A Vintage Christmas

Decorating for Christmas has been especially fun this year!  For the first time ever in my whole life, we have lights on the exterior of our house.  We have two trees up only inches away from each other. And I finally own a vintage tinsel tree!  So take a peek at Christmas at the Craftsman!

Christmas on the mantel.......

This is my favorite way to display all of my vintage Shiny Brites.

*   *   *   *

Christmas on the dining room table........

All my bottle brush trees are in a grouping on our table as a fun centerpiece....

And there she is.  That beauty of a tinsel tree.  She (it's a girl) arrived in her original box with each branch still in its original sleeve (along with the assembly directions too).  I bought it from a friend after I posted about wanting one on Facebook!  The magic of social media.  

Just a wall away from the tinsel tree is our other tree......

  

That wall divides the living room and dining room.  I wanted one tree to be seen from the street, and since you can't put lights on a tinsel tree, that tree won!  

Another win goes to colorful lights.  Multi-colored lights went on the tree to match our exterior lights.........

When I saw those vintage inspired bulbs in all the fun colors, I knew my original plan for white lights was out.

And how about those wreaths???  THEY WERE THE MISTER'S IDEA!  

As I was choosing which lights to buy, the mister wandered off.  When I found him, he said he was looking for wreaths to hang on our porch.

Swoon.

*   *   *   *

So there you have it!  Christmas at the Craftsman.......vintage all around.  Or at least vintage inspired.  

By next Christmas, I'd like to have a new collection going strong......those ceramic Christmas trees that light up......lots of them......for the top of my piano.  

#goals

Dining Room Makeover

Did you know that painting walls makes you do strange things like volunteer to host Thanksgiving?  Not just your family, but the mister's too.  At the same time.

Be warned.

That's exactly what happened.

We painted these lovely lime walls.......

And the plan kicked into action.

But this isn't about Thanksgiving.

It's about our super cheap dining room makeover!  Cheap because we brought our chandelier with us from our previous house. And also because we received a free table that we just updated with paint.

The next thing on our list was to paint the walls and find chairs.  I wanted fresh, clean, and bright, so white to the rescue!  Of course, we weren't sure how we'd like white everything until it was finished, but when it was done..........WHOA!  We loved it.......

  
The most expensive part of the makeover was the set of windsor chairs.  I had hoped to pull off the mismatched look, but my brain couldn't take it.  The uneven heights, the different angle of the chair legs.  Couldn't handle it.  #imcrazy

So I shopped online for chairs and found a few before I decided on a set.  Target had similar chairs that I loved, but much pricier.  And I found another option that I liked the shape of, but you had to assemble them.  So Furniture Row won.

AND THEN.........my mom surprised me by buying them for Christmas!

So when I say cheap makeover, I'm not kidding.  Other than the chairs, the most expensive item was the ceiling medallion.  All the other money was spent on a few gallons of paint and new electrical outlets.

Now you might be wondering about all the white.  Never fear, the room isn't void of color.  We painted the basement door.....

And the search is on for the perfect pair of (not-white) curtains.  I also plan to hang a huge stained glass piece my dad made when I was a little girl, which is full of color.

So there you have it.  One of the most satisfying before and afters ever........

And.......everyone survived Thanksgiving.

The Vintage Peddler

A new antique shop opened very close to my house.  And I sort of snagged a booth there.

Yes, that's booth number four.

Booth four is at The Vintage Peddler.

Since the mall is brand new, we got a framed out booth that we could have our way with.  The owner left the booths that way so that each vendor could make their space unique.  So we shiplapped the back wall.........

I love walking up and seeing that wall with the handkerchief bunting.

We hung pegboard on the other walls, which we covered with burlap.

Then we filled it up.........

The booth spaces there are month to month, so I figured this little experiment at another antique mall couldn't hurt.

You can check out my inventory on Facebook!  There's an album dedicated to The Vintage Peddler, as well as my Relics booths!

I'm crossing my fingers that this new antique mall takes off!

Table Talk

Our to-do list around here is a mile long.  Some things are $$$$ and are pretty far down the list.  But some things are less expensive, and all we need is time!  Time was abundant this summer, so one of those cheaper things got crossed off the list!

Let me back up a little though.

