Have you ever strolled up to a garage sale and seen the most sad, adorable ceramic pet staring at you? It happens to me all the time and I can never determine what I would do with these darling vintage pets, until now! This is a great way to reuse a vintage ceramic cat or dog, or really whatever animal you would like to add some spookiness for the Halloween season. Supplies Vintage ceramic cats or dogs (Here are a few inexpensive options I found online) Black spray paint Hot glue gun Small witch hats (I used these!) Directions 1. Enjoy the hunt. I loved searching for more cutie cats to add to my spooky collection. Glass cats or dogs are best, but plastic works ...
This or That – Easter Basket Edition
It is amazing how when you look closely at a new product, its roots are deeply grounded in vintage products. Which makes it no surprise that vintage inspired items are highly sought after today. Unlike their vintage counterparts, these newer vintage inspired products may lack the original character and often have a much lower price point. I love to compare the two side by side, so I started this segment, where each week I share different vintage inspired products and their vintage counterpart for you to choose which is your favorite! If you see a product you are interested in you can shop each picture! Here is an example of a vintage inspired product and it's original vintage (or sometimes ...
5 Vintage Fourth of July Tablescape Ideas
Fourth of July in our area lends two paths - lake time or rodeos paired with parades. Most of my Fourth of July celebrations have been spent on the back of a horse in a rodeo arena carrying an American flag or waving to fans in the parade but I’m happy to report that this year will be much cooler for our family - AT THE LAKE! To kick off this Fourth of July pre-week I wanted to share a few patriotic ideas to incorporate a little vintage into your 4th of July festivities! Vintage Tablecloths Interestingly enough I only allow myself to collect vintage tablecloths that are red, white, and blue (and vintage Christmas tablecloths too). Vintage tablecloths have the cutest patterns and the ...
Using Vintage Items for Your Thanksgiving Table
One of my favorite pastimes is finding new uses for vintage items. It can range from using an old bundt pan for a wreath (see it here) or making outdoor lights out of antique insulators, (found here) vintage items have so many creative uses. The Thanksgiving table is no exception, let's dive into a few unique vintage pieces that can be used to make your Thanksgiving table a glorious gathering. Kitchen Canisters for Floral Arrangements Retro kitchen canisters are the perfect set of vessels for your Thanksgiving table. Each set is guaranteed to have four of a kind that all coordinate! Most retro kitchen canister sets come in fun, funky colors and offer such wonderful shapes to ...
Antiquing While Traveling
You all know me, I love to squeeze in a little antiquing anytime I can. So that means when we are traveling I love to hunt for treasures just the same. I thought it may be helpful to share a few tips to consider to help you find the best antique stores when you are traveling the country. Sometimes these shops can be hit or miss, so putting a little extra investigative work into your plan can be worth your while. 1. Space First and foremost - keep in mind space. If you are flying to a destination keep in mind what you can realistically take home with you on a plane or if shipping items home is a good option. If you are incorporating shipping into your treasure hunting, make sure you ...
Garage Sale Tips for Success
Garage Sale, Tag Sale, Rummage Sale, Yard Sale....whatever you call it, they can be the BEST place to find vintage treasures and antiques at reasonable prices! I grew up going to garage sales with my Mom and her best friend in New York. I loved going out and hunting for toys early on, but later developed collections and I just never stopped! I wanted to share my favorite tips for going to garage sales as we embark on the greatest garage sale season ever! Cash is King Let me tell you cash is always the preferred method for a garage sale. Sometimes if you run out of money, a garage sale owner will accept a local check. Also cash is quick! Most times my goal is to hit as many garage sales ...
“New” Vintage Hardware for the Victorian on Van Buren
Deadwood, South Dakota is known for it's vast history in mineral mining, so choosing the right hardware for the Victorian on Van Buren was critical! The best thing we did for the restoration of our 1885 Victorian home was to get all new coordinating light switch plates and electrical outlet plates. The small touches in this renovation have made the biggest impact. The first compliment we always receive is about the hardware in this fixer upper! All of the light switch plates and electrical outlet covers are from Nostalgic Warehouse. We chose their Victorian switch plate, which was the perfect choice! It has so much charm and character and is characteristic of the Victorian homes of ...
The Vintage Hunt – March Edition
March has flown by! March for many is a time to start thinking about Spring, but for us North Dakotans Spring is oftentimes still a few weeks away! Nonetheless, I still start to dream about spring by adding in fun elements of spring decor. And let's not forget the great holiday of St. Patrick's Day! I am very Irish, so this is often a holiday I don't forget! Here are a few items to add to your hunting list. I am patiently counting down the days until I get to start my garage sale sprees and flea market trips! Garden Tools Garden tools have so much wonderful character. Just the sight of them gets me excited for the blooming garden on the horizon. I love to bring these tools inside ...
The Vintage Hunt – February Edition
February is on of my favorite months (a close second behind September). It's my birthday month, the month of LOVE, and typically the time of year we take a little vacay! I am an avid Valentine's Day decorator, so many of these pieces center around the day all about LOVE! Keep your eyes peeled for these sweet vintage items! Mailboxes When I bought this mailbox I never imagined all the joy it would bring our home. I love to use this mailbox for Valentine's day, stuffing it full of beautiful blooms or vintage letters. This mailbox also doubles for Christmas, as the keeper of all those letters to Santa! Anything with a HEART It could be milk glass with a dainty heart or a rug ...
Vintage Folding Ruler Stars
When you think of a ruler, you might think that their sole purpose is only to measure things. When I stumbled upon a collection of foldable vintage rulers at a garage sale, a million ideas sprung up on how I could use these for decor! These rulers come in all different shapes, colors, and sizes. The earliest rulers date back to the 17th century and aided in the standardization of measurement. These folding rulers were handy for carpenters because they were both portable and sturdy. Many rulers that can be found today, also have really neat advertising on them too. This article here has a lot of interesting history about antique rulers. My initial plan was to use them ...
