Happy-Go-Vintage HOUSE

SALE!!!

2012-02-04T13:50:00.001-08:00

Early Spring Cleaning SALE!! It's in the 60s in February in St. Louis...which calls for a bit of cleaning and organizing...enjoy the AWESOME clear-out, clean-out prices as I make room for new inventory!!! Just click on "SPRING CLEANING SALE" in Shop Sections!

Go, NOW! :)

I guess it stays...

2012-02-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

...it passed the Laz Test!

I present to you: Orange Vinyl Chair with Ottoman. Estate sale (orange) crush from last Saturday...went back and brought him home on Sunday! Laz approves!

Thrift Score!

2012-02-01T16:39:00.001-08:00

I've never seen a lavender enamel pot...let alone a gorgeous dutch oven!! Thank you, Salvation Army!

Sale Time Again! ALMOST CHRISTMAS SALE

2011-12-16T08:07:00.001-08:00

Check out the shop....everything is 15% because it's ALMOST CHRISTMAS!!!!

use coupon code: ALMOSTCHRISTMAS

It's a SALE!

2011-11-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

It's Thanksgiving...and it's beautiful out...and I'm on my way to a flea market with parents and husband!

SOOOO.....I feel like having a sale....

10% OFF ENTIRE HAPPYGOVINTAGE SHOP!

and watch for more specials throughout December!

Happy Shopping!

<3 HGV

too cute

2011-09-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Laz isn't a westie..but i might need one of these anyway!

found here (from Anthro!)

pssst....it's a SALE!!!

2011-09-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Head on over to the shop (see the right sidebar) or go HERE for 20% off anything in the HappyGoVintage shop in celebration of TWO YEARS of adding a bit more vintage fabulousness to the internet! (go, add some vintage fabulousness to your home at 20% off!! )

*sale good through 9/26!*

New Mantle!

2011-09-14T15:12:00.001-07:00

(and we don't even have a fireplace!!)

what, what?!?!

doesn't take much to confuse this one!

and the oposite wall, looking a bit heavy, got a new look too!

puppy likey!

okay, so puppy bored. silly puppy.

HappyGoVintage around the interweb!

2011-08-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Olive Green Anna for a sweet feature on the Apartment Therapy House Tour of the HappyGoVintage apartmenthouse! Be sure to check out her blog for lots of beautiful things!

Also, saw the sweet "granny" pillows from the shop pop up on Mandi's Here's Looking at Me Kid post "Inspired by: Vintage Pillows."

(photo by Amanda Johnson, Here's Looking at Me Kid)

In other news...lots of new things have been added to the shop over the past few days...with lots more on the way!

My couch has a celebrity twin. Neat.

2011-08-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Okay....

...so it's not *exactly* the same. but for a price difference of $5,000 +, I think I can live with a few less tufts and a bit less modern shape! Oh how I love you, my little thrift-store-couch-that-could!

Hey all you St. Louisans

2011-07-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

(is that what we're called? although, technically, i'm a Hoosier--you have to be from St. Louis to be a St. Louisan, right?)

1. Check out Apartment Therapy's "Secondhand Superheroes in St. Louis" post...10 great house tours featuring thrifted treasures...all in St. Louis (including the HappyGoVintage apartmenthouse! whoo!)

2. Clean, purge, organize and DONATE!! The annual G&P Rummage Sale to benefit the Women's Emergency Winter Shelter is fast-approaching. We need your donations NOW and we need you AT THE SALE on August 5-6 and 12-13! Leave a comment if you need details on where to drop your stuff, how to find the sale, hours, etc...or email me at happygovintage@gmail.com

HOUSE TOUR on Apartment Therapy!!!

2011-06-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

Go to www.apartmenttherapy.com for a proper house tour of the HappyGoVintage Apartmenthouse! whoohoo!!!

Laz Says Goodbye

2011-06-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Out with the old (very trusty, faithful, long-suffering, though slightly sad looking) couch...but don't worry, it's not quite yet retired. It started its life as a grad-school student and wife's couch in the 70s...moved to their basement....went with their daughter to grad school....moved with her into my house in cbus when she joined team Kelso....was hauled out to STL with both of us...ended up in my 2nd floor apartment....had a few surgeries (thanks, Laz)...and now it's moving to the Old North!

and in with the NEW! Sorry for the crappy photos....MUCH better ones to come soon....thanks to Apartment Therapy! whoo!

Someday he'll get mustard yellow linen or dark charcole velvet treatment...but for now, he's awesome as-is. and the best part?! he's comfortable...those corners HUG you!

p.s. whoever is closest in guessing how much this baby cost gets.....recognition here on the blog! whoo! (no guessing if i already told you!)

PEONIES!

2011-05-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Peonies are on of my favorite flowers--they're beautiful and the state flower of my homeland, Indiana. I have a vintage glass that lists the Zinnia (another fave) as the state flower...I finally researched the discrepancy and found out that Indiana has changed state flowers more than any other state! First, the carnation (ick) was the state flower, then, in 1931, the Zinnia was adopted. In 1957 they changed it TWICE...first to the dogwood blossom (does that really count as a flower?) and then, finally, to the Peony, which still reigns today!

I rescued these beauties from the front yard before all the rain knocked them into the grass! I've had this vintage candle mold mounted to my window frame for awhile now, and finally was able to put it to use as a vase!

a big THANK YOU...

2011-05-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

...to everyone who voted for us on Apartment Therapy's Small Cool 2011 Contest!

We finished (just barely) in the top ten in our division! Yay! (see the apartmenthouse on Apartment Therapy HERE)

For anyone who wasn't keeping up, guess who won the whole she-bang?! That's right, Jordan, my "pick to win it" from days before the voting closed! Congrats, Girl with the Beautiful (bargain) Sofa!

Oh, Estate Sales, How Thou Dost Tempt Me...

2011-04-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Left for another buyer...or for half off tomorrow?! (the rug, that is. so. dang. beautiful!)

This one came home with ME!

We're an "Underdog"...let's move up!

2011-04-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

Now that they've stopped posting new apartments in the Small, Cool contest, Apartment Therapy is rotating the top ten of each category with "underdogs." If you click over now, you might catch us featured in the "underdog category!"

If you haven't voted yet, do so...and maybe we can climb out of the "underdog" category into the TOP TEN! (we're just a few votes away!)

WHOO!!!

Go HERE to vote!

Small, Cool 2011 - My Pick!

2011-04-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

So, after tracking the Small, Cool page all day (watching the HappyGoVintage score climb...WHOO!...but please, VOTE if you haven't!!!), I think I've seen *almost* every other entry....I thought I'd bring you my "pick to win it." And I'd love to hear who you've picked!!

SO, here it is, my pick to win it: Jordan's Light, Location & Vibe!

Isn't that couch just amazing?!

Good luck, Jordan!!

Pop on over to AT and vote for Jordan (and HappyGoVintage)...and favorite your "pick to win it" and let us know who you picked!!

More of the HappyGoVintage Apartmenthouse!

2011-04-27T16:41:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots of the awesome kitchen cabinets in the HappyGoVintage apartmenthouse!

and the "green beast"

VOTE FOR THE HAPPYGOVINTAGE APARTMENT HOUSE!!!

2011-04-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

We made it to Apartment Therapy's Small, Cool 2011 Contest!!!! (again, remember 2010?!)

Pop on over to AT's contest page and give us your vote! (favorite = vote; thank you facebook for changing *everything*, even our most basic words).

You have until May 1, 2011 @ 12:01 pm EST to "favorite" our entry. (go to the AT page, sign in (or register), and favorite us..and a few other pretty places!)

Pretty please won't you vote for HappyGoVintage?!
p.s. if you have a blog of your own, we'd LOVE a shout out on there to get us more votes!

Pre-Before, Before, and After!

2011-04-18T08:13:00.001-07:00

A little story about some very sad lampshades:

(Horrible size/shape for this lamp; cute dog in the mirror, though!)

(horribly ugly, but a much better fit!)

(like i said, UGLY!)

(Some trim ripped off, some fabric ready to cut!)

(ta-da! and there are two of them!)

It's that Small Cool time again!

2011-04-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's spring, so that mean's Apartment Therapy's Annual "Small Cool" Contest! Go to ApartmentTherapy.com to check out the entries, vote for your faves, or even enter your OWN small, cool home!

