Thrift Haul: Truck Be a Lady

Let's get to it, shall we?

Gorgeous amber Bakelite beads from the 1930's, for sale here.

Vintage cotton orange and green stripe throw/tablecloth, for sale here

Metal recipe box

Got another pillow for Blixa and I found another Opening Ceremony make up bag in a different style and print!

I think Queen Blixa likes her new pillows

Knock Knock personal library kit, for sale here

Acrylic "J" picture holder, for hubby to make beads out of

Cutler cherry blossom tray

To go with the highball glasses I got awhile back.

Vintage Eaton floral scarf

It's polyester but I loved the print. I found a very functional use for this guy.

I have no idea what this is but I thought it was neat. Anyone have any clue?

Striped cork board and a wood frame

"Earth's Treasures" by Susan B. Schumacher. Original. I love when a stranger and I have the same affinity for a theme, this one being the Southwest. 

I always collect ceramics made by people vacationing in Mexico or anything Navajo, for instance, and this painting is a perfect encapsulation of the Southwest: cacti, Navajo ceramics, chili peppers, and a sombrero with a thunderbird on it.

Chair for hubby. Wood w/ mud green leather seat.

Reproduction Greek ceramic plaque.

Vintage Conway carafe

Vintage Fieldcrest muslin sheet set, for sale here.

Wood frames

Marble bookends made in Mexico

Wood coat rack

Finally got The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy, the last book I needed in my collection of Vintage editions of early McCarthy novels. Vintage only did 5 books and The Orchard Keeper was the rarest of them so I'm pretty glad my set's complete.

Got this dresser at an estate sale for a steal. 

I love the USA color scheme and I almost wanna leave it the way it is and keep it for myself but I've been looking for a dresser recently so I could do this...

Hand-painted Otomi print

I definitely have my work cut out for me, what with this dresser project and finishing my shelf project but painting for me is the best part, I actually find it fun.

Some pieces I saw at Bibles for Missions that I didn't purchase but liked.

Wood nightstand for $12

An Art Deco waterfall dresser for $89. This guy's a good price and if I hadn't purchased my current Art Deco dresser recently, this would be sitting in my bedroom right now.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

-J

Navajo Art

My original plan was to haul a bunch of stuff back on our road trip. We were going to scour Midwestern antique stores, desert swapmeets, city flea markets, and maybe even check out Navajo roadside stalls, but when the car died and we had to fly home, I knew "pack light" would have to be my new modus operandus.

The things I did purchase were small and light, and coincidentally enough, all Navajo.

Placemat purchased at Monument Valley 

Thunderbird sand painting also purchased at Monument Valley

Small rug purchased from Route 62 Vintage Marketplace on the western outskirts of Yucca Valley

And this last item was actually a gift from a friend of mine in Joshua Tree.

Desert sandpainting

I really wish I could've brought back some bigger items, like a rug or vase, or even a piece of furniture, but alas, that will have to wait for next time!

-J

Home Sweet Home

I've been back for a week now and I guess I've been hiding because a few unforeseen circumstances on the trip have inconvenienced my business - and life - in a significant way.

Our road trip was progressing successfully. We made it safely from Ontario to Monument Valley, Utah, with virtually no hiccups and then the morning we left for Arizona, everything started to go wrong. My car broke down in the middle of nowhere on Navajo land and just as AAA was coming to get us, a storm cloud proceeded to hover over us. It poured 10 minutes before the AAA guy arrived and about 10 minutes after we left. What a coincidence.

The head gasket blew on my car. Repairs were not worth the vehicle value so I sold it to a guy in Flagstaff for $200. We decided we would still drive to California to finish our trip but we had to rent a car; it happened to be graduation week in town so there were literally NO rental cars available. I got some help from one of the guys at the auto shop where we were at; he said he had an Avis/Budget car in the shop that we could take.

So we drove west to California on no food, the blistering Arizona sun cooking us from above, and when we got to our Airbnb after 8 hours (we blame Phoenix traffic for that one), I collapsed from exhaustion and was bedridden for 4 days. On the 5th day, hubby got sick.

I'll say this. Despite the troubles, we had a good time. Things could've worked out better, yes, but we got to stand in Monument Valley and watch the stars illuminate the world, we got to drive through snow-peaked rocky mountains and across saguaro-dotted desert valleys, I got to experience all day McDonald's breakfast. So I no longer have a vehicle and do not have enough money to buy another one; that just means Thrift Haul posts will be more infrequent.

Ah well, you live and you learn.

Some highlights from the trip!

Colorado

9,075 feet elevation pitstop in Frisco

View from Candlewood Suites in Parachute

Utah

Iconic Monument Valley

View of Monument Valley from View Hotel balcony

Monument Valley at dusk

Hubby and I on sunset hike

Crazy tree

Cat we met in the valley whom we named Juniper

Yucca blooms

Arizona

Horseshoe bend. Last good memory before car death.

Arizona on the way back out.

California

Camouflage cabin in Morongo Valley. 

California sunset

Cabin was situated on a horse ranch.

What a beauty.

Outdoor bath

Datura

Yucca swap meet

Out and about in Yucca

Trailer belonging to a friend in Joshua Tree

Nothing like a JT sunset. The world looks like it's on fire.

Last outdoor bath of the trip.

Last California sunset

-J