squirrelpearl

Fresh air

2011-11-11T17:53:00.001-06:00

Our house is the picture of fall right now...the leaves, the mums, the pumpkins....I love it!!!! The air seems crisp and somehow, easier to breathe. Don't you agree?

2011-10-02T19:20:00.000-05:00

The tag sale was a great success! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day, and despite the cold start to the morning, somehow my fair skin even got sunburned??? It was fun to make some new friends and all in all it was a great opportunity for me to clean out the basement, and make a nice little profit at the same time!

Here's what I sold and a few more photos throughout the day!

My Acorn + Archer jewelry didn't sell well, but I think most people that came after the first rush of fellow bloggers and lovers of mid-century, were in hot pursuit of yard sales....and we were no yard sale. There were hagglers like you've never seen!

If you were unable to join us, keep your ears peeled because we may do another one next Spring! Thanks again to everyone who was able to attend, and a special thanks to Modfrugal, My Interior Life and Me, You and a Wiener for including me!

Tag sale

2011-09-27T17:52:00.000-05:00

Hi pals! I know I've been gone for quite a while...I've had some mental and emotional cobwebs to clear out, I've written several (~~seven~~ eleven and counting) blog posts and just never felt like I was in a place of wanting to share, so I never posted them. I hope to share more important and noteworthy information soon, but for now...I have some fun news to share!
This Saturday, October 1st come check out our pop-up shop/ tag sale in Berry Hill!! I will be there with Acorn + Archer jewelry as well as some mid-century modern/industrial treasures...and will be joined by three other lovely ladies and their abundance of mid-century and antiques!
Be sure to check out the other bloggers and previews of items for sale on their blogs!

Modfrugal

Me, You and a Wiener

My Interior Life

Hope to see you then!

So sweet!

2011-06-21T13:29:00.000-05:00

I've been sitting on this info for a few weeks now, waiting patiently for the OK to share with anyone who will listen.....

The movie stars in the announcement? My grandparents!!! Aren't they the cutest!? They had a secret wedding a few weeks ago and those crazy kids tied the knot..again. They wanted to send the announcement to their family and friends without actually telling anyone they were going to remarry! They just wanted everyone to check their mail one day and "Well, what do you know? Joe and Peggy got married!" haha
So, I've had to sit quietly on the information until I knew that the announcements have been mailed.

The photo in the announcement is from their first wedding which took place on July 2, 1955. I just think it is such a romantic photo, so reminiscent of the famous V-J Day photo in Times Square taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt in 1945!

Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt, taken on V-J Day, 1945 (from Life Magazine)

They were really cute about getting engaged again, using their original rings which my Grandfather took to have cleaned and re-sized. They were in the middle of planning a small ceremony to take place at their house, but my Grandmother is not in the best health these days and it was just getting to be a bit of a stress on her, and her health has been declining. So, one day they went to get a marriage license, and just decided to go ahead and say their vows there that day. I wish that I could have been there, but we all know that I would have been a blubbering crying mess of happiness!! Doesn't it just spark something in you that says love is not dead!!? It makes me get all sappy, because of what they have come to mean to each other, at their age now... we joked about that he needed to make an honest woman of her, and that they've gotten so old, they got good again. haha

But, I know that they had a rough patch in their marriage and decided to go their separate ways several years ago (10 or so?) but shortly thereafter splitting up, they each had illnesses where the other was their caretaker and came back together in the same house. With my Grandmother's health being not the best these days, I know that they probably went ahead with saying their vows to do it as soon as possible...but I can't go there yet, emotionally. I want them to enjoy their honeymoon phase (again!) and I think that they both know that they truly truly want to be together...(and here comes the waterworks! ha)

In planning their second wedding, my Grandfather was very sentimental and wanted it to be on the exact same day as before and wanted her to wear the same color dress that she wore to their wedding celebration in 1955. I just love love, and when it's your grandparents...it's even better.

Congrats to you guys, you are a wonderful inspiration to us all! xoxox

On fabric hoarding....

2011-06-20T17:15:00.002-05:00

Textile Fabrics is currently having their annual Summer sale, and as with every sale they have, I like to go and stock up on amazing fabrics which I will not have a use for....for quite, quite some time...I just can't help myself...I...am...a...fabric...hoarder! As you can witness in the photo above!!

I happen by Textile every few months, but I can't make it too often because I become overwhelmed and fabric greedy and start going crazier than my wallet can afford. I stopped in their store at the end of May, and after browsing for an hour, I approached their cutting table with a large stack of $25/yd fabrics in hand. The very nice lady behind the counter asked if I was on their mailing list (I am) which kind of tipped me off that perhaps I should ask the question of the date of their next sale...it just so happened to be the following weekend! So, I put all of my lovely fabric back on the shelves and prayed that they would all still available on Saturday.

Ruby Star Rising Viewfinders in pink fabric by Melody Miller for Kokka

The fabric that I was most jonesin' to buy was the one seen above, Viewfinders by Ruby Star Rising...doesn't it just kill you!? Gah...I love it...like want-to-marry-it, love it. I'm hoping to make an A-line skirt with it, because lord knows I don't need another tote bag or pillow around my house. The weight is a heavy weight cotton/linen, surely I can make something wonderful out of it!

Now that I'm looking for it online, I see that I purchased the wrong color of that which I intended to buy...but I will live....I guess. The fabric below is what I went in search of, they must have been out of it or perhaps, my head was too swirlie from the colorful fabric goodness at 50% off, for me to notice the difference in store.

Ruby Star Rising Viewfinders in multi fabric by Melody Miller for Kokka

I found some really cute finished projects made using Viewfinders on Melody's blog, such as this DIY fabric covered mat:

The other fabric that I would have purchased, had I not been encountering swirlie-head fever, is her Transistors fabric as seen below...kinda kicking myself now...those color combos make me weak in the knees...but what would I actually use this fabric for? A pillow? haha

Ruby Star Rising Transistors fabric by Melody Miller for Kokka

Check out Melody's other fabrics online or at the Textile Fabrics sale, which they have 50% off all fabrics with a minimum purchase of 1 yard and 75% off all remnants in the back room. And as if that wasn't enough, they added ribbons and trims to the 50% off sale just today...you know, exactly what I needed...something else to lure me into that store! The sale ends Saturday, July 2nd and Textile is located at 2717 Franklin Pike, Nashville Tn 37204.

Source Melody Miller

I'll show you some of the other fabrics I scored at the sale tomorrow!

Acorn + Archer Jewelry

2011-06-18T13:52:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I haven't properly updated you in my jewelry adventures since I shared with you that I had a new creative outlet a few months ago. I've still been hammering away at making jewelry in my off-hours from the day job, but I have made some progress and have a little bit of news to share!

First things first, I have finally come up with a name for the jewelry line, it is a little bit of a spin-off of my 'Squirrelpearl' name, I wanted to keep it in the same family, but wanted it to have a unique identity too. So, without further ado....I have named it Acorn + Archer!

I found that of what I have been creating, the wood jewelry spoke most to me so I wanted to focus on that...and as we all know, an Acorn is the beginning or the seed of a tree (oak) and with most of my jewelry coming from trees...responsibly and sustainably harvested trees...I thought that was a good place to start!

I chose the word Archer based on both the repeating shapes I was drawn to, which reminded me of the point of an arrow, and my color scheme and layout reminded me of the feathers of archery arrows such as these vintage ones that I see in my living room everyday:

My second bit of news to share regarding Acorn + Archer is that it will be making its debut at the first ever Porter Flea in my neighborhood of East Nashville alongside Squirrelpearl art prints! I hope to focus more on the Acorn + Archer jewelry going forward, so if you have had a hankerin' for some Squirrelpearl prints, now may be the last time to get them!

Check out the new Acorn + Archer blog with a web shop coming soon , also be sure to 'like' Acorn + Archer on Facebook to easily keep up with the blog and other going on's there. And lastly, be sure to check out Porter Flea's website and facebook to see other vendors that you should come check out along with me, on July 9th! Hope to see you then!

Father's Day Free Download

2011-06-18T13:15:00.000-05:00

If you are like me and wait until the last minute to buy a special occasion card, perhaps I can help you out! I always have the best intentions of ordering cute cards and gifts from etsy, etc. and then the special day draws near and I haven't given myself enough time to allow for shipping...seriously, STORY OF MY LIFE!

A couple of years ago, I created a version of this same card as a free download, I came across it recently, and thought it could be improved upon this year...so here ya have it...a free download for a Father's Day Card 2011!

Download the full size printable card here, it is set up with two to a page in the event you have a father-in-law, or multiple father's like I do (inside joke there)!

Not for resale, for personal use only! © 2011 Squirrepearl Design by Carolyn Burgess Sellers

Modern Patchwork ecourse!

2011-06-09T17:37:00.011-05:00

I've been entertaining taking the online sewing class that Rachel Denbow offers via her blog, Smile and Wave for several months now. I really enjoyed the sewing class that I took at STITCH with Alexia Abegg this past winter, and would love to keep up my new skills in working order, and with an e-course I have the freedom to move at my own pace. In Alexia's class we tried our hand at the beginnings of quilting (minus actually quilting it, if that makes sense), by creating a log cabin style pin cushion. I would love to build on that same style to make a pillow!

The Modern Patchwork e-course is for fabric-loving crafters (hello...me!?!) who want to make unique quilted pieces for their home but don't know where to start. The e-course includes nine patchwork projects with step-by-step tutorials that build with each lesson. I love that it is an e-course and all of the information is available to you when you pay, so that you may move at your own pace, however, I know me....and I typically need that kick in the pants of having a formal meeting time and class, so that I actually do my homework! haha

If you are interested in the Modern Patchwork E-Course or other classes offered by the girls at Red Velvet, check them out here.

