Things We Love September Recap

Lisa's Camera's 9/9/10

Malin's Plate 9/16/10






Hilda's Grandfather's Clocks 9/23/10

Thrifting

Here's my haul from this weekend.

I love that Japanese pot in the back, too cute to pass up. The tin you've already seen, the yellow clutch? $1.50! You can check out the evolution of that Pyrex dish here in my post at the Pyrex Collective

At another thrift store I got this:

 So brassy, so awesome. 

Before and After Secretary Desk

As I told you last week I found my dream piece of furniture.

 It was in pretty good shape, a few chips here and there and the middle drawer was coming apart but otherwise sturdy.

I searched ebay, etsy, hardware sites for the perfect drawer pulls but came up short. I went to Earthwise Salvage here in Seattle and found some great brass knobs for 50 cents a piece. Killer.

Then I did my 3 step cleaning process, it's the same that Morgan at The Brick House does.
I use Murphy's Oil Soap, Howard's Restor-a-Finish oil and Howard's Feed-n-wax. I swear by this method, it makes wood shine. I filled in the chips with wood filler, then used my wood stain pen to match the color of the wood. I glued, clamped and nailed the broken drawer.

Here's the result:

I forgot to polish the brass on the feet, that's super easy though. I use Barkeeper's Friend. It's a great powder product that cleans up my vintage pyrex finds, polishes brass and cleans most anything.

I'm undecided about the knobs, but I couldn't find anything better and they were so cheap so I suppose until I find something better those will stay.

Here's the inside:

I had all these great ideas on what to do with that back wall. I was going to wallpaper it, paint it white and put orange flower stencils (ala Lotta Jansdotter) but I really wanted to keep this project cheap so I just used some fabric I already had.

Then I thought about painting the interior of the drawers white but I'm lazy and just used the silver contact paper I had.

It replaced the table in my office that I used for packaging orders. The table has been relocated to the basement as a laundry table and the desk is now outgoing package central.
(You can see the old desk here).

The drawers are great for holding mailers tape all the nonsense you need for mailing out stuff. Which is great because I tend to accumulate a lot of nonsense.

Check out the top of the desk:

I am so in love with all of this stuff. First those canisters...why are tea canisters so dope? Orange and aqua and yellow and brass and birds...awesome overload.

Let's talk about that owl shall we? It was in Mascara Jones etsy shop and I had it in my favorites for a while. My birthday is coming up and the thought of not owning it made my stomach hurt. I finally ponied up the cash and she had it to me so fast it was unbelievable. Great shop, I highly recommend. I'm so in love with that owl.


So there it is, old turned new. What do you think?

Almost forgot...

I started a new etsy shop, kind of on a whim. I had misheard something on TV and said to B "that would be a great name for a fudge shop" and the ball started rolling.

It's a funny name and I make awesome fudge so I decided to expand my empire to include fudge. Check it out.

Etsy   MotherFudgerFudge It's all delicious. The Peanut Butter Crunch is one I've been making for years and I always get a recipe request when I do make it. The Orange Chocolate and Salted Caramel are from my own brain and if I do say so myself genius combinations! I use an old school recipe that makes for deep flavors and I'm having a blast doing it. So check it out, make it your Christmas/Hanukkah gift to everyone you know.

House Tour September Recap

Raina 9/13/10

Jennifer 9/20/10

all photos courtesy of homeowner. If you would like to have your home featured please send me an email or submit pictures of your home to the flickr group.

Handmade Friday

Tomorrow is the last day for the Seattle Square. B and I have been having a blast people watching and making new friends. If we're here and they're doing it next year I think we'll do the first month, a month in the middle and the last month. So I can continue building my empire muhahaha!

Anyway, last week a Mounted Policeman showed up and put his horse in a stall, I thought it was awesome and asked for a pic. He obliged and posed. Awesome.

This is my Reversible Hobo Bag. It's one of those bags I have a hard time actually listing because I like it so much. I mean, I like everything I make otherwise I wouldn't make it but this one with the browns, yellow, oranges and aquas just screams at me.

So me, the bag, B and maybe the horse cop will be there tomorrow for the last day. Come by say hello!

Things We Love-Hilda Grandfather's Clocks

My grandfather collected clocks, any and all kinds of clocks: ugly and pretty, broken and working, big and small. He had hundreds of them. When he passed away last fall, I was the only one in my family interested in keeping any of them. I picked just a few at first, but couldn't bare the thought of separating them, so now my whole apartment is filled with clocks. Most of them mid-century, some manufactured in interesting countries like GDR, Czechoslovakia and USSR, some just odd or funny. Every time I visit my grandmother, I end up "saving" another clock or two. I love the fact that they all have so much history and how they remind me of my grandfather.

