In Case Anyone Is Interested...

I put my beloved vintage Samsonite suitcase up for auction on ebay today. I enjoyed looking at it in my sewing room/office/guest room for a while but now it's time to say goodbye. If I ever want to secure any sort of income as a reseller I have to bite the bullet and actually sell some of the things I buy. I fall in love too easily (luckily for my husband this only applies to vintage items - not men).

Here is the link to the auction for anybody that may be interested:

Vintage Samsonite Fashionaire Merimekko Luggage

PS: Happy Mother's Day!

Weekend Scores

Just a quick post to show off a couple of my scores! It was a great weekend of yard sales, thrift stores and flea markets with a fellow junker who also happens to be one of my oldest friends.

The antique hall tree was a yard sale find for ......$15! It's a perfect fit right in the little nook by my front door. I actually had envisioned a hall tree there (my Mom has one that I covet) but they are always so expensive when they show up on craigslist. I couldn't get out my $15 fast enough :)

$10.25 at the Goodwill for a Le Creuset 8 qt. stock pot that appear to be brand new. It's enameled covered steel and such an awesome color. Im in love with it... now I just need the perfect recipe to test it out.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl's "Thrift Share Monday"

Catalina Weekend

I was lucky enough to have an adventure on Catalina with my Mom last weekend and thought I would share some pictures of the beautiful island. It's one of my very favorite places and it was a wonderful visit.

Who Knew?

I love the look of eclectic, mismatched plates displayed on the wall. The more colorful, the better. I have the perfect spot in my kitchen to start a collection of my own. I've been picking up a few plates here and there at the Goodwill with the intention of hanging them when I have enough to make a good cluster.

Sunset

Design Sponge

I picked up this plate for $2.25 because I thought the butterflies were cool. It looks brand new and I assumed (never again!) that it came from Target or somewhere similar.

It wasn't until a week later when I was putting a plate hanger on it that I looked at the back. Hand painted in Italy in 1955? Huh? After some research I found out that Piero Fornasetti was an incredibly iconic and prolific Italian artist/designer. Check out the Fornasetti website and you will probably recognize some of his work.

Most of the Fornasetti plates on ebay are black and white. I only found one other example of the colorful butterflies: a set of two plates like mine that recently sold for $305! Whoa! This plate has been tossed around my house from surface to surface for the last week..... it was in the sink with other dishes!

I like the butterflies but I don't love them so I decided to list the plate on ebay. Here's the listing if anyone is interested: 'Vintage 1950's Fornasetti 'Farfalle' Butterfly Plate'.

“So I dressed with remaining ceramics, furniture and objects; so I placed a message in each, a small story, at times ironic and obviously wordless, but audible to those who believe in poetry.” Piero Fornasetti

Linking up to Apron Thrift Girl's 'Thrift Share Monday'!

Four Words...

City. Wide. Yard. Sale.

This year Morro Bay's annual city wide yard sale boasted over 125 sales! It's a little overwhelming (so many sales, so much competition), a little frustrating (think traffic jams on residential streets) and really, really awesome! Our plan was to systematically work our way through the town until we could yard sale no more and I think we did pretty good. We found some really great treasures and only spent $15!

The metal "Public Telephone" sign was our first buy. It's double sided and in great condition. I originally planned on putting it above our phone (where else) but after doing some research, found out they sell on ebay for around $80 and up! Im tempted to sell it but will probably end up keeping it.

The little orange jug fits in perfectly with my growing collection of pottery pieces. The yellow cream and sugar are California Pottery from the flea market ($1!) and the little teapots are actually salt and pepper shakers.

The yellow pyrex bowl and the metal chair came from the same barn sale. It was my favorite kind of sale - where you have to dig through piles of junk to find the treasures. It makes me feel like I'm on American Pickers. I love the condition of the chair and wouldn't change a thing. We also got a few unexciting, utilitarian household items (including a free full size, lidded rubbermaid garbage can perfect for recycling).

This is a vintage aluminum foil/ wax paper/ paper towel dispenser. Its three serrated doors flip open and inside are curved trays to rest the rolls in. Its wall mountable and a great way to free up drawer and counter space. I really love it but unfortunately I don't have the right kitchen decor to go with the chrome and it comes across a little too much like a towel dispenser in a public bathroom. As you can see in the first picture, it was in rough shape but I got to shine like new by rubbing it down with a piece of balled up aluminum foil. I had read about this trick when I was researching how to restore my vintage suitcase. I was a little skeptical but it works like a charm!