Also, worth sharing....I keep pinterest folders for both DIY/Tutorials as well as one dedicated to Sewing Inspiration , if you haven't already joined pinterest...DO! And follow my boards so we can share our pins/interests for some creative inspiration! I'll leave you with a few of my quilting inspiration here:

via

Mpressed for sure

2011-06-06T11:08:00.000-05:00

Have any of you letterpress lovers (that's you Shona) heard about the new LetterMpress app that is slated to be released for the iPad mid-June? I watched the promo video (at the end of this post) and was blown away, so much so that I tried to donate to the Kickstarter fund but I was happy to see they have already raised double the original goal, making this amazing idea a reality.

Created by designer and typographer John Bonadies, LetterMPress is a virtual letterpress app for the iPad (with other formats to follow) that allows users to arrange type with a drag-and-drop method that mirrors the real thing. Final designs can be printed directly from the app or saved as an image for importing into other apps, pretty sweet if you ask me. Looking into it further, I found that the app will have multiple ink coverage styles, allowing for different transparency or opacity, if desired.

Their hopes are to make the program a creative resource for designers, artists, students and just about anyone who has dreamed of having their own Vandercook, Chandler & Price, Kelsey or Heidelberg....it's not the real deal, you won't be able to smell the ink...but it is a start!

The app is just the beginning, they plan to later offer authentic letterpress prints from the designs submitted by LetterMpress users....REAL LETTERPRESS PRINTS...THAT YOU DESIGNED!! The prints you receive will be from REAL wood type impressions from their extensive type collection.

So, as excited about this as I obviously am...it still brings me to a few questions. How to actual designers who own a letterpress feel about this? Is this stepping on your toes? Are you happy to see something like this service come to the masses? Is this still exciting for even you, to be able to get your hands on type that is so hard to find? I know for designers like Shona, she hand carves her own blocks - so type based designs such as this might not put a dent in what she creates...and I know that an iPad app can never come close to the feel and rhythm of printing your own art with a press in person....but it sure is amazing to this gal...well at least until that day that I finally own my own press!

Peep the video below for more info and like them on Facebook if you are so inclined.

And for you old school purists, here is an addional video regarding getting your print on, set to fun tunes here:

Letterpress from Naomie Ross on Vimeo.

If the shoe fits....

2011-05-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

Just a lil note to share with you the sale at Rue la la today includes one of Anthro's popular shoe brands, daniblack. I noticed a few of my favorites (but not affordable at all) from Anthropologie, were at least $50 less via Rue La La. Of course, they are still pricey at +/- $100 for shoes, but sometimes you have to splurge! Worth checking out if you are looking for some summer sandals, a few peeks below:

Via Anthropologie

Via RueLaLa

Via Anthropologie

Via RueLaLa

Also in Brown:

Via Anthropologie

Via RueLaLa

Sometimes, you just need to hear words such as these...

2011-05-10T17:00:00.002-05:00

The new rug came today!!

2011-04-29T16:57:00.001-05:00

I am more than pleased with the Urban Outfitters rug I ordered online a mere two days ago, and it is already here!! It was nice to have had low expectations regarding a $69 rug, because it ended up larger and heavier than I thought it would be!!

I can't wait to get the artwork back on the wall and to get the extra furniture and coat rack (hanging out to the right of the photo) out of the room! The renovation is coming along great!!

Bedroom renovations updates!

2011-04-28T17:11:00.000-05:00

We've been doing some decorating/purging of furniture in our upstairs master bedroom recently, along with finally throwing in the towel and hiring a friend to finish the paint job that I started so long ago. Remember this paint job?

Yeah, I obviously needed help!

So, Mark to the rescue, the painting has given me the push that I finally needed- sometimes you just gotta throw in the towel on the DIY and let someone do the stuff you can't find time to do! Also, I have hired someone to frame and drywall the closet and bathroom that I laid out in this diagram below:

The blue lines are where the new walls will be built.

They are coming in two weeks and I am so excited!! Of course, that means we have some demolition of the current bathroom to do in our near future! But that's my second favorite part, next to designing it all, so I'm ok with that- let's just hope that David knows this is in his future too!

So, next up to share....we have been replacing our ikea furniture with mid-century pieces bit by bit. We found this dresser and chest of drawers, that aren't exactly what we wanted (a tad too small and has a veneer top) but we figured it would do until we did find our dream pieces, and when that day comes we can sell these veneered ones on craigslist the way we did the ikea pieces. Don't get me wrong, I really do like these but we could still use more storage, as these are pretty small.

New mid-century dresser.

Mid-century chest o' drawers!

So, these shelves also help us out on the storage solution!

I found this pair of tall Danish inspired shelves at Wonders on Woodland, my favorite place to shop! If you go by, tell Wayne/Debbie/Lori that Carolyn sent ya!! I plan on using the one on the right, and David taking the one on the left. I've already started putting my jewelry, etc. in the drawers and it's really nice to be able to hide that visual clutter that I am so good at accumulating. No, I'm really really good at accumulating!

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I just have to mention to you that people on craigslist love some ikea furniture! As I said above, we sold our four year old Ikea MALM dresser in record time with someone offering us $30 more than our asking price if we just hold it for them and let them see it first!? We ended up making back almost the entire price we paid for it and we got to use it for four years!! It just doesn't add up, but I'm not complaining!!

I was going to do the same with our old ikea Enetri shelving unit that is now discontinued, so I couldn't find the original sales price online to help me figure out an asking price. I cleaned it off and wiped it down, the thing looks brand new! I was going to put it on craigslist as well, but then I had an ikea hack idea!

Doesn't it seem that if you took the original ikea shelving unit:

(fyi, this is not my actual photo)

Removed the ikea fake wood shelves + replace them with real, walnut-stained wood shelves...along with spray painting the metal frame black...you would have something pretty close to this $2,099 shelving unit from Room and Board??

Photo courtesy of Room & Board

I can't decide if I really want to attempt this, if it will work, and if I even have space for this shelf anymore. We will see, I guess! Expect an update in, say....a year from now! haha

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Speaking of spray painting, I also spruced up some new lights for above our nightstands! I couldn't recall if I had shared them with you before, so forgive me if I have! I found these vintage accordion-style wall-mount lights on etsy last October after searching and searching online and locally for awhile. One of them was damaged from a previous owner using too high wattage of a bulb and it burned the metal, so I only had to pay for one lamp + shipping! I really did like the brassy original color, but I scored them for only $40, so I couldn't really complain!

Damaged light on right.

Before

After

I think they are going to look great with the black zig zag area rug I found at Urban Outfitters! I can't wait until it arrives!!

Well, that's all for now! I'll share photos once the paint dries and I get the rug into place!

Design Story Egg Press Prints

2011-04-27T14:59:00.001-05:00

I was pretty excited to see the newest offering at DesignStory yesterday was Egg Press letterpressed cards and prints! I've wanted a letterpress of my very own for a good ten years now, ever since I met my first pal at a craft show back in 2000 (and later met Shona!). I still think that it is something I will eventually get to in my schizophrenic crafting/making obsessions....but for now, I purchased these two prints below and plan on placing them on either side of our bed, over the nightstands!

Go visit DesignStory's Egg Press sale and get some letterpressed goodies of your own, but hurry, the sale ends Tuesday, May 3rd!

Things to come...

2011-04-19T17:25:00.000-05:00

Well pals, for a good five months I feel like I've been hiding underground while quietly working away on a new creative venture. I guess I literally have been hiding underground, because my work space is in our home basement! (Insert laughter)

Working on new sketches in my basement "studio".

In my previous life (actually just 10 years ago) I made jewelry for a living, my only living. Mind you, it wasn't high class jewelry- it was much more of a "craft", but it worked...and it paid the bills! I toured the region attending craft shows on the weekends, spent my workdays alone in my then rented basement, listening to music while filling wholesale orders. And, with the exception of having no spending money....I was a happy camper. However, at the ripe age of 25, I wanted to have fun with my friends and grew tired of boutiques ordering by number from a catalog, it had lost the creativity of it all and had turned into a J-O-B. So, when I met a certain boy (ahem, now my husband) my attention was pulled away from the basement sweatshop, and I hung up my needle nose pliers for good. But! They have re-emerged...and it feels great to flex my creative muscles again!

2011 color palette

I've had different creative outlets from time-to-time, perhaps I created your wedding invitations, or maybe you purchased a mixed media collage or digital illustration print from my etsy shop. But I think this is the first time that I've sat back and really thought about what I want to create, what feels right. Typically, I just fall into my creative ventures, or in the past, I've been on hard times economically and needed something to pay the bills until a real paycheck came my way again. This time, I've thought about what materials I enjoy most (wood, print making, textiles, metals), and how can I incorporate them all into one item (artwork vs jewelry, etc.). I've basically just let the materials be my guide, thrown out the idea that I was putting together a "collection" and that it all needed to be cohesive (at least at first), or that it needed to be profitable--- I just need to be creative for creativity sake.

On the flip side of the coin, it's a hard thing having had a small taste of creative success in my past, granted it was very very small scale- local success (don't worry, I'm not too big for my britches!) but I do worry, "What if that was my time?" "What if that was my one chance, and I blew it?" But, that's when I have to remember WHY I create in the first place. I don't create for success, I create because I have something in me that just wants to use my hands and my own unique ideas. There is just nothing like making something yourself and being able to step back and see the finished product that you made WITH YOUR OWN TWO HANDS! The funny thing to me is that last go 'round, I didn't have etsy or Renegade Craft Fairs, I had hard work and guts, and the support of my family! It takes a lot of guts to do a cold call or walk into a retail store and ask to show someone your pride and joy, your creativity...and hope that they don't laugh in your face. But, I think I'm ready to give it another shot- this time with the help of the internet!! hahah (Man, I sound old.)

