Halloween is lurking right around the corner, don’t blink. This means it’s a good time to dust off our longtime holiday decorating policy–use what you have in a different way. Don’t get us wrong, we love a good rubber rat or plastic spider as much as anyone. There will always be a place for those in Halloween decorating. But rather than buy big box store Halloween plates and Halloween glassware and Halloween accessories that you use one week of the year and store away the other 51, look around you and find things that can make you spooky. This week’s fresh to market vintage has a couple of ideas.
Owls can be plenty spooky when they sit in the center of your table with some black candles and past-their-prime flowers. On November 1, they can scoot right back onto your bookcase to hold your favorite Sherlock Holmes volumes in place. And the rhinestone choker has scads of potential for your Princess, Bride of Dracula, Zombie Heiress or Marilyn Monroe costume, but it can come right out of the jewel box for next Sunday’s brunch as well.
Now that we’ve gotten that off our chests, let’s get on with this week’s fresh to market vintage.
Owl Bookends
Could not resist showing these somewhat more frightened than frightening ceramic owl bookends. They are not heavy enough to hold books unless you fill them with sand. I would encourage some creative Halloween upcycles with these. Glue them to the sides of a cracked framed mirror or ghostly family portrait. Another idea is to glue them to a spooky treat bowl and add a skeleton hand reaching over from the back to add a little more creepiness. We will hopefully spend the evening at our friends’ house in the center of our small town. We have had maybe 10 trick or treaters at our in the woods house over 38 years, so we head downtown since we love to see all the action. Each year, our friends come up with a creative way to scare the kids just a little bit….heeheeheehee! Happy Halloween!
Owl Bookends, $39.99
-Mary Ellen, AuntHattiesAttic
Rhinestone Festoon Choker
Halloween is upon us and this necklace reminds me of dressing up like a princess when I was a little girl. Rhinestone necklaces are not just for princesses though. Worn with anything from a bridal gown to a t-shirt and cardigan a rhinestone necklace adds just a bit of sparkle and fun. It’s enough to make you feel like a princess, even if you aren’t one.
1950s Rhinestone Choker, $34.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
Mayo’s Cut Plug Roly Poly Dutchman Tin
This happy fellow is one of a series of tobacco tins that were manufactured in 1912 for the Mayo Tobacco Co. by the Tin Decorating Company. The series, which included the Dutchman (this tin), Satisfied Customer, Storekeeper, Singing Waiter, Mammy and Scotland Yard, was called the “Brownie” series. Why you ask? Because the suggested use for tin after you’d used up all the original contents was to store your brownies in it! How’s that for clever marketing?
Antique Mayo’s Cut Plug Tobacco Tin, $75
-Linda, Selective Salvage
1980s Aran Knit Wool Sweater
I may hate sweater weather, but I love sweaters. Of course, without a chill in the air, there would be no reason to cozy up in this bulky knit sweater. Knit from Shetland wool, this sweater has the cables and bobbles of traditional Aran sweaters, but they are highlighted in soft colors. It dates from the 1980s most likely, but it doesn’t appear to have been worn. It’s a good length to pair with leggings. There are times when not having a mannequin with arms is a liability, the dress form doesn’t show the nice dropped sleeves to the best advantage.
1980s Woodstock International by Bernard Shetland Wool Sweater, $45.
–Laurie, NextStage Vintage
Halloween marks the start of the holiday season. We don’t mean the seasonal creep that finds Christmas candy next to the Halloween candy at the big box store. We mean that time starts to accelerate daily until New Year’s Eve when it goes back to normal life speed. Hopefully, our fresh to market vintage posts have you thinking about shopping small, shopping local and above all, shopping vintage.
Subscribing to our blog is always a good idea. When life is hurtling faster, you don’t need to worry about missing a single one of our posts. Like the post coming Monday, you don’t want to miss that one, it’s a beauty.
Speaking of holidays, it’s never too early to start discussing what pies to make. Have you heard of Marlborough Pie? It was once a Thanksgiving mainstay and probably should be again.
