Decorate Vintage: 2013

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Art Deco Revival - A Near Miss

I spotted this gorgeous piece of art Saturday morning while driving by a neighbor's yard sale, and (I can't believe this in retrospect) kept right on driving. I knew the sale had started the day before, so I assumed anything left over had to be junk. I thought it would probably turn out to be a cheap print.

On my way home hours later, it caught my eye again, and this time I stopped. It turned out to be a mounted and framed art deco revival (70s) Erte silk scarf. I snapped it up at the asking price. I haven't decided where it will end up, but I love it. As I researched Erte, I fell in love with several of the artists' other works and now am keeping an eye on them on Ebay. Art Deco (think Great Gatsby) is hugely collectible these days, and a piece like this one recently sold for $275.

Here's another amazing score from a different neighbor just down the street. This mid century wood handled flatware was never used.

The entire service for 12 is now mine!

As vintage needlework is my weakness, I had to rescue these 70s/80s pieces.

Look at that color!

This was the first needlepoint made by the homeowner,

when she was right out of high school, about 35 years ago. Pretty!

I love the orange and brown hues in this one.

This one is a little more understated...I might have to turn this one into a cushion.

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out these other great vintage/decor gatherings:

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Back with more vintage treasures!

I'm back from hiatus with some great vintage finds to share! April was so busy and there was just no time for shopping or blogging. Finally, yesterday, I was able to spend the morning scouting estate sales and realized how much I missed it. I went to four sales and found some fun stuff at two of them.

My favorite find is this 70s string art:

While string art can be tacky sometimes, I think this one is very pretty and modern. The background is matte black fabric instead of the shiny velvet you sometimes see with these.

This is something I've never seen before - it's a kit for making a fiber optic tree. So kitchsy and cool!

I love cheeky vintage mugs. I was tickled to find this one for my collection.

This vintage cloisonne tin box is almost antique - it's from the 1920s. I love the colors and design.

I got these hand carved figurines for a song. They are probably not very old, but I like them.

Finally, I hemmed and hawed over this set of bookends. I think I might paint them a bold color.

Well thanks for stopping by! I really missed keeping up with my favorite blogs over the last month, and I'm looking forward to catching up!

Check out some of my favorites:

Mid Century Mondays, Creative Mondays, Magpie Monday, Under $100, Make It Pretty Monday, The Farmhouse Porch, Hey What's For Dinner Mom?, The Honeysuckle Bus Stop, Our Delightful Home, Mod Vintage Life, Creative Cain Cabin, Mop It Up Mondays, If it's not Baroque, Young Heart, Coastal Charm, Tuesdays Treasures, GFC Blog Hop, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Cozy Little House, Creative Bloggers Party, Knick of Time, Well Crafted Wednesdays, Penny Pinching Party, Vintage Thingy Thursday, Time Travel Thursday, Transformation Thursday, Treasure Hunt Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Thrifty Things Friday, Catch as Catch Can, Be Inspired Friday, Aloha Friday, Feathered Nest Fridays, Frugalicious Fridays, Junkin Joe, Thriftasaurus, Treasure Hunt, The Nifty Thrifty.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Quick Vintage Report

I have been crazy busy with work and home projects this week, so this post is a bit late. I was afraid I might have to skip this week's post, but I do have a few fun vintage goodies to show off and a few minutes to spare, so here we go:

This is one of my favorite recent finds. This vintage purse will be hard to let go - I love the floral motif and the olive green background.

This clear phone is so cool! It has a neon tube and I'm dying to see if it works. Unfortunately, it doesn't take a regular telephone cord, so I'm going to have to do some research before I can get it hooked up. I also found this cute hamburger toy phone.

This ice bucket is so pretty. I have no idea how old it is, though.

I've been picking up pretty tins - they are always so cheap. I use them to store vintage buttons and other odds and ends.

Those are my recent finds. Now, here's a sneak peek at one of the projects that have been keeping me so busy. I bought these acrylic paintings last year at a flea market with the intention of recycling the canvases. I finally pulled them out and after a few coats of gesso, they were ready to go.

I'm working on creating some abstract paintings to add some art to my walls. I can't wait to finish and will be back soon with the reveal.

Well, sorry for the rushed post, but I thank you so much for stopping by. I love hearing your comments and have turned word verification off!

Want to see more vintage goodness? Check out the following parties!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Vintage Woodland and Whimsy

I had not originally planned to shop this weekend, because I was busy preparing for company - we had friends over to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and my husband's birthday. I spent Saturday running back and forth to the grocery store - I have never made Irish food before, so I didn't have the routine down, if you know what I mean. It turned out great and we had a fun time stuffing ourselves and gathering around the karaoke machine while the kids played.

