Hell's Kitchen Flea Market

Over the weekend, my husband and I took a trip to NYC for a friend's wedding.  We decided to go a day early to enjoy the city and luckily, we had time to check out the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.

From the subway stop, it's a short walk through the Fashion District.

This guy told us we were in the right place.

We got there just as they were setting up so it wasn't very crowded and there was a lot to see.  One vendor was selling hardware like hinges and these beautiful old door locks.

I can't help but notice blue and white items because of my mom's dining room so this miniature tea set caught my eye.

There were lots of clothes like this slip from the turn of the century.

Not nearly as old, but this nightgown and robe also caught my eye.  I actually purchased something similar at the D.C. Big Flea last year and brought it with me to wear in NY.  It's nice sleeping in something pretty. 

The same vendor was selling LOTS of hats!  See that little blue one on the left?  It was my only purchase of the day and plan to wear it to my next tea.

An old suitcase with travel labels ...

There was one booth that seemed particularly busy and I squeezed myself in there to see.  I found this beauty there.  It would have been a nice compliment to my similar tea cups, but I have several creamers and had to remind myself of my lack of storage space for more dishes.

So many pretty things ...

In that same booth were these beautiful tea cups ...

... and stacks of silver trays.

Pretty chandeliers a couple of booths down. 

This cup was really interesting.  It had the zodiac symbols on the dish and some other symbols inside.  Made in England.

Music player of some sort.  As you can see from the price, best left to a serious collector, but it still works!

I had to take a picture of this old phone because it was also pretty pricey and my dad has one without a dial and with a fabric covered cord.  I believe his is from the 20s.

Prints from the 1800s ...

Pin-ups from the 1940s ...

And, just because there's always something that you leave behind and later say "I should have gotten that."  Here it is.  A Star Trek pop-up book from the 70s.  Tom and I loved it but we left it behind. 

After the flea market, we took a break in Bryant Park for a while before heading back to our hotel in Tribeca to get ready for the wedding.

We had a really great time in NYC and at the wedding later that day.  The next day, Mother's Day, I was back with my mom and girls.

I grew up in NY and it's been a while since I've been there. I miss it and I'm sad to leave every time I visit but it was nice getaway. 

Back to reality!

Lucketts - May 2012

I went to Lucketts today with my friend Nisha to see what was new.  The last time I was there was February, and I knew that there would be much to see since then.

Good stuff indeed!  On their porch I admired this old stove ...

... and fridge.  It would be fun to have a home to have functional items like these.

My friend Nisha accompanied me and she found this fabulous suitcase that was in incredible condition.  The satin inside was like new and it even still had the original key!  She is a pin-up model so she will certainly get some use out of this.

Lots of bird items for spring ...

We couldn't tell if the transferware here was purple or blue, but I think it was blue reflecting purple off the items around it.  The little creamer with the purple flowers nearly came home with me, but I restrained myself.  So many dishes ... so little space.

Silver teapot and creamer ... love!

I tried to squeeze myself into the black top on the right to no avail.  I've decided that these things were made for children rather than adult women.

 My one and only Lucketts purchase of the day ... The vintage 60s bronze shoes.  So pretty and comfy!

Simple but good advice ...

 Loved this, but I've sworn off pillows due to lack of storage.  Covers only for me and they're surprisingly hard to come by, unfortunately.

Some garden pretty on the way to the Design House.

 Cheery yellow on a gray day. 

I have long admired ruffled tablecloths like these.  Alas, it is unlikely one will ever fit my budget.

 Love her!

Head right this way!  (Sorry.)

 I have about as much space in my garden for more plants as I do in my dining room for another dish, but I've been scheming to find a spot for knock-out roses and this is why.  So beautiful, so fragrant and so easy to care for.

Fountains on the porch ... Bubbling water - such a soothing welcome.

This is fantastic.  The red door and the black and white striped curtains.  It kinda reminds me of a circus, but in a fun way.  If only I had a porch ...

Really, really wanted one of these huge letters.  Must investigate alternative (and more affordable) means of acquiring ...

Loved so many things in this room ... The massive pendulum clock, amazing floor lamp and union jack ottomans.  Now that I look at this photo, I also love the desk chair.  Such and inspiring office space.

Pretty pale blue square bowls. 

I don't think I've ever visited Lucketts without admiring some owl art. 

Well, those are just a fraction of the photos I took at Lucketts.  On the way back, we stopped in at Beekeeper's Cottage.  I really liked these for the garden.  I just planted a veggie garden in front of my house and these would be a lot prettier than your average tomato cage supports.

This photo doesn't do it justice, but this wedding dress was really pretty in its simplicity and I nearly brought it home with me for Grace.

That's it for Lucketts.  They will be closed for the summer so my next big adventure will take me back to the Big Flea in July.  Who knows what I'll find between now and then?

Spring Tea

For my daughter's 6th birthday, one of my friends suggested that I have a tea.  I'd thought about it, but never followed through so her comment gave me the bit of motivation I needed.  As usual, I was far too busy to take pictures so once again, huge thanks to my friend Jeni for capturing all these photos while I ran around being a server for the day.

I used my white vintage 50s dishes with a few of my blue teacups mixed in.  Looseleaf tea strainers were gifts that also acted as placecard holders.  I also printed some menus.

My dining room isn't big enough to accomodate all my guests so my living room became my dining room for the day.

I've had this sugar pot for a while and have never used it so I was happy to be able to fill it sugar cubes and I added the necessary sugar tongs. 

First course - Roasted Tomato Basil Soup.

For the finger sandwiches and dessert, I stacked some of my favorite dishes.  I didn't want to purchase towers but I think this worked well and I don't have to worry about how to store more dishes. 

The guests provided several deserts including these beautiful lemon tarts ...

Jeni made these lovely (and delicious!) individual cheesecakes and even made the sugared flowers on them.

Part of the fun was the opportunity to wear a hat ...

Why don't we wear hats anymore?  So elegant ...

... and fun!

I was too occupied with the entertaining aspect to find the time to shop for a hat but I came upon a somewhat expensive but fun fascinator while perusing ideas online.  I later realized that I had most of the materials to make something similar myself.  A raid of my craft closet and a $3 headband later, the result ...

So, if my living room was my dining room for the day, what did I do with the furniture?  My dining room became a sitting room for the day.

Here are most of us at the end of the day.

I think we all had a lot of fun with this.  For our next tea, I'm taking a break from the kitchen and we'll be gathering at a local garden with a historic house that has occasional tea events.  I'm very much looking forward to it!