And then I looked on Craigslist… Antique Brass Balance Scale, WITH LIONS.
A while ago, Paul FORCED me to acquire crap I did not need or want.
I TRIED to avoid it, and suggested an alternate solution— I would not get the dishes, but keep the CRAP-OPPORTUNITY… a crap-raincheck.
Paul said— no. But if you take the dishes, they can COME WITH an IOU for FUTURE crap… NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
Hoarder says what?
SOLD.
Then I went and looked on Craigslist.
Brief aside to say if you emailed me to buy the dishes and I didn’t answer, I AM SORRY… my brain is… … … overwhelmed… … … What is even happening in the world.
Also, I cannot sell them because I did not tell Paul the epilogue where it turned out they were NOT MY GRANDMOTHER’S DISHES.
Correct, he does not read my blog… which I guess makes him sound SOME KIND OF WAY… which he absolutely is… but also, the full, in-person, VEB-experience is very immersive and certainly more than enough for any human.
So.
Craigslist IOU.
The best part of Craigslist is you will just be scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, crap, crap, crap…
…and…
HELLO, WHAT IS THIS BRASS THING WITH LIONS.
Brass Victorian + LIONS = MY JAM.
SO MUCH JAM.
TRUCKS OF JAM.
The ornate top section is brass, under the black paint… the post is brass, pans are brass… base is cast iron.
I paid $75.
My plan for it was SO GOOD!! I would put it on the kitchen counter… filled with lemons on the big side, garlic on the small side… But when we showed up, I was like— errr… This thing is giant! Not something I would put on the counter.
So now I am just moving it from room to room to see where it feels at home.
View this post on Instagram
That’s it! The end! The shortest post I have ever written!
SEE ALL MY BEST CRAIGSLIST FINDS!
Oh, wait!
ONE MORE THING.
My people.
Christmas Self is feeling AGGRESSIVELY FESTIVE this year.
September 3, 2020 @ 12:30 pm
I didn’t understand the size until I saw it in your living room and it looks great there!!!! I didn’t want one until you mentioned the lemon garlic situation. I imagine I’ll be hunting one down online before long. Also, I love that you are feeling agressive christmassy! It will lead to fantastic posts. I, myself, just bought 68″ tall nutcrackers for my front porch, so I’m right there with you!
September 3, 2020 @ 12:31 pm
I like the short post. Not because I don’t completely enjoy the longer posts, but I figure shorter is less work and maybe you will post more often! It makes my day brighter when I see a post from you.
September 3, 2020 @ 12:32 pm
Your craigslist is WAY BETTER THAN MINE! Boo boo
South Carolina
September 3, 2020 @ 4:31 pm
I’m with you Maureen! Our CL never has anything fantastical, and the average “iwantits” are way overpriced. BOO to Eastern Missouri! ( But we have pretty nice antique stores!) As for this scale of VEB’s, it is quite tall for a normal island counter, but we aren’t talking normal ANYTHING about VEB. I would venture to say it might just be handsome on the piano-turned-island! But we never heard actual measurements, so I can’t be sure.
September 3, 2020 @ 12:41 pm
I think your “aggressively festive” is my “good old fashioned country” Christmas. I also don’t think we are alone considering what 2020 has brought. I daren’t say “what’s next?”.
September 4, 2020 @ 6:30 am
Next up? Fake alien invasion….
September 3, 2020 @ 12:45 pm
I did email you about the dishes. I am right here in Philly. I will come sneak them out of your house and PAUL WILL NEVER NEED TO KNOW. Please email me for a day when I should dress in all black and creep through the night to your kitchen door. OK, that sounds scary. I mean, I just don’t want to blow the whole SECRET DISH-CAPADE.
September 3, 2020 @ 12:56 pm
Renew your husband’s contract. He’s a keeper.
September 3, 2020 @ 12:58 pm
It’s beautiful. What was it used for? A scale in an old grocery/dry goods store? I know you are a book person. Have you read or heard of “Becoming Duchess Goldbatt”? I just bought it on Amazon.
September 3, 2020 @ 1:03 pm
Woman! You make me laugh right out loud reading you….
I’m sure you know by now just how patient Paul is. My SO is great but, doesn’t have the carpentry skills your Paul does. You are very lucky.
Nevertheless, he mostly “get’s me” and can get onboard when something get’s my blood flowing. My need for fancy is not as strong as my need for, ” hmmm that looks interesting, what could I do with it”? Especially for my garden! Keep the posts coming, how ’bout some kitty updates????
