It's been a long time...

since I've written a post :) If anyone actually reads this thing, I apologize. Life gets in the way sometimes. Nonetheless, I thought I'd ease back into blogging with a simple "Here's what's new in the shop..." post. I've still been hunting through antique stores and garage sales across the Northwest looking for buried treasures. Anyone who knows me knows that I love any Asian/Chinoiserie decor pieces and here are two beauties that are now in the shop:

I was able to score some more blue and white double happiness ginger jars, which I love beyond reason. During the same trip to a random flea market on the Oregon coast, I also found this very interesting large ceramic Famille Noire planter. I later learned that these planters are referred to as "fish bowls" because of the intricately hand-painted Koi design that decorates the interior of the planter.

If you are looking for an interesting coffee table or statement piece for a living room, you could literally just slap a piece of glass on top of one of these and call it good :).

New to the Shop- Hudson's Bay Wool Four Point Blanket

I nearly peed my pants when I came across this little thing languishing at one of my favorite antique stores awhile back...

After getting it professionally cleaned and stiched up, I put this Hudson's Bay four point wool blanket in the shop yesterday. These blankets were produced by the Hudson's Bay Company of Canada beginning in the late 18th century. They were used as currency in exchange for beaver pelts and other items. These days they have become highly sought after items that people use for furniture upholstery, cloth for a winter sweater or jacket, or simply to use for some good old fashion cuddling on a cold winter night.

New to the Shop - Chinoiserie Ginger Jar

A staple to any Chinoiserie decor scheme, I just love these blue and white ginger jars and I scoop them up whenever I can find one! The symbol on it is a Chinese symbol for "double happiness" which typically adorns gifts given at weddings.

In a recent blog post, Beth Connolly of Chinoiserie Chic named blue and white porcelain as #9 on her top 10 Chinoiserie trends for 2014. Personally, since my favorite color happens to be blue, I would put blue and white ginger jars at the top of my list :)

Barcelona Chair

Over the holidays I had the opportunity to make several trips back to one of my favorite vintage stores, the Treasure Mart in Ann Arbor, MI. Low and behold, one of these had just arrived in the store...

The Barcelona chair was originally designed by architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe and Lily Reich for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. It was put into production by Knoll as a piece of furniture in the 1930s through the 1950s; and has now become a piece that is an icon of mid century modern design. I was pleasantly surprised to find this one at the Treasure Mart; appearing to be an original, and looking a tad beat up in terms of the leather on its lower cushion. If I could've purchased it for my Etsy store, I would've done it in a second as it was very reasonably priced at $525 and these chairs can easily sell for up to $1200.  Alas, I couldn't have gotten it to Oregon, and my brothers did not feel like taking on the task of shipping it from Chicago, so I had to leave it there. It was heartbreaking!

New to the Shop - Antique Mason Jar

I found this gorgeous very old Mason jar at the Treasure Mart in Ann Arbor. There is just something about these old jars that makes me happy. Add some peach roses and you have one of my favorite color combinations...

Modern Desk with a Vintage Touch

One of my very first posts on this blog was about a lovely Asian fretwork desk topper that I found while treasure hunting in Traverse City, Michigan at Wilson Antiques. Thanks to the good folks at UPS, I finally managed to get it home to Oregon and voila!...

I had already upgraded my desk this year, with a new one from Macy's. I then had a custom glass top put on it (a necessity when you have little pets with big claws at home). When I saw the fretwork piece in Traverse City, I wasn't sure whether I was going to keep it or sell it; and if I kept it, where I would put it. Alas, this was the first place I put it and I am pretty damn pleased with it. What do you think?

BTW...in case you are curious. the lamp was also a splurge from a great store called Rejuventation. If you've never heard of it, I'd encourage you to check it out!

Flea Market Travels- Ann Arbor

As I've mentioned before, I proudly "hail" from a little midwestern college town called Ann Arbor. One of the things I loved most about living in a college town? Life was never boring. There is always some event going one; whether it be a sporting event, concert, museum exhibition, etc... associated with the University. Furthermore the diversity of faculty and students at the University make this a wonderful place to pursue one of my favorite hobbies...treasure hunting at vintage stores:)

This last visit to Ann Arbor, the good folks at Google helped me discover a place that is literally just steps away from where I attended high school in Ann Arbor, a place that I never knew about...but will now always consider a Mecca when it comes to treasure hunting. Tucked away in the posh Kerrytown section of Ann Arbor (in the shadow of the famous Zingerman's deli) is an unassuming store called the Treasure Mart. To think of all the time I spent trying to get boys to notice me in high school, when I could've been searching this three story slice of awesomeness for great vintage...my heart breaks a little bit :/.