The home we sold a year ago had two smaller eating areas, so we had two smaller dining sets.  Neither of which would work in our 1921 Craftsman as there is only one dining space here, and it is B.I.G.  Luckily, the mister's aunt had a large, old trestle table just sitting in storage that we were happy to latch on to for the time being.  And it was free.

But it was not pretty.......

There was damage to the top in the form of melted wax that had eaten into the wood.  But nothing a little wood filler and paint couldn't cover.

Now normally, I wouldn't be on board with painting an original piece, but this isn't exactly antique.  Probably 70's.  And with the damage, there was really no way around it.

So two coats of flat acrylic and one good waxing later, we had a bright white table........

I really love how it turned out.  How the paint brought out the detail in the table base.  And how fresh and clean it feels.

This room is slowly evolving!  First the chandelier update and now the table!  Next up, painting the walls.

Goodbye lime green!

Linking up with:  The Chicken Chick

Ceiling Medallions and Chandeliers

DIY projects are not foreign to us.  We've done plenty, most in our previous home.  There are a few things we've tackled that were pretty intimidating.  But this one?  This one takes the cake.

It all started back at our old house when I told the mister that the dining room chandelier was going to be a reserve item.  I was taking that baby with me.  I had grand plans.......to hang it in our new dining room along with a certain ceiling medallion.  The fixture in our new dining room was dinky, and I felt like our chandelier would fill the space better.  Not to mention, chandeliers are $$$$, so taking it with us was thrifty!

Taking it down and packing it was no small feat.

But hanging it annnnd a ceiling medallion goes down as our hardest DIY to date.  Maybe because chandeliers are heavy. Probably because our 95 year old ceiling isn't 100% level.  But most likely because both of us are perfectionists.

When it was all said and done though, we were both very happy with the results....

And now if anyone needs a tutorial on how to hang a ceiling medallion, I'm your girl.  Or you could get the gist from this short Flipagram......

View on Flipagram

I swear I helped!  Somebody had to stop and take pictures every once in awhile.........

Linking up with Two Thirty-Five Designs & The Chicken Chick

Crazy Plant Lady

I've become a little obsessed with plants lately (even though my track record isn't the best).

I blame Instagram and Pinterest.

Images of eclectic, bohemian-esque rooms with greenery everywhere are suddenly speaking to me. It's probably because I'm changing up the vibe in this house.  It might be because this house has such great natural light.

I could also use the excuse that I have a difficult-to-style living room.

This room is huge.  It really has two different sitting areas in one large rectangular space.  It's tricky.  Soooo plants to the rescue.

My first purchase......a fiddle leaf fig from a local nursery.........

Not a cheap plant.  Especially if you're good at killing them.

Anyway, as you walk into this monstrous room, straight ahead is a large wall.  That large wall is home to our TV stand.  The only outlet is about three feet away from where the TV has to be (because of the configuration of this room).  Two huge cords hang from that outlet to the TV.

I was dying to cover those cords. But another piece of furniture just didn't make sense there.

That's when I decided I would try a plant grouping next to the entertainment center!  This would cover the cords and help fill that open space.  I bought two more plants and thought putting them in baskets would add texture.  I thrifted the outer baskets and found the middle basket at Target......

Mission accomplished!?

When I open my front door now, I'm greeted with greenery instead of a blank wall with a string of cords.  It makes me happy.

What would make me even happier?

Keeping my fiddle leaf alive.....

Give me alllll the advice you've got, people.

My fiddle leaf is begging you.

Vintage Rug Dreams

Have you ever scared a FedEx driver by doing a little jig on the porch as he walked up your steps with an extra exciting delivery? It's possible that happened here a few months ago when my vintage Turkish rug was delivered.

Yes.  Months ago.  And I'm just now showing it off?  Yep.  For a great reason.  I could not find a rug pad in this town that I deemed good enough for this antique baby of mine.  And without a rug pad, the rug was bunching and shifting a lot.  So I rolled it up and put it away until recently......

More on the rug......when we got our new furniture, I knew I wanted a rug to anchor the space.  I knew I wanted a vintage kilim. And after lots of online searching, I found the perfect one via the Turkish Rug Man!  I loved the design and colors, and of course, it was just the right size!

