Please Stand By...

Hello and Happy 2013 from sunny Palm Springs, California this morning!



Due to some technical difficulties, the DIY post I alluded to on Instagram and Facebook earlier this week will not be up until tomorrow. Sorry about that.

In the meantime, if you follow me on IG, Twitter or FB, you can check in on our mini-vacation to the Mid-Century Modern dreamland that is Palm Springs! I'm heading out to do some thrifting in the area today- wish me luck!

last minute holiday decorating

if you're like me, even if you started decorating for Christmas back in late November, you still find little projects you want to add in, or tiny tweaks to make to what you've already done. i'm trying to restrain myself and focus on baking cookies and preparing the holiday meals, rather than continue to spend time on decorating, but i wanted to share a few tips (and some tutorials i referenced this year) with you in case you're still doing a little decorating.

greenery.



one of the easiest ways to add a little holiday cheer (and scent) is using fresh greenery, especially in less expected places. many grocery stores (mine came from trader joe's) offer mixed bunches of greenery in their floral department. choose your favorite vessels (just make sure they'll hold water), make a small arrangement of greens, and you're done. this year i used greenery in the kitchen and bathroom as a simple way to dress up some rooms that are often forgotten.

use objects you already have in new ways.





whenever i'm preparing for holiday decorating i like to look around the house and decide if any of the items that i use or display the rest of the year might make festive holiday decorations. have a plaid scarf in holiday colors? tie it around something or use it to hang a wreath. is anything you collect shaped like a tree? group them together for an unexpected forest. are there holiday dishes that you usually only use for a special meal? use the plates to display candles, or the cups as vases.

add in some Christmas linens.



my earliest adventures in decorating my own home (well, the houses i shared with lots of roommates) usually involved changing the linens out. i had Christmas bath linens and New Year's linens and many holiday kitchen towels. eventually i mostly shifted away from that strategy, but i do still like to add in some special linens at the holidays. this year i wanted the overall feel of the Christmas decor to be cozy and cabin like so i started with a festive colored plaid throw i found on Etsy and went from there. i always love to have touches of Christmas in the kitchen and my old Martha Stewart dish towels are looking a bit tired so i opted for some great options from Oh Little Rabbit (you might remember me mentioning them last summer- i'm obsessed with their designs and they're some of the nicest people you'll meet). i also changed up the throw pillows in the living room slightly, adding in a red and white checked round pillow and bringing the round green pillow out of retirement. you may just need to combine the linens you already have in new ways!

wrap those gifts!





an easy, and useful, way to bring some more Christmas into your home is to wrap up some gifts. i always like to pick a limited color palette or stick with certain textures or materials when i wrap gifts for under our tree. this year i used this great stacked log paper from Ikea, along with a red and white faux bois paper from the Mara Mi holiday line (available at Target and The Container Store), and some simple brown parcel paper. we used red and white bakers twine, along with washi tape, and an assortment of tags, including metal rimmed keys tags and some great tags made out of real pieces of wood that i picked up at work. whatever your personal taste is, try to stick with a few colors and textures to really make your gifts a part of the overall decor of your home.

a personal message.





i love using type in my decor, and Christmas is no exception. some of my favorite ways to include type are using simple things i already have on hand. one of my best kept (until now) supply secrets is Probe game cards. the font is simple and you can usually find the game at thrift stores or garage sales for less than a dollar! another easy way to add a special message to your decor is chalk. don't have a chalk board? most office supply stores have smaller boards for under $15, or you can use chalk board paint to transform something into a chalkboard. i've even seen chalkboard paper at scrapbook supply stores! pick a sentiment you love and write it in your fanciest handwriting (or ask your mister to do it like i did). even a store bought banner can bring some added charm (mine is vintage, but i've seen many great new options this year, like this one from Paper Source).

make a centerpiece before the holiday dinner.


i know the centerpiece is often the last thing people think of when planning the holiday meals, but i like to start with the centerpiece and choose elements that will last more than a day so that i can dress the table up well ahead of the big meal. this is another place where simple greens can be a great addition. i choose a simple and low wooden box, then added some pine branches and mason jars with large tea lights (from Ikea). to make things extra festive on Christmas Eve i'll probably add in some branches with red berries clipped from a bush in our yard. do you prefer flowers for your table? choose a variety that lasts longer like simple mini carnations (i know, carnations get a bad rap, but i find them to be simply beautiful, they last for weeks, and even have a spicy scent. just stay away from the weird dyed ones in unnatural colors), white spider mums, or even roses (as long as they're spray or garden roses, or open really wide- tightly closed blooms tend to look a bit cheesy. they also look best in short arrangements).

