Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Hello, My Name Is...

...Stephanie, and...

I have a problem...

Remember Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the classic cartoon?
Remember the Island of Misfit Toys?

Seems my home has recently become the Island of Misfit Books...


I love to go antiquing.

Perhaps I should say I love to go JUNKING because honestly, I know absolutely nothing about true value of most of the stuff crammed into antique shops. If I like it and feel it's a fair price (fair price=how much is in my budget on any given day), I will buy it, no matter the condition. Yes, I am the sucker the dealers see coming...but I am usually a happy victim when I leave...

And lately, it seems, I can spend hours going through the stalls selling old texts.

The book above caught my attention because of the painting of this artistic woman. I only wish I looked a fraction as elegant when painting.

The rest of my recent score was more juvenile in nature...

This Little Golden Book, with its' missing clock hands, would be symbolic of both my love of misfits and my complete lack of time management skills when I am going through book stalls. My watch has no hands either when I am lost in piles of vintage paper....


Of course it had to come home with me...my favorite image is this sweet little girl in her pink swimsuit...

The Breakfast of the Birds

I admit it, some of these books I bought just because I liked the cover. This is the first example. It's such a cheerful blue color, accented by cherry red...it made me smile and that was reason enough to bring it home...


More birds and kids...

Mrs. Leslie's Books for Little Children The Robin Redbreast Series

None of these books were in ideal condition, but this one needs more attention than most.

Still trying to figure out how to get that....musitness...to go away. But if there is one thing I have learned, it is that through Google-ing, one can find the best way to do just about anything.

"Mr. and Mrs. Robin were deeply pained by Dick's bad conduct."

Can you imagine telling your child that their behavior "deeply pained" you (I cannot)?
How genteel...


I think the oldest book I found is this primary geography school book.

It's full of wonderful illustrations like these...
and my favorite map...

Not because the focal point is my home state....look a little higher, where Oklahoma should be...that there's Indian Territory...


And last but not least, this picture word book had me at hello...
The colors, the subject matter, the stripes...I was sold at first glance, didn't care what was inside (which is not quite as whimsical and allot less colorful)...

I heart cherry eating giraffes in BK crowns!

And what's not to love about a cute li'l fluffy bunny?

I'm such a sucker for the cuteness!

Believe it or not, there are even more books I collected on this trip...but they will have to wait for another day...

Until Next Time...

7 comments:

Kathy-Catnip Studio said...

You had me at "books" :-)

Sherry said...

Loving and buying old, antique books is never a problem Steph!! I am salivating over that Vigee Le Brun book...what a find!

Angie said...

hehe, I love Rudolph (I even have a plush of him that lights up and sings lol)...you do have quite the collection of books! :)

yippeevintage said...

Your vintage books are wonderful! The colors, the graphics, the lives they've lived so far... and they are all the more endearing with their 'flaws' :)

Laurie said...

That giraffe one is to die for!

Lori said...

i love old books...the shabbier and the more brittle the pages the better for me...it looks like you have a wonderful collection of them!!!

RobinfromCA said...

These are wonderful! I also love old books and the illustrations in the children's books from way back when are just adorable. I, too, heart that cherry eating, crown wearing giraffe!