But, like I said, it wasn't staying in place on slick hardwood floors without a rug pad, since vintage kilims are thinner than rugs tend to be nowadays.  So the day it was delivered, I went to - no joke - FIVE STORES in town to look for a rug pad.  All I found in each store was a pressed plastic pad, which I'd had no luck with in the past.  Which tend to smell a little chemical-esque. Which I feared would damage the rug and possibly, the hardwoods too, which are original to our house!

There was no way I was putting a plastic pad under this vintage dream of mine.

Enter the Rug Pad Corner who completely saved the day!  They make pads that are 100% chemical and glue free.  This meant, no strange smell coming from the pad.  It also meant that my rug and floors would not be damaged.  Annnnd they are made in the USA!

They had a few to choose from that would work with hardwoods floors.  I decided to go with one called the Ultra Premium. The Ultra Premium rug pad is everything I'd hoped for.  First of all, when I opened the package, there was no scent to the pad at all!  No chemical smell whatsoever.  Next, the pad flattened out immediately!  I didn't have to wait to throw the rug on top! The felt side went against the rug and held it in place.......

Since vintage rugs tend to have odd dimensions, another feature I love, is that they are made and cut to be custom to your rug! They cut mine to be just a tad smaller than my rug, meaning no pad peeks out!

During the short time I actually left the rug out - pre-pad - my rug would shift a lot, especially with my rambunctious pups. Once the pad was underneath, my rug has not budged an inch.  It would also bunch up under the coffee table before.  Now there is no bunching, since the felt seems to adhere to the rug, and the rubber side grips to my hardwoods nicely......

The pad also adds a little depth to my pretty thin rug!  It's about 1/3" thick, which is the perfect amount of cushion underfoot!

To say I'm happy with this pad is an understatement.  For any future rugs I purchase, vintage or not, I will definitely be using a pad from the Rug Pad Corner.  And you should too!  Use the code REVIEW15 for 15% off your purchase!

Good thing I wasn't home when the rug pad was delivered.  I would have scared the UPS driver too!  I was so excited about finally getting put the rug down for good, I might have tackled him!

*I received this rug pad in exchange for an honest review via the Rug Pad Corner!*

The Backyard

With summer only NINE school days away, the backyard has been getting all of our attention!  I wish I'd taken before photos! We've done so much that I didn't think to document......

• A huge brush pile had been left behind, so we took a trip to the yard waste center.  
• We've also gotten familiar with the city dump, since we had to take a huge trash pile that was left behind.  
• Then there's the pea gravel that covers about half the green space.  We are slowly hauling that off.  
• Lastly, two raised garden beds took up a huge portion of yard near the house, so we removed that in order to eventually add a patio area.

It's starting to feel like a blank canvas!  

We did stage a sitting area up by our sun porch.  I've always dreamed of hanging string lights, so that was my first addition to the backyard......

My second addition was for our sun porch!  We found a vintage table and chair set on Craigslist for that space......

Nothing a fresh coat of paint can't fix.

So finished or not, I'm ready to have some backyard gatherings!  Some lazy summer nights under the string lights.  A little fire in the chiminea.

And, of course, food!  Always food.

Boothiversary

FIVE YEARS!!!!!!!!!  Five years of the best hobby ever!!!

It started with one space, and now I'm up to three!  I'm still having so much fun!  And this endcap is still my baby........

Don't get me wrong, I love my other two spaces also!  The endcap is just the flagship spot!

Local friends........the booths are on sale to celebrate my five year boothiversary!!!  Stop by Relics, and let me know if you snag something!

Oh, and like the booth on Facebook to keep tabs on newly added items!

Thrift of the Century

For as long as I can remember, I've dreamed of owning a home with a clawfoot bathtub.  Our new old home does not have one. But it does have an upstairs bathroom that we will gut completely someday.

Anyway.

Yesterday.

I was leaving a local thrift shop.  This particular thrift requires you to drive behind the shop to exit, due to the parking lot being a one-lane-one-way situation.  I was pulling around back and was on the phone with the mister when I spotted it by the backdoor of the thrift.

A vintage clawfoot bathtub.  

I screeched out an, "I'll call you back!"  Then I abandoned the car and scrambled to the shop's donation door.

