everyday vintage

easter realizations...

2011-04-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

i can hardly believe it's been so long since i last posted something here! over easter weekend i had an 'ah ha' moment though and realized that i tend to avoid blogging if i don't have a whole bunch of time to do it. i put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure my posts are long, with lots of photos, links, and information. well, no more! i am going to try and post at least once a week and focus on small things, which you all will hopefully find interesting or inspiring, and if it's just a few paragraphs and a photo- so be it! hopefully my new approach to blogging will be received well by you, dear readers. let me know what you think!

and on that note, i thought i'd just share a little bit from our easter sunday...

we started bright and early with a little breakfast, just the husby and i, before we headed to church.

i made the quiche the night before and it turned out pretty tasty!

the 'easter bunny' also made a visit! look at the cute vintage bucket, and bowl he picked out for our 'baskets'. he also brought more than just candy...some pencils, burt's bees products, nut butters, and more!

after church we prepared for dinner guests. what a fun way to break in our new apartment- 11 adults and 2 toddlers! i always love hosting because it gives me motivation to clean (or in this case to finally finish putting things away) as well as an excuse to decorate and use my fun vintage collections! for easter i put my new loving cup collection to good use. they look so cute filled with some wheatgrass...

we also dyed eggs which i have been wanting to do for the last several years. i decided to try making dye from fruits and veggies this time...

the beets and blueberries worked really well, the carrots and spinach not so well. it was fun though and then we had lots of hard boiled eggs for a friend to make some deviled eggs that were a hit! almost everyone joined in the fun...

we had a lovely easter spent with good friends and family, amazing food, and lots of laughs! i hope you had a nice easter too!

sneak peek of the new place!

2011-03-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

whew! it's been a crazy couple of weeks! my trip to portland with the bestie, followed by preparations for our moving sale and the sale itself, a short trip to yakima for our favorite little girl's 1st birthday, and now packing up everything for the big move on saturday have made for a very busy, very tired girl.

sadly, all of this has meant no time for blogging, but i thought i would tide you over with a sneak peek at our new place. we picked up the keys today and i took a few quick photos so i could share with you!

i'm really excited to get moved in so i can start decorating! stay posted for the many projects that are sure to come in our new apartment!

view of living room from front entry. look at those pretty floors!

view of entry way from front door. that short little staircase leads to our very unusual bathroom.

looking into bedroom from living room. great light in there! and i'm actually excited about warm carpet in the bedroom.

the 'dining room'. it will actually be our office/studio area, with a little eating nook in that lovely bay window!

looking into the kitchen from the dining room. it's a pretty decent sized kitchen for an apartment, and it has a full-sized gas stove! so happy to have gas for cooking again!

xo danae

we're having a moving sale

2011-03-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

hello everyone! i wanted to leave a quick post to let you know that my husby and i are having a moving sale this weekend. there will be some vintage items, as well as newer stuff too. it's even inside! i've posted some photos below of a sample of what we'll have. you can also check out our craigslist ad to read more!

so, if you're in the seattle area come on by and find some treasures! hope to see you then.

saturday, march 12th
10am-3pm
319 W Dravus St #1
Seattle WA 98119

finds to fancy...the moving edition (pt.1)

2011-03-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

hello everyone. how have you been? i know it's been a while since i've posted- and i don't really even have a good excuse! but i'm back now, and isn't that what really matters?

some of you may remember me mentioning how much i dislike our current apartment- it's sad but true. but take heart- those sad days are nearly over because we are moving! i am so excited i could actually jump for joy!

our new apartment is lovely. it's in a wonderful vintage building. it has hardwood floors, lots and lots of windows-several of them bay windows, a large bedroom and living room along with a dining room area. it even has a decent sized kitchen (something that can be hard to find in older buildings). i don't have photos right now, but as soon as i do i will post some so you can share in my excitement!

though our move is still several weeks away and it will be even longer before i'll have everything decorated- i'm already dreaming of what i want to do with each room, and how to use items i've been saving that can come out of storage. in the coming weeks i want to share my inspiration for the new place and i really want to hear what you think and would love links to anything you think i should check out!

today we'll start with the bedroom. i've already touched on my recent ideas for a more frontier-style bedroom, which i'll continue with...

we don't currently have a headboard and i would love to have one again.

love headboard from house tweaking

this DIY headboard at house tweaking is really cute and fits the rustic vibe well i think.

wooden crates from barnwood furniture

or how about my own DIY idea- using vintage wooden crates to form both a headboard and some storage space? looking for your own wooden crates? there are some great choices on etsy!

our new bedroom is about three times bigger than our current postage stamp sized bedroom so we'll have room for a rug!

rauser's redeploy rug

the redeploy rug from rauser has just the right blend of ruggedness and sophistication.

thanks to apartment therapy for photo of flokati rug.

of course there's the always popular flokati rug. so warm and fluffy!

and i'm still on the hunt for new bedding. i'm leaning towards something wool and grey.

photo from white flower farmhouse

the front runner right now is this cozy blanket-a replica of vintage czech army blankets. i've found them locally, but white flower farmhouse has some too!

katy elliot's macauslands blankets

if i could splurge a bit, i would order one of these wonderful wool blankets from macauslands woollen mills in prince edward island. i heard about them through katy elliot and have been dreaming about them since.

so there's my bedroom inspiration. have any suggestions? i'd love to hear from you- comment below or send me a message!

the bestie and i are heading to portland, oregon for a little vintage girl's weekend on friday. keep an eye out for a new post next week with photos and treasures from our trip!

guest post: how-to tie your vintage scarf

2011-02-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

i'm so pleased to have my first ever guest post today! my dear friend melissa, who you can find at the helm of a record of photographs, stopped by everyday vintage with a great how-to for us! so without further ado, i give you today's guest post...

Hello all! This is Melissa Lee, Danae's bestie, business partner and vintage accomplice. I have a fun vintage how-to post to share with all you lovely readers.

I am super into vintage scarves. Not only do they come in awesome colors and patterns but they keep you a little warmer, cover any unwanted cleavage, and jazz up your outfit. If you don't have a vintage scarf here are a couple I found online that are beautiful!

you can find this one here

this one here

or if you fancy something a little more wild try this one

Now onto the How-To!

It will work best with a larger scarf, that can be double wrapped around your neck.

STEP 1: Fold your scarf in half diagonally so that you have a triangle. Lay your scarf out on a flat surface the way you want it to sit on your chest. You want the bottom corner to be longer than your top corner, like this. See how I have lots of extra fabric on the bottom left?

STEP 2: Grasp fabric from the bottom corner.

