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Junkytown Vintage and Gift

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Duck Hunt

So a couple of months ago, while at a thrift store, I found this huge painting. I didn't love it, but its always cool to find a really big painting. So I asked Sar, what could I do with it? She replied that I should do my 8-bit thing to it. That wouldnt really work out with the framed art in question, but she got me thinking. So I spent the next couple of weeks looking for a painting or print that might lend itself to what I had in mind. Then I saw this:



Ducks? Well they dont really have anything to do with video games ... but ... wait a minute!



Obviously! I started work. And about 500 quarter inch bits later....



And the duck, closer:



So Now I am on the look out for framed art that can be made more awesome!

Also, enjoy this:



Thanks for reading!

Library Project - Dolphin Vs. Shark Trophy

So during Summer Reading, we children's librarians come up with various activities to keep the kids busy. One of said activities this summer was an on going trivia contest called

Dolphin VS. Shark - Who Will Win?

This was a fun activity, and I had a pretty good time coming up with all of the Shark questions. At the end of the summer, the plan was to give the kid who had the most correct answers a bag of prizes. Pretty cool. But, lucky for this winner-to-be, I happened to at that time be obsessed with old trophies. For example:

I got this awesome vintage trophy at the local Unique Thrift. I think it cost me 1.99. I had this on our built-ins for a while, but then my significant other noticed it and was like "Heeeeell No." Then it ended up in my workshop, where I decided to take it apart. It stayed like that, because, well, its a workshop.

So anyways, when we were talking about the prize for the trivia winner, I said offhandedly that I would make them a trophy. I don't think I was taken seriously at first, but I said it enough in the coming weeks that by the end of the summer, I was in a position which required me to produce a trophy. This is what I ended up making:

Basically, I collect a couple more old trophies, and disassembled them. Then, I bought two plastic figurines - one shark and one dolphin - and spray painted them gold. I screwed the two maritime invertebrates to the trophy apparatus, and viola, the coolest sea life related trophy this kid will ever win. Well, unless he ends up being a trainer at Sea World.

Jacobin Joe - Coincidence or Fate?

If you have been in my house, or any of my previous apartments, you know about Jacobin Joe. So when a good friend of ours got married at The Old Library Restaurant in Olean, NY - one of the coolest sites ever - I figured it would be a night full of dancing and friends, and low on eerie coincidence. I was wrong. Above the stairway going to the second floor, I found an old friend creepily staring down at me:

Creepy, but amazing, right?

Here is mine:

My friends wedding was awesome. But it made me realize that our wedding was missing two critical elements. One - Jacobin Joe was left off the invite list. Two - we should never have banned The Devil Went Down to Georgia from being requested and played. That song rocked.

Neat Old Stuff: Coolest thing in our house!

(Besides Matt, of course.)

Turn of the century wood stove from Matt's Grandma's old house

Probably ain't gonna run into one of these at the local Goodwill! Many thanks to Matt's parents for this gem. There isn't really a place to hook it up as an actual stove for now, so we're going to use it as a dining room sideboard. I love the apple green enamel! When the rest of the room is decorated to its standard, will post more pics.

Thrifting Treasures - Author Signed Book

My name is Matt and I have a problem. If you helped me move a couple of weeks ago, you might have notices approximately 6-7 heavy boxes with the word "BOOKS" written on the top. And if you think that is a lot of books, please take into account that before packing I made a point to donated almost half of my collection. Books in my possession fall into three general categories: Books for Reading, Books for Crafting, and Books for Display. The Stolen Spoon Mystery by Irene Bowen, which I found in a local thrift store, falls neatly into the "Display" category.

The characteristic that attracts me to most of my Display/Crafting books is the cover. In this instances, I liked not only the cover, but also the color, and the slightly peculiar title. Upon further inspection of this book, I happened upon an interesting inscription and clip out.

So I looked at the inscription, then at the clipping, and then back to the inscription, then at the clipping, and then back to the inscription, then at the clipping, and then back to the inscription, then at the clipping, and then I realized, this "Irene Bowen" was mentioned in both, and was likely the same person! So I bought the book for $2. Then I wrote a sub par blog about it.

The End.

Neat Old Stuff: We're fans o' these fans!

Look at these!

We bought this first one on ebay because, well ... it is called the "Wizard Husky."  Hard to argue with that.  It has holes and hardware such that could have been mounted on a dashboard.  I am not sure what advantage this has over rolling down a window, but it sure is cute!  The only problem is, with the sturdy steel blades and sparse wire cage, one is at risk of turning a perfectly good arm into, as my father would say, "a three-fingered elbow."  I refuse to let Matt turn it on, and keep threatening to snip the cord off when we have children.

This next beauty is also really neat looking, and it is safe enough to actually use!  We bought it for $40 at a flea market, probably a steal considering it still works great and it was HOT that day.

The flea market, by the way, is called the Antiques Garage, located on West 25th between 6th and 7th.  Open Sat-Sun 9am-5pm.  Highly recommend it!

Tie-A-Thon: Week 3, 4, and 5

Tie-A-Thon is going smoothly, despite my inability to keep up with a demanding 1 blog per week. Hence today's entry.

So week # 3:

All of the above ties were thrifted except for the Whale tie, which is just too awesome to not buy new. The one on the end is my favorite because of it's ridiculous retro-ness. Its military green which - lets be honest - is my color.

