Notes from A Cottage Industry

Junker's Jubilee 2024 Roadtrip Edition 2.0 Deluxe Attendee Kit For The Other Tracey.

It's a second post!

Okay, so I shared the loose history of our Junker's Jubilee in my last post, and now I will share this year's over-the-top Deluxe Attendee Kit that I sent to the Other Tracey last week in anticipation of our roadtrip, which we are heading out on tomorrow, April 30th!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek! 

Here is a photo dump of all that went into this year's "Road Less Traveled Junker's Jubilee" Kit, followed by a few details.....

The starting point was the cover...

...followed by the route and stops, which proved to be huge, and the other pages that created this year's flipbook!

Once the flip book was created, I decided we needed shirts, mimicking concert tees....(Okay, note to self for next time, the front artwork needs to be smaller. Much smaller.) 

Once I designed the shirts I wanted to have some flair... and something for us to pin that flair to...fanny packs slash crossbody bags were now a must have. 

Then, we needed Treasure Journals. (Of course.) We learned the hard way last year that our memories are in their senior years now, and no longer can be trusted as to where we bought what and where we need to revisit....

A receipt envelope, and some other must-haves for the trip, tucked inside a cutie-patootie box....

My signature "packing taffy" for the win.

I packed everything up in a box...

The details: We begin the trip tomorrow!!! We are taking a longer route, (The road less travel, so to speak...) going over the sierra mountains to the Sacramento area and heading north from there.

I will fly into The Biggest Little City in the morning. The Other Tracey will pick me up at the airport, and from there we will hit every thrift store in the Reno Sparks area until we hot them all, or they close, whichever comes first. We will then go to her home to unload all of her treasures thus far, and head to Donner Lake to spend the night at her cabin. 

The next morning we will make the trek over the Sierras (stopping at several stops along the way!) and make our way to the Sacramento area. We have no idea how far we may (or may not) make it that day, but we do know it will be fun!!

I'll be posting updates, so stay tuned.....

A historical look at the (now) annual Junker's Jubilee

If you've been a long time reader (is anyone out there still hopping over to my blog? I've been beyond dreadful about posting for longer than I want to check the calendar for...) you should remember The Other Tracey, and you might recall the first "official" Junker's Jubilee we had, back in 2018. (Refresh your memory with my cover photo here, of click here.)

So, anyway.

While we have been getting together for visits ever since I moved up here to the Pacific Northwest, it used to be a three-sh day long, more loosely scheduled list of activities, full of laughs, and creative moments. That visit in 2018 started us down a path of seeing how we could possibly outdo the previous year in terms of what all we wanted to accomplish during our visit together, and our get together became an official event with the name, The Junker's Jubilee."

The more we got together, the longer time span we felt we needed, to fit in everything we wanted to do. We also tried changing up the time of year we got together, whereby we ended up doing a holiday themed Junker's Jubilee in the fall of 2022.

Last year, as we were planning our annual Jubilee, talk of going to Texas to the Round Top Show, or somewhere else for a Junker's Inspiration trip began. At some point in the conversation I shared the idea of me flying down to Reno, and the two of us road-tripping back up to Vancouver Washington, hitting thrift stores along the way, and the first Junker's Jubilee, Roadtrip Edition was born in June of 2023.

I realized a while back that I never shared anything online about last year's Junker's Jubilee, so I am going to today.

Once we came up with the concept of taking our Junker's Jubilee on the road, I began plotting stops all along the usual route we have taken for years between Reno Nevada and Vancouver Washington. 

Oh. My.

There were so many places we could stop and hunt and gather! The next thing I knew, I had our route planned, complete with junk stops in all of the towns along the way, and I created yet another "Attendee Packet" which by this point had become one of the things I look forward to creating for each of our get togethers....

See how fun that little "Attendee Kit" was???? Did you notice the theme of using salt-water-taffy-as-packing-bubbles that I always color coordinate with my kits! I get them by the pound at my local Winco!

Oh, and the Other Tracey came up with her own fabulous addition to our Junker's Jubilee, with a "Snackle Box" for the road....(Brilliant!!!)

Needless to say, we had a fantastic time on our roadtrip, and we have been counting the minutes until we could plan the next one...which starts tomorrow! (I'll share the "Deluxe Attendee Packet" tomorrow!)

My lucky stop at an estate sale this past weekend.

The weather here was hit and miss (sun for a few minutes, followed by rain and dark clouds) all weekend, and that makes it hard for me to want to get out there to check out any yard sales. I did however manage to hit one half-off estate sale that had begun on Friday.

I was leaving a Redfin tour, and it was just a few minutes away from the home I toured. Last days of estate sales are really a crap shoot, because you never know if there will be anything left that is "your kind" of junk, if you know what I mean. This trip paid off, and I got some of the most charming little gems!

The challenge for me now will be which items I can part with to put in my booth space at Camas Antiques, and which pieces I need to hang on to, at least for a little while, to love in my own home.

Can you guess which treasure(s) I was not able to part with?