STEP 3: Fold excess fabric down and hold. You will have an extra little "poof" of fabric.

STEP 4: Next fold extra fabric up creating a second "poof" on the opposite side of your hand. You should have a little extra hang off (about 2-3 inches).

STEP 5: Take the other end of your fabric (above where you're working now) and wrap it where your fingers are clasped.

STEP 6: Next do a simple knot with that piece you have in your hand, and you should have a bow. There should be excess fabric at the end of your knot (2-3 inches). Your bow will be slightly deformed as mine is.

STEP 7: Give your bow a little love! I adjust my excess fabric to be in the right place and fluff my bow "poofs." See? Much better right?

STEP 8: Wear your scarf! TADA! A fun new way to wear your vintage scarves.

Bows are super in right and I love their feminine appeal. I hope that you enjoy this fun new way to wear scarves and add some fresh fun to your wardrobe.

Melissa Lee

another cooking one...

2011-01-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

i figured since i was already on a roll with the cooking theme, i would post a food recipe (since one can't live on cocktails alone!). plus, i promised my aunt i would post this recipe! :)

now i couldn't find much history (in english anyway) about steak frites, but i did determine that the dish was first prepared around 1930 at a restaurant in paris, though the dish also has belgian origins. though i can't provide much information i can assure you that it's a delicious dish, and one of our favorite meals! i will admit that i do not make a traditional version, but rather a version inspired by the steak frites at the elysian brewery in seattle. there are great recipes for more traditional versions online, so i encourage you to try those too!

danae's steak frites (with sweet potatoes)

i have two versions of this recipe, a regular and a light version. tonight i made the regular version so that's what i have photos of. i'll include notes on making the light version at the end. this recipe will make enough for 2-4 people depending upon how hungry you are!

1 1/2 pounds of steak (your choice of cut)

1 bag frozen sweet potato fries (i usually use the trader joe's brand, but a lot of grocery chains are carrying them now too. if you're in the seattle area, i just found them at fred meyer- they're the crinkle cut kind which i used for these photos)

1 c. milk, half and half, or heavy cream (depending upon your preferences)

2 c. shredded cheese (i've tried several different kinds and as long as it's a strong, hard cheese they've all been great! my favorites are gruyere, parmesan, or romano. the elysian dish that inspired my version uses crumbled bleu cheese).

2 t. fresh ground pepper

1/2 t. salt (more to taste)

1/2 t. truffle salt (optional)

pre-heat oven to the temperature specified on the packaging for the sweet potato fries.

generously season steak with salt and pepper. pre-heat grill to med-high. (if you're not as crazy as we are and don't grill in the winter you can use a grill pan on the stove, or sear the steaks in an oven proof skillet and then transfer to a 300 degree oven until med-rare.)

when oven is hot, bake fries as specified on the package.

when the grill is ready, begin grilling the steaks to desired doneness. (tip- don't press steaks while grilling, this will keep your steaks nice and juicy).

meanwhile, warm milk or cream in a small saucepan over med-low heat. watch carefully so the cream doesn't scald. when the cream is warm to the touch (yes, you can use your finger- just make sure it's clean. ;), add the cheese. continue to warm over med-low heat until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened. stir frequently. once sauce has thickened, add black pepper and salt to taste. reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, until fries and steaks are ready.

once steaks have reached desired doneness, let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. slice diagonally, across the grain.

place fries on each plate, arrange sliced steak over fries and top with cheese sauce. garnish with a sprinkle of truffle salt (if desired).

now, if you'd prefer to keep things a bit lighter, you can use the same recipe, but instead of the cheese sauce prepare a parmesan butter...

4 T. grated parmesan cheese (not the powdered, canned kind)
3 T. butter (room temperature)

mix butter and grated cheese in a bowl.

when plating the steaks, top with the butter.

easy and less fattening! if you really want it to be light- use 4 c. of arugula or other greens instead of the fries.

hope you find this as delicious as we do! please feel free to leave a comment with any questions or to tell me how your version turns out!

not exactly vintage...

2011-01-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

my love of vintage led me to start this blog and i generally only cover topics related to that, but i have another love and i'm going to share a bit about that here today...cooking!

now, i know it's not exactly vintage, but i will at least try to provide some kind of history to go along with the recipes, so maybe that counts?

last week i shared with you how i've been in a frontier kind of mood lately and what could be more at home in the frontier than whiskey? especially a bourbon branded a 'frontier whiskey'?

one of my favorite whiskey's lately is bulleit bourbon. i was given my first bottle as a birthday gift a few years ago and discovered that i really enjoyed it's unique flavor. i did a little reading on bulleit and it seems that in 1830 augustus bulleit, a tavern keeper in louisville, set about to create a bourbon with a unique flavor profile. after finding the flavor he was looking for he began to sell the bourbon and as he was on a trip transporting barrels of it to new orleans, augustus bulleit disappeared. to this day it is not known what happened to him, but in 1987 his great-great grandson decided to revive the family legacy and began crafting small batch bourbon.

now, unlike most of the frontiersman of the old west, i usually don't drink my whiskey neat (aka straight up), unless i'm trying it for the first time. my preferred drink is an old fashioned. i find that most people aren't familiar with the old fashioned so i thought i would share the recipe i have developed over the last few years. it's a two part recipe, as i make my own cocktail cherries, rather than using those awful bottled maraschino cherries that most bars use. i'll share the basic recipe for the cherries, and then the drink recipe.

danae's cocktail cherries

1 pound cherries pitted and washed (i prefer sour cherries, but whichever you like best will work)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 vanilla beans, scored down the middle then cut into 1 inch sections
1 cup bourbon (i use a lower end bourbon like jim beam, the flavor isn't really affected)

in a medium saucepan combine the water, sugar, and vanilla beans. bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium.

add the cherries and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

remove from heat and add bourbon (if you want the cherries to have the bourbon flavor, but less alcohol content add the bourbon for the last two minutes of simmering the cherries).

let cool. transfer cherries and liquid into clean jars. refrigerate uncovered until cherries are cool to the touch. cover tightly and keep refrigerated. some say to only keep them for 2 weeks, but i've found they keep much longer due to the preservation properties of the sugar and alcohol. i'll let you be the judge.

danae's old fashioned

1 demerara sugar cube or 1 tsp. raw sugar (all the vintage old fashioned recipes i've seen call for a regular sugar cube, but i prefer the flavor of raw sugar over refined).
1 orange segment, unpeeled or 1 long twist of orange zest
3 dashes bitters (i use original angostura bitters, but mostly because i can't afford the fancier bitters i've seen on the market lately. someday i want to try making my own!)
soda water
bourbon of choice
ice
cocktail cherries

place sugar, orange slice and bitters in an old fashioned glass. muddle together until sugar dissolves.

