our vintage life : by coming up roses vintage

I Do What I Love

2011-12-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

I got Lola Talleya friend. She's from a 1944 child's sewing kit, the kind that come with tiny patterns and little pieces of fabric to teach young girls how to sew. I love her, she reminds me of a store counter display so she's living on the counter of my store.

Speaking of the store, last month was its one year anniversary. I was sick and didn't do anything special, but it felt really good to reach that milestone. Here's to many more...

1944

2011-11-30T21:10:00.000-08:00

Hearts? Scalloped edges? Bows? YES, PLEASE!

This is Not a Lucite Purse

2011-10-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is a plastic sewing basket (the plastic seams are a dead giveaway). You see these on Etsy, you see them on eBay, you find them in antique stores and the seller ALWAYS has them listed as a lucite purse. There is even a lucite purse book that includes it. If you want to use one as a purse I think that's great and I'm sure it looks very cute, I just want people to know what it really is and not get tricked by a seller claiming that it's some ultra rare 50s designer piece worth $180 (seen that too). They're not rare and they're not lucite. They're worth about $20 at the most. At any given time you can find at least ten online for sale.

And that concludes my Vintage Public Service Announcement. Back to packing orders...

Persistence

2011-10-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

This dress is a lesson in persistence when thrifting. I found it at a store I usually have no luck at, and I had been there just a few days prior, again with no luck. I stopped by this time to find 50s hats for a dollar, 50s hostess aprons for a dollar (the really fancy kind, not the basic cotton), a 50s purse for four dollars (keeping), train cases (can't keep them in stock at the store), a 50s Lefton Halloween figurine and this amazing dress. It's made of the softest silk velvet and closes up the side with a ridiculous amount of snaps. It's well loved, some pearls are missing and a side seam needs to restitched.

I adore it and it will stay in my collection until I'm having an estate sale of my own (which will be one of the coolest estate sales EVER, by the way.)

In a cage

2011-09-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

This is probably my new favorite thing in the store...I may have to take it out and put it in our apartment...I don't think I can part with her.

Cat Laundry Bag = Amazing

2011-08-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Lucy!

2011-08-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

This was airbrushed on a car dealership by my old apartment.

Not a transfer, all airbrushed.

Belcano Sweet

2011-08-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

I'm finding that another perk of having the store is that nice people find out what you collect and then bring it straight to your door from their 92 year old mother's estate...

Anatomy of My Bulletin Board

2011-08-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

This is next to my computer in the store and was supposed to be a place to stick notes about orders and to-do lists but it ended up slowly becoming a hodge-podge of things I love:

1. My feline sons. Very important.
2. A little piece of beading and prong set rhinestones from a dress that likely disintegrated years ago.
3. Vintage corsage pin.
4. Skeleton key escutcheon that I printed out for a tattoo a long time ago (but ended up going with a different one).
5. Little 13 cents general store price sign...I'd love to know what cost 13 cents (13 is my favorite number).
6. Lucille Ball. Enough said.
7. My maternal Grandma. RIP.
8. Fredrick and Nelson tag out of a 1950s coat I ruined cleaning and still feel guilty about. My Great-Grandma in #16 worked there for a little bit in the cafe.
9. 1920s photo of two girls holding hands.
10. Business card for a local store I like.
11. Original tag off a (formerly) NOS 1950s dress in my collection.
12. Razorblade for annoying customers. And also scrapping sticker residue off things.
13. Photo out of the album that I got when I was 11 that I credit kicking off my love of all things old. The woman in the photo was the owner of the album.
14. Playing card that was in an order from simplychictiques on Etsy (one of my favorite stores on there).
15. 1955 Buick ad (my favorite car).
16. My Great-Grandma (right) and Great-Great Grandma.
17. Lady Luck sticker that I bought to put on the wing window of my Falcon...three years ago.
18. A (copy of a) 1934 picture of the building my store is in (in the basement). It was taken by the mother of an employe of the antique mall on April 21st (which happens to be my wedding anniversary) right after it was built. There has been an addition added to the left side and other things built around it but other than that it looks pretty much the same...
19. A 1951 baby picture of my Dad with his Grandparent's (his Grandma in #16) cat Zeke...one of my favorite pictures ever.
20. 1950s ads for bust cream.
21. A 1969 reciept for fabric I just can't throw away. Found in a much older chest that I use to hold the linens in the store.
22. Random bride on phone from a magazine, I think it's from a movie.
23. A mysterious 1950s mug shot that I found at the Goodwill Outlet.

