Summer Sights & Highlights

In addition to my usual Brimfield Antiques Show excursions, I enjoy attending other outdoor events during the summer months.

I don't go to many concerts, but I didn't want to miss this double bill with Blondie and Elvis Costello & The Impostors, two pop/punk/new wave legends. It was a beautiful July evening on Boston's waterfront, and both acts put on excellent performances.

 

 

Debbie, Clem & Co. performed all of their biggest hits, along with a few surprises.
They also performed Fade Away And Radiate from Parallel Lines, which I'd never heard live before.
Dreaming was the fitting encore, when Debbie declared, "You are free! Dreaming is free!"

I've seen Blondie many times over the years, the first time back in 1982 at the Providence Civic Center, and they never disappoint. Elvis Costello I saw back in the 1980s during his Spike tour, which stopped at Lake Compounce in Bristol, CT.

Rockin' out to the 80s

Elvis Costello performed many hits, including Every Day I Write The Book, which featured his hot backup duo.
Other highlights included Pump It Up, Accidents Will Happen, Watching The Detectives, and Clubland. Alison was the encore number.

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Every summer, I go to vintage car shows in CT with my brother and sister. One of the biggest and best is the first Sunday in August on Main Street in Manchester, and this year's was super fun. This year, my brother and I also attended a show in East Hartford, where we saw a few cars we'd never come across before, including this 1950s Plymouth.

And, this 1950s red Oldsmobile with cool atomic star details.

In addition, we saw this 1976 Mercury Grand Marquis with a unique license plate.

Maybe Tony is living inside the trunk?

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A New England summer wouldn't be complete without a visit to Cape Cod, and my annual August visit to Provincetown didn't disappoint. Despite more frequent shark attacks, I did go in the water, but kept very close to shore. The weather was mostly sunny and not extremely hot, so it was perfect for the beach, and for taking photos.

Shark warning flags were up at both beaches I went to, Nauset & Herring Cove.

Provincetown Watercolor Landscape Day

Cape Cod is Hydrangea Heaven, and here's proof...

And P-Town looks magical - even spooky - at night, too...

Enjoyed drinks with an old chum one night.

Sticking butts out the window?

Fun, timely tees

Miss Richfield's show is always hilarious, especially the audience interaction. Fun times!
(Note double handle on the "THEY" mug).

Brimfield July 2019: Summer Vibes from Cape Cod to Hawaii

Flying solo at this July's Brimfield Antiques Show was a mellow-cool time on a sizzling-hot day. Fewer dealers and fewer crowds made the pace more relaxed, and parking was just $5! It took me awhile to hit my stride, but after lunch, I discovered a handful of treasures.

Though I've visited Cape Cod just about every year since I've lived in Boston (since 1993!), I still felt a twinge of nostalgia when I discovered these charming paper place mats, probably from a long-gone seafood restaurant, or maybe a diner.

"Welcome to Cape Cod...now stop gumming up our bridges."

"Thar she blows...there's a perfect storm a-brewin' matey!"

Note pre-cut hanger hole on the place mat's right – so these were not for one-time-use.

I especially like the green and brown printing colors, and the paper has an interesting texture. The dealer had four of these at $1 each, so I bought all four, complete with vintage food stains.

Moving across the country and out to sea, I came across this hand-painted bud vase, made in Hawaii.

Though this vase only measures about 1-ft. tall and 3" wide at the base, it has bold presence. The unique shape and earthy brown tiki colors definitely caught my eye.

After doing a bit of research, I discovered this was most likely made in the 1970s or 1980s. It's in excellent condition with no chips or crazing. And, it was a bargain at just $20 – hello Aloha!

Whether you're in Cape Cod or Hawaii (or Beantown), you need a place to put your drink down, so this cute patio table will come in handy. And, it comes with its own bouquet of leaves.

The square glass top measures 10.5" and the metal white painted base is a little over 19.5" high. This piece was probably the deal of the day at just $12.

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The dealer who sold me the Cape Cod place mats also sold me this 22.5" x 18.5" black frame for $5. I hung it casually on my hallway bistro wall for now.

I especially like the decorative gold border detail.

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I don't usually buy vintage vinyl records because I don't have a good record player or stereo to play them on, but these were $1 each, and I had never seen them before so I thought I'd go for it.

Growing up, we had some of these "Great Songs of Christmas" albums, but this Album Four we didn't have.

