White to Bright Style Challenge

Chairish, an online marketplace for buying and selling vintage furniture, invited me to participate in their White to Bright style challenge. The goal is to design a mix styles room, with a color scheme based around an accent chair. If you know me, you know that I like vintage furniture and I love styling rooms and picking out home decor. My kind of fun!

I selected to use their Bergere chairs with orange upholstery. Aren't they pretty? Great lines! As soon as I saw them, I knew they were the ones I wanted to design a room around. Since I have a tangerine wing back chair in my living room, that also happens to be a vintage find, I was all the more inspired. I'm not afraid of color and mixing old and new styles.  

I learned two cool things while designing this room. First, I discovered what Chairish is. It's such a great site for buying, selling and browsing. I could look around all day! So many unique pieces. And not just furniture, but lighting, art, rugs, small decor and more. What a wonderful way to be inspired - and keep your eye out for diamonds in the rough at garage sales and flea markets. Shop for Chairish accent chairs here.

Secondly, I discovered Polyvore. Am I the last one to know about this? It's got style boards, fashion, home decor, and trends galore. Seriously. Why didn't I know about this? You can make your own boards and pick and choose from hundreds and hundreds of images. It's a collage makers dream come true! If you're looking for a specific item, such as a blue ottoman, you can run a search and find every blue ottoman that's out there. Uh. Maze. Zing. When I was a little girl, I literally used to cut pictures of furniture out of magazines and glue them to paper to decorate pretend rooms. I was so ahead of my time!

Here is the room I created, based on the pair of orange Bergere chairs. I designed it in Photoshop (because I use it all the time and found it to be more flexible for me), but if you don't have Photoshop, Polyvore is your new BFF. 

What goes with orange? I chose navy blue and gray with gold accents. I'm still a fan of light gray walls. It's a wonderful neutral that almost any color can work with. The dark gray floor length curtains create a nice backdrop for the room. The orange chairs really hold their own, so I chose complimentary pieces that helped them stand out, yet look like they all belong together. I like how the gold lamp, mirror and chandelier add shine and sophistication, but aren't too fancy or ornate. The navy blue love seat pulls everything together and helps anchor the room. The blue and white ottoman plays off the love seat and adds another layer of texture and pattern. The rug also introduces a subtle pattern, with a warm straw color that works with everything and looks great against the wood flooring. 

I don't know about you, but I would like to live in this space! It feels modern with a vintage flair, yet looks comfortable and approachable. I'd say this room is definitely not boring white, but cheerful and bright! 

Thank you, Chairish for the opportunity to create a fun room! I hope you'll be as inspired as I was.

Thrifty Finds

I wandered into the thrift store Friday afternoon and found a few treasures.

You know I can't resist milk glass. I've been keeping an eye out for a few select vases in classic patterns that I didn't have - until now. At .49 cents each, how could I NOT get them? I have plans for these vases... I also found a sweet little candy dish.

Then I found a set of 8 "new" large mason canning jars, still in the box, with all the lids.

With commemorative liberty bell design, no less (Andrew liked that). They looked like they had never even been taken out of the box - the instruction sheet was still in there. 

I have plans for these too. Maybe to hold tea light candles on the deck. Flower vases. Fun  glasses to sip iced tea. 

 I got all 13 pieces of glassware for $7.49. My lucky day!

Amber Waves of Glass

I am the happy owner of a beautiful set of amber vintage glassware, gifted to me by my very thoughtful friend and fellow blogger, Kimi, in exchange for some of my sewing services. I think I got the better end of the deal! Kimi and her sister Christy, also a fellow blogger and very thoughtful friend, knew how much I like unique color glass things, and thought I would like these. I love these. Thank you, thank you, thank you! They belonged to Kimi's husband's grandmother, which makes me feel like part of the family now. Such a pretty color. Especially when sunlight hits them, which is why I took some photos outside at dusk. I'm a photographer wannabe. 

Two goblets with handles and four without. 

