A Couple Projects I've Done This Summer

I've been busy all summer and haven't had a chance to update my blog!

I bought a couple of neat mid-century modern pieces of furniture and refurbished them. They were purchased at Peddler's Mall, an indoor flea market here in KY. I mentioned it in this previous post.

The first piece is this cabinet. It was pretty rickety and rough and had years of smoke built up on it. The color was way too dark. I only paid $9 for it.

I painted it a chocolate brown and the back panel is off-white. Now when I put my collectibles on the shelves we will actually be able to see them!

The next piece is this bar. I really liked the design but the color was horrendous...sort of a greenish-brown fake wood. It was only $12.

So I used some of the leftover paint from the cabinet and here is the result:

I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Now I need to throw a cocktail party!

Retro Patterns

Look at all these cool vintage patterns I found at Goodwill yesterday! They were 25 cents each. Some were even uncut!
My daughter picked them out, she's really into the 1960's retro look. Now my project list for this summer has grown even longer. (as if I don't already have enough to do!)

The one on the right looks easy to sew...it'll probably be the first one I try.

The one on the left is really cute and it says it's easy to sew- my kind of pattern!

The one on the left looks like it came from a James Bond movie. :)

This one looks easy and is so pretty!

Etsy Seller - The Vintage Supply Co

Tonight I came across an Etsy seller that you are really going to have to check out: The Vintage Supply Co. They specialize in 1940s-1970's clothing, accessories and household items. My kind of shop! Here are just a few examples of what they have to offer:

vintage 1960's green chiffon dress - $65
mod 1960's red and navy shoes - $60
vintage 1960's aqua and cream dress - $70



vintage tan Kangol mohair hat - $25
vintage 1960's red flower and paisley suitcase - $40
vintage 60's flower vinyl tote - $30

vintage 50's-60's black fold away cat eye glasses - $50
vintage 50's-60's gold aluminum cat eye glasses - $45
vintage aluminum elliptical shape glasses - $45

vintage 1950's rattan desk and matching chair - $499
mid-century modern coffee table with hairpin legs - $375

vintage 1960's-1970's Pyrex olive green flower nesting bowl set - $55
vintage mod 1960's cream accordion handbag - $45
vintage 1950's rockabilly purple gingham dress - $60

Etsy Seller - johnnyvintage

Browsing Etsy today I came across this seller - johnnyvintage. They have some neat stuff for sale:

Hippie Pin Art 8x10 - $36
(I think I'm going to have to try making something like that one of these days.)

Amazing Mid Century Teal Sofa - $4000 free shipping
(This is just plain awesome!)


Purple Owl Lamp with shade - $100
(I love this...I have developed an attraction to owls recently.)


Two Red Dogs - $12.50
(These are cute. I'm going to have to look for old ceramic animals next time I go thrifting, then cover with a couple coats of shiny red paint...or another bright color. Very kitschy!)

Rare 70's Yellow Record and 8-Track Player - $650
(Do you have any old 8-tracks gathering dust? Neither do I, but I'd still like this anyway!)

Etsy Find - Atomic Coffee Pot

Wow! I just love this mid century modern coffee pot that I found on Etsy!

Atomic Coffee Pot - $75 at AustinModern

I have never seen anything quite like it! What a cool shape and I love those wooden ball feet!

I can just picture this on the buffet in my dining room...filled with hot cider at Christmas! This is something definitely on my wish-list! Very cool!

Vintage Enamel Ware

My wonderful husband gave me this set of vintage enamel ware pans for Christmas. (mint in the box, even!) I love them! They are non-stick and you don't have to worry about teflon peeling off and accidentally ingesting it. Not only that but they go from stove top to table top so well with the removable handle. And I love the colors!

Well, since then I've started thinking about getting some additional pieces of enamel ware and came across Catherineholm designs.

The above pics are from the Flickr Pool Lovers of Cahterineholm Designs

"Lovely items with the ‘Lotus’ pattern created by Grete Prytz, a second wife of infamous Norvegian Designer Arne Korsmo. Grete Prytz Kittelsen was born 1917 in Oslo, Norway. Her designs have won many prestigious awards. She was one of most influential designers in Scandinavia in Mid-Century. In 2003, when she was already 86, Grete visited China, where she saw traditional Chinese enamel factory still in operation and which inspired her to start designing again. Chang & Biörck got exclusive rights to reproduce some of her design, among which a bowl and a plate, that she designed using similar colors as her original 1950s works. Cathrineholm of Norway started enamel production in 1907." (quote from Nordic Design Blog)


Now I have a new obsession. Time to go thrifting!

My Birthday!

Today was my birthday. I'm not telling how old I am! Here are some photos:

hmmm...I wonder what I'm getting...

lots of beautiful pink roses!
(promptly put in my vintage 1970's Love is...vase, of course)

a sterling silver "Love" ring
(I have had the vintage St. Anthony ring for a some time now)

a very nice red leather-bound journal...I wonder what I will write in it this year?

priceless handmade cards from my kids


we even played some party games...we're a wild bunch!

yummy frosting

the remnants of my cake

And another big surprise...
my friend is taking me to see Wicked next week! I can't wait!

More Jewelry

Today I'll share a few more examples of jewelry that I've made.

simple aqua Czech glass earrings

antiqued silver-t0ne swallow earrings

earrings made from a vintage 1950's necklace

I wore this necklace to a wedding this past weekend:

choker necklace made from a broken rosary

Atomic Starburst Clock

I know all the purists out there will hate me but I totally redid this clock. In my opinion it was definitely not cool...but it was cheap ($4 at a flea market) and had potential.

Yuck, right? Well, I guess someone might like it...

I took the electric stuff out and replaced it with a battery operation (no more ugly cord). I cut off the flowers and then I spray painted the sprockets and hands silver, which were originally brass. I replaced the flowers with wooden balls. And this was the result:

Now I'm trying to decide if I want to leave the balls as they are (natural wood) or paint them to match the face, which is off white. Or maybe something like this:

...or multi-colored like this:

What do you think?

Retro Tiki Duvet Cover and Pillow Shams

Here are pictures of the finished duvet cover and pillow shams that I made with the vintage tiki curtain fabric. I'm happy with how they turned out, especially considering this is the first time I've attempted anything like this.


I used red fabric for the sides and to cover the buttons on the pillow shams. The red fabric came from curtains too.


I'm not the only one who is happy with how it turned out! This is Princess, my Cornish Rex. She made herself very comfortable. :)

Tiki Curtains

About a month ago I got these vintage mid-century tiki curtains at the Louisville Antique Mall. There were 6 panels, but I only needed 2 for the one window in my bedroom. So with the extra panels I am attempting to make a duvet cover and pillow shams. This is the first time I've worked with so much fabric...if it's not too embarrassing I will post the finished product! :)