Last year, the HappyGoVintage ApartmentHouse made an appearance (we'll see if we get some decent photos together for another go-around this year...) But, if you live in a small, cool home I encourage you to enter...even if for no other reason than it forces you to pick up your place enough to take a few photos! And even if you don't make it into the contest, it's fun to look at the photos a year later to see what (if any!) progress you've made!

Until I looked back at my 2010 entry, I didn't realize it had been that long since we swapped out our bedroom and office and painted the "new" bedroom my most favoritest color (in the apartment right now, that is)....I also didn't realize how stuck in a rut much the rest of my home is!

Pull out your cameras...or at least pop over to AT to check out the entries. And if you do enter, by all means, let me know!

p.s. yes, I am well aware that I still owe you part II of "Estate Sales for Dummies!"

Blog Love!

2011-02-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

Check out this super sweet post over at Birch + Bird! the teal tray from HappyGoVintage that they feature has sold out, but there are many others to be had.

Thanks, Birch + Bird for the blog love!

An Unfolding Mystery...

2011-02-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

I just found this blog and I'm completely intrigued by the story....thousands and thousands of photographs (many only now being developed) taken by a very private woman, and only now being discovered. Spanning decades, most of the photographs were taken in Chicago and are "street photography," of ordinary and not so ordinary people and places and daily happenings.

The owner/discoverer of Vivian Maier's work is currently working on a book and documentary.

Check out the AMAZING photos on the blog. I'm looking through them now (and really, really hoping to find a photo of my grandma, grandpa, or mom who were all in Chicago during some of the years Ms. Maier was photographing in the city...wouldn't that be awesome?!)

Estate Sales for Dummies (Part I)

2011-02-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, probably a bad title. If you go to estate sales...or if you have the desire to go to estate sales, you probably aren't a dummy (although I'm not entirely ruling it out)...BUT, you may be intimidated (I once was). So let's begin again:

Estate Sales for Those Who Are Intimidated by the Very Word Estate but Also Know They're Missing Out on Lots of Amazingness (Part I)

1. Know where to go
The internet is your friend, my friend. I currently use http://www.estatesales.net/, but give me a holler if you know of any other good sites! In smaller towns, the plain, old-fashioned newspaper would also be a good source. I initially thought that the photos posted with the sale listing took away much of the "fun" of estate saling....but then i realized it's pretty awesome to be able to spot an amazing couch and make it to that sale 2 hours before everyone else...as well as to not drive 45 minutes for an "estate" sale that looks less exciting than the worst garage sale you've ever been to in your life, and is using the word estate in like the 18th definition down on the dictionary.com list: Estate, noun, house. Yes, it's at a house; no, that doesn't make it an Estate Sale. Bottom line: look at those pictures, realize they aren't photographing everything, so there may still be some (hopefully wonderful) surprises, but use them as a gauge. Compare all the sales happening the same morning, compare relative locations, and proceed to #2....

2. Make a plan
I'm talking the night before. Okay, or the morning OF if your running buddy cancels on you, you magically wake up at 6:30 AM after being out 'til 3:00 AM, you stumble upon an unadvertised sale in your neighborhood, or you otherwise find yourself available to sale on a Saturday. But, back to Friday night preparations. Decide where you're going. Make a list of addresses. Put them in order of importance and/or location. Backtracking is not advised, but perfectly acceptable should several amounts of amazingness on opposite sides of the city be scouted out the night before. Hit up the ATM. Checks, hecks, even credit cards, are often accepted, but nothing talks like cold hard dolla-dolla bills! Which brings us to the next hint:

3. Flash cash...
ONLY after trying to talk them down. Don't be a jerk about it, but there's usually a little wiggle room in price...maybe not so much at 6:55 AM on the first day of the sale...but often quite a bit late in the day and especially the 2nd, 3rd days of the sale. Keep in mind, lots of sales are 1/2 off EVERYTHING the second day. There are advantages...but don't start crying about the amazing things w/ SOLD stickers on them that obviously sold the day before. I mean, at some point, you *will* cry. Let's be honest. Just make your 1st day/2nd day attendance decision very, very carefully!

4. Companions
I definitely love me some alone time a'saling...the freedom to buy (or even just consider) the most ridiculous things ever, the mobility of skirting around clumps of other people, the freedom to mosey along and/or speed through at your own discretion. BUT there is something to be said for an uninterested-other-than-the-fact-that-he-loves-you husband or other such boy toy (j/k, gentlemen! okay, well mostly kidding!) who is there to simply say "sure," "i like it," and "here's some more cash," oh, and to carry things. large, small, heavy, multiple pieces of furniture....leaving your hands free to dig through boxes of vintage photos, craddle a precious peice of pottery on your way to the check out, etc. *note, often there are boxes/laundry baskets/etc. available UNDER the cash register table where you can stash half your loot while you go searching for the other half...ya know, just in case that man isn't around! *another note: friends and fellow estate sale fanatics are also wonderful companions...but make sure they're the tried and true kind who will load and unload a car 5 times with you until you get it just right so that everything fits and gets to come home with you!...and play nice. if she has similar taste and spots something awesome first....well, i'm not going to tell you how to conduct yourself. hopefully you learned that in middle school....:)

Oh, and about those vehicles you may be repacking and repacking and breaking headrests out of in order to
5. Fit Everything In
The bigger, the better. 'nuff said. And along those lines...there is always/usually a solution...so go with your gut and buy the green velvet sofa and figure out how to get it home later (rent a truck from Lowes for 20 bucks or something...call one of those local "pick up and haul" guys....tie something dangerous on top of your car).

Okay, so that's enough for now. Stay tuned for Part II (and i promise i'll post some pictures somwhere along the way...) For now, a sneak peek: 6. See Potential in Everything; Remain Realistic. (ha, riiiight, you say!)

Be sure to post any questions/stories from your estate sale adventures in the comments!

My New Favorite Thing:

2011-01-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

So I gave this humongo lampshade to some friends awhile back (i didn't need it, they potentially had a use for it, yay!) Welll, turns out it didn't work w/ their lamps, so back to HappyGoVintage Apartmenthouse it went...much to the husband's chagrin. I pretty much instantly realized it was what I had needed for the "brain lights" that I thought were so great....and were really just so-so (and a tad bit on the college dorm side of things. gasp!)

2 minutes later, and assured it won't fall on my face in the middle of the night, the new and improved "brain" light!

Oh, and like that cute little There's-no-room-for-a-bedside-table Shelf? Yea, well don't go likin' it too much. It's in the shop right now, and I just don't think I can bear to part with it now (should probably go take it off of HappyGoVintage, huh?!)

Anyway, this room definitely gets the title "favorite," which is saying something. As favorite, it gets all the favorite stuff:

New print (Christmas gift!) from this great etsy shop (yet to be framed, so for now it's on a particular favorite piece of salvaged trim (found in alley) turned photo display...sitting on my most favorite wooden box turned shelf off all time!)

Cute little squirrel (new fav since i sold this guy!)

Vintage hanger-turned necklace display. Step #1: Glue wire hook thingies b/w two wooden bars on vintage hanger (find some in the SHOP!) Step #2: Hang on wall. Done!

Newly framed stuff: original marriage license from 1906 (the husband's great grandpa and great grandma's!) and our wedding invitation (handmade by yours truly. still pretty durn proud of them!)

Merry, Merry Christmas Cheer!

2010-12-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

As everything's snowballing toward Christmas (and at an awfully hurried pace, I must say!), it seemed like a good time for a MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS CHEER SALE in the shop!

Check it out for up to 50% off some items! More sale items as well as brand new additions to the shop will be posted now through Christmas! Be sure to convo me if you need special shipping rushes as the month goes on!

Apologies for the lack of posts lately (always?)...but I've got some fun Christmas decorating and crafting projects I'm working on and will try to post soon!

Cheers!

And a Good Time was had by All...

2010-11-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

...farmer's market...surprisingly good estate sale...what more (other than donuts) could a girl want on a Saturday morning?!

Let's just say that it doesn't matter how many times we loaded the car...or how long it took...all that matters is that Rebecca and I got everything INSIDE the car. including ourselves. and the doors/trunk all shut! success!

Photos of some of our haul to come. Possibly photos of the newly re-arranged front room. It made ALL the difference. Maybe enough to keep me from painting it for a few more months. I didn't say from *wanting* to paint it. the downside: babyson doesn't have as much couch support on his window sill. He actually fell off the sill today. I think he'll work on those balance skills pretty quickly.

p.s. why does he look so insanely small in this picture?