I used supplies from my old jewelry venture as the starting point to come up with something modern.

So, I took some old supplies I had from many moons ago and got to playing around. I then invested in some quality tools:

A drill press, which makes me feel kinda butch, but also pretty awesome!

Hand dyed cotton- yummy!

Along with some fancy (and scary) new saws and sanders from my parents for Christmas.

More wood shapes in my flickr

I've also played around with the jeweler's saw and brass sheets, along with vintage brass findings and stone:

Dyed and natural cotton with chain.

Faceted ebony wood with dyed cotton and turquoise.

Exotic woods and gold leafing, hand dying and dip-dying rope and leather...it's pretty much been awesome craft time during any free time I have. So, if you haven't seen me out (or online) for awhile, I've just been laying low and this is where I've been hiding!

Gold leaf detail.

So, yeah...this is a sampling of things to come! I would love to hear your comments and opinions, or if you think I should lean one direction or another. My goal is to start to narrow it down and hone in on the "good stuff"...then put together a price list and start applying to craft shows and seek out retailers. First, I'll need to come up with a price point and also decide on a name....I'm ready to say adiós to the ol' squirrelpearl moniker! Ideas are welcome!!

Ode to a dress I love but will never buy....

2011-04-05T15:37:00.000-05:00

I always go gaga over scallops or anything that resembles fish/mermaid scales...and this time it is in metallic! yummmmmmmm.

Parker Art Deco Beaded Dress from tobi

Dwell rug sale!

2011-03-21T17:08:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! I found the Dwell rug that I featured in my dream bathroom post is on sale 15% off online, over at the Polka Dot Peacock!

I'm a little torn because there are three rooms in our house that could use one of Dwell's simple striped rugs.

The dream bathroom above- but that will be awhile before it is completely renovated and ready for finishing touches such as a rug, and I'm not even sure what size would work best, the 5' x 8' or the runner.

Draper Runner in Ink

2. The downstairs office...I've thought the same rug in persimmon would be awesome with the minty green/aqua color of the office. Plus, all of the accessories are already that color, but then again it could become a bit too matchy matchy.

Draper Rug in Persimmon

So, then I had to try the same rug but in the Ink color and BAM (!!!) this one is so much better!

Draper Rug in Ink

3. And lastly, the dining room has always had a bit of an identity crisis with being between the renovated kitchen and finished den. I've tried a few options in the past, but pretty much...this room gets ignored and we just use it as a pass through to the kitchen/deck/basement.

Again, it's the same dilemma- the Persimmon or the Ink?

Draper Rug in Persimmon

-- OR --

Draper Rug in Ink

I feel like I'm leaning to the Ink and could use it in one of three rooms, but I need to hurry up and decide before the 15% off sale is over, and I don't see any dates listed as to when it ends.

Which would you choose?!

Going up!

2011-03-21T14:21:00.001-05:00

I found these crazy lights at the flea market last month and have been meaning to share them with you ever since my Flea Finds post.

They are believed to be old elevator or escalator lights and would have been positioned one above the other, which is why the down light looks funny the way that we have it installed....but it suits us just fine! Depending on if the elevator/escalator was going up or down, the correct word would be lit up.

The fixtures are actually what we've had installed there for about 4 years, and are from ikea- we just removed the ikea glass globes and replaced them with these nifty ones. I've scoured the Internet and only found one item like them on Rejuvenation.

Their lights were sold with the ornate fixture seen above for $1,850!! I got ours for $29, so I'd say that was a steal. The poor antique dealer must not have known what he had.

Here's a photo of the plain ones that were installed before:

And here is what they look like now:

My dream bathroom

2011-03-15T03:42:00.003-05:00

I couldn't sleep due to some dental work I received today, followed by a very long mid-day recovery nap, so I figured why not get to work and draft up my dream bathroom? I was in luck, OlioBoard is having a contest so I decided to play along- what came about is actually what I would put in our upstairs bathroom renovation tomorrow, if funds were not an issue.

Curent layout:

Revised layout:

And now, on to the dream finishings!!

I think all of these choices would all go along nicely with our newest addition wallpaper at the top of the stairs

As well as the rest of the bedroom/sitting area:

I kept everything that matters classic by using white subway tiles and penny rounds for the floor, but instead of white penny rounds, I went with black-- it's my dream world here, I can do this. I also would pick a classic claw foot tub and place it under our window in the upstairs bath, with a frosted window of course, so no one sees in! This is different from what the diagram above shows, but I was dreaming!! In reality, we would probably do an extra large tiled shower stall with glass doors.

Next, I picked one of the wallpapers that I haven't been able to get out of my head, Dandelion Clocks by Sanderson.

Followed by a black and white striped runner such as the Draper Rug by Dwell.

Maybe some striped hand towels like these below, and a zig zag bath mat both from West Elm.

For the sink and other furniture, I would rely on flea market finds or architectural salvage yards for just the right thing...something in the vein of a vintage pharmacy or dental cabinet similar to what we have in our downstairs bath would be great.

And lastly, I love the sliding barn style door on a track made modern with a bright yellow! A smaller version of this would work perfect with our planned renovation to the upstairs bath/closet area.

We'll see how many of these elements I can actually work in... on a budget... and with the approval of the Mr.
If you get a chance, go over to OlioBoard and vote for my design! Thanks!!

Flea Finds February

2011-03-08T17:25:00.000-06:00

Can you say that title three times fast?! So, yes...I know that it is March, and I know that I possibly forgot to even share my flea finds from January too...but friends, I always operate under the mantra Better Late Than Never! So, here goes!

It's no secret...I'm a sucker for aqua and turquoise...and mid-century...this fan is yummy.

I'm also a sucker for collections or groupings:

Speaking of groupings, this spoon collection captivated me:

Spoon detail:

Next up, handmade gets me every time:

Mod hexalicious quilt and it was only $40!!! Why didn't I buy this?!

This quilt had some great color combos and a mix of mod fabrics and silhouettes:

I passed this up, but bought the deer mixer cover below.

Next, on to the mid-century furniture that always makes me weak in the knees:

I actually purchased this, it was only $25!!

These barstools had already sold, I wanted them too!

This baby bed/ toddler bed could be great once cleaned up:

Ignore the scary stripper art behind it!! haha

I had a hard time leaving this little side table behind, all I would have to do was paint it and change out that orange fabric that was backing it, to make it amazing.

I went with patio furniture on my shopping list for our backyard patio that is in the works, but at $300, this wasn't going to fit the bill:

ModFruGal, if you see some homecrest and you have enough- send it my way!!

I'm actually most upset about not purchasing this worktable- it is EXACTLY what I need for my newest hobby/project that I've been working on, but I didn't even ask how much it was based on the vendor selling it is always out of control on pricing.

Seriously kicking myself for missing this.

This was a nice combo, but too rustic for my taste:

The vendor that was selling these vintage pull down maps usually has things priced right, but I didn't have a need for yet another map:

There was no shortage of taxidermy and horns:

This poor guy was HUGE, like 5 ft tall HUGE.

Also, on my shopping list was an extra large vintage cast iron sink for our upstairs bathroom renovation soon to be underway. I found this one, but a drainboard in a bathroom is weird even for me:

I saved the my favorite score of the day for it's own post, coming up later!

Full flea finds photo stream can be found here.

Gnome gno more...

2011-03-08T13:57:00.000-06:00

I would like to take a moment for my dear little gnome friend who kept watch over our back yard for the past two years. He brought so much life and color to our second story deck, but the altitude proved to be too much for him.

Goodbye little friend, goodbye!

New work

2011-03-04T16:49:00.000-06:00

Well, it's Friday and I've almost got my head above water so that I can finally share my Flea Finds from....last weekend...oy vey...as well as other things I've been working on. But, first I wanted to share with you a new Save the Date wedding postcard I just finished for my friend and co-worker, CLo.

Catherine (CLo) and Max originally wanted to go with a letterpress / Hatch Show look, but being that their wedding will be at night and in a semi-formal setting of War Memorial. combined with the classic combo of colors of black, white, and deep red- it just seemed too informal to go with the letterpress look- so we found a happy medium! I love the photo of the two of them on the brick wall, and they loved the way the Save the Date turned out!

Here's to many happy years ahead of them!!

Little by little...

2011-03-04T16:24:00.000-06:00

The Ferm Living Remix wallpaper has finally made it onto the walls! I was really excited, but fitting it in with my long list of ongoing projects was hard to do...I'm amazed at just how little free time I have, and I don't even have kids yet!

I'm about 75% finished, still needing to do a thin strip at the top, and a long sheet of wallpaper on the bottom, and then on to decorating that bookshelf.

We (I mean, David) also installed a new to us sputnik style light in this little area! I found it at Pre-Post Modern and am really happy with it in it's new home. I've always wanted one, but the few I've found in person were just too expensive or wouldn't fit the space I would use it in, this one narrowly made it based on how low it hangs.

This area isn't quite finished, but even at this stage, it's a long way from where it was:

Stunning

2011-03-03T17:48:00.001-06:00

Lordy, have I been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off....where to even start? I'll catch you up one day soon, but for now I just wanted to share how much I LOVE this lady...... seen at a local estate sale...

I love her almost enough to part with my current lady portrait over the fireplace....but I think David has a thing for her in a Nancy Drew kinda way...

Happy Birthday to my blog!

