I Heart The Hour

So many period pieces on TV right now that we can't get enough of...Downton Abbey...The Hour...Game of Thrones...Mad Men...

Image from BBC America

The Hour is perhaps my favorite, it takes place in 1950's London.  The main character, Bel is the woman in charge of a television program called The Hour.  Well, she is mostly in charge.  Which is done so well, because it would have been rare to be someone like her in those days.  I love her character, a total workaholic who seems to break out and be brave at just the right moments.  The Hour is on BBC America.  I heart The Hour.

My Jewelry Organization

I thought I would share my corner of our bedroom today.  I got all girly with it. 

 

 

 

I finally organized all of my costume jewelry using only vintage decorative accessories.  I love for my jewelry to be out on display.  I realize not everyone does, especially if you own valuable jewelry, in that case, go ahead and tuck it away! Mine is all for fun, and sadly since I became pregnant and started toting around a little guy, I never remember to put it on.  This was making me feel a little blue.  As if the rain, bone chilling cold and current layer of "fog" isn't already helping with that, I had to go and forget to put on my fun accessories. Boo hoo!  

 

My Solution:  Store colorful bangles in a vintage fabric covered tray, I believe originally used for lingerie.  (Correct me if I am wrong.)  The fabric tray fit quite perfectly on this little gold shelf from the 1950's.  Anytime you see a cute gold shelf, pick it up.  There are a million uses for those guys.

 

Next, hang chunky necklaces and floppy bracelets on vintage curtain tie backs, hung vertically.  I found these two at a local vintage shop that has a lot of cottage stuff.  They were the sort of thing you see, don't have any idea what you'll do with and buy them anyway.  I have seen similar ones used in entry ways to hold coats. 

 

Then, add something soft.  The paper fans were decorations at our wedding and I purchased them from BHLDN, Anthropologie's online wedding shop.  Our wedding was almost two years ago , but you can buy these pretty pink paper fans now.

 

Finish it off with a vintage jewelry box. I was lucky enough to be given this one by my mother-in-law.  I very much like that I can hang my earrings from the top and then close it up easily if I want to. Plus it has this kitschy sort of sixties thing going on with the gold and faux silk interior. And it reminds me of this...

As a little kid I used to visit my great-grandmother and play hours of dress up with her vintage clothes and jewelry. I will never forget that she had this huge white jewelry box.  Every drawer and spot inside had some fun jewelry in it.  I dreamed of owning it one day.  As if owning it meant I had arrived into some sort of status as a real woman.  When the day came to divide up grandma's things I was denied the beautiful white jewelry box and everything in it.   Instead, Grandma Kay gave me her amazing Danish dishes.  In mint condition, they are a rare set of blue and white Danish china.  These do more to remind me of my heritage and my great-grandmother who used to serve me tea and treat me like a lady, than that glorious white box ever would.  And BONUS I have my very own gold box that my cousin's daughter enjoys playing with and that is enough for me.

 

 

Dreamy Vintage Finds



These vintage Eero Saarinen Tulip Chairs with black leather seats would look so amazing with my new dining room table.

Chairs and photograph from CathodeBlue on Etsy

 

What?!! I love these!

Vintage Yellow Trays and Photograph from Lust Found Vintage

 

 

Hello Eames Lounge Chair, I mean, sort of...my husband would love you!

Plycraft Lounge Chair and photograph from Gredesign

 

 

You would be so fun in Hank's room

Painted Mid-Century Modern Dresser and photograph from The Turquoise Iris

 

 

 

I would love to hang you above our bed and say goodbye to the generic close-to-ceiling "boob" light

Mid-Century Pendant Lamp and photograph from Mid Centry Mobler

Vintage Cane Back Dining Room Chairs

Before Thanksgiving I was out doing some Sunday vintage shopping when I came across these dining room chairs.  I bought them on an impulse, for the following reasons:

 

1. I tend to be an impulse buyer.  I actually read some good suggestions today to help me with this.  For instance, walk away and think about it.  But I have to say when you do that with vintage it could be gone.  So my advice is to not walk away too far!

 

2.  I LOVE them! I admit it, I saw them and thought that was exactly what I had in mind and I had to have them.  I'd been wanting some cane back vintage chairs, painted.  Why?  I can't explain.

 

3.  The price was right.  It's hard for me to pass up a good deal, especially on something I love.

 

4.  We needed two more dining chairs.  It was almost Thanksgiving and they were perfect for the occasion.  I had my quirky Formica top table and some painted tall cane back dining room arm chairs were the perfect fit.

 

Now, I have a new dining room table and they just don't feel right with it.  So I am selling them.  Check out my add on craigslist here.  They could be your fun dining room chairs! 

I did it!

I did it! I post two new items on Etsy today and updated the shop with items that had expired.  This is saying a lot that I was able to squeeze it into my day.  I'm so excited that it worked.  Check out my new items in my shop here.

Etsy for the New Year

 

 

This week will be filled with the usual mom duties but oh what a list I have of additional things I want to get to.  Do you have this same list?  Please say you do! It is chalk full of other things that are important to me and well, my mental health.  One of those things is to write for this blog every day.  Check.  Another thing is to sell on Etsy.  I heart Etsy and I want to love my shop some more this year.  One of my goals is to post new items in my shop once a week.  Sound easy? It hasn't been, so I am speaking it to you!  I have made my commitment now I need to follow through.  Just do it. Get 'er done. Do the thing you think you cannot do.  Be one with the Etsy shop... Enough with the sayings? OK, OK...until tomorrow...Have a wonderful day!  

Instead of a Sunday spent vintage shopping I spent it vintage decorating.  Or as my husband called it, "doing arts and crafts".  Which I think you would have to hear him say out loud to our infant son to get the humor in it. "Hank, mommy is busy doing arts and crafts"  At which point I laugh and realize that I am actually just staring at a wall and moving stuff around, so arts and crafts doesn't sound that bad. Thanks honey. 
In between naps and feedings I played around with an assortment of vintage accessories decorating our bedroom at my parent-in-law's beach house.  Lucky me! But we recently collaborated and choose the paint for the other guest bedroom at the house.  It gave it a whole new look, which is exactly what we were going for.  We want it to have an industrial, rustic feel.   My mom-in-law is doing all of the vintage shopping for it and she has amazing taste.  I'm going to focus on the soft goods and give my approval on the large pieces.  For today, it was a little bit of rearranging and brainstorming.  I'm excited to show it to you when it's finished!