-Hilda

foreveristoday.blogspot.com

If you would like a treasured item featured on a "Things We Love" post. Email me or submit your photo to the flickr group.

Thrift Finds

For my 30th Birthday B took me to The Parker in Palm Springs, CA. Designed by Jonathan Adler (as you probably know). In our room was a pouf/footstool/ottoman (whatever you prefer) and B really liked it and I've been hoping to find one for the other chair upstairs to make it more comfortable when we sit around and listen to records.

At one of my thrift stores I found one for ten bucks, woot!

It's the perfect color yellow and it cleaned up beautifully. I think I'm going to dye the chair cushions. I'm debating gray, yellow or orange.

On the other side of the landing I found a bench for $6

Gotta love that Bruce protective barrier...bleh. The bench is great for the space, perfect for flipping through a book.

Art-o-mat

I saw some buzz around the web about Art-o-mat machines recently and the idea behind them was really cool. This company refurbishes old cigarette machines and puts small art in them. What an awesome idea!

I went to their site and found that there is a gallery that has one of the machines in it not far from me in Ballard, WA. On Sunday we hopped in the car and hit a couple of thrift stores, a farmer's market, a record shop and then this gallery.

Each piece of art is $5 and I had to get the $5 tokens from the cash register.

We set the limit to $20, I found the bunnies and kept going:

 It's a pretty cool concept and I told my mom, who owns a gallery, about it and she's going to look into getting one and I told my friend Barbara who's an artist and she's looking into applying to be a Art-o-mat artist.

Pretty neat huh?

House Tour-Jennifer

Name: Jennifer Ladd
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin - USA
Square Footage: 2400
Years Lived in: 2
Rent or own: own
Describe your style: We generally love bright colors and modern design, but we also try to stick very closely to the original style of the house (it was built in the 30's). So we have a blend of old objects with a modern, bright twist.
Blog/Website/Twitter: jenniferladd.etsy.com

What's your favorite free/found item? 
My mom's friend gave us a beautiful picture of her grandma and her grandma's first husband in a gorgeous vintage gold frame. It is stunning! We actually like it so much that we haven't hung it up, yet ... we're still trying to find the perfect spot for it!


What's your favorite purchased item? 
My daughter has a mobile of birds hanging in her room that we got when we went to pick her up when she was a baby in Vietnam (we adopted her in 2007). Whenever I look at it, I remember the excitement of those first days in Vietnam as we became a new family.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design? 
Money! As is the case for most people, I would assume, I have great ideas of how I would like to decorate, but actually buying all the furniture we need is not possible right now. We are in the process of adopting our second child from Ethiopia, so our money is going to fees and travel and furniture and knick-knacks have to take a back seat.


Is your design style organic or planned? 
I suppose a mix of both. My husband and I like to shop the local antique stores to get unusual finds for our house. We learned that we cannot go shopping with a specific plan in mind because we won't find it. We keep an open mind and look for anything we like as we shop. Once we find something we like, we do turn into planners as we spend days and even weeks thinking about how we want to change the item to work in our house (paint, reupholster, etc.) and about exactly where it should go.

What is your favorite spot in the house? 
My sewing room. It is my own little oasis where I can go and relax and think and have some time on my own. I made a point to make the room bright, cheerful, and inviting. I used all my favorite colors and lots of my favorite motifs (lots of birds and flowers!).


How has your style changed in the past 5 years? 
It has definitely become more practical. I used to decorate purely on style. Now I need to think about how child-proof an object is, how dirty it might get with a 3-year-old around, and how that particular object might be used as a toy by this 3-year-old!

What is your favorite resource or store? 
Etsy.com - I have a shop there myself for my handmade bags and purses, so I obviously spend a lot of time there. I have found so many beautiful, unusual, and unique items for my house there - things I couldn't have found anywhere else. And, of course, I love to support handmade!


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve? 
Clutter! I am a big fan of simple design with just a few beautiful objects. I try to hide all the clutter in my house in organized bins behind closet doors.

What has been your favorite design trend? 
Birds. I have always been a fan of birds and flowers, but when we adopted our daughter in 2007 and found out her name in Vietnamese means "bird song", I then gave myself free reign to decorate the entire house with birds. So much so that a few months ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel even came to my house for a photo shoot with my bird-themed purses and home decor: www.jsonline.com/features/homeandgarden/92116719.html
(As a side note, we just received the referral for our new baby girl from Ethiopia. Her name means "flower". Perfect!!)


