Rearranged Design

Chairs

2012-01-25T15:26:00.000-08:00

I finally found a place for my Eames.

Exciting huh? It looked weird at the dining table with no match AND people kept sitting on it! Can you imagine? The nerve!

It's not that it isn't sturdy. It is. I'm just protective of it. As much as I loathe things that are for looking only and not for using, I wasn't using it. So I shuffled the front entrance around and now the chair is there to greet me and hold my purse. One day I'll relent and let some butts on it. Today is not that day.

Here's another story:

Months ago I drove out to the valley and bought a chair for $20. A sweet little wire and wood mid-century number. I refinished the wood arms and put it out on our porch and thought maybe I'd sit out there and watch a sunset or two. Not one sunset did I watch, not one sit did I have in that chair.

Since we moved here (a year ago now, can you believe that?) I have rotated every chair in the house in front of our desk. It's a real life goldilocks. When I moved the above mentioned Eames I thought about the chair outside and wondered if it would work with the desk.

But "Wait!" you say. "What about the wire? Isn't it uncomfortable?" you ask. Shhhh, shhhhh...nothing that a sheepskin and a kilim pillow can't fix. Observe:

Look at all the usefulness going on up in here. Things going on, stuff happening.

guh?

2012-01-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

The Rose Bowl flea was this weekend. It was another beautiful Sunday in SoCal. The mister, the neighbor and I all headed to Pasadena in hopes of finding cool stuff and we did!

I found something I didn't know existed. A plastic Cathrineholm bowl:

It turns out it's not actually from Cathrineholm. It's a knockoff from a company called Deka plastics. If you ever had a Star Wars, Rainbow Brite, Star Trek etc. cup and bowl set it was made by Deka.

The bowl is large. 11 inches in diameter and they copied the lotus design spot on. I paid $12 and it looks like that's about what they sell for on etsy and ebay. I think it'll be great for using outside without worrying about damaging since the real deal can get a little pricey.

(To see more of the plastic version check out this flickr picture)

Sale!

2012-01-05T17:12:00.000-08:00

On January 12th my Etsy shop Lolabags will be four years old. I'm pretty proud of this. For four years I've been making things that people actually want. To celebrate this I've put the entire store on sale. Everything is half of. Yep, HALF off. Go on and get yourself some goodies.

I'm 51 sales away from 500. If I could reach that by the end of the month, well that'd just be all sorts of awesome.

First Flea of 2012

2012-01-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays the mister and I held a few dinners with our neighbors. We are all Thanksgiving/Christmas orphans with our families spread out over the country. It's nice because we all have so much in common. The boys love talking about their record collections and both of us ladies love to cook and talk about vintage-y things.

The first flea market of the new year was this weekend. The neighbors and I headed to the PCC flea (my boy was laid out with a bad back). I have never seen so much Kobenstyle in the wild. Both my neighbor and I collect it and were astonished how much we saw. Of course none of it was in our colors and if it was, it was way overpriced. I came home with a light load (sadly no Kobenstyle).

Picture time!

Two Pyrex lids and a cute lightbulb jar. The top screws off and I'm going to throw spare change in there. I spent under $20 and came home happy.

California knows how to party.

2011-12-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Mister and I took a long weekend and headed up to Carmel. We took our time and headed up the coast and checked out the small towns along the way. Neither of us had been on the Pacific Coast Highway since we were kids so we relished it. California is truly the most beautiful state in the country. The only one where you can ski and surf in the same day. If you ever get a chance to drive this route, do it!

Here are my gratuitous nature shots:

See, I told you. I don't lie: Best state ever. It was a nice way to kick off the holidays. We visited with friends and had a nice mini road trip.

On a totally unrelated note Elizabeth Taylor's jewels sold at auction. You can see what they sold for here and my original post about them here.

Well Hello...

2011-12-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I bought my first Eames chair. Maybe you remember, maybe you don't. Your life is busy, I understand.

It was a good deal but sadly I have no room in my life for a school desk, even with "LSD ACID" carved into the desk. I needed to snag a new base but the problem was it was a wide mount. That might mean nothing to you and you're staring at your screen blankly, so in short. Eames shell chairs are either narrow mount or wide mount. The narrow mount has all the pretty bases the wide mount has the stackable bases.

You can change the mount but it involves wet sanding and epoxy and all that jazz. Which I know I could do but was feeling pretty lazy. I turned to ebay first and let me tell you those prices are crazy! There are plenty of affordable stacking bases which are fine but me being me I wanted a dowel leg base. Once again my champaign taste and beer budget rear it's ugly head. Finally I found the impossible. A wide mount dowel leg base.

A Seattle based company called Modern Conscience makes a variety of WIDE mount bases. They're all in the $100 range. It's more than I wanted to spend but again, I am cheap, I didn't want to spend more than $40 but the reviews I found were really great and it was made in the US and that counts for something (gotta stimulate the economy somehow). The husband agreed to it as an early Christmas present and it was ordered. I was happy, he was happy, the cats were happy, everyone with a butt was happy.

This is the part where I show you the chair. Are you excited? I'm excited.

Whaaaaaaaatttttt? How could I possibly own something so sexy? I don't even want to sit on it. I just want to hang it on the wall and draw it like one of your french girls.

Rose Bowl

2011-12-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

It was a gorgeous day in SoCal yesterday. Low sixties and sunny. Perfect weather for walking around and looking at junk. I found two pieces of cookware yesterday. One as soon as I walked in and one right before we left. A nice bookend flea-ing.

Check it:

The aqua Kobenstyle was first. I spotted it immediately and grabbed it. It was $25 and in perfect condition. I didn't even bother to haggle. The lady said if it'd been red she would've kept it. I'm pretty sure she had no idea what it was. Later in the morning there was a seller with a red one who wanted $50 for it. Which makes me wonder with all the sellers who mark up stuff and know what they have, How much longer will we have people who don't Google things? Who have no idea what they're holding? I'm not sure but I hope they never go away, I love them.

The frying pan was last. It's Descoware (Julia Child's favorite) and in great shape except for some cooked on food on the outside, which should come clean with some oven cleaner. It was $10. It's heavy as hell. I'm going to be crazy buff from all this heavy cookware I've acquired.

Going green 1949 style, Bitch.

2011-12-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

This video is making the rounds. You've got to see it. I blogged about the Eames exhibit and the Ice Cube poster (which I now own!). Check out Ice's video about the Eames.

Give a look at this Q & A with Ice from the New York Times as well and be sure to check out the movie "Eames the Architect and Painter" coming to PBS December 19th.

Flea Market Finds

2011-12-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

This weekend we visited the PCC Flea Market. The crazy winds had died down enough for the city to clean up a tad and carry on with the more important things in life, flea markets.

Usually I leave the PCC empty handed. It's free entry and a good walk so I can't complain but this weekend I found some really great things. Check it:

Three classic albums Strange Days, Moondance and Some Girls. A dirty-ass piece of Pyrex and a super rad poster in a white acrylic frame. All for under $30. When I asked about the price of the poster I expected the seller to say $75 but all he wanted was $20. I shoved that bill at him so fast. As for that gross pyrex, here's what two hours in a soapy sink did:

This is why I love vintage cookware. It cleans up like magic with minimal effort. Thanks PCC!

Weekend Finds

2011-11-21T10:43:00.000-08:00

Remember that whole thing I said about being down 3 chairs? How I said I sold some and went on a chair diet? Yeah, well that's over.

Meet my new best friend. Yeah, she's the real deal. My first Eames. Feels neat. I like it. The Sea foam is the most perfect color in the world. She's going to get a new base as fast as I can make it happen. I'd love a walnut dowel base but I'm not sure how based in reality that particular want is. $75 on Craigslist. In Los Angeles that's a crazy bargain.

Let me stop right here and apologize for the photos. Weird things are happening with the light in my house and my camera. I can't seem to make it all gel. I also can't seem to find a good spot to photograph big items without the background looking messy and gross.

I braved the rain for the Long Beach Flea yesterday. It was almost sunny when we left the house but 15 minutes into the flea it started drizzling, then rain, then a downpour. The scattered vendors that made it out were packing with a quickness so we hightailed it home and enjoyed the downpour from a cozy spot on the couch. I would stop short of saying it was a bust because I found this for $20:

Hurray! Storage!

Yuck to the photos. Maybe I need a new camera? Lessons? Paparazzi?

Dining Room Update

2011-11-16T14:54:00.000-08:00

Some new stuff happened in the dining room. I wasn't all that happy with the flag placement. It felt awkward and maybe too small, or too big. I couldn't decide. I moved some art around and even since I took these pictures one of the aqua chairs has been sold. I have my heart set on these Blu Dot chairs and I'm hoping to make it happen via Craigslist.

In case you're wondering the light fixture is not my choice (landlady's/can't change) and I still love my 'For Like Ever' poster.

This is the only photograph of my family I have in my house. I'm not all that big with photos around the house. This is my mom and dad in the 70's. It was taken by my older brother who would of been 5 or 6 at the time. I think it's such an awesome representation of 70's cool.

This is the companion picture. My brother standing in the same spot pretending to be Napoleon

So in summation. Dining room has changed, Chairs are gone, Parents are awesome.

Rose Bowl

2011-11-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

This Sunday was the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I was up at 7am and couldn't get back to sleep so I forced my husband awake and we went earlier than normal. I prefer that because it's less crowded, less carts and people stopping in the middle of the aisles for no reason. We did about two and a half hours of walking and only bought one thing.

This is a metal advertising tray for Orange Crush soda. Probably from the late 60's early 70's. Judging by the couple most likely early 70's. This was used in soda fountains, diners, restaurants etc to bring soda to the tables 'natch. It's rusted in some areas and some of the paint has flaked off but it's still pretty awesome.

Orange Crush has become a recent obsession of mine. Of course it's crazy collectible and goes for insane prices on ebay. I've always had champagne taste on a beer budget.

It's a fine line to walk when collecting stuff like this, one piece too many and it becomes a nostalgic 50's diner.

Living Room Update Update

2011-11-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update from the living room. My pouf from Tunisia arrived along with a boatload of pillows from Turkey. Check it out:

There are currently six pillows on the couch which is a lot for me. I usually hold steady at four and I was planning to edit some of the Kilim pillows off but then I sat down and found this crazy comfortable place. It was like couch surfing nirvana. So I will not be editing and I will be trying to figure out how to live the rest of my life from that spot.

The Art of Mary Blair

2011-11-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was my birthday and Bob and I went to Disneyland. I, being from Florida, have only been to Disneyworld and Bob went to Disneyland when he was four and the only thing her remembers was that Michael Jackson was there and he and his Mom chased him around the park.

We had an absolute blast. They gave me a pin and I got lots of 'Happy Birthday's and even a violin serenade. I saw about 20 other folks who were also celebrating their birthdays. Not a bad place to do it. Anyway aside from all the fun we had one of the galleries in the park was celebrating Mary Blair, who is a favorite of mine.

Even if you don't know her name you know her work. Mary Blair was an artist for Disney who did the designs for the It's a Small World ride and for the Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Three Caballeros movies among others. She was also a commercial artist for children's books and advertising. Her art is charming, vivid and distinct.

If you've got a spare $200 you can check out the book on her art; The Art and Flair of Mary Blair, Or a less expensive option are the children's books she illustrated: I Can Fly, Peter Pan, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. The Disney books are written in a style that's entertaining for adults, definitely a sarcastic bent to them.

If you'd like to see the whole collection check out my flickr set.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

Halloween is my favorite holiday. The cool air, mixed with tons of candy, costumes and the air of mischief. Oh and probably because my birthday is the next day as well has a tiny bit to do with it.