make something!

this year might very well be my most crafty Christmas to date. in order to get that cozy feel i wanted i chose to fore go some of my vintage holiday decorations in lieu of some simple, handmade pieces- mostly made from soft yarn.


inspired by this wreath at Anthropologie, i created my own version using a Styrofoam wreath form (when will they start making those with a more eco friendly material?), wrapped it with the lofty wool blend yarn from Martha Stewart's line for Lion Yarns, and then made a whole bunch of pom poms with the roving wool from the same line (all available at Joann's). as i often do, i made mine up as i went, but here is a great tutorial on making pom poms from Prudent Baby, and another on making a similar wreath from one of my new California blogger pals Cali Katrina. i used a holiday scarf to hang mine on the front door, but you can use ribbon, or even more yarn. 


last year when the Paper Zone stores in Seattle all closed i stocked up on holiday scrapbook paper. this year i put it to use covering an inexpensive, but kind of ugly tray from Ikea. we keep a tray on top of the misters cajon, or drum box, to protect it because we don't have room to store it so we use it as a side table. other easy ways to use holiday papers are lining the back of book shelves, covering the inside of a crate or wood box, or even using it as a faux mat behind framed photographs to add a little Christmas touch. i also like using paper as a runner on the table- it looks great and if something gets spilled you can just cut off the stained part and recycle the rest! 


one of my craziest projects this year was probably this little strand of lights. in my work at Anthro, one of the projects i was assigned was covering the cords of several strands of patio lights. my only instructions were to finger crochet something around the cords so that the green casing wasn't showing. it took me a few attempts to find the right technique, but i eventually found something that worked and spent close to 2 full days working on that project. at home, i decided to recreate the look, on a slightly smaller scale. using the roving wool i also used for the pom poms and a short strand of lights, i created a braid around the light cord, using the cord itself as the middle strand. i planned to do a tutorial for this project, but it didn't quite work out, so i don't have step by step instructions, but if you want to try it, i bet you can figure it out. if not, i'll have a tutorial up nice and early next year. i love the way this looks- it's almost a garland and lights in one!


my final tip is to add simple crafty projects anywhere you want a little extra festiveness. since i was already in pom pom making mode, i made some extras and turned them into garlands that we hung around the house. even simple projects like making a popcorn string or paper chain, or displaying the cards you receive in a special way, can add a nice touch, simply and inexpensively. whatever brings you joy- do that.


i hope this was helpful! i'd love to see how you've decorated your home this holiday season- feel free to leave links to your own blog in the comments! this will be my last official post of 2012 (if you want to keep up with me in the meantime, i'm always posting on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook). i hope you all have a wonderful holiday filled with peace, joy, and love and i'll see you in 2013!

xo

a special message

happy friday everyone! you're probably expecting the follow up post to the home tour from yesterday, and i promise that will make an appearance later today, but i wanted to ask you all to help me out with a special project...

{Melissa's photo via Design Sponge}
my bestest friend Melissa entered her holiday mantel in two different contests, Emily Henderson's Mantel Styling contest and Design Sponge's Holiday Before and After contest. she is a finalist in the Design Sponge contest and Emily featured her entry in a blog post this week! since the winners of both contests will be based on votes, i wanted to ask all my wonderful friends here to help out and vote for Melissa!

you will find Melissa's entries, and the voting buttons, here for Emily's contest and here for the Design Sponge contest.

thanks for helping a gal's bestie out! i'll see you later this afternoon with some tutorials and tips for last minute holiday decorating!


home for Christmas- a holiday tour

for those of you who follow me on Instagram, you know that this post has been a long time coming. only a few short weeks ago our home was still only halfway put together- i still hadn't decided where to put art, many of the shelves were just crammed with things that i hadn't decided how to arrange yet, and i wasn't even sure i liked the placement of the furniture. thankfully the mister invited some of his school mates over to celebrate the end of the quarter and that lit a fire under me to get things put into order. with the basics done, i layered in the Christmas decor and it was finally time to take some photos. unfortunately the weather decided to be very Seattle-like and it was too cloudy to take photos for days. yesterday, we finally got a completely sunny day and i was able to get all the photographs taken.

i'm not going to say much about the photos today, but i'll be back tomorrow with a link to the tutorials i referenced for some of the projects, as well as some tips for last minute decorating in your home.

















