Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Let's Talk Vintage #102: Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut


Welcome to Let's Talk Vintage!


Every Tuesday at 9 am EST, I get the party started with something about vintage ... either projects I'm working on for my brick and mortar shop or new vintage finds that I have gathered, etc.


Today I'm sharing a fun find from JUST LAST NIGHT! Yes! We were on our way back home from a quick trip to our local mall when driving through the neighborhood we saw this amazing piece out by the side of the road, waiting to be picked up this morning with the trash.

My husband and I both yelled "DRESS FORM!!!!!" and he hit the brakes.


We actually had to back up and double check that we hadn't seen a mirage. And sometimes I feel like a nut stopping in our neighborhood to pick up something cast aside, waiting for the trash.

And then sometimes I don't.

We kept saying ....who would throw this out?  Now, I do realize there are people who just aren't that into vintage but seriously. We couldn't get it in the car fast enough. 

Thinking of a name ...

Dressaforma? Trashina? Hit-the-brakes-ette?

I am joking but I just have to give her a name. What comes to your mind?

One thing I do know, she is coming to the shop with me tomorrow. I'll be bringing in some vintage clothes that might inspire folks for their costumes in October.


I'm also bringing this desk I worked on last week. The chair was a loner that had nothing to go with it so we decided to leave it the original color and just change out the seat.
The fabric was part of a bunch of fabric rolls (bolts? bolsters?) my hubby found at a sale for 1.00 each.

We already had a couple come in and look at it and I was pleased to find out they had seen me list it on Instagram. Good to know social media does help to bring in customers!


We're all decked out for Fall in the shop but as soon as Halloween is over, it will be Christmas until January. We have a ton of things to bring in and it will take a lot of my time just getting everything priced and set up.

Thanks so much to all who stop and read my LTV posts and for those who also link up... your dedication helps keep me going!

Let's See Who Is Featured This Week:


Debbie of Debbie Dabble Blog, shared her Fall décor out on the porch. I need all of the inspiration I can get to break out my Fall décor at home, so her enthusiasm is contagious!


and Amy of Brocante Treasures went to England and had an amazing trip!

 
and Kim of Camp and Cottage was baking up creative vintage signs while showing us how easy they
are to make! That's my kind of project!


IF you were featured feel free to grab this LTV graphic for your blog post or side bar.





Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Let's Talk Vintage #101: Our Own Flea-Market Flip: Old Sideboard to Chic Wine Bar!



 
Welcome to Let's Talk Vintage!
 
We gather here every Tuesday at 9 am
 to share our blog posts about
our vintage finds, DIY home décor,
projects we are working on,
collections we have, and even some
 of the things we sell.
 
Today I am going to share a
project my hubby worked on.
 
 
He turned a small, vintage
sideboard (or is that a buffet?)
into a working wine bar.

 
It was neat seeing it come together after
he purchased the stemware racks on
Amazon...

 
... and built the wine bottle
sections to store several
bottles at a time.
 
I really like it... he used
a paint pen again for the elegant
lines in the cabinet doors.
 
The brown paint pen over the
black didn't turn out exactly
as we had planned but it
still has a great look to it.
 
 
And this piece is so cool but we have no idea who created it. We found it at a town-wide sale last weekend. Just look at the layers of distressing! I have no doubt this one won't last long.

Another cool find is the Pepsi crate.
It is in such great condition! We were thrilled to find it as well at a "by appointment only" house sale. So many people walk into the shop and ask us to come take a look at their vintage items. We are happy to help as they usually also want to get rid of some of it.


And last but not least, I found out I was listed in a collection of other antique blogs ... named one of the Best 47! (Not sure why the number is uneven, but hey, I can't wait to check out all of the other blogs.) I also saw Diana of Adirondack Girl at Heart on there! Congrats Diana!


Now let's see who is featured this week:


Diana of Adirondack Girl at Heart shared her desk makeover with us. I am working on a black desk this week as well and think hers turned out terrific!



and Sharon of Blue Willow House showed us how she decorates with vintage teacups. Some good ideas here, we all see teacups wherever we go hunting... see how she
creatively displays them!


and Amykins Blog shared her new Fall additions around her house. She is a little bit like me, waiting until summer's end to start decorating! Love her enamel bowl.


 
If you were featured, feel free to
grab this "My Blog Was Featured"
graphic for your blog side bar or
blog post.

 

 

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Let's Talk Vintage #100: The Old Gal and Her Makeover




Welcome to Let's Talk Vintage!

I'm so excited because today is my 100th LTV post!

If you're here then you are as excited about vintage stuff as I am. Feel free to join in and link up at the bottom of this post about something vintage you are working on... that you saw in a shop, a collection you have... etc.

Each week I post pictures of the furniture we've given a make-over... today I'm going to show a little bit of what something looked like BEFORE we gave it some major TLC.
I finally stopped what I was doing to take pictures!

 
Here is the dresser my hubby found at a local
used furniture place.
 
 
It had this matching high boy dresser
that went along with it, so he bought both.
 
Since the other style sells better, we decided to work on it first, and I had already started taking the drawers out when I realized I should be taking a picture of it.