September 3, 2020 @ 1:16 pm
In 2004 I was in Paris, at the flea market. If you’re been, you know “flea market” doesn’t mean the same thing there as it does in the US. That said, I became way too attached to a small brass balance scale. It’s odd, has curlicues that doesn’t make sense, and the chains that hold the pan are replacements that are too long. It weighs about 10 lbs and I carried it home in my purse. Through the airport, through customs. Every person who sees it, from the French airport security guy to my mother this year, suggests I get rid of it. No one gets me.
September 3, 2020 @ 1:34 pm
Tell more and early about aggressive Christmas. I’ve been stockpiling things for an over-the-top Victorian theme after finding a bag full of velvet flowers in red and wine colors at a thrift shop a few months back. Can’t wait. May skip over Halloween and Thanksgiving to get there. May start November 4 depending on the outcome.
September 3, 2020 @ 1:35 pm
Beautiful find! Are you sure it wouldn’t work on the kitchen counter? I think it would look way cool and very VEB!!!
September 3, 2020 @ 2:36 pm
I agree with Toni. Kitchen counter would be cool, appropriate and useful.
September 3, 2020 @ 2:37 pm
I’m so envious that you have a guy who can build things. I SO need a guy who can build things! Yes to Kelly’s suggestion on kitty updates.
September 3, 2020 @ 4:45 pm
Oh yes! Never ever ever marry a man who isn’t good with his hands & that includes building things & with precision, skill & an eye for detail and quality! As for the scales I say they are a keeper after stripping off the black paint. In the kitchen they would/could be perfect. I see apples/oranges on snarky days; carefully placed glass domes (cloches) covering mini ferns in the dead of winter, an ostrich egg or two when you’re feeling other worldly; big heads of cabbages from your garden in the summer ; and gorgeous grayish/greenish/white mini heirloom pumpkins in oddly twisted shapes for Fall. You get my idea. Give it a try and see if they don’t grow on you. If not, they can be great in the laundry for weighing baby kittens; in the back of your closet for weighing ideas in the middle of the night – those decisions get heavy, especially at night; or pass them on to another equally special person at your next porch sale. You will have given them a test drive of your best efforts & can guiltlessly let them go. IMHO
September 3, 2020 @ 2:50 pm
You do have an eye for awesomeness!
September 3, 2020 @ 3:35 pm
Indeed, I sense that a very, very over-decorated, way too much, over the top Christmas is in store at our house, as well. Seems to be a welcome idea right now.
September 3, 2020 @ 3:51 pm
I would love to see it on the kitchen island, piano, with lemons and garlic, the island is huge it’s fancy belongs there. Love your blog.
September 3, 2020 @ 3:57 pm
Worlds Giantest, Fanciest KITTEN scale? “Yes, I’ll take one pound of kittens, please. The Floofiest you have. “
September 3, 2020 @ 4:37 pm
BEST idea!!!
September 3, 2020 @ 5:35 pm
Floofiest Kittens-goals!
September 3, 2020 @ 4:52 pm
Stars! That scale is the bomb diggity! A quite large Bobmb Diggity…. But Diggity nonetheless. Kudos for nabbing it for a mere 75 bucks, sorry about not Grandma’s dishes.
September 3, 2020 @ 5:01 pm
While reading this most recent post (scales) I rewatched the video of cabinet drawers being made. we are remodeling our kitchen (which for us means paying big bucks for someone else to do it–I love my husband but he is NOT PAUL.) anyway- in part of the video, there is a smaller, shallower drawer box that he kind of slides on a bigger drawer! In the process of ordering kitchen cabinets, our contractor’s company of choice for kitchen cabinets makes a sliding tray for the silverware drawer. I said “I WANT THAT.” Guess what kind of upcharge it adds to that particular single cabinet? $675! Not getting it. It was probably too shallow to be real useful anyway. I am getting the tubing thing so the soap dispenser at the sink connects to the big bottle underneath instead of trying to refill the smaller bottle which is behind the sink and practically impossible to fill. Also getting an induction cooktop which I had in my last house and I was one of the many voices who suggested you would LOVE induction. Mine will not be IN the cooktop however, but it is flush with the countertop. I’m excited for that.
September 4, 2020 @ 12:49 pm
I built a drawer-in-drawer myself. Not tough at all! Do a search, and you’ll find lots of tutorials!
September 3, 2020 @ 5:34 pm
Christmassed up for measuring naughty and nice!