add enough soda water to fill the glass half full. for a truly vintage take on soda water, use a soda siphon. i love mine (though i use a new one, my vintage one is for display only)- it makes great soda water and you never run out!

add ice until the glass is nearly full.

top with bourbon to taste and garnish with cocktail cherries (i like to use lots!).

ta-dah! you've made yourself an old fashioned! i hope you enjoy it. do you have a favorite bourbon recipe? i'd love to try it!

isn't this vintage swizzle stick with the mini whistle on it cute?

frontier living

2011-01-07T01:46:00.000-08:00

my hometown, laramie wyoming, circa 1870

downtown laramie, circa 1870

for new year's eve this year, bill and i, along with my friend katie, went to see true grit. it was wonderful- really. i know you die-hard john wayne fans may be skeptical, but it's really a wonderful movie that feels like a true western. it also follows the story line and dialog of the book much more closely than the john wayne version so it doesn't feel like a remake- more like a re-imagining. anyway, this post isn't really about true grit, it's about the inspiration it fueled in me.

beautiful still from 'true grit'

i grew up in the closest remaining thing to the frontier of the old west- the state of wyoming. though we didn't ride horses to school (a question i am frequently asked, oddly enough), there are many ways in which wyoming hasn't changed since the days of the 'wild west'. wyoming is the second least densely populated state, second only to alaska. this is something that most wyomingites are fiercely proud of and something that a lot of town governments will protect (sometimes at the cost of economic development, but that's for another blog entirely). it takes a day to drive across the state. and many routes can be a beautiful, lonesome affair. you can drive for hours without seeing a town. on some of the backroads you can drive for hours and not see another car at all! it's a land of true wide-open spaces and rugged, almost surreal, landscapes.

wyoming-like no place on earth (yes, this is actually what the signs say as you enter the state!)

there are many things i love about living in the city, but i do miss the simplicity of small town life. i miss seeing endless stars at night, and unbelievable sunsets over the plains. it's been a very very long time since i've visited my step-family's ranch, or any ranch for that matter, but i can still conjure up the scent of the barn and the softness of a horse's nose. i may live in the city now, but i'm a wyoming girl at heart.

a beautiful old ranch building near my step-family's ranch in the little laramie valley

when i first moved to the city i tried to leave everything small town and country behind me and embrace my new, urban identity. as i've grown older though, and more accustomed to city life, i realize the country is part of my identity and always will be, no matter where i live. i started wearing cowboy boots again (and not always ironically). i've had a strong craving to ride horses lately. i've even been watching the old westerns, movies my grandfather was so fond of. the wyoming girl in me has come out of hibernation. and lately, with the help of beautiful, well done films like 'true grit', that wyoming girl wants to have a say in decorating our home!

wyoming horses at sunset

which brings me to the real theme of this post- i'm dreaming of doing some redecorating! my recent frontier inspiration, coupled with the fact we may be moving into a new apartment soon has my brain working overtime with decor ideas. i probably won't actually start any projects until we find out if we're moving or not, but i thought i'd share some of my schemes and dream finds with you. i know most of you have visions of log cabins and antlers when i say frontier style, but i believe it can encompass so much more...

lovely wool blanket on etsy (and what a wonderful photo!)

we've been trying to find new sheets lately and i can't find anything i like in a color that would match our bedroom and at price that we can afford (which is pretty much $0!). i've realized that i'm tired of all the bedroom textiles we've had since we married. i want new colors and new textures! i'm thinking a great place to incorporate some frontier spirit may be our bedroom. we could used a warmer blanket anyway so i've been considering trying to find an old wool army blanket to top our down comforter. there are some great ones on etsy and i may have even found one in our price range!

however, if we incorporate a more rustic style in our bedding, a few more things will have to change. fortunately, since i sell vintage goods, i can sell a lot of what we currently have in order to pay for new items like...

new bedside tables. i love what my bestie melissa did with some old wooden crates. her's are very elegant looking with crystal lamps and mint julep cups (all vintage of course). if she doesn't mind me taking inspiration from her, i can imagine them lined with some old books pages and topped with some rustic bedside lamps. find more of melissa's amazing decorating ideas on her blog.

or perhaps instead of bedside lamps, some pendant lamps? these mason jar lamps have a great rustic vibe and while i can't afford this version from napa style, i'm pretty sure i could figure out a way to make something similar.

of course, curtains are essential. we currently use 5 curtain panels in our bedroom- 2 on the window, 1 to cover the closet that doesn't have a door, and 2 to form a 'door' for the room since it's so small we had to take the door off the hinges in order to fit a queen sized bed in there- so whatever we find has to be affordable. i love the look of these linen panels in this london shop. it reminds me of being inside a tent. i'm envisioning a few skinny panels draping from the ceiling down over the window.

in the dream version of our new bedroom, there would be enough room to have a hamper again! i hate having our hamper in the bathroom because i'm always laziest at night so there is a perpetual pile of dirty clothes on the floor in the bedroom! in this dream version of my bedroom, our hamper would be a vintage canvas laundry cart like this amazing one on etsy.

we're not currently using a headboard, but can't you imagine a headboard like this in a humble hotel in the old west?

now for a few detailed touches. maybe a full wall collage of old photos and tin types? or perhaps a map of the territories?

now all that's left is to pick a palate (well really i suppose this should have come first but i was so excited about all the exciting finds!). i've been thinking 2 or 3 colors- a drab green, charcoal grey, and possibly a dusty grey-blue. the color in these images really inspired me...

i'll keep you updated on the frontier living project as things progress. i'm excited to see all this inspiration come to life! what are you inspired by right now? i'd love to hear about your projects or inspirations! i'm also always happy to give input on how to bring your inspiration to life!

a resolute new year?

2011-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

do you make new year's resolutions? i've dabbled in doing it, off and on throughout the years. i often feel like i may just be setting myself up to fail in making lists with lofty ideals for my life in the year ahead. this year, as i mentioned on saturday, i have set some goals that i would like to achieve this year. as i also mentioned on saturday, they say that you are more likely to be successful in reaching goals if you make them public, so i'm going to share them all with you today! (don't worry i've also thrown in some related photos and links so you don't get too bored!).