 
Now, as you can see, this pair was
already "made over" back
in the day when little heart
stencils were such a big thing.
And now?
Ahhhh, not so much anymore.

But I have to say it was so well done!
It looked very cottage and sweet...
 
I thought maybe just
roughing it up a bit and giving it some
shabbiness would do the trick.
 
But I listened to the other thought ... the idea of how
this old gal could turn into something so beautiful.
 
 
Even despite the age
(These dressers are old!)
and a huge gouge across
the front corner, we could
see their huge potential.
 
The gouge must have happened in
the process of moving around for
pick-up because it wasn't
there before we bought it.
 
But, with major sanding, two double coats
(and then some) of Parisian chalk paint...


Look at her now!
 
A beauty!

My hubby finished up the finer details....
I suggested we get a paint pen and get inside those
thin, tight little lines.
 
 
(It even has a pretty mirror to go with it.)
 
It is one of my favorite pieces we've done so far.
The paint pens are amazing! The fine point,
not so much. It dried out or ran out only
half way through the very tiny, fine lines.
 
 And...

Since I haven't shared my vintage
finds in awhile... this is some of
what I found recently at our
local flea markets and sales:

 
An old chair, wire basket, a pulley
wheel, and an outhouse sign!
Not sure why I liked it so much, but
I did!
 


Some old books I found by digging
through a box
 
 
...turned out
to be treasures.
 
I was told by the dealer that
they came upon a whole room
of books, shelf after shelf.
 

(This is her inscription inside an Edgar Allen Poe book.)
 
It was a collection by a
woman named Edna. She
loved books. I'm happy to have
found a few of them... I love
old books, too!
 

I think this hand crafted multi drawer cabinet is super cool,
especially for maybe a scrapbook or paper craft person?

Would you believe it was made by a local man who wanted a place to store his butterfly collection! Oh yes.

Luckily, there were no butterflies in it when we received it!

 
Now for this week's features:


Penny of Penny's Vintage Home
shared a fall decorating
 project with us...

 
Ever try glamping?
Joyce of Quilted Nest makes
it look like a lot of fun...
 
 
 
 

And speaking of fun,
the two sisters of the Lolly Jane blog,
Kelli and Kristi, created a wonderful
play house out of an old shed!
You've gotta see it to believe it.
Lots of eye candy!

Thank you all for taking part
in my 100 LTV parties!

 You all have
made it so inspiring!

 
If you were featured, feel free to
use this "MBWF" graphic in your
post or blog side bar.
 
Now it's your turn...
Let's Talk Vintage!

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Let's Talk Vintage! #99: Reviving the Old, Making it New Again


Hello and welcome to Let's Talk Vintage!
 

 
This is where bloggers and sellers gather on
the net to be inspired or to learn a new technique;
whether it is working on a vintage piece, or to
get it ready to sell in a shop.
 
We also like to "Oooh" and "Ahhhh"
over another blogger's finds.
Keeps us motivated to find more
good stuff!
 

Yesterday I was at our local Labor Day
flea-market and overheard one of the
dealers tell another dealer how
he found a civil war diary and how
well he did with selling it. Then the other
dealer remarked: "Yeah it's the one
really good one that keeps us going!"
 
 
But, some of us just love creating.
I didn't realize how much fun
it would be to re-do furniture.
 
So this week I am working on
pieces for my brick and
mortar shop, Vintage & Co.

 

And so is my hubby. He took this
ornate stand and created something
really neat with it!
It previously had some sort of
second tier, smaller in size, on it.
Like maybe it had come from a
church or it had been a phone stand.
 
It was damaged, of course!
 
 
Anyway, it all had to be re-worked.
Wood filler, wood glue, the works.
 
He used black chalk paint, distressed the
top, and added a stencil to help hide flaws.
 
It really turned out well.
 
I put it up on Facebook and the Vintage
 and Co. website... it sold right away!
 
This is the piece I worked on and brought in.
 
 
It was fairly easy to do
and I love how it has a lower
shelf and a drawer.
 
We tried a darker wax on the
drawer and it doesn't show up
here in the photo, but it turned
out great.
 
A wonderful entryway, hallway,
or love seat size sofa table.
 
********
Gotta love the broken down,
worn out furniture... giving
it a new life is so rewarding,
don't you think?
 
I can't help but draw a parallel
between what we do with furniture
and what God did for us by
sending is Son to give us new
life as well. Every time I say
I'm bringing a piece of furniture
back to life I can't help but
think about it.
 
It rings so true.
 
I'm thinking about making a
special tag to place on the
furniture to explain the
"getting rid of the old"
and "bringing out the new."
 
I'll keep you posted on this
new idea!
 
Now for this week's features:
 
 
 
found this really awesome
trophy cup that someone
had made into a lamp ...
She transformed it back again!
 
 
and Tarah of GrandmasHouseDIY
shared another similar type of 
transformation... see what she
referred to as "the beast"
that she found in her
Grandmother's old farmhouse.
 
 
shared her rusty finds... see how
she uses them in her garden!
 
 
If you were featured, feel free to use this
MBWF graphic on your side bar or
in your blog post.
 
 
Linking with:
 
@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson. 
@How Sweet the Sound
 
Now it's your turn.
Let's Talk Vintage!