Ugly West German Vases and the WAAF Bazaar...

In my previous post, I mentioned my fetish for ugly West German vases.  I have discovered German flomarkts and trodelmarkts, and some of my favorite things to search for are these vessels.  They are stamped W. Germany on the bottom, and are made in about the 1950's to 80's.  They come in interesting colors, shapes and textures, and for me, the uglier, the better.  I have vases from about 10 inches to a couple of feet tall, and some are stinkin' heavy!  I have never paid more than 8 Euro, which is currently about 10 dollars.  Most I only paid two or three Euro for.  They are fabulous!  And they seem to blend well with my decor.  Everyone makes fun of me, but I love them.  They're pretty easy to spot at the markets, for obvious reasons.  I've given some away, which is easy to do at those prices.  Of course, it takes someone with exceptional taste to appreciate this great gift.  If you ever want to hit a flomarkt with me, let me know!  I go to the ones on Saturdays, and occasionally there is one on a German weekday holiday.  They're mostly on Sundays, but that's the one day of the week I don't SPEND MONEY.  I love the markt along the river in Mainz.  It's the first and third Saturday of the month.

It's time for BAZAARS on all the military posts and bases!  Today I went to the one on Wiesbaden Army Air Field (WAAF).  I was a bit disappointed, overall, but did find some unique treasures, and of course, SPENT MONEY!  I bought this sterling silver filigree ring that opens on the top to reveal a small box, which I suppose could be a prayer box, but the minute I saw it, I knew what I would use it for:  ADHD medication.  My three youngest (and adopted) kids all have ADHD, and Ephraim should be the poster child for ADHD medication!  He takes meds for it three times a day, and I'm often forgetting the afternoon dose, since we're usually out running to this or that.  So, viola!  I won't be saying, "Dangit, I forgot Eph's meds!" again (as long as I can remember to wear the ring...).  The other cool thing I found is also sterling silver, although from a different vendor.  It's a prayer box charm, and it has an enamel American flag on two sides.  What a perfect place to carry a prayer for my Soldier!  I also bought a long beaded chain to wear it on, so it's next to my heart.  I'm a sap.
Anyway, the rest of the bazaar was not that remarkable, with the typical pottery, wine, furniture and crystal vendors.  Nothing that prompted me to break the bank.  I think the Heidelberg bazaar is coming up, and that's another story...

It's my sister's fault...

The other day, as I was enthusing about some now-forgotten treasure that I had purchased, my darling sister, Sabra, made the harsh comment "You just like to spend money."  I was initially offended, but after some introspection, I had to agree.  Yes, I just like to spend money.  I am a shopper.  I come from a heritage of shoppers.  My mother shops.  My father shops (I know, that's strange, but he really does--he doesn't often purchase, but can he ever shop!).  My six sisters and I LOVE to shop, especially together.  And we're so good at it!  It's a talent, really. It's  not hereditary, necessarily, but more environmental.  Constant exposure over a long period of time, and all that.  Anyway, it's something that I excell at, and so I feel some obligation to share the wealth.  NO, I'm not going to send you money!  Rather, I am going to share my expertise with you.  I can buy anything.  As an Army Wife, I'm the one who flies to our next duty station to buy a house (Vince knows that if he were to do it, whatever he bought, it would be wrong.  Smart man.).  When we buy a car, I'm in charge because I'm meaner.  We have six kids, and four of them are adopted, so I suppose I can even teach you to shop for kids (though I could write a book called "How NOT to Adopt"--we had a few bad experiences along the way...).  I have three teenagers and three little kids, five boys and a girl.  So I can shop for every age and both sexes!  I am an electronic-phile.  I have ADHD for laptops, digital cameras, cell phones, e-readers, and sewing machines.  I am a quilter, and have just about every gadget available, in multiples.  And FABRIC!  Well, you can never have enough.  As a homemaker, I'm an over-acheiver.  How many sets of dishes, pots and pans, gadgets, flatware, and linens does one household need???  Don't even get me started on how much furniture I've bought (and sold) in our 19 years of marriage (I'm not telling my husband about this blog.).  Living in Germany, I now have the added bonus of being an international shopper.  So many wonderful things to buy in Europe!  I am also a collector of stuff: baskets, pottery, books. I like new stuff and old stuff.  The flomarkts (fleamarkets) in Germany are extraordinary!  (One day we'll talk a bout my penchant for ugly vintage West German vases...)  I am a jewelry maker, to include lampworking and glass fusing.  Do you know how much stuff you can buy for just one hobby?  Let alone several?  While I love to physically shop, virtual shopping is SO much fun.  The advent of the internet opened up endless horizons for me, and it sure saves on gas!  Speaking of savings, I rarely (almost never) pay retail or asking-price for anything.  If it ain't on sale, it ain't comin' home with me!  Mostly.  I got that from my mom.  My sisters got it, too.  We love to shop together and compare how much money we save!  Of course, there are hazards associated with discount shopping.  We all have a closet or two filled with bargains to prove it.  So, you have to be careful.  Vince knows, though, that when I make a fairly major purchase, I know darn well that I got the best thing available for the best price possible.   I'm going to share some of my wisdom and experience with you, and do a few consumer reviews in the process.  Come back soon!