Monday, March 8, 2010

My Little Pony

I’m linking up again this week to Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm and since I think the exceptional workmanship of my thrifting find  is worthy of sharing, I’ll also be linking up later this week to Show & Tell Friday  hosted by Cindy @ My Romantic Home.
This past weekend I decided to check out a new indoor flea market that recently opened about 20 minutes from my home.  The ONLY thing I was looking for was a small  farm table since I’m still on a mission to find one for the laundry room at the house in Hooterville.
Within minutes of walking in the door, I spotted a wooden rocking horse and was completely awestruck.   I thought it was the  most beautifully crafted wood rocking horse I had ever seen.  Since I didn’t find any farm tables at the indoor flea market, I blew my farm table budget (and then some) on the rocking horse.
What can I say?  It was a completely impulsive purchase made with my heart instead of my head but I thought our horse farm would be the perfect home for him.  :)
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He’s  about 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide, certainly big enough for a small child to ride.  The saddle and bridle are made of  leather.  The mane and tail are real horse hair but my daughter commented she thinks he’s in desperate need of a tail extension.  (They actually do make tail extensions for real horses!)   Okay, I will agree his tail is a little on the skimpy side.  ::chuckle::

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Daughter also thinks his glass eyes and open mouth make him look a little scary but many carousel horses seem to be sculpted with this same open-mouthed pose.    I almost don’t even notice his expression because I’m so fascinated and mesmerized by the painting detail and the wood grain, especially in his face.

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I’d love to know if he is old or new, commercially mass produced or a one-of-a-kind piece carved by some very talented woodworking hobbyist  in his garage.  Unfortunately, there are no markings on him to help me determine his origin.  If anyone reading knows anything about this style of rocking horse, please let me know!
He looks very dwarfed sitting here on the hearth of the massive fireplace in the family room at  the house in Hooterville but that is where he will reside for now until I get furniture for this room and can determine if there is a more suitable place to showcase him.

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So, although my flea market find was NOT very thrifty, I do think it is pretty nifty!  I appreciate the opportunity to show and tell about it.

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

show and tell fridays

25 comments:

Jane said...

I think you made a very wise purchase. Horses are obviously a very important part of your life so this little rocking horse was meant for you.
I love the color of the wood and all the beautiful detail. It is nifty indeed!!
Jane

Anonymous said...

What an exquisite piece. I love the eyes on it. Such a well made piece, too. I fits perfectly on your horse farm. You'll never regret purchasing it. Once you fill the room up, he'll be a spectacular show piece.

Diann said...

What a wonderful treasure to find for your home! I think you are going to really love it.

Anonymous said...

WOW, you got a great deal. He is so lovely. You are lucky to have found him.

Willow

deb said...

He is gorgeous!!! Glad you found and got him
*hugs*deb

Happy To Be/ Gl♥ria said...

Just love this girl...its so you and Hooterville your new mascot for sure...I have only seen the big horse like this...just beautiful my friend...now I also notice you put a beautiful mantle on that fireplace right...when will you be moving Shari...Hope all is well in your world my friend...and sometime you have to go with your heart when your out shopping you know you'll never see another one like this horse and just think when you have grand babies oh the fun...Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

Kathy@ Gone North said...

I am new to the Blogging world & have spent the last hour reading thru yours... What Fun! What Fun!!
For all of my 35 yrs. of marriage I have said to my sweet husband..." I want to live on a farm" & his reply always is " Do you know how much work farming is" ?(he grew up on a farm : )
I will live vicariously thru yours...Thanks for sharing

Allison @ House of Hepworths said...

That is great!

Allison @ http://www.houseofhepworths.com/

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

Looks so nice on the hearth! Thanks for sharing!

Carol said...

Shari,
What a treasure, he is gorgeous!! I don't think I could have passed him up either ;)
For farm tables have you tried the Webster Flea Market? We were up there a couple weeks ago and there seemed to be a lot of furniture, more so than usual. Also, the Renninger's Antique Fair, the
3rd weekend of each month may be a good place to look.
Hope all is well.
Carol

Creations By Cindy said...

The detail is remarkable!

Pink Roses and Teacups said...

He is beautiful Shari! the detail is gorgeous. I love the eyes, and before I even read that the hair was real, I was thinking that looks like real hair! Great find!

Debbie

Victoria said...

Wow, he's amazing! They sure don't make rocking horses like that anymore, what a great find:)

Linda@Coastal Charm said...

He is a real good looking dude...thanks for sharing him! Happy to see you at NTT!

Blessings,
Linda

Jocelyn said...

Wow Shari, what an awesome rocking horse. I think you will enjoy this little fella for many years to come.

Jocelyn
http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

Debbiedoos said...

He sure is a beauty! Maybe you can google search him and then pull up images to see if there is something similar....or even ebay may have something like him....he is unique and a great find. Thanks for giving your hottie opinion....wow I felt your excitement talking about him all the way to SC!!~

Nancy @ Live love laugh said...

He is gorgeous and it was meant to be that he would find a home on your farm! The detail on his face and neck is unbelievable!
Enjoy him!
~Nancy

Rettabug said...

He's a sturdy little pony & will fit right in at your Windswept Farm! I'm glad you didn't pass him up.
You'll have lots of chances to pick up a table but he's one of a kind. :D

Did you know we lived in Venice, FL for almost 10 yrs.? (moved back to Ohio 4 yrs. ago) I wish I'd been blogging back then...we could have *done lunch* LOL :D

I love following your adventure in moving to Hooterville. Thanks for sharing your world.

fondly,
Rett

Elizabeth and Gary said...

Hi Shari,
Love your little wooden horse and it goes perfectly with your home.
He would have been hard to pass up for sure.
I have missed a few of your posts since I've returned to work from my foot surgery, so I have been catching up.
I didn't know about the PMU horse farms, that's terrible!. I hope your daughters PMU momma to be will be o.k. and adjust to kindness and love. I bet she will with your daughters patience and skill.
I have enjoyed my visit with you as allways. I'm sorry I missed a few of your posts, its been hard getting back to work and getting up as early as I do everyday for my long 5.5 hour a day compute.
Take care and big hugs, Elizabeth

Donna said...

The horse is beautiful! I could not have passed it up either.
Blessings,
Donna

Lottie said...

I LOVE the rocking horse! You couldn't have walked away from him and got a single night of sleep! Ha!
(He might really need a tail extension, but that facial expression is what hooked me!)
Lottie

Susan said...

The rocking horse was a wonderful purchase!! With him sitting in a room it would automatically give off the feeling I am home

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Squeals of delight! I love him! I have been looking for a rocking horse for ages, and yours is definitely beautiful. He looks so nice on your hearth. Wonderful treasure! Happy Friday!

Blessings,
Sandi

Marianne said...

It is more than a little nifty, it is a dream and it is looking great on before that fireplace.

Nancy's Daily Dish said...

What a great find. You have a lovely blog and I'm enjoying perusing through!