Since it's Halloween I'll link you to my personal encounters with the paranormal and give you an update. The house in Seattle never showed itself as having any tenants beyond myself and my husband. To this day I still get visits from my Uncle. I find them comforting. I miss him very much and it's nice to know that somewhere in the ethereal, in a place we don't fully understand he's there thinking of me too. Lights go on and off here, things go missing then turn up in the most obvious of places. It's him and I'm grateful for that. He visits my Mother and Grandma too and usually we'll all get a visit around the same time. Other than those visits our new home is 'unoccupied'. Just us and the cats and it's warm and friendly and everyone is happy.

Earlier this year I was discussing this subject with a good friend and she has had some experiences as well. Fence-shaking, apparition type stuff and she and I both still call ourselves "Skeptical Believers". No matter what weird, unexplainable thing happens to us we will still try to find a rational explanation for it. I think those shows on tv are hokum, orbs in pictures are just dust and anyone calling themselves an 'expert in the paranormal' are scheisters but I just can't explain the things that I've seen.

Here are my stories Part one and Part two. Have a Happy Halloween!

Speaking of cats...

2011-10-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we adopted our cat Lola.

We've had her five years. We adopted her two days before Halloween. Normally I'd be shocked a shelter would adopt black cats out that close to Halloween but the shelter we got her from wasn't the greatest.

We went in looking for the cat who had been there the longest. Lola had been there 14 months. All they knew about her was she was found in an alley in Yonkers (we lived in New York at the time). In the time Lola came into that shelter and the day we adopted her 3,000 other animals had been registered there. That's a staggering fact.

The best guess at her age is 6 or 7 (probably closer to 6). She's been a tough nut to crack. She's never liked being picked up and isn't really a lap cat. She's made big strides though, just last night she hopped up on my belly and took a nap. Our other cat Bruce and her are Yin and Yang in every way. She loves to purr, he only does for food. She hated being picked up, he's like a rag doll. She's petite and graceful, Bruce is twice her size and walks around like a lumberjack.

I feel so grateful to have her in my life.

Please spay, neuter and adopt!

Living Room Update

2011-10-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

I know I've been talking about chairs a lot lately. I promise that will stop...eventually. I made a small change to the chair in the living room. When I bought the mustard chair it wasn't in bad shape. It was kept in Bob's office and the cats just slept on it. When we moved, things changed. The cats alternated from sleeping on it to using it as a scratching post. I was appalled.

They're good cats, they don't do this to any other piece of furniture, they keep it on their scratching post but something about this chair brought out the worst in them.

Take a look:

Assholes. So I went on ebay and a month later my package from Uzbekistan finally arrived. I know, I know. I'm crazy worldly.

Ooooh Fancy fix right? These days I've been leaning towards a hippy, textile-loving, art-leaning vibe. Which ultimately just means I'm content not having gobs of money and will attempt to make do with what I do have.

So here's a before and after:

I also added a yellow drafting lamp and I've got a leather pouf on it's way from Tunisia. Check me out, I'm more cultured than Cost Plus. Yeah I call it 'Cost Plus' not 'World Market' because I'm old school like that. Recognize.

I can't figure out how to keep the pictures light and still show the hanging light. I think I need to finally read my camera's manual.

The Suzani did not stop the cats it just hides what they've done. They're clever little beasts and now they just go under it and sharpen their nails. Jerks right?

Collecting Eames Exhibit

2011-10-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Not far from me the JF Chen exhibit "Collecting Eames" opened (October 3-January 14). On display is furniture, a pavilion designed by the Eames, toys, a radio and over 400 chairs arranged chronologically. This exhibit will be accompanied by an upcoming book. I took a walk through and had a look. Why? Because I like to torture myself by looking at furniture I'll never own.

These were my husband's two favorite pieces. Aside from the lounger he said this chair looked like the most comfortable chair in the place. He was in love with the speaker, he asked if they still sold them.

Here is the chair timeline:

These were my favorite pieces, a stainless steel lounger, the wood chairs, a set of seafoam shell chairs (one day my pretties) and Tim Burton's Le Chaise. Random.

If you're interested in checking out the exhibit it's running from Oct 3-Jan 14, JF Chen, 941 North Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90038. Show hours are Monday through Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 12 to 5pm, and closed on Sunday.

To see more photos check out my flickr set.

Liz's Jewels

2011-10-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I dragged my husband to stand in line and pay money to see someone else's jewelry collection. America is weird.

Anyway it was the collection of Elizabeth Taylor on display before Christie's auctioned it all off into the hands of the 1%

The weirdest thing I heard in line? Glad you asked, it was from a woman who was talking about how she had been on Wheel of Fortune in the 70's and won $3,000 and $150 worth of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Incidentally my Mother-in-Law was on Wheel in the 70s and she won some amazing china that she's promised to will to me. I'm not saying I'm waiting for her to die but I've got some table linens picked out to go with the set (Love you Jill).

So let's get to the goods. Liz had exquisite taste in jewelry and a bevy of gentlemen ready to buy it for her. The amount of money spent on this stuff boggles my mind. After a while, seeing all this your brain just can't accept that it's all real. I was trying to convince myself that it was fake. The amount of security, however, was a sign that it was the real deal.

The Warhols were there, the Oscars were there...

Liz was such a baller that she would wear diamonds in her hair when she ran out of places. She had jewelry owned by Emperors and Queens dating back to the 16th century. Before Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal for his favorite wife he gave her this diamond and That Pearl? Yeah it's the Peregrina Pearl it used to be the crown jewel of Spain google it, it's in royal portraits:

Every time I would get up to a case, I would think that it couldn't be outdone but BAM the next case is 100x more valuable than the last one. The value on some of these pieces is just staggering.

The rings in the middle here are my favorite. They're called the "Ping-Pong Diamonds" as the story goes Liz and Dick were playing Ping-Pong and Dick promised her a diamond if she won. She did and they went into town and found the smallest diamond they could and just for laughs two more. Oh hahaha you crazy millionaires! This would be the ring(s) I would want if given a choice (and the 33ct ring was off the table 'natch).

Yeah this paperweight..

I mean, SERIOUSLY?!

The best part is she used to let people try it on. I've heard lots of stories of Liz encountering groups of school girls and letting them see it and put it on. It's incredible in person. Doesn't seem real at all.

So that was my Saturday, looking at the most expensive estate sale in the world. If you'd like to see more pictures check out my Flickr set. The stories behind the jewelry is worth looking into. You can check out this site or better yet grab the book Elizabeth wrote (I got mine for a steal on ebay).

Long Beach Flea Market

2011-10-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

I think I can officially go on record and say that the Long Beach Flea Market is my favorite here in SoCal. The Rose Bowl is great if you're looking for big pieces and furniture but Long Beach has more smalls and smalls are cheaper and that's more friendly to my wallet.

This week I found another Playboy Puzzle, three 8-Tracks (at a dollar a piece) and a Pearl Jam shirt. While digging through the 8-Tracks a dad brought his daughter over and was trying to explain what they were for, she asked him "Is that what Walkmans were for?" The time to feel old is now.

If you're in the area the Long Beach Flea Market will be having a special sale October 30th. I'm not sure what makes it so special but you can't get mad at an extra flea market this month.

Mod Dining

2011-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

I've become a tad obsessed with my new table. I've been trolling flickr and blogs for images. How do other people style them? What kind of chairs are people pairing with them? Dangerous questions.

This new obsession has spurred my monthly ideabook for Houzz.com. I've put together my dream dining room. Check it out...

Mod Dining

Browse Home Office Products on Houzz- For Example:

Bulletin Board · Cable Management · Desk Accessories · Desks · Filing Cabinets And Carts · Task Chairs ·

Rose Bowl

2011-10-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

The Sundays when I visit a flea market are my favorite day of the week. I get up early, spend two hours walking around with my husband making fun of people and then come home, maybe with a treasure, maybe with kettle corn, watch a Law & Order marathon and take a nap. This Sunday was no exception. The Rose Bowl delivered tons of people for us to giggle at and I scored a large Dansk Kobenstyle baking pan. At $30 it wasn't a steal but it wasn't bad deal either. It's in fantastic condition, I would be willing to guess it was only used a handful of times.

There were two sellers we encountered that were just unreal with their pricing. We found some 8-Tracks and since we now have a player we asked what they wanted for them. There was some good stuff Led Zeppelin, Supertramp, Kiss, Queen...a good selection of 70s rock. The guy wanted $10 a cassette. TEN. That's outrageous. For something you don't even know if it still plays & could break the second you try to play it. We quickly said "nooooo" and walked on. Later I spotted a guy hanging up some shirts and in his hand was the Nike shirt my brother is wearing in this photo:

(In case you're wondering, I was building a Lego remote control. Suprinsingly no on lets a 4 year old have a real one to play with. Whatevs)

I thought it would be so cute if I could buy the same shirt for my nephew, here's what happened when I asked how much the vendor wanted for the shirt:

Vendor: "one fifty"

Me: "um...one HUNDRED and fifty dollars?"

Vendor: "Yes"

Me: "Hahahaha"

Yep, my knee-jerk reaction was to laugh in his face and walk away. Normally when some seller names a price I think is ridiculous I will just say 'Thank You' and walk away but this guy was unreal. $150 for a child's shirt? Good luck with that.

Photo Friday

2011-10-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

New flowers, new table, new vase. It's a lovely day here in SoCal. I'm off to enjoy it. Have a great weekend!

Addition and Subtraction

2011-10-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Ana and I'm a Chairaholic. I have a problem. I just can't seem to say no to a chair. After buying a tulip(ish) chair off of Craigslist on Monday I went out again yesterday and bought another, then one-upped myself and bought a table.

See the issue? Five chairs and two tables in my tiny ass dining room. What the hell is wrong with me? Yesterday was the rainiest day in months. It was pouring and that's the day I decided to drive 40 miles to pick up that adorable aqua chair and everyone's favorite knock-off table the Docksta from Ikea. The idea of a $180 table for $40 will do that to me. I can't pass up a deal. It can be scary to watch Hoarders and think how easily that could be me. I'm so thankful for my husband for many, many reasons. Him keeping my chair addiction in line is just one of them.

The conditions on which I could buy these chairs were simple. Since my Birthday is approaching I was allowed some leniency and as long as I got rid of the old table and two chairs I was in the clear (according to him). So out with the old, in with the new(ish). Here's where the subtraction come in:

Out went the Bamboo veneer pair of chairs and in came a new aqua chair, the old aqua chair and staying are the two mustard chairs. I need to find a similar base for the old aqua chair, I keep trolling Craigslist and Ebay. I'll find it one day. Soon precious, soon.

Since I couldn't decide which picture to show you here's another:

Bruce is almost camouflage isn't he? Why are cats such camera whores?

Chairs, Lamps, Cats.

2011-10-03T15:31:00.001-07:00

This weekend my plan was to go to the PCC Flea Market but as is the norm when you make plans the fates laugh.

We had to take Bruce to the vet. I suspected he had a UTI. $200 later we're still not sure the cause just that it's not a UTI and he has crystals in his urine. Not the hippy, twirling, chakra kind; the expensive to medicate and diagnose kind. Bruce will be fine, he's on meds and hopefully this will never return.

So that put a wrench in my plan to troll the flea market on Sunday. Instead I trolled Craigslist, which is my favorite vegging out activity. I love my ipod for many reasons and the Craigslist app is just one of them.

Lately I've been on the hunt for the perfect hutch. In the fruitless search for that I found a really great chair. So naturally having just sold a lamp on CL I turned around and bought a chair. I already have too much of both (lamps and chairs) but this was a deal I couldn't pass up. I was able to get the chair for the same price I sold the lamp at and since it's less than a month until my birthday I was able to call it a birthday present.

I bought it from this really awesome lady in Silverlake named Molly. Her house was high up a winding hill and she was in the process of gutting it and rebuilding. You could tell the house was going to be gorgeous when she was done. It was a spanish-ranch style home probably from the late 30's. It had an amazing view and was set back from the road, nestled in the hills.

Here's the before and after:

I don't think you can really tell from the pictures how much better the after looks. I cleaned it with a Magic Eraser, Barkeeper's Friend and some Method Spray Cleaner. It wasn't that dirty to being with but there was definitely a layer of grime on it and some spots of gunk. The Barkeeper's Friend really brought the whiteness of the chair back.