1) wake up earlier. i used to be an early riser. in my younger days i nearly always had jobs that required me to be up in the wee hours of the morning. i once worked a baking shift that started between 3 and 4am! i even used to be the type to say 'i can sleep when i'm dead'! now that i'm older and i don't work in a world that requires me to be up early anymore, i've become quite the sleeping in type! it's a problem. bill rises around 6 usually but i sometimes don't get out of bed until well after 9! this must change. towards that end i've decided i need something other than an obnoxious noise to rouse me from sleep. i think music works best for me. i've been hankering for this crosley alarm clock available at urban outfitters since last christmas. they used to have it in this lovely pale turquoise color that would match our bedroom perfectly...

i love that has classic good looks coupled with modern technology. i had a vintage alarm clock-radio that recently had some wiring issues and isn't usable anymore, so this little number from crosley both helps me reach a goal, and keeps the vintage aesthetic going in our bedroom!

2) be more organized. for those that know me, i can almost hear the 'wait, what? you're so organized'. people always think i'm crazy organized. in some regards that's true. and in many regards it certainly used to be true. i feel like i've become less organized since i got married. maybe i've just gotten used to having someone there to help me if my lack of organization causes trouble. regardless, i want my old organized self to make a come back! one tool i'm using to meet this goal is my new moleskine day planner:

i'm fortunate to work at an amazing book store in downtown seattle- peter miller- where we have a delightful selection of calendars. we have so many different kinds of day planners i had a hard time deciding. ultimately i decided to try the monthly planner/notebook. i usually use the weekly version, but find that i don't have that many appointments every day that i need half a page for it. plus, with this version i can stop carrying a notebook and planner. simplifying feels good!

it's not a planner, but if i had the wall space for it, i would love to have one of the stendig calendars, which were first produced in 1966. i feel like a really big calendar could only make me more organized right?

3) sing more and play my autoharp more. 'what's an autoharp?' you ask? you might recognize it from grade school music class or for those in an older generation than mine, you may remember folk singers using them in the 60's and 70's...

oscar schmidt's reissue of a model from 1930.

it's a simple instrument that has been around for ages and has generally been used in folk settings. here's mother maybelle carter with her autoharp:

i've had a pretty nice autoharp for about 5 years now. i first bought it when i was singing with a band and we wanted to try incorporating it with a more rock sound. i tried to play it regularly the first year i had it and then as life got busier i played it less and less. being diagnosed with fibromyalgia was the proverbial final nail, as i often have pain in my hands that can make things like pushing buttons and strumming difficult. however, on saturday i dug my autoharp out of the closet and i'm going to tune 'er up tonight. i figure, even if i can only play for a few minutes a day it's better than not at all! i do hope to get to the point where i can play it with a band.

as for the singing, i've been a singer since i was young. i've sung in choirs, school musicals, bands and church groups. lately though, most of my singing has been limited to the shower and the car. i love to sing and i miss doing it regularly. i still haven't figured how i'm going to incorporate public singing back into my life, but i really do want to make it happen this year. so, if your band is looking for a singer- i'm your lady! tee. hee. hee.

the ray conniff singers. circa 1955.

4) grow my business. it wasn't even a goal for the year, but 2010 brought the opportunity to start a business with my dear friend melissa. considering we started with about a months planning and no money, i think we had a pretty good first 8 months! we opened two vintage booths in seattle, closed one of them and then opened another one in yakima, washington. we sold our 'made with vintage' goods at two craft shows this year. we even went through two different logos! our best moment was probably the day we found out that we have been accepted as vendors for the farm chicks show in june of 2011! we are so looking forward to that show and have been planing and buying for months already!

2010 was definitely a good start for dear darling vintage. but there is so much more that we want to do: i am working on getting an etsy shop up and running; we want to re-do our seattle booth and hone our focus when it comes to buying; we should be debuting a new logo in the next few months; i want to work on that blog more too; we are excited to find some shows to go to in washington and neighboring states in order to network with others in the vintage business; and last, but not least, i would like to move toward opening a space that's all mine in seattle! the vintage mall has been a great start for us, but i would love to have a 'vintage collective' where other vintage goods vendors could let space from me in an organized, clean, well-lit, boutique like atmosphere. it may not happen in 2011, but i dream daily about the moment that the time is finally right to jump into that project!

it may be in harlem, but i'd love to have that sign on my store! thanks to harlem bespoke for the image.

it looks like i have my work cut out for me this year! what are your goals for 2011? i'd love to hear from you!

a happy new year!

2011-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

i can scarcely believe today is the first day of 2011- 2010 seems to have just flown by! i hope that you're all having a wonderful holiday season filled with things that bring you joy!

the holidays around our house seem to have thrown me for a loop- i haven't blogged since around thanksgiving! i don't normally do resolutions, but i've decided to set goals for the new year and one of those is to be a more consistent blogger. to that end, though i won't spend a lot of time doing it today, i did want to post a quick peek at what living vintage means at our house during the holidays!

i hope you enjoy the photos! if you have any resolutions for 2011 you should share them here! they say you're more likely to reach goals if you make them public, so here's your chance! happy new year friends!

a little outdoor tinsel forest to greet you as you approach our door

welcome to our home!
my wreath of vintage dictionary pages wilted a bit over the season,
but still did a good job welcoming our friends and neighbors.

vintage bells adorn the wreath

i really wanted a real tree this year, but with a tight budget
we used our aluminum tree instead

our first year of marriage, we started collecting ornaments from every trip we took.
this bavarian pretzel is from an overnight snowshoeing trip we took to
leavenworth, washington (an adorable town done up in bavarian style) after our first christmas!

i love vintage mercury glass ornaments and even the
reproduction pieces, like this cute squirrel!

since they go with the shiny silver so well, whenever we use
the aluminum tree we only use the glass ornaments.

from our second christmas. we visited bill's sister in manhattan
before heading to his parent's place in maryland for christmas.

a funny glass moose from a camping vacation we took to glacier national park!

we are fortunate that our mother's allowed us to have our childhood stockings!
bill's is amazing- his grandma russell made it and it's a very intricate crewel piece!
mine was also made by a family friend. the green tree was a pin i made and wore in a school
christmas program when i was in grade school.

my after christmas score from last year. my mom and i spent an afternoon in the
antique malls of snohomish, washington. when i saw these working glittered bells i couldn't resist!

the kitschy santa collection

though there are many christmas things i love more than santa,
i can't refuse a cute kitschy santa figure!

my favorite santa. his belly is a snow globe and that's a deer he's holding
over his shoulder. random, but so cute!

one of my most favorite vintage christmas items- the 'glolite illuminated christmas tree star'.
we can only use it on a real tree, so this year i displayed it with it's box.

isn't it great?

some bottle brush wreaths. i'm keeping my eye out for more. i think they're adorable!

though most of these deer are always on display, they got a little christmas renovation.