Did someone say "go update your Etsy store?!" On it. Check it soon for new, fab treasures!

My mother-in-law was right...

2010-11-03T08:00:00.001-07:00

....vintage roller-style maps would make GREAT window shades!

check it out:

(from here)

oh, and did i mention that i have one of these babies in the SHOP right now...and two more i'll be adding soon! (unless i decide to keep them for future use...surely i'll *someday* have enough and large enough windows to pull this off!)

so...tomorrow is 10.10.10...

2010-10-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

....how about another SALE?!?! Not only is it almost 10.10.10.....HappyGoVintage just had it's 100th SALE!

EVERYTHING at HappyGoVintage is 10% off FOR THE REST OF OCTOBER!!!

just be sure to send me a convo with the code "TENOFFOCTOBER" before or after you purchase and the price will be adjusted or discount refunded through PayPal!

Keep checking the store all month as we've got some great stuff we'll be adding soon!

Happy (Go) Birthday!

2010-09-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

...to HappyGoVintage!

So, it's fall and it's also SALE TIME!!! We joined up on Etsy on Sept. 1 last year...and our first sale was Sept. 16. Since today is somewhere sorta in the middle of the beginning, as it were, we're offering

15% off

any ONE item in the shop

Today through September 15th!

Just convo me before making payment on Etsy with the code "HappyGoBirthday"

Now, go...have fun at the SHOP!

SHOP UPDATE...

2010-08-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

...RIGHT NOW!

The HappyGoVintage shop is filling up with brand new (old) treasures that I am soo excited to be offering! Check it out before they're gone! THE SHOP

This and That

2010-08-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

As promised...the shower curtains that required a zillion hours...in the happygovintage apartmenthouse bathroom!

...some beautiful treasures in the shop!

oh, and a rather cute puppy...how'd he get on here?!

It might catch on fire...

2010-08-10T04:55:00.001-07:00

...but I don't care!

I bought this really old light fixture at a barn sale in Ohio, with every intention to tear out all of the wiring, paint it, and flip it upside down, adding little glass vases (to be filled with flowers or candles) in place of the bulbs to use as a table centerpiece. Well, that hadn't happened yet....and a few weeks ago, I came home to find the husband WIRING it in place in the kitchen, in place of an old pendant lamp I really wasn't that crazy about. So far, no fires....I'm thoroughly impressed with the husband (I seriously didn't think this thing even WORKED!), and now we have way more light from a GORGEOUS fixture in the kitchen! (p.s. don't try this at your home!...and if you do, use plenty of electrical tape on the old wires! and maybe first ask an electrician friend if it's a good idea...I found out later that the husband had *sort of* been precautious).

Then Comes Marriage...

2010-08-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

So, as promised, here are some great ideas from my friend's wedding last weekend. Sadly, my camera battery died just as i started taking shots at the reception....soooo...until I get ahold of some other people's photos, there aren't any of the cute couple from last weekend (the photo below is from their engagement. Aren't they just so cute?!)

My favorite of her many great ideas is pictured above. They cut rounds of a tree someone had recently taken down and wood-burned their initials (lovers' tree carving style) into each one. These were the centerpieces (flowers sat atop each one) for the round tables at the reception. They had a "who knows Libby and Kai the best?" quiz on the table...and ditched these leftover (but very lovely) centerpieces on the high-scorer at each table. These also served as pie displays on her dessert table (each pie flavor was spelled out with scrabble tiles...the photo below is from the table centerpieces). She also made a cake stand (small narrow log with large flat log on top) for the bride/groom cake (with sweet little birds topping the cake!)

More photos soon...wedding ideas as well as awesome stuff soon to hit the store!

SHOP UPDATE!!!!!

2010-08-05T18:40:00.001-07:00

Go, NOW! :) (click here to be transported to a wonderland of vintage fantasticalness)

p.s. don't forget to check back here in a few days for photos and details and great ideas from a super cute wedding! oh and HAPPY MARRIAGE, KAI and LIBBY!!! (need. to. charge. camera. battery. once i find said battery.)

Not bad for 100 bucks less, huh?!

2010-08-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

theirs: (at $118...you know who they are)

ours: (at $15 bucks or so) *photo courtesy of Christina, as I have yet to take pictures of my matching on here at the HappyGoVintage Apartmenthouse! Isn't her bathroom just so cute! LOVE that tile!

I just dyed in your arms tonight...

2010-07-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

I don't have pics of the completed project (yet), but let's just say that this:

turned into a really awesome end result for Christina and me! (awesome afters and more in-progress shots..and maybe a tutorial if you're lucky and i find more than 5 free minutes somewhere....to come!)

p.s. did i hear someone say Anthropologie *be still my beating heart* is over-priced? :)

p.p.s. new stuff added to the shop all this week!!

In CASE you missed it....

2010-07-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

....the Plaid Happy Go Vintage suitcase was on the FRONT PAGE OF ETSY on Friday! :) (bottom row, 2nd one in from left)

Thanks to PeachyPopVintage for featuring Happy Go Vintage in such a great treasury, and thanks to Etsy for putting it on the front page!

get $20 at BULX....LAST CHANCE!!

2010-06-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm horrible and started this post last week, but didn't track down the links and actually post it for you...so now there's not a lot of time left....BUT....you should totally head over to http://www.bulx.com/ to sign up for $20 credit when this awesome new discounted high-end home improvement products store launches! Also, be sure to check out http://bulx.com/blog/ where my friend and old co-worker Matt gives you the DL on the super sweet BULX! (you'll also find some awesome pics of his own house remodel...which is ah-mazing...and was featured on ApartmentTherapy not too long ago!)

I don't know exactly how long this "last chance" lasts, so go, now! (No, really, click your butt over there right now!!!) Can you tell I'm excited about this?!?! (BULX launching must be a sign that it's high time to buy my own fixer-upper, right?!?)

p.s. for even more before/after photos of Matt's house, be sure to check out TulaneRehab (his house's own blog) there on my sidebar -----> (but only after you sign up for $20 at http://www.bulx.com/!)

GO!

Shop Update!

2010-06-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

I've been (slowly, but surely) updating the Shop!

I've never tried making an Etsy "Treasury" myself, but lately lots of HappyGoVintage items have been featured in treasuries...they're so fun. I definitely think I'll be making some of my own soon! Do any of you make Treasuries?! Below are a few featuring items from my shop...check them out!

From Magalerie

from PeachyPopVintage

and from Lonkoosh

Can you spot the HappyGoVintage item?!

The Year of the Glass

2010-06-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

In honor of the glass that is 2010 being almost down to half full (or almost half empty), here are some things accomplished, unaccomplished, and some new mid-year resolutions. What are some of yours?
Half full (what I’ve done):
*re-done some particularly ugly parts of the Apartmenthouse (office/bedroom switcharoo, claustrophobia kitchen, my closet/deathtrap)
*started dressing nicer for work
*started a somewhat successful garden with the Husband
*scored some amazing thrift/estate sale finds (ROUND dining room table, dining room curtains, sweet vintage artwork/frames, pottery, hand sewn-metal zippered-perfectly fitting dresses…)
*learned more about how to be married

Half empty (what I’ve not done):
*taken enough pictures (100+ documented incidents of Laz being cute don’t count.)
*done enough sewing (yes, unfinished quilts, I see you all balled up in that plastic bag in the closet!)
*launched the handmade portion of HappyGoVintage Shop
*photographed/listed some of my favorite Etsy offerings for you, my Etsy-shopping friends
*kept up with this sad little excuse for a blog
*designed a real logo for HappyGoVintage

Half full (what I’ve recently decided to do):
*find/build/steal/buy/make the husband build/otherwise obtain a perfect teal-blue-ish velvet sofa (this will probably take years)
*go running consistently with the Husband even when it’s killer hot and humid. As in several days a week consistent. As in even when watching Hulu in our air-conditioned abode sounds much more fun.
*try more recipes and get better at cooking/find more time for it…oh, and eat less sugar (not really a new resolution…just an ongoing one…)
*limit myself to one insane list a day, instead of multiple agendas for the perfectly planned life that is just not mine. (does this one count?)

and with those new goals in mind, I think I officially need this!

Bright Spot...

