So my business partner and I are adding handmade and reworked jewelry to our shop. Here's a little snippet of what we're working on. Starr is modeling the wood burned discs and hemp bracelets. We're obsessed with them as we are Starr's lip color!

Friday Finds - What I just can't pass up

What's new in the world of thrift shopping?
Well here are just a few finds from last week. 

  This ceramic faux bois platter, I looove. It's originally from Crate & Barrel 

but I found it at the Goodwill for less than 3 bucks.  A Faux bois design that's ON a platter? It's pretty much my dream find. Of course I'll say that about the next thing but for today it is. 

Again with the candlesticks.
 I can't help it. Aged brass is my favorite 

and they come in so handy for all kinds of tablescapes and decorating.
Primarily they just sit in a smaller group
on the credenza though. (They number around 20 I think overall?)
I should pare them down but in due time. I can't be rushed into that process.
The large one on the left, I bought in Hot Springs, Ark last year for about $5.00.
But the other two are the most recent at $2.47 and $1.00

I like it when the candle melts and drips all over. It can always clean up. Nothing is that precious around here.

 I don't really need another vintage blue jar but the color is so great and I can't pass them up when I find them so inexpensively. If for nothing else I can use them as vases. A keystone jar has eluded me but I found one and since I live in the Keystone state...well it's kind of a keeper. The other one I found is an Atlas jar with a presto lid (on the far right) I love it when they keep their lids on ;)

 

I always wonder about their ages. If you do too, here's a handy tool found I on Minnestrista 
that gives the date and distinguishing features of the jars.

A handy guide, isn't it?

We'll see what I stumble upon this weekend. Happy hunting!


Linking to:
 Chic on A Shoestring | I heart Naptime | 
Flourishing at Home | The Dedicated House

Intelligent Domestications

Friday Finds: Goodwill Outlet, the Hunger Games of thrift shopping

Do you have a Goodwill Outlet near you? It's the craziest thing I've seen and I am absolutely hooked.

It's a semi-large building with big blue containers of stuff that you just have to dig your way through. All of the bins are separated in basically two departments: one side for clothes and the other for everything else. You pay by the pound which is usually really low. Mine is .59 cents a pound for clothes and glass but I don't bother with clothes. I head straight for the other side, digging into the dishes and household bins. (Update* I went there today and the price is going up to $1.19 lb)

Let me just tell you that people are not careful about tossing dishes when they dig. I've had to duck a few times when people get a little feisty. Not kidding. When a new bin is brought out people run to it and the workers have to tell everyone to move out of the way. Some days it's hit or miss on the finds but this day was definitely a hit and not as busy as usual.

Now for the finds:

I had this Robinson Ransbottom canister in my cart and a woman came up to me and said she had the lid to it so she brought it to me. I found two pitchers at a yard sale once and put them in the shop so when I saw the canister I knew it was from the same collection. The company began in 1856 and merged to become Robinson Ransbottom in 1920. They closed in 2005 so it's a good time to hunt down the older pottery pieces. Interest in it is gaining. It's well made and the farmhouse utilitarian look is certainly in demand. Be on the lookout for it!

Another favorite was the vintage glass candlestick. I have a collection of candlesticks which I tend to pare down every now and then. I also got the silver one there as well.

I loved finding this vintage paperweight. Any type of ephemera is right up my alley.

Another silver pitcher? Why not? I put this one in the shop.

How about a vintage ironstone platter? I tend to collect those as well, along with cutting boards. The one I found (top) has more crazing and discoloration than the others but I never mind that. It's a heavy 16" platter in the Loop and Line pattern, with no chips or cracks.

J.F. stands for Jacob Furnival and Co. and he produced Earthenware and Ironstone from 1845-1870 in Cobridge, Staffordshire, England. I always love to see markings.

I also found a bunch of mismatched china, some old goblets and a small silver trophy cup. Another person handed me an item, a glass heart candy dish (not pictured) with a large hobnail rim. For the life of me I can't remember the pattern name. She told me that she was married in 1953 and got a 16 piece set (that the candy dish was a part of) as a wedding gift. Regrettably she got rid of it. I told her she should keep the dish but she insisted I have it. Nice, right?

