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!

Snow Day

I'm sure many of you are waking up to familiar scenes covered with snow this time of year. However, for those of us on the Oregon Coast; snow storms are a pretty rare event (thankfully). Nonetheless, it did snow last night...just in time for me to decorate my Christmas tree :)

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...

Entryway Remodel - Flooring Choice

So I posted last week that my entryway is in desperate need of a remodel. One of the main reasons being that one of my two cats has decided to "decorate" the carpet. That being the case, replacing the carpet in this 40ft. long hallway is the top priority and thus the first project on my list. At first, I thought I'd put tile down the hallway, but then I got some quotes on what the installation would cost (in excess of 10 sq/ft.); that just ain't gonna happen on my budget. So I started considering other options. Although laminate flooring is reasonably priced, I have an issue in that I already have existing engineered maple wood flooring bordering the hall. I don't want to continue this engineered wood throughout (another cost issue) and I couldn't find something that would complement the existing floor. 

So, the good folks at Home Depot talked me into something I never thought I'd put in my house...vinyl flooring. They sell a product called TrafficMaster Allure, which is vinyl flooring that is installed in planks such that it kinda actually looks like wood! After much deliberation, and a vote put out to my parents (my brothers refused to participate on the grounds that I was going with vinyl). I opted for the Lisbon Cork floor. My hope is that it will go well with the existing flooring and hold up to my cats' antics while deceiving people into thinking I actually put cork down.

We will know in a couple of weeks when Home Depot installs the floor. In the meantime, my weekend project is going to be ripping up the carpeting and priming my concrete subfloor in order to "repair" the damage my cat has already done. Given the fact that my DIY skills leave something to be desired...this relatively simple task may turn into quite the adventure. Stay tuned...

Crockpot Taco Ranch Chicken

I confess, I am in love...with my crockpot. I love the fact that I can stick something in it...and leave it...for hours...while it cooks. Minimal mess and minimal fuss for a person who is not quite a Martha Stewart when it comes to the kitchen. One of my favorite crock pot recipes is this pesto ranch chicken that I found on pinterest; which basically involves throwing a jar of pesto, some chicken, a packet of ranch seasoning, and chicken broth in a crockpot for 3 hours. It is very yummy, but not very waistline friendly at 16 WW+ points a serving. So, I decided to change it up a bit and replace the pesto with a packet of taco seasoning to give it more of a Mexican flair. This variation is only 8 WW+ points a serving and is still very yummy.

You can also take the excess sauce when the chicken is cooked and cook your favorite veggies in it. I usually serve the ensemble over rice.