each of our stockings are handmade and our parent's were kind enough to let us take them. Bill's stocking is an amazing crewel piece that his Grandma made- isn't it wonderful?













our kitchen is one of the least finished rooms in the house- i'm still deciding on where to put art, and there are some ugly pipes from the previous tenants washing machine that i need to create a screen to hide. however, i spend a ton of time in the kitchen and it has a lot of charm on it's own so i wanted to bring a bit of the holidays in there too.






another room that i always like to bring a little Christmas cheer to is the bathroom. i admit in my younger days i even had a shower curtain, bathmat and towels that were just for Christmas- crazy, i know. i didn't go crazy with the Christmas decor, but just added a few little touches.




our nativity was a gift from the mister our first Christmas together. it's a vintage Fontanini and Bill tries to find a new piece for us each Christmas. we weren't sure where to put it this year, and though there isn't enough room for the three wise men on their camels, the little phone nook in the hallway seemed like a nice little home for it. we put Jesus in there for the picture, but we usually stash him until Christmas eve as a reminder that this is a season of waiting for His arrival. (side note- i really tried to find a nativity i liked that had a Mary and Joseph that weren't Caucasian, but all of the vintage ones seem to be from Italy or other countries where a blond Mary is the standard. if anyone sees a vintage set with culturally accurate characters, i'd love to hear about it). 










i hope you enjoyed this little peek into our home! i'll see you here tomorrow for some tips and tutorials. 

wrapping up the week

i know it'll come as a shock- but once again i have not posted in far too long! i'm actually considering taking a bit of a hiatus until February, and giving myself the mental space to finish settling in to our home in Cali, as well as consider some changes i want to make to the gather and hunt site. i haven't decided for certain yet, but i'll let you know when i do.

until then, i thought i'd share a bit from this past week...


it's beginning to look pretty festive around here! we got our tree on Sunday, i put the lights on Monday, and Tuesday we had a little tree trimming party- just the two of us. i really like how it turned out (though we need to make a bit more popcorn chain to finish it up). i love looking at each ornament and reflecting on where i found it, or what occasion it marks (we have a tradition of buying an ornament each time we visit a new place). 

our newest addition- to commemorate our first little 'house'. (available from Anthropologie)  
from last year's visit to San Francisco (which was our third time there together, but we didn't buy an ornament the second time and the first time we weren't even dating yet).  
not from one of our trips, but one of my favorites. it's a clip-on that i found at an estate sale. 


i finally had a decent 'pop-in' (as Jenny from Freckle Wonder would say) at one of the thrifts close to home. i've been seriously bummed out by the awfulness of the thrift stores here, but the one i hit up on Wednesday evening was a tiny bit better. i actually found more than one thing!


i've been crafting a ton. i think working with the visual crew at Anthropologie the last month or so has sparked some new energy for me when it comes to creating. i hope to finish this wreath over the weekend and i might even do a little diy post once it's complete!

{via}
today i had a little coffee outing with my new friend Becca. we met up in the Silver Lake neighborhood, had the best little coffees and treats (did you see my Instagram of those donuts? amazing!), and visited a few shops nearby, including Lawson Fenning- an amazing shop full of beautiful (and reasonably priced) things, both new and vintage. i kind of wanted to buy just about everything they had- so well curated. if you're in LA and haven't been to one of their locations- do yourself a favor and visit- i think you'll be glad you did.

{via}
for one final peek into the week that was- i've been viewing some movies while i work at home, and one that i must tell you about is Hugo. it came out last Thanksgiving (the mister and i saw it in the theatre while killing time due to a super delayed flight on that trip to San Fran actually), so it's not new, but it is a lovely film. have you seen it? directed by Martin Scorsese, it's set in 1930's Paris and centers on an orphan who lives in the clockwork of a train station (i won't say too much else so as to not spoil it). the cast is amazing (Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law) and the cinematography and set/costume designs are just stunning. if you haven't seen it- i highly recommend it. it's even available from Netflix's Watch Instantly service if you subscribe to that. i think you'll love it (and it's even family friendly)!

now it's off to the weekend! what are you up to? i think we might check out Unique LA tomorrow- if you're in the LA area you should stop by! and for all of you in my beloved Seattle, don't forget it's Urban Craft Uprising this weekend! it's definitely the season for craft shows- my favorite way to find amazing gifts and support small businesses and local artists. is there a craft show in your area this season? post a link to it in the comments, along with your city and maybe we can get a mini guide to craft shows going.

have a wonderful weekend!

gratitude

i know it's friday, but instead of finds to fancy, i figured a fitting way to follow Thanksgiving would be a gratitude post.

