Framed, I Tell You

Also, I wanted to share these amazing drawings that I found at an estate sale recently of two soldiers. It wasn't until it was pointed out to me that I even realized these two men were on opposing armies. I love the colors, especially the red frames. I've got to find a cool place to hang these guys up! Thinking perhaps they should be facing away from each other though? ;)

I Needed A Needle

So recently I found this record player at an estate sale and was told all I needed was a new needle. I'd never used a record player before, so I had no idea what a needle even looked like, let alone how to replace one! I searched some videos online, but they were mostly for turntables and involved screwing and unscrewing, removing cartridges, and even fastening wires together. I was scared to break something, so it wasn't until last night that I went for it and snapped the arm up, only to discover that replacing the needle was far easier than I expected. There was the old worn-out needle, and it merely popped out of place! Here are the steps to how I removed my needle, for those of you that are curious. Be gentle, but not afraid! :)

Once removed, I was able to get a much better look at it so I could order a replacement. And I can't go without sharing the website that I bought it from, Carole's Needles. She collects needles from out-of-date record players so vintage nerds like me (and you?) can still hear our finds in all their glory! She was very helpful and responded right away to my questions. So if you find an old record player for a good price, don't be afraid to buy it!

A Few of my Favorite Things

It seems to be my routine now that on my free Saturdays I shop around at some estate sales or go thrifting. And usually coming home with a bunch of interesting items is also part of the routine. (Luckily, this time, it was in my budget as well...lol)

Here are a few pictures of my favorite things:

- Old Stonehenge framed photo
- 60's Aqua mid-century modern table lamp
- Vintage tiered jewelry box
- Mid-century modern bookcase

Lost and Finds

I had a this weekend to myself, and since I hadn't been to an estate sale in awhile, I wrote down a few addresses and spent Saturday morning driving around. As usual, some were duds and some were absolute treasure chests.

One house was full of vintage children's toys, and if I had a kid, I would definitely use that to justify buying mountains of things for them. I tried to stick to my allotted budget though, so I limited myself to a set of alphabet blocks. I really appreciate them as a graphic designer too, because the illustrations are great.

Something I've been wanting for a long time is a record player. After doing some research, I've found that this is called a General Electric Wildcat, and was produced some time from the late 60s to early 70s. All it needs is a new needle, so I'm trying to figure out which one I need. Does anyone know much about record players? The woman putting on the sale also threw in this set of records, including some of my favorite musical songs from "The King and I", "Sound of Music", "Hello Dolly", and "West Side Story!"

This other great find was a typewriter in perfect condition! I've never used one before, and I'm really excited :P If anyone is familiar with typewriters too, I'd love to hear any advice you have. All I know so far is that it uses a ribbon to apply the ink. Are those still sold so when I need I can replace it?

The find from this picture is the big green box in the middle. It is absolutely full of old Betty Crocker recipes. It's got so many recipes, it's heavy! lol. I will have to try some soon and post if I find anything good!