A beautiful cookie jar/cylinder with lid, which I plan on using to hold silverware and such at parties, like Kimi and Christy did. This is my favorite piece.

They happen to go nicely with a light amber glass bowl that I already have. I could see these creating a lovely table setting. 

As if that wasn't enough, I also got 3 bonus juice glasses with tiny yellow dots on them. How cute are these? I think I'll be using them for orange juice in the morning. 


I feel so blessed! This really made my day. I better start sewing to hold up my end of the bargain...

Goodwill Good Find

You might know I'm a fan of Goodwill and other second hand stores for great vintage finds. You might also know how much I like milk glass. Coincidentally, a lot of my favorite milk glass pieces have come from Goodwill and other thrift stores. It baffles my mind that these treasures are donated or tossed aside, ending up at second hand stores for just pennies. I can't help but imagine the homes they might have come from, like Ward and June Cleaver's (Leave it to Beaver). A different era. 

I came across this large lattice edged milk glass pedestal compote at Goodwill. I have not seen a piece like this before. I am familiar with the pattern on the base but the top is new to me. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to add this piece to my collection, because I have been trying to be more selective lately. When I first started collecting milk glass, I would snatch up every piece I came across. Now, it seems to be everywhere. I have been looking for pieces that are very unique and that I really like. This beauty was only $3.99. I had to take it home. 

Look at the lattice detail. I wonder how it was made without breaking it. When I looked it up on Ebay, this same piece ranged from $15-$45. I learned that it was manufactured in the US by Westmoreland Glass Company, prior to 1948. There were no markings on the piece, which meant it had a paper label at some point. 

I couldn't leave it empty, so I put some (fake) lemons in it for now. White milk glass really goes with anything. Maybe I'll use it as a cake stand or dessert platter. I'm glad I added this unique piece to my collection!

More Thrifty Finds

Here are some vintage items I have picked up over the past few months. I have figured out which second hand stores have the good stuff and which ones do not. The Goodwill usually has a nice selection and very clean stores. There is also an AMVETS second hand store in my area that has a lot of household items, which is what I look for. Isn't this blue teapot cute? I just love the color.

 

I still love milk glass. This candy dish with lid has a grape vine design.  I like how detailed and delicate it is.

This heavy silver charger/platter has a "Made in Italy" inscription on the bottom. It was in great condition and I think it was only $4.

 

Here is another silver tray that was only $2.99. I like it's rounded square shape. I am currently displaying it on my kitchen shelf arrangement with china and glassware. 

In the other corner of my red kitchen are some more vintage finds. Neighbors actually put this adorable little 3-tiered wooden side table at the curb! I almost thought they were going to come running out of the house shouting "Just kidding! You can't have that!" because there really wasn't anything wrong with it, except some "character" to the wood on the top.

It's the perfect piece to hold the milk glass ruffled bowls my Aunt gave me. I keep some cookbooks on the bottom shelf.

 

I could not pass up this green dimpled glass pitcher for $4.99. 

A milk glass goblet-style compote. I just love the scalloped edges and star pattern.

 

This bright orange pedestal plate was $5 at Salvation Army. I got it solely for the impact of color it would bring to my decor. This photo does not capture it's rich orange pigment.

Here is a look at the top section of the glass shelf nook in our living and dining area. (It is backed with mirrors, so that's why you can see the ceiling fan in the background) I have arranged it almost completely with vintage finds. I love colored glass, and have a small collection of goblets. The milk glass vase and pitcher were gifts from my Mom, and I found the little square bowl/ashtray at Goodwill. I have been building my collection of old hardcover books. I've been finding some good ones lately. The pear was picked up at The Christmas Tree Shop a while ago. I had a couple of blue glass wine bottles. And I added a framed picture in the back to balance it out. 