Perfection, Part 2

2011-07-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Best Thing I've Found This Year

2011-07-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

I paid $20 but there is no amount of money that could part me from them!

Dress Perfection

2011-07-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Still Alive

2011-06-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hello my poor little neglected blog that I doubt anybody reads anymore. I've been fairly MIA. In April I moved from my 1902 apartment into a little 1898 apartment. This was only the second time I've ever moved and with the large amount of stuff I own it was quite a production. It took exactly two weeks to move everything and I'm still not 100% situated.

Clyde is doing well. He likes to spend HOURS looking at himself in the mirror. If he's not doing that, he's playing in water. I call him Mer-Clyde because I think he's part mermaid. Also note the old hardwood floors. I have wanted hardwood floors FOREVER and now I finally have them and I will never go back to carpet as long as I can help it.

The store is still doing well. I don't think the excitement of someone coming in with an armful of still to sell/consign will ever get old. I want to do this forever.

Vintage Green

2011-05-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Left: 26 inch waist
Right: 24 inch waist
$39 each

Photo Dump/Around The House

2011-04-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

Things I Love Saturday 4/02

2011-04-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

The giveaway winner was Michelle! Please send me an email at cominguprosesvintage (at) gmail.com and I'll get your goods sent off! Thanks to everyone who entered and reads my ramblings!

Yesterday I got to dig through the vintage collection of someone who had been collecting since they were twelve. Heaven! I scored many great things but this 1930s dress with (painted) butterscotch bakelite buttons is probably my favorite. It has a big matching buckle in the back! Other than some wear to the paint on the buttons it's pretty much mint!

Getting to to through an abandoned 1920s hotel earlier in the week (with the owners permission for the first time in, well, ever).

(Not the building, but this was across the street).

I am still completely in love with these Docs. Getinmyclosetplease.

Tomorrow is my husbands birthday but we're celebrating tonight so I gotta run but I will get the video of the store up as soon as I can!

This Weeks Project

2011-03-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Skeleton key necklaces for Mourning Market on April 17th.

The crystals are off a broken antique chandelier but I might not use them because they're a bit too big...wish I could find smaller ones (inexpensive and locally).

Things I Love Saturday 3/19

2011-03-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was asked to do the display window at the antique mall my store is in with my personal stuff but to kinda advertise the store. It has really worked! If you'd like to see bigger pictures or hear me go on endlessly about any of this stuff, I can certainly do that. Of course, I have TONS more, but I tried to stick with a pink/cream/black girly theme.

Someone really wanted to buy that pink purse today, and I was about to sell it, until I got it out of the case. I just couldn't do it. I felt like I was on an episode of Hoarders being forced to part with my stuff. It's a Bobbie Jerome and such a fantastic shade of pink! I guess my friend was right when she said "you're a tidy hoarder." Haha.

This picture of Billy and Clyde I took yesterday is easily one of my favorite pictures of my cats so far. It makes me melt!

This was once an unfortunate 80s mannequin head which my friend transformed with just a little bit of craft paint. I really wish I had taken a before picture because the difference is amazing.

That's all for this week. Don't forget to enter the Vintage Green Giveaway. I'm going to attempt to make a YouTube video of the store tonight, if it turns out okay I'll post it tomorrow.

Vintage Green Giveaway!

2011-03-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

Time for a giveaway! No special reason, I just feel like it. Since it happened to be St. Patrick's day yesterday, let's go with a green theme.

This giveaway contains...

A vintage green gingham apron with white hand embroidery (they even embroidered the ends of the ties, so cute!)

A little green hankie with great art deco detailing in all four corners

A green floral eyeglasses/change/makeup/anything holder

A vintage costume jewelry ring with a green stone

A vintage green and yellow floral card

My favorite green eyeshadow - "Cicatrix" by Archetype Cosmetics (in their XL canister, you can't buy this color in this canister, you'll only find it here!)

A green depression glass plate

20% off any order from cominguproses.etsy.com (which can be used any time for any amount of things. I recommend waiting though, as the shop is pretty empty and amazing things are coming very soon...)

All you have to do to enter is:

Be a follower of this blog and then leave a comment. Simple! You must do this entry first to be eligible for additional entries.