All in all, it was a perfect weekend :)

Linking up to Her Library Adventure's 'Flea Market Finds' and Apron Thrift Girl's 'Thrift Share Monday'!

Just Because

Mom's Lemon Bar Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 1/3 cups flour

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix softened butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Beat in 2 cups of flour, blending thoroughly. Spread and press evenly over the bottom of a well greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Beat eggs until light. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until mixture is thick. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, remaining 1/3 cup of flour and baking powder. Beat until smooth and well combined.

Pour lemon mixture over baked crust and return to oven, bake for 15-20 minutes or until top is golden. Sift powdered sugar lightly (or not so lightly if you are like me) over top if desired.

Wine Bottle Lamp

Remember how I needed a clear glass lamp but didn't need the $200 (and up) price tag? Well, I decided I just couldn't wait for one to show up at the Goodwill and that I would just go ahead and make my own.

This is what my lamp started its life as:

Thanks for selflessly taking care of the wine Dad!

And this is what I ended up with:

Who needs Pottery Barn?!

Home Depot has lamp making kits for $9.97 that include three sizes of stoppers to fit different bottle openings. The largest size was just a little too small for my bottle, so I wrapped it with a couple of layers of painters tape and now it is a perfectly snug fit. Putting together the electrical components was fairly simple and there are step-by-step instructions on the packaging. All you need is a small screwdriver. The lamp shade was $12.99 at Target.

Ta-Da!

My cute little owl is actually a bank from Urban Outfitters (originally $8.00). I got it at Goodwill for $0.99 :)

Linking up to Funky Junk Interiors 'Saturday Nite Special' !

Chair Makeover

It's been awhile since I've had a good before and after to put up here! I bought this vintage sewing chair at the Goodwill for $5.25. Its seat lifts up and there's a secret compartment underneath. It was in good shape to start with, just not my style of fabric. This was my first reupholstery attempt.... I think Im in love with my staple gun.

before

after

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seed's 'Furniture Feature Friday'!

Lamp Lust

I need a new light for my night stand and Im loving the look of these beautiful glass lamps. They're modern but also have a cool beachy, casual vibe, which is exactly the look I'm trying to achieve in my house. Unfortunately, these babies are expensive.I will be keeping my eye out at thrift stores and yard sales. Or maybe I will try something DIY: check out this awesome lamp before and after by fleamarkettrixie.

Source: West Elm

Source: Pottery Barn

Source: Pottery Barn

Source: Pottery Barn

Source: Garnet Hill

Source: Crate & Barrel

Source: Anthropologie

Saturday Estate Sale Finds

This weekend was supposed to be stormy with a possibility of snow falling as low as 500ft. Despite the predictions, today was nothing but clear skies with plenty of sun. Unfortunately, no one planned any yard sales. We did find one estate sale held in a big warehouse. There was tons of cool stuff to dig through and of course I found a few treasures.

I have no idea what this is. It's heavy and corroded and probably copper. I like it because it looks like it's been sitting on the bottom of the ocean for a long time. Possibly part of the Titanic..... or a pirate ship. Either way it looks cool on my mantle with rest of my little seaside display.

The vase I bought is also copper and corroded (it was kinda the theme of the sale). It says 'Made in United Arab Republic' on the bottom which according to Wikipedia dates it between 1958 and 1961 when Egypt and Syria formed a short union. I think it will look great with a succulent in it (as I do most things).

My favorite purchase.... the moustache shaving mug!! It shows five inspirational facial hair styles to consider while you shave. I think its hilarious and is perfect to hold Q-tips and hair clips on the bathroom counter. Whose bathroom couldn't use a little humor?

I paid a grand total of $3 for all three things, which was great since I showed up to an estate sale with only the change at the bottom of my purse. Wow.

Linking up to Apron Thrift Girl!

Spring Is Here!

I know it's just the beginning of February, but this weekend it felt like spring. Hopefully the warm weather is here to stay because I am officially ready to say goodbye to winter! Here are some highlights of the weekend:

Straight from the farmer's market, later made into a Strawberry Crisp.

A tiny bouquet made from weeds in the yard...but hey, they're fresh flowers!

Started weeding our garden area. I can't wait to start planting veggies. My succulent garden is loving the sun as much as I am!

A morning walk down by the bay.