Retired.

What started out as a perky update about my antique mall space has somehow morphed into an odd little tribute to one of the items currently for sale there.

Please pardon me while I reminisce about an old friend who was faithful, sturdy and strong, not to mention pretty nice to look at.

We worked well together and even had some banner years.

As they will do, this good friend always supported my projects.

Lots and lots of projects.

And now it’s time for this friend to relax, take it easy and perhaps simply sit in someone's garden. 

I heart funky vintage furniture.

Fall at the Antique Mall

 

 

Despite my previous history of falling down, I’m referring to the season.

Not the action.

The last day in my tiny space

I’ve been in my expanded antique mall space at Monticello Antiques for almost 2 months now and so far, so good.

 

How it looked the day I moved in

It’s been great to be able to turn around in my new space without knocking over a display of sharp, rusty objects. Actually, it’s been great to have a space I can turn around in, period.

 

How it looks this week. Fill 'er up!

What’s been selling?

 

Display shelves were $2 each at yard sales. I added the wallpaper in back.

Lots and lots of small things.

 

 

And not so many big things. I think I’ve rearranged my furniture in just about every possible configuration so far. Fingers are crossed that a dresser-loving buyer comes along soon.

 

 

I took the inexpensive and easy route with the wall coverings. The back wall is covered with one giant painter’s drop cloth from Home Depot which I think cost about $20. It was a little too wide so I stapled it in place and added a few pleats (also stapled because I’m fancy) on either side.

It was also too long but I just let it puddle on the floor since it’s hidden by all those dressers that haven’t sold.

 

 

 And when I was browsing in the paint department for drop cloths, I decided to cover the smaller side walls with brown all-purpose masking paper. I bought a roll with an endless, lifetime supply for about $10. So far I’ve used about 50 cents worth of it.  

That concludes our tour for today. Please feel free to take a dresser with you when you exit the building.

Write here, right now.

Making chalkboards isn’t exactly a new-fangled idea but I am a simple gal who has a soft spot for easy projects that have already been perfected, in this case, by countless chalkboard-makers before me.

For me, chalkboards are all about the frames they’re in.

(Frames that were made by somebody else, of course, although I have been known to paint some of them. See previous sentences for references to simple gal and easy projects).

And maybe there’s a clever phrase or two, written in ... well, chalk.

The only word I could come up with: Scarves.

Simple. Gal.

It’s right about here where ‘simple gal’ takes on a whole new meaning because for some reason I’m at a loss for words when it comes to writing on the chalkboards I’ve made.

Other than something subtle like “THIS IS A CHALKBOARD” or “I AM FOR SALE” or “I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING TO WRITE HERE,” words escape me.

So now I just take the vintage hieroglyphics route.

THIS IS A CHALKBOARD.  *sigh*

For lots of chalkboard inspiration, check out this post from Donna of Funny Junk Interiors.



Holey Sheet

Late last night, long past when I should have been asleep in preparation for today’s yard-sale-ing,* it seemed like a great time to start a little no-sew vintage sheet project I’d been thinking about.

Impulse control? Never heard of it.

I’ll be a vintage vendor at two outdoor events later this summer and I wanted to make something colorful to flutter gently in the mild summer breezes that will be blowing softly through my vintage-packed canopy tent.

(This post is actually a subliminal message for the weather gods. I hope they receive it so I don’t end up with something colorful and sopping wet flapping madly in the hurricane-force winds beating against my rain-soaked canopy).

And I wanted it to be fast and easy.

Like tying-knots-onto-string-easy.

And it was.

Have a wonderful weekend!

**************

 *Sadly, June-uary weather prevailed and rained out today’s yard sale plans.



Painting, wallpapering and a little graffiti

My free side-of-the-road chair, which has faithfully posed for many an etsy photo with a pillow or stack of vintage tablecloths on it, is getting ready to start over, this time in a lovely shade of aqua.  

A change in the seat cover fabric to follow as well. Something with red, I think, although I'm open to suggestions.

