Thursday, December 24, 2009

Monday, December 21, 2009

vintage christmas monday!

I decided last night to take a break from my exhausting christmas to-do list and flip through a favorite box of holiday ephemera. I found the little victorian trade card above at a flea market in a $1.00 bin several years ago and I think it's just fantastic! If you have a moment today ... please be sure to swing by anything goes here and take a look at the other amazing blogs participating in vintage christmas monday. Another big thanks to Joan for hosting such a fun party!

This is my very favorite holiday postcard. It was originally mailed to my great grandparents and is postmarked christmas eve, 1908. I love everything about this card and the fact that it has survived in the family for so many years makes it even more important to me.

This lovely father christmas postcard is also from my great grandparents collection. My great grandfather was the post master for a small pennsylvania town around the turn of the century and his collection has some beautiful pieces. This is another one of my favorites!

I found this photo postcard in a box of random ephemera a few months ago at an estate sale. It's very miracle-on-34th-street ish to me. I love the fake reindeer and the way the two kids look semi-terrified. Hope everyone has a great monday!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

vintage christmas monday!

Yay - another vintage christmas monday! I found this little paper house last weekend at an estate sale and now it's settled into a grove of vintage bottle brush trees. I thinks it's just delightful! Be sure to check out all of the other fantastic blogs participating in vintage christmas monday by visiting Anything goes here. Thanks to Joan for hosting such a great party!

Vintage plastic santa's picked up here & there and proudly displayed each christmas. Some were originally used as candy containers others were just for display. The two in the back plug in and make festive night lights!

I found these two vintage stockings several years ago at an estate sale and I've loved them ever since. They're made out of felt and they have the cutest snowman scene! I always wonder why they were never used?

This little wooden branch christmas tree is the newest addition to my holiday decor. I decorated it with vintage spun cotton birds that have sparkly rhinestone accents. I also made the garland out of old mother-of-pearl and bakelite buttons. The garland took forever to make but I love the way it turned out!

flea market finds

It was blustery and cold this morning at the rose bowl - the perfect weather for bargain hunting! The dark ominous looking clouds kept the crowds away and I scored some amazing vintage luggage. I'm completely smitten with stripes lately and these just make me giddy. Aren't old suitcases so romantic?

I also picked up this fantastic old pinball game. I'm loving the extra bold graphics and the fact that it still works! Rainy days in So Cal are few and far between - off to make a cup of tea and enjoy the clouds ...

Thursday, December 10, 2009

sneak peek

Lot's of new items coming to the shop this week! Here's a little sneak peek ...

A beautiful piece of vintage floral fabric.

A lovely little hand painted serving tray.

A minty unused tablecloth and napkin set with pretty embroidery.

A vintage book bundle - adventure books for boys!

A fantastic piece of vintage modern fabric.

Another vintage book bundle - poetry and fiction in shades of olive and rust. Be sure to check out the shop this week for last minute holiday gifts for everyone on your list!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

vintage christmas monday!

Yay! I finally finished up my holiday decorating and thought I'd share a few photos. This little crystal pine tree took me forever to assemble. It's loaded with teeny tiny mercury glass ornaments! I love the way it looks under this glass dome. The silver plate is from a local thrift shop and fits perfectly.

A big thanks to Joan over at Anything Goes Here for hosting such a fantastic blog party! Be sure to check out all of the other amazing blogs participating in vintage christmas monday here.

I've been collecting vintage christmas ornaments as long as I can remember. These mercury glass shiny brites are some of my favorites.

I get so excited each year when it's time to unpack all the boxes of ornaments. It's like seeing them for the first time ... every time.

Instead of hanging them on the tree this year, I decided to group these ornaments together in vintage silver bowls. They make me smile every time I walk by.

My big white tree is filled with ornaments I made out of antique book pages and vintage sheet music. I found a box of old vocabulary flash cards at an estate sale and I think they look just lovely on the tree - "twinkle" & "twirl" are my favorites! The tissue paper flowers are made out of vintage dress patterns and the little red glass birds add some sparkle and fun.

I had some extra aluminum tree branches so I made a little centerpiece out of this old tea pot and a bunch of old mercury glass picks.

I found this vintage 3 ft. aluminum tree with pom pom ends several years ago at an estate sale and it's the first thing I bring out each year. It sits right inside my front door where the ornaments can swing in the breeze. The old green iron tree stand is from a flea market in Holland - every time I walk by it reminds me of how much I truly love to travel.

I picked up the vintage cardboard Santa last weekend - a lucky find for $1.00!

More old mercury glass ornaments! If I display them in glass jars ... am I less likely to break them? I hope so ...

A few vintage mercury glass tree toppers are displayed on the mantle. I made the garland out of old sheet music. That does it for this week - more vintage christmas photos next monday!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

a little sneak peek ...

A look at what's in store for the shop this week! An instant collection of vintage beaded and metal mesh purses.

Lots of book bundles - this one has a lovely little book of Longfellow poems.

An old tin lithographed picnic basket - perfect for storing things in vintage style.

Another pretty bundle of books - this one in shades of blue and green. A great holiday gift for the book lover in your life.

An instant collection of vintage Christmas hankies!

A pretty train case in a lovely shade of ivory. It's complete with the original mirror.

A bundle of vintage Children's readers - all from the California State Series.

A wonderful landscape painting in a vintage gold frame. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Updates to the shop all week - stop by a take a look around.