some christmas friends for the year round deer. so kitschy and wonderful!

light up noel candle with more deer friends. did i mention i love christmas kitsch?

a little display for my craft supply shelves.
a vintage christmas card i found at an estate sale keeps my typewriter company.

isn't this card wonderful?

an idea i saw at unexpected necessities. these are almost all old dictionaries and thesauri
that i display year round. instead of putting them away to make room for
christmas decorations, i turned them into a tree!

a few of my gurley candles. i adore the deer!

a little candle forest

the kitchen never goes neglected at christmas!

this wonderful holiday thermos was a gift from a friend. i only display it at christmas!

vintage tablecloths in holiday prints fill an old locker basket.

another favorite of mine- i found this complete tom and jerry set at goodwill for $7!

though i rarely make tom and jerry's, we use the mugs for eggnog and other drinkable treats!

a touch of christmas makes the kitchen feel even more warm.

a lovely holiday apron. yes- i do actually wear it!

our christmas card creation this year. we had a friend take some photos of us in a cute little
tree lot- they turned out wonderfully we think! to embellish the card with some vintage flare
we cut sections out of an old dictionary and stamped them before affixing them to the cards.

a few lucky people even got a christmas stamp from 1962 on their envelope!

we always try to make as many gifts as we can, and i especially love receiving handmade gifts!
these are some great little notebooks that my dear friend melissa gave us!

and a beautiful and creative headband that my friend, and schoolhouse craft co-organizer, kristen, made me.

inspiration for schoolhouse craft

2010-11-18T23:10:00.000-08:00

caring for vintage

2010-11-11T23:33:00.000-08:00

now for the real thursday post: caring for vintage. today's topic: table linens.

if you're like me, you probably have a stack of vintage tablecloths somewhere. they're not all in perfect condition, some have holes, some have stains, but they are all awesome. the real question is how to keep them looking awesome.

now, i am by no means an expert on the subject, but i have had some training from my mother (as i was growing up), and there are some very good resources online. this is just a simple overview of how to care for table linens, but i am providing links so you can do more in-depth research if you want to.

the most important thing about taking care of your vintage tablecloths is learning to live with their past. you need to accept the fact that some stains will not come out. just because a tablecloth is stained, doesn't mean it's ruined. in a way, those stains tell the story of the linens.

the good news is, most stains will come out. it may take a little work, but even old stains can usually be lightened, if not removed altogether.

cleaning stains

for old stains:

squeeze the juice of two lemons into a dish. place the stained part of your tablecloth on top of a dry towel; spoon the juice onto the stain; cover with 1 tsp of salt and gently rub it in. let it sit half an hour, then rinse with vinegar, followed by warm water. (via good housekeeping)

for fresh stains:

if you can afford it, there is a great wash especially for vintage linens called, simply, linen wash. as soon as possible, pre-treat the stain with the linen wash, then follow the directions on the bottle to wash the tablecloth.

if you can't spend $30 on detergent for linens (like myself), there are several solutions for treating fresh stains.

if your tablecloth is relatively sturdy (most of mine are heavy cotton), presoak using oxy clean (it actually works really well) or biz and hot water. if your tap water isn't hot enough, heat water on the stove. it should be hot, but not boiling. soak your tablecloth or napkins in this mixture overnight. then machine wash using cold water on the delicate setting. it's best to wash vintage linens by themselves- don't overload the washing machine or they won't get clean.

if you're loathe to use chemical detergents, vinegar also works pretty well. soak the piece in vinegar for 2 hours, then rinse until the vinegar smell is gone.

drying vintage linens

sun drying:

if possible avoid using the dryer to dry vintage linens. if you're lucky enough to live somewhere sunny, it's best to dry dry linens in the sun. after washing your linens, fold them in between a towel and gently squeeze the water out. never ring vintage linens- it causes too much stress to the old fibers. then lay the linens on out on the grass. leave them out for several hours until they are dry. the bonus to sun drying is that the sun will also help bleach any stains that may have been left behind.

if, like me, you live somewhere where it rains most of the year, you have a couple of options.

dryer:

if you use a dryer for vintage linens, make sure all stains have been removed first. if not, re-treat the stain before drying. only use the air dry setting and make sure to remove the linens before they are completely dry. after you take them out of the dryer, lay them flat (on towels on the bed is a good option) until they are completely dry.

air dry:

this option will take a while, especially if you live in a humid climate. after pressing the water out of the folded tablecloth, lay it out flat on a dry towel (or two). the floor is the best place for this option since the towel will become damp.

storing/displaying linens

there are several good ways to store and display vintage tablecloths, depending upon what kind of space you have available.

hanging:

if you have some closet space or other hanging space available (i like this idea from the tparty blog, using a towel rack to both store and display tablecloths), this is a safe and space saving way to store vintage linens. em over at em's heart recommends folding a piece of acid free paper over the hanger, placing the tablecloth on top, then layering another piece of acid free paper on top to protect from dust. she even sells the paper on her website.

folding:

folding is a great way to show off your vintage table linen collection. mine are displayed in a large stack on a shelf in the kitchen (sorry i don't have photos, i forgot to take them when the sun was out!). there are so many different ways you can fold your linens and even more ways to display them once they are folded. i think this stack of tablecloths on a cake stand, from the red thread blog is a cute idea.

there are a few things to keep in mind when storing vintage linens this way. first-don't iron them before storing them, if they need to be ironed do it just before using them (or spray them with some distilled water after placing them on the table and they will hang out nicely). second- be mindful of where you keep them. a stack of tablecloths on a shelf near the stove may look cute, but grease, steam and cooking odors can ruin them! it's best to keep any vintage linens in a cool, dry place. if you keep them in the kitchen (like i do), just make sure they are as far away from the stove and sink (or dishwasher) as possible.

it's also a good idea to fold some acid free paper in with your linens, especially if you don't use your linens frequently. additionally, never store vintage linens in direct contact with wood or painted surfaces. if your shelf is wood, or you store them in a cupboard, kitchen queen, or pie safe, place a sheet of acid free paper down before stacking the linens up.

other things to keep in mind

always use distilled water in your iron when pressing vintage linens. this will prevent rust stains.

never machine wash vintage linens with hot water. the hot water can loosen rust and other minerals built up in your pipes and stain the linens.

don't starch your vintage linens. starch eventually breaks down and can yellow, as well as damage the structure of, the fibers.

if you iron your linens, iron them flat, without creases. ironing a crease can wear down the fibers in just that spot, which will become more noticeable in the future.