2011-02-15T14:01:00.003-06:00

Yep! It has been four years to the day since I first shared my ramblings and obsessions with the internet (all ten of you). Looks like not much has changed, still obsessing over rugs, danish furniture and decorating our house -- just like my first post.

A memorable day...

2011-02-08T14:53:00.004-06:00

There are two days each and every year that are hard for myself and my family. These days come and go, and most times I don't even say anything out loud, but I know that I always pause. This has been the process for the past 23 years- Feb 8th was one of the days worthy of a pause. (Family and friends who weren't looking for an emotional blog post today, you may want to stop reading now ;-)

Me (semi-naked) on Deborah's legs, I love both of our expressions here and probably one of my favorite photos ever!
I was probably about 2 and she was about 20.

Feb. 8th would have been my aunt Deborah's 51st birthday. She has been gone 23 years. It feels like it couldn't have been that long ago. How does time pass so fast? How has she been gone almost as long as she was here?

When I was 9, my aunt Deborah (my mom's sister) passed away from a very quick battle with Cancer on Dec. 23. She was 27 and pregnant and had complained to doctors of back pain, but because it was her first pregnancy, the doctors associated it with that, and ignored her complaints. Some of the details are blurry because I was 9, it all happened so quick, and it was very tragic. But-- from what I've always understood, they had to do an emergency C-Section to deliver her baby, my cousin Riley, and it was at that time that they discovered the Cancer had spread everywhere, and it was too late. This was on Nov. 24th. They estimated her survival to be about 30 days, I think she made it 29, to finally leave us on Dec. 23rd of that same year, 1987. Twenty nine days, how do you wrap up your life in twenty nine days?? How do you find yourself to be a new mother and know that you aren't going to get to experience that or watch your child grow?

I pretty much never allow myself to deal with the emotions of losing her, a person who was such a bright place in my heart....I just can't. Every time I even think about her, I go back to the joy of being a 9 year old -- and to me she hung the moon. I tried to write this yesterday and got too choked up, I thought about not writing it at all, but I felt like I should, that maybe it would help when I get to this day next year?

I've always thought that maybe because my grandparents, my mom, my other aunt, Dela, were all adults -- perhaps they had the tools to deal with her loss? Maybe they deal with it in their own way, like me, everyday? But I often think that because I was young, I bottled it up and put on a happy face and kept on trooping...but really, I think about her all the time....when I graduated college, I thought about how proud she would have been. When I got married, I thought about how much I wish she could have met David....and now that we are ready to start a family, I think about how my grandparents lost a child so suddenly and how my cousin Riley (now 23) only gets to hear stories of how wonderful and caring his own mother was. I hate this for him.

Click Read More for the rest....

To give you a little perspective of how I could have been so close to my aunt and how I could grieve her loss so hard and so often, I will share with you a little more of my background. I sometimes I feel a little silly because I know not all people are this close to their aunts. When I was still a baby, my mom and I moved in with my grandparents and her two younger sisters, both of whom were still teenagers. Everyone pitched in to raise me, but I really took to Deborah.

Me as an extra chunky baby with my Mom and grandfather, Paw Paw.

It was often a joke among my extended family that there was no point to go visit my grandparents house because all they do is sit around and stare at that baby (that baby, was me!). So, I spent alot of time with my aunt Deborah- she was my baby sitter during the workday when my mom was at work, we ran around together and played. And as seen in this photo below with her, I have Dr. Pepper in my bottle-- she probably let me have anything that I wanted. No wonder I was such a chunk.

When I was school age, my mom said that Deborah would call her and say, "I'm going to go get Carolyn out of school.", my mom would say "No, she needs to be in school" and then later get a phone call from Deborah saying, "Carolyn's here with me at home." haha She just liked having me around! I really think that me being raised by so many family members at a young age contributed to me feeling loved and giving me a good sense of who I am. I was given so much love!!I knew that I had support and love coming at me from all angles! Haha

I didn't realize this until now that I'm older, but it couldn't have been easy for my mom to see they way I adored Deborah. I recently asked her and she laughed and told me that she would think to herself, "But she's mine!" referring to me being a baby and Deborah wanting to take me everywhere with her! Deborah and I just got each other, and of course, she didn't have to discilpine me like my mom did. And I know I wasn't the only one that felt this way about her....everyone that knew her, knew how caring she was, she was loved.

Deborah, me, my Mom- my 5th birthday
(Cameo by Heather Cooper on the left hand side!)

There is an up side to today though, so put away the hankies! I've been able to feel closer to her recently, than I have in 23 years, and it has been amazing and very emotional. A few months ago, I went to visit my grandparents nearby. My Paw Paw had been asking me to come look at some furniture in their storage shed to see if I wanted it. I finally got around to going to check it out and while we were outside, he motioned to an additional piece of furniture and told me that it had been Deborah's. My first question was "Is there still stuff in it?".... "Like her clothes?"....."Is there anything I would want?" He told me to have a look and he went back inside. I looked through that thing like I was searching for money for crack. With every new piece of her that I unearthed, it fed my frenzy to find even more.

Deborah and me - Halloween 1981

Deborah as the clown, me as Cookie Monster.
My mom is pregnant with Bill!
Lisa F. as a witch

No one had been through these drawers since she died, 23 years ago! It was amazing....and really sad. I found so many Polaroids of me as a kid (the ones you see here!), photos that I'd never seen of us together, but had memories of. These Halloween photos for example, I remembered it- but hadn't seen photos of it in close to 30 years! (ok, that sentence just made me feel old!)

There were drawings of mine that she had saved for years like this one below.

Yikes! I never could draw hands so I put the arms behind the people!

I wish I knew what happened to that wee bracelet on my arm!

Christmas 1980? I'll take that nightgown too!

Finding all of this, I was able to feel that I didn't make up how much she loved me, and that in the same way she hung the moon to me, I was a very special to her. It was such a nice feeling, like a hug from her that was badly needed.

The strangest find of all was a baby gift, still wrapped and in my little 3rd grader cursive handwriting it says "To: Tylor" and then on the inside "From: Deborah Martin + Carolyn Burgess " Who the heck in Tylor? Did I misspell his/her name?

Well, you know I had to open it.

I couldn't believe how cute the little jumper was! I have no memory of the gift or Tylor or why it was never opened- but it really freaked me out on the day that I opened it. Haha. I was convinced that it was a sign that I was pregnant and it was a baby gift from beyond! Those little whales in primary colors!? Totally something I would buy now!

There were so many more treasures than I could fit in one blog post, but I think this can give you a glimpse into who she was and why she was so special to me. She is someone that will never ever be forgotten, I will share these stories and photos with my children and hope that her spirit and joy for life can live on through me! Thanks for reading and walking down memory lane with me.

Southwestern Rugs and Blankets

2011-02-06T22:39:00.000-06:00

On the topic of southwestern rugs, I've had this 'lil round up in my drafts since before St. Nick visited... thought it might be worth sharing in the event you too wanted to replicate the 70's (see post below).

Wool Southwestern Rug 4' x 6' $88

Heavy Wool 32" x 64"

Handwoven 32" X 64" 100% Wool

Heavy Wool 32" x 64"

Deja vu up in the home place.

2011-02-06T22:31:00.002-06:00

I was flipping through an old Better Homes and Gardens decorating book (1975) and came across some items I'd seen before, but in this era. It was a little uncanny how similar the current home styles are with what was popular in the mid-seventies.

First up was this rug:

Hole up......isn't that MY rug?? Of course that meant I had to go look at it in the room.

Yep, that's the same rug...right down to the way it NEVER lays flat...grrrr. How odd that they paired it with the same color yellow as our sofa, but they used a really large yellow ottoman.

And, what? What's this?

They call the molding bright blue, looks black to me....kinda similar to another door I know in that very same room as that 1970s rug!

They say trends cycle back, and I know that's true considering nearly our entire house is 1960's decor (or so I thought), but the images in this book could almost be from this era.. but just almost, not completely.

This room below screams design*sponge home tour, no? The southwestern rugs, the mini antlers, the natural wood shelves. Deja Vu.

Here's where the almost comes into play....yikes. I can't even call out one thing below, so many hurt me, don't they hurt you? An ivy centerpiece? Mirrored tiles on the wall....Wait, is that a mirrored ceiling?

If it weren't for that Marimekko canvas and the possibility that the couch to the left could have clean modern lines- this room would not have caught my eye.

And below, a printer's drawer? As a coffee table? Well, well.... looks like those of us in the 2000's are onto nothing new my friends, nothing new. I'm sure if we look close enough we'll find a typewriter or a library card catalog going on as furniture as well. haha

Rehab

2011-02-04T10:40:00.000-06:00

Can anyone else hear that word "rehab", and not automatically start singing the Amy Winehouse song? Or maybe you think of Lindsay Lohan? Just curious.

This post is really about rehabbing houses, saving houses that seem beyond repair and bringing them back to their original glory, not Amy or Lindsay.

I have been digging deep in the internet trenches the past few weeks looking at old houses online, and just day dreaming of owning one and getting dirt under my nails. I think I might have a sickness, there's something in me that constantly needs to be handy and/or improving my surroundings, I just can't help it. My husband and I both love our current house and can't imagine leaving all of the work that we have put into it behind us....but we do recognize that this house might not be the house we grow old in, all of the rooms are small, with the exception of our giant bedroom upstairs. Thinking of starting a family seems impossible without a proper dining room table for everyone to gather around and talk about their day!

Since it looks like I won't be moving in the near future, I thought I would share some gems with you. Today's find is in North Carolina, I want to move there and rescue this house from decay.