Truth be told, I kinda wanted to keep it all, but...in the end I added the adorable little drawers to my shelf in the kitchen...

and I seem to have a thing for butter dishes, and butter pat plates and covers. (I also have a thing for butter knives, so I guess that makes sense.)

(Yes, I know the silver butter pat dome needs polishing, and I will do that today!)

The rest of the treasures (Those sweet, sweet quail salt and pepper shakers!) will be making their way to my booth space tomorrow.

All in all, quite a nice little haul, don'tcha think?

An (itty bitty but oh so cool) thrift haul.

Sometimes you hit the motherlode, sometimes you just take your car on a tour of thrift shops, and more often than not, it's somewhere in between.

Yesterday was one of those in between days, with a little touch of thank-you-Jesus at my last stop. (Can you guess which thrifted item thrilled me most? Betcha can't.)

I started my little thrifting tour by picking up a sweet little chamber pot from a Facebook Marketplace listing, and then hit a couple of Greedy-Wills on my way home. (Wednesdays are Senior Day, after all, and I was feeling lucky.)

I scored a little white Christmas tree, (like all serious Junkers, I have to buy it when we see it, and stash it away for the season it will be needed in...then, it's a fun surprise when I pull out these items later down the road!) along with a small pitcher (gravy boat? Syrup pitcher?) and an egg cup. (Just in time for Easter!)

One last stop on the way home yielded a vintage picture frame, and then...what was that over there on the top shelf? It looked like the Lombard Trophy from the Superbowl!

It was! I immediately knew I had to have it for my own stash of Sunday ballgames during football season decor. I grabbed it off the shelf, and was surprised to feel the solid weight of this treasure.

The plaque on the front of it could be easily removed, and I quickly realized this could be possibly my best football themed score since the fabulous hot tamale dispenser from May of 2015.

And I got my Senior discount.

I was so tickled that I had to take a quick picture of the trophy, and send it to my thrifting/football pal that was with me when I scored the other football treasure. I placed it on the table, front and center, when I got home, so Ralph would see it as soon as he came in from work.

I dunno, maybe you have to be a football fan and know me really well to fully grasp the coolness of this find, but let me tell you, this will be the shining star in my football halftime foods tablescape setup.

 

gohawks #vincelombarytrophy #superbowl #lovemesomethriftedfinds #isitfootballyet?

 

The calendar on my iphone says it's Saturday, but that is the only way I know it is.

This time of year Saturdays are for thrifting. Yard (or garage) and estate sales are where all junkers want to be come Saturday mornings, and with the stay-home mandate that isn't happening.

Yes, we still have good ol' Craig and his list, as well as Facebook Marketplace and any number of other junk groups on Facebook. Sadly, picking up one lonely item on the corner of the driveway of somebody's home and leaving your payment under a flowerpot on the porch is not remotely the same as Saturday saling. Navigating around town with your coffee and a MC-whatever-breakfast-sandwich, conducting drive bys past an open garage as you follow several homemade signs drawn on neon green  Dollar Tree poster board to see if it's worth a stop or not pure heaven on earth for a Junker.

**Side note here- My personal theory on yard sale signage is this: The more elaborate the signs, (and if there are more than five of them) typically the more disappointing the sale will be. People who spend way too much time on their signs are clearly trying too hard to get you to stop by for a look-see, and there is usually a reason. That reason is almost always one of two things; that have a grand total of 13 items laid out neatly on the driveway, or they want full blown buy-it-new retail prices. (No Karen, no one wants your barely used thighmaster that your daughter stuck Frozen stickers on. Especially not for $25.)

Aaaaaaaah, how I miss those springtime early Saturday mornings, spent hoping the dew will disappear sooner than later, and the sun will warm things up just a bit. Digging through miles of piles of endless potential diamonds-in-the-rough, or buried treasures worthy of Antiques Roadshow, that the guy before you missed. Oh, those are the moments that make for great thrift stories later with friends!

But right now, it is like we are living in an episode of the Twilight Zone. (If you do not remember the Twilight Zone, you are much younger than me, and need to ask your Mom about it.) I cannot tell you if it is Saturday or Tuesday without consulting my iphone. When I do check and realize Saturday has arrived, I feel a sad little tug at my heart, and I become more than a little bit melancholy. (I then tend to end up wandering into the kitchen to console myself with some sort of usually-cheese-involved snack.)

I know.

We are flattening the curve, and we need to continue doing so. I'm here, at home, and I am hoping you are too. Happy Saturday, my friends!

Vintage doctor's bag turned band tip jar.

When I came upon a vintage doctor bag at an estate sale a few months back, I grabbed it up. (And for only six dollars!) You see, my Rock n' Roll buddy is a member of a classic rock band called the Rock Doctors, and I knew it could be perfect for something band related.

I just didn't know what that perfect thing was just yet.

(Not to worry. I knew it would come to me at some point...)

Maybe it could be used to hold guitar or amp cords? Hmmm...maybe a pretty cool replacement for the usual tip bucket? 

Yes!

Well, maybe.

