Friday 22 March 2013

Work In Progress--Who Whos and Shrooms Laundry Room

Hello my dearest darlings!  I hope you've all had a loverly week!  Other than working, I spent a good bit of mine in the laundry room.  Not actually doing laundry...well, I did a bit...but trying to get the room itself in a bit better order decor-wise so that I could make some larger decisions about some changes
.
The house, as a whole, is being taken down into the sixties.  My hope is that, eventually, the house will have a "brand new in 1964" look to it.  A lot of the original features, though put in sometime from the early-mid '70s will be easily absorbed into this look.  Others....not so much.

Case in point, the laundry room, which I've decided to keep as the one room that retains much of the early '70s vibe of the house...at least for now.

The main feature of the room is the carpet.  While a good bit of the carpet in the house has been pulled up and replaced with hardwood, my budget for doing so was a bit short, so the rooms with carpet in better condition have been left.  The carpet in the laundry room is pretty darn pristine....and oh so late 60s/early 70s flower power...or is it starbursts....or maybe snowflakes???!.....


Whatever they're supposed to be, they're bloody brill and that's all there is to it!

I took the original curtains from the kitchen because they just screamed tacky '70s and put them in this room in place of the heavy butter yellow pleated pretties that were there.  


It lightened up the room instantly and the browns and oranges look so right in here!  Mom told me the other day that she'd seen the same curtains in an old movie from the '70s, but couldn't remember which one!  Think, Mom!  Think!!

The washer and dryer that were in the room when I moved in were the originals.  The washer was, unfortunately, done.  Something about a bearing...or baring...I don't know.  Not my area!  So we had to get a new one.  The dryer works, but my grandfather had stacked junk on top of it and there were some areas of rust on the top.  Not only did it look bad, but it presented a stain hazard to any clothing that might get put on top of it.  So I had an epiphany....cover it with flowers!!


 I'd bought some old '60s shelf liner months ago and decided, since there wasn't much of it, I could just cut out bits to cover the problem areas...


 Cute, no?  I still have a bit and will probably continue with one or two here and there on the cabinets and such once they're all installed.
Speaking of cabinets, I bought these Youngstowns from a friend of my mom who, at 93, is preparing to move out of the house she's lived in since the '50s.





They'd been relegated to her basement in the early '70s, so they're not in perfect condition...but close to it.  They're also from two different time periods.  Two of the larger bottom cabinets (and two of the wall cabinets as well), while they're the same model # as the boomerang handled ones, have very art deco handles as well as black tops instead of the grey cracked ice of the others.  

I think I may try and find more of the boomerang handles and when I eventually paint these guys, I'll swap them out so they'll all match.  The tops of all of them are a little rough, so I'll probably replace them all with a lovely formica.

There's also a bunch of upper cabinets that are at the moment sitting in my basement until I can get my dad to come help me install them.  If he doesn't come soon, I may just go ahead and paint them all...if we can ever get some warm weather!  Any suggestions for colour?  I don't want to keep them white...that's just boresville!  I've been thinking of bittersweet, maybe.  Or aqua just to add a big pop of another colour into the mix?  Or maybe a mixture of bittersweet, green, and white?

Another cool piece that seemed meant to be in this room is the swivel rocker I found one day while I was moving things from my parents' house to here.


I decided to pop into one of my favourite thrift stores on the way.  As I pulled up I saw this tacky cutie patootie out front.  I thought to myself how loverly she'd be in my laundry room and when I realized what great condition the cover and it's great orange, yellow, and green print was in (it seriously looks brand spanking new!), I decided that I loved it.
"Ok," I told myself.  "If it's less than $20, you should get it.  Surely it won't be more than that."
The price tag (a sheet of notebook paper taped to the back), had blown backward from the breeze that day and as I approached, I noticed that it looked to have a lot of writing on it.  "Great," I thought, "Someone knows this is pristine mid-century colonial revival.  Guess it won't be coming cheap."
Imagine my thrill when I flipped the paper over and read:

'Free to a good home.  Please take me with you!'

I literally RAN into the shop and asked if in fact this gorgeous little lemon was really free!  It was!  The lady offered to help me with loading it into my car.  When she saw that I drive a Mini, she had her doubts.  When she saw it was full of boxes, she doubted even more!  I assured her that I was the queen of Mini Tetris and that it would indeed fit!  After a good ten minutes of scooootching and shifting, the little darling was in!  SCORE!!

Look at that print.....

The wooden arms are a little worn and I'm tempted to paint them either orange, green, or white.  We'll see....

