Sometimes they call me Sandy

Do you recall this little project, waiting patiently (or nervously) in the Garage Where Cars Can’t Park?

It's number finally came up on the to-do list. No big deal – this was going to be a one-color (white) paint job and nothing more.

But after a coat of primer, I thought it might be ‘fun’ to add a second color to give it a little interest.

And I swore on a stack of Country Living magazines that under no circumstances was I going to get anywhere near a piece of sandpaper.

Ahem.

After gently trying to sand off a tiny blob of paint, I lost all control.

There’s just something about distressing that’s so … therapeutic.

Oh, the irony.

After that, what’s the harm in a little vintage wallpaper?

It's a slippery slope.

Where I grant one of you a wish come true

You may recognize this photo from my last post where I was definitely not discussing the regrettable lack of judgment that locked me in its grip one evening years ago, long enough for me to make a very unfortunate decision regarding paint color for this bookcase and then, sadly, to act on it.

As happens from time to time, an alert reader will be so kind as to look right past the embarrassing situation on display only to inquire about that thing in the corner of the frame of the photo.

In this case, that reader was Betsy of My Salvaged Treasures who politely asked not once but twice, “What the heck is the thing with the drawers?!”

Or something like that. J

This one’s for you, Betsy.

click to enlarge

That thing is another rusty metal piece I found half a block away at a neighbor’s yard sale. Junky man-cave-workshop-assorted-bolts storage one minute ... glamorous vintage industrial the next!

Many of the drawers were filled with these tiny light bulbs -- hundreds of them. And I did what I always do when I don’t know what to do with something.  I put them in my etsy shop.

Tomorrow morning I head out to this week’s yard sales, hoping for more of the same luck I had last week, some of which included this:

It feels like a minor miracle that a souvenir map vintage tablecloth can still be found for a quarter

 And this:

 Fingers are crossed in hopes of finding a little vintage Christmas this weekend.

Hope you find some great junk too.

Before, during and after. With paint.

As hard as I tried not to, I ended up with a few projects on my to-do list for the upcoming vintage sale on July 30th, A Vintage Gathering, where I’ll be a NEWBIE vendor.

What can I say? I like to paint things.

And I’d like to point out that I have recently completed 3.5 items on my crafty to-do list from 2009.

I'm ON FIRE.

(Item 9 on the list regarding the de-stash of vintage fabrics may have taken just a tiny step backward this past weekend...)

This current project is also a test for a larger project I have planned for an old bookcase my newlywed parents purchased back in the 1940’s, b.c.*

somewhere deep in the bowels of the Garage Where Cars Can't Park

Yes, it’s currently painted post-it note lavender and no, I don’t want to talk about it. :-)

This rough-around-the-edges-with-stylish-metallic-gold-spray-painted-background-shadow-box came from a local thrift shop.

Primer + paint + mod podge + vintage wallpaper. And a little sanding to bring out the details.

A bit more painting and then it's put back together.

So far, so good.

Add a few vintage doodads and we’re done!

Earlier this year when I took my vintage roadtrip, I purchased a roll of that vintage wallpaper with the idea that I would line the inside of the bookcase with it.  Once the bookcase is no longer lavender, that is.

Good thing I like to paint things.

*before children

Fresh from Farm Chicks

Farm Chicks was absolute vintage madness, I tell you.

So much to see! Every seller (ok, there was one exception*) created such inspirational displays and to me the entire show felt like it had a great balance of vintage, shabby, rusty, chippy, retro, mid century, architectural, repurposed, garden, home, collections, ephemera and industrial (although I wouldn't have minded a little more vintage Christmas).

(I know. It's only June.)

 

I hit the jackpot!

Along with all the great vintage treasures were The Crowds of Vintage-Loving People. I think every other photo I took had someone’s rear end in it.

It was unavoidable. I tried.

Then I just went with it.

my traveling companion, navigator and iphone googler of roadtrip trivia

*the exception ... I don't mind a little digging!

And what did I buy?

Just a few things from Mt. Vintage Linens. 

And a bit of vintage bling from Lisa’s booth.  

Research & development 

In addition to the show, there was breakfast at Chaps with Laurie/Ethel and her mom.  Chaps is decorated like something out of a vintage dream!

Already thinking about next year!



Alex, I’ll take “Things that cost less than a gallon of gas but are bigger than a breadbox” for $3, please.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the vintage industrial look holds out long enough for me to sell these in July at A Vintage Gathering.

 If not, that’s $3 I’ll never see again.

This rolling shelf filled the entire back of my car and part of the passenger seat in front. I had to drive home with my head pressed against the driver’s side window.  

I was told the rolling shelves were used to wheel flats of tomato plants out to the garden.  I assume the chair was used for sitting.

I’m considering conducting a Craigslist experiment just to see if I can sell this and how far someone will travel for it since I live an hour’s drive from Portland, OR, home of the nearest Craigslist city.  

Meanwhile, it resides in the GWCSCP.

I have a big weekend ahead hanging out with other vintage people as I’m making my inaugural trek/roadtrip to the Pacific NW Vintage Promised Land known as Farm Chicks.

Of course, this is strictly a fact finding mission although there may be some random frivolity mixed in. And a little treasure hunting.

I even had some cards made in case I forget my name or email address.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Behind the scenes at a rummage sale

Yesterday I learned exactly what it’s like to be the person who sorts through all the donated items collected at a thrift store when I helped organize a massive rummage sale for a local charity.

I know! Sounds like a thrifter’s dream job, right? I envisioned myself unwrapping box after box of long-forgotten-yet-still-perfectly-intact vintage Christmas ornaments or maybe opening tissue-filled storage bins with carefully preserved and perfectly clean vintage linens...

I was assigned clothing. 

Mountains and mountains of clothing.

 In plastic bags and boxes and shopping bags and just plain WOW.  There was and still is a lot of clothing. I made a dent in it – sorting the sellable from the (insert any gross reason why here) unsellable. Dodging dried bugs and random non-clothing ‘surprises’ tucked inside along with the occasional bag of someone’s garbage (oops)  that I hope was accidentally mixed in with the donations since it was all in trash bags.

And there were so many donations of one shoe, one sock or one glove.

these pretty dishes were donated to the sale

I did eventually make it over to the non-clothing side of the building to preview the  treasures that might be waiting and there were quite a few. 

My friend who is in charge of the rummage sale gifted this to me as a thank you. She knows what I like.  :-)



by the sale date of June 3, this warehouse will be packed!

I’ll post the details about shopping at this rummage sale in an upcoming post on my other blog, Vintage Market Guide. If you’re from the Portland, OR area and plan to drive to Farm Chicks, you’ll probably drive right through my town and may want to stop and check out this rummage sale on the first weekend of June. 

Great deals happening on single shoes and gloves.

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!