the Tuesday Song of the Week

This was a difficult choice.  

I've already given you Christmas content, sort of, and I don't want to overdo it.  

Nor do I want to underdo it, by giving you just some throw-away song that caught my passing fancy.

Hmmm.

OK, here's what I'll do.  I'll give you a centuries old Christmas song, a newer classic (which other people roll their eyes at, but which I think is really sweet) and something that has nothing to do with Christmas.  

The Holly and the Ivy

Like 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,' this one is so beautiful it always makes me cry.

Future generations will puzzle over this.

But you have to admit it's kinda cute.

This AWESOME song almost never gets played on oldies stations.

They should wise up.

'Mr. Dieingly Sad' - The Critters

new not new stuffs

Including...

this loverly and rather large wall pocket I got at Cedars 'Up Country flea market' back in the summer.

Eons ago, I used to sell at Cedars, but slowly the market was taken over by

people selling crafts and secondhand kids clothes, etc., so it wasn't worth it for me, but they still do have at least half the vendors selling antiques, so you should go some time. 

I don't remember where I got this, which is odd because it's soooo

beautifully done.  (And looks WAY better in person.)

I think I got this in a box lot at auction.  

It's pressed glass, but it's still very pretty, I think.

Got this carved coal tree trunk at the Philly Flea in October from a guy who had four tables of stuff FOR A DOLLAR.  I see him at auctions now and then.  He goes for primitive stuff (and often outbids me on it).  Between my hubs and I, we bought $15 worth of stuff on his table.  So far I've tripled that.

Which is nice.

I've got ...

ivory.

in umbrella handle form.

bowling

New old (and very old) bowls.

Isn't this pretty?

This is a nappy, but also qualifies as a bowl.

It's GORGEOUS in person.

Lastly, an eminently kitsch-lectible lacquerware souvenir bowl 

from Las Vegas's Golden Age.

vintage mystery advertising

First, I assumed that this began life on the back of a Studebaker that had been purchased from A. O. Smith Motors, 'go the Smithway!' yada.

Then I find out that A. O. Smith is a big company that makes stuff like hot water heaters and that.

See, this is why I love what I do.  I learn stuff like this.

the Tuesday Song of the Week

I learned something new yesterday, to wit: hot chocolate made using soy milk and stevia a) smells like cereal and b) is undrinkable.

Which brings us to:

Hotta Chocolatta - the DeJohn Sisters

I discovered this catchy song when I bought my house.  The house was in the same family since the early 1930s, and the last family member who lived here had checked out, and the brother who inherited the place just wanted to be rid of it.  

So I got it cheap, with EVERYTHING in it left behind: clothes, furniture, housewares, a piano,... even the food in the refrigerator.

And records.  Lots and lots of 45s from the 1950s.  Hotta Chocolatta was one of the records, and I could play it on my Crosley piece of Xx%!!xx.

Not to be ugly, but Crosley turntables, and their turntables that you can make MP3s on, etc. etc. etc. are not worth even half of what they cost.  I know because I had one, and then when that died (way sooner than it should have) I bought another, which lived to 2.5 years, even though barely used.  If I had wised up the first time, I'd have saved myself a few hundred dollars.  

latest ashtrays

For your interest and edification:

The props master for Mad Men would be ALL OVER THIS, I think.

Not shoes.

The Payless Market one is not rendered in the style I prefer (the Miami one is), but the price was right.  The Payless Market was/is located in Fresno, California.

One of those famous Atlantic City restaurants from back in the day.  

Hopefully someday I'll have one for you from Zaberer's (a funny story comes with that)

and also one from Captain Starn's.

Once I was on one of the pointless drives I used to do with friends.  We were in Chester County, and got the idea, 'Hey, let's go to Gettysburg!' while a) having no idea how to get there, and b) not having a map and c) GPS had not yet been invented.

We got as far as York before I gave up.

This one puzzles me.  

Once there was this teeny tiny Wolf Furniture store in my nabe - only slightly larger than your average water ice stand.  Then they moved to Rising Sun Ave, and bigger -- but not much bigger -- digs.  And now they're on Bustleton Ave. in a much larger - but still not huge -- store.  What's puzzling about that?  Well, there's this large-ish chain of furniture stores called Wolf (as you see above).  They're also based in PA, but apparently have no relation to the Wolf I'm familiar with.  

'Lee Agency' will be my punk name for this week.

Come for the skiing, stay for the smoking.