To gain additional entries, you can blog or tweet a link over to the giveaway or "Like" Coming Up Roses Vintage on Facebook! Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and leave the link to each one.

Overall that's four ways to win!

A winner will be announced March 31st. Good luck!

(PS: If you don't particularly care for what is in this giveaway, stick around. I will be doing many other themed giveaways!)

Things I Love Saturday 3/5

2011-03-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

Here I am, blatantly copying many other bloggers. But it's a good idea! Let's see how long I can stick with it...

This sign which my husband made for me. I wanted something super simple and easy to read from a distance. I'm going to add my logo to the empty space and probably Buy-Sell-Trade-Consign to the bottom.

This treasury we were kindly put in, which inspired my first giveaway that will be posted later this week (and also made me notice how washed out my pictures are...eek!).

This amazing photo, via flickr.

And I am currently really loving how quickly the store is progressing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not rolling in money by any means, far from it, but my dream has come true and that's better than any amount of money in my opinion. I love that I have regular customers, that a big time vintage dealer called the antique mall and asked for me by name, and that people (like the lovely Sue of Vintage Rescue Squad) are sending me incredibly generous gifts. On the downside, my Etsy is badly neglected, I haven't been able to even start on all the handmade things I want in the store and I hardly ever see my husband. Hopefully all remedied soon!

I had a baby (cat).

2011-02-27T13:23:00.000-08:00

My best friend asked me to go to the animal shelter with her. She was considering getting a dog and just wanted to look. Just look.

Yeah...that didn't happen. We each fell in love and took someone home. Meet Clyde. He's about six months old and currently passed out under a lamp in the back of my store.

Grand Opening!

2011-02-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

Having the store has been so much fun! I love watching people fall in love with something, knowing where I "rescued" it from and being able to hear what they plan on doing with it. Little things like that which make it personal are one of the best parts.

I miss having some of my displays at home, like Edith here, which is totally silly. I wish i could clone her.

Tomorrow starts the big three day city wide antique sale and I'm going to have my grand opening in connection with it. It finally feels ready even though I've been open since November. I'm spending the rest of the night getting everything ready. I even bought balloons!

We're also trying to move right now and not having much luck with finding a decent place. I just got done looking at this cute little 1915 house. ADORABLE with it's chippy paint and overgrown ivy on the outside, sadly not as cute on the inside. The living room was okay with built-ins and a bay window but the two bedrooms and the kitchen were approaching dump status. Sigh. Oh well, it WILL happen eventually.

Have a great weekend!
xoxo

Antique Pink Quilt

2011-01-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

I could have included this in my last post, as it was a 2010 thrift store find and yet another thing I got for pennies because they just looked at it as a rag. It is falling apart, full of thread rot and stains of who knows what. The darker pink fabric just disintegrates at the slightest touch.

And I love every hand stitched inch of it.

Top Thrifted Items of 2010

2011-01-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

Here are what I consider to be the top items I thrifted in 2010, and when I say thrifted I mean only things that were found in thrift stores. I also found many fantastic items at estate sales and antique stores but for this I'm only counting thrift stores. Also I'm only counting things I'm keeping in my own collection, there were also many other fantastic things found that I passed on to new homes.

Victorian Blouse

I have always wanted one and I still can't believe I ended up finding one in a bin of complete junk. It has a few tears so they considered it a rag and I ended up buying it for pennies.

Souvenir Photo

Nothing spectacular, but again, I had always wanted one of these with the paper frame. At 19 cents it had to come home with me.

1950s Patent Leather Purses

Kelly purses are hard to find around here without paying a ridiculous amount. I use one everyday and I like to have a number to choose from and rotate them so they don't get too much wear. I like them fairly plain, but with a little bit of detail that make them stand out from the rest. These were found at two different Goodwills at about $5.00 each.

1950s Lamp

So the shade wasn't found with the lamp (I got it on eBay), but the lamp itself was a $1.00 thrift store find. It's in perfect condition and could not match my living room any better. Please excuse the cell phone photo, I took it right after I got the shade and was really excited!

1950s I. Magnin Grey Lace Dress

This dress was completely mint until I spilled some refried beans on it...luckily I got it mostly out. It fits like a dream and has the most amazing tiers of lace. I call it my cake dress because for some reason anything with tiers makes me think of cake.

