A Curated Life

The collection I'm sharing today is one that I don't think anyone has seen before- not even the mister (at least not in it's entirety).

You may remember that I have a jewelry line from the giveaway I did last year. Now Prairie and Pearl never really took off like I hoped it would so I'm considering calling it quits, but in the course of creating this line of jewelry I have amassed quite the collection of trinkets (for lack of a better word). These little bits and baubles normally live in drawers above my work table- hidden away- but today I thought I'd share some of them with you.

Pen knives

Pens and pencils

Tiny achievement badges (anyone know where these would have been displayed?)

Random tags

The whole concept behind Prairie and Pearl was taking unusual vintage bits like these, combining them with modern findings and creating jewelry 'with a vintage past'. I had already gathered a small collection of these types of items, and once I had a reason to buy more, I'd grab up every funny little thing I found at estate sales, flea markets, and even Etsy.

Pocket and stop watches

Mini padlocks

Swivel clips

I ended up with multiples of nearly everything, in hopes that once the jewelry started selling I would need to be able to create multiple versions of each piece (though no one piece was exactly alike). With so many little items collected and put away in drawers I feel a bit like a hoarder now, and may start selling them to people who can put them to use.

Pen nibs

Close up- aren't they cool?

Do you have things you've collected for projects you've never completed? It seems sad to let all of this go, but if I'm not going to use them, it's more sad to have them hidden away- right?

If you're interested in seeing the rest of the Prairie and Pearl line (or what's listed at least), visit my Etsy shop.

a curated life: balanced collecting

i'm so excited to finally be back to blogging! between my road trip to Wyoming and then getting slammed with a migraine for the past three days, the blog has taken a backseat, but hopefully things will get back on track now!

some landscapes from my roadtrip (clockwise from top left: near Laramie, WY; Columbia River Gorge, WA; near Riverton, WY; Pilot and Index peaks, MT).

while i was in Wyoming i got into an interesting conversation with some friends about collecting. for those of you who have collections (vintage or otherwise), you may have encountered people who don't get collecting. folks who see collections as 'junk' or think that collecting is equal to hoarding. now i certainly don't suscribe to these ideas, but i have been thinking a lot lately about balance in collecting-aka how much is too much? 

{three photos above via Science Hax}

now when i look at collections like the images above, i feel slightly claustrophobic, but for the collectors themselves, i'm sure these collections are a source of pride and provide symbolic markers of time. i wouldn't be surprised if the gentleman with the key chain collection remembers where and when he found each of those key chains.  

my personal collecting style is definitely more minimalistic- i generally stop once something fills the shelf i've arranged them on. i also have very few collections that i've had my whole life- often opting to sell an entire collection in order to make room for something new. i find this gives me a sense of balance (and keeps my super minimalistic husband from growing concerned at the amount of 'stuff' in our home). for me, balance is key to most everything and my balance is best maintained with a one in, one out philosophy. for others, balance may be found in different ways, or maybe isn't important at all. 

what about you? do your collections lean more to the minimal side or are you hoping to have an entire room full? how do you find balance in curating your life? 

a curated life

i'm excited because today we have another curated life submission via my bestie and fellow blogger, Melissa from re.stock.

about her vintage suitcase collection, Melissa had this to say:

in my super cute old house we have one closet. yes, you read that right, one. and it is tiny. my solution? vintage suitcases. i store everything in them: summer clothes, coats, craft stuff, things i'm saving, things i can't part with, things i don't want my husband to know i'm storing (ha)! they are cute and functional. i like to stack them up (obviously). i also keep a few empty for when we go on trips because i like to travel in style. 

fun! thanks for sharing your suitcase collection with us Melissa!

do you have a collection? i'd love to share it here! send me a message and we'll set it up!

a curated life

today i had this great plan to feature one of my mama's collections (you know, since it's Mother's Day week and all). unfortunately, i didn't plan the photo taking far enough ahead of time and my mama isn't feeling well today, so we had to cancel the shoot. that leaves us with one of my collections instead...

this vintage scissor collection is kind of an accidental collection. i started buying them at estate sales because they're always low priced and i love the look of them. i intended to sell them once i had enough to create a good display, but i've yet to be able to part with them. 

i'm contemplating displaying them all on a big old board or something- wouldn't that look cool? i may also bring them to The Farm Chicks Show this year and let them go live with someone else. it's a tough choice! 

do you have an 'accidental' collection? i'd love to hear about it! leave a comment or send me a message. 

happy Thursday! 

a curated life

today's collection is one that was mine, but is now looking for a new curator.

