Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage China Cats

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much. Lastly, try to make an effort to visit the other participants. I know myself, I get so behind and busy, but this year, I am going to do my best to visit each week.

As  you probably already know, I have a problem leaving little china animals behind when I find them sitting on shelves at thrift stores. I saw these one day while I was out and decided they were just too cute not to bring home. I know you also know I am not a cat person....no, there is nothing wrong with cats, I like them. They just don't do much for my body as I am VERY allergic to cats......thankfully, that is an isolated problem and it does not include dachshunds.

These measure about two inches tall, and I know they appear to be well loved, but they are cute, no matter a little paint wear.

Both of them are marked "Japan" on the bottom. I have not seen any others like these, and I am guessing they might have been in a dime store long ago when they were new. I think they are cute...and I like them.

Now the last photo does not have a thing to do with these cats.....but take a look...

Yes, a for sale sign....and a very interesting VINTAGE iron fence and old rock wall. What lies behind that old iron and rock fence consumes my every thought. When something like this grabs a hold of my mind and heart, well, lets just say it becomes an obsession......unfortunately, not an obtainable obsession.....but come back in a few days, I promise you.....you won't believe your eyes........and hopefully, you will see why I can't seem to this amazing find from my heart and mind.

Have a Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday.......what great treasures have you found this past week. I promise my most favorite one has something to do with this last photo.

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Telephone Timer

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much. Lastly, try to make an effort to visit the other participants. I know myself, I get so behind and busy, but this year, I am going to do my best to visit each week.

Here is a real blast from the past...and I can't even believe I am saying that!! This is what our phone looked like in "the olden days" or for a more accurate date...the early 1980's. 

We had a phone just like this at a desk that was in our kitchen. The only difference was, it had one of those super long phone cords. Do you remember those?? The ones that would stretch so long that when you finally walked back to the phone it would get all tangled and curled up??  Oh, we had it rough!

Anyway, my mom had two of these little timers that she kept on that desk. In case you are too young to remember these, I think they were three minute timers. The sand would fall to the lower chamber and that was when time was up....or in my case....just flip it over and hope I could flip it again without getting caught by my mom.

I have no idea where my mom got hers, but she had one with yellow sand and one with beige sand. Yes, I remember them well, and with very vivid detail of how they looked. I don't have any idea what happened to the ones my mom had, but I feel sure she does not have them anymore.

I found this one at that fantastic estate sale I went to a couple of weeks ago and had to have it. I did not need it, but it was more of  a memory of fond times years ago. It evoked memories of hours spent on the phone with my friends, trying to solve the problems of the school and all the kids that went there.

I am sure the kids today, especially young ones would have no clue what this was or what the telephone itself was. For one thing, it does not look like a cell phone of today and that is all most young kids know. In fact, this old home phone so it is so outdated, we are getting to the point that the younger generation  coming up have never seen  these types of phones! 

Talk about feeling old.....this is now considered an "olden days" phone...one I used every. single. day. of my youth. I honestly don't know how we made it without cell phones, caller ID, or call waiting.....I guess I should consider myself lucky we never had a party line. ;-)

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!! Have a great week!

Happy St. Paddy Day!!! Have You Seen This Tea Pot?

Don't forget to wear your green......I am off in a minute to find my green to wear today!!

While looking online for a image to post....I found this one! Look at this adorable tea pot!! I could not find a link to where it was from, or the maker. So I have to ask...have you seen any thing like this in your neck of the woods?? I love it, and I am not big on tea pots, but this one made my heart sing.

Wishing you a day of shiny rainbows, a field of lucky clovers and hopefully, a day without getting pinched!!

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Wall Art Using Vintage Doilies and Vintage Buttons

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much. Lastly, try to make an effort to visit the other participants. I know myself, I get so behind and busy, but this year, I am going to do my best to visit each week. 

I have posted this week about some of the projects I have been working on for my daughter.  While putting together some wall art for her, I looked and looked for feminine things that was not too overpowering on the walls. I came across this photo on Pinterest. The original link is here.