1950s Park Avenue Mink Collar Cardigan

I suppose this should only get an honorable mention because although it was from a thrift store, they knew what the had and priced it at what it would have been in a high end vintage store. Still, I happily paid it because, well, it's AMAZING. I've lighted the photo for the details to show but in person it's not faded. It was new with tags. The mink collar is removable with Velcro and I would have thought someone did it themselves if not for the tags mentioning the "New! Velcro Technology!" The rhinestone buckle is attached and the sleeves have little rhinestone buttons too. I love this sweater to bits and I wear it...um...often.

These are only my best thrift store finds off the top of my head, there were many more! 2010 was a great year for vintage hunting.

I'm Excited About a Heating Pad.

2011-01-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

(Photo courtesy Etsy seller TreasureIsle)
I had been looking for this vintage heating pad for a few years after seeing one online and falling in love (Pink! Roses! The little starbursts on the dial!). Yesterday my freezing toes reminded me to look and I found this one still in the box on Etsy. Mine now!

Just as lovely as the heating pad is the sellers description: Imagine you're feeling achy - so you go to your hairdresser and get a massive bee hive (being sure to wear a button down shirt - NOT a pullover)- you come home and change into your prettiest ruffled bathrobe, push your chaise lounge under the chandelier and plug in your elegantly floral fashion quilted heating pad and wah lah! you're feeling better already. All you need now is a tray of vintage tonics, a cup of tea and a box of bon bons.

1922 Kodachrome Film Test Video

2011-01-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

I first saw this last week and I'm fairly sure I've watched it 3,000 times since then. Love it...

Time For Change

2010-12-31T17:45:00.001-08:00

I have realized I spend too much time thinking and not enough time doing. My mind is constantly racing with sewing projects, ideas for the store, the thousands of items I need to list on Etsy, blog posts, business ventures and everything in between. So many ideas and very rarely do any of them come to fruition. I suppose in some weird way I've gotten into the mindset that as long as I'm thinking about it things are getting done when, obviously, that couldn't be further from the truth. Right now I get about 1/10th done of what I should be doing.

So no more! I'm not going to focus on the mistakes, just moving forward. I'm leaving my usual hibernate-until-it-magically-gets-better-on-its-own tactic behind and I'm going to start thinking positively. There are many adventures yet to be had with the store. And maybe with some positive thinking I will have a bunch of 90 year old women that haven't bought any new dresses since the 50s come in with armfuls of stuff to sell. Maybe.

I hope your 2011 will be as good as I'm going to make mine and all that cliché stuff.

xo

The Store!

2010-12-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

Long time no blog! I have been a bit busy opening a vintage store inside the biggest antique mall in the state, voted the best of the area multiple times. I'm very lucky one of my best friends owns the mall or I would not be able to have this opportunity. My other best friend helped me with setting everything up and contributing some of her amazing vintage dresses. It is a dream come true!

This is what I started with:

How to Refill a Vintage Compact

2010-10-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

Get your materials together. You will need a bowl, a spoon, a knife, rubbing alcohol, your powder, your pan to fill and a few paper towlels handy. This can get messy!

Be sure to clean out your compact VERY well to get rid of any bacteria. The compact I'm filling is quite big (four inches across) and the pan was missing when I got it. I was just going to fill it without a pan but then realised that the little latch to open it pushes in and would disturb the power (or perhaps just not be able to open). Even though it is half the size, I popped a pan out of an old MAC compact (it did not come out easily!). So it's going to look a bit silly inside but oh well, it will work! I think the next time I fill it I will use something as a barrier by the latch and fill the rest of it.

Combine your power and rubbing alcohol in your bowl and mix. It takes a bit of work it get it just the right consistancy and it wants to dry very quickly. Using an antique spoon helps. Transfer your mixture to the pan and use a butter knife to scrap the top even.

On my first try it was WAY too watery.

Second try was better but still not quite ideal however I was out of power by this point so I went with it. If you want to press a pretty design on the top with lace or cloth this is the point where you would do so, assuming that yours isn't too wet like mine. If it is, wait 30 minutes to an hour for it to harden a bit (but not all the way) and then press it down. If you do it when it's too wet you will just have a mess. Wait 24 hours for it to dry completely then glue your pan into the compact. I like using Tacky Glue because it holds well but you can still remove the pan later by popping it up with a butter knife.

Once dry, my powder had cracked quite a bit, I'm assuming because I didn't have the consistancy perfect. Still, it is functional and much nicer to pull out of my purse than what I had been using. Give it a try!