I was all set to paint the band's name on the bag, when I realized how bumpy and rough the old leather was, and I kinda shy'd away from tackling the painted name project for a while. We simply used the old bag as it was, with the tip sign sticking out of it, which worked out just fine.

Fast forward to a couple of Sunday's ago, when I took a mental health break in the late afternoon, and got my creative juices going on that vintage doctor's bag.

Ralph thought stencil and a can of spray paint would work, but I knew spray paint would cause bleeding and over-spray, but maybe he was on to something here. I decided I would try and make a red cross shaped stencil to get things started,  and got out my old stencil paintbrushes (which haven't been used in forever, and I was suddenly glad I had hung on to them...) I then got a damp washcloth ready in case I needed to quickly scrub off any wet paint that didn't work out before any of it dried.

It worked!

Except it was a perfect shade of 1990's mauve.

Ugh.

I re-painted it with a vivid red.

Better.

That was all I needed to get moving. Using alphabet stencils and blue painter's tape to keep my letters straight, I forged ahead.

Once the letters were stenciled, I filled in freehand with a paint brush.

After it dried, I used some Annie Sloan dark wax to age the lettering up a bit, and all in all, I am pretty happy with how well it turned out.

My biggest concern was the paint bleeding, and the letters being crooked. It is a challenge to paint on any sort of non-flat surface, let alone a smaller object that can slide around on your work table!)

Whatcha think?

The old covered patio gets renovated too.

 

 

I told you that my home is on a corner, and I shared this post about the original-covered-patio-only-usable-entertaining-space back patio area here. This patio is actually behind the house, and you get to it either by going through the kitchen and laundry room, and then out through the back door of the garage, or by coming around from the new side yard area I shared yesterday.

Completely confused about the layout now?

That's okay. Just know that my home has multiple outdoor areas tucked around the outside of my home that can be used for entertaining or gardening, or whatever.

And it's just one more thing I love about this home.

So, the story about this little covered patio renovation is full of meant-to-be items (or God things as I love to call them) starting with this solid steel to-die-for vintage workbench-turned-potting-buffet-table.

I originally saw if on my local Craigslist, at the bottom of the screen, where they show you "items in nearby locations". It was over an hour away, in the tiny town of Stayton Oregon of all places, which seemed to be a God thing in itself, since my daughter and son in law live there. Woo Hoo! This would mean I could have my daughter run over and look at the long table, and load it in her truck to then get to me shortly thereafter. Here is the original photo from his ad....

I called on the workbench, and had to leave a message. Six days went by with no response, and I was both disappointed and annoyed. Of course something this awesome was most likely already sold, but they guy clearly just hadn't bothered to remove his post.

Ugh.

I found a different workbench for my patio and bought it....

On the seventh day, I got a call from the guy in Stayton with the awesome cool workbench. He never received the voicemail until then! Yes, he still had it. He said it was heavy, but he and his wife were able to move it, so we should be fine.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I had my daughter call him and set up a time to go look at the bench. She called me from his house and said, "First of all, it is exactly what you want."

(I could hear a "butt".)

Then she said, "It is so heavy that I cannot even lift one end of it, and I have no idea how on earth we would get it in our truck and to you".

My heart sank. 

"Well, that seals it. We can't move it, so tell the guy thanks anyway, and sorry, but we will need to pass."

The smaller wooden bench would just have to do.

Fifteen minutes later my phone rang again, and it was the workbench guy in Stayton. He said he and his son were coming into Portland Saturday and they would be happy to deliver it!

I was shocked and thrilled and disappointed all at once.

" We will not be home then. We will be in Stayton of all places, watching my grandson play little league baseball then".

"Well, if you want to trust me, I'll deliver it to your house. Just put a post it note on the patio where you want it, and leave my money there too."

(See? Doesn't that sound like a God thing to you too?!)

Yes! Yes, yaaaaaasssssss please!

He delivered the heavy workbench, and it was even more perfect than I had pictured. (The other workbench is in my booth space now for sale, if you are local, and like it!)

Next came my oh-so-fabulous plant stand. I was working in my booth one day, and a fellow vendor set this plant stand just outside my booth space, as she was re-fluffing as well. I told her how much I liked it, with it's perfect shade of green and all. She then informed me that she was lusting after a vintage folding table I had in my booth that I was using as a base for a display.

Mmmm hmm, we swapped pieces, and I think we were both pretty tickled about it.

(Another God thing?)

Okay, one last little bit of interesting happenings....Another friend, who was a former booth space neighbor to me, gave me a bunch of her overflow junk inventory. Among the items was an authentic vintage sign board, where you put the letters on it and spell things out. It. was. fabulous. I wanted to keep it for myself so badly!

I walked through my house no less than 54 times, and could not find the right space to hang this fabulous board. It was not meant to be mine I guess. I put a patriotic quote on it, put the letters in a cute mason jar and took it to my booth. A fellow booth friend fell in love with it, and was thinking hard about buying it. 
I told her I had had my eye on her vintage rusty green postage scale for some time now, and ...can you guess?

We swapped.

Somebody pinch me.

(God is in the details.)

