When Vintage Goes Wrong!

I don't know that this post is really about vintage going wrong as it is about disasters that happen when you buy vintage goods. It happens rarely as long as you inspect the object before you buy or are prepared to accept mild flaws as long as the item can still function. The most disasters happen to me (I don't presume to speak to other vintage buyers) with teapots and vases. For example, I purchased a bud vase at an estate sale. It appeared worthy, no cracks or obviously flawed. I came home, filled it with a little water, stuck in a rose from my garden, and placed it on the window sill. A few minutes later as I'm cooking dinner, I look up to see a puddle of water running off the sill. The whole bottom did not meet the base by the smallest of margins. The last thing that I want to do is repair a vase or toss it. So this vase has been relegated to dry/silk flowers only.

At a few sales last weekend and the weekend before, I happened on three teapots, one single cup and two larger pots. I usually resist teapots because they tend to be heavily flawed from use. Not only that, I could go bonkers buying adorable teapots. So I have very exacting standards to keep my house relatively clutter-free. Two of the teapots were gorgeous greens, perfect for autumn tea drinking. The other was an inexpensive, common white teapot -always classy and perfect with any afternoon tea for-one. Because of my busy schedule, I didn't blog about any of them or even set up the photoshoots. But when I was not feeling well yesterday, it was raining and tea seemed like the perfect escape along with my new Vogue magazine. I mustered up the energy to put together a cute tea spread with the new deep olive Japan made teapot with it's perky autumn colored flowers and gold stripes. I love these types of teapots. They are commonly in brown so I was excited to find an olive one (I already own a few brown ones). I poured in two cups of hot water, steeping some delicious Stash Moroccan Mint tea with a dollop of honey. Side note: I adore Stash teas and Moroccan Mint Green tea is the BEST comfort tea ever. putting a few Lark Fine Foods Salted Rosemary cookies into my Fiesta ware bowl, I gathered up my teapot and mug by the handles and barely moved. The handle fell completely off the teapot. It rolled onto the counter with tea sloshing everywhere including around my IPhone! I was left literally holding the handle and gaping at the mess. Don't worry the IPhone was fine.

There are a few lessons here. The first is that no matter how much you inspect an item, it may have hidden or cleverly disguised flaws. There had been a repair to this teapot. It was the most stealthy repair of a vintage item that I have ever seen. The master of this repair had matched paint so carefully that it was literally impossible to see any crack or break line at all. Secondly, glue does not hold up under the strain of hot water. I imagine that this was a family item that someone repaired for sentimental value, knowing that it would not hold up but they weren't going to use it anyway. Or someone broke it by accident and didn't want to be found out. Either way, no one in the selling or buying parties knew this. Lastly, while I am sad that I never got to enjoy tea from it, I paid such a small price for it that I'm walking away from it. A seasoned vintage shopper knows that there will be a few failures (like the other teapot that I bought years ago with a hairline crack in it's belly.). So now I am looking to salvage what I can of the sale. The lid is chip free and may fit another green teapot that I own so I will try it and some small good will come of it!

But for every disaster there are a few triumphs. I boiled more water, cleaned up the second teapot, after inspecting it even more carefully for hidden surprises and made another round of tea. I paid considerably more for this teapot ($8) and would have been heartbroken if the same thing had happened. It is a Sadler English teapot, more decorative and less for everyday use. It is numbered on the bottom and gilded. The wear of this teapot is minimal which surprised me when I first saw it. I came late to an estate sale and didn't really expect to find anything but there it was. I tend to like odd colors and that's why I think people had been passing it up. It's the most vibrant shade of pale olive green paired with a rustic brown. My pictures are not very good but I think you will get the idea.

It's also so shiny that I could not get a good picture without glare. The good news - it held up to my tea time delight! You can see here my Fiesta ware bowl and Harry Potter mug (not really a delicate match for the teapot but that's ok). The cat (Kit) would not leave me alone. He was completely fascinated by tea time as you can see down below.

Any vintage disasters that you want to share?

"Don't break, little teapot!" says Kit.