this year was the first time since we've been married that we didn't have any guests for Thanksgiving dinner. even though it was just the two of us, i still wanted to make our traditional meal (yes, a lot of work for just two people, but i really do enjoy all the cooking). i was especially excited for this years meal preparations because for the first time ever i have a kitchen that looks good in photographs! with fun counters, plenty of space and great light from two windows it was a pretty great day for this blogging cook.






the food prep seemed particularly easy this year. i always start out the night before with the pies, then make the cranberry sauce and the stuffing first thing in the morning while the Macy's parade is on. the mister and i also enjoyed a little breakfast treat, complete with a glass of eggnog. 







since we eat at night i often end up with terrible photos of the table, but this year i actually had time to get the table set in the afternoon so i could get some nicer photos! i'm really pleased with how it turned out. i wanted something really simple and a bit rustic. i incorporated a variety of vintage goods- arrows, mason jars, japanese darts with feathers, and even some vintage papers. i picked up some simple napkins from a booth at a local antique mall (on sale for half off!), and a few more milk glass serving pieces to complete the minimal look.



another thing we rarely do- take time for photos of us! we put the tripod to work and got a few keepers (we always do a round of silly face pics- they're my favorite). we put our sunglasses on to rub it in that it was almost 75 degrees out (though in truth, i would have preferred snow and cold temps). 


a tradition from my childhood that we've continued- a little mid-day snack in lieu of lunch- summer sausage and a cheese ball. the mister enjoys this mini tradition.









when it was finally time to eat we set the table feast style (since it's such a big table, we figured why not), and enjoyed the fruits of our labors. after dinner we took some time to Skype with family and friends.



of course, no Thanksgiving in our house would be complete without pie! this year, for the first time ever, i made the crust from scratch (for some reason i've always hated making pie crusts, even when i worked in a bakery). it turned out really nicely and since we had extra dough, i asked the mister to cut out some arrows to decorate it with. he did a great job, don't you think?

we had such a wonderful day. it was nice to have some time with the mister (he's been so busy with his studies i feel like we hardly ever even see each other), and though we missed our friends and family (thank goodness for Skype), we really enjoyed every moment.

how was your Thanksgiving? i'd love to hear some of your favorite moments.

now, i'm off to work- today i'm a bit regretful that i took a retail job at the holiday's, but hopefully it won't be too bad (at least it'll go by quickly). i hope you all have a lovely weekend!

P.S.

This post is my entry into the Alt Summit Blog Contest sponsored by Wilsonart International, Inc.

Wilsonart is generously hosting a giveaway of a ticket to Alt Summit and kitchen counter makeover- isn't that nice of them? while i won't be able to use the new counters in our rental, i'm really hoping to win a ticket to Alt since it's sold out! keep your fingers crossed for me?

finds to fancy

i have to sigh a bit at myself- i keep planning to get back on a regular schedule with blogging, but i never seem to make it happen. this week i started a new, temporary, job and that's made things even worse- i'm definitely out of practice with getting up before 5AM and then working on my feet for full 8 hour days so it's been a rough week (like get-home-and-feel-like-i-can't-move rough). i even tried to use my lunch break to get this post up, but didn't finish it in time and was under the weather last night so i'm sharing this post on a Saturday. okay, enough about that- onto the finds! 

last weekend i attended my first California estate sale. i wasn't sure what to expect, especially since i didn't make the effort to get up early and get on a list. i was pleasantly surprised, upon arriving about 20 minutes after the sale had started, to not have to wait in line to get in. i was delighted to find that the items i was hoping to score, which i had seen in the listing photos, were still there waiting for me! it wasn't a big sale so i didn't get much, but the prices weren't too high and i definitely found some things i fancy so overall i'd say it was a great way to kick off estate sale-ing in my new locale! 

we'll start with the things i'm keeping for myself...


another rubber office stamp to add to the stamp carousel i picked up from Oh Hello Friend at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. 


the cutest hide-a-key box i've ever seen!


and finally- a milk glass cake stand. i've been looking for one just like this for awhile now, but the ones i've found before were either too damaged or too expensive. this one is perfect and i'm so excited to add it to my collection!

now for the things i'll be adding to the g&h inventory (read on to the end to hear some exciting news about the first ever California g&h event)...