Alas, it has been discovered by yours truly. Better late than never; and given the amount of people there on a random Monday afternoon after Thanksgiving, most of Ann Arbor has been picking this place for years. No worries, there is plenty to pick from; like these two matching Chinese prunus blossom vases that I found (and left there). My haul from this store on this day included a cathrineholm lotus teapot, a retro mod plastic desk organizer, and 2 vintage blue apothecary bottles. Once again, I was limited by this unfortunate case of pnuemonia and did not want to over-tax myself in terms of carrying things back to Oregon. Fortunately, I head back to Ann Arbor in a couple of weeks for Christmas, when I'll be rested and ready to reap the treasures at the Treasure Mart!

Flea Market Travels- Chicago/Evanston

Last week for Thanksgiving, I ended up in Evanston, IL (just north of Chicago) eating turkey with my parents, my brothers, and their friends. One of the things I love about Chicago is that this city has just as rich of a history (if not more so) than any other city in the country. Hence, I was more than a little excited to check out some flea markets and antique stores in the area.

I had identified a couple of stores before I even set foot in Chicago that I wanted to take a look at, the top of my list being the Broadway Antique Market in the northern neighborhood of Edgewater. This store was indeed impressive in terms of the quantity and quality of its selection. Indeed, if you are looking for some awesome midcentury modern pieces to furnish your home, start on the second floor of this store. However, if you are like me; an etsy seller looking for cool items at good prices to put in your store, beware as BAM a little pricey. Nonetheless, it was worth it just to see the items that they had, displayed in a nearly museum-like fashion.

A cool vintage suitcase on display at Broadway Antique Market in Chicago

 Not to be discouraged, I ended up finding a much more affordable little gem in my brother's neighborhood of Evanston on Howard Street. Lost Eras is primarily a costume and theater prop store; but don't let that fool you. This family-owned store is packed to the gills with all kinds bits of Chicago history that they are willing to sell at very reasonable prices. The store itself is dominated by old built-in cabinets that they have rescued from Chicago pharmacies. Perhaps fortunately, I was battling a case of pneumonia while I was there, otherwise I would've tried to take the whole store home with me...including this beautiful greek key mirror that I had my eye on...

In retrospect, I should've strapped it on and added the mirror to my list of conquests. However, I did manage to find a couple of smaller objects that were much easier to get home. Including this green depression glass art deco perfume bottle and Fire King glass flour canister.

I will definitely be visiting Lost Eras whenever I visit my brothers in the future!

New to the Shop- Vintage Ornaments

As with everything else, I love adding a touch of vintage to my Christmas decor. A great way to do this is to look for vintage ornaments at flea markets and thrift stores. I hit the mother-load on Friday and added all sorts of vintage Christmas ornaments to the shop over the weekend. Stay tuned as I still have a couple more sets to post, but for now...

New in the Shop- Antique Chinese Rice Barrel

Happy Veterans Day, everyone. I made another couple of awesome scores over my long weekend. The most interesting piece I found was an antique Chinese rice barrel. This piece dates from the 19th century and (despite some condition issues) remains a really stunning work of art in terms of the carving and the painting.
It makes those ceramic garden stools pale in comparison, I think.

New to the Shop- Bohemian Bar

As much as I love the 1960's Mad Men trend in terms of bar cart styling...sometimes you just need to add a little color and something different. I've placed these two "Bohemian Chic" items in my shop over the weekend.

 I finally found one of these this weekend for a great price at a nearby antiques market over the weekend; it's all I can do not to keep it for myself! It is a vintage beautiful blue seltzer bottle. Before plastic bottles, these were once the only means of storing carbonated water. What a beautiful way to mix a gin and tonic!

This vintage Murano glass cordial set is also quite a find! These sets were produced in the 1960s and trimmed with real 22 or 24 karat gold; a perfect way to glam up a bar!

Etsy Item of the Week- Milo Baughman Bar

I found this beautiful Milo Baughman Brass Bar Cart in an Etsy shop called JulesModerne this week.

This bar cart just so happens to match these chairs I found a couple weeks back hiding at my local salvage store, chairs that are now in my own etsy store. Imagine if you re-upholstered the chairs in an awesome navy or emerald fabric...or go with a bold graphic print? Either way, set them next to the bar and you have one helluva swanky place to mix and drink cocktails!

Elephant Parade

My grandmother (Mimi) collected elephant figurines for as long as I could remember. After she passed, some of her trunked treasured made their way to my home, where they now sit proudly on my desk. As a child, my mother and I would constantly be searching for the perfect elephant to add to Mimi's collection; the only rule being that it had to have its trunk up for good luck. During the course of my vintage discoveries, I've found a couple of wonderful elephant pieces. My latest find was buried in one of my favorite antique markets in Portland, OR.

This cobalt blue elephant stool is now featured in my etsy store. He also serves as the inspiration for this design collection of trunked treasures for other elephant lovers...

