My attention was drawn to this great vintage looking box at a cluttered store called Barn Finds out on Highway 28 just north of Port Hope here, east of my place.
It had a recipe box inside and the box contained . . . . bath bombs?! What the heck!?
Not sure what those have to do with recipes, I tossed them.
The box is metal and it’s totally awesome.
I love the colours and the design. I think I might use it to hold money while I save up for something fun. It’s cuter than the bank.
The end of school brings all us teacher types at my school scrambling on the last PA day to get our rooms all cleared of things from tables and shelves in prep for the big cleaning all our rooms get during the summer. My friend Ashley was leaving our school and was purging some of his stuff. He had these great treasures he saved from someone years before doing their own purge. I *had* to snag some of it.
Mr Moustache is one of my fav pieces. His word is missing but I had to keep his picture, it’s just too cool.
I also love how scientific they’re making measuring these apples look. It’s apparently quite volatile work. Needs to be done in a lab.
I’ll share the word ones tomorrow.
I should be making loads of new stock. Instead I’ve been sidetracked by making a new table cloth for my craft shows.
I ran out of doilies. But the beauty of this project is that it looks pretty awesome the way it is. I was planning on going all the way up so that the entire hanging down part of the sheet was covered in doilies. I’ve got to run off thrifting.
I usually use bright crazy coloured vintage sheets but I think my bright products will show up better on a more neutral background. I’ll take some photos at Saturday’s show and let you know. If you live in Peterborough come by the public library on Saturday afternoon, I’ll be hanging out there!
Posted in crochet, repurposing, vintage
Tagged craft show, display, doilies, repurposing, table cloth, thrifting
I did very well on my last thrifting outting. We stopped at 3 stores and I found something awesome at each of them, and the whole thing cost me about $20.
First up was 2 of these great tupperware containers. I gave one to my bff because they’re so cute and she’s remodelling her kitchen and these will fit perfectly.
Then at our next stop I discovered this great lovely off white/light grey Samsonite bag.
THEN at the next stop I found this huge pile of Pyrex just sitting all lonely on a shelf! Two big bowls and an oval casserole dish.
These are a super awesome find because I already have 2 matching bowls at home. If my luck keeps up I might have a set some day.
But you all knew that.
Found this cute little house shelf. Happens to fit my spools of baker’s twine perfectly.
I threw some washi tapes in that middle bit since it’s a bit too big for spools. It’s sort of a little packaging station now.
Whatever you’re doing today have a fantastic day!
We’re enjoying more present craziness, breakfast and lupper before we head off on the first part of our journey to Belize. Have a great bunch of days everyone!
Alright I actually did my homework quickly this time. I had plans to make this Saturday with a friend and it got me in the mood for it and even when she had to cancel I forged ahead and finished it.
For my 7 scalloped pieces I used vintage linen fat quarters I’ve been collecting for a bit. Most of them I got from this shop and some are from this one. I had plans for a quilt or something but it won’t hurt that I’ve cut into them a bit.
I made the rest of the bag with just plain black cotton, I liked how it looked with the flowery patterns. I also got fancy and added some interfacing and an inside pocket panel that I stitched to the lining to make with 3 sections. Sewing the scallops involved lost of needle in turning while sewing and when I turned my scalloped pieces right side out I had a lot of puckering, even after ironing. But I just strategically hid them with the other pieces and I picked the neatest one for the top row of scallops. I used some denim for the inside pocket and with the black inside a photo of this part wasn’t working so well.
Actually a photo at all wasn’t working so well. Home alone with 2 little ones it was tricky to get a great shot. As seen by these outtakes. Timer setting failed.
Mirror shot wasn’t working so well. So then I switched to an arty attempt, which is sort of silly.
I used the bag the next day when I took the kids to a birthday party and it got some attention. Thanks again to Kate for sharing such a fun tutorial. Be sure to check out the linky party to see all the great totes everyone made. Add your own of course.
Next on my list . . . a tablerunner!
I’ve admired these doily table runners for quite some time. I think with snowy weather coming for some of us it will make a great festive decoration. There’s a great tutorial here, but it’s pretty straightforward – collect a ton of doilies and stitch them together in a neat way. Oh and come back and share!
Posted in createalong, fun finds, repurposing, sewing, vintage
I should have been writing a different post I have all the photos for, instead I went window shopping on Etsy. I had to share.
 snowflake PYREX 195… $12.99
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 Vintage Pyrex Cinde… $46.00
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 Butterprint. Vintag… $9.50
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 Vintage Pyrex Daisy… $22.00
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 Pyrex Gourmet Casse… $28.89
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 Vintage Pyrex Bowls $10.00
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 Vintage Pyrex Bowl … $6.98
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 Pyrex Berry Bowl wi… $9.00
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 4 coordinating mism… $19.00
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 Vintage Pyrex Ameri… $10.00
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 Mustard Green Geome… $30.00
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 Pyrex Mixing Bowls … $45.00
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 Amish Butterprint S… $45.00
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 Pyrex Butterfly Gol… $30.00
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 Vtg 2 x Piece Pyrex… $38.00
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 Vintage Pyrex Bowl … $14.00
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Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.
