Internet Snafu & The Dirty Duck Soap Company

I have my internet connection back - a day without the internet was like living another life. It's insane how dependent most of us have become on this constant access to information.

The Uncommon Things Etsy shop is going strong - over 100 items listed and more coming soon.

In local news, The Dirty Duck Soap Company is going to start production this spring! An amalgam of our love of handcrafting and my partner's fascination with and gift for skin care, The Dirty Duck Soap Company will feature all-natural and organic soaps, bath products, cosmetics, laundry soaps, and... the one and only original Rubber Ducky Laundromat (details coming soon)!

Long Week

Sorry I've been MIA. My grandmother has been in the hospital and she's having heart surgery in the morning. Very scary stuff.

I will be around but won't really be back to normal operations until later this week.

Until then, I leave you with my new sewing machine:


It's a Kenmore 158.433 circa 1965. It needs a new motor belt but it runs - just needs a little TLC. It was an amazing find for $40! (With the table no less!)

Fun New Stuff!

No time to go treasury hopping today, unfortunately! Too much new stuff to get ready for the shop.

Here are a few things I have in now:


I'll have more Etsy seller features later this week!

What a Day!

Today was an awesome day for Uncommon Things. I made 10 sales on Etsy, which would make just about anyone's day I think!

I also got a couple of new listings up:



I also got my best friend the cutest thing in the universe as part of her birthday gift (from cakespy):



Okay, tiny person is begging for a bath. Literally. What a weird kid.

Exciting Finds and Treasury Hopping

Happy Monday afternoon! I had a very interesting vintage/antique hunt yesterday with my best friend, Pam. We went back to the warehouse I was talking about last week and came home with...

A Guild 785 Grafonola gramophone! For $40!

The photo isn't ours, which I haven't had a chance to photograph yet, but it's almost identical.

The speaker needs to be rewired and I think we need a new radio tube (not 100% sure as I've never had to repair a gramophone before), but the power works and the turntable spins so we're almost in business.

We grabbed a few records too, in our excitement. Of course we can't play them yet as our player needs some work and of course has no needle.

I also got a cute little pink lamp (all metal), another antique book, and a ton of buttons, but I had yet to take photos.

I have to run to get to work, but here are a few of the wonderful things I fell in love with on Etsy this afternoon:


Green leather journal by Kreativlink



Bird mobile by fleurfatale



Felted bangle by creationsbyeve



Apple jacket by jacquelineknits which I will probably be buying by the end of the week.

Okay, off to work, tons of new listing are up and going up tomorrow at the Uncommon Things Etsy shop!

Stumbling...

Working until midnight has its good features: sleeping until noon and not feeling bad about it, not having to go in until 6, having the whole day to do whatever I want... but the downside is not being able to go to sleep at a normal time, and thus I bring you my wee hours adventures in StumbleUpon.

First, the best short animation ever. It brings to mind the image of all those very unique goth kids at the mall wearing all their very different clothes from hot topic with their so very un-status quo black hair in their eyes... or less snarkily, the fact that trying to be different usually leads to joining up with a group of "different" people who then expect you to be just like them... darn human societies.




If you enjoyed that, definitely check out David Shrigley, who may just be a genius.

Or, how about this:



If you're here, you may already be aware of my love of old books (among all things old, books are my first love), and I stumbled into this beautiful collection of library photos.

Or how about a history of the universe in 200 words or less?

Even better - COTTON MONSTER! Which, lucky me, also happens to be an Etsy shop! Please check it out, you will not be disappointed.

Okay, I should sleep now...

Vintage Supplies, Vintage Needlework Magazines, and More!

I scored a bunch of vintage magazines, books, and patterns today. I'll be listing them tomorrow at the Uncommon Things Etsy Shop.

Included:

The 1964 Vogue Sewing Book

a 1964 hardcover printing of Gone With the Wind, with it's original dust jacket in almost perfect condition

Several 1960-1970s Simplicity and McCall's sewing patterns

and...

Several Good Housekeeping Needlework magazines from the 60s and 70s.

PLUS, I am awaiting some really fantastic vintage and antique buttons that should be here next week.

So stay tuned!

Until then, I'll leave you with this gem, which I purchased on Etsy the other day from seller tollipop:

Vintage/Antique Heaven

A few days ago, I was lamenting the expense of buttons to a friend who sits in the cubicle next to mine at work. He mentioned this thrift store in the area that had huge buckets of buttons really cheap. Next thing you know, I'm memorizing directions and planning my Sunday daytrip.

I wandered into this seemingly abandoned warehouse (with my 4 year old no less) and immediately fell in love.

Stacks of junk, ranging from trash to hundred year old antique treasures, as far as the eye could see. It was phenomenal. I can't imagine not spending every weekend morning there for the rest of eternity.

I made a few genuine finds, and alas the man running the shop (he salvages stuff from homes that no one else wants to deal with) did not know what he had at all. I walked out (at a cost of $45) with a vintage 1949 cookbook:













A first edition book for children from 1853:



And a really cool wooden crate that I have yet to photograph, but I think it's going to be a bookshelf/nightstand when I redecorate my bedroom next month.

Patrick the Irish Country Bear

My dear sweet Patrick pattern is now available on Etsy! Finished hand crocheted Patrick is also available.

I am currently testing the pattern for Patrick's friend Jenny, the second in my primitives collection.

The Area 51 series, which will also debut soon, is made up of an assortment of unusual aliens and cuddly monsters.

I will also be posting free patterns and tutorials along the way, so stop back often!