if you like what you see, and live in the LA area, i'm happy to announce that you'll be able to purchase g&h goods next weekend at the Oh Hello Friend Holiday Vintage Sale! admission is free, but we'd love to know how many to expect so just click on the link above for all the details and to RSVP. i'll have some more details up next week and Danni will share a post about the sale as well on the Oh Hello Friend blog so check back with both blogs next week! i'm looking forward to meeting new friends and sharing g&h with my new state. oh, and if you know anyone in the LA area who likes vintage i'd be grateful if you'd help spread the word!

happy weekend everyone! i'm off to sort through some Christmas boxes for a few things to add to the sale. i hope you enjoy the day, whatever you may be doing.

finds to fancy


hello everyone! i know, it's been awhile since i've made an appearance around here and i'm working on that- as soon as i finish getting this house all set up i want to get back on the regular blogging schedule.

i hinted at it on Instagram and Facebook on Sunday, and here it is- the Rose Bowl Flea Market edition of finds to fancy!


for the few of you who might not have heard about it, the Rose Bowl Flea Market happens once a month, right here in my new home- Pasadena, CA. it is one of the largest flea markets in the country and you can find everything from vintage and antique items to handmade goods, new items, even plants- pretty much anything you can think of.

i had been eagerly awaiting my chance to check out the market, even before moving here. Saturday night i prepped all my gear, and woke up early on Sunday in order to arrive for the 'express entrance', which gets you in an hour earlier than the normal opening time. the mister dropped me off, i purchased my ticket, and wheeled my cart in, ready to get started.

i had read a number of blog posts about the market previously, and everyone said to head left from the gate if you're looking for vintage. so i headed left...as far left as i could go. once i was at the very edge of the vintage section, i started working the grid of vendors, trying to be as methodical as possible so i didn't miss anything.

now, i've been living in the vintage/thrifting world since i was about 5, and i've been to many a flea market in my day, so i say this with a certain amount of brevity- this market BLEW MY MIND. especially the clothing/accessory/shoe vendors. racks of vintage clothing extending across entire sections. 30 foot sections of nothing but leather purses. piles and piles of shoes. entire 10x30 foot booths full of nothing but belts. i've never seen anything quite like it.

an entire booth of nothing but tee shirts.

just one of the many all-bags booths
knowing that i wouldn't make it all day in the warm California sun (it was in the 90's by noon), i had to decide early on what to focus on. most of the items on my 'shopping list' were things we needed for home, so i made the tough choice to ignore the clothing booths and just concentrate on home goods. (don't worry- i'll be back for a day of just clothing shopping). even having narrowed my focus, there were still an almost overwhelming (in a good way) number of booths to peruse.

i wanted about half of what this vendor had- so many fun industrial things. 

i tried to convince this vendor to sell me his umbrella- i even offered to come back at the end of the day so he wouldn't lose his shade. i was unsuccessful. i've also thought of it almost daily since. it would match our 'new' yellow patio set perfectly!

this vendor had nothing but vintage eyewear. i had to restrain myself from going in- i'm such a sucker for vintage sunglasses. really love those turquoise oversized frames in this pic.

just thinking about this booth still makes me sigh- filled with vintage french linens (these are bolts of grain sack). i think on my next visit i'll have to buy a small scrap as the current budget won't allow for anything else but it's all so gorgeous!

i could have moved into this booth. so much goodness. i dream of someday having enough wall space for an old motel sign (i am obsessed with old signage- see my previous post about that), and this top hat one would be amazing.

one of the many things i regretted not buying. it's a little shinier than i usually go for in my own home, but i love the facets. so perfectly on trend. 

around 1PM i noticed that despite my best efforts to reapply the sunscreen, i was getting a serious sunburn and knew i should call it a day. i hadn't found everything i hoped to (or at least for the price i was hoping to), but i reminded myself that i live here now so i can go every month if i want to, plus my cart was totally full so i called the mister for a pick up.

i've been saving this since the Funky Junk Show last year, with this very day in mind.

i definitely put the old cart to the test and it passed with high marks. 
when we got home he mentioned being amazed that i willingly stayed out in the heat for so long (i HATE hot weather and usually turn into a whiny baby if it's above 90), and reflecting on it i realized that i was having so much fun being perfectly in my element that i barely even noticed how hot i was. it was an amazing day. oh, and i found some really great things too- here the finds i fancied enough to take home...

as you might have guessed from the g&h logo- i love arrows. i couldn't pass these up- they even came with that amazingly weathered leather strap. 

my latest obsession is black and white enamelware and there was an abundance of it. i controlled myself and just picked these three pieces. i love the little pot with the double handles and lid! 

my tillandsia (or air plant) died in the move so i was excited when i found a booth selling a huge variety of them. 

