Freshly Curated: Vintage Sale, Retro Finds, and Kitschy Souvenirs from Puerto Rico

After a vacation and outdoor sale my soul feels uplifted. I had the worst sales numbers I've ever had in front of Revolve (a combination of the extreme heat/back to school weekend/I didn't bring nearly -all- of my wares and extra tables like I normally do) but interacting with the friendly vendors and customers and talking about the art we make always has me foaming at the mouth and getting to ravenous making. Expect more DIYs soon! Anywho, the are the wares I picked up from the sale, other wares I ran out of time to document, and the souvenirs I snagged for friends and family from Puerto Rico:

I did a trade for this shot glass burro, a Spanish senorita doll for a Mexican Donkey, funny enough. Love this guy. I try to resist glassware now but I'm a sucker for bar kitsch.  ---------->>> On Etsy

This moose head is the type of goodie that goes quickly on Etsy so I made an exception and scooped him up from Carla at the sale. I was itching hard to buy a large chalkware boat, too but no more. No more glass. No mas! Inundated with ceramics and glass, it's gotta stop.  ---------->>> On Etsy

He's adorable hanging out in a gallery wall, the perfect hipster accessory.

This book is absolutely hilarious! A satire of the glut of DIY books full of inane projects, it's my favorite vintage book to date.  ---------->>> On Etsy

The DIYs in this book are hilarious, I rarely laugh-out-loud reading vintage books.

So clever, love how it's a spoof of the typical dime-a-dozen 1950s home DIY books. Every page is a winner.

The morbid copy under the mouse guillotine sounds exactly like something I'd write!

The frontscratcher!

Love the satire of this era of crafts for the home. The mask on the back is a "Self Portrait of the Author". Love this book.

My minimalist streak continues, I'm selling off this curio shelf. I want to make or find glassfront cases for all my toys like the pedantic nerd I am,  so this guy's no longer needed. It's a gorgeous piece and really fun to stage with smalls. ---------->>> On Etsy

Now on the souvenirs! The coquí frog is a Puerto Rican symbol and national treasure. High in misty green mountains the coquí's high-pitched two-note song is ubiquitous and soothing. My brother let me select this orange glass one from the souvenir shop to remember half my ethnicity's spirit animal.

My buddy Kira's asked me to scoop her up Floridian pirate goodies whenever I see them. St. Augustine, my favorite playground, has ample pirate booty but this Puerto Rican one had a price I couldn't refuse. Can't wait to ship it out to her! Love this piece.

I  bought the boyfriend (AJ) the same exact black mask above but with mint green where the yellow is; neglected to get a shot before I gift it to him, oops. The mask is called Vejigante and it's another famous Puerto Rican symbol, worn for local festivals. The city where my dad is from, Ponce, is especially renowned for its masks. They're made from paper mache, I'm dying to try my hand at making my own. Until then, I scoop up a mask every time I visit. (And my parents nab me one whenever they visit, too. I'm up to 7 now.) My favorite is my first one, the orange toothy bastard, he's a beauty and my parents instinctively knew which one on the wall would be my favorite. Love how everyone reads my style so well!

Mom bought me this inexpensive little orange one this time. I like how he has a head like a fish.

And because I can't get enough of Veijigante, had to nab this little magnet. You're not in Puerto Rico every day to get these!

Bracelets for everyone! Bracelets and necklaces with good luck talismans are popular in Hispanic culture so I scooped some up for all the friends who requested them. I've stopped wearing all jewelry but these inspire me lately, I think I'm going to start wearing these out as a culture reflection.

Oh, and you know I love my smalls. Here we have rice and Puerto Rican dish minis. My grandma made me that Puerto Rican-style empanada (the green guy there is wrapped in a banana leaf and is a bit like a tropical version of the Mexican standard I grew up with.) It was delicious.

Of course this animal tried to get in the way as much as possible. She's the type of cat that's always on your nuts. 

Sales, Sales, Sales: Thanks everyone who's been helping me clear out my Etsy shop! I need everything out of there to  make room for the new goodies and I've marked everything in the shop down significantly. Check it out for deals!

Been Finding any Goodies Lately? Do Tell. I do believe my thrift fast may be coming to an end soon, I'm inspired to start collecting and selling easy-to-store vintage clothing and accessories and making jewelry and mixed media pieces. And eBooks! Back to work with me!

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