i found most of this set of Brusche 'Contempo' dishes at one of the most memorable estate sales i've ever been to. my pal Abbi and i arrived at a sale that looked less than promising: it was in 'no sidewalk land' (which if you ever read Yard Sale Bloodbath, you know is never a good sign); it was a newer home in a new sub-development; and there was hardly anyone there. we decided to check it out anyway and at first weren't finding much. then we noticed a big pile of trash bags and boxes and asked if any of the stuff in those was for sale. the woman replied- 'oh, that's Goodwill pile. if find anything you want you can just have it'. seriously? well, we accepted her challenge and started digging through this mountain of stuff. sure enough, this is where all the good stuff was! vintage clothes, dishes, an entire set of china, linen, and more. we tried to get her to take money from us, but she wouldn't accept much. we even told her that the stuff she was giving away is what she should be selling (i don't think she believed us). it was by far the biggest haul we had ever scored, for the smallest price tag.

these dishes were in one of those boxes and they caught my eye. i didn't recognize the marking on them, but they were fun colors (there used to be a few more grey pieces, and there were also some burgundy colored ones that i foolishly left behind because i didn't like the color), and i liked the clean and simple style. i took them home, researched the mark and discovered that Brusche was a sister line/offshoot of Bauer, made by one of the potters there, that had a limited production run so they're actually a bit rare. what a find! i decided to replace the new Fiesta Ware we had with this fun set. over the last 4 years i've added a few plates, the cups, and the soup bowls, as well as some plates that aren't Brusche, but complement the set.

while i still enjoy these dishes, lately i've been wishing i wasn't so limited by their palette, which is why i decided to move on to white milk glass- more flexibility. since we'll be moving soon, and will be living in rentals for a while to come, it doesn't work to have more than one set of dishes, so these get to find a new home! they're currently in the Gather and Hunt space at the Fremont Vintage Mall, so if you're in Seattle and like them, feel free to go check them out! i kept the price low, since i received such a nice deal on them!

don't forget- i really prefer to share your collections here, so email me your photos and a bit about your collection and you can have your very own curated life post!

xo

i've got my eye on...

now that i've found new dishes, i'm jones'n to put our boring (non-vintage) glassware set in the garage sale box and start adding some more fun vintage glasses to the few i have now! i don't think i want a matching set, more a collection of unusual ones that strike my fancy (or the mister's, though he rarely has an opinion about such things).

in my search for some additions to the collection, i've found lots of fun sets on Etsy and i thought i'd share them with you!

fun flower set with a carrier from Olive and Frances

gold foil and green leaves from Of All The Fish Vintage

love these retro stars from The People Place

pitcher & glasses set in great colors from Flying Buddha Monkey

yellow swirls from The Fancy Lamb

this white floral motif from Tinted Vintage would complement many different dishes

i actually may have to order these great you and me glasses from Etna Street Modern!

do you collect vintage glassware? i'd love to know what kind you collect! even better, send me a photo and i'll feature your collection in a curated life post!

stay tuned later today for a special tried and true post, complete with a recipe you might be able to put to use this evening!

A Curated Life

{all photos by The Ravenna Girls}

today's curated life collection comes from Brianne, one of The Ravenna Girls...

about her collection, Brianne writes:

"About ten years ago, turquoise became my favorite color by far, and many a collection was born. All my friends and family know that I love anything turquoise and vintage, so they're often on the lookout for perfect finds, along with me. Since becoming a homeowner, I've amassed a beautiful collection on turquoise vessels for use around the house. From pitchers and carafes, to vases and glasses, and even sale and pepper shakers, I can mix and match a turquoise table top in mere minutes. My favorite item is the enamel Dansk pitcher that I found at an estate consignment shop in Connecticut. I also very much treasure the pair of Vernonware Anytime salt and pepper shakers that were given to me by my grandmother while she was still alive. As you can see, I love love turquoise and incorporate one of these pieces into almost every table setting to me smiling".

thanks so much for sharing your turquoise collection with us Brianne! there are so many fun pieces in there! i think i like the glass carafe/decanter the best.

do you have a collection you'd be willing to share with us? i'd love to talk to you! just email me at danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com.

i couldn't be more pleased to have another curated life submission that isn't one of my own collections! it really is my dream for many of the weekly features at Gather and Hunt to be a place to showcase you- dear readers- and the things you love, so it really delights me to have some submissions coming in!

today's collection is from my bestie, and fellow blogger, melissa, who i know you've heard a lot about lately! her collection of vintage blankets has kept yours truly nice 'n toasty in her lovely vintage home many times.

