I'm suffering from a severe case of antiques apathy. I go to an antique store. I look around. Up and down. Then- a big old yawn and shrug. It's funny, I still like to look but the little chip that triggers the wallet grab is malfunctioning. It's not really a money thing, since I've always had the cheery ability to overlook financial prudence. It's a bored of stuff thing. A full house that's rapidly becoming less full thing.I've been heaping the cast offs on my sidewalk for my neighbors- rusty bird cages and typewriters and straw hats and mirrors and desks and dressers and thrift store paintings. Out out out. The only thing that's called, shouted, screamed my name and demanded to be bought is this Merrick thread display case. I got it back in the fall from my favorite of favorite folks in Brooklyn and I think we're going to grow old together. Love is a beautiful thing.
It cost as much as it would if you took a boy you liked (as if!) out to dinner on his birthday and you let him get dessert with your rare steaks. A bottle of wine, too. You know, a white table cloth-y kind of place. Since things like that don't happen in my life, I ate nachos for dinner and it all worked out in the end. How could I pretend for a minute I wasn't going to snap it up immediately? It's got my name written all over it.
That is all kinds of amazing.
ReplyDeletebeen purging the apartment of all manner of things lately. hurts so good. this is awesome. keeper.
ReplyDeleteGreat find...worth a dinner date. ;)
ReplyDeletewhere do you live?!? I'll take your cast-offs! I totally dig your thread display case, what a lucky find!
ReplyDelete...I agree with Kate up there, that is totally all kinds of awesome! And might I add you have some very fortunate neighbors! :o)
ReplyDelete...You know, I've been doing the same thing here. I dunno if it has to do with the arrival of Spring, age or menopause but I've been purging our homestead. Time to get rid of stuff. Stuff! I'm a huge antiquer but anymore it seems the item had better knock me over, literally, or I don't come home with anything. *sigh*
...As always, great photos!
...Blessings... :o)
I wish I were your neighbor... been trying to find the perfect typewriter for some time now...
ReplyDeleteThe thread display case is lovely! I love how it bears your name. I also love the way you rationalized your purchase in the end. It sounds like something I would do myself.
Spring cleaning? I think you're feeling the itch.
ReplyDeleteThat is a score that will go down in history for sure!
ReplyDeleteI love the display case. I would have bought it too. I felt the same way when we discovered the trunk that my husband's family used to move their belongings to the U.S. when they were fleeing Latvia during WWII. It has our last name painted across the top with the #2 (it was #2 out of 4). The name of the church that sponsored their escape and received them and the church's address in Massachusetts are painted on the side. We use it as a storage container/coffee table in our family room now. It's a great piece of family history and useful too!
ReplyDeleteHow'd I miss the bird cage?! I did get some of the hats, thank you very much. I will refrain on heaping with you 1980s Merrick memorabilia (your last name/my hometown).
ReplyDeleteGreat find, greater images of the find...and the greatest writing about the find I've read in a long time.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I wish I lived near enough to take your castoffs away!
Awwww, Amy. Love you lots. xo AmyA
ReplyDeletepoetry!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful piece! I would eat beans and rice for a month just to own it! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat pieces! Don't worry about cleansing out a little, it seems it usually is getting you ready to receive something else!
ReplyDeletePurging is a wonderful phase...just don't get rid of anything you'll regret losing!
ReplyDeleteAre you going to fill the thread case with something or leave it for purely decorative purposes? It's gorgeous either way, you know. ;-)
Its georgeous. When I was first reading, i was thinking, but what about that fantastic amazing spool case? and then I read further to a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteThe boy sitch will take care of itself all in good time. Be well, stay strong, spring clean.
ReplyDeleteThis is so me at the moment. I've also just started clearing out my house (life) for a big move. Moving house, maybe country soon. Practically everything is getting chucked out... even things I had to have just couple of months ago....feeling a strange mixture of sadness, relief and liberation. Nice to know I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteIf you feel like getting rid of that painting you got on Valentine's Day and/or any of your flower paintings, I wouldn't say not to paying for shipping and for it.
ReplyDeleteJust saying.
Very clever Ms. Merrick...
ReplyDeleteEspecially since you sew!
All kinds of perfect.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was just cosmic intervention. You, store, thread case. You had to. :)
ReplyDeleteCheers!!
P.S. If you purge again, feel free to send a all points bulletin. I will be happy to take some things off yer' hands! :)
Better to have fewer, precious things that you truly adore, right? I'm trying to live by that more. So happy to have discovered your stunning blog via floretflowers recently. Belinda
ReplyDeleteSpring fever's hitting all over the place! i just got a load of stuff out of storage, most of which I had missed terribly, but a surprising amount of which I unpacked in a state of apathy, and have since got rid of. And I had a clearout before I put it all in storage in the first place! Small changes are good :)
ReplyDeleteoo I am there right now too with "stuff" just things everywhere! NO MORE.
ReplyDeleteLove the nacho comment. i was a cookies in bed kinda girl this weekend myself :)
That display case is worth a million mediocre antique store grabs... and it's healthy to go through phases of "get rid of everything unnecessary". It leaves you room to breathe - and room for the next truly great find!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your Merrick case - it ROCKS!
It must be in the air! I've been amazed at the things I've passed up that would have delighted me two years ago. Sigh...this must be what growing up feels like!
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool. I love the old style writing in the outside of it. Looking at vintage pieces is lots of fun, I think it's important not to forget what came before as well. xxx
ReplyDeleteAwesome and very pretty!
ReplyDeletehtpp://sweetharvestmoon.blogspot.com
It's gorgeous. I love it. Of course you had to buy it (fellow collector - who is also trying to 'un stuff' the house - talking here). I cracked up when I read the part about the nachos. I used to rationalize the purchase of treasures by comparing them to what it would cost to go to a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteNow that I live in the middle of nowhere and never eat out, I compare it to what we spend at the feed store every couple of weeks. It's definitely easy to justify buying something beautiful that will be around a lot longer than the few days those sacks of feed will! ;)