 

While I always feel like everything is a work in progress, and always evolving, I am quite content with how my back patio has come together. A perfectly sweet little sanctuary, where I can enjoy my flowers, and my raised strawberry garden, and I feel extra blessed to have each and every piece of charming old junk out here!

 

 

Good finds at Goodwill today.

It's another way-late-in-the-day...er...evening post.

I had an hour to kill between home tours today, and so I hit the Goodwill store. It's hit and miss at best, and today was most definitely a hit. I scored two more small bowls that match my pfaltzgraff dishes, and a doormat for winter (Brand new! They had a stack of them. I think Target donates overflow items to Goodwill, maybe?) some fabulous assorted trays, and other silver plate items, and a Robin's egg blue sweater for a quick and easy project I'll be sharing in the next day or so.

*sigh*

I love it when that happens to me at a thrift store. ("Coz it doesn't happen often!) How about you? Are you a thrift shop shopper?

When your day is made, because you found an elephant to complete your new circus line for birthday party paper goods.

What are the odds of me even coming across a ceramic circus elephant in a thrift store anyway?!

(Insert high pitched happy squeals, and Gramma Cupcake high-fiving herself here.)

I have been working on a darling circus colored birthday party set, and there he was, just waiting for me. His blanket color is a bit off, but I will be adjusting that, along with touching up his eyeballs, to make them a little bit friendlier.

I'll be sure to share my "after" pictures, so stay tuned!

 

From frumpy to farmhouse wine bar; a before and after.

The little wine bar transformation didn't take too much effort at all, to take it from a generic-big-box-store-wine-bar to a industrial-farmhouse-just-the-right-amount-of-rustic-wine-bar. You know, I am really a cottage style girl, but I appreciate and enjoy farmhouse decor in other people's homes, and when I came upon this while out thrifting, it's clean lines caught my eye.

I texted my daughter (whose home is a spectacular example of warm-yet-industrial-farmhouse style) to get her opinion. Of course, my first inclination was to paint the little wine bar white and rough sand it, then replace the glass shelf with a wooden one, and add an additional shelf above the wine bottle area.

She loved it, but pointed out that it was perfectly farmhouse-ready in the original black, and I am not sure why I hadn't seen that. (My first mode of operation is always to paint an item white, because I am of a more cottage style mindset, I guess.)

I added some wood shelves I had cut from plywood, and used my trusty Annie Sloane dark wax to add that deep stained vintage patina, and I the wine bar transformation was complete.

Easy peasy.

And a fun little project, at that.

I'll take it down to my booth later today, or tomorrow, where it will find it's new forever home.Do you reinvent pieces in your home to take them from the mass produced look to unique? I'd LOVE for you to share with me!

Up close and personal with A Girl in Pink.

It's no secret that I love old, chippy, vintage treasures, as well as using those kinds of things in unique ways, staging them creatively in my home, and in my booth. Because of my passion for junk, I have had the idea brewing in my head to share a closer look into some of the amazing junkers I come across. I figured if I was curious to know their techniques, likes, and dislikes, you all might too, whether you are junker yourself, an aspiring antique booth vendor, or simply a human who appreciates a good behind the scenes interview.

Anyway.

A while back I put my idea into action. I interviewed one of my most favorite fellow junk vendors at Camas Antiques, the incredibly talented and creative, Amanda Bachelder (aka Girl in Pink) and I'm sharing it at long last with you here today....

 

How long have you had your booth at Camas Antiques? Eleven years! I've been there since the shop was two years old. I grew up in Camas and loved it. I always thought to myself, "I’d love to have a store here."

After I got married, I was painting furniture and putting it on consignment at the Daisy Patch, and I also did bazaars. People would ask if I had a store, and it got me thinking about a store. I started at Camas Antiques by selling there on consignment, and then I got a booth downstairs. JoAnne moved me upstairs, and I spent five years in a room there, and then I moved to another booth for six years.

Ever feel burned out on it? Hmmm, no....I don’t know...when I go to an estate sale, and I have fun...I think I’m going to do this forever!!!

How large is your booth? It's a 10x10 space.

What do think your hot ticket items are that customers just can't get enough of? It always changes, but I'd say that consistently, painted dressers sell really well for me. Also, light fixtures...they are hard to keep around! I am always in the hunt for them.

What are your slow-selling, or hard to sell items? Nothing specific, but I know I have tried to bring in things that are not my style and trendy and might sell. I would then have a hard time displaying them, and sometimes they wouldn’t sell. It has to do with the things other vendors sell, and they look good with their stuff, but they don’t blend in with my things…really rusty, crusty…..I can sell it better sometimes at street fairs.

How would you describe your style? Romantic vintage...there is a quote I have on my inspiration board. It says, "Inspired by the patina of age and romance of history."  

I use movies for inspiration. I will watch Jane Austin. I like that time period. I try not to get too carried away with it though. I can go too lacy...I try to have some rustic to compliment the feminine.

Speaking of vision boards...tell me about yours. I have done it for a long time...next to my computer...little odds and ends at estate sales...I stick up there, and pictures from a magazine of a display I love...when I feel like I am losing my style in my booth I look at this to bring me back.