Since there was so much owl and mushroom decor in the house originally, I thought I might as well use it in my happy '70s laundry room, especially as the colours tended to be the same browns, greens, and oranges that were already creeping into the room.  I've already mentioned that my grandmother was a kitsch queen...here's a little of the incriminating evidence:



My mom actually made these cute little crewel mushroom pictures back in the early '70s!

  


She also made this mushroom wall hanging.  She said she made it for herself from a kit and used it in this house when she and my dad lived in it in the early-mid '70s while it was being built.  She left it (as well as the two above) when they moved out in early '77.  My grandmother apparently didn't like this one when she moved in and was selling it in a yard sale in the late '70s when my OTHER grandmother fell in love with it and bought it from her.  It hung in the space between her kitchen and the door into the hallway for most of my childhood.  I found it boxed up when we were cleaning out her house and now here it is, back where it started:

 The copyright on the back of the burlap reads:
Columbia Minerva Corp.
Erica Wilson 1971

Mom can't take credit for this monstrosity though!  Isn't he horrible?  And lovely?  The mushroom towel is from a set I found and kept from my other grandmother.



I want to frame these guys eventually, but for now the little string hangers work fine!


 And more owls:

Mom made the 3-D 'Owl In The Plastic Bubble' for my grandparents in the late '70s.  There's a pheasant that matches it!

So there's the happy '70s laundry room so far.  I'll keep you posted as it comes along!
Hope you have a loverly weekend, chickens!
XX





Monday 18 March 2013

This (Past Few) Week's Haul---Lamps, Kitchen Kitsch, and More!!!

Golly, chickens, I didn't realize how long it's been since I did a 'Haul' post until I began the photo-taking today!  I've got such a lot of goodies to show you!  Here goes!

This little gem of a China Craft vase was unpacked by my boss while I was helping her set up at the Antique Appraisal Fair in town.  I immediately asked her how much, and was given the 'retail' and the 'Dolly' price.  I told her to try and sell it for the full amount, but that if it lasted the weekend it was officially mine!  Thank goodness there aren't many MCM folks round here and this lovely of lovelies is now residing on the Sculptra hutch in my dining room.


And the coolest thing?  It matches perfectly the China Craft bowl (that I picked up at Habitat almost a year ago for $3) that sits on my coffee table.  I'm debating moving it to the dining room table, but haven't talked myself into it as of yet!


This handsome big eyed Artful Dodger impersonator was won on a local horse rescue's facebook auction page!  I love him!  Sorry about the darkness of the pic...we've had so little sunlight lately and it's in the foyer which only gets a tiny strip of light from the 'slit window' in the carport door.
Look at the little four leaf clover in his mouth!  Too adorable!



Another dark and foreboding pic!  A super retro vintage metal shelf.  Another facebook find, but this one on a local buy/sell page.  And it's gorgeous!  Perfect condition and unfortunately just the right size to fit just about anywhere, ergo, it's been playing musical chairs round my house and hasn't yet found its 'home' yet! 


This little number came with it!  I'd been searching for one for ages and this one is terrif!  Would you believe it even still has the original rubber feet.  I was most surprised that it retained its original removable metal mesh insert.  Usually you find them without it.  And it's in almost perfect condition...just a tiny spot of rust on the insert, but that can be shot with a little black Rustoleum and it'll be good as new!

The lady I bought the shelf and magazine/record rack from had bought a couple of things from me recently on the same site and had mentioned that she had a thrift store.  
When I laid claim to these, we decided it was the perfect opportunity for me to see her shop and so she held them there for me to pick up.  WHAT A THRIFT STORE FIND!!  Wowwy wow wow!   
I love it when you find a thrift store that is just chock full of stock...and chock full of great goodies...and at great prices!  This was one of those....and it's only about a 15 minute drive from me, I discovered!
While I was there to pick up the shelf and rack I, of course, had to do a little shopzies.  Talk about a score for the Brady Ponderosa! 

The fist thing I came across were these bad boys....

I'd seen some on Etsy a few months ago when I was perusing MCM wall cover and loved them.  Here they were for $5 the set!  Aren't they divine?



As I was checking out, we began discussing 'The Ponderosa' and as soon as I said, "Brady Bunch orange countertops, she was off!  She returned with these sweet little mod niblets....
I know.  They're tremendous.  And only 50 cents each!  They match my mod wine glasses a dream:
 
Now I have a complete mod dinner set when I pair them with my Pyrex Crazy Daisy dish set!  It has cups and saucers with it, but I like these better!