And in all my total was $12.61. 

A quick snap of the outlet

Have a good day!

Love, 

L

Linking to

French Country Cottage | Clairejustine

What about Co. |  Chic on a Shoestring

Tidy Mom |  Shabby Art Boutique

The Girl Creative | My Sweet Things

A little side table rehab

I spotted this side table at a thrift shop in Arkansas and despite its flaws, I had to see what I could do with it. The details were just too good.

The top had a 3 sided rim but one side was gone. I knew that removing the other two would be easy and patching the divot it would leave with wood filler wouldn't be hard either. The top's veneer was bubbling and peeling so that had to come off. It's not an easy task to repair veneer so I didn't want to attempt that. I peeled off as much as I could and the rest got the orbital sander treatment, using 80 grit sand paper. Because of the vintage nature of the piece, I wasn't worried about scratches and dings on the rest of it. Paint would take care of that.

I made sure not to sand down too far by using 220 grit sandpaper on the 

mouse sander this time and filled in where the rim had been.

I used Americana Decor chalk paint in Primitive and Grunge it! aging dust by Vintage Market & Design to bring out the details. After waxing, I used fine grit sandpaper to lightly distress the high points. I always wax furniture at the shop just in case something is scratched in transit, which happens more times than not.

I am tempted to keep this for myself. It's so adorable.

That's always the struggle.

Have a great day!

Linking to 

                Ducks 'n a Row | The Happy Housie | Elizabeth & Co | Home Stories A to Z | Natasha in Oz

The Dedicated House | Posed Perfection | Simply Sweet Home

Leather belt book wrap DIY

In the digital age, I continue to be a collector of vintage books. I think the tactile sensation of having an old, beautifully decorated cover in my hands is one reason alone. Some I read and some I use for projects but those very special ones I like to have out on display, whether lining a bookcase or just around the room. I look for good spines, interesting color or script and topics of interest to name a few. When I find that all in one book, I feel I hit the book lottery. Yesterday I picked up A Natural History of Trees  from 1950 and it had beautiful drawings that would look great enlarged for big scale art.

So while I was collecting the books at the thrift store I also picked up a couple of leather belts to create another type of book display, a throwback to when school kids used book straps; DIY leather belt book wraps.  It's so simple and just looks great. I took a minute to switch the books around to figure out thickness and which colors complemented each other and just simply wrapped the belt around them. You could even wrap books in a collection by subject. A larger belt, of course, would work better if you wanted more than a double wrap. I also positioned the buckle on the spines when the books are upright and on top when they are displayed horizontally. I liked the look so much I'm going back for more today. The belts were .50 cents and the books $1.00. My advice is to find a pliable belt and with a nice buckle.

Three things I loved about this:

Every item is re-purposed

It took about 2 minutes

So inexpensive

Just stack and wrap.

Enjoy it!

~L

Linking to
The Shabby Nest

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Dear Creatives

Nan Cherrow

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Natasha in Oz

Fine Craft Guild

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Kammy's Korner

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My Girlish Whims

Those Hollywood types -a vintage dresser

I recently found this vintage Hollywood Regency Dresser at a thrift shop. It was a great size but still sporting its yellow and white faux strié finish. It wasn't bad but came off outdated, you know?

This picture was taken from my phone after I cleaned her up, removed the hardware and had already primed its formica top.

I gave it a coat of chalk paint in Americana Decor's Yesteryear and waxed to a satin finish. I let the wax dry for a day before I buffed it. I usually don't have to wait a day but the relative humidity made it so. 

You can find Americana Décor at Home Depot but I bought it at Hobby Lobby where I could use a coupon. Every little bit saved helps.

The original hardware was covered in paint so I stripped them and uncovered a nice patina on the brass. The long handles have great bamboo details, matching the surround on the dresser front.

It was a quick and easy project. Love that.

The hardest part was moving this beautiful, heavy beast-ess

Enjoy your day!