I'm not sure where it's going to live right now. It might be my sewing chair, maybe a dining chair, maybe a desk chair.

Shop Update.

2011-09-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

I've been sewing up a storm lately. The blog's been kind of neglected but there's only so much time you know?

To make amends I'm offering FREE shipping storewide. Just enter the coupon code FREESHIP11 at check out.

That includes all vintage items! Go ahead clean me out!

Giveaway Winner.

2011-09-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

The winner of the book is...

Annie!

Congratulations Annie! Shoot me an email and I'll get the book out to you.

Chair.

2011-09-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

My chair re-upholstery job has gotten a little attention.

No, not from these guys, Apartment Therapy did a post about the chair. It's always kind of prickly when a project you've worked hard on ends up there because the comments are usually unkind. I know a few bloggers who actually dread being mentioned by AT. A lot of commenters take advantage of being an faceless opinion. They forget there are real people with real feelings who worked hard on a room/project/design. Instead of constructive criticism it just ends up being 'that's the ugliest thing I've ever seen'. Meh, That's life on internet message boards though.

So far the chair hasn't had a lot of mud thrown it's way, people have been surprisingly kind. My favorite comment so far is "Jesus, what an eyesore". Niiice, glad I didn't redo the chair for that guy, he's probably pretty hard to please.

Check it out here.

Long Beach Flea Market

2011-09-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Long Beach flea is becoming my favorite. There's a good mix of professional sellers and regular folks. Plenty of Pyrex and always some gems to be found. I wish some food trucks would show up, maybe it's a permit issue but man it would be awesome to have food that isn't hot dogs at 10am.

This weekend I had a really manly haul at the Flea Market.

A sea captain, lucite cowboy hat and 8-track player. Rad.

The Sea Captain was picked up by my husband he really fell in love with it. He rarely does this at flea markets. We aren't sure where it's going to live (maybe his office) but for $15 it made him happy.

The Cowboy hat I spied early in the morning and when we were leaving it was still there. I kinda needed it. I mean who doesn't need a lucite cowboy hat? I know what you're thinking...of course I tried it on. I knew it seemed familiar to me but couldn't confirm it until I went over my pictures from my visit to the Parker in Palm Springs.

Sure enough, it's the same hat sitting in the lobby of the Parker.

The 8-Track player is the first thing I found and I had been looking on ebay for that exact same model a few years ago as a present for my husband but it would regularly sell for $60-$100 and most sellers weren't even sure if it worked. I found it for $20, there was still no guarantee that it worked but $20 is a gamble I can make. We didn't find the two 8-Tracks until the very last booth we stopped at. Barry White and Earth, Wind and Fire for $2. Score.

We stopped and grabbed batteries on the way home but of course I bought four C batteries and this bad boy takes six. The fact that it takes C batteries blows my mind. What takes C batteries anymore? Why are they even still made?

When we got home we dug around for a DC adaptor that would fit, we found one and now I bring you to the Audio/Visual portion of this blog post:

I know, I know it's all sorts of awesome. This player and those cartridges are older than both my husband and I and they still play. This is a happy addition to our home, we're both audiophiles and love any form of music. I wish I were kidding when I tell you that we're thinking about getting a reel to reel player.

The bulky sea captain and the awkward to hold cowboy hat made me realize that we need an old lady shopping cart. Does anyone have recommendations for one? Do I need swivel wheels? I think I'd definitely trick it out with a horn, people need to know to get out of my way.

Book Review

2011-09-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

The folks at Wiley were kind enough to send me a copy of "Sewing with Oilcloth" by Kelly McCants.

It was pretty serendipitous because I've had a yard of oilcloth sitting around for almost two years now. Shameful I know but you know, craft happens.

I was excited to crack this book open and see what I could create. Turns out a lot. With my one yard of fabric I made all of this:

Plus I've got fabric set aside to make a wallet from the book but I ran out of snaps. The small pouch with snaps and the three key fobs are my own designs (in my shop if you're interested).

The book was really easy to follow and made it simple for a dummy like me. I've been sewing my whole life but I have no clue what most of the jargon means. The directions were nice and clear.

The make-up bag (pictured on the far left) is my favorite, it's going to see a lot of use.

The pillow I simplified. The book's version had a lot of applique and trim. I just sewed two 16" pieces of fabric together and called it a day.

You can check out some free projects from the book: Farmer's Market Tote and Table Runner. If you'd like to check out more of the book you're in luck! I've got one to giveaway. Leave a comment below and I'll pick out a random winner and announce it Wednesday September 21st.

Vintage Finds

2011-09-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

I hit the Rose Bowl flea market this Sunday. I had cash in my pocket from selling my Heywood Wakefield chairs and was ready for some old stuff. Since I was two chairs down I was sort of hoping to find some more like the ones I found on my first trip to the Rose Bowl but no such luck. You never find what's on your list anyway.

Here's what I did come home with:

Up until earlier this year I was under the impression that I owned all the Doors albums on vinyl. I remember trolling thrift stores and music stores looking for them as a teenager apparently I was either wrong or someone broke in and only stole my Doors studio albums and left the live ones. Stranger things have happened.

Anyway, I found L.A. Woman, my favorite Doors album, with rounded corners and a rare inside sleeve for $8. The Pyrex I bought just to cannibalize the lid for another piece. I'll either sell the dish or use it for the sink or something. The Billy Joel shirt was $5 and from his 89-90 tour. It's for one of my favorite albums. I love me some Billy Joel.

The Phyllis Diller book is a neat little story. I picked it up initially because I mean, who doesn't love Phyllis Diller? It's a cute little book about her imaginary husband named "Fang" and it's signed.

Turns out the "Bill" it's to is Bill Daily from I Dream of Jeannie. For $10 I figured it was worth the cool graphics alone.

I did find a pair of yellow and orange Tensor Lamps. The seller wanted $15 a piece which is a steal. When I asked if they worked, I swear all he did was laugh like Butthead. I took that as a distinct "No". I can rewire a lamp but Tensor lamps are tiny and probably pretty hard to rewire. It was just a can of worms I didn't want to open. But who laughs like that at an honest question? Weirdo.

Vintage Finds

2011-09-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I had plans to drive out to Whittier, CA, which is about a half hour away, to pick up an awesome Craigslist find. It was a sweet little Mid-Century swivel chair with great lines, hairpin legs and a great flair detail on the arms. It needed reupholstering badly but for $30 I figured I could make a tailored slipcover and pass it off as Bohemian Casual.

On the way out to Whittier I took a turn on a street right near my house that I don't usually go down and passed a garage sale with some great stuff outside. I stopped and it was a couple unloading a ton of teak, Mid-Century and all around neat stuff. I only had $35 on me, the cash for the chair I was picking up and an extra fiver.

I spotted the ice bucket immediately, like a beacon on this couple's lawn. I asked how much and the lady yelled to her husband "Honey, How much for the vase, urn, bucket thing?". It was one of those moments where you know you're about to get an amazing deal because the seller doesn't know what they have.

Five dollars was the answer.

The wood was pretty dull (easy fix with some Feed-N-Wax), the handle has a large chunk taken out of the back and the lid isn't correct but FIVE DOLLARS and the Teak Dansk ice bucket was mine.

When I got back to the car my husband said he had seen it sitting there and knew that it was something I'd be coming back to the car with.

As for the chair, when we got out to it. I spun it around and sat in it and sadly, so sadly, it came crashing to the ground. At some point it had broken before and someone repaired it hastily with nails and removed all the cushioning in the seat. A cat could've sat on it and it would've broken. So it wasn't just my fat ass that did it in and the store it was in did have the super cute brass candle holder (pictured above).

Oh well, it happens and if I hadn't gone out to check it out I wouldn't of scored my $5 Ice Bucket.

Photo Friday

2011-08-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

There's a few buildings right by my Target on La Brea and Romaine here in Los Angeles that are the canvases of some pretty talented street artists. Apparently this is where "Mr. Brainwash" will be holding a new exhibit this fall. I love this Beatles mural and was so bummed when someone spray painted the blue smilie faces over it.

To see more of the other murals on this building click here.

Weekend Thrifting

2011-08-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to Rehab Vintage and the Long Beach Flea Market. I got some awesome things.

At Rehab Vintage I got the carafe with the wood ball. There is something about round stoppers that I just love, I'm not really sure why. I also have the Pyrex Carafe with the cork stopper. Something about those balls...Am I alone in this? Yes? No? Maybe?

I also grabbed some more Pyrex for my collection at the Long Beach Flea Market. I got all four pieces for twenty bucks. Gotta love a deal.

I heard tales of another flea market in Hollywood, it's apparently every weekend. So next Sunday I'll go check it out.

Winning!

2011-08-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I won an auction and I have been patiently waiting for what felt like an eternity for my goods to show up and this morning they did!

If you've been keeping track I have the glass and the ice bucket to this set. In my numerous searches on the interwebs I've only found a plate (like these) and a pitcher on eBay (which got very expensive). There is NO info on these guys other than "Taste Setter Collection" and sadly this info just isn't enough. All that comes up is other designs by that company.

This is definitely one of those "White Whale" items that whenever I find them it makes me totally giddy. The fact that I don't know what else is in this collection; A sugar bowl? A large glass? salad bowls? Makes it fun when I come across them.

So keep your eyes peeled for it, let me know if you find a piece. I will happily pay you for it plus shipping.

The post in which I transform my chair.

2011-08-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ever since I found my knock-off Eames lounger (and paid ten bucks for the stool) I've never been fully happy with it. I mean, I like it and it's comfortable but it's also vinyl and a knock-off. I will most likely never own the real deal, I'm just not that fancy and having the knock-off around was a reminder of that, a small voice saying "you're just not that fancy"....what, your chairs don't talk to you?

I've been knocking around the idea of selling it but this economy isn't really a chair seller's market. So I thought about recovering it. I've seen a lot of re-covered loungers that are really unique and turn something so-so into a totally original piece. See here, here, here, here and here for proof. The chair was free and the ottoman was $10 so I didn't have a whole lot to lose.

I had a thrifted Guatemalan Hammock laying around that I wasn't sure what to do with. I sized up the hammock and the chair and wouldn't you know it, It was enough fabric to do the chair, ottoman and the buttons. So I took a few hours on Saturday and totally transformed my chair.

Say whaaaaat?

Let's look at a side by side shall we?

and a close up!

and with a cat!

It was really easy, I promise, if you've ever changed the fabric on a dining chair you can do this. I skipped the piping because it's just a can of worms I didn't want to open. The buttons were pretty easy and unless you look at the back of them, which means taking apart the chair, you wouldn't know they weren't professionally done. The stool was missing it's buttons but that was an easy fix. I just used some buttons I had and matched their size to the chair's.

I went from having a run of the mill knock-off to a totally original chair and the best part is I made it.

Music

2011-08-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

Last year my Dad gifted me with his collection of 45s (see the original post here). They've been sitting around and I finally got around to converting them to mp3s.

This was my setup. Turntable next to the computer (Bruce helping the whole time). We have a turntable that converts vinyl to mp3 and it's so ridiculously easy. Just drop the needle and hit record. It took a little over a weekend to do the collection of 149 songs. There are so many great artists. Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Big Bands, Crooners...

My Nana, Aunt Mimi and Grandpa Al at my Aunt's Debut in the 50s

The project is 99% complete. There is one more song that I need to record but it's on a 78. It's the theme song of a Tiki themed hotel in Miami that they vacationed at and I am having a hard time finding a 78 to mp3 converter.

I never knew my Grandfather and my Nana died when I was 16. This was an amazing way to connect with them. I can imagine them dancing and singing along. They've shown me artists I've never heard of and really enjoy. Music is amazing that way. I feel very lucky to be the caretaker of these songs. For Christmas I'll be putting these all on CDs for my Dad.

