strawberry I have ever seen.

It may be Czechoslovakian or German, I'm not sure. I love how the handle looks like a stem.

Even the saucer is charming. Strawberry leaves and a blossom in the middle. Who thought of that?

Here's the best part...The top of the berry is on the bottom of the cup. Sweet!

Water Bottles

No, not this kind, silly.

This kind....

5 Feet of Wicker, Metal Goods and a Girl on a Wire

 

I stopped at the Teen Challenge Thrift today, just because it was there. It's never a sure thing, but today I struck gold. Or actually, wicker. 5 feet of it. I'm betting it's from the 1940's, and was used to hold flower arrangements for a wedding or funeral. I'll eventually use it at my funeral, since I can assure you that there will never be another wedding. At an estate sale, I scored the following:

This perfectly blue muffin tin cost a quarter.  I'll say no more.

This is the opposite of a die-cut. Is there a word for that? It's a monogram, cut out of thin metal, perhaps tin. It also cost a quarter. It's the 2nd most fabulous thing I saw all day. And this is the first...

A sweet vintage pottery girl, holding her arms in the most fetching way. She left her skirt at home. I love her for that.

My Favorite Apron

Vintage aprons seem to jump into my arms at estate sales. I'm drawn to them and they're drawn to me. You know the types...Festive Florals

Classic Ginghams

I recently acquired this one. It's my all time favorite.

Perhaps it's because I used to be a TV news producer or because it's green and aged to perfection.  But here's the thing...."Today's News Today"?  Really?  What a silly tag line.  I was hoping for today's news yesterday!

When you're feeling a little blue...

I sometimes group things by color. It calms me. I cannot tell you why. On this particular day, I was blue. As in turquoise. Which is not only a dazzling color, but it's also fun to say....go ahead, say it. See, don't you feel better? Here we behold various vintage pottery vases, a dotty glass, a floral brooch, playing cards and a little chair. The chair is actually a place card holder, but my grandma Millie used to use them as Christmas ornaments. I snap them up whenever I see them at estate sales. And so, every December, a collection of tiny chairs hangs on my Christmas tree, too!