Oven Roasted Tomato's

My pal over at October Farm Blog has a fantastic recipe/how-to for oven roasted tomatoes. Tried them, and they turned out fabulous.
I tried them out with the new roll out mozzarella cheese. You are supposed to roll out the cheese, then fill (with roasted tomatoes and basil) then roll back up and slice.
It was a little messy. I probably would just stick with the traditional fresh mozzarella in the future. But these do look very pretty.
(served on a vintage wood cutting board).

Treasure hunt weekend roundup

There were several very good estate sales this weekend. Here are some of my new treasures...
including an aluminum bamboo motif serving tray, silverplate bread basket and a silent butler...
Some small silver dessert plates with a K monogram on them. A beautifully detailed silverplate trivet with a B monogram.

A couple of mini iron cauldrons.
And this might be my favorite. It is a Bavarian Wedding Cup. The lady turned upside down reveals a cup, and the small bucket she is holding swivels, to form a smaller cup. The bride and groom are supposed to drink from both cups at the same time. It is a German tradition that dates back to the 1400's.

1950's Finds

At a great estate sale this weekend, I found the most adorable 1950's micro mini dress. It is an Edith Flagg, buttercup yellow with white detailing. I just couldn't leave it behind.
This picture really doesn't do it justice.
I also found some really beautiful lace placemats with a black lace border. They are very intricate, probably also from the 50's.

More Garden Flea Market Finds

Almost anything looks good in a garden, at least in my opinion. Here are a few more things found from flea markets, hiding throughout the garden.

A frog king, sitting on a ball.

A bunny guarding the tomato plants.

A women's head, keeping watch.

A tiny gnome, and a tiny duck amongst the herbs.

A duck peeking under an herb box.

A little girl wearing purple in among the purple flowers.

Fabric Finds

Vintage fabrics are one of my favorite things to look for at flea markets, antique and estate sales. Here are a few of my recent finds:
There is a khaki canvas (top), brown and cream stripes, green with black giraffes, black and white graphic, and green and white floral.
Since my sewing machine is in the repair shop, no new sewing projects have been started, yet.
The green and white look very pretty as covered buttons:
And on a light pink summer cardigan:

Love this

photo by Smith & Hawken

Weston Peacock Statue from Smith & Hawken.

Flea Market Outfit

Sunglasses: BASSIN $10.00 - aldoshoes.com
Gold Boho Style Slouch Bag: 20.00 GBP - missselfridge.com
Light linen pocket dress- clipped by ginaalove♥ $44.99 - shopruche.com
Pink/brown Dots Ruffled Umbrella: $14.95 GBP - dotcomgiftshop.com
Distressed Buckle Boots: $44.99 - charlotterusse.com


It's very important to wear comfortable clothes when flea marketing. Boots in the summer are great, as long as it is not too hot. And don't forget an umbrella to protect from rain and sun!

Flower Caddy

Condiment caddies can be seen all the time at antique stores and estate sales. I am always on the lookout for one, however they can be very expensive. I recently picked one up, very pretty pressed glass, but it was missing the condiment containers.
Some aperitif glasses fit perfectly into the spots. Fill with flowers, and you have a pretty little portable flower arrangement.

Estate Sale Chair

I found this chair at an estate sale, and thought it had lots of potential.... it had definitely seen better days. The wood had many cracks in it, one of the rails was broken, and it was filthy.
I started by cleaning it up, and removing all of the old tweed fabric. Next, I filled in any cracks with wood fill, glued and clamped the rail, painted the frame and replaced the foam and batting.

Next, I stapled on the fabric, which is a vintage floral pattern I found at an Occasional Sale*. I covered up any seams and staples by hot gluing on a black velvet trim. Finished product:


*Occasional Sales are becoming more and more popular - and an excellent resource for unique furniture and more. They are antique sale/flea markets that happen on occasion (usually a few days once a month). Country Living Magazine has a great article about them in their July issue.

Father's Day Weekend = Lots of Estate Sales

Lots of estates around town this weekend. I came back with a few new things...
including a very cool retro ice bucket, a pretty little silverplate basket, a condiment caddy (missing the condiments), a silverplate tray with handles and some vintage fabrics.
I will be updating my Etsy shop soon with some new items.

Garden Finds

Thrift store finds for the garden...

A cute little bicycle.

Another bicycle.

A little family of ducks.

An elephant planter.

Another elephant - a watering can (no political affiliation, I just like elephants, and all animals).

Delicious and Easy

Mushroom and Caramelized Onion tart.
It could not be easier to make.
Saute mushrooms in a pan with a little olive oil for about 10 minutes at medium heat until they have shrunk down. Saute the onions, also in olive oil (about 3 small ones) for about 15 minutes, medium heat until they soften and start to turn a golden color. Roll out some store bought puff pastry. Layer the mushrooms, then the onions, salt & pepper and cook at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until the pastry starts to turn golden brown. Delicious!
Would also be very good with cheese under the mushrooms (maybe Goat cheese, Boursin, or Gorgonzola), or some Parmesan sprinkled on top before baking.
Shown on antique silver platter.

Before and After

I rescued this cedar chest from a local thrift store. The outside was in terrible condition, the fabric was ripped and faded (and not really my style) and the wood had some stains and cracks. The inside, however, was in excellent condition, perfect for storing sweaters.
After a couple coats of black paint and some new hardware for the chest, it got a brand new look. For the seat, I tore off the old fabric, put some new foam and batting down, and stapled on the new fabric. A fairly easy weekend project...

My latest treasures

On a recent search around town, I came back with several new treasures.
I found a set of very pretty dessert plates with a J monogram and gold rim, a very unusual silver bowl with dragon handles, a mini goblet, a mini silverplated plate, and some boxes. Two are wine boxes, and one appears to be a Cuban cigar box. They all have interesting markings on them.

The mini silver plate is a bit more worn than it appeared, but I have an idea for it...
What will become of the boxes is still undetermined, but a few found earlier this summer have become planters:

Petunia's in a Made in Texas box.

Herbs in a Mirassou wine box.

Radishes and onions in a large wine box.

I think the new little box would be perfect for a small herb plant. The larger ones might be good to use for storage.

Welcome to The Lazy Peacock blog...

Hello, and welcome to the blog! I am here to share my adventures hunting down treasures at estate sales, thrift stores, flea markets, antique stores and more. I am always on the lookout for vintage silver/silverplate (flatwear, serving pieces, etc), glasswear, sad furniture to upcycle , vintage fabric/sewing accessories, vintage linens and anything with a monogram.
I love to find things that have seen better days and turn it into something beautiful.
Stay tuned...