Secondhand News

All our free time lately has been spent scouring craigslist and thrift stores for the perfect pieces to furnish our new house. We’ve found some great bigger items like a desk, tv stand, and a shelf for our records but we are pretty far from being finished. Until then, I just wanted to take a minute to share some of the neat little things I found on recent trips to the thrift store!

I found these pretty dried flower pieces at two different thrift shops in the same day. I usually don’t buy things like this but something about them just spoke to my inner grandma. I decided that day to start collecting them. I found this gorgeous one on etsy but I don’t think I’m ready to splurge on my new collection just yet. . I think I’d rather just stumble upon them slowly for a few dollars at a time than to actively seek them out for a lot more dough, ya know?

This dress is super shapeless and awkwardly long but I couldn’t resist the awesome pattern. I wore it around the house on laundry day but I have a little diy planned to make it really cute and perfect for summer.

One of my favorite things to thrift for is pretty dishes. I love to share my recipes on the blog and I’m also in the process of building up a cake decorating portfolio, so it’s nice to have some variety when experimenting with my “foodtography”.

In the background of these photos is a pretty lace tablecloth I bought. I got it on a whim— I didn’t even have a kitchen table at the time. AND I was even searching for a rectangular table but for some reason I went ahead and bought this round tablecloth for no reason? I’m usually very practical when thrifting but I just couldn’t talk myself out of it. Then, when I went home for Memorial Day my mom *just happened* to have this extra table so everything just kinda fell into place!

Have you found any truth to the saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? The percentage of my stuff that is actually something no one else wanted continually blows my mind!

Mid-Century Manhattan

I am completely smitten with these photos of Don Draper’s apartment! If that name isn’t familiar to you then it might be because you don’t watch the show Mad Men. But no shame from me, I’m like the only person I know that doesn’t watch it, either. I just stumbled across these set photos and can’t stop thinking about them! The fact that I am moving soon coupled with my interior design background just makes me want to curl up in this apartment and call it home! The mint doors, circle rug, striped hanging light, sunken living room, perfect L couch, and funky spice rack are just a few of my favorite details. Do you have any favorite design elements from the 60′s?

Photo credits: AMC (via latimes)

See It —> Make It

In case you haven’t noticed, florals are EVERYWHERE right now. Obviously, I am thrilled since this means I don’t have to update my wardrobe! I think it’s a combination of my interior design background, my love for vintage, and my obsession with Elaine from Seinfeld, but I LOVE floral. Chairs, pants, cakes . . . I’ll take it! I even scored miles of custom floral drapes from an estate sale once and considered making a dress out of them. But of course, I hung them proudly instead.
I’ve talked before about my bad habit of thrifting clothes that are “almost” perfect— an extra button here, an altered hemline there. . . I have this problem where I only see the potential of something and not what it is. So I kind of have this little stock pile of clothes that need random “mending” to be wearable. Enter the above dress: a vintage piece, irresistible due to it’s flower print + great collar. The only problem was it’s length. . . so for just a few bucks, I decided to take it home anyway. Then I promptly forgot about it. . . Until I came across the Tea and Scones Dress from ModCloth. I love the overall look, but I am not a fan of elastic waistbands. I’m also on a self-induced shopping restriction, so I knew I would have to do a little upcycling to get what I wanted. I pulled the dress out of hiding and couldn’t be happier with the results!It’s not pink— but it’s darn cute! The main elements are all there: floral, lace collar, sleeves, and buttons up the front. I just made a few alterations to get there. I started by removing the shoulder pads. Most are only attached with just a few stitches, so they are a breeze to get rid of.
After I removed the shoulder pads, I tried the dress on to mark where I needed to cut. I know maxi dresses/skirts are “in” right now, but I am too short to pull them off. Plus, I feel unsafe biking in long things, so I felt no remorse snipping away.
I didn’t worry about cutting it perfectly straight, but I did make sure to leave a good amount for a hem and any mistakes/mind changes about length I had.
After I shortened the dress, I folded over a new hem and ironed it where I wanted. This is the part that makes hemming a dress WAY easier than you ever expected. Seriously: just iron, pin, and try on until it is the right length.

I actually had to  do this part twice because the dress ended up being too short in the back where I had pinned it the first time. So after I tried again, I was ready to stitch. I don’t have a sewing machine, so I decided to hem mine by hand. This is the most intimidating part for a lot of people, but just watch this video and I swear you can do it!

You can practice on the extra piece of fabric you just cut off if you feel really nervous about trying to hem something by hand. As long as you don’t make your stitches too close together then you will be just fine. This is what mine looked like before I realized my stitches were too close together (also, I used a contrasting color on purpose, yours will be more subtle if you use thread that matches):

So I stared spacing them out more, and it looked something like the picture below. You can see where the stitch length changes because I was too lazy to go back:

So eventually my stitch did turn into a blind stitch!