avoid using bleach if at all possible. if you must use bleach, rinse your piece (in the washer) twice, using 1/2 cup of vinegar in the 1st rinse cycle to neutralize the bleach.

i hope these tips on caring for vintage table linens has been helpful! if we all take care of our cool vintage table cloths, maybe our kids will be able to enjoy them too.

sommer designs has some great ideas on repurposing vintage tablecloths

diyv wednesday (on a thursday)

2010-11-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

this was supposed to go up yesterday, but between work and preparing things for the shops i got a bit distracted and didn't get it done! so, time travel back with me to wednesday for the first installment of do it yourself vintage (aka diyv)...

in this weeks living vintage, i promised i would show you how to make the light cover/lamp shade hanging in our recently redecorated bedroom. well i'm not one to go back on my word, so follow me through the process of making your very own lamp shade!

as i mentioned in the living vintage post, we just had a bare bulb fixture in our bedroom, which looked horrible and didn't do any favors for the ambient light in the room. on a limited budget, i knew that whatever i chose to fix this issue had to be diy, and ideally made with things i already had.

after accessing my materials situation, i had a few things i knew i wanted to incorporate: vintage maps and some old wire mesh.

but how to turn these into a lamp shade? i've created various things with quilting hoops before, so i figured there must be a way to create a lamp shade using a larger sized quilting hoop or two.

i started looking online for inspiration and noticed this tutorial on 'the keylor family' blog. i like the clean lines of drum style shades and having seen similar tutorials on instructables, i figured this would be a simple enough project to tackle. and thus this project got it's legs.

so let's get started!

materials needed:

two quilting hoops in a size that suits your needs. i chose the 23 inch hoops.

you can find quilting hoops at most any craft store.

a length of wire mesh slightly longer than the circumference of your hoops. wire mesh is available in several different gauges and finishes. you could also use chicken wire for a more country look.

find wire mesh at most hardware stores.

for the lining of the shade you can choose from a variety of materials.

i used an old paper map, but you could use fabric, feed sacks, other types of paper,

even a laminated photo collage.

whatever you choose, make sure you have a long enough piece to match the circumference of the quilting hoops.

hanging the shade may depend upon the type of fixture you're covering up. since my fixture was just a bare bulb, i chose a simple method (which i'll cover at the end). for this you'll need

4 eye hooks

4 s hooks

4 steel safety pin fasteners

all of these are available at any hardware store.

now for the assembly:

first make sure your wire mesh and paper or fabric are cut to the proper size.

in order to cut the wire mesh you'll need work gloves and a sturdy pair of wire cutters. this is a tedious task, but it goes pretty quickly.

cut the wire a square or two at a time, cutting as close to the corner as possible so there are no sharp edges sticking up.

now that your materials are the right size, take the quilting hoops apart. for this project you will only need the inside hoop. save the outer hoops for another project.

begin to form the shade. take your map (or whatever material you are using) and line it up with the edge of one of the hoops. use scotch tape to affix the map to the hoop. do this every few inches along the edge of the hoop. if you're using fabric you may want to use a staple gun to attach it to the hoop.

once you've completed the top hoop, repeat with the bottom hoop. when you've finished you should have the shell of a lamp shade.

now take your wire mesh and very carefully wrap it around the shell of the shade. be careful not to puncture the paper with the wire edges.

my original idea was to use both parts of the quilting hoop and sandwich the wire mesh between the two hoops. the wire mesh i had was too thick to do this, so in order to attach the wire to the shell of the shade, i simply measured the mesh so it would be a few inches longer than the height of my shade, and then folded the excess around the bottom hoop. you can see it at the bottom in this photo:

you're almost done! if you have any wrinkles in the paper (like mine does in the photo above), gently straighten them out by pulling on the top hoop until the wrinkle is gone.

now you're ready to hang your shade. begin by measuring to find a halfway point of the circle. once you've found it, attach a safety pin fastener to the top square of the wire mesh on each side. repeat so that you have four evenly spaced fasteners, one in each quarter of the circle.

next, using the shade as your guide, mark the four spots on the ceiling where you will hang the shade from. screw in the eye screws in those spots. attach the s hooks to the eye screws. using the rounded ends of the safety pin fasteners, attach the shade to the s hooks.

you could choose to cover the bottom of the shade as well. the tutorial i mentioned earlier has great instructions on how to do that. i decided to leave mine open. since you would be able to see the light bulbs, i picked out some wonderful reproduction tungsten filament bulbs from rejuvenation.

tah-dah! your very own handmade lamp shade!

this project is really only limited by your imagination. if you try it for yourself i would love to see! drop me a line with some photos and i'll be glad to share your project here!

finds to fancy

2010-11-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

university of wyoming campus today
(photo by my friend robert perea)

i was happy to see that my wyoming hometown had it's first major snow today. i miss the first snow, the way the whole town looks fresh when blanketed in sparkling white. while seattle rarely gets snow, the temperatures have been dropping and my thoughts have turned to ways to stay cozy this winter.

(click the links to see the source)

hot, freshly percolated coffee anywhere you go? sounds cozy to me!

or perhaps an afternoon cup o' tea?

i've been preparing soup more often- maybe some new recipes?

mmm...a cozy fire to curl up by? such a lovely dream for an apartment dweller like me!

love the colors in this cozy wool throw

what a cute way to keep baby warm!

i can just imagine bundling up in this wonderful coat!

i think i had a little snow suit like this when i was a baby

such rich, autumnal colors in this warm scarf

a good scarf for a man in your life- especially great colors for the holidays

this shade of yellow is my favorite right now- and that fur? love it!

every man needs a warm, stylish hat, no?

and don't forget about the kiddos!

these boots look perfect for seattle- not too warm, plenty waterproof. and sooo stylish!

and a good choice for the men folk. duck boots have such a classic appeal.

all this coziness has me craving a hot cocoa and some time under a blanket! stay warm today everyone!

living vintage

2010-11-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

this week i hope to introduce you to several new weekly features. today i offer up 'living vintage'. each monday i plan to share ideas, both from my own home, and the homes of others, that will hopefully inspire you to incorporate vintage into many aspects of your everyday life. i hope you will enjoy reading it as much i enjoy putting it together! and now for today's 'living vintage'...

our tiny bedroom-before

i am the first to admit that i pretty much hate our current apartment. like many old buildings, it has so many issues that will probably never be addressed by our landlord. from improperly laid flooring that bubbles up, to poorly patched drywall everywhere, this place can drive me crazy! the room i have had the worst relationship with since we moved in is our bedroom. first off, as you can see above- it's tiny. we only have room for our queen sized bed and two little bedside tables squeezed in on each side. secondly, the walls have apparently been patched countless times, each patch looking worse and worse. we have a popcorn ceiling, a bad paint job, random bits of trim that don't go all the way around, and a bare lightbulb for a ceiling fixture. all in all, it's the room i have the most hatred for and because of this, i hadn't tried very hard to decorate it- it seemed as though the flaws were so great that no amount of decorating would help!