I decided that surely, I could figure out how to do this myself. I knew I had doilies in all of my collections....the only question was, where??? I looked and looked and as luck would have it, I could not find a single one of the crochet doilies I KNOW I have. I had to visit a couple of thrift stores and a favorite antique store. I know I would be able to locate what I needed and thank goodness, I was able to find them quickly.

Here is a glimpse of my version of the original design I found on Pinterest. If I do say so myself, I simply adore this and absolutely love how it turned out. My daughter loves it too and it is perfect for her new decor in her bedroom.

So if you have a stack, drawer full, closet full of these, get them out and use them. Add them to wall art, pillows, frames, lamp shades....just get them out and use them.

Here is how I did this project.

I found a large piece of wood in our shed. I wanted this to be a large piece to fit over a king size bed. My board measured roughly 4 ft. by 3 ft. and it fits wonderfully over her king size bed.

I very lightly sanded the edges of the board. I then added a couple of coats of the same chalk paint I used when I painted the headboard. I used the darker of the gray paints to paint the board. I let it dry overnight.

I washed the doilies, and pressed the wrinkles out of them and pressed them as flat as they would go.

After laying plastic down on my work surface, the fun part began. I started by laying out the design of the doilies on the board. Once I had the design I liked, I adhered the doilies to the board. I used my Loctite Spray Adhesive for doing that.

I started at one corner, spraying the board and pressing the doilies, one by one down onto the board. This took a little bit of time, but go slow, it works very well. I ran the edges off of the board and did not put any adhesive on the edges. Once the front dried and set up after about 48 hours, I flipped the whole thing over and using a hot glue gun, glued the edges of all the doilies to the back of the board.

I am going to be honest here. I tried, and tried to make flowers like in the original photo off of Pinterest. Mine looked horrible, like big old globs of fabric. I was really frustrated with myself, but gave up after several attempts.  So I had to resort to the fabric flowers I have made before. I just made smaller ones and then used some small doilies to shape and stitch so they looked like flowers. The flowers and buttons were attached using hot glue. They stuck very well with no problems to the doilies.

I added vintage buttons for the centers of the flowers and as embellishments around the flower designs. This really turned out better than I could have hoped for. It is super feminine and looks amazing.

I think this is a super way to get what you love out of storage and use them in everyday things where you can enjoy them.

Here is one last look, in this picture, it gives you a better idea on the scale of this wall art. It is big, but that is what makes a statement when you walk into the room. (you can click any of the photos for a more close up look at this project)

I hope you have a great Vintage Thingie Thursday!! I hope you enjoyed this short tutorial on how I made this for my daughter. It was easy, and fun and the final product is just fantastic!! What do you think? Do you love doilies as much as I do?? Don't be afraid to use them, just enjoy them!

Painted Makeovers For More Thrifty Finds

I posted on Sunday about the makeover on a thrifted headboard for my daughter and thought I'd post about some of the other transformations today.

A few years ago, I redid a dresser for my daughter, and I posted about it HERE.

As you may well know, as time goes by, desires and taste change, as well in this case. When I originally redid the dresser, my daughter did not want the mirror so I had sold that on craigslist. Now, as you may already guess, she decided she wanted a mirror. I don't know about you, but I searched craigslist, thrift stores and just about everywhere for a mirror that I thought she would like at a good price. Let me just say, mirrors are expensive.....even second hand mirrors.

Remember me talking about that estate sale I was able to go to before the sale actually started?? Well, they had a mirror  that was a good price. Was it pretty?? No, not so much, but it was SOLID wood and the details were amazing. Did I think it was my daughters taste, no, not so much, infact, I did not even send her a picture of it. Did I think I could make this work? Absolutely and for $35.00 I just had to have it. I actually wanted to keep it for myself. 

This mirror is OLD, really old. It is heavy as lead. It was looking rather tired and sad at the estate sale and in fact, I almost overlooked it. My friend commented on the mirror and I gave it a look over, and could see it was too good to leave behind. I tried to imagine bringing this piece to an updated look for a young adult and thought I could achieve that.   I took it home and got to work. I lightly sanded the places like in this picture, there were no major areas that needed work, just a couple of places around the rim.