This is the first time I ever hemmed anything by hand, and I am really happy with how it turned out! After you’ve tried it once, you’ll never be able to resist those outdated dresses at the thrift store! So many great patterns and collars just waiting to be turned into something modern again!

dress, broach, belt: thrifted / shoes: Plato’s Closet / purse: gift from a friend

Altering vintage is one of my favorite things to do. Have you ever tried? It’s SO much fun! It’s also quick, cheap, and much easier than you might think! If you give it a try or have in the past, send me a link in the comments! I love to see how others upcycle and alter things!

Treasure Hunting

I started out looking for vintage cake stands on Craigslist and next thing I know. . . this desk is staring back at me! I can’t believe how unique and pristine it is. The ad says it’s a 1950′s optometrist desk, hence the neat cutout and swivel chair. I would swoop it up in a heartbeat if I had the room (and money) for it!

1982 Motobecane Jubile Sport

This summer while I was in Gatlinburg, I was searching around for a new bike. I found this vintage Motobecane and instantly fell in love. Since I was 215 miles away, Nick went to check it out for me because we couldn’t tell much about it from the pictures. *The plan* was to go see if it was my size and then call me so we could talk about it, but next thing I know he sent me a picture message of a gorgeous bicycle that said, “Say hello to your new bike! It’s in great condition, rides well, and is the perfect size for you.”  It was very romantic . . . except I had to wait like 2 weeks to ride it! Just kidding, it was well worth the wait =]
Meet Nessie! Besides the mismatched tires and the (not my taste) grip tape, she was perfect. I planned to keep her all original, but I soon discovered that I felt clumsy and awkward with gears after riding fixed for so long. Although incredibly fast and smooth, I absolutely could not ride comfortably since it was setup as a racing bike. So after much debate, I decided to convert ole Nessie.

A new stem (the old one was way too long for me), my old risers, & one wheel set later, and she is looking & riding pretty fine! After checking the frame and doing some research, I am positive she is a 1982 model. I found a few twin bikes around the web— even another conversion. I also got excited when someone on a forum described the color as, “a light bluish green color–I’d call it toothpaste.” How perfect is that?

Nessie originally came from Chicago, where the previous owner used her as a racing bike. She is now used for my work commutes and also for lots of fun. If anyone out there has a 1982 Motobecane Jubile Sport please contact me! I’d love to see your setup or link to your photos. Happy riding everyone, stay warm this winter!

Treasures Frozen In Time

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful home of a family friend. And by home, I mean historic house in Springfield, TN. Incredibly high ceilings, two staircases, and rooms full of antique furniture. There were so many great old patterns and textiles, I would have moved there in a heartbeat. I didn’t get any exterior pictures, but I wanted to share a few of the little treasures I found throughout the house as I was exploring.

1. This amazing frontpage of the Nashville Banner from 1945

2. These lettuce shaped bowls are so precious! I like to imagine myself eating salad out of them, but I know that in reality it would probably be cereal. 3. I am in love with this bathroom wallpaper! One of the bathrooms even had a purple tub, so dreamy! 

4. How strange/whimsical/compelling are these hair portraits? When I found them I was simultaneously grossed out (by the fascination parents have with keeping their children’s hair) and delighted (by the illustrations). Side note: I am constantly jealous of any and everyone that knows calligraphy.

5. Can you imagine getting a pair of shoes this perfect for less than $4?! This old advertisement makes me so nostalgic! (Is it even possible to be nostalgic for a time you never lived in?)

6. After taking an embroidery workshop this summer, I appreciate this vintage embroidery even more than I normally would. Although this one is not particularly intricate, it makes me so sad this type of work was never really considered an art form (until recently) since a woman with a needle was seen as “lowly” compared to a man with a brush. 

7. I can’t even handle talking about this child’s portrait! Look at that kitty planning his escape! This picture is incredible. That is all.  8.  These very small, diamond shaped, pastel dishes literally took my breath away when I found them tucked away in a cupboard. I would love to use them for photographing my baked goods or serving miniature treats to guests.

9. I already posted an embroidered piece, but this needlepoint is just so dainty!

10. These porcelain brooch holders are so charming! You put the pin of the brooch in the holes on top for a pretty and functional way to store your jewelry. This is the first time I have ever heard of these and I can’t find anything similar online, so if anyone has more info about them I’d love to know =]And lastly, I found this silly comic in a closet somewhere. I am not sure if it’s recent, but it’s relevant:

 I am so enamored by old homes and all the treasures they house (and people, and memories!). I could literally spend hours at antique shops, thrift stores, and estate sales because of my love for all things old and with character. I am constantly inspired by the past. I can’t wait to have a place that I can settle into and make my own by filling it with so many of my pre-loved treasures from others. That’ll be the day!