Mend, Soak, Wash...Repeat.

I've come across a bunch of awesome pieces in the past few months. Not only vintage clothes, but vintage fabric, antique lace, and scarves.

And it's awesome! Every time I buy something new, or go hunting for new treasures, it renews my love. I spend days imagining who will end up with this great piece of history that I happened upon.

And sometimes you have to take a chance...take a deep breath and either dive in or turn around and walk back down the ladder.

And sometimes you find out that gleaming clean pool is actually like a giant mud puddle.

Missing buttons, ripped seams, stains & funky odors are just some of the surprises we vintage sellers find. It's like winning more on a scratch ticket than you'd thought...only it's not...it's funky basement moth ball scent that takes five washes to lift.

Anyways, I had been putting off restoring a few things & all of a sudden those few things had taken over an entire chair at the dining room table. Like heaping-over-the-table-can't-smoosh-it-down-and-push-in-anymore takeover.

So that's what I've been doing and that's what's coming soon. We vintage sellers are like your Grandma...

"That button's a bit loose, Sweetie, come here & I'll fix ya right up"

This doily was Orange with stains & smelled horrible. So it was quarantined...this is it's fifth and final rinse, I wish I'd taken pictures of the before. I've been hoarding little doilies like this for some future wedding crafting.

Until next time friends!

The Right Shot

 It starts when you're a kid. Armed only with an eye for cool things, you begin to hoard. Closets, sock drawers, under the bed. 

One day you realize you're past your knees in stuff. 

Now, if you ask me, I'm not there yet....but if you ask my friends or family....yeeahh

As it turns out, I have a lot of jewelry. & jewelry really sucks to photograph. Especially with a phone. Tips and tricks are welcome.

This was the first picture I took. It's rough, but I really like it. I didn't clean it yet, and the angle & shadows make the picture feel as real as it was. 

Trash and treasures

just some victor records on a stone wall

lovely

it's all in the details

little fairy flowers

I found this Victor Victrola Record binder sitting outside the shop when I came in today. Just like this; I wondered briefly as the shutter snapped, if someone had placed it like this to take some pictures, or if it was placed there, forgotten, and the breeze had blown it open.

The record in the sleeve is called "Carry me back to Old Virginny" A song that was written by James Bland, a well known African American composer in the 1800's. The song tells the trouble many slaves faced as they were freed, as they had little safety or family aside from life on the plantation that they had left. A modified version of this song was used as Virginia's state song, until 1997 when it was deemed too racially offensive.

This is the version on the record, http://youtu.be/Y1GWRDL7PTs

The Smell of Summer

As hard I try, I can't believe it's really Memorial Day weekend. Weeks pass by, yet they feel like days. I'm still stuck in mid April!

Yet, the two Christmas cactus, who wanted nothing to do with us in winter, when we needed them most, have started to bloom. Profusely!

Well, who am I to argue with nature?

I bought these peonies, unopened, yesterday while at the market. We sidetracked to a park bench to watch the world go by, which they didn't like too much. By the time we meandered home and put them in water, they opened to have a dash of fuchia in the center. Joyous surprise!

The blue glass is something I got at the Antique shop years ago. There were four of these blue and two more in green glass, and even though they were way out of my college student budget I didn't hesitate to scoop them up...who needs car insurance anyways? They were, at one point part of a window; the edges still have a chalky hardened adhesive on them.
You can see the two a bit better here

xo

Working hardly

view from the desk

peaceful scents sitting in a woven bit of heaven



gold shoes and a hungry kitty

To be honest, I had been working...but there was a lull and it's beautiful out! I love Saturdays surrounded by antiques. And the kitty is the semi famous Ali Hannah Rose.