Poppy and Ivy

Listin' and postin', postin' and listin'

I was told that I needed to venture into eBay. Surely, whoever suggested that must have thought I appeared bored. And needed to be aggrivated.

I find Etsy extremely easy! I listed 3 things today! Like this vintage shoe stretcher. (Actually....I listed about 3 things more than in January.)

Maybe I DID appear to be bored to that eBay suggestee.

So...I have collected photos for WEEKS for eBay. Then I feel like I am just not as researched as I'd like to be on items, then I just wimp out, price them and take them to my space at Stars Antiques which is fantastic...but I have some items with higher value and I feel like I am leaving money on the table!

So today....I did it. After pacing, sweating and over thinking it.

But truly, in the end, that is just my typical day.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=321329310918

I have found the above listing all over the place from 25.00-300.00....but never in the U.S.

Fingers crossed! Mama needs new shoes! (And I have a stretcher for them if I buy them and they are too tight!)

Etsy fog and everything is coming up Splendid

I had a LOVELY season of classes.

Cooking classes, health classes and craft classes.

I took my craft class at K. Marie in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Dictionary pages, sheet music trees, coffee filter trees, glitter...pure magic!

My Etsy shop was on FIRE until about Decemeber 18th. I was OKAY with that.....I think the post office ladies were getting to know me TOO well. I look forward to it picking up again, but the small break was OKAY!

Now, I am focusing on my antique mall space at Splendid ...

Tonight's list of CHECKED OFF items (woot!).....I primed one side table and painted a second, two wooden shelves painted "vintage map " (my favorite blue/green), lots of fruit crates and baskets priced.

Very productive!

Follow me on Pinterest....I would love to see and "meet" more people with a love of vintage flair! If you love chippy paint, velvet and metal...I am your gal!

Cheers to a great 2013 year's end! And wishing you all a happy 2014!

 

'Tis the Season

Because July through October seemed to have completely escaped me, I have been on Etsy overdrive....

I cannot even claim to have done anything exciting or time consumingfor the last 4 months--it was just every day living taking over!

Some fun things on Etsy.....you can link to my Etsy here or on the right column of this blog.

Pulling out all of my Thanksgiving and Christmas bins seems unreal! Where DID the summmer go?

Here's to hoping YOU are  bit more up-to-date than I am in right about now! Reality is hitting me quickly.....

Cheers to November!

 

 

A Little Photo Tour For You

I absolutely LOVE being a vendor at Splendid (across from Stars in Sellwood in Portland, OR)...and about back 6-7 months ago, the creative gentlemen who own Stars opened a pop-up shop on the same block as Stars and Splendid.

It's like walking INTO all of my favorite magazines and Pinterest ---rolled into one....SWOON!

Here's a wee photo tour......

I feel pretty confident that you are going to sleep SO much better having taken this photo tour.

No, really.

Life in Pictures

What a summer full of changes! College bound daughter, my "baby boy" getting his driver's permit! WHAT?

My daughter chose to stay home for junior college here for a year...a tough decision what with all of her friends taking off, but SO good for her. She wanted to make her room more "grown-up" and it involved a trip to IKEA...turns out she doesn't love the vintage look...choke, choke--sniff, sniff

It only took my son 8 hours in a hot, stuffy room to build this. Bless his heart...the instructions were pretty useless!

I have been pretty good about keeping my space filled in Stars/Splendid..I need a night to just flip it around. The store is SO busy (yay!) that it gets tricky to do exactly what I want without tripping up shoppers. Rough problem, right? LOVE the front door display on the Splendid side....perfect summer display!

A little vintage shopping in Albany, Oregon at A Vintage Roost (I couldn't find a site for them, but this gal did a great write up). It's a sale I TRY to never miss if possible. It's the most dreamy of situations. The owner lives about 500 yards away from her "House/Shop" and she has a sale 2-4 times a year. She has it decorated like a tiny house...beds, tables, linens, jewelry. She's got a great eye. I *might* have lost my mind (and money) there AGAIN.In the summer and fall, she uses the back yard. My house is FILLED with her items. After enough years in the business, I CAN walk away from vintage stores empty handed....but NOT with her!

I went to an extra casting call for Grimm...a TV show filmed here in Portland. You know..you only live once. I love watching them film all through my neighborhood...I could WALK to many of the shoots!The set designers shop at Stars often...if my vintage finds get a chance to be in the show, I think it only fair that I am there as well. HA!