I think I must have looked crazed.  My heart was racing.

The employees got the manager for me.  She came out and said it had JUST been donated so it hadn't been priced.  I told her that I wanted it.  Then she spoke the most magical words I have ever heard (except for the time when the mister proposed)......

"How about $37.48?"

WHAT????????????

The inside of this tub is pristine.  As in it has zero rust, no worn porcelain.  It has all four feet.  THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN!!!!!

THIRTY-SEVEN FORTY-EIGHT?

So, I went up to the register to pay.  (Side note:  the DAV has this "check-in" thing where you can get deals every so often if you've registered with them.)  I checked in.  AND YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS, but my deal was $5.00 off a purchase!  

I was getting this mint condition clawfoot tub for THIRTY-TWO DOLLARS AND FORTY-EIGHT CENTS?

(This is the wall side of the tub.....the other side 

is finished and will only need to be painted.)

*   *   *   *

Later when I went back to pick it up, the employees said they could have sold it two more times in the hour they'd had it.

*   *   *   *

Measurements have been taken, and I am 99% positive it'll make it upstairs when the day comes.   Until then, you might find me laying in it....... 

#thriftofthecentury

Booth Update

Three booths, two-months-in checkup..........so far, so good.

Actually, better than good!

January and February can be tough months in antique-booth-world, but (knock on wood) I've had my best months ever since snagging a third space.

I can't keep old windows in stock.  Vintage clothing is doing well.  And a whole lotta random is selling!

I'm purging from my stash (and our storage units), which was a 2016 goal.  But I haven't been a stranger to the thrifts, if I'm being honest.  I just can't stay away from them.

Thrifts are my kryptonite.

Here's hoping the next few months are just as successful so I can keep purging.

(And thrifting.)

2016: The Year of the Purge

Happy New Year!

The last day of 2015 was a biggie.  I took the plunge and rented a third booth at Relics!  EEK!

I moved a few smaller things in yesterday, but today will be for the muscles!  The mister will actually be helping!

Why a third booth?

I am a very accomplished hoarder.  I have two storage units.  I have a basement full of boxes that we packed and moved.  I have a few pieces of furniture that just won't work in our new home.  The previous homeowner left some larger items in the basement as well (things I can sell).  Sooooo, I need to purge.

2016 will be the year I take the bull by the horns.

Simplify and streamline.  Organize.

(My friends are rolling their eyes right now.)

Wish me luck.......

Thrifting Frenzy

When we were packing for our move, the sheer amount of "booth" boxes I ended up with was shocking.  Needless to say, I discovered that thrifting for booth merchandise was very unnecessary.

But sometimes you just have to.

If it's in your blood, you can't just cut it out of your life.

The heart wants what it wants.

Sooooo I've tried to go way less often and be more selective with my purchases.  Here are a few things that made the cut.

*   *   *   *

Vintage wrapping paper.....

Because Christmas.

Reindeer sweaters.....

Because obviously.

Clocks and candles.....

Because dirt cheap.

Random cute things.....

Because I still have to stock my booth.

Annnnd marquee letters.....

Because FREE (from the trash at work).  So not thrifted.  But right up my alley.

Sadly, so much stuff is "right up my alley" that I may need a third booth!

Dreams Do Come True

Ever since my college days, I've longed to live in a certain neighborhood not too far away from campus.  A neighborhood with big trees and old homes.  Where porches are sprawling and there's a strong sense of community.

Last Friday, that dream came true.  We sold our 1967 Fixer Upper, and bought a 1921 Craftsman.......

It's crazy how it all came together!  We were actually viewing an open house one Sunday when a high school friend messaged me on FB asking if we knew anyone interested in her neighborhood.

ME!  ME!  ME!

We looked at her house that very night.......listed our home shortly thereafter..........and here we are!

As sad as we were to sell our house, we knew the timing was right for us.  I'll admit to shedding a few tears over saying good-bye to that place.  We loved it so much.  But we were ready for a change of scenery.

All my dreams came true on Friday.  This neighborhood.  This house.  I feel very blessed.  I can't wait to share more of this new adventure with you!  Check out my Instagram for a few extra interior pics!

(Oh, and I'll explain those strange fang-looking things on my porch later!)