Craft Shed Update

It has been so exciting to watch the conversion of my ugly garden shed into a useful crafting shed. While it is still not finished, we have been working hard on it. My awesome Hubby has been doing most of the hard stuff like nailing things and adding electrical outlets. He even put in the window that I bought at a garage sale years ago!I have a landscaper who will be leaving me soon for better things (I hope but will miss him!). He agreed to do this last job for me and add a retain wall and beautiful patio around the shed. Not only will I be able to craft but with a chair and table, it will be a great place to have a cup of coffee. I even have a folding wicker lawn chair that can easily be tucked away during the rain.

The weekend was spent going around to garage sales and doing various chores. Not much time or money for the shed. However, amazingly the neighborhood sale at my parents' community produced some great things for the shed, including a pair of Pottery Barn cafe curtains for $5. They looked like a sad pile when I came across them. The lady who laundered them didn't iron them. But they were clean and intact so I took them home and a simple ironing made them look as smart as new! I also picked up a task light that will clip on to my shelves. It is industrial looking, probably found at any hardware store but I paid 50 cents for it!

I was also on the hunt for cabinets, shelves, and drawers. I had little faith that I would find something in my price range (next to nothing!). I was pleasantly surprised then to find a Martha Stewart Spice shelve from when there was the fantastic Martha by Mail catalog. I wanted this spice rack then but had no money at the time. It was worth the 12 year wait (lol) because I paid $5 for it. It came with all the spice tins and they were nearly full. Unfortunately, the spices are probably as old as the shelves. However, it didn't buy it for a spice rack. I bought it for the shelves and tins. I will probably clean up the tins and use them for buttons, pin, and bee bobs! I did not take that beautiful picture of the spice rack below. But I did find it on a beautiful and delicious blog called Good Things by David.

Last but certainly not least, while I was out at the flea market, doing some afternoon browsing, on the way home, I decided to chase down a garage sale in my own development. The afternoon isn't the best time to garage sale and this one was tucked way back in the winding roads near my home. Knowing how difficult it is to find some of the farther reaches of this housing area, I hoped there might be a few goodies for me. On the way to the sale, I passed by a house on the corner with beautiful cabinets out front and a sale sign that said, "FREE!". Yes, you read that right! Free. Two cabinets that had formerly been part of a built in desk and a small set of overhead drawers were free. They are a bit scarred here and there because the owners had disassembled the desk and kept only the credenza part. They had barely put them out when I innocently came along and promptly left with them! How exciting!

Step by step, this thing is coming together! I have a list of things still left. Electrical, plumping for my sink, a table, wall shelves, and plenty of white bright paint. And that's not all! But in the meantime, doesn't it took great?

Quilts! Quilts! and MORE Quilts!

As the weather begins to turn cold and blustery (especially today), I begin to put my thoughts to a cozy bed to curl up in during the day with a 90210 marathon or at night with the hubby, kids, and animals.  What can I say, we have a full house!  I have been in particular looking for some quilts to put over the bed.  With their beautiful colors, awesome graphic patterns, and variety, quilts never lose their charm to me.  I am a huge fan of the quilt collection at the National Quilt museum and hope someday to see it in person.  But for now and practical reasons (I can't have a work of art on my bed!), I am lusting after these quilts!

The Pottery Barn has a wonderful selection of quilts and in particular they have some beauties for the fall.  Take a look at this incredible American Folkart museum quilt in a spectacular sunburst pattern.  It only comes in a queen size and would definitely blow my budget out of the water.  But that doesn't stop me from drooling over it both in the store and on the website!

I haven't ever ordered anything from The Company Store but I've slept under their duvets plenty of times at my Mother-in-law's beach house.  So I have a healthy respect for the quality of the product and the wonderful sleep I get.  But I have nearly ordered a few things this week because they have a lovely selection of bedding for the fall.  I love the unusual colors in the Potpourri quilt.  In addition, the geometric simplicity is appealing for a bedroom that is already pretty busy visually speaking.  Plus the cost of this quilt might be more in my price range.