2010-06-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

...in a hot, humid, rainy weekend:

this: (look past the dirt/rusty-grunginess....(no, really, look past it...scroll down!)

A little bit of 409 spray (okay, a lot) and plenty of elbow grease go a LONG way!

Oh, and the best part may have been bringing her home from the thrift store on top of the husband's car when our delivery guy took too long to show up!

Someday I may paint her...creamywhite, teal, or hecks maybe even red...but for now i like her as is (scratches, paint splatters and all!). And did you SEE those legs she's got?! And her cute little casters?! Sigh... :)

Further Justification for Thrifting/Antiquing/Estate Saling/Alley Scavenging and Most Any Other Form of Treasure Hunting:

2010-05-27T19:55:00.001-07:00

COLLECTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm still busy beachin' it...but other people (our friends at Apartment Therapy) are steadily and diligently posting great material...check it out!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/everyday-objects-as-art-118091

What collections of everyday objects make your walls'n'windowsills more interesting?

(At the Apartmenthouse, we've got vintage (I'm talking "made in the USSR") army men lining our doorframes; pottery, pottery, and more pottery; rocks under glass; and pressed fall leaves!)

Wish You Were Here....

2010-05-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

'cuz this is where I am! :) But back to the real reason you visit this blog...APARTMENT HOUSE IMPROVEMENTS! We swapped the office and bedroom...painting the old office this wonderful bluegreen before moving in the bed...the best part...now there's room for me to have a sewing table in the "new" office! All of this happened Friday night and Saturday...exhausting, but totally worth it! Behold, the hideous...okay, not hideous, just uninspiring "office before":

A little bit of hard work (and a super fantastic paint color) go a LONG way:

The fabric panel (which looks much better in real light) is a vintage remnant I found in Columbus 4 years ago and FINALLY have somewhere perfect to put it. It's hanging behind the bed as a make-do headboard (cropped the bed out as it is still covered in junk!) I chose to hang it as-is, no hem, no pocket sewn in, no nothing, so that i can still use it to recover a perfect chair or make a perfect curtain someday for a more permanent house! (it also leaves the designer and pattern name printed down the side visible, which is fun).

Did someone say

2010-05-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

SHOP UPDATE?!

(head on over, right here)

The HappyGoVintage ApartmentHouse is on ApartmentTherapy!!!

2010-04-22T15:50:00.001-07:00

We made it into ApartmentTherapy's "Small, Cool 2010" contest...it's a super fun contest that lets you peek into dozens of awesome small spaces...all carefully designed by their own tiny-space dwellers...and what an assortment of personalities come through in these homes!! With all of the variety, you're sure to find something to vote for (and more than a few ideas for your own small, cool space!)

The photo above is from our submission! See more (and VOTE for us!!) HERE (before 9:30AM Saturday, April 24, when the "thumbs up" round of voting closes on our entry)

You can see all the other submissions HERE

My friends are on the Kitchn!!!!

2010-04-09T04:18:00.000-07:00

No time for a propper post with lots of pictures...packing before work for CHICAGO!!!!...but check out my friends Matt and Blair and their kitchen on the Kitchn (part of the ApartmentTherapy site!) Oh, and be sure to post to tell them how much you love it...those pictures are the result of LOTS of hard work!!

p.s. see their entire house project @ their blog TulaneRehab there on the sidebar!!

Easter Dinner Preparations!

2010-04-03T16:00:00.001-07:00

Behold, The Homemade Noodles: (if you don't know what these are or how to eat them, find a Midwest grandma and get yourself educated!) *hint* mashed potatoes required!

Adding the leaf to the dining room table wasn't enough...so we added another table!

Glass bottles, waiting for flowers. or flowering tree branches (somehow a little more acceptable to steal from the neighborhood!)

New napkins b/c we didn't have enough...in 3 simple steps: (find old table cloth w/ holes/stains, cut into napkin-sized squares, fold over edges and hem!)

And just b/c I love it and don't think it made it on the blog yet....my metal spice rack, finally stocked with the PERFECT vintage bottles (found at a yard sale and perfectly sized for the metal container thingie we hauled back from our Tennessee honeymoon!)

Sweet recent thrift store find (now hanging above my kitchen sink!) You can't really tell from the photo, but it has the nicest hand-done resin finish!

The State Plates...*finally* hung up! (L-R: MO, IN, OH...which, i guess is pretty much how they land on the map as well!)
Sweet Christmas present from my sister....Handblown glass balls....finally hung as suncatchers in the dining room windows!

I've also been working on Etsy treasures....so here's a sneak peek (actually, the first item below--i call her Kathy--is now available in the shop!)...and now I'm off to prep tomorrow's chickens and veggies! Happy Easter! He is Risen! (Somehow that first sentiment just falls very flat compared to the second...)

ESTATE SALES!

2010-03-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

(swaddled puppy)

(all by hand!)

(I loved this vintage material but wouldn't buy it because I knew it would take me years to get around to using it, so Christina bought it for me, but made it into something before she gave it to me!)

(our adorable dog looking fat. seriously, just looking fat, he's really quite trim!)

So, Saturday was a great estate sale day...see photos below (the green shoe planter is an Etsy b-day gift from my mom)! I also made a pillow (above), inspired by the bday gift my friend Christina made for me (the purple/blue pillow...aren't the handstitched details great?!)! Should I add the 3-D flowers to the middle panel? opinions?

(Salt, pepper, and sugar shakers in the shapes of very angry pheasants!)

(This thing is WAY smaller than i expected from the Etsy picture, but I love it even more for it! Thanks Mom!)

("that singing hurted my ears!")

Oh, and we put my bookshelf-turned-cabinet on top of the fridge. It almost fits perfectly enough to look like a built-in. okay, well not quite, but i like it!

Yes, We're All Still Alive...

2010-03-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

...for proof, see the SHOP for lovely vintage goodies, including those pictured below!

A Yummy Post!

2010-02-24T14:17:00.000-08:00

No awesome vintageness for you today, but I thought I'd share this ah-mazing recipe for Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Stew from PoppyTalk (which if you don't already have in your GoogleReader, you should promptly add!)

A friend made this for dinner and when I asked for the recipe, she said it came from PoppyTalk (I'd already seen the post, but not even thought to try it...so glad she did!)

Besides what's included in the original recipe, when I made it last night, I added zucchini, some frozen mixed veggies, and sweet potatoes (if you want to eat it right after making it, try microwaving your potatoes first, then cutting them up and throwing them in to avoid soup-crunch!)...but you could probably add any veggies you like/have around and it would still turn out great!

We had ours over rice, but I want to try it with couscous and naan!

So easy and sooo good!

How to Make a Dog a Sweater: A (Nearly) Pictureless Tutorial:

2010-02-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

re-published, with permission :), from my old blog (originally posted 2.18.08) because let's face it, my dog is cute in a sweater, we're all sick of winter (but it's still here and dogs are cold)...

1. Find a dog in need of a sweater. Any old mutt will do, but dogs with owners are usually more appreciative of your effort, although, homeless dogs probably get colder...Your own dog is a great choice too--he already has permission to wear the masterpiece (some people don't want their dogs wearing sweaters--whyevernot, i have no idea.

2. Find an old sweater. Goodwill is good for this, as are bags of clothes being given away by friends. Make sure you like the colors AND that the colors match your dog's hairtone and eyes. Oh, and make sure the people sweater is large enough and of a somewhat durable material. Knit/crochet is best.

3. Unless your dog is really small, cut the sleeves off the sweater and discard (or save for future, undetermined projects--clutter gives you something to do on a rainy day).

4. cut the sweater along one side seam or both, to give yourself a large, flat piece of sweater. Use the back to make the dog sweater unless you like the pattern on the front better. Or use the front--I really dont' care.

5. Use a tape measure to measure around your dog in three places--the neck, the widest part of the chest, and the narrow part below the ribs but in front of the back legs. Measure from his collar to however far back on his back you want the sweater to go--to the tail is TOO FAR!! Cut the sweater piece to this length + a little for hemming, unless you're able to finagle it so you can use the finished edges of the sweater as your collar/hem. Existing ribbing used strategically looks fabulous and professional! Hem top and/or bottom if necessary.