i was so pleased when i talked the vendor down on his price for this cool metal drawer set. it will hold regular sized paper perfectly so i'll be using it to sort invoices and such on my desk. 

remember my newest collection- milk glass? i found some great additions. i especially love those bowls with the black stripe on them. now that i know Anchor Hocking made a pattern like that i'll be on the hunt for more! 

one of my favorite moments was visiting the Oh Hello Friend booth and meeting Nick, Danni's mister! unfortunately Danni was out visiting other booths when i was there and i didn't have time to go back to meet her, but i did pick up some great pieces from them. i've been looking for a stamp carousel for the longest time and this one is in great shape to boot!

i was hoping to find some vintage advertising from LA, so this old nut crate was a great score!  Danni had a lot of great items, including her handmade goods. if you haven't been to the Oh Hello Friend blog before, i encourage you to visit! 

in addition to that crazy good haul, i also picked up a tall wire shelf that folds up. it will make the perfect home for our stereo and record player. i'll share photos of it once it's all set up.

i hope that everyone who enjoys hunting for vintage has the chance to check out the Rose Bowl at least once. if you do happen to make it, here are a few tips to make your visit as awesome as possible...

-spend the extra $2 for the express admission. i arrived just after 8am and had about 2 hours to browse in peace until it got busy. they offer even earlier admission but 8 seemed about perfect as most vendors were set up or still setting up, but there wasn't a crowd.

-bring your own water. i brought two of my reusable bottles that i filled and chilled overnight and was glad i did. they sell bottled water, but it's a steep $5.

-if you have a cart or wagon, bring it. if you don't have one they rent them there and your shoulders will thank you. i carried both my purchases and my supplies (water, sunscreen, etc) in the cart, and then just wore a small (light) purse with a long strap for my money, tape measure and business cards.

-dress comfortably. i wore a light cotton batik dress with cotton leggings and comfortable sandals and was pretty set for the day. layers are also helpful, especially if you start early in the morning and will be there through the afternoon.

-wear sunscreen, and remember to reapply. you may also want a big brimmed hat. i didn't have one and wished i had- i got sunburned pretty badly on my shoulders.

- if you'll be more than a few hours you might want to bring some snacks or a lunch. they do have food vendors but again, the prices are pretty steep.

-if you're bringing children, use the smallest stroller you have. most booths can't accomodate strollers or carts, so you have to leave them just outside the booth.

- like i mentioned earlier- if you're looking for vintage- go left after entering the gate. seriously- go left until you can't go any further. you'll pass over a bridge that leads you to the very edge of the vintage section. i started here and worked my way back to the section closer to the main gate.

- don't be afraid to bargain. i don't think i payed the marked price for a single thing all day. if you're not sure how to bargain a great starting place is just to ask 'can you do any better on this price?' or 'what's your best deal on this?'. every vendor i bargained with was very nice about it- even if they couldn't give me a better deal. another good method if you're planning to buy more than one of something is to ask if they can give you a deal if buy all of them- i scored that entire stack of small plates for $6 even though she originally told me $2 each. many vendors don't have marked prices, so you'll have to ask for a price. if you can't pay what they quote you, or want a better deal, most vendors will go down- especially if you start to walk away. remember that vendors don't want to pack this stuff up- they want to sell it so be bold and try to get a price you're comfortable with (within reason- you don't want to be insulting). it never hurts to ask.

-if you buy a large item most vendors will allow you come back and pick it up later. just write down where they are so you can find their booth again. they also have people who will deliver furniture to your vehicle for you- i think there is a fee for this service, but it's helpful if you're alone and buy something big or heavy.

if you're planning a visit to the Rose Bowl Flea Market- let me know if you have any questions- i'm happy to help if i can.

happy weekend y'all. i hope it's a great one! oh, and don't forget- i'd love to share your very own finds, so email me for details if you have something you'd be willing to let me post. danae@gatherandhuntvintage.com.






gratitude (the long overdue edition)

happy Wednesday everyone- i'm so excited to be back here blogging again! i hadn't intended to be absent for so long, but between the move to California, my sister-in-law's lovely wedding in Baltimore, and finally finding a place to live, i guess i should have figured it'd take some time to get back in the saddle.

i felt like a gratitude post would be the ideal way to kick off a new season here at Gather and Hunt, so today i am grateful for...


we're still settling in and have lots left to unpack, put away, fix, and update, plus i haven't even begun to decorate yet, but i thought i'd share a little instagramed sneak place of the new place and some features i'm grateful for...




