Very Bradley Purse, Vintage Jewelry Finds

I was out and about today, needed to pick up some more avocados for me and my son. We are totally addicted to them! They are so delicious!! I met one of my neighbors in the store, we chatted up a bit, then headed on my way to pick my daughter up from school for an appointment she had to make. Before leaving the shopping center..I couldn't help myself..I HAD to stop at my favorite second hand shop! It is called "Plato's Closet" :)
I am so glad I did...I like old time looking jewelry..and although most of the jewelry that I find there is costume like jewelry..it is more modern..but sometimes, you can get very lucky, like I did today! YAY! :)

This is what I found....

First a bracelet..very pretty, with stones in it..It is goldtone and has pretty flowers between the stones. It was only three dollars..when I got home..the clasp did not work..but my sweet husband fixed it. He is so wonderful!

The next piece of jewelry was a real FIND! I didn't even come to know it fully until I had gotten home.
I liked the colors in the stones, purple and turquoise, sort of hard to tell in the pictures..but oh so pretty! This piece is a necklace. When I had come home I looked at it more closely..the little metal tag reads "NAPIER"..this is a very nice piece of costume jewelry from a company no longer in existence! I have a piece of history! The mark "Napier" in block has been used since 1922 until its sale in the late 1980's to another company. When the company was sold in the late 1980's to "Victoria & Co.", they used the name "Napier" but in script, not in block writing on the jewelry. The Napier company was closed by Victoria & Co. in October of 1999.
Here is my find, my piece of "NAPIER" jewelry with it's original "block" style writing on the tag..I have a vintage piece..and would you believe what it cost? FOUR Dollars!!! :) (if you click on the photo, it will enlarge and you can see the Napier tag with block style writing)

As you browse through Plato's closet..there are many second hand goodies you might like to take home...there are books, clothes, jewelry, handbags, and yes, even Vera Bradley purses! Some are worn, but sometimes you can find some in very decent shape at very reasonable prices.
Here are two I have found most recently..not sure if I had posted them previously..but here they are:

As you can see, they are in pretty nice shape. I have always wanted the red bandana colored one..and it is a nice shoulder bag style..for a price of $12 it was totally in my budget for a treat the day I treated myself! The pink and green tote is perfect for my small stitching projects..I think I picked this tote up for $14.
When there is such a great second hand shop to visit, sometimes it is worth checking there first before buying new!
Now, onto stitching!
Louise

Great Grandmother's Linens

I was going through more boxes from moving and I came across my Great Grandmother's linens. I don't have very many of them..my dear Grandma passed them down to me. As you can imagine, I was absolutely thrilled with the thought of owning hand stitched linens from my Great Grandmother! I never had the chance to meet her. She had passed on many, many years ago. It is such a blessing to me to have such beautiful linens that I can cherish and pass down to my own son or daughter one day. When I first laid my eyes on Great Grandmother's stitching and embroidery, I now know why I too love needle and thread! Needlework has been in the family many years, and it is in my blood :)
I must say my Great Grandmother did a beautiful job of embroidery and stitching, and I wish I had the honor of knowing her personally.
But, I am pleased and it overflows my heart with joy that I can honor her and take care of the items she put needle and thread to. Some of the linens have turned yellow with age. I am hoping I can restore them somewhat with cleaning. They have been stored for quite some time now.
I look at her work and can just imagine all the time she spent stitching and pouring her heart into her embroidery. Little did she know that years later there would be a Great Granddaughter, that would treasure her handwork for many more years to come!
I hope that the needlework I create would be saved and treasured by my own children. I believe that these pieces are truly heirlooms and something that can not be duplicated. Each and every piece tells a story of a time long past.
I wish I had a photo of my Dear Great Grandmother, but I do not. Her name was Madelina.

Aren't they absolutely stunning! I am very blessed indeed. My dear Great Grandmother has blessed me tremendously with her loving vintage embroidery!

Louise

Special day and a Vintage find!

I had the most wonderful day today!
I met with a girlfriend today. She surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and cute little daisy solar flower. Sweet housewarming gifts! :)
We decided to head on over to Bono's for lunch. If you live in Florida, you will know this is one of the best Barbeque restaurants to dine in. It is my favorite!
We laughed about old times and really enjoyed ourselves.



Our next stop was the Avonlea Antique Mall .
I absolutely could spend hours, upon many hours browsing all the wonderful Items and amazing trinkets in this store!
I have never seen so many vintage items jam packed into one place. It is an antique treasure trove.

A while back while visiting Florida I had spotted something that I really wanted to purchase, but at the time, I didn't. You know how that goes!
Well, I couldn't stop thinking about this item..and now that we have moved back to Florida, I decided to see if that item was still in the same spot I left it.
Surely enough, it was!

The vintage item I had fell in love with was an antique, 1920's cast iron Corn Bread Mold! It is so neat looking, I just had to get it!
Here it is:




As you can see by the imprint on the back, it is an authentic "Wagner Ware" Mold.
It is very heavy in weight, and well seasoned. It just needs some TLC with some cleaning up and it will be ready to use!
So excited about this find! :)
I have researched this item on the internet and very happy to say that I purchased it for half the price that it is worth. What a deal! ;)


Yes, this was a good day indeed :)
It is so wonderful to be living back in the state of Florida,
Have I told you how much I love it here?!
:)

Raggedystitches,
Louise