Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Pianissimo/Fortissimo



Ever since starting my vintage business, almost one year ago, I have been amazed at how the most fascinating items seem to cross my path. Perhaps they were always there and I just had to be receptive to their existence. I hope I don't sound sound too flaky, I'm actually quite the realist...

Again, I have responded to the 'beauty in the mundane'. I mean, how much more mundane can you get than flash cards? Take the concept however, back to 1937 and up the scale from a hand held pack of cards to full poster size of 20" x 27" and we are getting somewhere...

A house being gutted, a garage full of a lifetime of stuff that must be disposed of... Found... a cardboard sleeve housing 22 of these elegant, Art Deco musical flash cards.

pp ff

Pianissimo/Fortissimo.

Life distilled to it's essence.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

More of the New Bedroom


I have been waiting to post some shots of our updated, de-cluttered bedroom... I fear this is not exactly 'decor worthy' to anyone but myself! However, here it is, in it's less than perfect state...

Now that the apologies are done with, I am in fact very, very pleased with these results. As far as a room to walk into, at any time of day, my eyes feel soothed and my mind at rest. No constant clutter to jar my mood. What I was after was some form of simplicity with a few hits of beauty to catch my eye.

With a very limited budget it was more about what was removed than acquired. This, if anything, is a tip I would pass on to anyone wanting a fresh start with limited funds. Take everything away, out of the room. Get back to the shell that is your space. Re-paint the walls. For myself, a soft white was the way to go. The other big element is your floor. We tore up the wall to wall carpet, (which I got for free from a film set far too long ago) and put down dark wood flooring.

With a new 'shell' to work with, adding elements back in will become a very considered process. I found I did not not want anything to mar the clean envelope. Functionally, I knew a vanity would be a great addition. I searched around and found this one with it's matching bench, already painted white and on sale! Perfect. It is a place to focus in the morning, getting ready for the day. With ample storage my stuff can be tucked away in drawers. (well, mostly).

No money to rid the room of the IKEA bed & dresser but with crisp white sheets and gorgeous new handmade pillowcases in Liberty fabric from elizagran their presence has been elevated.

Not ground breaking or magazine worthy but it sure works for me in my 'real' life!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Underwood #3 Standard Typewriter

A few weeks a go I made an unusual find at my local thrift store. I generally do not expect to see anything this obviously spectacular. I am good at spotting the diamonds in the rough or the under the radar treasures. This however, seemed rather a hard to miss gem!

It was sitting on the shelf covered in all matter of dust, grime and maybe a few cobwebs. (where had this been for so many years/decades)? As always, I travel with a supply of wet wipes. A few test swipes later I was convinced it was all there under the dirt.

Not a bad price on the sticker but still more than I am used to paying at the thrift... A little discussion with the manager brought it down to a very comfortable price and off it went to my car.

I have been slowly cleaning, polishing and buffing. All the mechanics seem to work, even the ever so gentle bell at the end of the line... "pardon me, I believe it is time to start a new line"...

It has tab, line depth, black or red type, cap lock and many more functions... The top of the line machine it seems. It is an Underwood N0.3 14 Inch model I believe dating somewhere around 1920-

I am in awe of the beauty of it from a purely aesthetic perspective. The amazingly tooled parts, the chrome fittings, glass keys with lovely typography, stunning graphics ALL OVER the machine... wow.

It is super heavy of course. I think I will have to find a local buyer as shipping fees would be crazy.

For now I am happy to admire it on a daily basis. It really charms me.



Sunday, August 2, 2009

Lovely Frocks

...a sneak peek at some of the 6 glorious 1930's-1940's little girl's dresses I picked up at the Sunday Antique Market today. My heart skipped a beat as I saw these lying on a table. The gentleman who sells vintage cameras had gotten a box of these with his auction lot and wanted to dispose of them. Yes please! Many had already sold he said. If these were the lesser of the group I must have missed out on some amazing pieces. I never dwell on that thought though. In my world of the Sunday Market every item goes to the rightful person including myself... it's all good as they say!
I wasted no time in giving them a nice wash in the sink and hanging them in the sun to dry. Next step is a little mending where needed and then a good ironing.
Look for them in my vintage etsy shop very soon...