And then Week 4:

Looking at this week's worth of ties makes me wish that I had the foresight to plan themes. I mean this is almost a complete brown week! With so many brown ties, its a good thing that brown is my color. The ties on the outside were thrifted, and the ones in the middle were purchased new. The outside ties are two of my absolute favorites. The duck one is knitted and is one of those ties that knot very easily. The one on the right features either two cowboys or two British gentlemen on a fox hunt. I have thus nicknamed it my Brokeback tie for obvious reasons.

And now Week 5:

::SPOILER ALERT:: ::SPOILER ALERT:: ::SPOILER ALERT::

::SPOILER ALERT:: ::SPOILER ALERT:: ::SPOILER ALERT::
::SPOILER ALERT:: ::SPOILER ALERT:: ::SPOILER ALERT::

I know. But if I dont post this now, it'll take me a couple of weeks to do it. SO here are the ties that I'm wearing this week.

These ties were all thrifted. The first two are knitted ties, which is something that I'd like to find-buy-wear more of. And the last one is, well, a holiday appropriate little number I've been holding onto for a couple of months. My favorite of these three is the first one, because it ties like a dream and because pink is totally my color.

Tie-A-Thon: Week 2

Another week, another quintuplet of ties!

I know what you're thinking, is that really a quintuplet of ties? Were those ties all really born in a single birth? My answer, friend, is a resounding yes.

Tie-A-Thon: Week 1

One week down, numberless weeks to go! Here are the ties worn this week:

The Brown tie and the Bird tie were thrifted, I bought the black one new (before I knew any better), and I forget where and how I got the gold boring one. I probably wear the brown one the most, because I wear brown the most. That being said, the bird tie is my favorite because it is ridiculous. I only wore 4 ties this week because I was out sick one day.

Notice the craftsmanship - the finely knitted browns, the happy yellow symetry, and the life-like fear in the pheasant's eyes as the peregrine falcon swoops in for its mid-afternoon morsel.

Week One down ... how many more to go?

Neat Old Stuff: Creepy Portrait

This gem came from the Salvation Army in Binghamton Ny. I've forgotten what it cost me, but being that I was a sophomore in college, and had no job, I doubt if it was more than $8.99. Many cool things were purchased at the Bingo Salvo, and this was likely one of the first.

This portrait, nicknamed Jacobin Joe, has hung in my Sophomore year dorm room (above the door,) in my Junior year apartment (somewheres?), in the bathroom of our Senior year apartment (directly across from the crapper!), and now in the shadows of our mini hallway.

Sarah has long complained that Jacobin Joe is too creepy, too ugly, or something else that results in my complete zoning out. I say it could be worse.

OR MORE AWESOME!

Tie-A-Thon: An Introduction

When I was in High School, I only had one necktie. It was a skinny little black tie, and I (correctly) thought that it was cool. I only occasionally found myself in a situation where I had to wear it, but when I did, I (correctly) thought that I looked "hip." Later, in my 3rd year of college, I found myself working a job that required that I always be wearing a tie. For the two years that I had that job, I owned 3 ties (Pineapple, solid red, and a solid gray.)

And now, after working my current job for almost three years, I have so many ties that I really have no idea how many I actually have. Restated - and this is for Sarah and her potty mouth - I have a poop-load of ties. Over the last three years, ties have come to the occupy the role previously held by t-shirts. I used to love finding and wearing cool t-shirts. Well, no more. Don't let "them" fool you, once you get a real job you spend more time in a dress shirt and tie than you do in a comfortable t-shirt. Hence my current situation: up to my neck in ties.

Anyways, my coworkers have noticed that I have an, uh, assortment of ties, and have logically challenged me to wear a different tie, everyday, consecutively. If nothing else, I figure this will be a good way to find out how many ties I have, and to rediscover ones that have been buried.

I am arbitrarily establishing the basic rules as being:
1. Once a tie is worn, it must remain unworn until this farce is over.
2. Incidentally acquired ties (either thrifted or gifts) can be worn. What I mean by "incidentally" is that, if I am out thrift shopping, and if I see a tie that I would normally purchase, I am going to get it, and I am then going to wear it during this streak. What I will not do, is run out and buy ties simply to prolong this streak.
3. Ties worn will be left at work, to prevent confusion, mistakes, and cheating. My coworkers do not trust me.
4. I will wear ties everyday that I work, including Saturdays and "casual" Fridays, because "casual" Fridays are a buncha crap anyways.
5. I will try to blog weekly about the ties worn.
6. It ain't over until I run out of ties.

I urge readers to guess what day and month they think this epic-tie-wearing-extravaganza will end. To the winner I will give my least favorite tie.

Neat Old Stuff: Vintage Souvenir Glasses

Today's Neat Old Stuff cost a whopping $3 from the Salvation Army on Central Avenue in Albany. Check out these adorable vintage souvenir frosted glasses (Matt had the bright idea to put candles in them) ...

As you can see one is a New York State map and the other shows story book characters from the old Enchanted Forest in Old Forge, NY. They have the Hazel Atlas Glass Company's "HA" stamp on them, and best I can tell they are from the 1960's.

Based on the ebay market for these bad-boys, they seem to be pretty collectable (although maybe not that valuable), but for me they're keepers just because of the local nostalgia and the super-cute retro graphics. Yes, I said it. Super-cute.