House Tour-Candace

2011-08-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

Name: Candace Danylewich
Location: Hemnesberget, Norway
Square Footage: 150 sq metres (1614 sq.ft)
Years Lived in: 3
Rent or own: own
Describe your style: Nordic-charm, Scandinavian, retro-modern mix
Blog/Website/Twitter: http://www.corrosiveheart.org/smak

What's your favorite free/found item?
We've been so lucky that almost all of our "mid-century" furniture has been free! The one item I happened to find in my collection that I can't do without is my secretary desk. It hides everything well, looks great, and it doubles as a fantastic workspace for my writing and various other projects.

What's your favorite purchased item?
Without a doubt the best purchase and investment we've made was our wonderful kitchen. While it might not be the biggest kitchen, it functions so well and makes my job as a full-time mom and a food-enthusiast such a pleasure. Being able to design it from scratch and install it made us appreciate it even more. Seeing it come together was a great feeling. Because I'm a part-time food writer my kitchen is my biggest workspace. Having designed it for my storage needs and actual working space has been such an asset.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
A serious lack of time! With two small toddlers in the house it can definitely be a struggle. We've actually accumulated so much in just three years but haven't had much time to bring it out or find a place for it.

Is your design style organic or planned?
Definitely organic. Sure I can plan where some art might hang, but all the rest comes into place with time and opportunity.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
Our bedroom is our refuge. Although it's not the biggest room it definitely gives us a place to relax and find calm. Since our move to this house it's been through several changes, but now that it's finished it's perfect. The colours are calming, the artwork reflects our interests and cultures, and all the rest ties in so well.

How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
I'm happy to admit that today I can call my style my own. I used to really follow the trends but now it's all about mixing ideas and items we've purchased or inherited over the years. We've also really cut back onto what we think we need. Less is definitely more and we try to keep it simple as possible. Some items have been donated/returned, and some older items have been repurposed.

What is your favorite resource or store?
I subscribe to various design blogs and constantly collect interior magazines from Scandinavia for ideas. Many times I'll see an item I like from the US or the UK and a few months later they'll arrive in Denmark or Sweden. Without these resources I'd never be able to purchase those small items I've had my eye on.

What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
Mid-century modern overkill clutter! I've always had a love for older furniture and antiques, but the idea of calling anything and everything "Danish" or "Mid-century" is too much. Finding one great item and featuring it well says alot. Introducing too many items for the sake of showing off each find really loses focus and distracts one from the real beauty and design of a piece.

What has been your favorite design trend?
The mix of old and new. My husband and I are always on the hunt for antiques and really appreciate the character and quality of older items from decades ago.

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
Mood and function. Often enough when the seasons change and we're feeling more chipper than usual, new fabrics and artwork will come out and I'll spend an entire weekend re-decorating. I also tend to re-evaluate if the items I have have a purpose or real function. If they're not something I'll use or have a place for, they'll go back into the attic!

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
Mood, season, and functionality. I tend to switch things up every so often and the seasons really reflect in my design. During the summers I will go into our garden and cut as many of my favourite flowers as I can and decorate around the house. We also have two small children that have non-stop energy. The idea of having several chairs lying around just for the sake of decoration just won't work. We keep it simple and try to avoid unnecessary clutter.

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
I wanted to say renovating the kitchen (my workspace), but the simplest decision we made was to re-wallpaper our bedroom. The rest of the house has wooden panelling (very Norwegian) but our bedroom is somewhat more unique. It makes our bedroom more of a sanctuary rather than just a room to sleep. The element of nature in its pattern (Treebomb from Ferm Living) makes this a room of interest and really brings the artwork together.

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.

Redux

2011-07-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

During our visit to the Bay we stayed in our former haunt Alameda. (Actually less than a block from our old apartment). I instantly felt like I didn't want to leave. I love that town and one day plan to live there again

So while we were there we did a quick run of the three thrift stores on the island. The Salvation Army, The Goodwill and the St. Vincent de Paul...oh but wait, something was different about the St. Vinnies...

As I walked by this window with the doors I thought "Wow, somebody knows what they're doing on the display tip" and when I walked in I saw this:

This was not the St. Vincent's I left. I spoke to Chris, the Creative Reuse and Recycling Manager, and he gave me the scoop. It's now Called Redux Studios and Gallery, They've only been open a short while (a month or so I think) and they cleared out the old thrift store and now it's a boutique of sorts. They cherry pick the vintage items that are in the shop and they also have a gallery for artists using recycled material. Additionally they are building studios in the back for artists and they plan to have teaching workshops there.

Pretty awesome huh? I'm really itching to get back to Alameda now. The prices are fair. Some of the vintage items are what you'd expect to pay at a thrift store and things like Mid-Century furniture are priced at reasonable prices for what they are.

Here are the studio spaces under construction:

So if you're in the Bay take a trip to Alameda and check it out. I'm loving the concept and while I'm kinda bummed the thrift store is gone, the workshops sound really great and I'm jealous I don't live close enough to check them out.

Thrifting

2011-07-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Bob and I went up to the Bay to visit some friends. We, of course, got some thrifting done while we were there. I visited all my favorite haunts. Some were exactly the same as we had left them. Some had changed (more on that later in the week). Here's what I scored:

A couple of vintage board games (Clue, which is a favorite around here), some sewing notions, a karate belt, a vintage thermos, some industrial clips (we use them as chip clips), a photo developing timer, a bell and a meat tenderizer. An odd lot but all incredible useful items.

Beddroom Shuffle

2011-07-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

If you're curious what spurred all this rearranging, it was the impending visit of some friends. Nothing gets you motivated to clean and get your home looking it's best like visitors.

Here is what the bedroom looked like before. It's largely the same except for minor tweaking and the California print I bought from Morgan of The Brick House has found a home after much trial and error.

The map really did get tried everywhere around the house but this seems to be the best fit. Before the dresser looked like this:

I like the trio of pictures but the one large one seems to clean up the area. My husband really likes it there because he's got a thing for geography.

We spent the weekend in the Bay and got some awesome thrifting done. I'll post my finds and something extra this week.

More art, more shuffling

2011-07-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

I actually picked up two pieces at Nick Metropolis. The first one being the 3-D Digestive System, the other is this bad boy; A diagram of the human ear:

It was one of those things that you see and you know immediately where it will go in your home. It took some slight rearranging but this awesomeness now resides above the record player.

(Here's a look at what the wall looked like before)

There's been an art moving all over the house, the "For Like Ever" print that was in the bedroom is now in the dining room. Observe:

Here's the before if you need reminding. It hides the weird cut out in the wall and fills in the negative space. I'm not 100% on it but I do like the pink with the disco ball.

Yes, no, maybe?

Kitchen Updates

2011-07-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

Last month I talked about my visit to Nick Metropolis and my want for a vintage digestive system diagram they had. It was a tad out of my price range but I went back and haggled a little and came home the proud owner of a 3-D Digestive system. It was pretty filthy. I took some pictures of it just after I had sprayed it with cleaner. Check out that dirt slide!

With some minimal effort and and a once over with a Magic Eraser (best cleaning tool ever) it was clean. It had a hole in it which I fixed it using some spackle and touch up paint.

Not too shabby huh? I did some rearranging in the kitchen. Art has been shuffled:

I also redid the fabric in my Pyrex shelves (see the old fabric here). I felt like the orange was too dark. I went with the same green fabric that was hanging above the stairs in Seattle.

My newest kitchen addition is this Orange Crush soda thermometer from the 50's. I'm absolutely in love with it. With the aqua and orange it's like it was made for me.

Misc.

2011-07-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

We went to the Pasadena College Flea Market this weekend. It's the baby brother of the Rose Bowl Flea. It's oddly laid out, half outside and half in a parking garage. With it being in the 90s I was glad for the garage part. I suppose I can't complain because it was free to get in. There were tons of records which made Bob happy but it was too hot for him to get into it. All I came home with was a nice large Mikasa bowl.

For three bucks I had to get it. I'm a sucker for 60s and 70s Mikasa designs.

On a side note the people at Houzz.com have invited me to be a monthly contributor. It's like a flickr/tumbler/pintrest site for design except it actually gives credit to the original photos and links to the products.

Check out the ideabook I made in preparation for Shark Week.

Skeleton Keys and 4 Million Dollar Dresses

2011-06-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

My Uncle used to have a very large ring of old and antique keys. He would collect them at yard sales and antique shops and when he found a piece of furniture that had a lock but no key or an old door with a missing key, out would come his key ring and he would try every key in the hopes of finding a match. Sometimes it would work, sometimes not. The great thing about old locks is that they are sort of generic and more often than not he would find a match. A few years ago I started my own collection and until recently they were just decoration.

The great thing about old homes and apartments is that there are so many charming details. Our new place has that in spades. All of the interior doors have the original door knobs and keyholes. Sadly they have been painted over for decades. Me being me I had to know if they still worked.

I set to work using an exact-o knife, dust buster and patience. I cut away the layers of paint on three doors to uncover the original brass deadbolts.

Sorry for the blurriness.

My patience paid off. The bathroom lock is now uncovered and work but something isn't lining up. I think I need to take off the lock plate and move it up but that's a task for another day.

The office door is uncovered but I can't find a key for it. Not sure if there is paint still stuck in the lock or I really don't have a matching key for it.

The bedroom, however, has a working lock AND I found a matching key!

I felt so accomplished! Is it weird I like to slip the key in my pocket like Cinderella's Stepmother? I've discovered that there's a painted over pocket door in the kitchen and I'm having an internal debate whether or not to uncover that. It looks like it would be much more work than a couple of locks.

On a side note I went to the Debbie Reynolds auction preview. I got to see this dress before it sold for 4.6 million. Check out my flickr set here. Aren't creepy mannequins with clear hands the worst?

Long Beach Flea Market

2011-06-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

Bob and I finally made it out to the Long Beach Flea Market yesterday. I'm not sure what took six months to finally get out there but I'm so happy we did! I found two pieces of Pyrex that put the finishing touches on my collection and one item that I didn't know existed and I actually gasped when I saw it.

If you follow the Thrift Collective you know that I have this glass and have been looking for matching pieces (and it's also the logo of the Thrift Collective). The trouble is with this design is that I know very little about it. The glass I have has no maker's mark or logo or anything on it. I found matching plate on flickr and all that says on it is "Taste Setter's Collection". There was a pitcher on ebay but it got too rich for my blood. So yesterday as I was happily walking along I saw this ice bucket and bee lined for it. For $20 I'll say it was an amazing deal. Sadly, there is no maker's mark or any kind of identifying stamp on this either.

The Pyrex were great scores as well. They were $10 a piece with the lids and they finish off my collection. Although I think maybe I need a couple more yellow pieces...

It was a fantastic flea market. Not as many professional sellers as the Rose Bowl but just as much good stuff. On a side note Bob and I discovered something about haggling. We are both very polite when we ask for a better price usually saying "Would you take ____?" but we've noticed that if you ask the price and just stand there the seller will usually come down on his or her own. It happened a few times this weekend and last weekend. One of us would ask the price, the seller would give it, we'd remain quiet and then the seller would come down five or ten bucks. So I guess apathy is a haggling tool now?

Nudie

2011-06-13T16:27:00.001-07:00

This past week and weekend I visited a bunch of Antique Malls here in Los Angeles. In my Google search I came up with five, FIVE isn't that sad? Well I went to all of them and only ended up with one thing but it's a doozy.

Shield those virgin eyes!

If you remember I've found two other centerfold puzzles. This one is different because it came in a box not a can and it's a dude. Peter Lupus to be exact. Lupus (who is clearly not Jewish) had all his pieces and was only ten bucks at the Long Beach Antique Mall.

Of the five I went to this was my favorite, it was huge and it had everything. It was aisles and aisles of old signs, Pyrex, Housewares, Records, Doo-Dads and Thing-a-Ma-Bobs If there's a heaven, I hope this is what it's like. The prices weren't terrible. This puzzle was $10 and This Sunday at the Rose Bowl Flea Market they had the Playboy Puzzles in cans for $25 and $35.