Melissa writes:

the first time a guest stayed at our house i realized i only had one blanket to offer them. since our house is very much on the chilly side i was a little embarrassed. from this my vintage blanket collection was born. i am a sucker for vintage quilts and fun patterns and now that we live in a house and have out of town guests i have a reason, and space, to store them. i also like to mix and match blankets, sheets, and pillow cases on our bed, so this collection is cute and practical. well, maybe not exactly practical because i have a lot of blankets now!

{all photos by Melissa. editing by moi.}

a great big thanks to Melissa for sharing one way she's curated her life! i'm still a bit jealous of that green stripe-y blanket!

how have you curated your own life? i would love to share your collection with the world! please email me at danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com. i'm nice, i promise!

stay tuned tomorrow for an extra exciting finds to fancy for me- Melissa's coming to town and we're hitting the estate sales together! it's been forever since we've been able to do that and i am so excited! this friday's post will be the first ever, live-from-the-hunt finds to fancy, so stop on by and see what we find!

 i am so excited to have our first curated life post to feature a collection that doesn't belong to me! allow me to introduce you to Heather, from Joy of All Crafts. i met Heather at Alt Summit and we discovered we have quite a bit in common- we both love vintage, we both live in the Pacific Northwest, and we're both crafty, although Heather is a far more talented crafter than i! (her crafty business cards created quite the buzz at Alt- check them out on papernstitch's business card inspiration post). Heather has a number of collections and she is so kind to share one of them with us today- her vintage pyrex!

Heather shared some of her thoughts about her collection with us too...

I've only recently started my collection of pyrex. I love how it reminds me of my childhood, I remember baking with my mom and loving how the mixing bowls were the perfect shape for mixing cookie dough. Since then, I've never had a mixing bowl that I liked quite as much! As my husband, Chris, and I started estate sale shopping about a year ago, I started finding pyrex. I bought a few pieces and loved using them! They are so durable and have already endured so much love that it's easy to give to them new life. I love the patterns and bright colors, and that it's easy to start collecting them. I still don't have the same set that my mom had, so I'm on the lookout for it. It's easy to buy pyrex online, but I really want to 'find' all of my pyrex in person. I'd love to have one piece of most of the patterns, and collect all of the special holiday patterns! For now, I'm really enjoying my small, but growing, collection!

all photos by Heather Joy

as someone whose pyrex collection is limited to a few patterns and colors, i love how Heather's collection includes such a great mix of patterns and colors and compliments her beautiful mid-century dining room furniture so nicely! and aren't her blue cabinet doors cute?

thanks so much Heather for giving us a peek into your home and sharing your great pyrex! if you want to know more about Heather, pop on over to her blog and explore all the crafty, vintage goodness she's sharing with the world there, or visit her etsy store!


do you have a collection you'd like to share? i would love to talk to you! email me at danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com and we'll chat!

milk glass has been around since the 16th century and actually comes in a variety of colors, though white is the popular choice- i prefer it for it's simplicity and versatility. while many of you might recognize it as something your grandmother collected, i believe milk glass can look very current when styled well and can fit a wide variety of tastes.

milk glass has become a popular centerpiece vessel, like these great moss pieces from Christina at Flores del Sol. there's even a how-to over on Ruffled, so you can make them at home!

i began my own collection about 9 years ago, and though i try to keep it in check (the mister isn't a fan of my collections getting too big!), i do manage to add a new piece every now and then. i've been keeping my collection limited to vases only, but milk glass comes in a variety of items from glasses to plates, lampshades, planters and pitchers.  

the big one in back was my first piece- i love the larger size! the one in front is my newest acquisition, found on a recent thrift outing with my bestie.

lately i've been enjoying the look of milk glass so much i'm considering taking inspiration from it and adding a new collection to our home- vintage Fire-King dishes in white. we currently have a set of Brushe by Bauer dishes in chartreuse/dark green/grey (that i scored for free at an estate sale!), but i've been craving a simpler palette on the table and love how well the white Fire-King coordinates with my vintage Pyrex.

two mugs and bowl my mom recently gave me

i love the shape of the handle on these mugs

if you're interested in starting your own milk glass collection i have good news- it's generally easy to find at thrift stores and is usually very affordable. if you can't wait long enough to gather a collection, there are many great Etsy stores that carry it, some, like Oak Hill Vintage, even offer sets that can serve as instant collections!

set of three milk glass vases from Oak Hill Vintage.

next week, i hope to have a collection to share with you that isn't mine! as always, if you have a collection you'd like to share please email me at danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com.

for this week's curated life feature i'm sharing one of my longest running collections- vintage flower frogs. i've been gathering frogs since i was a teenager and while i prefer the more utilitarian, industrial styles, i never cease to be amazed at how many different materials and designs flower frogs come in. from ceramic, to glass, metal, plastic, and even ornate decorative pottery styles, there's a frog for every taste. 