The Gianna Scallop from The Pottery Barn

But I love the Pottery Barn so much that I could go for the Gianna Scallop and be perfectly happy with the lovely colors.  The neutral brown would coordinate with more of my bedding choices.  The red would add a punch of color to a palette that already might have too much blue in it.  And the pattern again is simple but rich. 

However, I am a huge fan of the handmade quilts and so I went on Etsy and found some gorgeous quilts, especially the ones by Pieces of Pine.  Or the gorgeous Figgy Pudding quilt by Life Quilts which would be wonderful to drape on my bed not just at Christmas.  And my absolute favorite, by The Bobbins Nest, the Birds of a Feather quilt.  It's so whimsical that I just wanted to snatch it up!  The Bobbins Nest makes quite a few adorable crib quilts that I would love to see in larger sizes like the Oliver LiL Hoot! 

Birds of a Feather Flock Together!!!

The problem is that I have to make a choice. And I didn't even show you the Hawaiian quilts that I love so much.   It's hard to pick just one!  But in the meantime, stay warm!

Fashionably yours!

Tag/Garage Sale Finds of the Week - Givenchy and 1928

It was a strange tag sale weekend.  Usually I see things right away and snatch them up, but this weekend I stood in front of tables for several minutes picking through items before I found the goodies.  It was more like browsing but with curiosity.  I must have spent a half hour at one sale just picking through things both in the garage and out in the yard.  Another sale, I went back to the next day and picked around again!  But with dogged determination I came up with a few delights and spent very little money.

Look how LONG it is - Givenchy

My first find is by far the best.  I was halfheartedly lingering in front of a table at this tucked away lake cottage.  My husband was finding quite a few goodies but we'd been to a few sales and I wasn't really finding anything.  I am a patient person but it was getting to be bit bleak and it was only Friday!  The lady had some jewelry sitting on the table - various Avon pieces and unmarked vintage items.  Her sense of style wasn't bad but I just own quite a bit of jewelry so I'm picky.  Just as I was about to turn away from mulling over some vintage rhinestones in a lush copper color, a tag caught my eye.  At first, I wasn't sure but as I picked up the necklace off her hanger, it was confirmed that indeed this was the jewelry tag of one of my all time favorite designers, Givenchy.  It's so incredibly long that I had to photography it doubled.  It has open roses and buds alternating.  I did clean it before photographing but it was nearly in flawless condition except for some surface dirt inside the deep folds of the rose petals close to the fastener of the necklace.

I tend to prefer the vintage Givenchy pieces.  It appears by the hang tag that this may have been a parfums item but I'm not sure.  I love the squares in the circle logo.  I haven't measured it but it could be used for a belt except that it's incredibly fine and delicate.  Price for classic, versatile style: $1 (yeah, no kidding) 

1928 pendant

I went back the next day to get the rhinestone necklace and it was gone.  Of course, but again just as I was about to turn away, I found a beautiful contemporary pendant made by 1928.  Not a high price point, I like 1928 because of their classic designs and quality product.  Their jewelry can go with anything but is not so trendy that it dates easily.  It's hard to tell by my picture in the center is a star of olive glass cabochons.  The lighter green dots are sparkling rhinestones.  I wear quite a bit of green so this will go nicely in my wardrobe.  Price: $1. 

Coasters - Aren't they gorgeous?

It was a green weekend because I ended up at two other sales where I bought the linens that I photographed the necklaces on.  The cross-stitched backdrop of the 1928 necklace is a set of linen coasters.  I purchased the flawless set for a quarter each.  Price: $1.50 for six coasters. 

And at another sale, I dug around for awhile in a box and came up with the towel that I photographed the Givenchy hang tag on.  It is a beautiful linen towel with an Amish or German print with a boy and girl.  The design is intricate with bold use of green, yellow, and red paired graphically with black.  I just love the boy and girl holding the vase! (Down below)  I don't think that my picture does it justice.  Along with a 50's apron, bistro table cloth, third towel, and two pairs of still in the package/never used Calvin Klein hosiery, I spent $2. 

Vintage Style - Total $5.50

Have a Fashionable Day!