Estate Sale Finds

This morning I made it to the Clay Estate Sale here in Springfield. It was packed with kitchen items, vintage purses (I don't need another one of those!), and some great furniture. I resisted the urge to buy two cane back sixties era chairs because, well, I don't need them. I did find a few great retro items. I picked up the white serving plate because of the beautiful detailed edge. It reminds me of old lace. Since I already have one very similar, I think I will pass it on as a wedding present. The bread pan caught my eye with it's glittering geometric metal. Though it might never be baked in again, I can see it gleaming set on a shelf in someone's kitchen. The coin purse was floral and fun. I also bought a hand towel (not pictured) to hang in my bathroom. The items I'm really pleased about are the two sets of vintage coasters: one set of 6 menacing looking owls and one set of 4 flirty fish. I plan to clean these up and sell them on my Etsy store.

One little ol' estate sale this weekend in Springfield.

It's at 5167 S. Clay.

I wouldn't describe it as a retro sale based on the pictures, more antiqueish. I'm going anyway, because you never know what you'll find. I'm hoping to score on some great items tucked away in a closet. Did you say, "Do tell, Carly!" Okay, I will....this weekend.

Posterous Keeps Blogging Simple

If you're looking to share with family and friends, but don't think you have time for a traditional blog, hop over to Posterous. It's a site that let's you update your page via e-mail. It's super easy to use, so even if you're not especially blog savvy, it's a great way to share whatever it is you're sharing. I can see a lot of other great uses as well. My husband has started using it to track his diet. He takes a picture of everything he eats, e-mails it to Posterous and it's automatically posted on his blog. Now he can keep track without having to write it down. In the same vein, I can see it being a great tool for a shopper wanting to keep track of purchases, a busy mom wanting to share pictures with kids, or a professional who needs to share products and decisions with clients instantly.

Painted "Wallpaper" Bathroom

Recently I showed you a vintage linen towel of (of all things) New Zealand. The colors were the perfect inspiration for my hall bathroom. The old color scheme of grey and blue was a bit too cold and dreary, especially since this room doesn't get any natural light. I wanted something warmer and the creams and red oranges of that towel were the ticket! I found some inspiration from a grey and abstract floral wallpaper. I kept the design simple, using large circles and a few leaves I made with stamps. You can see how to make your own stamps here. Unlike wallpaper, my design was cheap and semi-permanent. I'm still missing a few items like a frame for my towel, but it's well on it's way to being an awesome awesome bathroom.


Some advice for doing something similar on your own

• Find some inspiration. Working from a photo of wallpaper you like will be easier.


• Keep it simple. Unless you're a perfection whiz, don't pick a pattern that has to be completely straight. My design has plenty of flaws, but they aren't as apparent in a diagonal.
  
• Paint in stages. I started with the circles, then added leaves, then connected them with lines.
  
• Use paint from the "oops" section of hardware stores or even paint samples to keep from buying more paint than you need. I had all of these colors at my house sans the dark grey, but since I'm using it to repaint the bathroom cabinet and several other items in my house, I don't mind.

P.S. Notice our artwork? I like a traditional monogram, but this one is twofold. Not only do they hang in our water closet, err, bathroom, my name is Carly and my husband is Wes.

Estate Sale Finds

Over the weekend I took my younger sister-in-law to her first estate sale. I'm sorry to say it wasn't the jam packed house and closet I love the most, but it was an okay way to introduce her to the idea of estate sales. I only picked up a few things. I found these vintage earrings and plan to remake them into shoe clips for my Etsy store. (My store will be up and running sometime within the next four weeks or so.) There were several of these sequin pins, but as a girl who loves bows, I had to pick this emerald green bow over all the others. I have it pinned to my red plum colored coat and I think it's just fabulous. I picked up a few miscellaneous items as well including some light bulbs and a paint brush because the price was right.

Go to EstateSales.net to see local estate sales in your area!

Updates for Classic Tissue Pom Poms

Who hasn't seen tissue pom poms at a dozen weddings? (Not to knock the wedding still rocking them!) By chance I found two great twists on these classic items both made with easy materials. See the t-shirt version over at Craftaholics Anonymous and some tulle inspiration at D*S.

Another Nifty Font Site

I just stumbled upon another great free font site thanks to How About Orange. Fonts2U.com!

Last night I attended my first clothing swap. If you've never been to one, it's quite a novel idea for cleaning out those clothes you hardly wear and swapping them out for something new. You may be thinking, "Oh, but no one would want my things. They aren't anything special." Ah, but that's just what everyone is probably thinking! I know several girls last night had those same sentiments, but everyone left with great items and everyone had someone else take home something they brought. Here are some tips for hosting a clothing swap of your own...

The Clothing:

• Ask everyone to wash and fold their clothes nicely
• Make sure everyone knows if a shirt has a hole or needs some mending
• Ask everyone to bring along hangers or mirrors to keep the swap organized.
• Divide up where particular items go (shirts in the living room, accessories in the hall, etc.)
• Limit the type of clothing that could make your party awkward; lingerie could be the hit of the party or leave everyone feeling uncomfortable

The Etiquette:

• Establish ground rules from the start to guard against upsets later on
• Decide what will happen if more than one person wants the same thing; you could rock/paper/scissors for it or use a system of play money and bid on the item
• Be willing to give something up if you wouldn't wear it that often or you don't love it
• Take your own clothes home (to donate, perhaps?) if no one else picked them

The People:

• Invite people of different sizes and styles
• Ask everyone to bring a snack or drink
• Ask for help if you need it
• Don't let clothing get between you and a friend; it's just clothing
• Don't feel badly if no one else picked your clothing; it is not a reflection of your style or friendship

P.S. Use this same idea for anything you'd swap with some friends. How about craft supplies, children's clothing, toys, or plants.

One estate sale and one downsizing sale have been combined in one location in Nixa this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 1401 Stonecreek Drive Nixa, MO 65714. Looks like lots of furniture and dishes.

I will be stopping by sometime this weekend to check out the goods!

Also, there is an estate sale scheduled in the Springfield area for every weekend in January!

Gazillions of Patterned Backgrounds for Free

I hope you have noticed a few changes in my blog over the past few days. I decided it needed a little freshening up being the new year and all. A quick search led me to a simple site that allows you to create colored patterns to tile as backgrounds on your computer or blog. Check out PatternCooler.com to create and download your own pattern. If you're applying it to your Blogger blog, be sure to select "Tile" under the options for the picture as "Don't Tile" is the default setting.

Bathroom Inspiration

After church this morning I stopped by one of my favorite flea markets, STD East. I picked up this vintage linen towel in the very last booth I stopped in. It's the perfect inspiration for my bathroom redo. I started with a color scheme I really liked, but the lack of natural light left the bathroom feeling very washed out and dreary. I want to punch it up with some brighter greens and oranges. Now I have the perfect jumping off point.