recently though, i had a change of heart and decided to put a little effort into redecorating this room. there were a few ground rules: no painting (not worth it since the walls are in such bad shape), no expensive purchases (no new curtains, bedding, light fixtures, etc), and try only use items we already had. with these rules in mind, i schemed, dreamed, and finally tackled the project! and here it is- our bedroom, before and after...

from the doorway of our bedroom- before...

and after

from the other side of the room- before...

and after

a collection of vintage frames that i started 9 years ago in wyoming- before...

and after!

in my quest to use only items i already had, i decided to keep using the frames above the bed, but gussied them up with some fun spray paint colors and other little embellishments.

closet door and bare wall by my side of the bed- before...

and after

this photo, taken at a coffee roastery i worked at, was hanging in the gallery of our wedding photographers studio. when she closed her studio she gifted it to us. it's so huge, but since this wall was so bare, i thought it would make a fun statement piece, hanging all by itself.

when we moved in there was just an empty socket in the bedroom. i didn't want to rewire a fixture, so i had been using this old darkroom light cover as a shade. it's a cool piece, but looked terrible used this way. note our lovely popcorn ceiling!

our new light cover, handmade from a vintage map, wire mesh, and an embroidery hoop. i love the colors with the light shining through. keep an eye out for the how-to later this week!

to increase the overhead light, i installed a converter to make a single light socket into a double.

since the light bulbs would be visible from below, i picked out some great carbon filament light bulbs from rejuvenation. you can find them on their website.

to add a little interest to this gilded frame i strung several shades of turquoise embroidery thread in a zig zag pattern.

i made this bunting for a party i threw in the summer. the colors matched our bedroom so well that i decided to use it in this huge frame i found at a parking lot sale in my wyoming hometown.

i hadn't put up any photos of the husby and i since we moved into this apartment over a year ago. i thought this frame made a nice backdrop for a few of our fun couple-y photos. they're clipped to more embroidery thread with teeny-tiny clothes pins.

my mom originally found this lamp at an estate sale when i was in junior high. she was kind enough to let me use it and then when i moved out she gave it to me. it served as the original inspiration for the color palate in the bedroom. this is bill's bedside table- in spite of how much i love vintage clocks, he hates the ticking sound, thus the digital clock.

a fun tufted pillow my friend abbi gave to me a few years ago. i love the faded color with the little spots of bright turquoise peeking out from the folds!

another turquoise lamp. i found this one at a tiny little yard sale in capitol hill. i'm not sure why the glaze is patchy like that (it's only like that in two of the 4 panels), but i've recently decided that i like it! i found the vintage big ben moonbeam clock at an estate sale in yakima, washington. the table was a craigslist find when bill and i were first married. it was already this color and matched everything else perfectly!

well, i hope you enjoyed the first round of 'living vintage'. if you want a room or project in your house to be featured here, leave a comment and i'll be in touch!

happy monday everyone!

my apologies...

2010-11-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

...for my extended absence! i promise next week i will be back in the swing of things and i have a lot of great features to share with you (a peek at my recently re-decorated bedroom with a how-to for a light fixture we made, a 'finds to fancy' all about coziness, tips on caring for vintage linens, and more!).

for now, you can at least see what i've been up to this week- making jewelry!

melissa and i have two craft shows coming up for the holidays and it's crunch time for me (melissa is more on top of things than me and already has a ton of stuff made!), so i've spent a lot of time working on designs and assembling this week. here are the fruits of my labor so far- enjoy!

i've always collected lots of little vintage trinkets that i found to be cute or pretty. i knew someday i would find a use for them (other than decorating with!), and that day has come. with this collection of necklaces (i'm working on earrings as well), i wanted to let the mysterious beauty of the vintage objects shine through. you'll have to let me know how you think i did!

two views of the same necklace. vintage brass pen nib with nickel chain and second brass chain.

lock and skeleton key on nickel chain.

this is the most complicated design- watch face with watch gears, date ring, and copper swallow charm.

i really fancy jewelry that is both functional and beautiful- i think this pen knife on brass chain

fits the bill!

another functional piece- these tiny scissors are sharp enough to cut with!

this one would be great for city ladies or wandering around the woods- working whistle! the sound reminds me of the whistle in sound of music!

i wouldn't recommend using it, but this super old spoon is so cute!

it took me quite a while to decide how to prepare these old flash bulbs so they could be strung on a chain. i think they turned out alright, eh?

and there you have my 'winter collection'! hope you enjoyed the sneak peek! i'll post more information soon about where you can purchase this jewelry, as well as the wonderful things that melissa makes!

weekend wrap up part one

2010-11-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

i admit it- i can't resist vintage toys! i buy them at estate sales whenever i see them. though i usually sell them, or give them as gifts, very often we play with them first! so when i saw this enormous box of lincoln logs in the listing for an estate sale this last weekend, i knew i had to go!

unfortunately, the 'estate' sale turned out to be a very small garage sale, but the lincoln logs were still there when i arrived and a pretty good price, so it wasn't a completely wasted trip to the east side of lake washington.

bill and i were looking for something to do indoors on a rainy friday night, sooooo why not break out the lincoln logs?! we had a good time constructing a few houses (well, bill did most of the construction, while i sorted the 2 different sets out from each other and then sorted al the parts by size). all in all, a great way to spend a rainy evening!

our lumber yard

constructing the front room of the cabin

the husby hard at work

nearly done

tah-dah! our vacation home is complete

not too shabby, eh?

i'd live here

another cabin made with the 2nd set of logs

the builder looking pleased with his work

weekend wrap up part two

2010-11-01T20:55:00.001-07:00

fall in the pacific northwest can be a soggy affair. while we have beautiful trees in many many colors, as soon as the leaves turn the rains come. though we never got the variety of colors in my wyoming hometown, we did have that satisfying crunch of leaves underfoot and the chance to build nests or forts, or even just giant piles to jump in, out of leaves. i miss crunchy leaves a bit.

however, once you've lived here for awhile you realize that you can't let a little rain stop you from doing things, so this weekend when some friends asked us to join them at a corn maze and pumpkin patch, we donned our jackets and muddin' shoes and hit the road!

misty, rainy, farmland

tall corn

so very very muddy!

