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Incredible embroidered shorts from the 1975 book American Denim.

I always think that's Cindy Sherman at the top.

also:

The O.C.

Great old cast iron O.C White task lamps, from a yard sale.

Vintage Gregory Backpack

25 cents at a church sale. 

Nice removable fannypack (not allowed- Linda)/ bike bag. 

Made in San Diego, 1978

The Point

Second hand needlepoints, always found for a dollar or two, and always making us ask "why would anyone get rid of this?" From top: the coolest tennis racquet cover ever, from a church sale. Obviously for a plumber, or a tennis pro with a wandering pipe; a nice colorful glasses case; a so sweet gift from a grandmother featuring an 8-bit sized Jack Russell; an old Union Jack pincushion; floating mushrooms; a funny Gucci purse, from an estate sale in Old Orchard Beach; two blue willow pillows; an old Princetonian eyeglasses case; a pink-and-metallic pillow from 1974; and Harry Nilsson's The Point, memorized by John from when he was a kid and now cued up on the toy turntable in our soon-to-arrive son's room (who needs "hickory-dickory-dock" when you have "Me and my Arrow".)

	Harry Nilsson - Me And My Arrow .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

see also here and here

Kachelofen

West German WESO ceramic tile stove, from a yard sale. When we finally got it's 440 pounds home and tried to bring it upstairs it crushed the first step, so the next 15 were not in the cards. But when we do finally install it it's going to heat our whole chalet, and we can even cook on it! (see pic). 

Kristin Baybars and the Ostrobogulous

The stuffed animal Ostrobogulous Hedgiwig, by Kristin Baybars, 1964, London, England. Found in an antiques shop in Maine. We thought it would be perfect for the boy's room (although out of reach, lest I find myself asking a baby "why did you rip that tag off? It's been on there for 45 years!"). After a little Googling, we found these days Mrs. Baybars has a pretty nifty miniatures shop in London, whose front window (the pink building below) looks the spitting image of our own front window, what with the miniature house and boat, among many other things. 

Cheers to kindred spirits.

Further Googling revealed a photo of a couple other Ostrobogulouses (Ostroboguli?) from Design Journal, December 1969, uploaded and html'd- along with every page from every issue- by the good people at (VADS (Visual Arts Data Service). I'd never seen this resource before, but it's endless and incredible. 

Fantastic Mr. Arctic Fox

Older Fjallraven (Swedish for Arctic Fox) jacket/parka from a finished basement/workshop of an estate sale, made in Finland. Fjallraven is a Swedish brand known for scoliosis-preventing backpacks, making things that last, and not exporting much to America, so this is a rare find and strangely poetic that it's in perfect condition. = From the Fjallraven website: "A product that is handed down through generations or sold second-hand has hardly any affect on the environment compared to buying a new product." 

Words to live by.

Navy Bean

Speaking of Mainers in World War II, this is a US Navy Officer's Briefcase, made by L.L. Bean for officers who were being trained as navigators to hold their maps, charts, instructions, cotton twine, hemp, etc... Designed by Warnie Bean, L.L.'s son. From his original shop drawings, the sides were "to be printed by the Freeport Press, 1/4" cuts to be made by S. Barker, and notches & marks (lining piece) by us". Zipper by Talon. May 26, 1943.

Knotical

Last year Linda and I went to a garage sale up in Falmouth, Maine. The garage was really a newly built barn, with pulleys and hanging canoes and kayaks, snowboards, skis, etc... of a very outdoorsy family. Mixed in with some newer furniture and knick knacks were some old camping equipment and these intricately knotted, awesome, immense macrame rope hangings. The man told me they were made by his late father while at sea as an officer in the Navy during World War II, during the down time, as knot practice. These are the type of beautiful, cool, handmade, one-of-a kind things we love finding, and as much as we would've liked to have kept the pair together, at 20 dollars each, both were unfortunately out of our budget, even for masterpieces of American maritime craft (it was a lean year). So we chose the more intricate one with the three baskets, and drove away, my face symbolically pressed forlornly against the back window. 

Then, as luck would have it, a few weeks ago the same family had another sale, and the other macrame was still there, draped over a canoe, apparently unwanted by anyone but us, and this time for 10 dollars- a nice reward for spending the past year on the widow's walk.

Hippie Beautility

1970's Sweet-Orr jeans from an estate sale in Connecticut a few years ago. Lovingly and Bohemianly embroidered with flowers, a rainbow, "Catherine" (Cat) and the Yes and Chicago logos. A near perfect object, with personalization, signs of use, and the golden hat trick of  hippie handicraft, typography, and utility. 

Tanner Krolle

$2, from the moving sale of a young British doctor and his wife. 

Tanner Krolle has a long history of making luxury leather suitcases and gladstone bags for the well-heeled English, especially those who drove Aston Martins (always optional was a custom-fit set of Tanner Krolle luggage). This particular suitcase was made in London for Harrods, and has that nice country-look of leather and canvas with big brass fittings, a plaid interior and long leather belting if you choose to strap it to your car boot. 

The young doctor said it was a wedding present, and he used it on their around-the-world honeymoon, and it was a good one, but now it just takes up too much space. 

natural high

Handmade beaded hippie headband I found rolled up inside an old prescription bottle at the Melrose/Fairfax flea market ten years ago. I was going to use it as a prop for a hippie-esque room we designed for the opening of Anthropologie Tampa in 1999, but it was just too cool to leave there. However I did use it on the cover of the store opening report. Click to enlarge.