Sweetheart Pins

2010-10-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

Back in May I found this ad in an old magazine and I had to have one.

...or four.

Lucite Purse Goodness

2010-09-02T18:28:00.001-07:00

The one on the far left is sold, the other two are up for grabs! They will be in my Etsy shop very soon or let me know if you are interested.

Love at First Sight

2010-08-15T16:08:00.001-07:00

New (to me) Bakelite

2010-06-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

I coveted this necklace at the antique mall I used to work at for probably a year but it was pretty pricey. When the dealer knocked $30 off the price, had a 20% off sale in her booth on top of that and with my mall discount on top of that I couldn't say no!

Lola Talley

2010-04-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

I found this paper doll at the antique mall I used to work at, in the space of a dealer that is notorious for under pricing things. At first I thought it was a store display because she's so tall. Then I noticed the name - Lola Talley. Never heard of her. With a quick Google search (I love you, Google) I learned that it was actually supposed to be Lana Turner but the doll didn't meet with the approval of her studio so was named Lola Talley instead.

She was sold in 1942 at Saks 5th Avenue stores. She came with her clothes in a paper trunk tied to her arm by a cord. Many people didn't like buying paper dolls that way plus she wasn't really a celebrity so not many sold. This paper doll is quite rare! Unfortunately I don't have the clothes but I do have the paper trunk. I originally bought her to resell but I've become quite fond of Miss Talley and I think I will hang on to her for a bit.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

Isn't this little pin AMAZING? I found it on Etsy after it already sold. I'd love to know what it went for!

A Math Problem and a Jackpot

2010-02-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

What does the first sale of the year on a gorgeous Saturday plus the only estate sale in the area for 60 miles plus the fact that it's a sale of a long time dealer/collector equal? Just a little bit of chaos. Despite a rough start I still managed a haul that I'm very happy with:

A pink metal bathroom shelf, victorian box, antique rosary (resale), 1950s NOS bra (resale), lots of patterns (resale), a cheetah? pillbox hat (resale), a black and teal fascinator (resale), 1930s face power, a little black cat, an amazing burgundy leather with needlepoint compact, a white and black enamel compact, some jewelry, a 1950s clear vinyl rhinestone clutch (resale) and a black patent leather purse with lucite handle. I would have bought much more but I ran out of money!

These purses were the first thing I grabbed and set the tone after the shaky start. I adore them both but I know I would never use the clear one so it's in the shop. The black one however will live a long and happy life with me and see lots of use this summer. It has PINK lining!

These are my two other favorite finds for myself.

The patterns are pretty great and actually in decent sizes (14 through 18). One contained the original reciept from August 1, 1955. A few are cut but it appears all pieces are there. The original owner made notes on some like "perfect size but shrink material first" and "good gored skirt but make top large." I have no idea what to ask for them.

This hat (fascinator? I'm not a hat person) doesn't photograph well. It is in near mint condition with a Union tag. I will probably wait to list it until i get some better photos. The sun was going down by the time I got home.

So that was my day. If the sales this year continue this way I will be a very happy girl!

Relevancy Thursday

2010-02-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

Etsy has started "Relevancy Thursday" search testing in which search results order items by relevancy, not recency. While it's a good idea in theory, it has seriously effected everybody's views and turned listing into a keyword spamming contest. Sellers that use accurate tags and titles are being punished. I haven't paid too much attention to the threads about it but I have seen a big decline in views and sales. I have also seen a large amount of GOOD deals on Etsy lately and so I've decided to start posting these great deals every Thursday. Grab them while you can!

Vintage 1940s Celluloid Bird Brooch $14 by retrospace

Frosted Lucite Vintage 1940s Florida Heart Pin $8 by thespectrum

Bakelite Dress Clip with Rhinestones $12 by VintageStation

Silver and White Leaf Necklace $23.99 with free shipping by AgingGracefully

Next week will be clothes!

