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Harvest gold, russet, deep red, amber, burnt orange, olive green, yellow, earth brown — these vintage items from my Etsy shop celebrate warm fall tones.
At this time of year, I shy away from the faux pumpkins, owls, scarecrows, and newly-made Halloween items offered at home design stores. Instead of buying those "seasonal" items, I much prefer to decorate with autumn-hued relics instead. How about you?
TGIF!
Susan
And now, we interrupt our regularly scheduled program for a public service announcement from the Etsy Vintage Team . . .
It's important to remember that our ordinary, everyday actions can alter our planet. So it is up to each and every one of us to do our part, no matter how small, to reduce our impact on the earth. One very simple way to do that is to buy vintage.
Given a choice, I always choose vintage items with good karma over new things with no soul. As you may know, one of my pet peeves is new "vintage-inspired" items made to look old. Do we really need to keep manufacturing these things when there are so many amazing relics still around?
In my book, real vintage pieces will always win out. Purchasing something old is a creative and satisfying way to recycle. So let's keep the wonderful old stuff out of landfills. Buy vintage!
For a peek at the inspiring offerings of my teammates on the Etsy Vintage Team, click here.
Susan
My, it has been quite a busy Monday! Even so, I simply have to share my latest find with you.
John and I stopped by an estate sale on Saturday. We arrived with only minutes of the sale remaining and the house was just about picked clean. However, I discovered this 12-piece vintage breakfast set marked down half price. Yay!
Made by Homer Laughlin China, these pretty pink-rimmed dishes are in their Moss Rose pattern. I'm hoping that once listed in my Etsy shop, they will be discovered by some gallant guy who wants to treat his honey to an anniversary or birthday breakfast in bed. Wouldn't that be sweet?
One more thing before I have to run. I want to say thank you to Irina of the blog Sew and the City. She is a sewing enthusiast who wrote an idea-filled post titled Twenty Ways with Piping. This collection of piping projects from all over blogland is quite inspiring. And Irina kindly included my toaster cover. So if you happen to have a spare moment, please stop by her lovely blog and have a look.
Thanks :)
Susan
"Besides the autumn poets sing, a few prosaic days. A little this side of the snow, and that side of the haze." —Emily Dickinson
It was a fun summer. Now I look forward to cooler days, crispy nights, and the sound of crunching leaves on my morning walk. How about you?
To get in the mood for fall, I recently listed this vintage picnic basket in my Etsy shop. It is so perfect for an autumn picnic or tailgating party. Love it!
Enjoy this first fall weekend,
Susan
Clip art courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.
Another week has gone by, and still no sofa. Ordered from Pottery Barn back on July 6, we have been waiting 2-1/2 months for the darn thing. And quite frankly, I'm getting a little impatient. So our lonely ottoman sits and waits . . .
In the meantime, I couldn't help dressing it up a bit. Since it will double as a coffee table, I wanted just the right tray for it. And last week, I found one!
It's an old, super shabby toleware tray. Great colors, lots of wear, nice size, and best of all, only eight dollars at a local thrift shop. Love it!
I borrowed the aqua bowl from our screened porch and filled it with beachy finds. Then I added a yummy-smelling candle along with a soft and cozy throw.
Our new ottoman is ready to roll. Now all we need is a sofa!
Susan
Here's one last look at what came home with me from Brimfield . . .
. . . the sweetest vintage toy laundry set
. . . a pretty tray with butterflies and flowers
. . . a stash of birthday candle holders just like the ones we used when I was a kid
. . . a pair of handmade floral pot holders
. . . another pretty tray with a flowering tree and bluebirds
. . . and two whimsical wooden ducklings.
Now that I finally have everything photographed, I'll be spending the rest of the week listing my Brimfield finds on Etsy. Lots to do!
Susan
This next installment of Brimfield discoveries is of the textile variety. As you may know, I adore old fabric. And with so many creative sewists out there, I like to offer interesting vintage textiles in my Etsy shop. I always try to imagine what these remnants may become — throw pillows, slipcovers, tote bags, eyeglass cases, tea cozies, make-up bags, aprons, dresses and more.
So wacky, these patterned drapery panels are from the 1950s. Great as curtains, I can also picture them as throw pillows sitting on a distressed brown leather sofa.
Perfect for a colorful kitchen, these curtain panels have a Mexican motif. They'd make fun napkins and would look especially good alongside vintage Fiesta ware.
I love the faded look of this floral pillowslip. In the right hands, it could be transformed into a charming throw pillow.
I think this flowery fabric would make a lovely tote or handbag.
These remnants have the same orderly leaf pattern in three different colorways. They are perfect for small projects like eyeglass cases or make-up bags.
These drapes are in a vintage Waverly fabric called "Danish Abstract." They are super cool and could be made into a whole host of things, to numerous to mention.