The house was constructed around 1919 and is located in Kinston, N.C., and is referred to as the W.C. Fields House due to being constructed by the Fields family and later donated to Preservation North Carolina. The current asking price is $40,000 and it is in a commercial area. I'm pretty sure at 3,951 square feet, we could have a retail shop (my dream) on the first floor and live on the second floor. That might be a little weird, but we would be able to purchase the ENTIRE house on the profit we would make on our current house. Meaning, we wouldn't need to sell much merch each month, to be able to live since we'd have no housing costs, only living costs. I know, easier said than done...oh, and of course we have no family or friends that live in Kinston! ha

For more info on this, and other historic properties in N.C. visit here.

ModCloth clothes discounted? Yes please!

2011-02-03T17:13:00.001-06:00

If you are like me, you love ModCloth the "mod retro indie" online clothing boutique. What I don't love is paying full price, pretty much ever (in case you haven't noticed by now)!

One of the daily deals today at ideeli is knitted dove, a vendor to ModCloth! I knew as soon as I saw this cardigan below that I had seen it (and coveted it) before! It was on ModCloth!! If you are interested, go fast, the deal only lasts through midnight tonight (Feb. 3, 2011).

Left: Buck-ingham Forest Cardigan at ModCloth

Right: My Deer Cardigan at ideeli

Left: The Mod Couple Top at ModCloth

Right: Courtney Collared Top at ideeli

Left: Houndstooth of the Baskervilles at ModCloth

Right: Agent Houndstooth Jacket at ideeli

I couldn't help myself...

2011-01-31T17:46:00.001-06:00

I am quite excited at the thought of this wallpaper on the small wall at the top of our stairs that leads to our bedroom. The photo below is a crude mock up, but it gives me enough of a visual that leads to full on excitement!! I know that I will most certainly follow through with hanging the wallpaper AS SOON AS IT ARRIVES!!! It will be glorious! hahah

I think the triangles of the wallpaper with the diamond pattern of the rug in the sitting area....oh, I'm just going to love it! Isn't it great when a plan comes together!!?

Now, if only I could finish painting those walls and get the rest of the room together!

This old house ... bedroom edition.

2011-01-31T17:45:00.005-06:00

While I'm on a kick of showing you just how many unfinished projects there are in my house, I thought I would go ahead and share the work in progress that is our bedroom. But I thought it might help to see the layout of our bedroom first! It is almost the same square footage as our main living area downstairs, but it is one large room and is considered "The Master".

(I know my skills of pasting squares on top of squares to form the layout has you envious.)

Our bedroom is a large strange room with nooks and crannies and no trim around any of the openings (i.e. door frames), bad lighting and the tiniest of tiny bathrooms, and an ill planned closet. Sounds like I pretty much hate it, huh? I make it sound worse than it is, but it is strange, believe me! In comparison, the downstairs has ornate crystal door knobs and nice trim/moldings, it feels *special*, if feels 1940....the upstairs seems to have been renovated in the 1980's when triangular cutouts in your sheetrock were uber cool....well, not to this little lady.

Sadly, the only photos I have really showing the size and lay of the land upstairs are the photos I took when we bought the house. The carpet and green paint leave much to be desired, but I will say the extra head room is nice! I'm not sure how tall the ceilings are in this section, ~~10 ft??~~ turns out they are more like 12 ft tall.

The shot above gives you a better idea of where I'm wanting to hang the wallpaper from this post at the top of the stairs, surrounding the window on the right, just as a focal wall. The closet like area in the photo next to the window is labeled as 'attic' in the layout above and there is another on the other side of the window as well. To the left in this photo is where we now have our TV and sitting area. You can see part of the half wall on your right as well, where it says "Before" on the photo.

Click the "Read More" icon for the rest.....

This next one gives you a little bit better view of the weird half wall in the middle of the room, as seen to the right of the photograph below. The previous owner had her bed in this nook and used the inset area to the left (unseen in this photo, but see below) as her sitting area...we've almost done the opposite.

See those 80's cutouts? I didn't lie!

Here are the most recent photos I have of our sleeping area as seen in the series of photos below. I took these to document the removal of carpet under the bed many months ago, yet because it wasn't painted and styled and ready I haven't shared it....today...I just don't care. I think purging all of my secrets of half painted walls and the like might spur me on to do something about it...let's hope so!

Side story: The week that I was trying to get our wedding invitations out, David decided we should rip up the carpet and refinish the hardwoods- the hardwoods (actually they aren't hard, they are pine) were everywhere except the closets and this nook above. We created a threshold and stained it to match the floors and left the carpet in those areas for about 3 more years...until recently when I just couldn't take the thought of nasty unable to be washed fibers underfoot, and I ripped it up! I didn't care that it was only plywood, anything was better than carpet. David stained the plywood to match, we placed the furniture back in and went about our way.

I love that I took the time to turn on the lights and put pillows in place, yet the walls aren't even fully painted and there are two bedspreads on the bed, haha! The map overhead is to cover up the window that prevents us from having a headboard.

Back to the rest of the horrible tour, and just to jog your memory, here is the layout again:

Do you see how large the room is, and how tiny the bathroom is???

Don't worry, the bathroom looks slightly better than this Before photo now...but not much. I have major plans to fix this and create a master bath and closet/dressing area to match the master bedroom....add that to the list.

Also, the closets were not planned out well at all. When we moved in, there was no storage in the closet other than two closet rods. I should note, there are two sides, a short side if you look left and a long side to your right, with the dormer of the window straight ahead.

And a long narrow side to your right:

I've made the best of a bad situation by adding shelving above the closet rods and installing over-the-door shoe racks directly to the walls.

I'll show you later how easy it is to do, this post has gotten really long and I have work to do!! Hope you enjoyed the horrible upstairs tour!

Ferm Living Wallpaper Sale too!!

2011-01-27T14:00:00.003-06:00

Ok, deep breaths now....the online modern home gods have shined down on us today for sure.

Not only can you get discounted Rifle Paper Goods today at Design Story (see post below) but over at 2M Collective, they have Ferm Living Wallpaper marked down from $110 to $60 per roll. No joke. Amaze.

2M Collective is a members only home decor boutique that features great modern home furnishings from 2Modern. Joining is free, and you receive a discount on your first order!! Join now!

I've never known what to do with this goofy area at the top of our stairs, seen below half dressed....bleh. brown. double bleh.

I bought that other wallpaper at the Brooklyn Flea back in October last year, and haven't found a great use for it yet. I really like the pattern on it, but it is vintage and would require paste and really, I just haven't wanted to commit to it. But! I'm positive that this new Ferm Living Remix wallpaper will make it to the walls!!

Click "Read More" for the rest of the post....

I had already began painting the entire upstairs with Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage as you can see on the wall below. Side note: I started painting this huge room six months ago, and I'm still not finished.

This is our upstairs sitting area, which is really part of our bedroom, and is to the left of the area where I want to put this wallpaper. I think the Silver Sage looks really minty in this room, compared to how it appears in our dining room.

What's really funny, is that I've carefully taken precaution to only get the painted area in the photos, when really the upstairs looks like this:

I know, I should be ashamed. I kinda am. Just kinda.

In summary, go buy the Ferm Living Wallpaper for nearly 1/2 off now! Haha

Rifle Paper Co. Sale!

2011-01-27T13:17:00.000-06:00

Design Story d/s has a sale on Rifle Paper Co. selected products right now!

These little cuties below (and more) are all 20% off their regular price! What's even greater, is that you get a $10 credit when you join, and I will get a $10 credit after you make your first purchase! AWESOME!! Click here to join!

If you are interested, hurry, I noticed that one of the prints I put in my shopping cart has already sold out! GO JOIN!! It's free!

oopsy daisy

2011-01-24T15:11:00.000-06:00

I've gotten all crazy with my html coding again, ignore the odd bits while I tidy the place up, back to normal soon enough!!

Oh. My.

2011-01-11T12:53:00.002-06:00

I was attempting to catch up on my ~~stories~~ blogs in Google Reader, when I saw this beauty on JennSki's blog from the new etsy shop ReStyle:

Photo by ReStyle

My jaw dropped...and then I clicked on through to this one:

Photo by ReStyle

Do you hear the angels singing?????

At this point, I promptly put the above poster in my etsy shopping cart to become my very own.

I. am. freaking.

It will look so great in our kitchen!! I love CathrineHolm bowls!! Eeep!! Love.

But there's a down side, after the great kitchen renovation of 2010, we really didn't leave ourselves much room for hanging large prints- no bueno.

Notice there is very little wall space, but I'm determined to make this print work. Do you think it would look weird in a room other than a kitchen? I guess I could always put it in my newly renovated *studio* a.k.a. the basement.

The only wall space in the kitchen or dining room that could accommodate this size print is below, where the antlers are hanging, leading into the horse hallway:

Side note: I thought I recognized the space in the product photos above, and sure enough (as my Maw Maw likes to say) it was one of my very favorite flickr photos that inspired my yellow couch!! The home of Czech designer, Jan Skacelik, isn't his living room amazing!!?

Check out ReStyle/ Jan Skacelik on etsy, on blogger, and on flickr!

And also check out JennSki's blog and shop while you are at it!

Good company

2010-12-21T16:17:00.000-06:00

I was excited to find my "Wee Tomato Farmer" print included in an etsy treasury with other fine Nashvillian's, specifically MaryInk and BettyTurbo (though she's not in Nashville now), and a favorite that I've never met in person, but enjoy their blog, TheSpottedFox!! Check out some of my favorite picks from their shops below!