What I Wore (Vintage Edition)

It's a well established fact that I'm a hoarder.  (I'm really trying to work on that.)  There's just about nothing I can think of that isn't safe.  As in, my love knows no bounds.

I read that Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up book.  And no magic happened.

My master plan says I'll get it under control if we ever buy another house.  I won't pack anything that doesn't "spark joy."  I think that's a great idea!  Purge as I pack?

Anyway.

I did attempt to purge some clothes recently.  In my attempts, I came across this skirt, purchased on Etsy over two years ago.   This skirt hung out in my virtual cart forever, until one day, I finally took the plunge......

It arrived, and I loved it!  It fit perfectly.  The condition was great.  But then it went to live in my closet for two years.  What is wrong with me?

Luckily, I caught that bout of the purge-bug and rediscovered this beauty.  She went to work last week, paired with a simple white tee and some (also forgotten) red flats.

You can be sure that I won't forget about her again!

Linking up with:  Still Being Molly & Pleated Poppy

Thrifting Frenzy

Last weekend, the thrifting fairies were on my side..........

I haven't had a haul like this since the end of June!  This was all from just two shops!

Now the hard part will be deciding what to keep!  I think the chair is here to stay.  I mean, look at the back of it!  I have added the magazine rack, tray, and crewel pieces to my booth already, so I'm not hoarding it all.

Other recently gifted or thrifted items have made it to Relics too.......

It's been a good summer for the booths!  This little hobby is so fun, and I'm thankful that it has been a successful venture!

Now, who wants to buy an ancient building downtown for me to fill with vintage?  I'd love you forever!!!!!!!

*Follow This Vintage Grove on Facebook or Instagram to see items that are added to the booth!!!*

Linking up with:  Woman in Real Life

Thrifting Frenzy

Between yard sales and thrift shops, summer hunting has been great!  I even have a friend who knows what I like, and she found some goodies for me recently!  I really appreciate that, as she has helped keep my stock of suitcases flowing!  And another friend who is moving GAVE me some items that were once in her Etsy shop.  I have some really great friends.

All this free time has me making frequent trips to the booth!  It is packed with summer clothing, pitchers for tea or lemonade, and lots of afghans for picnics........

I am really working on purging........not hoarding, so I am proud to say that all of these finds are already in the booth or have sold!!!

I sure love this silly hobby of mine.

*Follow This Vintage Grove on Facebook or Instagram to see items that are added to the booth!!!*

Linking up with:  Woman in Real Life

Thrifting Frenzy

A summer themed round of thrifting in honor of five more school days!

Pink quilts are summery!  I think I am leaning toward selling it..........perfect for summer picnics!

A child's size aluminum lawn chair (alllll the heart eyes) and watering can (already in the booth)!  Can't pass up a cute cross-stitch either!

And not really summery, but definitely appropriate for the end of the school year......COFFEE!!! 

These jars are marked "Triomphe ~ Made in France" on the lids.  They already made it to the booth.  Annnd they'll be 10% off through the end of May!

Now to make it to next Tuesday at 3:30.

Then.........SUMMER VACATION BEGINS!!!!!!!

 

Linking up with:  Woman in Real Life

Thrifting Frenzy

This round of thrifting takes me all the way back to spring break ~ about a month ago!  I'm proud to say that almost all of it is already in the booth!  A few things have even sold!

These things were added to the booth today!

Don't you need a vintage romper?  I thought maybe you did.

Suitcases SELL, sooooo I buy all the suitcases.........

Sometimes I hoard things long enough that a nice little collection forms.  Then I put them in the booth together!  That's what happened with all these vintage cards........

Afghans also sell!  This one (and the large suitcase) found new homes this month!

Sometimes though, something speaks to you for no reason at all.  And you can't possibly part with it. Even though it makes no sense.

Like orange pillows.......

Vintage pillows are one of my weaknesses.  There is not a stitch of orange in my house, but this has got to be worked into my decor somehow.  Or maybe I'll stash it away until I redo a room.  All I know, is that I cannot sell it.

Well folks, that about wraps it up.  Suitcases, afghans, collections, and pillows.

Orange you glad you dropped in?

Linking up with:  Still Being Molly
and Woman in Real Life