Oh! I love that idea! Do you think the shabby look is still in or are you seeing less of it now? I think it is popular, but it has shifted more to shabby farmhouse as far as trends go.

Do you utilize social media? If so, which ones work best for you? I have had the best success with Facebook...instagram I am a little bit newer at. I have gained sales from Facebook both in the store and shipping items...I have regular shoppers that keep an eye on the store posts and I will ship. A lot of my blog traffic comes from Pinterest...You need to pin your own things.

How many days a week do you work your booth? What is your system?? It changes...I definitely put in a good 40 hours, working in things in between cooking meals and driving kids around...it fluctuates for sure. Some weeks are busier than others. I try to paint at least one substantial or 2-3 smaller pieces each week...Anyway, that is kind of my goal.

Why do you think your booth has been successful? Ha! Probably the first eight years I made just enough to shop to replace what sold and a few things for our own home...the last four years I feel I do contribute to our family income to some degree.  I think it is a standard knowledge among junkers that you only buy something that will fit in your own home. Buying what you love, and can barely stand to part with, are the things that sell.

What advice would you have for someone going into business for themselves? Hmmmm...Be purposeful in your shopping...that is the most important thing. Be thoughtful in your purchases...but what you love, and you know people can use in their home. Consider your style, and make sure you combine a couple of favorite styles. Don’t want to have too much of a mix...narrow down your style to what works together..think about how you are going to display the item. If the item is great, but hard to display, it probably won’t sell...think of how they will perceive your display.

What do you think the biggest mistakes are that vendors make? Probably...hmmm...being desperate for inventory...buying things sometimes that are not really their style (out of desperation to fill a space) or paying too much for something because they love it and then cannot make a profit. It’s ok if it make s great display or something but you’ve tied up funds in things…I am guilty of all of these things!

Do you do any barn sales or Vintage Markets? If so, how many a year? I have only done the Camas Street Fair, and one other. I always plan on the Camas Street Fair. With three kids at home I feel like I can’t commit to any other shows, but I hope to do more in the future. I don’t want my booth to suffer, and if I commit to more shows, I might not have enough. My booth is my priority. I will do Annie Sloan Paint demonstrations at the sidewalk sales.

I once did a blog post about doing ten projects using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I was painting with latex and didn’t enjoy it. It took weeks to finish a piece, but I loved the look. I started reading about Annie Sloan Paint and I checked it out. No odor! Dried fast! I could paint in my house and finish things quickly! My husband said, "It's expensive. Are you gonna make a profit?"

I did a blog post with one quart of her paint, and Annie Sloan commented on my post!

That had to be exciting! Yes! This gives people a visual of how far the paint goes. I was then sold on it. I went to sf and met Annie Sloan, at a workshop. They said we should sell chalk paint in Camas…and I suggested it to Jo Anne, and I offered to teach workshops each month. Now I do two workshops a month with a color of the month paint sale to coordinate. I try to use that color on pieces in my booth with tags to show it is the color of the month.

If you could change one thing about your booth what that be and why? I’d like to come up with something more unique for the walls. Burlap is practical and cheap but, I am always looking for unique fun backdrop. Someday I will find something!

How do you stay motivated? Doing displays inspires me. I look at my vision board, and go back to my blog to old display pictures…the display part is probably my favorite of all. I actually set up displays in my dining room. I accessorize them and all...we eat in our kitchen nook! I look at it all day and get ideas...thinking about my display, what I need to shop for, and all that. Making a good sale motivates me too! If I go a day without a sale, I lose my motivation a bit...

Do you carry seasonal items for the holidays or seasons? Yes, I do to a point. I love to bring in Christmas and Easter stuff...they work with my style and colors. Fall is harder for me, but I am getting more into it. I do think our customs are shopping for seasonal things. I am planning on doing more of a real theme for the street fair..incorporating fall into my booth doesn’t mean just using a lot of orange, but I have found some rustic elements I am planning to bring in! More burlap and rustic things. I didn't in the past, you know, because of not wanting to store it, but now I have started buying Christmas at summer sales and am putting it away for this year.

Thank you so much for sharing a peek into your style! To learn more about A Girl in Pink, and to follow Amanda, you can find her online here:

 

www.onegirlinpink.blogspot.com

 

https://www.facebook.com/onegirlinpink/ 

 

https://www.pinterest.com/girlinpink/

 

https://www.instagram.com/onegirlinpink

 

 

 

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Thursday thrifting haul.

It's nearing the end of yard sale season, and yesterday I managed to score a nice haul from one yard sale and two thrift stores. I snapped a quick picture as I unloaded my gems, and thought I would share.

My favorite item of the day was the two vintage metal children's folding chairs. I am hoping to score some sort of table to go with them today, so I can use the set up in my tablescape display next Saturday. (How cute would that be?!

Inspiration pieces.

I shared a short while back that my Mom (The Sewing Queen) was moving. Now that the actual move is over, we are ready to begin the fun part of making her new place a jewel box of a home, and we needed a starting point.