6. Fold the large sweater-back in half, good sides together, and pin the edges together roughly at the three points measured on your dog. For example: if your dog's neck is 16", chest is 19", and narrow part is 17", you should have three pins in a bell-curve-esque pattern on the sweater (at 8", 9 1/2", and 8 1/2". Sew this on a sewing machine, loosely following the shape of your dog that you see in front of you. Make him sit still; this will help. If your dog is agreeable, slide the completed "tube" onto him far enough to see if you got it right--or hold it up next to him if he's not thrilled about being confined in a yet armless sweater. Resew shape of tube as necessary after measuring on/next to dog. Oh, and the seam should go down the tummy of the pup, not the back.

7. Measure the distance between your dogs front legs. This needs to be pretty accurate. Measure the distance from his collar (or however high you made the neck of the sweater go on him) to his "shoulder." Ditto the need for accuracy here. Measure the distance b/w your dog's legs ON the sweater, placing the seam in the very middle. Pin spot on sweater. Next, measure down from the collar to this spot, the # of inches from your dog's collar to his shoulder. If this looks right, cut a smallish hole (smaller than your dog's leg). Repeat on opposite side. Try sweater back on the dog. Make him cooperate at this point.

8. Stretch and pull the arm holes until they fit comfortably around your dog's shoulders. Remove sweater.

9. Hem or whip-stitch around leg/arm holes. You can finish with binding or some other fabric trim--but i just used yarn and whipped it all the way around each armhole. Repeat on neckhole if you did not finish with a hem in step 1.(jump to step 11 if you have a girl dog)

10. Cut a rectangle from the bottom back edge of the sweater. Make it smaller than necessary as hemming it will open it up larger. This is so your dog does not pee on his sweater. This is one of the most important steps. Measure "down there" on your dog, if necessary. Hem loose edges in same manner as legholes.

11. Put the sweater on your dog and walk him around the neighborhood. Everyone will be jealous, even the cats.Please comment if you have any questions; these directions are vague, I know. Or don't, because you probably have no intention of making a sweater for your dog, let alone letting him wear it. Oh wait--that was before you saw this picture!:

(note: I hadn't yet whip-stitched around the arm/leg holes yet, see how they're starting to pull too large? I used a shade of yarn slightly darker than the sweater--it turned out absolutely wonderfully!!)

Overheard @ Goodwill…

2010-02-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

grandmother: Because I want you to grow up to be a lady, not a hoochie-momma. That's why.
8-9 year old granddaughter: BUT Grandma…….!

No idea what they were talking about; still super funny...and made up for the lack of treasures to be had at the u-city g-will last night. Thank goodness Salvation Army came through...2 James Taylor records and some adorable wooden candlesticks. Now if only I could find a decent record player....

Once upon a grimey thirfting trip...

2010-02-13T16:28:00.000-08:00

I found these!

but they had pleats:so i did this:

Laz likes!Then came the sewing part:

One straight seam. Seriously, it's that simple (okay, well almost...) Ironing is an optional step, but since these will hang pretty "bunched" on the rod anyway, I just skipped the ironing part! Oh, one note...rip out the interfacing (stiff layer added to help pleats keep their shape) as you take out the pleats.

Next, cut a slit, fold under, and stitch down a place for the curtain rod to pop in and out (in some cases, you can just undo the outside edge seam, sewing it back in place while leaving a hole for your curtain rod. In this case, the liner and curtain were folded together in such a way that simply cutting a hole worked much better).

Quick and messy gets the job done if you aren't one of those even-the-parts-that-won't-show-must-look-perfect kinds of people! !:)

I did alter this a bit for the outside end of each curtain as only one end of the curtain rod will show (the husband cut in half a too-short, left over from 3 houses ago wooden rod). This way, there won't be an extra flap of fabric to cover the non-end-capped end. Clear as mud?

Oh, and before the "reveal"...the before (not horrible in that I have a special affection for the roman blinds I made when I was 14 or 15 with the help of my grandma...they're just horribly faded and with such dark walls they just get lost in the bright window space)

But these, these POP! (sorry for the lessening picture quality, the sun was getting icky by the time I was finishing these up)

Behold, the after:
Did I mention these go nearly all the way to the floor?!

See, it's magic; you can't even see how the inside ends of these babies stay up (jimmy-rigged 4" piece of wood (1" x 1" ish) nailed into the end of the curtain rod....hole drilled into the bottom, fitted over a nail pounded into the top side of the window frame).

This is the third set of curtains in the apartment house altered just this way. Anyone have examples to share?! (send me pics and I'll post them for all 3 readers out there!)

AHH...I almost forgot...keep checking the shop; I'll be posting a great pair of vintage curtains (with pleats!) in the SHOP soon!

back...

2010-02-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

Ah, life is crazy. There's so much I haven't posted....

*a new awesome cabinet for the bathroom
*the BEST (seriously) EVER (no, seriously) curtains for the dining room (thrifted when the baby sister was in town, and just waiting for their pleats to be seam-ripped out and a nice smooth pocket sewn in)
*how to transition (the right) Christmas deco into Valentines adornment for your home
*a beautiful made-by-hand-and-machine which might debut on Etsy if you all like it enough

alas, the computer with all the photos is at school with the husband right now, so you'll just have to believe me (and bounce over to the store to check out all the new stuff while you wait for me to post actual content! Because you're holding your breath, right?!) ;)

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Where has the Time Gone?!

2010-01-02T15:37:00.000-08:00

The apartment house was Christmas-ified, although it's a wonder that even happened considering how little free time we've had...but see, I have evidence:(no, that's not our Christmas Tree...it's our Christmas Branch)
(Lotsa vintage ornaments...what's cheerier than that at Christmas?!)
(and by "lotsa," I'm talking BOWLS of them!)
(Fishing line is kinda like magic...what's good for the Bluegill is good for the Shiny-Bright)
(There's our tree!! Since this photo was taken, I made the cutest ever garlands of paper hearts on fishing line, very reminiscent of these:(wedding hearts made by the sis and I)...only the ones on the tree are MUCH tinier.)

Hm, what else...we went to VA and met our new niece. She is adorable, like Anne Gedes Baby adorable...see:

Beyond driving forever and ever and getting some pretty rad presents (GPS to enable more efficient thrifting/antiquing and a lavender sweater i heart and great cookbooks and AWESOME McCoy pottery) and getting to see my fam (and Laz's brother-dog, Smoltzy, below right), the husband and I haven't been up to much. I did make some french bread last night for company with THIS recipe and it was fanTAStic. try it! And have a wonderful January and be sure to check out the SHOP...lots-ish of new stuff posted recently (including the fantastic melamine cups below)!

Oh, wait...and we've also been working on stuff around the apartmenthouse (how is it possible that there is ALWAYS yet more to be done?!?!) Pictures of all that later (but yes, if you guessed that we hung more stuff on the walls, you would be correct!)

Once Upon a Time...

2009-11-05T07:21:00.001-08:00

...I started a blog and forgot to update it.

"Forgot" isn't exactly how it went...but I don't see any need to elaborate on how unwilling yet coerced into "busy" i have become. *sigh.

Anyway, I'll spare you the excuses and offer my apologies, along with some pretty fantastic new shop offerings!

(are we friends again?!)

Check the store now for the chairs...or wait 'til tonight to see everything pictured above!

what we ate for dinner

2009-10-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

*warning: this will make you super supper jealous!*

Check out the dinner party featuring local foods as part of FoodBuzz 24, 24, 24 thrown by the ex-roommate Emily (and way awesome blogger behind the health nut) and her internship friend (and chef!) Dan that the husband and I were invited to Saturday night!

(Oh, and Etsy updates are coming...there are plenty of fun things to post, just not enough time!)

Shop Update!

2009-10-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

The SHOP has been updated....with a few things. There should be a lot more on by tonight....so click away, or wait--it's up to you!

Thrifted Thursdays...

2009-10-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

...are BACK!

Today's featured fave thrifted (or garage-saled) find: VINTAGE LINENS!

Like this lovely peacock chenille rug that goes perfectly in my new bathroom....

and this adorable, adorable pillow case (does anyone know what this kind of stitching is called...the little "'bubbles" of fabric sewn onto fabric? They're like miniature pillows sewn on to make flowers here...)

whatever it is, I think I'm going to try to make something like this!

Have any of you found amazing vintage linens at thrift stores/garage sales? Or are you one of those (weird) people who is grossed out by this and doesn't believe in the power of a little soap and water?! :)

My Dog Refuses to Stop Being Cute

2009-10-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Exhibit 1: (the prince and the pea)

Exhibit 2: (shiny and clean b/c the husband gave him a bath!)