What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style? 
My own DIY tendencies. I love to create, so I spend a lot of time trying to make my own home decor to beautify my space. Every room has something I made (painting, curtains, furniture, etc.), and I love that it reflects my own style and gives me something to be proud of!

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate? 
Its history. We do our best to retain all the original 1930's features of the house (woodwork, chandeliers, arched doorways, milk box, coal room). We are also doing our best to return some features to their original style (we are replacing light switches to original ones from the 30's, for example).


What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact? 
I painted a mural on an empty room in my sewing room. I love the simple design and bright colors - it is really a cheerful addition to my house and I love to look at it as I sew. It is the same flower/tree motif that I use in my purse shop, so it has even more meaning to me.

all photos courtesy of homeowner. If you would like to have your home featured please send me an email or submit pictures of your home to the flickr group.

Handmade Friday

I had a great day last Saturday at the Seattle Square. We had a lot of people visit the both and a fair amount of sales.

I brought in another table and more goods this time so it didn't look so sparse like it did before:

I'm hoping this Saturday is prosperous as well. B and I are having a great time doing it. We people watch, listen to the music and have a good time together.


So for today's Handmade Friday item I bring you my "Give Peace a Chance" tote:

I love these jersey totes because they remind me so much of t-shirts; soft and casual. Sadly the tote does not come with Bruce. He's just my supermodel.

Have a great weekend!

Things We Love- Malin's Plate

I got it at my favorite flea market, 2 hours away from Göteborg. When I first saw it I thought: "this HAS to come home with me".

I like the shape and the colors and I'm also very fond of sailing ships. The fact that it has a purpose makes it even better.

-Malin

ilovepeggy.blogspot.com/

Check out her House Tour

If you would like a treasured item featured on a "Things We Love" post. Email me or submit your photo to the flickr group.

Dream Find

When you think of your dream find I'm sure a lot of you picture an Eames shell chair tucked away in a pile of junk at a store, or a beautiful Mid-Century table at Goodwill.

For years the piece of furniture that's been at the top of my list is a secretary desk. There is something about the uber-efficient piece that I love so much.

I've had my heart set on a Mid-Century style one. With minimal frills and fuss. This weekend I found it. It was $25 and in my car faster than you could say "hairpin legs"

It needs some repairs, the middle drawer front is separating from the drawer (no problem, got joint clamps in the mail from Amazon), I'm not in love with the handles but that's super easy to change and the wood has seen better days.

I'm going back and forth what to do, stain or paint? I can picture it a really cool color with a bright pop on the inside with cool paper on the back when you open it up but the purist in me also sees a gorgeous stain on it and wants to keep the simple piece simple.

What do you guys think?

John Derian for Target

The goods have hit Target. My store is particularly pathetic. I'm not sure why really. They got about 5 items in and new stuff never comes.

So if I really want any of it I'll have to wait until it's available online. Here's what I'm ogling so far:

Animals Serving Tray, Appetizer Plate Set

Phrenology Serving Tray, House Mouse Serving Tray

I think the Phrenology tray might be my favorite. Probably because it reminds me so much of this record. It would make a great birthday present for those who are wondering what to get me (Nov 1) *cough* HINT *cough*.

I was kind of hoping John would make some affordable versions of his poufs for Target, now that would be truly wonderful. 

Have you seen the collection? What do you think?

all images courtesy of Target

Collections

I'm one of those people who collects. I collect a lot of different things. It drives my husband crazy. I think he just wants me to have focus on one thing like he does with music.

I walked around the house the other day and started snapping pictures of the things I do collect, not all, just my favorite items.

Starting at the top left is my brass decor. I've been all about brass for the past year or so. It's just so awesome and it gives everything a much more informal look than say chrome.

Next is my lamps, we all know I have a problem. I just can't resist. Since I took these pictures I acquired another drafting lamp. This one is pink, PINK! 

After the lamps is my bottle opener collection. Why? I don't know. We don't even drink beer.

In the middle is my collection of Mikasa Cera-Stone creamers. I bought the blue one at a flea market for $5 years ago and it started growing after that. I just love the shape of them...I don't even drink coffee.

Middle right is our collection of fortune cookie fortunes. B and I have kept all of them since we started dating. My fortunes are usually weirdo-bank statementy like "You will open a door" or "Tomorrow you will see red"...just boring and obscure. FYI did you know that fortune cookie etiquette states you are to take the cookie closest to you?