She really loved the look and feel of her home back in Nevada, and so we are going for a similar, cheerful cottage look, but we were struggling a bit with what colors to use. She was sure she wanted some pastel greens, but beyond that, we were unsure. That is, until I happened upon a fabulous set of china at a yard sale.

I had previously found two place settings of the same china several months ago, and was planning on selling it in my booth at Camas Antiques. So charming and sweet, I was going to do a clever place setting display when I had more things to coordinate with the dishes, but hadn't gathered the right pieces as yet. A couple of Saturdays ago I scored the additional six place settings, and I was thrilled.

I was still planning on selling the set, and finally, this past weekend, the little lightbulb in my head flickered and I realized we had the inspiration pieces we needed to get the ball rolling full speed ahead on the colorway for my Mom's new home.

I hopped on the computer and started searching out area rugs. Her furniture is all neutral, which made it easy for us to get creative. When I landed on Overstock.com's rug section, I found just what we were looking for! My photo doesn't portray the rug color quite right, and we will know for certain once the rug arrives, but I think we have a great match with the rug and the charming china!

I love it when a thrifted find makes all the difference in planning, don't you?

Successful lunchbreak thrift shop outing.

Yesterday on my lunch break from my grown up job I ran to the GreedyWill to see what might be calling my name, and I was very happy I did.

Odds and ends, mostly for my booth (yay!) other than a sweeeeeeet knitted animal for the littlest grand. (How cute is this little pupper-dog?!)

A lunch break well spent, indeed.

Because...junkin'.

...also because, well, I do heart old crap.

Now that football season is over, (for Seahawks fans, at least...) I am ready for yard sale season to begin.

And, I for one, am gonna be appropriately dressed for it.

I got the shirt here, but they seem to not be there now, so I am not sure what that means. (Sorry 'bout that.)

Curbside score.

A few weeks before Christmas, my Rock n' Roll Buddy and I were coming back from errands, a half a block from home, when I spied with my little eye, a girl bringing a wooden chair out to the curb. Already on the curb I spotted an up-cycled looking bookcase sort of thing.

Now, I only saw all of this out of the corner of my eye for half a second, but I was quite sure that if she was discarding this bookcase thing, I needed it.(I have a highly trained Junker's eye.)

We pulled in the driveway at my cottage and I jumped from Ralph's car to mine and headed right back around the block to find the girl just getting ready to head inside. Sure enough, she put these items on the curb for whoever wanted them. The chair wasn't my style, so I just loaded the wobbly little bookcase, thanked her, and headed back home.

I unloaded my new treasure and put it in the corner of the garage with all of my other needs-a-little-tlc items, and there it sat. Christmas came and went, and then New Years. This past Wednesday night I decided to dust it off and bring it inside to see what I could do to make it stable and sturdy.

With an added small board for support, and my trusty nail gun, I had the sweet little shelf ready to go into my booth. (I love the yardstick detail!)

Are you compelled to stop and investigate potential treasures sitting on a curb, or peeking out of someone's garbage day pick up pile? Do you salivate at the sign of a yard sale? For me, it's the thrill of the hunt, and finding a diamond in the rough for free is about as good as it gets.

Be still my ever lovin' Junker's heart.

Booth re-fluffing.

Wednesday night was dealer night at Camas Antiques, and I was busy adding a couple sweet finds from a convent that was being demolished. Mmm hmm, see that charming little arched medicine cabinet? My daughter scored two of them this past week the night before the building was to be demolished, and if I had found a place in my cottage for one of them to 
fit, they wouldn't have made it to my booth.

A few more treasures made their way to my booth space as well.....

...and I am working on a few painted items that will be added to the space next week.

This is all too fun!

Junkin' in Twenty-ten.

 See that adorable vintage twin bed in my photo? It's just one piece from this weekend's big junking haul. I think it's incredibly charming. (And, it will be in my booth at Camas Antiques on Tuesday morning!)

That's not exactly what I wanted to share today, but..well, you know... I like to start my posts with a picture.

Anyway.

I am so happy to be living in this age of amazing technology. I mean, cars with seat heaters, DVR on our hi-def televisions, and an app in your iPhone that looks up garage sales within a 5 mile range of anywhere you might be. Could it possibly get any better? 

Well, yes.

And it has.

This past weekend, I found this incredible site that not only will show me garage and estate sales in my area, (like that cool iPhone app) but, it will also let me map them out in any order I desire and give me step by step (corner by corner?) directions to each one, along with the entire ad for the sale. (If you already knew about this site, from eons ago, and I am apparently the last Junker in America to discover it, please don't burst my bubble by telling me.)

I was so thrilled with this site that I felt compelled to share it with all of you, my fellow Junkers. (the ones in the US anyway..I am guessing there are sites for those of you outside of the US...just google yard sales or boot sales and your town or city)

Now, I ask you...How cool is that?! Okay, maybe I am especially partial to this site because I am directionally challenged and being a bit of a new-bee here, I am still trying to find my way from one bridge and/or freeway to another here in the Pacific Northwest, but I was pretty wow'd by this website.

