Old Barn Treasure

 

We have several old barns on our property, and over the years they have provided me with many junk discoveries. It seems like each layer of stuff we remove reveals more and more buried - literally - "junk treasure". 

And when others see "junk", I see beauty. And art.

Like these old doors. The screen door makes my heart go pitter patter!! I plan on ripping out the screen and putting chicken wire on it, and adding hooks and things for a back drop/display piece for my booth when I get to go on the road with my stuff; or in a shop, etc. Heck, I could even use it in the house. :)

Then there are other two doors in the same pile; both really narrow. I suspect they're a double door unit for a wide doorway. I've been making plans with the handy Hubbs to make a corner cabinet/shelf with them. They're perfectly chippy and shabby, I probably won't do a thing to them except clean them and poly them to hold the paint down. And the old door handles! Love those. 

I am a hopeless junk addict. What kind of crazy person gets this excited about junk?! Yeah, me. 

Ha. 

1950s Sweaters (New Year New Inventory Part 2)

These vintage sweaters are from the 50s. They were part of the owner's wardrobe for college in the 50s. I photographed them (yep, cruddy pics in cruddy light) with a 40s-50s style plaid skirt that is actually an 80s model. :)

1. 40s-50s style 1980s plaid skirt
2. Ivory cashmere sweater
3. Monogrammed sweater
4. Blue sweater set

New Year, New Inventory

 

I have a whole lot of new inventory I am slowly starting to add to the shop. Purchased locally and also on trips to Virginia Beach. I was so busy with banner sales over the holidays I really neglected my vintage inventory updating. I have even more new items, for later. :)

1. Lemon yellow late 50s - early 60s cardy. (From my closet. I wore this about 1 time last year and never touched it again. It's not a good color on me.

2. 60s sheer white robe/housecoat

3. 60s sheer yellow housecoat with lace panels

4. 50s red wool suit coat with big wooden buttons
5. 70s wool camp style shirt with belt, like new condition! I love this thing, but it's too short on me.
6. 60s black punps with cool fan "thingy" on the toes


I know the posts around here have been lacking in the interest department lately, for many reasons.

1. My sister is getting married, in about 5 weeks. It's a DIY wedding, and she, my mom and myself are up to our necks in DIYing. It's going to be a fabulous wedding. Burlap, lace, old jars, candy buffet, Mumford and sons soundtrack, crinoline lifted bridesmaids dresses, pie and cake buffet, candle light..... yeah.  A little bit of every kind of indie, rustic, outside-the-box awesomeness.

2. One of my projects for the wedding is re finishing a huge old 1920s buffet for one of the props at the reception. So after my little holiday break following my staircase, I am once again spending a lot of time sanding, and sanding, and sanding, and scraping, and sanding.... and steaming off the layers of damaged veneer, and sanding..... this time I have an electric sander, though. Next is cleaning it, priming, painting, painting again, distressing, glazing, and finally waxing/or applying the poly stuff. My issue is, having to do all of this indoors, in my (large) office room. I hope the weather cooperates with me a few days so I can do the painting, glazing and poly outdoors! Otherwise I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't very well do it in the house with the windows shut on cold winter days. :/ Here is a pic of the buffet:

 3. Wedding season must  be getting in gear early this year, as I have been as busy as all get out with custom banners - mostly wedding, valentine, and baby shower banners. But that's ok! Bring on the custom orders! :)

4. I am also helping my friend with the antiques shop, again. She closed it in October after the last manager she had kind of didn't work out. So, we're putting the things on line and having people come in by appointment to shop. Looks like I have been officially hired to manage the store, again, now that my hectic job ended and has freed me up for doing more things like that. If you're in NC and want to make an appt. to see the shop, please let me know! We want to clean out the inventory, and things are going for dealios. We're probably going to officially re open the shop in the early spring. After I get through this wedding and recover from all of that.

I am dreaming of April and gardening... peonies, iris, lilac, zinnias.... red juicy tomatoes warm from the sun...meanwhile, it's somewhere in the low 20s outside, with a windchill in the teens, and I am bundled up in sweaters with the wood stove keeping me toasty, and Netflix to amuse me when I am not making banners or listing vintage.

I have also been enjoying Downton Abbey Season 3!! Has anyone else?

Stay warm, dears! :)

Candleabra Jewelry Display

I found this pair of vintage metal wall light fixtures in a barn when I moved in here. They were actually wired up for light bulbs, but it had been done in the 50s and was old and too dangerous to plug in, so I ripped it all off and painted them.

I hung them on either side of my 1920s vanity mirror for hanging things on. Works great!

(The one on the other side has hats on it.)

Shop Update: Julia's Child!

I've neglected talking up my vintage kid's shop. Well, my mom and I's vintage kids shop! My mom helps me with picking and buying inventory for this shop. Last spring she scored a huge box of vintage 1950s boys clothing and it sold like hotcakes. :) Since then we just pick thrift shops and, occasionally, Mom's personal attic stash!

 Pink cotton hand made dress with hand embroidery on the front, 60s era

 

Yellow hand knit sweater, 60s era

"Baby" burlap bunting banner photo prop from my other shop. It fits here. HA HA!

 Green plaid cotton shirt, 1950s

 Blue and white houndstooth newsboy cap, 1950s

 White leather shoes with bells on the toes, 50s - SOLD

 

 Polka dot sundress with flower applique and peter pan collar, 1980s.

 Brown leather kids sandals, 1950s.

 Embroidered leather belt, 60s - 70s. SOLD

Yellow and white onsie outfit, late 40s - early 50s.

Blue smocked front dress, 60s - 70s

Pale pink dotted Swiss jacket dress, 50s

 Tiny silver fork

 Silver plated christening cup, in the original package (70s)

Trinkets From The Past

 I was at my Mom's helping her move some things in the house and found this. That's my great Grandmother's photo on the front. 

 It contained some of her jewelry I had never seen before.... Mom had been hiding it from me! (No, just kidding. ) There is nothing I like better than old Family goodies.

 Like this glass necklace. It is exquisite. And not strung on string.... it is strung on a fine and delicate sterling silver chain, with a very Art Deco clasp. 

Pendants, a tiny china dog, a sweater clip, a tie clip belonging to Mom's uncle Henry,  and a tiny padlock I am planning on using in my sister's wedding bouquet in  February. Her groom will be wearing a tiny skeleton key on his lapel.

 Some of my great grandfather's things; including his WW1 dog tag. The bronze medal is from the Pennsylvania National Guard, and on the back it says "Mexican Border Service".

Of all the old things I have ever seen or handled, it is my own family heirlooms I love the best. And I am so blessed that we have so many in my family! My family keeps E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

Happy New Year! Shop Update: Purses

I have been trying *not* to reflect much on 2012, for reasons of my own. Much of the year was spent on a daily emotional roller coaster with my personal life and my work life entwined in a jumbled up wreck that only ended in misery and death... the effects of which I still am reeling from, in many ways. 2012 will always be a year to try and not remember.

But anyway.

I added new purses to the shop today; some from my own collection; which I am cutting back on with great reluctance.

1. Black wool 1960s handbag - really classy.
2. Lipstick red 1960s boxy purse
3. Navy blue faux leather boxy purse, really unusual shape-60s
4. Hand embroidered white linen Bermuda handbag with wood handles 60s