Llams T-Shirt by maryink via etsy

Dala horse T-Shirt by maryink via etsy

---------------

Logjammin print by BettyTurbo via etsy

Happy New Year beardy card by BettyTurbo via etsy

--------------------

Magic Mixtape Print by TheSpottedFox via etsy

Lucky Compass Rose Print by TheSpottedFox via etsy

First Aid

2010-12-16T23:05:00.002-06:00

I have been on a First Aid kick lately, both the band and the medical kits. I have a few vintage first aid or medical items and love the similar look of Swiss flag, so I thought I'd share some of my recent finds.

This summer, I went around the house painting plus signs on anything and everything that needed adornment. Above is our guest bathroom medicine cabinet, where I've grouped both DIY First Aid inspired art, as well as vintage medical parephenilia such as glass supply canisters, a brown glass prescription bottle, and a vintage science beaker (it's hard to see in the photo).

So, why don't you go ahead and put those ear buds/headphones on and listen to some tunes from the band First Aid Kit whilst you peruse the First Aid medical items below?

Listen here and here, ENJOY!

Swiss Reproduction Wool Blanket $17.79!!

Vintage Wood WW2 Civil Defense First Aid Kit via ebay

I thought the above wood box would also make a great travel box for some of your favorite LPs, but it only measures 10" x 10"- so maybe some 7" or magazines?!! Auction is currently at $18 and ends in 2 days!!

The wood boxes are my favorite and can be used to store anything in your house, and the slimmer, metal ones would be great for keeping all of your paint brushes, knitting needles, or sewing supplies all in one place- but could be left sitting out as decoration when not in use.

Vintage Metal First Aid Kit via etsy

Vintage Paragon First Aid Case via etsy

Vintage Wood First Aid Kit via etsy

Vintage Field Medical Kit via etsy

These First Aid Textbooks look great at decoration too!

American Red Cross First Aid Textbook via etsy

Vintage Red Cross Manual via etsy

British Red Cross First Aid Manual via etsy

Vintage Medical Supply Jars via etsy

These medical supply jars are still totally functional today, or at least they are in my house!

Vintage Medical Supply Jars via etsy

For Jordan: Muppets + Beatles

2010-12-15T16:46:00.001-06:00

Hi guys, I was just reminded by my co-worker that I'm letting her down by the lack of posts goin' on up in here. So, a quick post/shout out to my youngest brother, Jordan, who recently commented how he always forgets how great the Muppet Show is. I too forget and had to go remind myself and found a stash of Beatles - -Jordan also loves The Beatles, so it's a combo win!!

Modern Day Love

2010-11-19T15:59:00.000-06:00

I love this modern day valentine by Owly Shadow Puppets via etsy.

And then after the breakup:

Or if you can't wait to give a valentine, give these for Christmas or use them as decoration!

Or just use them to scare your children and pets:

Visit their shop here!!

Yes, twist my arm...

2010-11-18T13:28:00.000-06:00

Obviously, I don't need much encouragement these days but just so happens that Piperlime and J.CREW are both having sales today!!

J.CREW 30% OFF all sale items through Nov. 20th- Enter Code JCREW

Free shipping on orders over $150.

Piperlime 25% OFF Boots - Today Only Enter TAKE25 at checkout.

And as always, free shipping and returns!!

Fair Weather Dresser

2010-11-17T18:48:00.000-06:00

I've been a bit of a bad girl lately in the shopping arena. Really, I haven't purchased that much and what I have purchased almost always has to be on sale (and preferably has free shipping) before I'll click the 'add to cart' button (yes, I hear you.... I , in fact, am a cheapo).

(via Love at First Shop)

It's just that with the weather changing and the switching out of summer to fall/winter clothes, I can't help but see gaps in my wardrobe. There are a few sweaters and corduroys and suede boots that I'd forgotten about, while locked away in their moth-free bins....but really, what excites me the most are wool skirts, sweaters and sweater tights!! LOVE LOVE LOVE.

I would say you could break my winter wear into two categories this year, printed dresses paired with either my leather jacket, army jacket, or a sweater cardigan with tights and boots -OR- chunky southwestern sweaters with leggings and clogs. Back in September, I purchased a black leather motorcycle jacket and have been enjoying wearing it with all of my summery floral dresses, similar to the look below found via Refinery29, shown with a brown leather jacket- but you get the point. It makes me feel tough and flirty at the same time.

I also found this outfit above, from Madewell, to be a good example of a flirty dress with tights and boots.

Sweaters:

A great example of a vintage Navajo sweater with leggings and clogs, found here, from American Archive on ebay:

(Of course, I won't be wearing a beret)

(Tip: If you are looking for your own vintage cardigans on ebay or etsy, try the search terms: "Native American", "Navajo", "Southwest", "Aztec", "Ethnic", "70s" and "Hippie" - also try not only "cardigan", but "sweater" too.)

Via HellHound Vintage

Pamprd Peacock Vintage

Via HellHound Vintage

(I currently am bidding on this horse one and if I don't win I will cry, and yes, I will wear pants with it.)

American Archive

GAP Alpaca Blend Shawl Collar Cardi

I thought I would throw in a modern, solid colored cardigan for good measure!

Tights:

This week, I found my way to ASOS.com, the UK's largest independent online fashion and beauty
retailer, now available to those of us in the US. According to their webiste, ASOS is aimed primarily at fashion forward 16-34 year olds, so I'm squeaking right in there in the under 34 bracket -- don't know about the fashion forward part though. I digress, I am in love with the styling of their tights and can't wait for the weather to be cool enough to rock these looks with my own dresses or skirts with knee socks/tights and boots. To make it even better, ASOS offers free shipping both ways on all US orders!!

ASOS Ribbed Two Tone Over the Knee Socks

ASOS Pointelle Rib Tights

ASOS Blue Argyle Over the Knee Socks

Shoes/Boots:

Chelsea Crew Savoy Gray Wedge Ankle Boot from Lulu's

Forever21 Suedette Lace Up Ankle Boots

Forever21 Studded Peep Toe Clogs

Forever21 Suedette Lace Up Boot in Gray

Belts:

ASOS Square Buckle Skinny Boyfriend Belt

Lulu's All About Weave Belt in Black

LOFT Braided Leather Belt with Tab

Lulu's All About Weave Belt in Cream

Hidden in Plain Sight...

2010-11-17T15:07:00.001-06:00

Has anyone else ever driven down 5th St. in East Nashville (between Fatherland and Russell) and noticed this huge house and thought to yourself...I wonder what it looks like inside??

Street View

This house takes up the space of what could be six houses as seen on the aerial view below. I had to know what was behind that huge wall surrounding the property!

Aerial View

And guess what? It just so happens to be for sale! For the asking price of $1,950,000.00 you can have three living spaces, including the main house, a studio AND a guest house. Oh, and do I need to mention that it is over 9,000 square feet!??? I mean, that's a nice round number, that's a fair price..right??! Take a look for yourself:

But I still think the craziest part to all of this is that it is just so unassuming from the outside, I pass this house everyday for over five years and only recently have I been intrigued enough to look into what was behind that huge wall....makes me curious what other gems are hiding in plain site right in my back yard!

Check out more info and photos here.

today, i likey

2010-11-10T13:14:00.001-06:00

I was reading an interview with Katie Evans on www.goodthingyourehere.com when I noticed the background of one of the photos, I see large Polaroid style frames on her wall...again, why the heck didn't I think of this!? I love it!

I did a quick search, and found this peel and stick style, that comes with fake tape and push pins and fit an 8" x 10" size photo. Pretty neat...close enough?

I'm not keen on the idea of writing on them as they did in the product photos below, (or actually using the fake push pins or tape!) but I think if I left them blank, it would satisfy my need....just maybe.

If you've seen others elsewhere on the web, let me know!

Oh, and also...funny web world that it is, Katie designs for Kate Spade and just so happens to put the design of this iPhone case I was in love with last month, under her belt.

Katie, can you make one for iPhone 4 por favor? Thanks!

Save the Fairgrounds!

2010-11-09T16:04:00.000-06:00

Hi guys! If you haven't already signed the petition to save the fairgrounds, please do! It's quick and easy and you can even sign anonymously if you would like!

Click here to sign.

In case you haven't heard.... Nashville Mayor, Karl Dean, is closing the Fairgrounds and redeveloping the land into a mixed use development. Doing this will displace the Flea Market as well as do away with the Tennessee State Fair. Please sign this petition and keep one of my favorite pastimes from being sent to Hickory Hollow mall. ;-(

The Metro Council Fair Committee is meeting RIGHT NOW, but you can attend the Public Hearing on November 16 at 6:30 pm at the Metro Courthouse if you are interested.

To learn more, visit here.

To see all of my past Flea Finds set, click here.

Thanks for voting!!

Readymade DIY Sweater Skirt

2010-11-09T15:34:00.000-06:00

Have you dudes seen this tutorial on how to turn an old sweater (with a cool pattern) into a sweater skirt? I would like to file this under "why didn't I think of that?" This is totally my kind of sewing, I never start from scratch, I'm more of a Frankenstein type seamstress.

Full instructions here.

Pet bed DIY

2010-11-09T15:13:00.001-06:00

I came across twelve posts that I never published, that were sitting in my blogger dashboard as drafts...I thought a few were worth sharing...This one is from Aug 2009.

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I've seen images online of vintage suitcases being repurposed into pet beds and thought my pets might like a spruced up bed. I have multiple old suitcases that I use for extra storage and stack them for decoration while not being used for travel. I figured I could spare one and have a cute pet bed to boot...boy was I wrong. haha

Gertie looks so depressed here, she must know this bed is not for her.

Here, you see Pixie sitting in the suitcase- notice it's still just a suitcase, no DIY has taken place yet.