Bottom row left keys! My uncle had a HUGE key ring of antique keys. Anytime he found a piece of old furniture with a lock, out would come the key ring and sometimes he would find a match. After he died the ring disappeared which sucks because that's something I'd really like to have of his.

Next, Floaty Pens. I've been collecting these as long as I can remember. As a kid they were much easier to find. Now, not so much. You have to really search them out. You can usually find them in bad souvenir stores, gas stations and maybe airport stores. I think I have over 200. My rule is that I have to have been to the place depicted. A friend can't go there and bring me back one, I need to have been there.

After the pens. Vases. Specifically Jonathan Adler. I have a problem here, I can easily see my retirement money going straight to JA. I am an absolute sucker for his Jade glaze.

Finally Pyrex. Beautiful, vintage Pyrex. There was this great article in the Toronto Star about collectors and it mentioned the Pyrex Collective blog which peaked my interest and have just started posting there.

 So what do you collect? Is it out of hand? Do you wish you never started?

House Tour-Raina

Name: Raina
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Square Footage: 1986 sq. ft.
Years Lived in: 4
Rent or own: own
Describe your style:
post-modern, cow-punk, granny chic, boho chic - in other words, almost anything goes if I love it
Blog/Website/Twitter:
www.rainingsheep.com
www.flickr.com/photos/23257912@N08/

What's your favorite free/found item?
Wow, I can't think of anything I have found or got for free...I work a corporate job, travel a great deal for work and am in the process of finishing a degree....honestly, the only way I get things is if I dash into a store or flea market, typically oozing stress out of every pore and I buy the first thing that makes my heart pound with excitement.


What's your favorite purchased item?
My favorite purchased item is my 1974 SX-70 polaroid camera. Photography is an all-encompassing passion and this camera is divine. I love the look of polaroid - it transports me back to 1973 - I was a little immigrant kid and I got my first polaroid for Christmas three years after we moved to Canada. I was absolutely exhilarated at having my own camera.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
I love post-modern furniture; here in Calgary the only way to procure it is to buy new. Post-modern is almost impossible to find second hand or in flea markets or thrift shops. It makes loving and collecting post-modern a bit of an expensive addiction.


Is your design style organic or planned?
I generally start with a plan that 'organically' evolves into something that does not even closely resemble the original concept.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
I have a sectional sofa and my portion of it is the long chaise part that has a very clear view of my garden. I love lounging there crocheting something and drinking a great glass of chilled white wine or just browsing blogs and websites for inspiration.


How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
My style used to definitely be boho chic ... now it has evolved into the post-modern. I love the clean lines of post-modern - the style lends itself to a wide-ranging scope of accessories and I love that...I tend to change my mind a lot, so clean basics allow me to evolve our surroundings without spending a fortune.

What is your favorite resource or store?
For post-modern furniture there is only one place I know of here in Calgary and that is Kit Interiors. I love the two flea markets I frequent and there are two little stores that carry funky vintage finds - Chateau Country Lace and Honey B's - I love those two places; I can't walk out without buying something. For ideas I love the design sponge sneak peeks (www.designspongeonline.com).


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
I despise when things match...you know, those living room sets where you buy the sofa, love seat, chairs all in one go (don't pay now...we'll get you in six months...you know the ones) and they all match. These make one's space look like the inside of a Sears catalog. I like when a home truly reflects one's soul. I don't like perfection.

What has been your favorite design trend?
Definitely the boho-chic, granny chic thing that has been prevailing many blogs and design spaces on the web. And of course, for fear of sounding like a broken record, the whole post-modern, atomic ranch style that has never really disappeared from the style world but seems to be seeing a true resurgence lately.


What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
The hundreds of magazines, design books, websites, blogs and design television shows I have seen over the years. I have always been 'into' my surroundings, even as a young child. I naturally seem to care about how things around me look. As a result I always seek out ideas wherever I can get them. I get inspiration from everywhere and from almost every style. Even though I am not keen on the whole Victorian/traditional look, I still get inspiration from certain aspects of it.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
My home is large and open so small things tend to get lost and too much of anything can really stand out in the clean lines of the home. So I try to go with the soul of the structure itself - clean and minimal, classic pieces and very personal accessories.


What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
Well, we are in the process of renovating - this will take many years to complete as we do not want to go into debt to complete the projects. Rooms have different styles in my house right now because not everything is finished. I find the biggest impact is to keep things minimal and clean and always have tons of fresh flowers in the house. People see fabulous flowers and they feel soothed by the calm of the minimal decor - that is the greatest impact.

all photos courtesy of homeowner. If you would like to have your home featured please send me an email or submit pictures of your home to the flickr group.