Bathroom, Finally

2009-10-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Here ya go...Sorry for the crap photos...but I gave up on waiting for the sun to hit that window like ever this week :

Husband likes the shelf in the window...but I think it still may go...

Check It! (or, Rather, Check Them!)

2009-10-08T07:02:00.001-07:00

See those fun things on the right there? ----->

(okay, maybe down just a little bit)

(yeah, i know, if you're reading on Google Reader this doesn't apply to you.)

Those are my friends with blogs!!! I know I'm missing a ton of you, so I'll get to the adding...eventually...along with all the blogs I follow even though I'm not BFF with their authors. Anyway, for now you should check them out!

p.s. next time I blog I promise to have pictures of a completed bathroom, recent garage sale finds (the spoils of another fantastic treasure hunting saturday with the ex-roommate), and soon to be listed shop stuffs!

Shop Update!

2009-10-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

New stuff went in the shop two nights ago...(YAY!)

And more will make it in this AM if I hustle my bustle before going to work...if not, these treasures should be there by tonight!...(and, yes, i did just say "hustle my bustle" :) )

Oh, and the husband and I might just try to finish the bathroom painting endeavor tonight...so hopefully pics of that soon...til then, enjoy this one (from the Purina Farms Incredible Dog Competition that the husband and I serendipitously stumbled upon last Saturday!):

Better or Worse? Better...or Worse?

2009-10-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:

So, the top of the bookshelf isn't quite so gross anymore. But it still needs work. Suggestions?

p.s. this is one of the two Haeger birds I found at an antique store (having a 20% off sale for all of October!) They seem to be identical...and not like a Left and Right....so I thought about splitting them up...one for me, one for the store...but do you think that's a good idea? I looked EVERYWHERE on the internet (okay, not everywhere) for them and couldn't find so much as a mention...let alone a picture of another one. Is there a rule about splitting up pairs of treasures?!

Bathroom: In Progress

2009-10-05T07:24:00.001-07:00

Well, just try to imagine a dark grass-ish, kelly-ish green (def. NOT jade/bluegreen...see the paint chip in the last pic on the right?) on the bottom half of the walls, the shower curtain gone (Chro, do you want it?)...replaced by white eyelette, the wall behind the school chairs actually painted and not outlined because i was too lazy to take them off the wall, and the mini-blind/ladder/shelf clutter/tape gone, oh, and the top color not looking so seafoam-puke-ish in the daylight...imagine all that, and you'll be picturing my bathroom (hopefully) 3 days from now!

Disaster Area:

2009-10-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

My Bathroom.

So the institutional green-ing of my bathroom did commence this weekend, but due to really stupid decisions on my part (ie. buying the cheapest rollers at walmart...what was i thinking?! i know you don't buy the cheapest rollers...but at least if you do so from Lowes, it's a lot less trouble than if you do from walmart) it's not done. I'll post some "in progress" shots in a bit...but unless you want to see zillions of roller fuzzies on my wall or the really hot look of those walls after i wiped them all off with paper towel before i got a good roller to use to go back over it, you won't see the current state of the bathroom. Ah well, live and learn, and forget, and relearn.

But in good news, in the sunlight, i no longer hate/love/hate the colors like i did last night in the lightbulb-light.

I thought I might have to paint over it...has anyone actually painted over a room directly after finishing a paint job? There's a chance I may still want to before this thing is done!

st. louis, we have a problem...

2009-10-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

I keep finding things for the store...that will probably never make it to the store because i fall in love with them! oh help!

If at least one white Haeger pottery bird doesn't show up in the store in the next week or so, somebody yell at me!

it's my day "off"

2009-10-01T08:49:00.001-07:00

not going into the office because, well, because they said 15 hours a week and i'm already at 22 and working friday. not that i don't need the hours...but there's a house to clean and a baby to sit this afternoon!

so, i'm going to do the dishes before i get to etsy, but thought i'd share this fun-o find that will make it to the shop soon! (p.s. chro, hide your eyes if you don't want to see a christmas present!!)

*sigh

2009-09-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

It's still not on sale yet...anybody at Anthro wanna just pull some strings?!

In other news:

*I forgot about Thrifted Thursdays (twice), so i'll try to make up for that sometime this week.

*I thought life couldn't get any busier than my summer. ha.

*We have a confirmed sighting of one mouse. He had better as heck be the last one.

*It's feeling like fall around here. Raise your hand if you're excited! *me*

*I'm taking suggestions for how to have more energy. I have some free time, just no energy to accomplish anything, so please, suggest away. Coffee doesn't count--already doing that.

*Because of the above reason, I still have two quarts of green paint sitting on my bathroom cart--instead of gracing the walls. Gonna try to work on that this weekend, photos to follow if all goes well!

*I like this picture. And I like the husband. Which, as it turns out, works out pretty well in a marriage!

*Well, that does it for this super boring post...and I'm off to buy S'mores supplies for a bonfire tonight!!!

Garage Sales are in My Blood

2009-09-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Fave find of the day (well, fave find that i actually bought....actual fave find is the teal barrister bookcase i left behind because i'm poor (say it like you're oliver twist...puoh-hr))

Fabulous Frankoma#219

I bought it as though it was for the shop. yeah, not so sure it iwll make it there!

Awesome Amazingness (and Something Cute, but Sorta Wrong)

2009-09-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

Some pictures: (fabulous canister set you can find in the shop tomorrow!)

(and what the husband does to our dog when he (the husband, not the dog) is supposed to be working on a sermon. the sad thing is, as much as i wanted him to, Laz really didn't seem to mind!)

not lions or tigers or bears...but MICE!

2009-09-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

yeah, still dealing with the mouses. not so thrilled about it. the one i saw run down the microwave cord along the side of the fride (the micro is on top of the fridge) failed to see the appeal in the 4 cheese-baited snap traps and 3 poison boxes we left out for him. ugh. oh, and they ate the little new shoots off of my parsley and completely demolished my cilantro. did i mention how much i hate them?!

in other news...lots of items are photographed (hurray for the sunlight!) and ready for the shop (maybe tonight?!). 'til then, here's a sample:

carnival glass, fun wooden boxes, and shoe forms, oh my!

other apartmenthouse going-ons: i finally found the time (and de-moused my kitchen (okay, i'm done talking about the mice now) ) to make this corn chowder, recipe courtesy of the wonderful kim no-longer-mack! (check out her blog, it's fun!) The farmer's market was out of spinach last time i was there, so i threw 1 1/2 c. of zucc into my food processor just before the "add half of soup to food processor" bit. I also added a little crushed red pepper and increased the potato, corn, and milk amounts a smidge. All in all, the husband and i think it was quite a success! Thanks for sharing, kim!

also, as promised, one of the fab-o finds from this past weekend's garagesaling:

her name is Kathy. i'm sad about the little corner (lower left) that is messed up, but still, she's great! I'm thinking about painting the frame. thoughts?

She'll probably go above the "green monster." I need to COMPLETELY re-do all that jazz up there. Some of it was just put there during the moving process and never left. It looks like cah-rap, i know, so don't tell me. Anyway, What items do you think i should *keep* along with Kathy? (anyone else have Ben Folds in their head now?!)

I'm a liar.

2009-09-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

I did NOT "pick up the pace" this weekend as promised in the previous post. I'm blaming the mice that have been terrorizing my kitchen, the unreasonable amount of poop they left in my stove and everywhere else that took forever to clean, the migraine that kept my husband in bed for a loooong time (and gave me tired germs as well), and a very unpleasant burn on my hand from steam as i attempted to cook some corn for corn chowder--but mostly, exceedingly, and rather pissed about it, i blame the mice. On the bright side, however, we went to bed last night listening to the sounds of traps snapping and mice making really sick horrible dying sounds. And we are SO doing that tonight, mice, so if any of you are left, be very freakin' scared!

I know photo-accompanied blog posts are *always* better, but i decided that there is an exception: mangled mice in trap photos, even ones of my husband being my knight-in-shining-armor and removing them from my kitchen before breakfast would probably not help out the readership at this point. Sorry if you feel otherwise...

So, although nothing new made it into the shop, I did find some AMAZING things this weekend which will hopefully be photographed tomorrow (please let there be sun when i get home from work!)