that's the washington state capitol (kind of)

of course, i simply must find vintage things wherever i go!

love this truck!

bill-the 'husby', and myself

lots of pumpkins left- and this was the day before halloween

piggy

snuggling goats

i think this is the mama goat

a highland cow- so furry!

alpacas

lots of little piglets! they were all born about a month ago

hello there little piggy

isn't the color of this car amazing?

i think i have radar for anything vintage in the vicinity

HUGE pumpkin!

all hallows even

2010-10-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

i have to admit, i'm not really a halloween person. i love to see all the cute little kids dressed up, but i just don't usually have the energy or motivation to make a costume for myself and i would rather decorate for fall in general than halloween. i can also definitely do without all the ghouls, gore, and horror movies.

i noticed this cute little postcard at about.com. this is my kind of halloween- cute kid, cute pumpkin!

in spite of my lack of halloween spirit- i have been noticing some cute halloween decor on various blogs and i thought, perhaps all you lovely readers would be interested in seeing how others are decorating? and, if you haven't decorated for your party yet, maybe you'll find some inspiration here!

before we get to the good stuff (the photos), i thought i'd share an extremely abbreviated history of halloween...

though there are many ancient festivals and customs from a variety of cultures that play a role in the history of halloween, the name itself has it's origins in 16th century scotland, where they would have called it 'all hallows even' (even=evening), meaning the night before all hallows day. all hallows day is also known as all saints day and is widely observed in the catholic church. i must say, regardless of the history- i find 'all hallows eve' to be much more charming than 'halloween'- what do you think?

but enough with history lesson-on to the decorating!

i really like the use of chalkboard paint in unexpected places at poetic home. plus, who wouldn't love that great typewriter?

more chalkboard painted books forming the RIP banner. and that great old subway sign? to die for!

over at house of smiths, a great black and white color scheme

i really love that potion bottle! so cute.

decor village is featuring wonderful vintage decorations- how great is that cat in the middle?

the decor in this room is similar to what you would have seen at a halloween party in the 20's. the streamers are my favorite.

and, if you're wondering where to find great vintage decorations for next halloween, i even found some websites that specialize in just that...

vintage halloween has a nice selection, plus i thought this pumpkin fairy graphic on their site was so charming, if not unusual.

and some slightly more modern decorations at vintage halloween decorations. these remind me of the decorations people used when i was a child- another great cat (with a monocle!).

as for me? well i prefer to keep it simple- we picked up these great pumpkins at a local pumpkin farm and i love how the colors complement the greens on this metal work table and file drawer.

so halloween may not be my holiday, but there are definitely some fun ways to use vintage to celebrate!

happy all hallows eve!

workin' for the weekend

2010-10-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

(i had intended to post this yesterday, but the husby (a term i'm attempting to coin to replace 'hubby') and i got in a little too late. oh well- that just means two posts today!)

i woke up wednesday morning intending to take the finishing photos of the bedroom redecorating project i've been working on and post the whole process here. upon opening the curtains however, my plans changed as the sky was totally overcast and the natural light coming into the bedroom was not nearly bright enough to make for good photos. what to post, what to post?

i needed to prepare some things for dear darling (my little vintage goods business) anyway, so i decided to share that process with you all. hopefully it'll make for an interesting post? comment and let me know!

now i know that owning a vintage business seems like the most glamorous job in the world right? okay, well maybe not quite. but it's actually a bit more dirty work than most people realize. here's a typical day preparing things for the shops...

any 'booth day', as we call it around here, starts with this old safe deposit box. this is my essential supply kit- everything i need for tagging items is in here, as well as things i use at the actual shops.

our cute tags! gotta love the look of manila shipping tags. classic.

pricing, cleaning and tagging items can get a little lonely. thankfully i have mike and frank from 'american pickers' to keep me company while i work! (if you haven't checked out this show- you really should! so interesting and entertaining. melissa (my dear friend and business partner) and i really should be the female version of these guys! travelling around the county digging through peoples barns? dream job!)

there's usually a big pile of stuff in the kitchen when i start. someday i hope to have a studio or office where i can store things and work. until then, the kitchen will have to do!

now the dirty work begins: cleaning things. it's important to me that all the items in our shops are clean and in good condition. i mean, if you wanted to deal with cleaning things after you purchased them you could just go to an estate sale or thrift store right? you come to shops like ours to skip the work of all of that!

(what is happening with my hair in these pics? yikes!)

sometimes there are items that involve a bit more work than everything else. this bag is a great bag, but had a lot of issues. i'm not really sure why someone would write their contact info on the front of a bag, but that's what the previous owner did. on the upside, the lady at the estate sale gave it to me for free since it was in such bad shape!

in addition to the pen, the bag was pretty dirty on the outside (though very clean on the inside). i was pretty sure i could get it clean when i brought it home, now to find out for sure...

my weapons of choice: citrusafe (it's meant for grills, but it's great on any kind of grease or grime. plus, it smells great and is environmentally friendly), and goo gone (great for getting out sticky residue, crayon, etc). let's see if they can help me salvage this bag...

after a lot of scrubbing and scraping- tah dah! looks pretty good eh?

even the pen came out-yay! funny enough- i already own a bag almost exactly like this! mine isn't quite as nice (this one has a fabric lining and an inside pocket).

after everything is cleaned up, it's time to take photos for our facebook page. this day was not a great day for that, due to the lack of good natural light inside. the photo is not great, but isn't this little dress coat cute?

awesome green suitcase pair. these are headed to our fremont shop.

and that is a day in the life of a vintage goods company! it's hard work, but someone has to do it right? now i'm off to an estate sale (definitely the more exciting side of this business!). happy friday everyone!

finds to fancy

2010-10-26T18:22:00.001-07:00

here's what will be a weekly feature that i'm excited to share...

'finds to fancy'- a once a week collection of lovely vintage goods, found online, that i fancy. (my apologies for using 'fancy' so much today!)

click on the links to see the source for each item. hope you enjoy it!

this book lamp is clever and stylish

school clock- it's actually working

i really want this old clip board

a great set of 4 industrial task chairs

i'm always a sucker for type blocks. isn't this one sweet?

happy tuesday everyone!

fancy meeting you here

2010-10-26T15:59:00.001-07:00

welcome to everyday vintage. i am so pleased to bring this project to life! i have been scheming for months, and finally feel ready to release those schemes to the world.

in the days (maybe even years?) to come i hope to bring you delightful posts all about bringing vintage goods into everyday life. from subjects like living with vintage, to crafting with vintage, and even caring for vintage, i hope you will be informed and inspired by my site!

thanks for stopping by. i look forward to seeing you around!