Cleaning House

Grandma was a hoarder, Mum was a thrower-outer, I was the kid who hides "treasures" under her bed. 

My mum didn't like to have "stuff" around. She grew up in Grandmas house, which at best was a well packed away museum.

Unlike my mother, I'm the sort of person who feels comfortable with things around & I have a pretty steady collection of antiques to prove it.

Finding things hidden in the closets of my little apartment is great fun...but to smile & say "Oh! " then put it back...seems stupid.

These are all from my own home 

& will be in the shop starting tomorrow

Providing I don't chicken out on parting with any of these... 

What have you parted with? 

Did you regret selling it or were you happy just having it in the first place?

Thrifted Thursday... The Portrait

The best part about going out hunting is the anticipation of finding something great. Even if you've been on a dud roll, this thrill keeps you digging until long after your hands feel grimy & you'd nearly give anything for a drop of Purell. 

Then it happens. The Holy Grail with an affordable price tag!

She sits on the mantle, and although now she seems like part of the family, there were many times when I'd look up at her & my mind would just reel at who this calm looking woman was. A friend or a lover? A widow or a mother? Maybe all

I guess even if I had some knowledge of her life, I'd never really know who she was. Which really is an extraordinarily great feeling selling vintage or antiques. It's both humbling and reassuring.

I looked up both the school & the names but came up with nothing.

And since the first woman started teaching there in 1878 & women had been taking classes here decades before that, the painting could've been done by either a man or a woman. 

But the final "this is meant to be!" moment came when I noticed the date 

APR 20, 1938

just happens to be my birthday (a few decades off!) 

What is your "Holy Grail" find?

Where Toy Train Parts & Sewing Books Combine

For any of you that follow my Instagram, this may look sorta familiar to you, I found another one. 

Last Saturday, while rummaging through the dollar box, I found this model train transformer. Simple black & cream with a neat art deco font.

It weighs a ton & has sharp edges that easily tear through bags to smash unsuspecting toes. The two of us did that dance four times before I learned my lesson.

After the final pain rage subsided, I thought "Why in the world...?!" 

Then the vintage sewing books started to act drunk & all fall down. 

Problem solved! 

***

I was pretty terrified to "upcycle" but it turned out well...how about you? 

Have you had good luck with repurposing?

Move In Ready

Hello there, Dolls! I hope your weekend was great & that transitioning into Monday wasn't nearly as "Ugh" as it was for me! Although, last week at work we got a delivery of cubicles so I get to move into mine today. 

Normally, people don't get too jazzed about moving from a desk by a window with a glorious view of trees & a river...buuut these cubicles are nearly mansion sized & I'm increasing my storage by about 3 times.

Little victories in the workplace. 

Anyways, weekends are for hunting, here's a little snippet

Some treasures from the weekend. Autumn floral scene brooch. Hunter green gloves. Leaf shaped seed pearl brooch. Rin Tin Tin German Shepherd game.

& a Mary Houghton's religious birthday book from Christmas 1880.

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!

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.



Curtains are up! They may have taken me over a year, and may or may not be crooked, but they are up! Picture me wobling around between two bar stools with an old fashioned crank hand drill teetering in my nervous grip, basically the very thing your mother would kill you if she caught you doing.

The curtains are a $ 3 thrift store find, and I love how the lace changes along the bottom to a curvy row of roses. The glass 'pins' or curtain tiebacks are opalescent rosettes and look identical to those produced by the Sandwich Glass Company. Although I doubt they are due to the fact they were $ 10 each, they are still gorgeous and catch the light in magical ways.

Ranunculus: A Flower Lover's Dream

A hundred crepe paper petals suspended on thick wildly waving stems. These lovely beasts sure had a mind of their own!