Okay, so that's it. If you're reading this blog AND you are the person who make the shop's SECOND (!!!!) sale, your item shipped today! Watch for that blue vinyl package!

Shop Update!

2009-09-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

a new (and really awesome) bag added to the shop:

(hopefully more items on by tonight!)

but MORE IMPORTANTLY......

Happy-Go-Vintage Shop made its FIRST SALE!!!!

...and someone should be getting a package (with a bonus surprise) in 2-3 business days!

Thanks for checking in...I'm off to dinner with the husband, but promise to pick up the pace this weekend!

Garage Sales are Grrreat!

2009-09-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

What 2 bucks'llbuyya:

2 awesome pictures!!!!

i mean, 2 awesome picture FRAMES! (if you can't tell, they're sizable! see how tiny the door hinge and wall outlet are in the top picture, for perspective)

i felt super, super guilty after paying the lady...because i didn't want her to know i planned to ditch the pictures and was just buying her pictures for the frames. I left really fast, and then when I came back by her sale later with husband and friends and friends' baby, i felt horrible, like she *knew* i bought her pictures just for the frames.

usually i feel awesome when i score things for next-to-nuthin' but why does it lately have to be from cute little old ladies?!

Even more annoying that feeling like i ripped off someone's grandma: when someone whines so much about how sad they are to be selling something--going on and on about the history of the item--that you start to feel guilty for buying it from them...but not really, because it's her own blasted fault for deciding to sell it. Case in point:

Two awesome vintage Le Creuset pots...with HEART handles! (pics to be added later). The lady saw me paying her husband for them and told me it about "broke her heart" to part with them (okay, and *who* decided to put them on the table in her front yard?) and she told me she'd made many a roux in those (did you stop making roux?) and she told me how much she paid for them thirty years ago (several times more than i was handing over to her husband...i hope she didn't let herself think about inflation on top of it all!), so after assuring her--amid her rambling on about Julia Child and France and quality cookware--that i would take good care of them (and throwing in an unnecessary detail about my sister being a french major who wanted to go to culinary school to make it seem a bit more legit), i left to her calling out after me, "be sure to enjoy those!" oh trust me, lady...i will!

That's It and That's All

2009-09-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

Well, the dining room wall finally went from this:

to this:

YAY! I still need to replace some of the horizontal pics w/ vertical ones, print some wedding and fam pics for the empty frames, and get the mats/glass back in a couple of these puppies, but it's much better than the blue vinyl look the room was rockin' for several days, and cleaned up *some* of the clutter in the room (15 frames take up a lot of table/windowsill space!). (Confession: I waited so long to actually use my blue vinyl templates that some of them actually started peeling/falling off of the wall in the heat...the pics I shot to document the whole process helped keep all that work from being a waste!)

I like them a lot, but the more I hang things up--and the more husband kindly pokes fun at my affinity for nailing/stapling/gluing/screwing/bolting anything and everything to the wall (short of the dog)--the more I wonder if I'm taking it too far. Thoughts? Here I like the look of a clean buffet (with space to fill with FOOD, which is the purpose), as opposed to a buffet covered with propped up photo frames...but are there times that it's better to leave a blank(ish) wall with a more easily-changed-out table arrangement below? Examples, anyone? (I'll try to get on that too...)

Thrifted Thursdays

2009-09-10T15:40:00.001-07:00

I nearly forgot to do a "Thrifted" post today. So, while it's still called today...here ya go! (sorry for the realllly crappy picture...)

Vintage "Happy Birthday" wrapping paper! A HUGE roll of it! So far, my sister is the only one I've remembered to use it for, but no worries...YOU *could* be next!

(I think the point is to share where the item came from to show where cool stuff is to be found...but I kind of forget at this point. Wait, no...it was from a barn sale outside of Norwalk, Ohio! Ya just never know what you'll find in a barn!)

Updating the Shop...

2009-09-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

...this very minute!

(and making a note--don't take photographs on the largest possible file-size setting!)

Well, that's all...I'm off to finish resizing images and posting. Keep checking back, though...new items should show up each day through the weekend!

Take a gander: The Shop.

From "A Dog's Manual to Life"

2009-09-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

Rule #34: If you EVER find yourself with ANYTHING spread out on the floor. Lay on it. Newspapers, a 4 inch square area of magazine cutouts, a blanket, a rug that isn't yours, fabric, fabric with pins in it, ANYTHING. Be sure to do all of the following:

Lay on it:

Look innocent and cute, like you didn't know it was something besides just the floor:

Chew on your toys on it:

Roll around on it to scratch your back and itch your nose:

And finally, be sure to lick it:

Then get the heck off of it so your mom can sew some curtains! (Thrifted curtain re-do pictures soon...as soon as we actually get them up on the windows!)

How to Complicate the Matter

2009-09-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

Otherwise titled, "How to take a bunch of extra steps just so you won't hate it in the end!"

This is my wall:

The blue spots show roughly where an ovel mirror will hang.

I've got 14 silver frames that need to make it onto the wall too. I could just go with my gut and eye and start pounding in nails, but let's be honest--i'm not that good.

Solution: (also known as "Awesome way to use trashed materials from my old job")

1. Trace frames onto repositionable vinyl.

2. Cut out vinyl "frames."

(here i could have added a step and cut holes in my vinyl "frames" to more accurately give a sense of the visual weight of each frame, but that was too much work...)

3. Place vinyl frame place-holders on floor, shuffle around until they sort of make sense. Yell at the dog for walking through them.

4. Peel and stick them to the wall. Reposition. And reposition. Repeat.

5. Using wall layout as a guide, layout the actual frames on the ground to get an idea of what it will actually look like.

6. Post on a blog to get feedback on it before you start swingin' that hammer. Then decide to just leave up the blue vinyl. It's very "in process." Perfect finished look. Riiiight.

Sneak Peek!

2009-09-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

only one item up--just testing things out--but this is already lots of fun!

Click here: MY ETSY SHOP!

Happy Tuesday!

2009-09-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Zinnias are happy flowers!

Favorite little additions...

2009-09-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

...this tribute to our homelands:

(state rocks i found, adhered directly to the wall, and framed under glass. Maybe someday I'll change it up and add a fabric covered backer piece.)

...and this little "Yankee Girl" bathroom catch-all:

(a little boring and bland in the kitchen...perfect in the bathroom! no more knocking toothbrushes and bottles off of our tiny little sink!)

Decisions, decisions...

2009-09-08T10:21:00.001-07:00

To paint or not to paint...that is hardly the question. What color(s) to paint...that is the question!

I am really leaning toward institutional green...down to the two-tone mental hospital look! (To set off the white trim, enamel table, and all my milkglass, of course; not as a reflection on anyone's saneness.)

check out this one!

I'm thinking these two, with the lighter one on the top 45% of the wall and the darker one on the bottom 55% :) Thoughts, opinions...?

Weekend finds!

2009-09-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

This awesome sign (now living in our kitchen)...

This white push cart for the bathroom (not the glass dentist cabinet, but about $380 cheaper!

...and some adorable vintage stencils "j" "C" "s"! (picture once i decide where they should live)

a little bit of junk...

2009-09-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

...in the trunk! the huge teal trunk is here. possibly too big for the room, but i don't give a darn!

Also this weekend:

over and out...

2009-09-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

...spending the weekend with my parents and husband!

pretty durn excited about it.

and, almost equally excited about the buffet that they're bringing us! (similar to below, but purchased for $12 at a garage sale...their wedding gift to us was to have it refinished!!!)

have a fantastic labor day weekend!!

Pillow Prototype

2009-09-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

Busted out the Janome...this is what I came up with. I sort of had this in mind (still available on Etsy, btw!) I think a more intricate pattern like that pillow would be fun to try, but I also want to do more with larger pieces cut from a vintage coverlet that Emily and I found at the church rummage sale (don't worry, Em, I plan to make some of these with you!!)

I started cutting a square cardboard template, and then remembered I had a quilt cutting mat and rotary cutter from my Mlaw that I still hadn't tried out. SO much easier. Even with more squared-up pieces, I'm still having trouble sewing consistent seams to result in patches that "match" at the corners. So I should probably be practicing instead of blogging. Anyway, holler if you have any suggestions, kids! :)

Friday; your information. (FYI)

2009-09-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Not really doing this every Friday, but had fun considering the implications of about all possible punctuations (Friday: your information...Friday! Your Information.....Friday, Your Information?).