Let me know if you go shopping!
Hi, my name is Amy of amyistheparty.com and I am super-excited to be guest blogging for Tara today. One of my favorite things to do is search for vintage treasures. I am always on the lookout for some Mid-Century furniture with tapered legs, pretty Pyrex, kitschy salt & pepper shakers, and anything else that might catch my eye. I’ve heard that California doesn’t have near the plethora of lovely vintage goodies that the Midwest has. Here, searching out vintage collectibles is like hunting for treasure. I can’t explain the thrill of scoring a rare vintage find.
Some tips & tricks I’ve discovered for happy thrifting:
* Don’t worry about trying to find items that might be valuable. An item is only valuable if YOU like it.
* Before buying knick-knacks, try to picture them in your home. There’s nothing sadder than coming home with a cute vintage knick-knack only to find you don’t have a place to put it (okay, there are sadder things, but you know what I mean).
* Shop around online first so you have an idea of what fair prices are for the types of items you like.
* Some of the more artfully arranged shops and vendor booths may be priced too high if you are looking for a deal. Look anyway – you might get some ideas for how to display your vintage finds. You might also be pleasantly surprised.
* Don’t be afraid to haggle. Often times, vendors will take less for an item. It doesn’t hurt to ask – especially if an items is out of your budget or if you don’t think it’s worth what they are asking. Please do be polite about it.
* The best time to go to an antique faire? There are two right answers (1) right when they open so you have first dibs on “the good stuff” and (2) right before the faire closes because vendors are eager to make last minute sales. Plus many of them do not want to lug items home. This is the BEST time to haggle.
* Do bring wet wipes and/or hand sanitizer. hands can get grimy, during especially thrift store shopping.
* Visit your favorite thrift stores often, and especially on a whim. Sometimes I just get a funny feeling that tells me to stop by, and low and behold, some lovely vintage treasure is waiting for me.
* Have an idea of what you are looking for ahead of time, but you should also be open to unexpected finds.
* If antique faire shopping, don’t forget to bring plenty of cash. And/or set a budget for yourself.
* Always bring a tape measure! And don’t assume that a “small” piece of furniture will fit in your car, unless you are driving a truck. Trust me. I couldn’t fit what I thought was a “small chair” into my compact car. I ended up walking it home 13 blocks!
* Don’t be afraid to visit “antique” stores. Their prices can be quite reasonable on some items. Just be sure to research first because one person’s idea of “antique” may not match your idea of antique. Personally, I love most things from the 50s-70s. An antique store that specializes in mid-century is right up my alley!
* Consider an items potential. If you don’t like the color, is it something you can paint? Ceramics can be spray-painted, chair pads can be recovered, wood items can be re-finished. Just make sure you are up for the challenge! You don’t want an item sitting in your garage unfinished for a year (or longer).
* Try visiting second-hand stores that are near a neighborhood where a lot of elderly people live. Although I have no idea how you would research that! I lucked out and found one near my work that almost always has some type of tapered leg Mid-Century furniture. Sometimes it’s in good condition, sometimes not.
Tips for decorating with vintage:
* Don’t worry about having everything from your home be in the same style or from the same century. Decorating with vintage accessories and furniture is more about creating a pleasing aesthetic. There’s no need to create a complete replication of a 1950s home (though that would be fun)!
* Start a collection. Or two. Or three. I collect milk glass, vintage owls, salt & pepper shakers, and Pyrex.
If you are ever in the neighborhood (Sacramento, CA), here are my all time favorite places to scour for vintage goods (pictured above):
Midway Antique Mall
5130 Madison Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95841
www.midwayantiquemall.net
57th Street Antique Mall
875 57th Street
Sacramento, CA 95819-3326
www.57thstreetantiquerow.com
Sacramento Antique Faire
Second Sunday of Every Month
2350 21st St
Sacramento, CA 95818
www.sacantiquefaire.com
Thanks, Tara, for inviting me to be your guest! Happy thrifting, everyone!
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Amy Cluck
Posted in tutorial-ish, vintage
Tagged amy cluck, antique, bargain, guest post, thrifting, vintage
Amy posted an image of vintage hair barrettes that were so gorgeous, I just had to run to Etsy and see if I could find some.
The little red glasses and scissors are ridiculously awesome. Sadly, I didn’t find those particular ones. But I did find many other cute one. Have a peek. Click images to be whisked away.