~L

Linking to

The Casual Craftlete 

Kammy's Korner

The Crafty Blog Stalker

Coastal Charm

The Dedicated House 

View from the Fridge

Friday Finds - reprising my weekly post

Despite the fact that flea markets and thrift stores are overpriced here, I was able to find a few things that left me feeling pretty good about my purchases. Even though we probably won't be living here very long, we don't want the house to look like squatters live here. So the first thing we purchased was a great, down-filled sofa off Craigslist and then found this massive clock at a church yard sale.

This cute little mid-century stool was a great buy. It just needs new fabric to give it a burst of life and a little Minwax stain pen for touch ups on the wood.

I found a large glass coffee table at a 2nd hand shop. The top is so large and heavy that it's still in the back of my car waiting for Jon to help me lift it. I'm painting the base to freshen it up with a new line of chalk paint. It's always nice to see what new products are out. We've used 3 different brands in the shop, and honestly, the only difference in them are price and array of colors.

Just the base

The leather side chair was a great find as well from another thrift store which may receive a coat of light gray paint. I haven't decided. Not everything needs to be painted but this may be a little too dull, especially with the yellow leather and the fact that we're drowning in brown.

And last but not least, I picked up this window from a flea market. I paid more than I wanted but liked the detail on it. I'm planning on a light white wash to marry the different types of wood but will still allow the natural wood to show.

So that is the round up this week. There are more but mainly just decorative items which don't need any rehab, thank goodness. So for all pieces, including the couch, we only spent $240.00. Not a bad start to furnish the living room.

Have a great 4th of July weekend to the USA and a great weekend the world over! :)

Love,
L




Linking up at Shabby Nest

The New Mrs. Adventures

 View from the Fridge

 Funky Junk Interiors

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Thoughts from Alice

DIY Showoff

The Casual Craftlete

The Happy Housie

@Home Again - A shop in a co-op

So a few months ago my friend Starr and I decided to open a little shop. We looked around for locations, mulled a few over, tossed around budget numbers and ultimately decided on opening a fairly large space inside a co-op rather than our own storefront for now. About 13 years ago I had a space inside a co-op in Utah. After working for an awesome interior designer, I felt that she had given me great inside info about how to start my own home accessories/vintage store and she really encouraged me to branch out. Not long after I began mine, my husband was transferred to Washington DC and I had to close out. Fast forward 13 years and I finally get to try it again!

We didn't go into this haphazardly, we really set goals and a vision of where we want to go with this which I'll address at some point because it may help if you're thinking of opening a shop. The market may seem saturated but there are ways of separating yourself from the crowd.

After frantically sourcing accessories and reworking/redoing furniture, we opened on April 1st and have stayed busy ever since. Its been a lot of work and so much fun, even with kids' chaotic schedules, family life and each of us holding down jobs outside of this venture as well. It truly is a partnership which I enjoy and appreciate so much.

We have a variety of new and vintage accessories and furniture and are constantly sourcing items. I try to really have one of a kinds. It doesn't surprise my husband when he opens the car door and finds another piece of furniture. Its amazing what you can fit inside of a Durango, like a 10 ft kayak. (That wasn't for the shop.) I do have a 1960's Drexel bar table in the back of my car right now, though. I couldn't pass it up after spying it at a thrift shop. A problem for me is that I mainly buy what I like and I want to keep just about everything. I also buy some things that are not my taste but I know someone would like it. Researching trends, antiques and guestimating what will be up and coming really is the fun of it I think.

I need to take some newer pictures but this gives you an idea of where we started. Lots more to come!

Getting ready to paint

Taken as we were setting up in late March. This is just a corner of the space. It's a little crowded now.

Have a great day,

L

Bessie's book

What is it about the world of old books that are so interesting?
Is it the multi-sensory experience of holding it in your hands, flipping through their pages or that worn smell of the print? Or maybe in this digital age, an old book makes you feel a little more grounded because of all that's going on around you?

