Insulators, Jade Hands, Guy de Maupassant, and the Prettiest Dresser EVER | Antiquing Loot

So 20 Going on 80 and I rose bright and early to set off for Des Moines.  Our mission: to hit up massive antique store The Brass Armadillo.  The store was hosting a special Memorial Day weekend sale and today was Name Your Price Day.  (Dealers were on hand so that you could actually bargain down on a price of something you wanted!)  In order to avoid a stampede, we got there at opening time.  Turns out, we more than beat the rush and the place was quiet and uncrowded.  We roamed the corridors of antiques upon antiques upon antiques.  She ooohed and awwed at kitchen gadgets and cute containers whilst I swooned over dressers and fainting couches.  

One thing I'd been really wanted that I found in abundance at The Brass Armadillo: insulators.  I've been obsessed insulators and reeeeally wanting some for a while now.  It was just my luck that I found some Hemingray insulators in this beautiful peacock blue-green color.  At $2 a pop, I broke down and nabbed four.  They're perfect as paperweights! (And I've got a few other ideas up my sleeve...)  

For a few years, I've also wanted a glass or ceramic hand to hold rings.  The store had many!  Deep cobalt blue glass, rose-tinted glass, white ceramic, brown, and even of the medically-labeled sort.  The jade green really called out to me though.  I can't wait to dazzle it up with some of my funky vintage rings.  This little blue book also caught my eye.  The color is so lovely, the print so charming.  I didn't even check to see what it was---all I wanted was to have it on my nightstand for a pop of blue.  When I got home, I realized that it is a 1917 edition of The Odd Number: Thirteen Tales by Guy de Maupassant.  It had been cast off from the Des Moines Public Library.  I'm thrilled because I love Guy de Maupassant, writer of the short story The Necklace.  So not only will this little beauty sit pretty on my nightstand, but I'll be picking it up to read what is inside as well!

Okay, so as badly as I wanted to lay down $300 for this gorgeous blue dresser... I showed some self control.  But seriously, I was in love.  I had to be dragged away.  It's vibrant blue (almost turquoise) color!  The beautiful hand-painted flowers/branches!  I left it behind, but I'll be holding it in my heart as inspiration for a future dresser project.  (Yup, I'm going to paint a dresser of my own to look like this!) 

All in all, I spent about $20 on my little assortment of blue, green, and turquoise objects.  I could have spent tons more.  This place was full of furniture, jewelry, toolboxes, signs, dinnerware, teacups, lamps, books, typewriters, fans, and many more insulators that I woulda been happy to take home with me.  But there are many more days of antiquing in the future.

We ended our expedition with burgers, a quick Pier One visit (which is slightly disappointing after an ecstasy-inducing antique store, might I mention), and ice cream.  What a successful day!  

Time for a nap!