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...