My Dad had a copy of Herb Alpert's "Whipped Cream & Other Delights," which I believe was released around 1965, but I've never seen "Volume 2." After a bit of research, I learned this album came out earlier around 1963. Herb's first album was "The Lonely Bull."

The original A&M Records sleeve is pretty cool, too.

The back cover is in black and white with the track listing, and Herb's photo.

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My treasure splurge of the day was this pixie elf cookie jar, in, I think, mint condition. It has no chips or weird discolorations, though it does have crazing, which is normal for ceramics this old. It probably dates to the 1950s or 1960s. There are no markings on it, though it may have been made in California or the midwest, perhaps.

Since I have an ever-growing collection of felt-clothed pixie elves that come out at Christmastime, this will be their all-seeing mentor. I've never seen a cookie jar exactly like this, not even on online auction sites, and usually they're at least $50 plus $12 or more for shipping.

It was one of the first items I fell for, and when the dealer said $50, I wasn't quite sure. But by late afternoon, I was still thinking about it, which is usually a sign you want it bad, so I went for it.
He was really dusty, but when I arrived home, I gave him a good wash to make him squeaky clean.

I think I'll take my hat off and stay awhile.

 

For the time being, I'm keeping him in my office/play room, where he'll feel comfortable with other mid-century treasures. 

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I didn't come across many photo ops, but a couple of things did amuse me enough to take a snapshot.

This "Mediterranean" dining set was interesting, especially the black metal scrolling on the chair backs. Usually I've seen this "Spanish colonial" style of furniture with red upholstery. The green here is a bit unexpected.

Finally, the Jarts game at the bottom of this pic gave me a chuckle. My Dad and grandfather used to play this in our yard fairly often. You had to throw the "jart" (a hybrid dart-javelin) into a plastic ring about four yards away. The jarts are made of hard plastic with heavy metal tips – yikes, kids, look out!

Scary.

Scarier.

Scariest.

See you in September for another treasure-hunting adventure!

Brimfield Treasure Hunt, Wet Not Wild

Despite on-and-off rain showers, the first Brimfield Antiques Show of 2019 yielded its share of unique treasures, and, as always, a fun time hanging out with friends.

For many years, I've collected vintage clothing, partly because I enjoy wearing items that aren't cookie cutter styles, and I like mixing vintage pieces with newer items for a unique look. Also, I think a lot of vintage clothing is made better and with more attention to detail than newer items.

My first find of the day was this amazing oversized mohair cardigan sweater, in a beautiful chevron pattern in black and chartreuse green with a shawl collar, and two slanted front pockets. I especially like that it's trimmed with black, and I like the black buttons as well.

 

There are no labels or tags on it so I don't know who made it, though the dealer who sold it to me for $25 said she thought it was 1950s or 1960s.

This photo shows one of the pockets and buttons.
For some reason, the color looks more gold/tan in this photo, but it's really the chartreuse color in the previous photos.

In addition to being ready for next winter (or next week, you never know), I'm ready for 4th of July with my wide Bicentennial tie, a $2 bargain.

I will probably wear this "ironically" over a T-Shirt or tank top, just for fun. Or, I may just display it somewhere for the whole summer.

"Imported" polyester – so much better than the domestic stuff.

Puritan Clothing is still in business, with the original store in Hyannis, MA

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I always make room for playtime, and this vintage blond Ken caught my eye. He was buried in a box of Barbies with tangled hair and funky costumes. My other two Kens seemed very grateful when I brought him home. He was another bargain, at just $5, complete with his vintage gay tuxedo outfit, carefully coiffed hair, and no shoes.

Menage á Ken

Menage á Ken again

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A Brimfield day isn't complete without a little vintage Christmas. I went for this Electric C-6 Candolier, only because it came with its original box, which I've never seen before. This was another bargain at just $20.

The price sticker says "MAMMOTH," which was apparently a
discount department store, founded in Framingham, MA in 1956. I think the original price says, $2.19.

This is printed on the back of the box. I couldn't find any info on "Safe-T-Glo Co."

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Here are a few fun visuals that were too interesting not to photograph.
Maybe the sun will actually make an all-day appearance in July. I'll keep you posted.

This giant Calder-esque mobile sculpture would be perfect for my "museum room."

Stolen from Sally Tomato's garage while he was away?

Don't make me get up.

"I say, I say, Joe, I think ya done left yer, ah, Eastah lily in my bahn."

RIP Doris Day (sigh)