More Vintage for the Kitschen

Out with the old, in with the new... old stuff.  I'm getting rid of some napkins I wasn't crazy about, 'cause today I found these:

I love having things no one else has, especially when I find them super el cheapo.  I seriously have a hard time enjoying things that aren't a good deal.  When I passed through the Hill Country on the way back from accompanying a dear friend to a photo shoot in Austin a couple of weeks ago, I found these:

I had actually set them down on the shelf above the aprons I was perusing, and didn't remember until I was almost in the next town.  Sooo, like a crazylady, I called the number on my receipt, and the kind lady from the little shop found them just where I had left them, and sent them to me- paid over the phone with a little added on for shipping.  I was afraid they had arrived early and been stolen when someone ripped 1/4 of the mailboxes here out of their unit.  (Crackheads.)  Either way, one of my neighbors got them in their mailbox, either by accident or by the clever kindness of our postal carrier.  

Now, being artsy and all, I have an affinity for hand-embroidery, which I took up as soon as I could ask my momma to thread an embroidery needle with floss. Sublime Stitching got me started again a few years ago, so much so that I sometimes draw my own designs or do custom orders- like the time an older lady at work had me embroider a fitted tee to say "Cabrona" in pretty cursive.  I love handmade vintage goodies, like this little appliqued and embroidered towel that I found today for almost nothing. 

I found more than linens today.  I found a spoon rest- or at least a dish I'm gonna use as a spoon rest.  I've kinda had my heart set on a particular Japanese-made lemon one, and missed it in 2 auctions.  That was my secret I wouldn't tell.  However, I found an "onion" pattern California pottery dish today.  It looks like a big ol' clove of garlic, and I've been known to eat a whole roasted bulb of it on a single piece of toast (I swear that stops sickness in it's tracks, and besides, it's yum), so this is great!

Strawberries and garlic! Yaaaaay!

In other news today, poor New Orleans, which I love so much (along with the friends who live in it), apparently just got a lot of rain and winds unloaded upon it by Hurricane Isaac on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Ironically, some of my friends there I met as Katrina evacuees... who moved back.  Oh, the perils of living on the coast.  At any rate, I collect old plates and glasses from places I love, and I found this the other day for practically free:

And speaking of things that are turquoise, I don't think I ever showed you this:

My neighbor gave this to me a while back, and I cleaned it up quite a bit, or tried anyway.  It was dark when I came home from dancin' that night ('cause it was night), and she just started handing me vintage treasures of all kinds- magazines, hats, a radio, souvenir plates... and the thingy pictured above.  "Car parts!  I love old cars!"  It's dark, she's handing me all this cool stuff, I'm tired..... that thing is not a car part- not a window handle at all.  It's a can opener!  Therefore, it goes in the kitchen. 

Now I just need to find a way to get the rust off without also inadvertently getting rid of any of the paint.

Speaking of things that are turquoise... and rain...  let's throw in some suede fringe and mullets while we're at it.  I love this song, and it's relevant on a lot of levels right now.  I always assumed it was Randy Travis when I was little, (bless his heart- you seen the news lately?), but I looked it up to have a listen and found out otherwise today.  My Daddy always says "You learn somethin' new every day."  Now I gotta call him and learn how to get the rust off of that can opener without hurting the paint. 

God Bless Friends With Trucks.

I've been looking for a mid century desk for months now.  I missed 2 by the skin of my teeth.  I found one of them on Craigslist and it would have been $25.  Another I saw on someone's porch and it would have been the same price, but I agreed to work late the day I was supposed to pick it up- it's now on Craigslist for $325 and happens to be a Johnson Carper.  It was initially listed at $125 until they did some research.  Talk about kicking myself....
At any rate, I've kept my eyes peeled and got a desk and matching chair this weekend super el cheapo, which a dear friend eversokindly helped me pick up today.

TADAAAAA!!!

I cleaned it up all nice and prettylike with some Old English, inside and out.  Yes, the post-it note really says "Don't waste your time on FB."  It's really effective.  Now I just have to find a way to hide my cords a little better.  I may uncover the original yellow upholstery on the chair, or possibly use some of my boomerang printed barkcloth instead.  So with a side table holding my printer, and the corner table being shifted, the rest of the space looks like this:

The other side table is about to find a new spot, possibly in a walk-in closet to temporarily help me organize some vintage.  Quite a few things have sold on my Etsy in the past couple of days.  I'm about to take on my to-be-sold closet and organize the holy hell out of it.  More stuff needs to go, either via Etsy or eBay, to new homes.  It would help if that closet hadn't gotten crazy.  Wish me luck, I'm goin' in...