1. $40 zgallerie 2. $9.99 Nate Berkus for Target 3.$129 orientalfurniture.com 4. $25 at rachellelevingston on Etsy 5. $62 at Home Depot 6. $38 at DenizErcelebi on Etsy 7. $25 at VintageandVictorian on Etsy 8. $45 OfAlltheFishVintage on Etsy

Hood River, Oregon

Last week, I had some free time and made a spontaneous trip up to Hood River, Oregon with my brother, Dan, who was in town from Chicago on business. If you've never been to this part of the country, trust me...you need to go. Nestled in the Columbia River Gorge, Hood River is the essence of living in the Pacific Northwest. This is a major destination for windsurfers seeking thrills on the Columbia River, skiers and snowboarders wanting to shred powder on Mt. Hood, and for tourists in general who want to experience the beauty and bounty of the Northwest. Full Sail beer is brewed here, and it is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country.

Being me, I decided to dink around downtown to see what flea markets or thrift stores I could find. Turns out that Goodwill just opened a "boutique store" in downtown Hood River that features the higher end items that have been donated, at slightly higher prices, but still not unreasonable. I found a lot of Coach purses, a couple of Christian Dior clothing items, and unfortunately, someone had nabbed a pair of Tory Burch shoes before I got there. Nonetheless, I was able to find some items for my etsy store which I will be featuring in subsequent posts. Here is a glimpse at something that I liked inside the store...

I didn't nab it for the store, so this item may still be at the boutique. Regardless, I highly recommend a visit when you are in this neck of the woods!

New in the Shop

I went a little crazy this past week and picked up a bunch of new items for the store. I will drop a couple of hints about where I've found these treasures in subsequent postings this week. In the meantime though, here is a taste of what is new in the store this week...

 Atomic Mid Century Bar Glasses, Set of Six

 Chinoiserie Planter, featuring Chinese symbol for "long life"

Pre-War Handpainted Japanese Maruhun Ware Plate

On The Hunt For...

My current vintage décor obsession these days is Chinoiserie, which according to Wikipedia is defined as “a French term, signifying ‘Chinese-esque.’" Chinoserie vignettes are usually characterized by beautiful hand painted wallpaper (think De Gournay), rich & heavy fabrics (think Shumacher), intricate Chinese Chippendale furniture, and beautiful Asian antiques. Unfortunately, I can afford none of those things. Alas, I am now on a mission to find whatever pieces of Chinoiserie decor that I can find in my favorite flea markets and junk shops; hoping and praying that someone doesn't know the gems that they have! I've already made one score, purchasing these gorgeous foo dogs at my local Goodwill for $10 a couple of weeks ago.

 (No, I am not planning to put these on sale in my Etsy store, but these foo dogs are for sale.)

Now, I am on a mission to find a great Chinoiserie mirror. I've gathered a couple of couple of examples below, but as you can see, these mirrors do not come cheap on the open market. That will only make it all the more sweet when I do come across one in that is buried and forgotten somewhere. I will undoubtedly do a little happy dance when I do find one, and then blog about it. Wish me luck!

1.$229 at House of Pemberley on Etsy.com 2. $595 at Serena and Lily 3. $415 at One Kings Lane 4. $1799 at One Kings Lane 5. $395 at One Kings Lane 6. $915 at claytongrayhome.com 7. $1765 at treillageonline.com

New in the Shop

Please visit my Etsy store and take a look at these new items!

Barcelona Flea

Back in May, I decided to celebrate my birthday in one of my very favorite places, Barcleona. If you've never been here, I encourage you to add it to your bucket place. The art, architecture, weather, and shopping make it one of the most vibrant places to see in the world. I always find something new when I go there. This last visit, I made a point of spending a morning at one of the oldest flea markets in Europe, Mercat Del Encants. This nondescript parking lot of vendors and stalls is about to undergo a big transformation, which means I will be heading back to see the update in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, here are some of the items that I found:

A vintage Spanish coffee grinder,

An ornate Rococo solid brass plant stand

All in all, it was a very interesting experience to try and navigate this market by myself for the first time, but I feel like I scored some good deals on some interesting stuff. A word of caution; all the web research I did prior to my visit to El Encants indicated that I should try and bargain with the vendors. My experience? Not so much. I'll be the first to admit that my Spanish is not great, and unless you can speak it fluently with a Catalan dialect, I would refrain from trying to bargain. I felt and (undoubtedly) looked silly. Despite the language barriers, there was one vendor in particular I found, Jose Robles, who was particularly willing to listen to my broken Spanish. Jose also had two of the best stocked booths at the market, packed with very interesting things at reasonable prices (or at least prices that an inexperienced American was willing to pay). He was the source for the 2 items I purchased above. If you want a glimpse at what you'll find at El Encants, check out his website: www.joserobles.com.

In the meantime, happy hunting!

                                                     Image source: ca.wikipedia.org

Coming Soon!

I found 2 of these chairs buried in my local salvage store last week. I need to do a bit more research on them, but they may have been designed by Milo Baughman. The metal on the chairs has a brass finish, so they would go perfectly in any Hollywood regency decor scheme. I will be putting them in my Etsy store in the next week or so.

Something Blue...

New to my Etsy store today!

Blue pieces for sale on One Kings Lane