It Has To Be You™: July's Treasures: From Black Lace Ties to Mitzi Gaynor

So far, New England's summer weather has been a disappointment, with lots of rain and fluctuating temperatures. But in the treasure-hunting department, it's been a great success for me.

July's Brimfield Antiques Show was a breeze compared with May's – no three-hour traffic jams or pushy crowds, and there were some very good bargains to be had.

In some respects, I've become a bit predictable with what I bring home, but even in the categories of stuff I collect, I've been seeing unusual items, beginning with a vintage black lace tie I found, along with two others I couldn't pass up at $1 each.

What I like about this is its goth/steampunk vibe. The black lace is overlaid onto what I believe is solid acetate. I also like the back label and the tag line, "fashions with a future." Tying this on should be an interesting project. Definitely a great Halloween tie.

The other two ties include a jacquard pastel blue one with a "Richards Greenwich Village" label on the back, and a skinny tie with a "Brown Thompson Inc. Hartford" label. Brown Thompson was once a very large Hartford, CT department store located next to G.Fox&Co., both now long gone.

Throughout my home, I have various "themes," motifs, colors or vibes that give it a semi-crazy cohesiveness. One current "theme" I've been building upon is pink flamingos.

I spotted this TV lamp in the booth across from the vintage tie dealer's, and at first I passed on it. The dealer wanted $55, and I didn't want to pay quite that much. I took a gamble and stopped by at the end of the day and it was still there. I asked the dealer if he would take $40, then he countered with $45 and I agreed. I think it's very unique, especially with its red fiberglass shade with cool whip stitching. I've never seen it listed on any online auction sites either.

The four "Everlasting Washable Flowers" are made of a pliable plastic that, yes, can be washed, as the attached tag states.

I originally thought I'd put this lamp in my kitchen with my other plastic light-up pink flamingo...

But because of the red shade, I think it will look better in my living room (the color scheme is red and gold).

I now have a second vintage cookie jar, which I guess means I've started a collection. Nostalgia enticed me to buy a "Cookies All Over" cookie jar some years ago, and I happened to see a dusty "Pineapple" cookie jar on a table that needed rescuing. The dealer sold it to me for $20. After washing and cleaning it up, it looks really great.

I especially like the design, which features three bows on the lid, with a raised fruit garland and an all-over diagonal lattice pattern. There are a few very minor chips on the lid but they're hardly noticeable.

The bottom is not marked, but after doing a bit of online searching, I found one on an online auction site that says it was made by Los Angeles Potteries in 1965.

Continuing in the food and drink category, I also found a set of cute plastic snack trays, probably from the 1950s – $5 for a set of seven, five pink and two turquoise.

In case you're confused, these are NOT ashtrays...

But they were made by Hofmann Industries Inc. of Sinking Spring, PA.

They're perfect for displaying vintage drinking glasses, like this set of four silver shell motif ones designed by Georges Briard...

Apparently, these were once sold at fine department stores like Neiman Marcus and Bonwit Teller during the 50s, 60s and 70s. This set was the bargain of the day for just $2.50.

They're even signed by the designer.

And, my light-up Christmas angel collection is now a trio with the addition of this blue plastic angel...

Mini photo frames were on my shopping list, and one dealer had boxes of them. I picked out a handful for $3-$5 each.

Fittingly, Mitzi Gaynor, who starred in many 50s musicals, including South Pacific and There's No Business Like Show Business, is in one of the frames.