More Painting

2010-02-04T15:41:00.000-08:00

I finally did something I wanted to do for five years, something that would make a lot of vintage purists (and my mother) cringe: I painted my Grandparent's wooden hutch black with wall paint, painted the hardware silver and changed the knobs. The before photo makes it look much better than it really was! I always wanted to paint it but held off, mainly because it was my Grandparent's and it's a nice piece. They had it shipped over from Holland when they came to the United States in 1947. Dropping a full bowl of soup on it and my husband leaving rings from the bottom of wet glasses was the kiss of death. I'm really happy with how it turned out, it's much more "me". It's much darker in person (true black, not grey) and I think it really brings out the detailing and the leaded glass window. I know I'm endlessly complaining about people who ruin old things for "upcycling" or whatever they happen to call it and a lot of people will see this as ruining it so perhaps I'm not one to talk. I'm on this big kick of changing things so I can actually enjoy them (see the kitchen shelf post) rather than shove them aside, which is exactly what happened to this piece since it didn't really go with my other things. Now it's proudly displayed in the center of the living room, the very first thing you see when you walk in.

Sigh.

2010-01-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

For those wondering what happened with the brooch situation in my last post, I spent about an hour writing out a nice, polite but to the point email to the seller letting her know how unhappy I was with the item. She responded two days later with:

sorry.

Nothing more, nothing less, not even capitalized. Oh well...

Kitchen Shelf

2009-12-31T12:01:00.000-08:00

I recently did a little makeover on the shelf in my kitchen. I didn't realize what a difference it made until I saw the before picture while looking for a different picture on my computer. It really looked like crap before!

Now:

Then:
What a difference a coat of paint makes. I wasn't going to paint it because it belonged to my Grandparents but what's the point if you can't enjoy it while you have it?

Things I Forced My Husband To Buy Me

2009-12-27T13:01:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite things were found on Etsy!

Sunday Morning Finds

2009-12-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

I really liked the way the colors went together. Looking at this post at Everyday Beauty a little too much maybe?

The amazing blue wicker purse is for sale. I paid way too much for it but had to save it from my evil competitor that was at the sale and eying it!

With Love

2009-12-11T17:28:00.001-08:00

Fire King Primrose

2009-11-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

The first piece of Primrose I ever found was a lone snack tray, without the cup, at a thrift store. At the time I didn't know Fire King from a fire place, but it was love at first sight and I took my snack tray home for 99 cents. Shortly after I started working at the antique mall and learned all about Fire King, McKee, Hazel Atlas, Jeannette, Pyrex, etc. I really like certain lines from each company but Fire King is my favorite overall. My attraction to Primrose is definitely due to the colors. I love that the leaves are grey instead of the traditional green and pink and red are one of my favorite color combinations.

Primrose was produced from 1960 to 1962 which is a very short lived production for glassware. It was only available in two catalogs. Like a lot of Fire King Ovenware pieces they were guaranteed against oven breakage for two years with normal use. Stores would give you a new item in exchange for the broken pieces. Primrose decals are easily worn and faded. They do not survive the dishwasher, you see many pieces that sadly had that happen.

I haven't added a piece to my collection in probably two years (mostly because it's so hard to find) and I don't use my pieces because they scratch so easily but I still enjoy them. I encourage all my collecting friends to find a pattern they love and collect it, whether it's fine china or glassware. I will probably never have the $295 gravy boat or $275 shakers in my collection but the thrill of the hunt is still there.

What patterns do you collect? Show me a picture!

Yet another random thing I collect...

2009-10-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love vintage bobby pin cards. Well, vintage anything still on the card really. Okay, vintage anything period! I found two of these today and didn't even notice the brand is Pin-up Girl until I got home. I'm keeping one for myself, the other one is is in my Etsy shop!

1938 Bow

2009-08-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

I love the detail on this dress, so simple but so pretty! I have a feeling I'm going to be doing this to a bunch of things I own, including plain t-shirts. I love little touches.

Around the House

2009-07-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

And finally, the most important thing found in the house:

Ode To My Husband

2009-07-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

We've been married for two years, together for six. He lets me cover the walls in our house with pictures of dead people we're not related to and he listens to me go on about bakelite and celluloid (but to be fair I listen to him go on about about transmissions and carburetors and let him cover a wall in the bedroom with hubcaps and Model A grille shells). He's my best friend and I am so incredibly lucky to have him.

Burnt

2009-05-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

I hate using a parasol, I feel like a big walking cliché but it actually works! I quit using it after the picture and now I am burnt to a crisp. Ouch.

Unsuccessful

2009-05-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to come on and write about all of the grand things I found with the $80 I allowed myself but my haul was tiny. Despite saying there would be more antique vendors than ever there were actually less than ever. All I got was:

1 unused vintage pink powder puff (a quarter!)
Yet another floral hat I will never wear
1950s black lacey underwear (unused)
1 little frozen charlotte doll
Toy Greyhound bus with the original tag
Mourning cabinet card with funeral flowers that spell out "Mother"
A little black cat for my collection which isn't old at all
Rose souvenir postcard
A sunburn

Kitties!