I did my first outdoor market in quite a while...I forget the WORK and preparation! I cannot believe some people do this YEAR around. I slept for two days after the show--not even kidding. Just WIPED out. But it was at one of my favorite stores, Shabby Nest Antiques. And I got placed next to one of my FAVORITE local vendors, Cher of Voondi. I laughed ALL day long. Her booth was gorgeous & she was delightful as ALWAYS. These were next to my head and they just made me happy....

MAYBE the reason I was tired for two days was because I saw John Mayer the night before the show...To bed at 2:00am...up at 6:30. What could go wrong?

I hope your summer is being filled with junking, thrifting, painting and music! And maybe trying out for TV shows...isn't that what everyone does? Cheers!

 

 

 

Got A Bit Crafty For Prom

All the prom girls from my daughter's group complained that they couldn't find anything for their hair for prom.

I promptly went down to my craft area and made stuff happen--they ooh'd and ahh'd....then the next day they ALL wore their hair down.

(Much against their mom's wishes once they saw these!)

Looks like I made myself some Etsy stock!

 

It's Been a Very Fine Junking Week Indeed

A Bevy of Books!

Outlet Covers and Switchplate Covers in GORGEOUS patinas!

A batch of cement garden lovelies!

All of Pacific Northwest sun has definitely perked me up and got me going!

All of these beauties will be hitting Stars and Splendid (I am in "Splendid" across from Stars) in the next few days. Many of the cement pieces are already gone! POUF! Gotta love that!

Coming Soon to an Antique Mall Near Me

And you too if you are in the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA Area!

Not sure which items pictured are going to Camas Antiques and which will go to Stars & Splendid....but everything I purchased this weekend is cleaned, tallied and ready to go to shops tomorrow!

Tomorrow I have piles of vintage vacation photo packets to sort through, about 5-6 vintage metal English toffee & chocolate tins, some miniatures (miniatures will go onto my Etsy shop) and some great aprons and linens.

I love a weekend full of great finds followed by a productive Monday!

 

 

Estate Sale

Sometimes you just enter a house and know you'd have enjoyed being a part of that family in that home.

Today I went into an estate sale a mere 2 blocks from my childhood/adult home of 36 years.

I walked by it on my way to school in the 70's--walked out contractions past it in the 90's, pushed strollers past it, taught my kids to walk in front of it, walked my dogs in front of it, passed it on our weekly walk to the library ....and the house always interested me.

I didn't score mind boggling, money making treasures....just walked through a well loved home that I have always wondered about and took it all in. Sometimes THAT is a greater moment than the "finds".

I bought a photo of the family in front of their Christmas tree....not sure I can part with it and it's not even my family!

One of the best parts of raising your children in the same area you grew up is little moments like this. Although....bittersweet in that I know by next weekend some contractor will set up a dumpster, tear up walls, yank the wood floors and add 1,000 square feet even though CLEARLY...5-7 people lived here comfortably and happily for years.

Cheers to bittersweet!

 

Operational Computer: Better Than a Dozen Roses

Shortly after my last post, my computer seemed to freeze up a lot, shut down randomly, post bright blue screens with scary words like "reboot", "error zz191", please try again"...all sorts of confusing words to my non-electronic brain. 

I got ONE more posting to Etsy on December 18, then my computer world went blank. I remained calm. Somehow. Someway. (We call it an iPhone). But...not posting on Etsy, craigslist, the blog, my shop Facebookpage....that was MADDENING. 

But right before Valentine's Day, the mister finally admitted defeat and brought it to the computer doctor. And the call came on February 14th that my baby was back. Photos are saved! Documents/designs not lost! LUCKY ME!!

Job #1....My Etsy shop is back up and running. Keeping up with my goals and getting it done!

I filled my space back up at Camas Antiques. Pretty much an out with the old, in with the new. Filled with with aqua, pinks and creams for the new year. My iPhone is not yet speaking to my computer...I have the cutest pictures of the space. DRAT!

Camas Antiques started carrying Annie Sloan paint...so I picked up a few little jars. I came home, watched this YouTube video and will certainly be going back for CANS of it now! I have been interested for years...but I am sold!

I am so happy to be back to the blogging world.  

This week the plan is: I will paint everything I own in Annie Sloan paint, post 10-15 more items on Etsy, keep junking OF COURSE, try to view Argo before Sunday, paint more things in Annie Sloan paint.

You know...the usual. Cheers to computers!