Aren't these fabrics fabulous? I wonder who will discover them. A while back, I sold several yards of lovely floral cotton to Louise Hedley for her shop called sohomode. She makes the prettiest retro-inspired bridesmaid's dresses. So you just never know what these textile beauties may someday become!
Susan
Here is a peek at what came home with me last Sunday. Frankly, I could have gone crazy at the Brimfield Antiques Show. There was so much great stuff! But I used restraint and only purchased things that I love and were reasonably priced. I will say that Brimfield is not the place to go if you are looking for incredible bargains. Even though we were there on the last day of the last show of the season, the prices were a bit high, especially for someone like me who is looking for treasures to resell.
I found a stash of wonderful old children's books. Filled with vintage illustrations, these two 1939 primers are super charming.
Always a favorite of mine, this book is the classic tale of the industrious red hen and the lazy cat, duck and pig from 1953.
This 1923 version of The Gingerbread Boy by Laura Rountree Smith has eleven additional children's stories inside.
Another classic, this 1954 book tells a similar tale of that mischievous cookie on the go.
Cinder is the 1934 story of Sue and Toby, a sister and brother in search of their kitten named Cinder.
The best loved nursery rhymes can be found in this 1945 book. It is filled with lovely illustrations by Louise Altson, the renowned portrait artist who passed away last year at the age of 100.
As soon as I have a chance to finish the listings, these books are destined for my Etsy shop.
I have more Brimfield treasures to share with you. I'll be spending the day photographing them, so stay tuned for part two and part three, coming soon!
Susan
Yesterday morning, John and I got up at the crack of dawn and drove two hours north to the largest outdoor antiques show in New England. Taking place three times a year, the Brimfield Antiques Show has over 5,000 dealers from all over the country selling fine antiques, plain old junk, and everything in between.
Only our second time in this tiny Massachusetts town, our first trip to Brimfield was 25 years ago, before we were married. But now that our kids are both at college, we can be a little more impulsive. We had fun spending the day walking the treasure-filled fields on the half-mile stretch of Main Street. The weather was pleasant, the dealers were friendly, and the traffic was light. All in all, it was an enjoyable spur-of-the-moment adventure.
I'll share my Brimfield finds with you in my next post. Until then...
Susan
Now that Hannah and Jacob are both away at college, John and I are reclaiming our family room. As we await the imminent arrival of a new sofa, were have cleared out the room in preparation.
For two decades, this large, bright space adjoining our kitchen has worn many hats. It has been a playroom, homework room, Xbox room, computer room, party room, craft room, board game room, and an eat-on-the-couch-while-you-watch-TV room. The space has been through three rugs and three different couches. Even the club chairs and ottoman have been reupholstered. So after years of our children and their friends enjoying this room, it is time for an update suited to our more mature, empty-nester needs.
Two months ago, I ordered a stylish and super-comfy sectional sofa that should be delivered any day now. Another new purchase, a large leather ottoman that will double as a coffee table, has already arrived. We have a stash of new throw pillows for the couch, as well. To complete the room, we plan to buy a cozy reading chair.
Though the room's furniture was worn, it still had some life left. Hannah requested to use the antique bench in her post-college apartment, so it went up to our attic. We gave away the two striped club chairs and ottoman on "Freecycle." They went to a nice family with twin boys who are filling up a container for a move to Jamaica.
And just yesterday, we donated our navy blue sleeper sofa to an organization called "No Vet Left Behind." Their mission is to offer food, clothing, furniture and other household items to newly returning soldiers.
It has been a while since we've bought furniture and I can't believe how expensive it is. With two kids in college, we wanted to be as thrifty as possible. We did one-stop-shopping at Pottery Barn because, for several months, I have been amassing PB gift cards from points accrued though our Citicard. They practically paid for the leather ottoman and pillows! When we ordered the sofa, we obtained a Pottery Barn credit card which offers 10% back. The points earned from purchasing the couch will pay for our new reading chair. Sweet!
In its shabby state, I barely spent time in our family room. Now I can't wait to read, watch movies and snuggle with John on our new sofa. But don't worry, we promise to share it with the Hannah and Jacob when they are home. We have only one request — no eating on the new couch!
Stay tuned for another family room post after it has its spiffy new furnishings.
Susan
A new addition to my Etsy shop is a sweet set of vintage paper dolls. This mother and daughter have matching outfits for every occasion. So stylish!
When I was little, mother/daughter dresses were all the rage. I never had a dress to match my mom's, but I always wanted one.
Love these these vintage paper dolls! Aren't they fun?
Susan
We're home! Jacob's move into his college dorm went smoothly. Now both of our kids are settling in nicely at school while we get into a new routine at our oh-so-quiet house.
We are finally done cleaning up after Irene, too. John and I are beat. It will be nice to have a three day weekend together to recuperate after all the hurricane crazyiness.
Have a nice Labor Day weekend!
Susan
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