2009-05-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past four years wanting this exact set and visiting it at the antique mall I worked at. They were extremely overpriced but finally they went on sale and I bought them last week. They're pretty common to find without the holder but I wanted a set with the holder and I couldn't find another one anywhere, not even on eBay.

Cat Figurine Hoarding

2009-04-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hello new collection. I love these little guys, I see this style often but it's always monkeys or dogs. No thanks. Cats or deer? Yes please!

I found the cat yesterday at Value Village and bought it so fast I didn't notice the flowers are chipped but whatever, I would have bought it anyway! I also found a reproduction black 1950s bathing suit, the exact same style I had been eyeing online for over $80! I thought it was my lucky day until I went out and the Falcon wouldn't start! I don't normally go thrifting in it (or take it as far from home as I did). Luckily someone gave me a jump and I limped it back to my parent's house where it remains. It has a problem with the charging system but we can't figure out exactly what sooo I'm pretty bummed about that. It's almost car show season!

Pin Cushion Adoration

2009-04-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

I hit a couple of estate sales this morning and found nothing exciting except for a pin cushion. Yep, it doesn't take much to excite me.

Ode to Bakelite

2009-03-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

I admit it, there once was a time that I didn't like bakelite. I know, what the heck was wrong with me? You see, I've loved antiques and all things old since I was a child. I remember fifth grade show and tell very well. Everybody else was bringing toys and I was bringing my turn of the century photo albums. I was like a 93 year old women in a 11 year olds body (I still feel that way!). My passion, even then, was all things Victorian. Stuff from the 1940s and 1950s didn't appeal to me. It didn't seem old.

I don't want it to seem like I've jumped on the current mid-century bandwagon, but I think it has made me see things in a different way (and I know bakelite is more 30s/40s but I'm lumping it all together). When I think of all the amazing deals I passed up (carved bakelite bangles for $12 each stands out vividly) and equally amazing things I sold for too cheap just because they didn't appeal to me at the time (vintage dresses, fiberglass lampshades and bakelite necklaces for example) I feel sick. I didn't think my tastes would change but oh did they ever...

But back to the topic. I LOVE BAKELITE!! Love, love, love. The smell is like perfume. The colors are so rich. The delicate clink when two pieces touch is the most beautiful music ever. LOVE! My collection is super tiny but I thought I would share it anyway.

Love Birds

2009-02-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

I found this plate a few weeks ago among piles of junk. The pattern repeats around three times with some fancy scroll work inbetween. I love it!

I Don't like Christmas but..

2008-12-25T21:41:00.000-08:00

Celluloid Photo Buttons

2008-11-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

The Falcon

2008-09-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

If you live a vintage life, you have to have a vintage car.

I now own a 1963 Falcon Futura.

That's What it's Fur!

2008-09-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

The crazy cat lady in me could not pass up this never used 1950s guest towel for $8.

Random Assortment

2008-06-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

1911 calendar plate $1
head vase $7 (more than i wanted to pay, it was from a neighbor that always has antique sales. He came down from $14.)
victorian mug (missing handle) FREE!
victorian plate $2 (I love it, one of my best ones)
three silverplate art nouveau spoons .50
1879 arithmetic book $3

I found it!

2008-05-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have finally found the print I have been in search of for years. My friend inherited a copy from her Grandma and I have coveted it ever since. I even took a picture of it and use it online for my business and avatars and such. To me it is the ideal 1940s floral print. I really thought that with the amount of swap meets, estate sales, antique shops, etc. that I go to I would find another much quicker than I did.

I just happened to look behind me and saw it sitting on a table at a booth I had already looked at. I remembered that when I looked at the booth before a woman was standing there with a pile of stuff on it so I totally missed it! I was seriously freaking out at this point, wondering how much it was marked and if I could get there in time before someone else grabbed it as a fence separated us. I tried to hop the fence but that didn't work out so well. The print was marked at a mere $12 (I think I would have paid anything at this point). I offered the guy $10 and he took it! Then of course I gushed about how long I had been looking for it and how happy I was and he looked at me like I was insane. I'm just thrilled to have finally found it!