Next, taped off the mirror itself, and a couple of spray paint cans later, this became exactly what I thought it could be. For my taste, I would have painted it another color for sure, but I knew it was going over a black dresser and even if I wanted to paint it another color, I knew it would not be what Alisha would have wanted.

It took about three coats of paint, as this soaked up the paint really well.....it was really dry.

Here is a close up of the detail of the mirror. It is lovely and has the most wonderful texture.

Here it is hanging over the dresser. I love it and my daughter does too. That lamp, another thrift store find. Absolutely perfect too. The lamp has a black base and a grayish shade, perfect for her bedroom.

This piece was something I picked up from honestly, I don't know where. It was one of those brown early american pieces. It was ugly to be honest....but. When I purchased it I had thought to paint it, but just never did. I decided now was the time. I had a soft cream colored spray paint and painted this with two coats of paint.

This embellishment was a find in the scrap booking section at Michael's, it is metal. I used spray adhesive sprayed to the back of the metal piece and adhered it to the front. I like the added something it gave the piece.

I had a couple of matching milk glass pieces, and they make great holders for jewelry or other treasures and trinkets.

Here is the finished look. The little birds were also a black and brown set I picked up from somewhere years ago. I enjoyed them for many years but I decided they needed an update too. So I applied several coats of white spray paint and they have a fresh updated look and also a new home.

I know lots of folks who think they have to spend a lot of money on brand new stuff for home decor. It simply is not the case. You have to have a vision, then go out and find what you need to make that vision come to life. 

The only updated cost here was the price of the mirror, which I know was a very good price. I know some might say I ruined it painting it black, but really no I did not. If she ever gets tired of the mirror, I have already claimed it back and a little paint or glaze in any color would give it a whole new look. It will be loved for the rest of our lives, that is for sure. 

The early american tray maybe cost a couple of dollars and the cost of the paint. I used the paint that I already  had at home, which most of that was what I picked up at sales for fifty cents a can. Not bad....not bad at all. I think it looks fantastic and so does my daughter. What do you think? Can you get past the black color and see the beauty?? What projects are you working on?

Mid Century Headboard Meets Chalk Paint

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you guys already know I am always after a bargain....always after what I need at a cheap or little to nothing price. I always see the glass half full when looking for things that can be transformed into something I want or need. 

My husband Steve, however, does not see things the same way. In fact, a few Saturdays ago, my brother and my husband went with me on a shopping "hunt" for some pieces I needed to find for my daughter. It was like a double whammy, but my brother was able to keep his opinions to himself better than my husband. 

If I tell you my husband was "negative Neil" ( I won't call him Nellie) the whole day, that would be an understatement. First stop was a hotel liquidators store....that story will be coming in a few days, because we were there over THREE hours, and my husband wanted to leave after walking in the door...... but the second stop was at a new thrift store I have mentioned here on my blog. 

I had spotted a king headboard earlier in the week and wanted to go back and get it. My husband tried to tell me it would be gone when we got to the store, but I knew better. He kept trying to tell me that if it was any good at all, it was already sold. I just told him to keep driving.

Want to know why I knew it would still be there?? (wish I had taken a better picture) You see that green arrow??? The headboard I wanted was laying on the floor on the BOTTOM of a huge pile of headboards. There were wicker headboards, wooden ones and a cloth covered one. Mine was at the bottom of the pile and I knew it was a king size, just what I needed. I also knew in my heart, it was being overlooked. My diamond was laying under a pile of junk and no one was paying it any attention.

The headboard was marked $30.00 and I was happy to pay that for it. It is a super mid century wooden headboard and I sorta felt guilty knowing I was going to paint all that gorgeousness. If you are a mid century fanatic, please accept my humble apologies. I know some of you are swooning. I mentioned, my brother was with us and he just did not think this hunk of junk was worth more than $20.00 and like my brothers true nature, he got them down to $20.00. BINGO. Amidst all the grumbling from Steve, I was so excited as I saw what this could be and felt sure it was going to turn out stunning.

