Boy, I’m on a roll! I saw this hutch at the same place I found my tables the other night while I was waiting for Jefe to get off work. I have been looking for one of these FOREVER. I actually wanted just a sideboard, or a buffet (without the upper hutch part) and was almost resigned to the fact that I was going to have to shell out around $400 bucks for one from Crate and Barrel or West Elm or something. I’ve also been scouring Craigslist pretty religiously without any luck.

It’s in fantastic shape, and I didn’t remember it having the shelf until I went to go pick it up! Bonus! My favorite thing about it was the price. On sale for $140. Take that, IKEA!!

Oh…it’s so hard to get back to real life after a long Holiday weekend. I’ll console myself by showing you my new tables. Last week I walked downtown on my lunch hour to go to Orca Books to see if they had a copy of a gardening book I’ve been looking for and I somehow ended up with these.

Next door to Orca is an awesome flea market/antique mall called Finders Keepers and thought “Well, I’m here. I might as well just pop in and see if they have any of those 1950′s stacked side table jobbies I’ve seen here sometimes.” I did a really quick cruise through the maze of booths and as I was on my way out—I saw them. And, THEY WERE ON SALE. Fate and kismet and all of that.

They are in remarkably good shape, only needing their finished spruced up a little bit, but other than that they are perfection. Finally I was able to purchase an actual piece of furniture, because usually when I go in there I end up with something like this.

I am happy to report that after a week of living with us, they are already covered in clutter, making themselves right at home.

I seriously need to be stopped. Isn’t she awesome? A little hard to look at though, huh? She is a swizzle stick holder and I won her last night on eBay. She is double-sided, and her other face is “normal” :

I find it very interesting that another set of eyes also comes with another chin. And what happened to her tooth?  I can’t wait for her to arrive so I can hold her in my hot little hands.

And on a somewhat related note, J and I are going to Portland this weekend to attend the 3rd Annual Great American Distillers festival. Jeffery wants to make gin. I suppose after making wine and now working at a brewery it’s time to move up in the world. I find distillation a fascinating process, after researching it a little bit when I was in my toiletry making phase. We’re taking the train, which I am so excited about and am hoping to visit Powell’s Bookstore and Voodoo Donuts and of course, Rich’s Cigar Store & Magazines. I personally could do without the cigars, that’s Jeffery’s thing, but we both are serious magazine whores and this place has the best selection of magazines I have ever seen.  Can’t wait!

He was an ashtray in a previous life, but now he will function as a match holder in the bathroom.  I have been looking for one of these for a few years and I can’t tell you the utter joy I felt when I spotted him in the back of a locked cabinet at a flea market. The first time I saw one of these was this summer at an antique shop near Pike Place Market. It was a “Barbershop Quartet” so there was four of them and they wanted about $500 for the set. I got this guy for about $35…ooh…the thrill of the hunt. I love it so.

I found another set of flute playing pig salt and pepper shakers yesterday (the guys with the yellow flutes.) I thought it was so odd. They look like they are from different molds as my original pigs have sharper sculpted features. Nothing on the bottom to indicate origin although I am going guess that they were made in Japan. I didn’t intend to collect these, but I guess this is how collections start. The compulsion to acquire suddenly flares up and before you know it you have purchased two more sets (thank you internet!) This will be enough I think. I like to have at least three of something, but I have to exercise some self control because I do NOT want to turn into crazy totchke lady.

Okay, so…another pig. I am not collecting pigs I promise. I did go into the flea market with the intent of buying something funky to put Q-tips and cotton balls in. And I do admit that I was looking particularly for either small white ceramic/glass vessels or something with a face on it.  I found a lot of really expensive mugs with old men who looked like sailors and then in a corner of a locked cabinet I found this guy.  It says “Made in Japan” on the bottom. I really like that he does not have a handle and is quite an ugly little bugger so he fit the bill completely. Plus, he was only eight dollars!