Although they did have my $14.99 dresser for $485 but I consider that a normal price for Mid-Century furniture here in in LA.

Now I have a weird little pornographic collection

Neat

2011-06-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles is a strange place. Not just in the sense that there are a lot of free thinking individuals out here, Like the kind of people who name their kids "Rainbow" and grow their food on communes (Don't get me wrong there's plenty of people like that). I mean strange in a way that the movie industry effects this town in a huge way. I think if it were decided tomorrow that all the movie studios would move to Omaha this place would turn into a ghost town.

When a new movie comes out there are XL billboards for it everywhere; at parking garages, plastered on buses, in hundreds on handbills on abandoned buildings etc. On an average day I see Johnny Depp and Zach Galifianakis' faces twenty times. One of the byproducts of this being where movies are made is that businesses pop up to cater to the studio's needs. There are stores that resell clothes that have been used in movies and television and There are prop houses for furniture and miscellany that are used on film. The latter is what I visited this weekend.

Right near my grocery store is a place called "Nick Metropolis The King of Collectible Furniture". The outside of this place at any given time has giant Greek statues, Life size plastic horses with the Louis Vuitton logo painted on them, giant neon signs...I had to check it out.

This place is huge and filled with treasure. It is all available for rent or to purchase. They've been there for 19 years and they can usually tell you what movie or show any item has been in.

There's something really awesome in this picture I wanted. No, not the giant Colonel Sanders. Next to him is a vintage chart of the digestive system. I want that for my kitchen. Sadly it was out of my price range.

There was furniture as far as you could see, every kind and style. Need a giant model of the Simpson family? They have two. Need some bowling pins with the Beatles painted on them? They've got you covered.

See? Louis Vuitton horse. I don't lie.

So with all this amazing stuff what did I come home with? Something entirely pedestrian. Five years ago when Bob and I moved from New York to California we were moving from a two bedroom to a studio. We had to get rid of a lot of non-essentials and I ended up giving up this huge vase from Ikea. As soon as I dropped it off at Goodwill I regretted it. Since then I'd been checking every glass aisle whenever I was in a thrift store for the same one. Well, this treasure trove of the weird had two! I was happy.

It's a really awesome place and if you're here for a visit you should take a look. The guys there are super friendly, I even got a Dentist recommendation.

Thoughts

2011-05-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

Last year I discussed a certain store and tried to be diplomatic and not name them, but they keep on doing reprehensible things so I feel like I should out them.

Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters are owned by the same company (which also owns Free People, Terrain and Leifsdottir). Aside from giving large donations to Rick Santorum, a man I find reprehensible, Urban Outfitters is constantly ripping off indie artists and vintage furniture and selling the designs as their own. Anthropologie is no slouch in the copying department either...

There is example after example of this (and more here and here). There is even a blog devoted to their rampant thievery. Sadly they have done it yet again to an Etsy artist I admire. Her California necklace has been on my wish list for quite some time and now it's been outright copied by UO.

Take a look:

They even stole some of the write up on the necklace. I urge you to show your support to Truche and buy the original. Yes it's more money but it's original, real silver and handmade. You could also send a message to Urban Outfitters and boycott them as I have.

Update: Urban Outfitters just stopped selling the necklace on their site. After being a trending topic on Twitter and an article in the Huffington Post seems like they got the message. I hope they change their ways and not just in this one instance.

Marimekko Shops

2011-05-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

I was excited when Crate & Barrel announced they would be opening up mini-Marimekko shops within some existing Crate & Barrel stores. I was even more excited when Los Angeles was on the short list of cities getting one. Ours opened last Friday so I went to take a look.

It was much bigger than I was expecting. They took out their entire bedding section and put the mini-store there.

They had a lot of items. Kitchenware, bedding, fabric, bags etc. For Marimekko it was well priced.

I didn't want to spend to much so I limited myself to one plate (I was such a good girl!)

You can see all the goods on their site, which has much more than is in stores. Now if only LA can get a Crate & Barrel outlet where I can get the fabric squares for 25 cents again...

House Tour-Amy

2011-05-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Name: Amy Burkhart
Location: San Diego, CA
Square Footage: 820 sq ft.
Years Lived in: 1.5 Years
Rent or own: own
Describe your style: modern, retro, colorful
Blog/Website/Twitter: finderskeepers-designs.blogspot.com/

What's your favorite free/found item?
I found some old pieces of wood with interesting colors and graphics on them so I created an assemblage art piece with them. This piece hangs in our living room above the credenza and has been a big part of deciding the color choices throughout the entire house.

What's your favorite purchased item?
I would have to say either our mid-century dining room set or the wollypocket www.woollypocket.com/ I purchased and created a living wall with. I just love having an indoor vertical garden on our wall and my cats can't reach to eat the plants!

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
Not enough time or money. Also, designing in a small space has its many challenges, particularly furniture placement and storage.

Is your design style organic or planned?
Mostly it's organic. I have so many ideas and those ideas constantly change or are built upon.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
The house is still not completed and is a work in progress, but so far I love our living room. You wouldn't think grey to be a warm color but it really is! Plus with all the natural light it's a very warm and relaxing room that I love to spend time in!

How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
These days I try to purchase a lot more used items rather than buying new. It takes a lot of time and patience but it's definetly rewarding when you find that unique item and you've saved something from going into the landfill! Plus I have saved a lot of money buying used items.

What is your favorite resource or store?
Craigslist, Ebay, swap meets and Etsy are where I have found my most prized treasures!

What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
I don't like when rooms feel really disconnected from each other. This is often because room colors chosen just don't relate to each at all making each room feel like it belongs in a different house. I prefer rooms to flow nicely from one room to the next.

What has been your favorite design trend?
Mixing old with new. Re-using/re-purposing items. I also really love this big interest in vertical gardening and getting rid of lawns in place of more water friendly plants (xeriscape) or edible gardens. I'm also pleased to see some people moving away from purchasing items from big name stores in place of buying handcrafted items from local artists or from places such as Etsy.

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
I read a lot of design blogs and I love Dwell and Modernism magazines.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
Probably the size of the space, it's small, really small.

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
It would have to be paint (although I wouldn't call it easy). It's amazing how different our house looks just by giving it a new paint job!

Sunday Shopping

2011-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Morgan of The Brick House had a Pop-Up Sale here in Los Angeles. I, of course, went...I mean, have you seen her house?

I got there about ten minutes early, I had to park a block away and there were about twenty people in line ahead of me, then about fifteen behind me. The general consensus was that it wasn't as big as most thought it was going to be.

They opened about fifteen minutes late which whipped everyone into a frenzy, people wanted IN.

There was a bum rush going in, people were crazy! I knew exactly what I wanted. I knew I wanted it when Morgan blogged about it back in February. I had scoped out where it was while I was in line and made a bee line for it. As soon as I picked it up a woman asked if I was sure I was buying it. I imagine this is what those crazy wedding dress sales are like but with lamps.

I thought I would get a lot more but I didn't, I was conservative.

Print, pillow and a vase. The print is HUGE, I'm not sure I have a place for it just yet. Some shuffling might need to take place.

DIY Sun Jar

2011-05-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I found some old lidded jars behind the house. I asked my landlady if I could have them for a project she said sure. I didn't know what I would do with them but I knew if all else failed I could store food or craft supplies in them. They've been sitting on my sewing desk for about two months now and then on Friday it hit me; Sun Jars!

In case you missed it Sun Jars were all the rage about five years ago (I'm always late to the party). A Google search will reveal loads of instructions on how to DIY these. They are crazy easy and pretty inexpensive.

Instead of buying frosted glass spray paint for the jars I used Ikea's Amorf Frost window film that I had used in the bathroom. I was going to stick it to the sides but it proved to be a difficult task. So instead I just rested it in there like a tube. It looks much better that way and kind of gives it modern look.

Before removing the backing

Once I cut and wrangled all the pieces of film in the jars I glued the solar lights to the lids. (I used some $3 ones from Target). The tops just pop right off and are the perfect size.

After each light fell off a couple of times I finally super glued the hell out of each lid, let is rest for 24 hours then closed the jar. This did the trick.

It's important not to frost the lid because if the solar panel can't charge then it won't work.

Sorry for the crappy picture. It's not dark out yet. The neat thing about this is that you can change the color of the light by taping colored plastic (like a Gatorade label) over the LED. If you were so inclined you could change the colors for any given holiday. The project cost me $15 total for six Solar Sun Jars.

So here's what I used:
6 Jars (free)
Amorf Frost Window Film (free but usually $4.99)
6 Solar Garden Lights $15

The Heat is On

2011-05-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

Ugh the heat is here. Despite the fact I was born in Florida I have, and never will get used to the heat. I turn into a cranky child very quickly if it gets above 74 degrees. My poor husband, pity him.

This weekend we bought a a/c unit on Craigslist ($25!) knowing the heat would be here soon. It's a shame because when we left NY we left behind a really awesome window unit but since we were moving to a studio that didn't allow them we had no where to put it. Oh well, if hindsight were 20/20 right?

The trouble with a/c window units is that they're are fugly. All of them. Not as bad as wall mounted ones, I shudder to think of having to decorate around one of those.

So now that the 80+ temps are here and forcing me indoors I can cope a little better.

Ahhhh remote controlled luxury. To get around all the ugliness I had to get creative. The lady who I bought the unit from no longer had the mounting kit, so I had to buy the window panels separately. Another problem presented itself; I couldn't have the a/c on while I was changing unless I wanted the neighbors to get a free show.

So here's how I tackled that prob. I fashioned a white curtain by cutting out the corner of a white sheet I use for lining my bags and a tension rod. This thing hides all sorts of ugly. It covers the duct tape that I used in place of the panel frame, prevents the neighbors from seeing my naughty bits and makes it slightly less bright when the sun rises.

I was all set to sew and hem it but the husband convinced me not to. Once the blue curtains are drawn up to the unit you can't see the raw edges, pins or a/c panes and duct tape. That's a win to me, I see no reason to create extra work for myself.

Nom

2011-04-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't guessed, I love cooking. A while back I did a post for Meg of Queenie take Manhattan about my favorite home made ice cream. Well that recipe has been trumped my friends.

I bring you:

Elvis Ice Cream

cue giant flashing lights

It's easy as pie...errr ice cream to make. Usually the ice cream recipes I follow are egg based and extremely tedious. I found this one and with all of four ingredients it was amazing. It is now the reigning king of ice creams in my house. Here's the How-To:

Elvis Ice Cream
1 cup peanut butter (Crunchy or Creamy is up to you. I did halfsies)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla extract (Make your own, it's crazy easy and so cheap in the long run)

Half a banana, chopped

1/2 to 1 cup of chocolate chips (up to you how chocolatey you want it)

Combine the peanut butter and sugar until smooth. Add the milk. Blend on low speed until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and the vanilla. Chill in the fridge for a few hours.

Put mixture in your ice cream maker and stir for 20 minutes, during the last five add the banana and chocolate chips. I have a Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment and very rarely is it thick ice cream after 20 minutes. At that point I put it in a tupperware container and freeze it overnight and then it turns into this:

It's seriously awesome. For the ultimate Elvis experience serve it on a waffle.

Bedroom

2011-04-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

I finally got it together enough to take some pictures of the bedroom. There are some things I really love about this room and some I don't. Let's look shall we?

I'd really love to swap out the dressers and have the TV on the other wall but there are only two electrical outlets in this room and of course they're not where I need them to be.

I love the light in this room and the floors. What's not so lovable is the small-ish shape, I mean I've had much smaller so it's not that big of a deal but the layout is a bit odd. See that door? That's the door to the bedroom from the living room. Across from it is the other bedroom and then down the hall the bathroom. So any time a guest has stayed over they've got to open our bedroom door to use the bathroom. Not an ideal situation but living in an older place mean you embrace the quirks.