After removing the back half of the suitcase, I found a striped vintage sheet that I had squirrelled away because I loved the color combo, I measured the suitcase and sewed a pillow to go inside the bed.

Notice the bed is empty and one cat, Buddy, is lurking in the background on the couch....and the other cat, Pixie? Where might she be found??

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Oh, just sitting inside all of the discards of the new pet bed.

Neither cat wants anything to do with the new bed, they are only interested in the trash half of the suitcase and the remaining stuffing and sheets that weren't used for the project. Yep, that's how my pets roll.

Eeeep!

2010-11-08T15:30:00.003-06:00

Could there be a more perfect sweater for a squirrelpearl girl??!

A Time To Gather Sweater at Anthropologie

I think not.

The easy way out...

2010-11-03T12:44:00.001-05:00

This year, I just couldn't be bothered to go all out on a Halloween costume like years past. David and I usually get really into the gathering of costume materials and go for the whole shebang (see photos below)....the body paint, the sewing, I just didn't have it in me. So, I present to you "Foxy Lady"...a.k.a. "I put on a dress and heels and a fox mask". I felt cute, that's all that matters, right?! haha

It turns out we both unintentionally looked like we were doing a tribute to Wes Anderson, I guess our subconscious seeped through. I with a nod to Fantastic Mr. Fox, I wish I had thought to find a dress like hers and a tail!!

And David, with a nod to The Baumer a.k.a. Richie Tenenbaum of The Royal Tenenebaums, which wasn't intentional, just how he dresses everyday and easiest to put together! haha

David wore his normal clothes and was going for the look of John McEnroe circa when he still had alot of hair, and just added a vintage tennis racket courtesy of my Dad. It's funny, because the character of Richie Tenenbaum was thought to be based on another tennis great Bjorn Borg as seen here with John McEnroe.

McEnroe photo inspiration below, it's kinda creepy how much David looks like this everyday!! If you know him, you will agree- he has probably 10 different shirts and zip up jackets in red and white and/or blue, that all look the same to me, but not to him. I'd say, just like John McEnroe below, all of those shirts look the same!!!

(John in 1977)

(John in 1978)

(John in 1980)

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A look back to Halloween's past....

2009 - Pocahontas

2008 - Little Red Riding Hood

2007 - Garden Gnome

2006 - (Away on our honeymoon)

2005- David was Andy Warhol and I was the Marilyn painting

2004 - Jolly Green Giant and Lil Sprout

2003- Craft superhero (I wore a felt holster with a glue gun, staple gun, paint brush and knitting needles)

1984- Rainbow Bright

Hope you had a great Halloween!!

A plead for you to vote...

2010-10-27T13:35:00.000-05:00

The Room for Color Contest by Behr and Apartment Therapy is wrapping up and I thought it might be time to plead for your votes?! Yes? Please please with sugar on top take a moment and vote for our Living Room! All you have to do is click the "Add to favorites" button on this page!

(It looks like this, and yes, I only have 115 votes and need about another 115.

See why I need YOUR help!?

Vote here

If you don't already have a user account with the Apartment Therapy websites, you will have to create a user name and provide an email address, BUT!! you do not have to subscribe to their emails AND you will be helping a pal out!! See, I told you I was going to plead!!? ;-)

Vote here!

Thanks so so much! And feel free to re-post or spread the word via the Twitter and Facebook links!

xoxoxo

New album on rotation

2010-10-22T13:17:00.001-05:00

I have seriously been digging the music of Twin Shadow this week. I don't know if it is the synthy, dark new wave sound or if it is the lyrics, but something seems off about it, yet familiar- I can't explain it, but I keep playing it day after day. It's so easy to let play in the background while I work. I think if you like Depeche Mode or The Smiths you will agree. Hope you enjoy.

A note on typewriters

2010-10-20T16:16:00.000-05:00

This....is....bananas.

It's no secret that I love typewriters ( I know, who doesn't?) but I just found out that there is a genius out there who is taking old manual typewriters and outfitting them with the electronics needed to make them compatible as a keyboard (via frecklednest) You just connect the outfitted typewriter to your computer via USB....is this Frankenstein or what??!? Insane! I love it!

You may purchase the already altered awesome typewriters in this etsy shop, or buy a kit to do it yourself!

Also, worth noting, I found this purse on Kate Spade the other day that is so cute and thought it worth sharing!! It sure is cute and kitschy, but unfortunately, ten times more than I would spend on it.

How did I forget the cocktail?

2010-10-15T15:50:00.000-05:00

Somehow I managed to forget to share with you the batch of cocktails (and mocktails) that we sipped on at the baby shower last weekend. And I enjoyed typing out a recipe in the last post, so why not have a cocktail recipe to go with your Mushroom Won Tons?

Ginger Mint Spiked Lemonade

12 ounces vodka (Substitute lemon or citrus vodka if you like)
9 ounces lemonade such as Simply Lemonade
1 sliced lemon (rings not wedges- see above photo)
2 ounces ginger syrup
20 leaves fresh mint
Ice
6 ounces Ginger Ale

Add ice to individual glasses. In a large clear pitcher, muddle mint with ginger syrup. Add in vodka, lemonade and ginger ale. Stir well. Pour over ice and serve!

Serves 6 (unless you are thirsty, then it serves 2 haha)

For the mocktail version, omit alcohol and an additional 6 ounces of lemonade and 6 ounces of ginger ale. Viola!

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I created this cocktail because I wanted to use the new Ginger Syrup by Morris Kitchen that I had just purchased while in New York the previous week. If you would like to purchase your own, you can find it here or here is a recipe to make it at home using fresh ginger.

Tip: This cocktail (or mocktail) looks beautiful in a clear glass pitcher, so you can see the sliced lemons and the mint swirling around! Enjoy!

GAP is really trying hard

2010-10-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

Poor GAP, they've been all over the news with all the haters of their new (now old) logo debacle, yet I haven't heard a word about this 'Recycle Your Blues' promotion they are running below.

The skinny:
Bring in any old pair of denim to GAP and they'll give you 30% off a new pair from their 1969 line, valid October 6th - 20th, 2010. The best part, your old denim is converted into UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, and donated to communities in need!!

Double win!

Becky's baby shower

2010-10-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of hosting a small baby shower for my friend, and second time mom-to-be, Becky. We had a great time, so I thought I would share some details of our little soirée.

Becky (the mom-to-be) and Libby

Pals

Becky gave me free reign on the shower and the invite, so I figured for an October shower, we could go for the fall feeling....so I created this invite with little woodland creatures and a bunting across the top- it was a party after all, we needed bunting!

Turned out, the bunting was Becky's favorite part....so for the actual shower, I had great intentions of sewing her a wonderful fabric bunting that she could keep or even use in the new baby's room....but because I am who I am, there are just never enough hours in the day to accomplish all the crazy things I think a human should be able to do....I created this cute paper version using this printable alphabet from ruffled blog, as seen below. Becky still loved it and still took it with her! ;-)

Also incorporating the bunting theme, were the cupcakes! We went with strawberry cupcakes and cream cheese icing (it's going to be girl). I used these printable cupcake flags from lovely design.

Next up, was the rest of the snacks! I love an excuse to get to try new bite size treats!

The one I was most excited about making were the Pumpkin Scones by Nigella! They were really fast and easy to make, screamed FALL, were bite size and just fit the bill. I stuffed them with goat cheese, fig preserves and prosciutto for the meat eaters, without for the veggie folks. I think they were a hit.

Somehow, the triangles that you see above were the biggest hit of them all...it was something I made up (as I tend to do, because I don't have much of attention span for recipes), but I thought I would share it with you here!

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Baked Mushroom Won Tons:

1 pkg baby portebello mushrooms- chopped

1/2 pkg won ton wrappers

1/2 pkg cream cheese- softened

1/2 yellow onion- chopped

1 cup green onions- chopped

2 sprigs of thyme

2 tablespoons butter

1 egg white

1 clove garlic- chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350

Place won ton wrappers on cookie sheet and then make the filling.

Filling:

Over medium heat, add garlic and thyme to melted butter in a large skillet.
Add onion and then baby portebello mushrooms, sauté, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms have cooked down.
Remove thyme sprigs and discard.
Turn down heat to low, add 1/2 a block of cream cheese and the chopped green onions.
Stir cream cheese until melted and well incorporated.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Brush each square won ton with egg white followed by 1 tablespoon of mixture, one at a time. After you spoon the mixture, fold the won ton in half to form a triangle and seal around the edges. Proceed to next wrapper in the same manner, brushing egg around the edges and adding filling, until you have sealed them all. Bake approx 3 mins, remove and flip, bake an additional 2 mins or until both sides are slightly brown. Serve!

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Having friends over also gave me the opportunity to "fall" up the house a.k.a. pumpkins and mums!

New door mat from Pier 1

The time has come to join the revolution...

2010-10-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

I believe that this weekend I am going to bite the bullet and get an iPhone!!! We are finally out of our current phone contract with Sprint, and even though I've been with them since I was in diapers (feels like that long), I think I'm ready to have all the apps the rest of the world has been enjoying for so so long. I'm tired of looking at everyone else's phones longingly. I'm going to join the revolution!! And, I'm going to get this cute Kate Spade cover too!! It screams "Carolyn"!!! I love it and it needs to be mine! Viva la revolution!

Slow it down

2010-10-10T12:25:00.000-05:00

Dudes, so sorry I've been away so long! I am happy to say that all of my obligations are caught up and I am back on the blogging train! We went away to NYC for nearly a week and I can't wait to share all of the new and exciting places we experienced while there...more to come! I think I'm just going to have to catch up you in reverse order, haha.