I found this sweet little Scottie Dog creamer as well.  I already have one...well, two actually, but my mom's knicked one of them!...so I was glad to find a second!

In the back room, I almost missed this little baby!  I'd seen a pink one on ebay a year or so ago, but didn't bid on it because, not only was it going a little high for my taste, it had been printed a little low and the scottie dog was half cut off by the lip of the bottom tray when it was together.
This one ain't pink, but it's just as fab!  And the little scottie is VERY prominent, as it should be!  Pip's impressed.  I was most impressed that you can actually carry TWO deserts in this!  While one cake sits on the bottom tray and is covered by the middle section with the graphic, a second pie or plate of cookies can then be sat on top of the graphic tin and covered by the little rounded top!  How sweet!


Speaking of scotties, I'm doing my sewing room in them.  And red and black.  And as much Art Deco as I can get my little mitts on.  So when I found this frame on the bottom of a stack of frames at work while cleaning, I was smitten!  I asked my boss how much it was as it wasn't priced.  She said she couldn't even remember where it came from let alone a price, so to just take it!  Yaayyy!
The dog food advert is one of the two I told you about in the Life magazine I bought at work a few weeks ago.
Looks like Pip's profile!...or at least it will when he's full grown!


Not long after, I won this great MCM pitcher with a barbecue motif from the same horse rescue site I bought the big eyed waif from:
This'll be great with summer flowers in it sitting on my counter!


When I was out and headed to the grocery store the other day, I remembered that there's a little consignment shop down the road that I've never had the chance to get to.  I whipped in and found not only a great shop with a pretty darn good selection of antiques, but also a kindred spirit in the lady who owns it.  She, like us my dears, loves vintage.  Also, like me, she's most fond of the '60s and '70s.  We talked for ages.  She'd been to the sale that we'd done when my grandfather moved out of the house and was thrilled when I told her I was keeping everything very mid century.  But when I told her about my kitschy '70s owl and mushroom laundry room, she quickly asked if I'd seen the clock in the back of the case at the register.  Of course I had!  I asked her how much it was, just in case I decided to come back and get it and she proceeded to take it out and give it to me.  She said that she hadn't cleaned it up and it didn't work, so she hadn't even bothered to price it yet, but that she'd done really well selling the rest of the set...so I should just take it!  What is it about me that people are always giving me things?  Not that I'm complaining!  I took this home and cleaned it up.  It'll need a new mechanism, but it'll look fab with the canisters I got a month or two ago!

We've had a few warm days lately and I've been slowly trying to get my vintage set of outdoor saucer chairs ready to go.  I've been looking for ages for a table to go with them and a couple of days ago at work, it hit me that this single stacking table/stool would be perfect....and it was only five bucks!  I'm most likely going to paint it to match the chairs.  Don't worry, it's a repro!

I've saved the best bits for last.  The lamps.  Oh, the lamps!
The lady at the thrift store (of the shelf, rack, carrier, scottie, and pictures) rang me and told me she had a lamp that I'd just love and to come by and see it.  She sent me a picture and I told her to hold the phone!  It was the ugliest, most fabulous lamp I'd seen in a long time!  I wanted it and would be by to pick it up shortly!  Here's he is now:

And in a gratuitous close up:
  

The last time I was there, I'd spotted this little poppit:
It was still there, so I snatched it up too!

Last, but not least, THE LAMP.  I mean the greatest lamp ever! 

I'd seen it the first time I was there, but the lady was keeping it for herself.  When I returned, she said she couldn't get the shade off (she hated the base) and if I wanted it I could have it for...wait for it.........$20!!!  How quick do you think I grabbed it up and held it close lest someone else in earshot get a split second to snatch it for themselves??!!
The base IS weird.  But it's weird in a good way I think.  I'm pretty sure it's carved plaster.  It's white, but has been lightly rubbed with a greenish gold wash in places.  I love it!

I love the striping effect going on on the shade!

Well kids, that's the scores from the last few weeks!  How've you lot done on the thrift?

Friday 1 March 2013

Vintage Crush: Davy Jones---The Monkee Knack...And How To Get It

It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since the death of one of the most dearly loved, adorable, sugary sweet, and of course TALENTED performers of the 1960's!  I just HAVE to do a 'Vintage Crush' post in his honour.
Davy Jones was one of my first vintage crushes and probably one of the reasons I'm so addicted to the '60s as an adult.
 