amazing light in the kitchen. our last two apartments had terrible light in the kitchen, which makes taking photos in there difficult. i love the kitchen in our new place- it's charming and gets lots of natural light all day long.



outside space. when we decided to make the move to Pasadena i was hoping and praying we could find a place that had some outside space and somewhere to plant things. after living in a building surrounded by concrete and rock, it's such a nice change to have grass, trees, and even hummingbirds right outside! the front landscaping needs some help (that lavender has taken over), but the landlord offered to give us some funds to spruce it up. we even have a little space just outside the kitchen that we're going to turn into a patio for dining alfresco. 


hardwood floors! most of the places we looked at prior to this one listed hardwoods, but ended up only having cheap laminate floors. these floors are original, dating back to 1920, so they need a little TLC, but i'm so happy to have them. 


built in storage in the bathroom. i don't think i've ever had a bathroom with this much storage in it- there's more space than we even have stuff to put in it! 


charming french style windows. though they need a major cleaning (glass cleaner and paper towels just didn't cut it), i adore these swing arm windows on each side of the bay window at the front of the duplex. 


tons of built in storage. this rental was a bit more than we were hoping to spend, but was the only place we looked at that had enough room to store everything we had without having to rent other space. there's even room for the Gather and Hunt booth structure components and all the other stuff that comes with having a mobile business. 




original details. when we first looked at this place we had actually responded to an ad for another unit on the same property. that unit was amazingly charming with tons of built-in's and lots of the original details intact. unfortunately it was too small for us, but this larger unit was also available and though it didn't have quite as much charm, it is the perfect size and has many charming details as well. i love that the original mail slot is still functional (though i suspect the postman hates it)- it makes getting the mail so much fun. the former phone nook in the hallway may need to find a new purpose since we don't have a land line, or maybe i'll just find a vintage phone to display there. lastly, there's the old milk delivery door. back when milk bottles were delivered daily, the milkman would have opened the outside door and left the milk inside the cool compartment away from the sun's rays. the occupants would open the inside door and have their fresh milk for the day.

so that's our new place. i need to get back to unpacking, but i hope you enjoyed a little peak into our new life here in Pasadena. i'd love to know what you've been up to over the last month- leave me a comment so i can catch up!

moving sale of epic proportions

hi friends,

i know i've been absent for far too long here, and honestly i can't promise i will be back in full swing anytime soon- all the moving prep and my building management job has taken over my life and it's all i can do to get the 'have-to's' done every day, let alone the things i want to do- like blog. i should be back  to a normal schedule in a few weeks though, and i'm always posting photos to Instagram and Facebook, so please check in with all the G&H happenings there!



today i wanted to let you know about our moving sale! tomorrow from 9AM-4PM we will be selling off a ton of vintage (including those cute deer up there, and all the left overs from the booth and Farm Chicks), plus a lot of great newer stuff as well! if you are in the seattle area i encourage you to come shop, get some great deals, and take the opportunity to say goodbye- i'd love to see you!

visit the Craigslist ad for all the details!

finds to fancy

as many of you know by now, we are moving to southern California in 30 days or so (can't believe it's that few days already). of course, that means it's time to find an apartment. today, in the midst of hunting, i took a few minutes to just search using key words that sum up my dream apartment- 'vintage hardwood yard'. i took the price limit off and just let myself dream for a moment. this is what i found.


yes please. this one is just stunning, and perfect. hardwoods, big kitchen, private back yard, 2 bedrooms, and a fireplace, it's even in Pasadena, which is where we are hoping to find a place so the mister can be close to campus. dream. apartment. i fancy it very much. the price tag, well that's a little too fancy for our budget. 

not to limit myself to just one dream apartment, i clicked on a few more and found another one...




not as stunning as the first, and much smaller, but still oh so charming. love the tile in the bathroom and the un-painted wood trim. it even come with a 'bonus' space off the backyard to use as a studio or storage and has fruit trees and tomato plants growing in the yard. unfortunately, the price tag is still a bit too rich for us. 

for now i'll have to settle for just fancying these finds. but hopefully soon we'll find something we can actually call home. if you see anything out there- let me know. 

happy friday everyone! hope you have a great weekend! 

a curated life: editing

as i alluded to in my monday post, i've been doing some thinking about life, work, and this blog lately. i won't drop all of my realizations on you at once, but one thing i've discovered about myself in the last year or so is that i definitely enjoy the styling aspect of the work i've been doing, far more than the retail  side. after sitting with that realization for a while now, i've decided to move towards doing styling work. i'm starting small- reading a book about the career of photo styling, studying photos to focus in on what i like and don't like, and honing my own styling identity by rearranging things and plotting changes i want to make to our home (which is totally crazy-town given that we're moving in a few weeks i realize!).