This morning, I got up and cleaned the house and then grabbed my wee laptop and the dog and headed over to the coffee shop to catch up on emails, upload photos, etc. I wanted to sit outside and enjoy the weather, but I still needed to be able to reach the wifi connection and I had ole Gertie the dog, which meant I couldn't sit right in the sun, as she would be hot and drool...the joys of having an old dog....so I just copped a squat right outside on the grass, in the shade! Who needs fancy tables?

It's funny because I never take the time to just chill and sit outside and enjoy the weather, other than at home on the deck...it was so nice and calming...which was exactly what I needed. It reminded me of when I was in college and students would just hang out on "the knoll", a grassy open area right outside the student center. It's just nice sometimes to slow down the pace of your life, sit back and just enjoy, which I have to say it foreign to me. But..speaking of enjoy, while I was trying to document the above picture, I spied something....do you see it too?

I spy FALL!!! Look at the leaves!!

I must really be feeling nostalgic today, but Fall just makes me so happy. It makes me think of being a kid, of going back to school shopping, of picking out your Halloween costume...all of it, I love it! I'm ready for chilly nights, bonfires and s'mores (or the modern day equivalent, the fire pit). I'm ready to get to wear tights with dresses and sweaters and cords...all of it, bring on the fall!!!

Flea Market finds

2010-09-29T11:50:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Sorry I'm a few days late posting my flea market finds for you! If I were a good little girl, I would have posted them before the flea market ended so that you could run out and snatch them up for yourself. But alas, I am never good at keeping deadlines-- I'm working on it!

Thursday was my 32nd birthday, David was going to have to work late and we wouldn't get to celebrate until really late, so we decided to spend the morning together with coffee and the flea market!

David gave me the romantic gift of some batteries for my new(ish) camera! So sweet, that one! ;-)

We hit up the flea market, only to be turned around by a lady in the parking lot informing us that due to the previous weekend's fair, the flea market vendors were just now setting up.

So, Take II: On Friday morning, we woke up extra early so we could make it to the flea market and still be at work by 9:00. Ouch. But it worked. Check out the full flea finds set here.

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I noticed mucho antlers this month, I wanted them all for myself too- I bought none.

I already have one like this in the upstairs sitting area of our house, but I would love to have more. I figure, it isn't too cruel to animals if I'm giving it new life again.....riiiiight? I know, I'm just kidding myself.

It reminds me of Nikole Harriot of Forty-Sixth at Grace's bedroom as seen here in her sneak peek on Design*Sponge:

I also loved the small vintage tins and old map of Illinois in the above pic!

Also in abundance was industrial anything:

It's hard to see what this is, but it is an awesome industrial metal and wood table or cart.

Wish I had a need or the space for this!!

This large wooden laundry crate and old carousel horse are equally cool.

There's a million projects you can use these old wooden crates for...one of my favorite is this one from the Australian site, homelife.com.au . They add wheels to a crate and make it a side table!

Check out homelife, they always have great ideas and equally cool photos. If you are into the industrial style, but aren't sure how to incorporate it into your home, these photos from homelife might help:

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Back to the flea market finds!

I really loved the packaging on these old dominoes, as well as the old seltzer bottles. The bottles would look great on a bar cart!

It's really hard for David and I both to pass up vintage radios and clock radios, especially when it is AQUA!! But we managed to get out without taking one home with us!

And if you know me by now, you know that I have a chair obsession. Here are a few I came across...

I loved thse aqua child-sized chairs. If I were working on a child's room right now, I'd put them with this round rug of the Earth available at Scandinavian Design Center, (the same place we purchased our rug for the kitchen) and I would paint the walls yellow. Just saying.

But I'm not working on a child's room, so don't get any ideas...or start any rumors! yet....haha

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Loved this bike, should have bought it- it was $35!

Somehow I passed up this owl cookie jar...not sure why...probably David said I didn't need it. That's usually what happens to my impulse buys when he is with me.

And last, but not least, this old bingo contraption was really neat.

Per usual, I forget to take photos of the stuff that we actually bought. I think I just get so excited that I jump on it and immediately stick it in my bag. I'll get around to my flea market purchases one day.

Now, I leave you with this song....because I'm off to catch a plane to New York!! Hooray!

UnDecorate- new book coming out!

2010-09-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

I think this book by Christiane Lemieux, the founder of DwellStudio, is something to look forward to! It also features a forward written by Deborah Needleman, which you most likely remember from Domino magazine days. I miss that magazine so much, thank goodness you can still scroll through their archives over at brides.com in the Home Decor section. I think one thing is obvious about this book, whatever these two ladies touch turns to gold, so I will probably be adding it to my Amazon wish list. Yeah, no probably about it.

*As reported by Design Public, subscribe to their feed if you don't already!

A little love from Jenn Ski!

2010-09-27T12:44:00.000-05:00

I have been in love the artwork of Jenn Ski for a long time, so I was honored when she asked to post some photos of our house on her awesome blog. Check it out here:

I'm pretty sure that each and every piece of artwork she creates would be right at home at Casa de Sellers, but I've picked out a few faves below! Hope you see something that inspires you!

Mid-Century Modern Chair Exhibit and Sale!

2010-09-24T16:35:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! I wanted to share with you that my friends at Wonders on Woodland are having a chair show that will certainly be drool inducing if you love mid-century modern chairs like I do! It’s taking place at 5 Points in East Nashville this Saturday, September 25, from 11:00am - 9:00 pm at 1110 Woodland Street in conjunction with ArtEast, formerly the East Nashville Art Stroll. You should go check it out!!

CL ad

"The Artistry of Mid-Century Modern Chairs" will feature chairs from many of the big designers of that time period, and will even include the iconic "Papa Bear" chair by Hans Wegner!

As well as an authentic Poul Jensen “Z” chair, a Peter Hvidt sofa and love seat, chairs by Adrian Pearsall, Nana Dietzel, Bertoia, Jalk, Wormley, and Breuer as well as equally cool chairs by unknown designers.

To put it short, there will be over 25 of the coolest mid-century chairs you can find in one place in Nashville...and I will want them all in my house! Load 'em up....I'm taking them.

You can find them all at:

Wonders On Woodland

1110 Woodland Street

Nashville, TN 37206

615-226-5300

Thursday – Saturday 11:00 – 6:00

Sunday - noon – 5:00

You peel to the left, you peel to the right....

2010-09-10T13:36:00.001-05:00

Has anyone seen this Paint and Peel nail polish by Sula in person? I love it!! It reminds me of when I was a kid, and I had some peel off nail polish (possibly made by Avon?) that I loved, except this comes in much better colors! My eye is really on this navy color, Royal, it's so rich and dreamy...I want it!!

They also have these cute duo pens that come with a topcoat for longer wear, but sadly not in the color I love- but a great idea! I'm a fan...must find soon!!

Early morning flea finds...

2010-08-30T13:32:00.002-05:00

David and I got up at 6:30 (ish) Friday morning to hit up the flea before we went to work...most of you know, I don't do mornings, but if it means finding treasures...I'll bite. We found a few jems, so I thought I'd share the things that piqued my interest. I think that was the moon up above, FYI.

I did find that I spent much less money this trip because I gained the same (or close to the same) satisfaction that I normally get from purchasing the mid-century goodies that I just can't live with out - but this time, I just photographed them, similar to ModFruGal, instead of hoarding like usual. My wallet (and husband and basement) thanked me!

Note: It cracks me up that ModFruGal and I went to the same flea market and only photographed one of the same items- the white salterini chairs! See her post too - there was a lot of good stuff! ;-)

So, on to the finds:

David and I only purchased one locker basket and one milk crate, but we each had our eye on a few things that I went back and purchased on my lunch break that day, I'll share the purchases later!

David really wanted this vintage milkshake maker that came out of an old diner. We both thought it would look awesome in the new kitchen, but even at $100, we just weren't prepared to spend that much to make vintage milkshakes.

I'm quite proud of myself for not buying the vintage globe NOR did I buy this aqua bookshelf- it was really heavy and sturdy. I was a good girl. ;-)

Loved this colorful medicine or curio cabinet below - didn't love the price.

We were both REALLY tempted by this pink/salmon portable TV, it cost $20 but the vendor couldn't guarantee it worked. We really thought hard about possibly buying a non-working TV to place in the guest room as decoration. Thank god we came to our senses- who wants a TV that doesn't work??!

Turns out a friend purchased this cot thing-a-ma-bob after we left. Guess I wasn't the only one who thought it was cool! Looking back in these photos, I'm sad I didn't pay more attention to those TV trays, we could use them, and they look uber cool too.

I loved this little brass rabbit door stop, but was trying to be a good girl and not bring home unnecessary treasures.

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Of course I found a gazillion mid-century modern chairs that I wanted but had no place for in the house.

If there had been an aqua one in the mix, I would have made it happen.

I'm not sure why they are all green? I guess it was an extremely popular color! haha

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Also, we found great outdoor chairs, but aren't ready to purchase yet:

I really liked this traditional patio set because it didn't have the floral decoration on the chair backs that you typically find. But at $125, it was more than I want to spend with no purpose in mind for it yet.

I actually meant to go back and buy these wood and aluminum folding chairs, but forgot. I have one already, and these were $6/ea.

I also really liked this folding beach lounger chair that was $6 as well as the wooden ironing board.

I'll try to remember to share my actual purchases later, once I get them set up in the house. To see more of my flea finds, you can go to my flickr set here.

And here is one sneak peek of my new rug that I found at the flea, after months and months of searching- I finally found one that fits all my requirements and was less than $100 to boot!! I LOVE IT!!! Whoo hoo!

Sorry for the camera phone pic- better photos to come!