*sigh* All this technology. You've gotta love it.

A successful treasure hunt.

Here is the lil' peek I promised I'd share from today's thrifting adventure. Actually, this is only part of the pile of goodies I scored for my booth space.

Probably my favorite find of the day was the set of six parfait cups. They are in mint condition and incredibly charming.

I love the detail of the harp design on the stems, don't you? I can just picture them filled with berries, or sorbet, or ice cream.
I'm pulling a late nighter (an early morning?) tonight, painting a couple of new large pieces for my booth, polishing some vintage silver and pricing my latest goodies. It may sound like I'm a crazy woman to some of you, but this is a fun way for me to spend an evening. I go to sleep feeling happy and content and oh-so-grateful that I have been given the gift of opportunity to follow my bliss.

A peek at my booth before I go thrifting today...

I'm heading out for a morning of thrifting and I will be sharing my finds later today. (That is assuming I find some treasures!) Anyway, for now, I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of some of the details in my booth this week. 

Each time I pop in and check on my booth space I feel surprised to see what has sold, and what is still in the booth...

The reason I thrift.

 The thrill of the hunt. The satisfaction of turning trash into a treasure. Yes, those are good reasons to junk, but for me, the ultimate moment of pure and complete nirvana is when I find something exactly (or very nearly exactly) like some piece I have created, for sale at some insane price somewhere.

That's what happened with my fabulous free-coz-I-traded-my-old-set-and-reinvented-this-set dining room table. Mmmm hmmm. I got a Horchow catalog in the mail last week, and there it was....page 23 to be exact...my table...or very nearly my table. (I am going to be weathering mine a bit more with sandpaper this coming week! I love that look!)  For the price of $2400 delivered, you too may have one of these lil' beauties from Horchow.

Now, that's what I'm talkin' about.

Spooning.

I've always and forever had a thing for table settings. It began with a love affair with dishes, and has branched off to vintage linens...(anything from tablecloths to napkins to cutwork doilies....) and then finally, on to serving pieces and flatware.

Oh, me oh my.

Over the past several months I've come across some charming old flatware pieces, and I have decided to group them into mismatched place settings to use for entertaining, or just for dining by myself. (Six of one style fork, six of another style spoon, etc...)

My latest find was just this past Sunday evening at a local thrift shop. I couldn't believe my eyes when I discovered them. There they were, six perfectly matched Rogers Silver soup spoons. The old, wonderful, big, perfectly round soup spoons that make eating a bowl of soup or chowder extra special. Oh, I had planned to put them in my booth space, but then, as I washed them and polished them, I realized that I had fallen in love with them, and decided, that, at least for now, they need to stay in my home.

*sigh* They are the perfect comfort accompaniment to comfort food, if that makes any sense.

More than just a vintage linen chest.

 Here is the finished vintage linen chest...at least I'm calling it finished for now. I am still debating on whether to add words on the front of each drawer, in a faded black print...maybe French words for tablecloths, napkins, bed linens? Or numbers, either written out in English or French, or simple numbers themselves...?

The reason I am not sure if it needs more detail work is that I am not sure I want to keep it in my booth space at Camas Antiques, let alone sell it. I am working on my fabulous workroom currently, and it could be an amazing addition to the room. It could hold papers, or fabrics, or who knows what all else, and looking spectacular all the while.

This is one of the challenges of being a professional junker. It's always the same...do I love it too much to sell it, or do I put it in the booth so my space looks fabulous, and I earn some good money? I am always torn.

Anyway.

I adore this piece. So versatile and functional and charming, even if it is missing one drawer and the cupboard doors. Perfect, in a tattered kind of beautiful way.

Night table reinvention how-to.

Thanks for all of the ideas and input from yesterday's post on my color dilemma! I'm still debating about my Robin's egg blue letters in my booth, although, I must admit I am leaning towards adding dark brown edges to them, or making them more of a weathered chocolate brown, and I will share any updates. In the meantime...

A copy of weekends ago I snagged two matching night tables at an estate sale. I like the simple straight lines of these miniature dressers; plenty of storage and still small enough for the tiniest of bedrooms. I knew what I wanted to do with at least one of them.(I've shared my technique before, but it's worth sharing again...)

...First, I removed the drawers, and the knobs, and I primed everything with KILZ. (Sold at most hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowe's in quarts and gallons)
Then, I painted everything with my signature Robin's egg blue paint.(It's a pale blue with just a subtle hint of green...although it's hard to tell in this photo...)

....and, here's the recipe for my Robin's egg blue paint in a gallon size with a medium base. (I used an eggshell finish enamel this go around.) The pale blue doesn't photograph nearly as well as it looks in person, and I am not sure why...maybe it's the lighting?
Finally, I antiqued the entire piece, as well as the lil' knobs with my tobacco colored glaze. I use one part dark brown paint mixed into three parts Behr Brand glaze. Paint it on, rub off lightly, and you're done painting.