This is the first project I have used chalk paint on. I won't go into the details on how this is made or works, because I am sure by now you all know the procedure. I found the recipe online and made my own chalk paint. I knew I needed to purchase the finishing wax and both of these mediums were new to me. That did not deter me any and I forged ahead with my plans.

The headboard needed a light sanding, just to smooth out some of the imperfections and I just wiped it off with a very lightly damp cloth. Next, I taped off where I wanted to keep different colors separate and began painting. I used three different color gray paints to sorta give a nod to the ombre technique. The very lightest was in the middle and graduated out to the darkest, which was the main color of the headboard. As you can see, I started out working on this as an outside project, but it moved indoors as the weather did not cooperate like I needed it to.

I used two coats of the chalk paint, and that was all I needed. Once the paint was dry, I applied the finishing wax, left it on for about twenty minutes and buffed it out with a clean, soft cloth. I was amazed at how the finishing wax really made a huge difference. It really turned out like I pictured it would in my mind.

Simple, clean lines with a freshly new lease on life. This forgotten headboard went from straight off the floor of a thrift store to a new bedroom makeover. I think it is a really nice updated look and it looks super fantastic in my daughters room.

Total cost of this transformation:

headboard $20.00
paint and supplies for this piece $9.00
elbow grease by mom $0.00

Total: $29.00

See that little glimpse of the wall art over the bed?? I can not wait to show you that piece and how to make it. It sets off the whole room, very romantic and fun. I will have that post up this week along with the rest of the apartment transformation for my daughter!

What do you think about this project? Have you used chalk paint yourself? If not, I have to say it works like a dream. No sanding (really not needed) no stripping, no prep with a solid finish. I love how this turned out and how easy it was to achieve the look I was after.

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Mid Century Mermaids

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much. Lastly, try to make an effort to visit the other participants. I know myself, I get so behind and busy, but this year, I am going to do my best to visit each week. 

Last week, I described my shopping frenzy!  I have a confession to make....I went back the next day BEFORE the sale started. ahem. Now...that I got that off my shoulders.......

This little set was sitting on a table with a sticker that said $2.00. I walked out the door with my purchases, and dug and scrounged for $2.00 (which was about all I had left in my purse) and went back in and snapped them up.

You see, I fell in love with their sweet faces. Are these not the sweetest little mermaids you have ever seen?

I know these are for the bathroom, and I am guessing these are mid century decor. I simply LOVE these.....LOVE them!

Each one, still has the original tag on her tail. I wonder if these were just put away and not hung on the wall? I would think that the owner would have taken the tags off of them if she hung them on the wall.

One is in MINT condition, the other one has been in a little accident at some point in her life. However, she must have been very special, as she had been painstakingly put back together with what I can only imagine was with great care. I don't care one bit about any repairs one of these sweet girls have had, it does not take away from how precious they are.

As with so many things I find at estate sales, I wish with all my heart I knew the story. Were these special gifts from a child, a mother or sibling?? Were these purchased and just saved and treasured by the original owner? Did these belong to a special family member? I don't know any of those answers, but I always wonder. The colors are so vivid, and they are so pretty, I feel sure these must have been tucked away for years. What a lucky day and find!!

I decided to look on ebay for vintage mermaids....and oh, please, all....the prices of some of these very types of mid century bath decor will knock your socks off. I was blown away. I did not find another two like these, and wonder what the price would fetch if I listed them on ebay. 

Some of my family will be chanting...sell them!!!...but they will have to just relax, because these are not for sale. More times than not, I always hear the same ole thing...sell that junk!!

I have a soft spot for ceramics like these that have the cute little faces on them. These types of ceramics really do remind me of my younger sister, who passed away as a child. It is just something about them that I can not really put a finger on, but they always find a way home with me when I find things like this. I think it is because they are the types of things I know my sister would have liked. She was the girly one, and me, the tomboy of the family. When I saw these, I think that is what drew me to them, and they really remind me of her in some way. 

Have you ever in your junkin' trips ran across a pair like this?? They may not be rare at all, but I have never seen any like them, ever. I love these little mermaids and they will have a good home with me!

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!! Hope it is warming up in your neck of the woods!