Brass frames have been quietly multiplying in a corner of the doily factory so they’ve been separated, decorated and will be shipping out to my antique mall space this week.

 And these chalkboard paint clipboards were an impulse project last night, inspired by this emerging young artist, Little Miss VJIMT.  (if you follow the link, scroll down to the inspiration)

In just about a week I’ll be unloading a much-larger-than-usual truck as vendor at the Plucky Maidens Junk Fest in Portland because in a moment of sheer insanity, I rented two vendor spaces.

 

If that doesn’t make some room in the Garage Where Cars Can’t Park, nothing will.



Pin to Vintage

Maybe by now you’ve had a chance to check out Pinterest, the website where you can ‘pin’ photos from the internet to your personal ‘pinboards’.

Occasionally you might even come across photos from your very own blog!

WARNING: I have found Pinterest to be extremely addictive and now know it should not be viewed unless one is prepared to abandon all previously scheduled activities and perhaps be willing to skip a meal or two while under its spell.

 If you want to see if a photo has been pinned from your blog, replace the xxxxxx with your blog's name:  http://pinterest.com/source/xxxxxx.blogspot.com/

For instance, to see what’s been pinned from Into Vintage, I would use this: http://pinterest.com/source/sointovintage.blogspot.com/

One photo from this blog that’s been pinned is this vintage ornament tree I made last year.

And yesterday another vintage-loving blogger, Charlene, emailed me to share her version of the ornament tree:

I love it! And she was so clever to do this on a real door – why didn’t I think of that?

See all of her photos on her blog, Willow & Paisley.

Now I’m wondering…are there more of these vintage ornament trees out there?

In other news, the exciting Third Annual Academy of Vintage Christmas Ornament Arts and Sciences Award Ceremony (um, does that name get longer every year?) is underway over at Oodles and oodles.

This year’s winners have been announced including the highly anticipated “Best Christmas Ornament Reminiscent of a Joni Mitchell Song.”

You’ll see.

PS You can click HERE to see what I’ve ‘pinned’ onto Pinterest.

I’m going to stop saying ‘pin’ and just say pin now.  Pin.

Because vintage Christmas ornament wreaths are better left to the Glue Whisperers

Some of us are born with a hot glue gun in our hand while others of us just end up with a hot glue gun glued to our hand.

Not to mention those hot glue globs and glue strings all over everything.

For me, it starts and ends with gluing two ornaments together.

With glue from a tube.

Several posts ago, you may recall being introduced to these weeble-lookalikes.

They’re slowly morphing into something more recognizable (I hope).

Last year’s model is wearing his homemade hat and humble paper punch buttons.

This year's version features luxurious upgrades including mother-of-pearl buttons and fancy store-bought top hats.

No hot glue required.

Hope you’re staying warm & cozy.

P.S. I bought the top hats from etsy seller Clear Brook Hollow but I think there are several etsy sellers who carry them. The hats measure 28 mm x 17 mm.

And now we will resume our regularly scheduled programming

Since I last chatted with you…

My very old computer suddenly decided it was All Done.

Even if I was not.

While waiting and waiting and waiting for its replacement to arrive (“… blah blah important computer-ish part on back order blah blah blah …”), the following is some of what was accomplished:

Re-wired four lamps.

 

Made that sofa slipcover at last! (from Ikea curtain panels) The ottoman is next in line which will be a breeze compared to the sofa.

Completely rearranged the Doily Factory and its roommate, the Etsy Inventory Storage Facility, the contents of which were co-mingling in a dangerous way with the summer Vintage Market things-to-sell-stash.

Sent many boxes of miscellaneous to the local Senior Center thrift shop.  While unsettling to come across my former stuff on their store shelves, so far I have successfully avoided the horror of accidentally re-purchasing something I donated.

Yard-saled with mixed results. A few small victories here and there but no Big Scores lately.

Hosted a birthday celebration.  (Did not paint the white sideboard. Yet.)

{ this flag pillow is a mini version of last year's jumbo size flag pillow }

Some sewing.

Computer situation is resolved at last. So glad to be back!