When I was a little girly, no bigger than a breadbox, I used to be absolutely glued to the telly and Nick At Nite.  For anyone who missed this relic of the '80s and early '90s that eventually lead to the TV Land Channel (which has since gone the route of uselessness, btw), you really missed out on something good.  I mean, honestly!  They had all the best stuff:  The Honeymooners, Andy Griffith, The Patty Duke Show (I still have EVERY episode on VHS that I recorded way back then!), Laugh In, Mr. Ed, Flip Wilson, etc, etc, etc.  But the one show I never missed was The Monkees.
 
Micky, Mike, Peter, and Davy made my heart happy!  And Davy just made my tiny little 8 year old heart swoon!  It was love.  Really, it was!  I swear!  Check out these faint-worthy shots and tell me I didn't have great taste in men at an early age....

 

 


 


 

 


 

 


 


 

 

  


 


And that appearance on The Brady Bunch!  "Girl, look what you've done to me..."  Pure unadulterated "SQUEEEEE!!!"

Of course all four of the lads were lovely and gorgeous.....

 

 



I remember my cousin and I would pretend that we were dating Monkees.  Mine was Davy, of course.  She was in love with Peter, which proves that good taste in men runs in the family!




Want to dress like Davy?  Here's how, and you don't even have to leave Etsy to do it!:

Vintage brown and harvest gold turtleneck....


Full Fashioned Striped Turtleneck
....from dbra

Or this one...
Vintage 60s Top / Art Nouveau Print / 1960s Blouse / S M
 ...from SmallEarthVintage

  
 How about a caftan style top?
This one...
70s Boho Dashiki Caftan Top Purple Bell Sleeve Tunic Ethnic Blouse 
...is from MetricMod

...and this one....
1960's Embroidered velvet tunic top. Blue velvet with metallic gold embroidery, wide bell sleeves. 
....from atlasfalcon

Add some love beads....
Buncha Beads - 3 Vintage 60s Super Long Mod Beaded Necklaces in Yellow & Orange, Mix and Match Lot, 4.5 Feet Long for Looping or Tying 
or
Vintage Beaded Hippie Boho Necklace...Wood Bead Necklace 

Top it all off with a hat that pays homage to the 'Manchester Cowboy'...


Black Corduroy Cowboy Hat with Gray and White Woven Hatband & Feathers - Gifts For Him - Under 50 
I love this corduroy one from PassionFlowerVintage!

And don't forget your tam....
Wood tambourine
...from BrightwoodLane

And your maracas....
Vintage Wooden Maracas Musical Instrument Palm Tree Scene
from vintagesouthwest

Or, if it's Monkeelicious pad decor you're after, try some of these:

These NOS bed linens from VintageByVaughn...
PAIR...Vintage 1960's Striped Bed Sheets Flat & Fitted NIP Unused 
...are reminiscent of the background of the show's music segments:

 

How about these masks the wall behind your drum set....
Vintage Wood Masks / Decorative arts / wall hangings

Maybe some vintage crewel...

spring sale // Vintage 60s Needlepoint Owl Proverb Wall Hanging - Crewel - Framed - Mod Kitsch 

Vintage Framed Hand Crewel/Embroidered Welcome Wall Hanging - Lovely 

You can even have your very own winding metal staircase...
Vintage Indoor/Outdoor Stairstep Heavy Metal Plant/Shelf Hanging



And if it's memorabilia you're after, my loves, well there are these little snippets....

1966 Monkees Hand Puppet 
Is it just me, or does Micky (I'm assuming the one on the left is the Mickster!) look like a less creepy Lady Elaine?
 
...or maybe not...

What about this groovy recycled single-turned-ticktocker....

The MONKEES Pleasant Valley Sunday - Recycled Record Clock 7" 45rpm 
...from ItsOurEarth

Pretty little mustard colour badge pin
1967 MONKEES Pinback guitar
....from GirlyQVintage

Monkees thermos for keeping your acid-laced Kool-Aid in (HEY, did you see 'Head'???)...
1967 Vintage Monkees Metal Thermos 
....from kitschnswell

Vintage DIG Magazine from 1968 with an article on 'Davy's Secret Luv'...
DIG The Original Teenage Magazine May 1968 vintage magazine 
...available from AtticEmporium
I don't know who the 'Secret Luv' was, but I can tell ya that this fangirl is jealous even today...and regardless of the fact that I wasn't even alive in 1968!

I'll leave you with some of my favourite Monkee clips,starring Davy....


RIP, Manchester Cowboy.  We all miss you and still adore you....and I still reserve the right to have impure thoughts while watching the 'Sleepy Jean' dance...just putting that out there.  Whooooosh!