The weather was fine and the hunting good!

Recently my friend Kathy and I went to the Alameda Antique Fair.  We hadn't been in quite awhile.  You never know what you will find any given time you go.  

I found first off these galvanized buckets.  Yes, buckets.  As soon as I saw them I could see succulents in them.  Maybe some that trail like "Donkey Tail".   I saw lots of buckets that day....lots.

 Look at these buckets....I really liked their handles but I wondered what do to with them?  They have been preforated all over so they can't hold anything.  I also worried that the edges that were preforated would be sharp.  The hutch caught my eye as well.


Next I found this silver serving spoon.  I had bought one similar to this last year and have enjoyed using it to serve fruit from a bowl.  This one had me when it saw the engraved initial "D" on it.  That is my maiden names initial.

It was very windy that day and as I was browsing one of the vendor spaces I heard this tinkling sound that made me look up.  I saw these bells and whisked it down to buy.  My Love added a few more bells to help catch the wind.  What do you think?  I wasn't so sure but it is growing on me.

One item I was searching for was a pitcher to pour our maple syrup from.  The one we have been using for years is too small.  So my Love asked me to  see if I could find a larger one.  I found the first one which looked a lot like my china pattern of Blue Onion.  This one is Blue Danube.

 Then Kathy called me over to another vendor later in the day.  I had to get this little pitcher...it is Blue Willow.  My other pattern I use and collect.  It has such a sweet shape, all round and pudgy.  So now we have two pitchers to use.  This size is a cream pitcher. 

I found a magnifying glass that used old silver for the handle.  I certainly can use this at home to read the itty-bitty  print on some items.

Last item winked at me.  Really!  Kathy and I were exhausted.  We had been here since 9:15 and it was about 3:00.  Walking all that time, dealing with the blustery wind, and I walked past this stand of these adorable tea cup and saucers that had been reborn as bird feeders.  How very clever!  This is the one I bought.  Don't you think every garden should have a bit of whimsy?  This is what I thought as soon as I laid eyes on it.

I have staked it in a pot on our back kitchen deck for the finch families who make nests back here year after year.  I need some plants for the pot because right now it looks odd and forlorn with no growth of plants under it.  I hope they like it but as yet I have not seen any birds feeding from it.  Do you think the face will scare them away?  I hope not!  I did see our cat Luna sniffing it and sticking her nose to the seed.  Not good.  We shall see....

All in all it was a fun day.  I spent on most items $5 with the tea cup bird feeder of $15.  I always bring only a certain amount and try to be very choosy.  My friend Kathy would agree on my choosiness.  She tried very hard to get me to buy a few items she found.  I was a firm "nope".  It has to speak to me before I will shell out any money.