... And So It Begins...

I just sent a happy client on her merry way with another new custom outfit, this time with my own label sewn inside.

Desi loves retro looks, and besides, as the wife of the frontman of Sam Navarro and the Lone Star Devils, she has to represent.  This time, she wanted a dress that looked like it was made from a Mexican blanket.  I hunted down some out-of-print serape cotton for her, and got to work adapting patterns and drafting the extra details.  She now is the proud owner of this ensemble:

She wanted something that would stand out, not something mass-produced anyone else would have.  She got a custom design and couture quality,  'cause that's how I roll.  Even the stripes match up on the seams.  I bumped up the definition on the photo to make the seam more obvious.

More coordinating separates are in the works for this outfit, and I'l be starting my next custom order tomorrow.

Random Thoughts Du Jour

I found some things this weekend, but I have to finish cleaning my living room so I can take proper pictures to show you without embarrassing myself with my domestic discombobulation.  My living room has been a workspace recently.  I'm finishing a custom 2-piece outfit for the lovely wife of the man behind Sam Navarro and the Lone Star Devils.  I'm about to start a romper for the fiery lil' shop girl at Red Rocket Speed Shop.  I just finished mending and reinforcing bolster covers for Blue Tree Yoga, one of my favorite places.

Running errands this morning, I came across a present for my momma.  I'm willing to bet she doesn't follow this blog, since her computer takes forrrrevvvverrrr to load photos.  (If you clicked on the link, yeah, I really did that.)  So.... you get to see her present first.  Don't tell her. 

This is so my momma; censored a bit.  With our childhood and adolescent "why"s and "why not"s, we sometimes got "This is my house, and I'll do as I damn well please" in response.  I'm already curious to see where it goes in the house.

With August in all it's sweltering glory upon us, it's time for people with spooky parts in their hearts to start scouring craft stores for Halloweenie goodness.  Sometimes I like to wait and let it all sneak up on me, for that kid-at-Christmas feeling.  I went in to Michael's for pearlizing medium a couple of weeks ago and found that they were putting some spookiness out.  I already got some eyeball ribbon. 

I love eyeballs.  Maybe I'll have to do an eyeball accessory blog entry soon.

My neighbor Paul is a spooky one.  He's always the first to leave a Halloween or Valentine trinket on my doorstep.  (It's not what it sounds like- he's gayer than the sunshine and still spooky-as-all-get-out.)  The other day,  I received this:

I've been trying so hard to get rid of excess stuff, and have parted with so much of my Halloween collection, however this little token of friendship will make a lovely hanging vase for cuttings. There are bats on it, too- someone dear to me took me to the Waugh bat bridge for the first time about a year ago, and I've gone back to watch them a few times recently.  They're so cute and squeaky, and I love anything that eats mosquitos.  

A more coherent blog next time, forserious.  Soon.

A Little DIY Goodness

I have to admit it... I almost can't stand it when I have something really ordinary- especially if it's something I have to use and look at all the time.  My old planner was too bulky and I was just tired of it, so I picked up a new little one that will fit in my purse.  In found all of the designs at Target less than desirable.  Sorry, "thomaspaul", your stuff is just not up my alley.  Regardless, I fretted not.  I had plans... for my planner.  (If you know me personally, you know this sounds especially ridiculous from a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of gal like myself.)

 TADAAAAAAA!

And so, with leopard printed cardstock from my hairbrush packaging (which I saved about 2 years ago like a crazylady), some black tape from my fashion school days, and spiderweb print ribbon, my planner is customized!  

I've had a busy week of sanding the rust off of my new/old toolbox (resulting in rustdust all over my carpet, hands, legs, face...), stripping the old crackity veneer off of the 50s coffee table from the side of the road, sewing custom orders, and transferring all of my vintage patterns into acid-free comic book bags.  

And I leave you with this:

I made the mistake of sewing the mate to what was a pair of these sequin appliques on the hip of a black bikini over a decade ago.  Bad idea.  I backed this baby with fabric and mod podge, with a tack pin sandwiched in between, and now I can wear it on dang-near anything.  :)

There's a lot more to come between all of those aforementioned projects, y'all get ready!