My neighbor Tracey, who is not only my karaoke buddy, but the best estate sale shopping partner ever, was there, and so, of course, we had to take a few minutes to look at the sales online. Sure enough, there was one sale close by on Sunday, and we made plans to wake up early and get there early. I'm so glad we did, because it was awesome! Surprisingly, for the second day of a sale, there were lots of fun things left.
I ended up with a bunch of cute things for my home and shops, and the theme of the morning seemed to be woodland and whimsy. Take a look at the loot:

Vintage Ceramic Snails (wooden mushroom found last week)

I thought this was a jewelry holder, but the cashier clued me in - it's a family tree photo holder.

This tree is definitely a jewelry holder. It is so cute with the little owl perched there!

This vintage owl was so cute, I could not resist. He's a planter, but makes a great paintbrush holder.

I picked up these kitchen tile trivets on a whim. Such pretty colors!

Cute little Baby Ben Westclox alarm clock. I cleaned it up, wound it up and it works great!

One of several tins I picked up.

I hope you had a great week, and thanks for stopping by! I love reading your comments, and word verification is currently off. Don't forget to check out more vintage goodness at these great parties!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

I Heart Faux Bamboo!

I had some great finds at a couple of estate sales this weekend! Pictured below are just some of my finds, which include a faux bamboo and brass tray table, a huge vintage crewel work and two pretty tins. The books and candleabra were already mine.

I love this table, and while it wasn't cheap, I definitely did not pay retail. It's a late mid century reproduction piece, so I wont feel guilty about painting the base - it's definitely not real wood...I'm thinking either bright orange or pink. Would you paint it or leave it as is?

The crewel work is actually the 12 Days of Christmas, although I think it would be nice to display year round. I may paint the frame white.

I also picked up this fabulous vintage straw bag in new condition!

A couple of pieces for either the Etsy store or booth. I think I'll paint the plastic recipe box a bright color.

Another cute tin, a book published in the 70s featuring beautiful photos of 40s movie stars, and a set of repro Victorian spoons made of shell.

Finally, I couldn't leave behind this lovely woven straw box. I wish I knew more about it, or where it was made, but I think it is lovely!

Thanks for stopping by! I can't wait to see what folks have been up to at these fine places:

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Vintage Vignette and a Flip

It was another disappointing week for estate sales - I visited two sales, and there was a lot of cute stuff that was not old and a lot of old stuff that was not cute. It's ok, though. I didn't have a big haul, but I found a few items this week that I'm excited about. Two of my favorite finds are in my little vignette below.

Let's break it down, shall we?

I found this fabulous vintage deer needlepoint this week and I was thrilled. It's beautifully done and I love it. Oh, and the best part, I paid $3 for it. Sorry about the glare in the pics - it's incredible in person.

I got these globe bookends today for $10 at the antique store where I have a booth. I was pleasantly surprised at that price because most things at the store are pretty pricey! The books are just vintage favorites that I've had for a while.

I completed the vignette with some past flea market finds - an old tea tin that I bought for $1 and a collection of old souvenir matchbooks, displayed inside a vintage mason jar.

I thought I would also show you my latest "flip." My Etsy shop and vintage booth are essentially hobbies that let me clear things out and buy more vintage goodies without the guilt. Most of my profits from the vintage booth are promptly spent at the other dealer's booths. Today, I picked up my February earnings, which included the sale of this groovy piece of pottery for $40:

I celebrated the sale by treating myself to this lovely little vintage sterling silver ring with a purple stone:

I tried to capture how the light makes a "star" in it. It is so pretty on, and I had to have it. As a bonus, I struck up a conversation with the booth owner, and she was such a fantastic, interesting lady. I love meeting and talking to fellow treasure hunters! She gave me 20% off, so it came out to $40. It was meant to be!

Thanks for coming along on my vintage adventures! As always, I love to hear your comments, and word verification is off. Don't forget to check out more vintage and creative fun at these fine places:

Monday, February 25, 2013

Weekly Treasures

Estate sales were a huge disappointment this weekend. I went to five, and didn't buy a single thing. I saw a lot of teddy bear collections, overstuffed furniture, and floral/lace. The promising mid century items all had condition issues, and I'm being really picky nowadays, so that was a bummer.

On the plus side it gave me some time to clean up and photograph some fun things that have been piling up in the last few weeks. Without further ado, here they are:

Gold plated shamrock paperweight:

I paid more for this one item than all the rest of the items in this post combined!

I just thought it was really pretty.

These cigar boxes were only 50 cents each:

They are not vintage, but they will be great for crafts.

Again, something for only 50 cents! A metal basket:

I'll probably spray paint this and put a plant in it.

I can't get enough of bird art. This goldfinch is from the late 60s:

More birds:

There's really no way to tell if these hooks are vintage.

Oh well, that means I get to keep them instead of putting them in the shop!

Finally, some Pyrex for my booth:

Thanks for stopping by and sharing the vintage journey with me! I love hearing your comments, and word verification is off, because you deserve better :)

Check out the creativity at these fabulous places where I hang out: