Days Off

I took this week off in anticipation of packing and moving. When things changed, I decided to stay home this week anyway and just get some things done.  Thanks again for all kind words, good wishes and excellent suggestions.

I had lunch with a friend today and took bags of clothes and other goods to one of the local thrift shops. This was the place where I’d scored the two Hermès scarves a few months ago.  I figured that it was a bit of karmic payback. Of course, I didn’t get out of there empty-handed, and picked up a few goodies.

Speaking of goodies, I’ve been seeing the wonderful French Ivory cutlery in the strangest places. I was going through some older magazines in preparation for taking them to the Book Thing, and in the December 2009  issue of Elle Decor UK, I saw a set of the round-tipped knives. I still have a dozen or more of these knives from my package from ex-Andy, so look for them on my Etsy shop. They had suggested that the knives would make a brilliant Christmas present. I agreed, and thought that they would also make a unique wedding present. In fact, someone bought a set of the silver in a “canteen” {British - a box or chest for cutlery and other table utensils} for a wedding present.  Next, I got an e-mail from an auction company in the area, and they also had a canteen filled with fish knives and forks.  I e-mailed this to my mother to show her the set, and then we spent a delightful half hour perusing the auction site finding lots of goodies. Auctions are brilliant places to get great deals on amazing things. One lot we both liked was this set of six Hepplewhite-style, shield back chairs in mahogany. For $150! Or how about this? Klismos style with inlaid crest rail, curved stiles, carved splat with rosette, above a trapezoidal slip seat, straight rail, raised on molded sabre legs.  Price: $40 for two! Sure, both sets of chairs could use new upholstery, but for a combined total of less than $200, you’d have money to spare for new fabric.

Auctions are so much fun, as long as you don’t get caught up in the frenzy of the moment. They are a great way to educate your eye about what’s good and what’s not. Every city and town has an auction house and it’s a fascinating way to spend an afternoon or evening. If an item is not sold during an auction, some auction houses will let you bid on-line if you’re interested in purchasing an item.