Back!

2011-04-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

Not that I didn't love all the guests that I had for the past two weeks but oh how I love my empty home!
First we had friends visiting then a two day break in which I did many loads of laundry and cleaned. Then my Mother-in-Law was here for a week. It's nice to have my own bathroom again and sprawl out.

As a result I haven't been able to blog for a while. I'm going to rectify that right now.

Last Sunday Bob and I hit up the Rose Bowl Flea Market and came home with some goodies.

No big items but some nice ones. Another nudie puzzle (you can check out my first one here), orange tupperware (I swear by these), pyrex, an aqua striped purse, a rad yellow tray and a hand painted sugar skull.

I still haven't hit the Long Beach Flea Market. It's about 30 miles away from me and the prospect of getting up early on a Sunday and driving that far usually loses to my super comfy bed.

Roosevelt Hotel

2011-04-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've been crazy busy. This week we had friends in from out of town and right now is the one day break I get before my Mother in Law is here for a week. I know what you're thinking but I actually like my MIL. So it will be a good visit.

With all the cleaning prep work to be done for guests, then the clean up after they leave, then more cleaning for new guests I'm pretty exhausted. This post will be all I can manage to eek out until late next week.

While this round of guests were in town we did a ton of fun stuff, namely lunch at the Roosevelt Hotel. This is something I've wanted to do since I was about 12 or 13. It's reportedly haunted and there are loads of Hollywood tales that it was the scene of. It's not what I was expecting though. I always pictured something a little smaller and slightly rundown. It was renovated in 2005 and is super fancy and much bigger than I imagined.

It's big and rambling. The lobby is filled with beautiful dark leather furniture and a beautifully painted celling.

The tile work all over the hotel is exquisite. Super luxe, it was fancy then and is fancy now.

Up next on my Hollywood hotel list is the Chateau Marmont. I am super excited about this. This weekend I'll be hitting the flea market. I hope to report back with some good finds.

The lamp's new home...

2011-03-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today I'll show you where the lamp ended up.

Here's what the dresser looked like pre-lamp:

Post lamp:

Now, I know you're looking at this thinking "Wow that would look great if the TV was gone". I couldn't agree more.

I think it looks fantastic without the tv. The only problem is the guy I married. He's staunchly pro-TV. My suggestion was for him to get an ipad and then he could watch TV in bed that way and he's ok with that but the economy sucks and we just don't have ipad money to throw around.

So for now the tv stays. Compromise is a bitch.

Craft Break

2011-03-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Monday night I decided to take on a craft project I had never tried before. It was around 10pm and I was bored. That's when craft happens.

I had this lamp I picked up while thrifting with Morgan:

It had been sitting around since I bought it and it's a goliath of a lamp and I was having trouble finding a shade for it. So I popped the only massive shade I had on it. Honestly it was on craigslist for a few weeks. I was ready to be done with it. Then inspiration hit!

I saw this picture and was immediately drawn to the lamp.

House Beautiful/Roman Alonso

So with help from google and some super awesome teal canvas I made this:

It was pretty simple really. The macramé 70s trim just peeled right off. I laid the fabric on the floor and rolled the shade and traced it with chalk, cut that fabric. Then used spray glue and clothespins. Thankfully my husband was there to help. Otherwise it would've been tricky. You definitely need an extra pair of hands.

Tomorrow I'll show you where the lamp lives now.

Contents may have shifted.

2011-03-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the sporadic posting. I'm trying to get settled and find a rhythm with the blog but I'm failing. I've been really busy with both etsy shops (Lolabags and Motherfudger). I'd like to get the House Tours going again but it takes a lot to get them on the blog. Lot's of emails and back and forth. If you'd like to do one shoot me an email.

In the meantime here's another shot of my open cabinet.

New pieces have come in, old ones out. (Here's the old post about it).

Art Shuffle

2011-03-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

So a while back I was watching TV and I saw this awesomely huge framed California state flag. I can't remember if it was an episode of Hoarders or this documentary I watched on unclaimed corpses. Either way it's a pretty strange place to grab decorating ideas from.

So with I was bitten by that little bug (god I hope it wasn't a Bed Bug) I started searching for a flag. It was going to have to be a California flag. This is my adopted home state. My Mom's family is from here and I spent a few summers here so I claim it. Suck it Florida. I don't care what my birth certificate says.

There's a lot of cheapo nylon flags out there but when you search for a vintage flag nothing comes up. Go ahead go to eBay and search "vintage california flag". I'll wait.

Underwhelming huh?

My persistence finally paid off and I found a Bicentennial flag. My ultimate goal is to frame it with a white background and frame but for a 3x5' flag it would be pretty costly.

So for now I've got it on a curtain rod. At first I secured it with fabric tape but my Mom said that could bind with the fabric on a humid day and cause some permanent damage. So I put two tiny stitches on either side in matching thread. When the time comes I can just snip the stitches and leave no damage.

FYI did you know that it was originally supposed to be a PEAR on the flag not a bear?. The request to the designer was misunderstood and the bear stayed.

So the flag is now in the dining room. Here's what was there before:

and now:

I love that the flag is imperfect, it's tattered and stained. When it's framed it's going to look so great.

So the three pieces that were in the dining room got moved to the hallway:

I love it.

Living Room

2011-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

I am prepared to show you the whole front room. Ready? Good...

This part you've seen but some minor changes happened to the mantel.

Here's the view from that mustard yellow chair:

This is the other side of the room, near the front door:

and a view from the front door:

The next rooms to finish is my studio and the bedroom

Rose Bowl

2011-03-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

I went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market this Sunday and it was amazing! There were deals to be had everywhere and so many good finds! I have had NO luck at the thrift stores here so it seems my mojo kicks in at the flea markets.

Sadly these are things I did not buy:

This is the stuff nightmares are made of. I believe the eyes light up as well. CREEPY

Who doesn't need a Dolly Parton trash can? Right after I snapped this picture two guys came up and started taking pictures with it, like it was actually Dolly. I really hope they bought it.

I found four things and two of them were such great deals, like deals so good I felt like I stole them.

Wanna See?

That Pyrex is more teal than the photo. They guy in the booth selling it was amazing. There were tables and tables surrounding with him in the middle and he was barking out prices and saying everything was from his "Auntie" and making phone calls about the price of silver.

The lucite stool I saw last month and I wanted it then but we bought the chairs and art and were at our budget limit. The vendor still had it and for twenty bucks it was all mine.

The suitcase...oh the suitcase! It's from the Samsonite Fashionaire line from the 60's. It something I have pined over for a long time but they go for a hundred or so on ebay (plus crazy shipping prices). The line was reissued in 2007 for a limited time and that was sold out fast. We were just gearing up to leave when I spotted it in a booth with clothes and shoes on the ground. The guy wanted $25 for it. TWENTY FIVE. Sold.

The outside cleaned right up, it's in fantastic condition. There's some very slight yellowing from age but that's it. All the stitches are still in place. The inside is pretty beat up. There is some staining and the divider is missing but I'm not all that concerned about it. I'd rather the outside look good than the inside.

The Long Beach Flea Market is next Sunday. It'll be my first time there. I'm excited to see how my luck pans out.

Preparedness.

2011-03-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

George Takei was on CNN last night and he said something pretty powerful:

"At a time like this, We are all Japanese".

Like most people I have been totally unnerved by what is happening in Japan. I have only been through two small earthquakes in my life and on Friday I came to the realization that I have nothing to rely on in case of an emergency...nothing.

We have no kit, no plan, we've never had a discussion about what we'd do. That's all about to change. Bob and I both grew up dealing with Hurricanes. Those are easy. You have plenty of warning to get supplies or vacate. With things like Earthquakes, Tsunamis and Tornados you have not warning.

Because my fear is immediate I bought a kit from the red cross and will be adding anything I feel it lacks (cat food, a multi tool etc). If you would like to put together your own, and you should this week, there is no reason not to. Here are some helpful links:

Red Cross List of Preparedness including Earthquake Safety and Pets and Disaster.

Be informed, make a kit and have a plan. You should be aware of what types of disasters could happen in your area, have a plan (and have practiced it), have a kit and preferably one member of the family should be trained in CPR and first aid.

If you are busy and don't have the time buy a kit (50% of the product retail price goes directly to the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross, a 20% portion goes directly to your local chapter).

Be safe. Don't forget the elderly folks in your life and your pets.While you're at it and motivated throw a little cash towards the Red Cross Japan Relief effort.

Photo Friday

2011-03-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

This is a mirror wreath hanging above the bed. It throws light around like the disco ball. I love it. From this window you can see the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory. Two incredible Los Angeles landmarks and you can see them from my bedroom.

This Sunday I'll be heading to the Rose Bowl Flea Market again, hope your weekend is wonderful. It might be better if you throw a little money towards the Red Cross for those in Japan (terrifying isn't it?).

New to the Shop.

2011-03-09T12:03:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to share with you guys my newest endeavor...Pyrex Art!

They're all available in my etsy shop and for you guys 10% off when you use the coupon code "ILOVEPYREX". I have some hanging in my kitchen and they look fantastic next to the real deal.

Partial Bedroom/Partial Nudity

2011-03-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Careful this post contains (slight) nudity!

I'm not quite ready to show you the whole bedroom, I'm still figuring things out. Frankly I'm still figuring the whole place out. There's a lot of shifting going on. Even the rooms that I've shown you have changed. Art is trading rooms, things are getting donated. There's a lot of editing happening and I'm pretty happy about that. I think we took on too much stuff int he last place, scratch that, I know we did.

So here is the view from the bed.

I just picked up the mobile at CB2. I love the teal in it but not the green. I thought maybe I could spray paint it all white...I'm still not sure.

Just looking at the picture I know I can lose the vases by the TV. I would love a nice white flat screen that would just blend in with those posters but sadly, I don't have the spare $300 to splurge on something like that and that little TV keeps on going. It's entering it's 23rd year of service. It's older than the cable guy who installed it's cable.

Thoughts? Lose the mobile? Paint it? Leave it?

Better with Before Pics

2011-03-03T17:30:00.001-08:00

A while back I found this brass bust of JFK while thrifting. He was attached to this wooden weirdo base and had some odd stains on his head (insert tasteless assassination joke here). Today I was going through some stuff and was about to put the 35th president in the sell pile but then thought "maybe I can clean him up a bit".

Like the title of this post implies, it would be much better with before pics, the best I can do is this one:

He's off the wooden base but in some serious need of cleaning. Now normally I don't like to polish brass. I just prefer the way it looks tarnished but I thought I'd give it a whirl:

Not too shabby right?

I let him sit in a bowl of warm water and Bar Keeper's Friend, then I used the paste of powder that had formed of the bottom of the bowl and cleaned him up. The strange stains came right off.

Actually they came off in one piece leading me to believe they were glue or something like it. Mr. President polished right up and of course I'm not giving him up now.

All of that leads me to this: My favorite cleaning products (boy I wish I was getting paid for this)...

I think these are the four hardest working products you can use.

Magic Eraser: Great for cleaning off dried paint, food bits off of Pyrex, weird gunk etc. I haven't found one thing that I couldn't clean with a Magic Eraser. FYI: The knock-off ones from Target work just as well.

Bar Keeper's Friend: Fantastic for cleaning and polishing brass, porcelain and any unidentified metal.

Murphy's Oil Soap: Great for cleaning up wood floors and furniture. I just used it on a bench I've had for years and was amazed how much cleaner and brighter the Murphy's made it.

Howard Feed-N-Wax: Usually if I'm using the Murphy's I'm using the Feed-N-Wax after it. It rehydrates dried up wood, shines it up and makes it look amazing. I even used it on my new chairs, usually the normal thing to clean up fiberglass chairs is petroleum but the Feed-N-Wax worked like a charm. It restored the shine and filled in a lot of scratches.