Lastly, I finished this little baby off by decoupaging old book pages inside the drawers and on the back of the night table for a finished look. To do this, all you do is tear old book pages from several different sized books, and dip them in liquid starch. Wipe the excess starch from the page and apply the page to the drawer bottom or back of the dresser, smoothing out all bubbles and left over liquid starch. Let it dry and you are good to go.

This little treasure will be making it's way to Camas Antiques today. If you've got an old plain piece just sitting around your home looking like it wants a makeover, try my method, with any color you like, or a shade of white or cream. (I still have some copies of my Furniture Painting kit available here, if you feel like you need a more in depth tutorial.) I think you'll be happy with the results!

Thrifting finds of the day.

 I spent the bulk of yesterday out thrifting with my daughter all around Portland. We found lots of great treasures, and I wasted no time at all getting things polished up, and tagged and taking them down to my booth space. I think this unique old typewriter was my daughter's personal favorite find. See how the metal rod things stick way up? It reminds me of butterfly wings there. A very unique design, and it has just the right amount of rusty patina.

Oh! How about these shiny lil' silvery buckets? Kind of perfect for an elegant Easter table, don'tcha think? I love the idea of an elegant tablescape..picture these on one of the Sewing Queen's burlap runners. The burlap with the bling, so to speak. Yummy.
This white glassware basket was one of my favorite finds...perfect for holding rolled up napkins on an Easter buffet set up.It's a bit hard to tell in this photo, but it is a very large basket- longer than a butter knife, which is why I think it would work so well for a buffet table.
We had so much fun out thrifting! So many sweet accessories....my booth space is really filled to the brim, and that makes me happy. My five days off from the bank were put to really good use!

Vintage jelly cupboard.

 I was very lucky to score a vintage jelly cupboard last week. It is now proudly holding lots of wonderful vintage items in my booth space at Camas Antiques and I wanted to share it with you. It really makes my booth space, I think.
  I love the chicken wore on all of the windows! I also love the various colors of paint on the wood.
I've also brought in my stash of faux Robin's eggs and nests (some bags are eggs, some are eggs and nests)...perfect for Easter and spring time! By next week I hope to have a Robin's eggs blue tall boy chest to complete the new look. 

Please, do stop by and check things out if you're in the area!

Knives, forks and spoons.

 I have a thing for vintage flatware. I love the patina and the feel of old silver ware, not to mention all of the wonderful detail work on the handles. Oh, and all of the different types of utensils. Ice tea and sugar spoons, butter knives...I love 'em all.

My latest favorite thing to do with these little gems is to bundle them up with scraps of lace and old seam binding and nestle them in with treasures on my dining room hutch. (Of course, I have so many pieces that many of them are in my booth at Camas Antiques)

I'm off for a morning of thrifting with Carter's Mama now, and I am hoping to find more vintage flatware to add to my collection...and my booth space. I'll share my finds of the day a bit later!

A sweet lil' seat.

 I whipped up this little chair-redo for my booth yesterday afternoon. It had a bad bleach spot right in the center of the seat, so I foofied it up for some lucky little Miss.
 

You likey?

Warming up the bedroom fireplace.

 
 
 A very short while after I shared the pictures of my master bedroom I found a wonderful old wicker chair (for an absolute steal of a deal!) to cozy up the fireplace in my bedroom, as so many of you had suggested. It has the perfect combination of old paint, slightly weathered but not too tattered, and quaint charm. I re-covered the seat cushion and added a white cutwork feather bed pillow to add some softness to the back of the chair.

Now the area isn't so bare, and I have a spot to sit...and it looks inviting and charming and warm and welcoming. Oh, and I also added an old (and VERY heavy) mirror to the mantle area for some added personality, although I am still not sure I will keep it up there.

I am very happy with my new-to-me old chair and I am so glad you recommended adding one to this corner of my bedroom!

Vintage touches add charm to the master bath.

I found a charming vintage hutch top a short while back, and I fell in love with the cottage look of the scalloped shelf edges. I painted it a weathered white and it now has a home above my master bathtub.

  I think it adds some vintage charm to the otherwise modern room, with some of my favorite old photos and sweet old silver pieces. My two foot tall vintage tiered silver tray rounds out the tub area, filled with hand towels, bath sponges and soaps.
Now, every night I take my candle light bubble bath, enjoying the romantic vintage look of the re-purposed hutch-top of days gone by.

Once again, it's all about thinking outside the box.

The kitchen sink.

 
I'm sorry to say that I once again forgot to take a "Before" photo of this thrifted lil' treasure I found last summer at the Goodwill last stop store. It was painted a kind of dull shade of purple when I found it, and it was missing the actual sink and cupboard doors.

Yesterday, while back in Reno for Miss Isabell's birthday party, I finally had the chance to get it painted up and the Sewing Queen of northern Nevada whipped out a darling Minnie Mouse curtain and a couple of dish towels to coordinate. (It's all about Minnie Mouse in Isabelle's world these days!) She's still a bit small to reach the sink, (it stands aprox. 24 inches tall.) but she's growing like a little weed, so it won't be long before she will be having fun with this little gem!

I think she's gonna love it. What do you think?