  

I saved the best for last. This set of 3 stackable milk glass footed compotes are my favorite! There's even a story. If you remember, back when I posted I Heart Milk Glass, I found the medium size one at  Rices Sale & Country Market in New Hope, Pennsylvania. It became my favorite piece of all. THEN, while browsing the AMVETS store, I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted a larger version of my favorite piece, for $6. They clearly were a pair, meant to be reunited. Now I had not one but two favorite pieces. Then my psychotic beloved cats BROKE the original first piece, by knocking it off the console table. That was NOT a good sight to come home to. I was livid mad to say the least. Where on earth was I going to find another one? It was crazy enough that I even found the second one.

In comes etsy.com to the rescue! I did a little searching, and quickly found Yesterday's Memories 09, a seller with a great selection of vintage items, especially milk glass. Not only did she have the piece I was looking for, I discovered a THIRD piece that completes the trio! THREE! How cute is that little one? (Photo below from Yesterday's Memories 09)

There you have it. Some of my best thrift store and other finds (including other people's trash!). These are the little things that make me smile. 

Soap Dish Nostalgia

I remember certain places and things about my childhood so vividly. One of those places is my Papa Eramo's house. I realized not too long ago, that I have always thought of it as "Papa's house," instead of "Nana and Papa's house". My Nana Eramo passed away when I was just two years old. I wish, so much, that I could have known her. I will see her again one day in Heaven. I know that so much of her is who my Mom is, and my Mom is an amazing woman.

The memories I do have, of going to stay at Papa's house, who lived about 2 1/2 hours away, will always be dear to me. When you're a little kid, things seem so exciting, new and different when you're in a place that's not your home. I can still picture everything about that house. The carpet, the walls, the sounds of the kitchen early in the morning, the bedspread in the room my mom grew up in, little figurines that lined wooden shelves, the mysterious basement, the smell of Papa's awful cigarettes, the garage door, the picture over the couch, the way the sun shone through the wide metal blinds...

Recently, I spent an afternoon walking through the hundreds of booths at our local Craft Antique Co-Op. I stopped in my tracks when I saw this soap dish, sitting amidst a pile of random vintage items, in a booth that was crammed to the brim with stuff. I hadn't seen this dish in years, and the only place that I had ever seen it, was on the bathroom vanity at my Papa's house. I was taken back with nostalgia, picturing it in that blue carpeted bathroom, where it had always been.

I had to take it home. Just to have a little piece of that memory. It doesn't matter if it isn't the actual one. To me, it might as well be. The bottom of the soap dish notes that it is an Avon piece, which makes sense, because my Nana liked Avon. So do I. After some digging on Etsy, I found out "this charming milk glass dish was once produced by Avon in the popular “Queen Victoria’s hands” form to hold guest soaps". Which is ironic, because I avoid bar soap at all costs. I hate it. To this day. The feel of a soapy bar of soap irks me, like I cannot explain. It's liquid soap only for this gal. I would rather not wash my hands if it came down to it. Think what you will.

It may not seem like anything much to anyone else. It may even look a little creepy (it is pretty life like!). But I am blessed by this little found treasure and the memories it reminds me of.

I Heart Milk Glass

I was thrilled to find this little bud vase at the Goodwill, along with a little candy dish (not pictured). Each for $1.99! Great find. I don't know what is is about vintage milk glass pieces that draw me to them, especially the Fenton hobnail style of the 1950's. I had a lamp in my bedroom growing up (that now lives in my guest room) that I'm sure you've seen (similar to this one).

My Aunt sent me some beautiful pieces that still had the original Fenton labels on them. Ruffled bowls (left) and candle stick holders (not pictured).


My Mom searched flea markets high and low to find a vase that we had when I was growing up (that I didn't appreciate at the time, of course). She found one! Leave it to my Mom to find that desired item and not give up until she does. Do I have a great Mom or what?!

I found this goblet style...candy dish? fruit bowl? during my first trip to Rices Sale & Country Market in New Hope, Pennsylvania while visiting our family. What a place THAT is. If you are ever in the area on a Tuesday or Saturday (7am-1pm) you MUST check it out. They have knock-off designer purses, sports team T-shirts, jewelry, antiques, As Seen on TV items, you name it! I'm using it to store all my buttons.

I heart milk glass.