Worth a mention is the Tibetan Almond Stick. It's a fantastic smelling stick that fills in scratches and dings on wood.

Palm Springs Thrift.

2011-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

Here's my tiny haul from Palm Springs. I spent $8 total.

This tray I found at the same store I found my awesome tulip candlesticks at. I'm not sure if it's teak or not. Boy was it dry...I could hearing it begging for water it was so DRY.

I cleaned it up with Murphy's Oil Soap and Feed-N-Wax and it just shined right up. You can really tell in the last picture how shiny and happy it is now.

My other find was this sweet little cooler. There's something about me you should know; I can't resist a good cooler. I don't even like to camp. I think it has to do with me being so compartmentalized. My dream is to find a metal one. Someday my prince will come.

It was dirty. Nothing that a little Magic Eraser (best cleaning tool ever) couldn't take care of.

I'm ready to fill it up and camp out in the living room.

Frank's Place

2011-02-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday I headed east out to Palm Springs. My intent was to join the Modernism Week festivities late, tour Frank Sinatra's House, thrift and check out the Vintage travel trailer show.

After checking out Frank's place I started thrifting and while I knew it would be slim pickings due to everyone and their mother being out there all last week but after 8 stores and only finding two things I was feeling kinda blah about the whole thing so I high-tailed back to LA and trolled Craigslist instead.

So while I don't have any reviews of the conventions or the tours, I do have so great pictures of Frank Sinatra's house...wanna see? Good.

Named "Twin Palms" Sinatra had it built in 1947 when he made his first million. He shared this home with Ava Gardner. While he only lived here for five years (moving on to more palatial digs in nearby Rancho Mirage) He did leave his mark. There's a crack in the master bathroom sink from a champagne bottle thrown by Ava in the heat of an argument.

It's got a knock out entrance. The first thing you see is the piano shaped pool, natch.

You enter through the dining room and living room. It's important to note that none of the furniture belonged to Frank. He hasn't lived here for over 50 years. The only thing that was his was the Hi-Fi set.

What struck me about the house was that it was smaller than I expected. It's three bedrooms and six bathrooms (including the his and her's pool house changing rooms). After this place he on to a 8,00 sq ft compound.

Frank Jr's Room.

Nancy Jr's Room.

I am totally in love with this bathroom. It's the main guest bathroom for the house and the smoke mirrors and pool blue tile are incredible. Add some Nelson lamps and a Flokati rug and it's just SO decadent. I think every bathroom needs a giant clam shell.

Frank and Ava's Bedroom.

So here's the famous crack. The legend is that Frank and Ava were arguing over Frank's affair with Lana Turner. Ava threw a champagne bottle, Frank ducked and it landed in the sink. It's a great story. Who knows if it's true.

Kitchen

Here's the Kitchen's Dining area. I didn't ask if that fixture was original, it's amazing.

This is the view from the driveway in the back, gorgeous isn't it? Palm Springs is so pretty and it was 64 degrees. I can totally see why everyone flocked out here and built these fabulous houses.

If you'd like to see more pictures, check out my flickr set.

Palm Springs Here I Come!

2011-02-24T05:43:00.000-08:00

I'm off to Palm Springs for the tail end of Modernism Week. I'm going to Frank Sinatra's House, checking out the Vintage Travel Trailer show and doing a TON of thrifting.

Have a great weekend!

Dollhouse

2011-02-23T05:21:00.000-08:00

I worked on this project in the summer and fall of last year and then completely forgot to share it. I know I keep saying that the move fried my brain but it's true.

So let's go wayyy back to 1988. My Dad got me a dollhouse. It was a big kit and we built it together. Or really, he built it and I handed him glue and pieces asking when it would be done. I think at 8 I was a little old for it but (and this might be a big surprise to you) I loved decorating it.

Ok, I'm going to show you a picture of me at that time and before you judge, I want you to think back to the 80's and remember what YOU looked like...

Maybe you'll understand now why as an adult I refuse to ever have bangs.

The dollhouse went through a few phases, as a teenager I painted it dark gray and the trim bright orange, purple, blue and yellow. I stored my cds in it.

It sat in my mom's garage for a decade or so. Last year when I moved back to Seattle I decided to bring it out of it's abandoned state and give it to my five year old niece as a Christmas present. It was in pretty bad shape. Parts of the roof were missing, all of the porches and the lattice work on the eaves was gone. It was filthy and full of spider webs.

Pretty sad right? At 22 years old it's ready to be condemned, definitely uninhabitable.

Once I got it in the basement I set to work. Here's what I did:

Cleaned all the spiderwebs, leaves and guck out
Glued all the loose spots
Glue large chunk of roof back on
Bought some shingles off of ebay and replaced all the missing ones
Replaced a piece of the missing roof with balsa wood
Rearrange the Corbels so none were missing in the front
Fill in holes and gaps with wood putty
Sanded it all over
Prime inside and outside
Paint inside and outside
Paint trim

It was a big undertaking but relatively easy. The motivation of seeing a five year old open it on Christmas morning is pretty powerful. I did my best and here's how it turned out:

I'm very proud of the turn out. I wrote both my name and my niece's name in a hidden spot with the year we were each given it.

It was THE thing she was focused on Christmas morning (I mean, it was a huge wrapped present in the corner, how could you not be?) After every gift; "When can I open the big one?", "Can I open it NOW?". After she opened it she said to me "It's not really in good condition"...We all explained to her that it's an antique but I mean she's five, she calls it how she sees it.

House Tour-Sandra

2011-02-21T05:21:00.000-08:00

Name: Sandra Soss 
Location: Chicago 
Square Footage: 1450 
Years Lived in: 9 years 
Rent or own: rent 
Describe your style: cozy scavenger 
Blog/Website/Twitter: www.bricolagelife.typepad.com  

What's your favorite free/found item?
A Jens Risom chair my sister gave me. It came from a moving sale at the old office of the national headquarters of the PTA.   

What's your favorite purchased item?
A four tier Barrister's Bookcase (and the Raoul Dufy silkscreen above it. It's really difficult to choose just one thing.)  

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
Being a renter. I can daydream for hours (and I do) about how I might redesign the kitchen, backyard or bathroom... but I can never act on it. 

Is your design style organic or planned?
99% organic. I may fall in love with something at a rummage sale or thrift shop and if it's affordable, bring it home with no clear plan of where i will put it. Somehow I find a place and a few good uses for every piece.   

What is your favorite spot in the house?
The living room. It is the largest room with the best natural light and has three defined areas I like to rearrange to suit the season or a combination of uses. Right now I have a work table for sewing projects, a breezy sitting area and open space for yoga (and photo sets). There are no phones, clocks, computer or TV, making it a peaceful space.   

How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
I have tamed my inclination to put pattern and print on everything. But I'm basically doing the same things I have always done, using my space as an extension of my personality, an expression of who I am. The stuff changes and I rearrange the stuff.   

What is your favorite resource or store?
Thrift stores, rummage sales and alleys remain my favorites.   

What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
I am living with one right now, the shiny white ceramic tile floors my landlord installed in the kitchen and bathroom. They are cold and hard and impossible to keep clean.   

What has been your favorite design trend?
DIY. It encourages everyone to be their own designer and put their personal stamp on their home. I love that.   

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
The internet. Peeking into inspiring creative interiors and artist's studios all over the world... what's not to love?   

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
There are three things that are interconnected for me. First, the physical space because i am unable as a renter to alter the layout, fixtures or finishes. Next is budget, we don't spend a lot. And then there is our way of life (don't make me say lifestyle). Our apartment functions as my studio and my husband's workspace as well as our shared home. I tend to have projects active in several rooms at once. My husband doesn't mind this :) He keeps an office in the third bedroom where his books and scripts sit beside his golf clubs and baseball bats. We do our best to keep the common spaces cleared of work clutter.    

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
At first I thought - paint the walls. But that's a lot of work. The simplest thing is definitely rearranging. By moving the furniture, artwork, rugs and accessories from room to room, i can refresh the space and repurpose it at the same time. That's big.

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.

Photo Friday

2011-02-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

I took this with my phone at the bank. It's an older building and it has these super high arches each with it's own pendant. There must be 30 or 40 of them. I imagine at night it's beautiful.

Have a great weekend! Anyone going to the Long Beach Flea Market?

FLEA

2011-02-15T06:26:00.000-08:00

Bob and I conquered the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena this Sunday. I was under the impression that the gates opened at 9am to everyone, which I thought was way late. Turns out some VIP folks get let in at 5am. I love me some flea markets but no way am I going to roll out of bed on a sunday at 5 or earlier for some old junks. Sorry, in my life there is only one 5 o'clock and it's PM.

So 9am is the admission time for those not so nutty folks. We got there right on time. It was a typically beautiful California day (sorry east coasters). We walked and walked and walked. We saw tons of fun stuff. Weird and beautiful. Cheap and expensive. I really want to compare it to the Alameda Flea Market but I can't. They're two different animals. Both wonderful and full of junk. Like two Kardashian sisters.

So after a couple of hours trolling around and scoffing at overpriced stuff here's what we hauled off:

Wait, WAIT those aren't Eames chairs. They are "Vecta". They're a good copy and that's ok by me. I doubt I'll ever own the real deal. On my chair wish list has always been mustard or seafoam shell chairs. So I'm pretty stoked about this find. I got them both for $45. The art is pretty awesome. Both of us were drawn to it. That was $25. Bob really loves it.

I saw Emily Henderson of Design Star there. That's the second Design Star winner I've seen at a flea market (first was David Bromstad at the Alameda Flea).

The chairs are in great condition. All I had to do was Magic Erase off some crud, use Barkeeper's Friend for a bit of rust on the legs and oiled up the shells with Howard's Feed-N-Wax. They are sexy and shiny and perfect for the new dining room. Wanna see? Good.

It's well documented I have a chair problem. I know am the proud owner of six dining room chairs for two people. Storage has always been an issue and really is now. I might sell a set. Might.

I'm not in love with the fancy chandy but I'm not going to do a big thing like change that out until we've lived here a year. Knowing me, I'd have it all swapped out and we'd have to move again.

That blue shelving unit is actually our old red shelving unit with a coat of spray paint (which is ridiculously hard to find in LA). The chairs are super sexy no?

I love them.

House Tour-Lyn

2011-02-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

This house tour is special. It's the mommy of a friend of the blog and House Tour veteran Becke from The Vintage Cabin.

Name: Lyn G.
Location: Ontario, Canada
Square Footage: 800
Years Lived in: 2 1/2
Rent or own: Own
Describe your style: A mish mash of mid century, rustic and whatever else catches my eye!

What's your favorite free/found item?
An old wooden trunk rescued from the garbage.

What's your favorite purchased item?
Don't laugh. My vintage chrome Sunbeam radiant heat toaster from the 50s. The toast goes down and comes up automatically when done. I've had it for over 30 yrs and still works great.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
Staying focused when thrifting. I tend to love so many things from different eras I could become a hoarder. I have to walk away from a lot of things I really like, which can be very hard.

Is your design style organic or planned?
Definitely organic and continually evolving.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
The living room. It's the biggest, yet coziest, room in this small place.

How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
It really hasn't changed much in the last 10 years or so. When we sold our family home in 2000 I was mostly into rustic style antiques. I auctioned off most of them when we sold the house as we wanted to downsize when we bought our next home. Mid century furniture was everywhere at the time and cheap in our small town so I bought a lot! It was great for our new space as it was smaller and cleaner looking.

What is your favorite resource or store?
There are about 5 favorite thrift stores that I can never divulge and a few junk places (really, they're pretty much garbage dumps!) I frequent with my daughter weekly.

What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
I have three. Stainless steel appliances, granite and glass tiles. It's all hype. To me it's overdone and, well...ugly.

What has been your favorite design trend?
I really like what I'm seeing these days with a mix of everything from mid century and vintage to austere rustic.

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
Thrift finds. They influence everything!