{photo via Jarvis House Gallery Collectables}

there are many ways to make use of frogs, the most obvious being their intended purpose- arranging flowers! Martha Stewart has a helpful video if you're interested in learning to use frogs in your floral arrangements. 

{photo via Martha Stewart}

beyond their original function, frogs can be used to organize items, display things, and can even made into wall art. Haylie from H.B. Goods had a DIY featured on Design Sponge last year where she shows us how to create a functional and lovely wall display using frogs.  

{photo via Haylie, for Design Sponge}

frogs can even be used as functional household items. my good friend Melissa at re.stock uses frogs as soap dishes.

{photo originally via re.stock}

beautiful, useful, affordable- frogs are easy to find and make for great collections. here's a look at my own collection...

in their everyday environment

up close

don't forget- i want to share your collections! if you have a fun collection of things you love that you're willing to share with us, please email me at danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com and we'll make it happen! 

on the hunt: instagram edition

one of the primary ways i find goods for the gather and hunt shop is estate sales. the thrifts can be kind of hit or miss in Seattle and their prices have gotten a little out of control, so estate sales are the way to go. of course, sometimes estate sales are just as hit and miss and this past weekend turned out to be a feast and famine weekend at the sales...

famine. friday was terrible! two different sales and all i found were these two items:

love the colors on this cute water jug!

a whole stack of shooting targets from Sears!

they're great items, but only two things? come on!

feast. saturday was epic! i had seen a sale listed in west seattle that was being held by my favorite estate sale company out here- Donnelly & Donnelly (they are such good people and their prices are very reasonable)- and from the photos they posted i knew it was going to be amazing! 

my best 'haul' in weeks!

my good friend katie and i headed over a little over 2 hours before the sale started so we could get our names on the list. we grabbed some breakfast and then came back for our numbers (estate sales are complicated out here- but i'll save that for another post)- #15 and #16- not too shabby! with numbers like that we were in the first wave of people let in and we split up and started filling our enormous bags! 

heading out on the road at 6:30am definitely requires our fuel of choice- house made chai from Victrola Coffee

katie and i debated about who should buy this lamp. turns out katie has enough lamps, so i grabbed it for the shop.

katie picked up that cute raccoon shoe brush guy to put outside her apartment building for her tenants to clean their shoes. we accidentally broke one of 'coonie's' paws off but a little super glue set him right!

katie found some amazing stuff, including that beautiful turkish rug. it had a few little holes so it was a steal and it'll look amazing in her apartment!

while i was unpacking everything the afternoon sunlight was illuminating all the vintage colors just perfectly so i snapped a shot of the prettiest stuff.

my favorite find from the weekend. i saw this blanket in a photo and deduced which room it might be in. i made a beeline for it when we entered the house and snagged it seconds before another lady scooped up most of the blankets!

i hope you enjoyed this little peek into the weekend hunt! if you're intrigued about estate sales now, keep  an eye out for a post i'm working on- the g&h guide to estate sale victory. 

introducing- a curated life

i've always loved museums. at one point i even wanted to be a museum curator or a museologist. the closest i've come is volunteering as a docent at the Laramie Plains Museum at the Historic Ivinson Mansion in junior high and high school.

photo: Ivinson Mansion via Laramie Historic Photos

over the holidays, Bill and i visited the Smithsonian's Museum of American History, and while we were there it dawned on me that though i may never work for a museum, i am a curator- of my own life. we are all curators really- if you collect things, decorate your home, save letters or birthday cards, or make photo albums- you're curating your life.

photo: pocketful of pretty's vintage fan collection

it's in that spirit that i'd like to introduce a new weekly feature- a curated life. each week i'll share a collection with you, either one of mine or one of a reader or fellow blogger/shop owner. to start us off, i'm sharing one of my collections...

brooches aren't just fun and beautiful, they're a portable collection! i love wearing mine on my vintage coats especially, but they really make any outfit more interesting and they're an easy way to add a little bit of vintage every day.

want to see more great vintage brooches? my pal Jenny at Frecklewonder is doing a week-long series on her favorite collections and today she's featuring her brooches! apparently great minds think alike! take a look and stick around to explore her site- you'll love it!

now it's your turn- i want to see your collections! send me a message at danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com and i'll send you all the details!

happy curating!