I have yet to read an e-book. I'm sure I will at some point. I have yet to squeeze in much reading time at all over the past couple of years but I can't help picking up an old book or two when they present themselves. I use them to create height on tables, stack them as a way to display or just read them. We are on the hunt for bookshelves to line a wall in one of our rooms because this ever-growing collection needs to be enjoyed.

Last fall I was at the Public Library and came across their basement book sale. All books were 10 cents a pound. I picked up a couple of children's books and then went to the vintage ones. Some of the criteria I look for are intact spines, colorful covers, dates prior to WWII, nice or interesting typography and topics of interest.

While there, I found this book, The Cocker Spaniel, by Ella B. Moffit. The green color caught my eye so I thumbed through it.

On the front page was written:
 

 

Bessie D. Apgar
Westminster Dog Show

Madison Square Garden

Feb. 10,11,12. 1937

After I lugged home 20 pounds of books (I was on foot) I forgot about them so they stayed in a bag for a week. When I was finally able to look at them, I opened up the dog book first and out fell two calling cards of Bessie's. Besides the fading color, they were in perfect condition. I studied them and turned them over to see if there was any writing on back.

 
 I wondered if she had gone to the dog show with this book and put her cards in there to give away or if she bought the book there since she was obviously interested in Cocker Spaniels. I wondered if one of her dogs was in the show and the book was a gift from the handler. Suddenly I had all these questions about Bessie so I did a little research.

I found that she was Dr. Apgar, the Assistant Professor of Biology at Elizabethtown College in the 1950's. Her husband, the other Dr. Apgar, was the Professor of Biology. A 1950 yearbook was dedicated to them and the college now bestows a distinguished alumni award in their honor every year.

I know I'll eventually enter the world of e-books but this book adventure tells me I can happily live in both.


Have a good day!
xo
Laura

 

source

"To Dr. Charles Apgar and to Dr. Bessie Apgar, who have led us through the mysteries of the cell to an appreciation of God's pattern for all living things, we gratefully offer in dedication this 1950 Etonian."

I love lamp

As I was out treasure hunting a while back I came upon this little art deco lamp. I loved it and carried it around with me for a while but decided to put it back on the shelf. I do that a lot. I talk myself out of things before I get to the counter. I figured one more thing to re-wire was the last thing I needed. But I really wanted it though.

Then the next day I came across this page in a magazine and there was "my" exact same lamp but with a great antique bronze finish. Who said anything about re-wiring?? So I went back and got it. Now I just need to figure out the best way to get it to look like its former beauty-queen self.

And now a little Anchorman-

Have a happy Wednesday.

linking to Funky Junk Interiors

linking to House of Grace
Somewhat Simple

Friday finds

Back in early February I stopped off at an antique mall on my way home from work. Just as I stepped in the store I noticed a small booth to the left with things placed at random. That's usually a good sign because prices are more likely to be random as well, which = good deals.

I took notice of the botanical art sticking out from behind some frames. At $5.00 it was a great deal and the booth dealer was having a 20% off sale - even better.

Before

After re-framing.

In my research about the print I found that it was originally an engraving from a seed catalog from the late 1700's. There were 12 engravings, one for each month with all of the flowers blooming in that month. The flowers have a corresponding number and name. This just happens to be my birth month, March. See? I was meant to have it. You should be on the look out for yours.

The catalog became so popular that they had to stop printing it in the large size and went to smaller pages. It's a great piece and so beautifully illustrated. Perfect for Spring.

Then last week at the thrift shop I found Blair some more tea cups and saucers for her tea parties. I even found a sterling silver candle holder for $1.99 that I still need to polish so it'll be an extra fancy tea party.

The dishes were only .49 cents each and are in perfect condition and... they are cherry blossoms.

Now I have officially posted about those dang trees for the 3rd time in a week.

Have a great day!

*And for you local friends, I'm thinking of having a "Hunting 101" field trip. It won't require a gun and shooting animals. We'll go to my favorite places for antiques, vintage items and just plain cool stuff and learn all about the hunt. If you're interested, message me.

linking to The Shabby nest