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
This little bungalow, as it was built in the late 50s. I try and keep with the style/feel of how it would have been back in its hey day with a modern twist.

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
Painted the whole house and trim Benjamin Moore cloud white to open up the space and highlight the furniture and art.

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.

Photo Friday

2011-02-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

So as you can imagine I still have a lot going on. The place is completely unpacked but there is still a lot of movement and rearranging going on. I've always said that the state of your home reflects the state of your head and right now both are in chaos...I keep losing track of days and forgetting to do a "Things We Love". Sorry about that.

For some reason, that neither Bob or I can figure out, this move was the most stressful and chaotic of all of our moves. Anyway...I'm introducing a new Friday post "Photo Friday" I decided against "Foto Friday" because frankly, I'm just not that cute. It's just a way to share some of the random pictures I take with someone other than myself.

I'll probably alternate it with "Handmade Friday" whenever I discover something worth sharing on etsy.

So here's the first:

This was taken in the afternoon. There's so much light in this place and I love the way the disco ball throws it around. When my new landlady saw the disco ball she asked where I got it and I told her and in her thick German accent she said "Ya, but who buys a disco ball?" to which I replied "I do!".

Kitchen

2011-02-08T06:16:00.000-08:00

Every kitchen Bob and I have ever had has been quirky. There's always been something odd about it; A drawer in an odd place, a funny nook, a wonky floor. This place is no exception. In the pictures it looks larger than it really is. Once you're in there it shrinks. The dishwasher is in a weird location, all the way in the back in that weird nook. Only one person can unload/load it at a time.

I got used to all the space in the Seattle kitchen very quickly. We had cabinets that were still empty. So when we got here we downsized quite a bit, I'm still getting rid of stuff. Which is for the best really. How much stuff do two people really need?

So here it is:

I'd like to do something interesting with that arch. I'm not sure what yet. Maybe a huge wall decal or something.

Did anyone notice my mixer changed colors? It totally did. I sold my old one and bought a new one before we left Seattle. I had orange mixer envy for a looooong time.

House Tour-Clara

2011-02-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

Name: Clara Gonzalez
Location: PuntaCana, Dominican Republic
Square Footage: 2,777
Years Lived in: 1
Rent or own: Own
Describe your style: Modern Tropical
Blog/Website/Twitter: http://www.thehomeinparadise.com

What's your favorite free/found item?
As of lately my 5 year old's watercolors, which I framed and placed above our bed. I love her use of colors, plus it's good for kids to see they are part of their home, and their art is appreciated.

What's your favorite purchased item?
It changes all the time, but right now is my super-cheap dressform. I recovered it, and not only does it look fantastic, and has become a decorative piece, but it is also useful when sewing for myself.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
Having to completely equip an empty new home in months, with limited resources and in a place far away from shopping centers.

Is your design style organic or planned?
Both, I think hard about the space, how a piece would fit in it, and whether our resources allow me to spend on it. But sometimes I find something I must absolutely have before it's gone.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
Our lower terrace. We joke that we bought a terrace and got an apartment for free. It's the largest space in our home, it's where we usually entertain, relax, take naps, eat and play. We have privacy and a sweeping view of the forrest across the street, and as a bonus, we get wonderful sunsets almost every day.

How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
Drastically. I don't get attached to material things very easily. I've changed careers, homes, and cities with amazing ease. Five years ago our home was all about bold colors mixed with rich wood and industrial-style furniture. We have since switched to a more organic, tropical decor that fits our new environment better.

What is your favorite resource or store?
Etsy and eBay. Etsy is my go-to source for unique and vintage pieces that ground our place.

What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
Cliches. Too many people are afraid of exploring and end up with homes that include every cliche of the specific time. Be bold, be unique, be informed by trends, but be yourself.

What has been your favorite design trend?
Environmentally-consciousliving. But I sure hope it is not a trend, but something that is here to stay.

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
Fellow bloggers. I've been reading home living blogs pretty much since the whole concept evolved. I love to see how regular people outfit their homes on a budget. It's not impressive if you just throw money at it.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
Our environment (we live in a vacation spot), our budget (we moved here after we had sold our old home home with all our furniture, curtains, even plants), and our family life. We want a home that looks clean, organized, comfortable, but also lived in, and kid-friendly.

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
Leave the walls white. I am planning on adding some colors, or perhaps texture to some walls, but by not rushing in and painting everything before we even had furniture I am allowed a great deal of freedom in our decor. And right now I do love our white walls.

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.

Quickie

2011-02-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here's what the mantel really looks like:

Living Room

2011-02-01T05:07:00.000-08:00

The place is almost done. There's just some stuff I have to find a home for and some tweaks here and there but I think I am ready to start sharing pictures with you guys.

The living room is one massive space. I decided to split in into half TV watchin' and half computerin'. I'm only ready to show you the TV side.

What I really, most wanted to do in the whole world was yank out that heater (it's LA who needs heat?) and pop the disco ball in the fireplace but sadly the unit is gas and mounted and blah blah blah.

I put together and hung the Fleur light. The instructions to it were pretty intense. They used words like assemblage and whereupon, a far cry from the Ikea pictures I'm used to.

I'm undecided on the art above the fireplace, I can't decided if it's too big or not. Truthfully I have nothing else that really fits up there.

The walls are plaster (ugh) so hanging anything is a difficult, crumbly mess. So when I hung the gallery I used 3M hooks. So far, so good. Makes for easy clean up when we move as well. The last few days in Seattle were spent spackling, sanding and painting. Not the best way to spend New Year's let me tell you.

Check out the chair Bruce has his fat ass plopped on. That was my last find in Seattle. It's a awesome textured mustard color and it's really comfortable.

Here's my usual view, that light is pretty killer huh? I had a big keep/sell debate. I still have the original box so if I ever change my mind I can always sell it.

Bruce

2011-01-31T17:06:00.000-08:00

Click for a larger picture

Just a quick Bruce update. I didn't get a chance to take his monthly picture on January 1. So it's thrown off a month but he's still growing. He's at 11.5 pounds now (Lola stays consistent at 9lbs). They're both loving the new place. There are tons of windows to sit in and birds to watch.

I recreated the pics for this month the best I could. He's a monster!

House Tour-Ingrid

2011-01-31T05:12:00.000-08:00

Name: Ingrid van Willenswaard
Location: Driewegen (a little village in the south west of the Netherlands)
Square footage: 225m2 (2,421sqft)
Years lived in: 2 years
Own or Rent: Own
My style: vintage, personal, handmade
Blog: www.ing-things.blogspot.com

What is your favorite found/ free item?
I love the vases from the seventies, which were made in West Germany. Not
completely for free, but when I find them in a secondhand shop, they
normally cost less than a euro, so thats almost for free.

What's your favorite purchased item?
The couch of Martin Visser (the BR 02.7), he designed it in the late
fifties. I wanted to buy the couch for over 20 years, but couldn't
because of a lack of space. It's a simple but beautiful design.
You can make a bed out of it if you want.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
The house is 10 rooms and is originally from 1698, it use to be the inn of the village, later it was a pub. It has very large windows and you can't place anything in front of them, that limits the possibilities.
On top of all, the house has a lot of space, and even though it shouldn't be
too full, I think its important that the house has a cozy and personal
feel to it.

Is your design style organic or planned?
Absolutely organic. I didn't have a plan when we moved here. At first I just used
the the furniture of our former house, and slowly I changed everything.
Most of the time, I just accidentally find something, from which I think
"thats exactly what I want." I regularly replace items because I feel
like a different mood or atmosphere.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
That must be the kitchen. It's a big kitchen, with a garden view.
This is the place where everything happens, cooking, drinking coffee, welcoming
people, etc...

How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
I am pretty sure I can say that I'm collector.
I love a lot of different things. Tableware, fabrics, special items. Our former house was pretty filled up, a lot of colours.
In the new house in Driewegen, its more empty, less color, just some little accents here en there. In the last two years I started replacing things with things from the sixties and seventies.

What is your favorite resource or store?
My favorite resource are the secondhand shops and flee markets. We live in
an area where you can find a lot of good vintage on the flea markets, most of the time the people who sell, have no clue about the value and that makes some very cheap shopping.
My favorite shop is Neef Louis in Amsterdam (vintage, industrial.)

What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
We have two cats, so I keep finding white hairs everywhere. On top of that they like to sharpen their nails on the Martin Visser couch.

What has been your favorite design trend?
I like houses with a personal feel to them. A mixture of new stuff and beautiful design classics. You should be able to see that people really live in the house.
Not like the magazines like to tell us, but a house which tells the story of the owner.

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
I read magazines about design,and house decoration look at blogs about living and design.
Also the blogs of designers and crafters.
I also love DIY books from the seventies, I have a big collection.
It gives me ideas, but I always try to give it a personal twist, and do it myself.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
The space itself, how is the feel of the space, what does the light do, what fits my character.

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
We painted the walls white, and we gave the floor a dark finish, which makes a good combination. What makes this house a home, are the personal and homemade items, which are simple and efficient.

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.

2011-01-28T05:58:00.000-08:00

This post is a testament to the importance of blogs and twitter. Since I discovered the Art-o-mat machines I've been following them on twitter. In September they tweeted a link to an artist who was working on some art for their machines.

I followed the link and was blown away. This amazingly talented artist, Deatra, was doing these incredible old Hollywood portraits in the miniature Art-o-mat format.

I immediately contacted her and commissioned my very own.

Amazing right? Marilyn was my very first girl crush and as I've grown up I realized that yes Marilyn was beautiful and a good actress (truly) but she was also incredibly flawed. One of my favorite quotes is from her : "I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."

Deatra just captured a haunted look that Marilyn sometimes wore. I would love to get her to paint these in giant sizes someday.

Go take a look at her blog and her etsy shop (which is empty now but she's told me she's going to work on getting some stuff in there).

Things We Love-Christine's Pitcher

2011-01-27T05:16:00.000-08:00

I found this cow milk pitcher at the thrift store a couple of years ago. It was made by Arabia of Finland and designed by Kaj Franck in the 60's. Though the cow looks kind of like it might be a bull, due to its pronounced horns, I'm pretty sure it's a female since it has an udder. It was the first piece of Arabia pottery I found at a thrift store and I was kind of shocked to find it there since I never find much Scandinavian pottery at the thrift stores near me. Once, at an estate sale, I found another smaller pitcher from the same line with a cat on it. But when I got it home and was washing all the years of grime off of it, I dropped in in the sink and it broke into a million pieces. Arabia also made chicken and butterfly versions of the pitchers, but the cows seem to be the most common.

I use my cow milk pitcher for water or juice when we have dinner parties. I've actually never used it for milk, but it would be super cute to use if we were having people over for brunch. The rest of the time it sits on top of our bookcases with the rest of my collection of mid-century pitchers and teapots.

-Christine

www.kraken.etsy.com/

http://krakencrafts.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.

First Project

2011-01-25T05:32:00.000-08:00

We were without our stuff for four or five days. I can't really remember. This move has absolutely destroyed my brain. I mean there wasn't much to start with and this was just the last nail in the coffin.

So when we got here and Bob would go to work (he no longer works from home, first time in seven years) I would just sit here on the air bed and think about what was going to go where.

There is an open cabinet in the kitchen and I immediately wanted to paint it out. Our landlady, who is awesome, she loves Michael McDonald, The Isley Brothers and 50 Cent. She's into design and we have the exact same lamp. She paid $95 and I paid $7...anyway I asked her if I could paint it out, she said no but ok'd me putting fabric up. So with some spray glue and some fabric I completed my very first project in the new house.

You're going to be polite and ignore the fact it doesn't quite hit the bottom shelf and drapes a little on the top. Lovely no?

Check out the Skull Vodka. I saw that in Cecelia's Guest Post and had to get it. It's a "Luxury" (read expensive) vodka from Dan Akroyd and it's awesome. I mix it with Cranberry-Pomegranate juice and it's a yummy way to kill my remaining brain cells.