Moving on. Just an FYI...cut plants last longer than cut flowers. (I'm sure the same can be said for weeds). Maybe one of these is technically a flower, but I'm calling it a plant. A plant I don't know the name of. I picked both of these 2+ (maybe 3) weeks ago. And they STILL look great. I've added water. That's it. I love flowers as much as anyone, but it's nice to not have a brown, mildewey mess after forgetting I picked something just 4 days before. Plus, we're headed into fall and besides Zinnias (which I would have to steal from neighborlawns anyway), plants (and little pieces of tree branches) are looking like a great vase-filling alternative!

p.s. can anyone tell me what these two plants even are?! (Thanks in advance, Katy...if you're reading!)

Completely unrelated: [above] is where/how i found my dog yesterday evening. I don't so much doubt the screen's strength as believe in Laz's sometimes ferocious desire to get squirrels. Husband was studying 6 feet away and "had it all under control." Sigh. :)

Thrifted Thursdays...episode numero 1!

2009-09-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

***since i just realized today is thursday and since i like alliteration (who doesn't?), i'm going to make it a weekly habit to post a fantastic thrifted find each thursday. that does 2 things: guarantees one post a week, and gives me more reason to thrift (eventually i'll run out of stuff i've already thrifted and will be forced to thrift new things to post about, right?!)***

It showed up in the last post, but i thought i'd make a proper post of my (and laz's) favorite thing! THE BEST EVER DOG GATE!!! I got this baby at the church rummage sale for $2. That's right, $2. It matches the house, isn't plastic and ick, doesn't look like something that should be around the perimeter of a state prison, actually fits the large doorway without additional janky extenders, and CONVENIENTLY ACCORDIONS OUT OF THE WAY!!!

Yes, i'm just that excited about this thing! look at how Laz loves it!

We even attached it to the door frame with hinges to swing the whole thing even more out of the way.

color schmuller

2009-09-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

So am I just too picky? I can see a difference between my wall and this paint chip. (Can you?)

Enough of a difference that I went back to the store after husband came home with the first gallon of paint to get it replaced before painting the room. Their second attempt? If anything, an even worse match. I guess I should have read the back of the paint chip: "Color my vary due to lighting conditions, sheen and surface. " (duh, but vary this much?!) All the same, we painted the room and i love it...especially during the day when the natural light makes it a nice mystery pewter color--instead of borderline plum (the reason for so much pickiness over the color match. the last thing i want is for anyone to walk in and say "oh, i just love your plum walls!")

The contrast with the white trim is absolutely crisp (like cold crunchy apples!)...and it sets off two of my favorite paintings ever very nicely...my very special hollyhock house gradution gift from Sarah and a wedding present from Marilyn (a painting she did but wasn't happy of that i LOVE)

Please ignore the mess in this last picture...the wall just looks so nice and pewtery in this shot...and you can see the contrast with the front room (peach) in the forground (the dining room was originally the same color as the front room...which is all well and good--nice and bright--but living in it, i discovered i have separate room/same color issues. very intense issues. so the DR got the new color!

p.s. see why i *need* this Anthro rug?! i'm currently hatching plans to make mad cashola to get this baby...as though rent isn't due *every* month, along w/ all kinds of insurance. sigh...

one of my favorite things!

2009-09-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

husband and i rigged this window above our couch, sort of cantilevering out from the front window. it's a plant shelf. or that's the idea, if i don't kill them all.
please disregard the pink patches on the couch, focus your attention on the cute bandana-ed doggie! (never mind that he is the reason FOR the pink patches...)
note oregano...on it's way out. still trying to revive it :/
looking up from the couch. no, it will NOT fall on you. i promise.
um, yeah. still need to paint the little squares we used as a ledge for the back of the window...

anyway, i think everyone should have one of these because they're so durn cheery! i used to have one above my kitchen sink, which was great, but the window tended to get covered in kitchen grease. i'm liking it here a lot! if you want to make one:

*find a cheap-o (but stable) old window (ally's are fantastic places to find these), paint it if you want. it helps if it is approximately the same width as the window you plan to hang it in front of...looks a little more intentional.

*screw sizeable eyebolts into the top front of the frame.

*use an existing ledge or improvise one with some wood blocks (we added angle brackets which you can barely see to make sure the window won't "jump" it's ledge.)

*use hemp, jute, rope, etc. to suspend the front edge of the window (tie between eyebolts and some other sort of hook mounted to the top of your window frame (we used old window handles). tie it up slightly higher than "level" so that once you get plants on the shelf and the jute/rope stretches into place, it won't be sloping down, but will "settle" at dead-level.

*test by putting your cairn terrier on your new window/shelf before filling with plants you plan to kill. (just kidding, i wouldn't let husband use dogheart for this!)

*or, you could skip all this and just hang it from hooks anchored into the ceiling, but let's be honest, this looks better! :)

Welcome!

2009-09-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

This is a blog about a dog.

Okay, so it's not really about a dog. But he will show up frequently, I'm sure! It's a blog about a boy and a girl (me) who got married a couple months ago and the house we're setting up (with our dog) full of our favorite things (mostly old and brightly colored), where we can have over our favorite people!

So here's to new blogs, new husbands, marriage, Dog-Heart, setting up house in a new city, fantastic vintage finds, and chocolate cake (always and forever chocolate cake)!

p.s. there *just might* be a fun Etsy store involved soon! what else is one to do with too many awesome vintage things for one apartmenthouse and leftover decor from the "best-wedding-ever?" (okay, so like best-along-with-a-lot-of-other-weddings best!)

Happy-Go-Vintage HOUSE

SALE!!!

I guess it stays...

Thrift Score!

Sale Time Again! *ALMOST CHRISTMAS SALE*

It's a SALE!

too cute

pssst....it's a SALE!!!

New Mantle!

HappyGoVintage around the interweb!

My couch has a celebrity twin. Neat.

Hey all you St. Louisans

HOUSE TOUR on Apartment Therapy!!!

Laz Says Goodbye

PEONIES!

a big THANK YOU...

Oh, Estate Sales, How Thou Dost Tempt Me...

We're an "Underdog"...let's move up!

Small, Cool 2011 - My Pick!

More of the HappyGoVintage Apartmenthouse!

VOTE FOR THE HAPPYGOVINTAGE APARTMENT HOUSE!!!

Pre-Before, Before, and After!

It's that Small Cool time again!

Blog Love!

An Unfolding Mystery...

Estate Sales for Dummies (Part I)

My New Favorite Thing:

Merry, Merry Christmas Cheer!

And a Good Time was had by All...

My mother-in-law was right...

so...tomorrow is 10.10.10...

Happy (Go) Birthday!

SHOP UPDATE...

This and That

It might catch on fire...

Then Comes Marriage...

SHOP UPDATE!!!!!

Not bad for 100 bucks less, huh?!

I just dyed in your arms tonight...

In CASE you missed it....

get $20 at BULX....LAST CHANCE!!

Shop Update!

The Year of the Glass

Bright Spot...

Further Justification for Thrifting/Antiquing/Estate Saling/Alley Scavenging and Most Any Other Form of Treasure Hunting:

Wish You Were Here....

Did someone say

The HappyGoVintage ApartmentHouse is on ApartmentTherapy!!!

My friends are on the Kitchn!!!!

Easter Dinner Preparations!

ESTATE SALES!

Yes, We're All Still Alive...

A Yummy Post!

How to Make a Dog a Sweater: A (Nearly) Pictureless Tutorial:

Overheard @ Goodwill…

Once upon a grimey thirfting trip...

back...

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Where has the Time Gone?!

Once Upon a Time...

what we ate for dinner

Shop Update!

Thrifted Thursdays...

My Dog Refuses to Stop Being Cute

Bathroom, Finally

Check It! (or, Rather, Check Them!)

Shop Update!

Better or Worse? Better...or Worse?

Bathroom: In Progress

Disaster Area:

st. louis, we have a problem...

it's my day "off"

*sigh

Garage Sales are in My Blood

Awesome Amazingness (and Something Cute, but Sorta Wrong)

not lions or tigers or bears...but MICE!

I'm a liar.

Shop Update!

Garage Sales are Grrreat!

That's It and That's All

Thrifted Thursdays

Sale Time Again! ALMOST CHRISTMAS SALE