so today, with all that said, rather than sharing a collection with you, i thought i'd talk about an important part of curating in your own home- editing. 

editing can be an easy thing to overlook. when you're really into a collection, sometimes it seems like the more items you add to it, the better. that's not always true though- especially if you're interested in living with your collection and not feeling like it's swallowing you whole. editing may downsize a collection, but it can make the collection feel more important in your home. 

to demonstrate, let's take a look at an area in my home that i have been unhappy with for years:


now there are several little collections contained on those shelves, and while there are a lot of cool items there, the cluttered look has been bugging me. in fact, when we moved into our current apartment, i was so annoyed by all of it (and totally overwhelmed by all that needed to be done at the time), that i had the mister put it all out and haven't really messed with it much since then. 

let the editing commence. 



first, decide on what your overall goal is. make the area look less cluttered? get rid of items you're not loving anymore? what are you ideally trying to accomplish? for me, i wanted to both pare down some of these collections, and make the space look more stylish and less cluttered. 

i've been tiring of my deer collection for awhile and while, so i know i need to either put them all away or find a way to love them again. 

i also haven't really ever loved the way the 'Bill and Danae' vignette looks, so it's time to fix that. 


now that you have a goal, take all the items out of the area you're editing. this applies to a whole room- if you're editing furniture, an entire bookcase, or just one shelf. in my case, i started with two shelves of this larger area. you want to be able to see the space you have to work with in it's raw form. this is also a great time to dust the empty shelves. you may also discover work you want to do to make the space a better foundation- in this example, i'd love to cover the back of this cool little shelving unit with something prettier than this water stained panel. of course, since we're moving, i think i'll wait until we're in our new place. 


now, take all the items you'll be drawing from and put them all out together. this helps you to choose what you like best, what works well with the space you have, and which items look best together. it can also help you realize just how large your collection has become. 


as with the shelves, since you'll be handling all these items anyway, it's an opportune time to dust them.

the next part is a bit trickier, but try and cut the number of objects down to half of whatever you had to start with (you can always add more later if you want to). focus on which you love the most, which have special memories attached to them, or which fit with your current style the best. you'll want to choose a variety of sizes and heights to ensure your new vignette will look it's best. a mix of finishes also looks best, so try and avoid only choosing objects of one material. 

take your pared down collection and arrange them in the available space. try and focus on making the most beautiful or impact-full display with the smallest number of objects, while still keeping a 'collected' look. 


step back, and see what you think. if it's not quite right, try rearranging, adding or subtracting objects. continue just messing around with things until it pleases you. 



these are my finished, edited, shelves. 

for the 'us' shelf, i focused on the items i loved the most- the typographical elements and our wedding photo (it's the only wedding photo we have displayed in the living areas). though i love the bride and groom salt and pepper shakers Bill gave me as a wedding present, i decided to save them for a vignette in our bedroom instead. i also ditched a few elements that either didn't stay standing up well or distracted from the typography theme. 

on the other shelf, i picked three deer items to keep- the candle deer because the original Dear Darling Vintage logo was based on it, the deer in the picture frame because Melissa made it for me, and the Victoria, BC deer because it reminds me of our honeymoon on Vancouver Island (although i didn't find it there). the shelf needed something more though, so i picked out a few books in a slim color palette to display with the deer. 

a few more tips:

-i find it helpful to take photos of each version i create, including the original state, so that i can compare and if i like an older version better, i can refer to my photo to set it back that way. 

-don't get rid of objects you edit out right away. once you've lived with the new version for a few days you may want to swap some items out or add something back in. 

-unless you're the type of person who just loves being surrounded by your collections, in general, less is more. a collection of 3-5 objects can be just as, if not more, dramatic than 100 items, if they are displayed well. 

well, i hope you learned a little something from today's post. i had fun with this one and i'd love to know if you'd like to see more posts like this here.


it's the final countdown

hi everyone! i apologize for my extended silence here last week. it did give me some time to think about  life, work, and where this blog is going, but i missed all of you. more on that later though, because today is a big, albeit sad, day...


it's true- today is the last day for Gather and Hunt in The Fremont Vintage Mall. i don't think the full weight of that has hit me yet, but right now i'm a big mixture of sad and excited. sad, because i've had so much fun doing this over the last years and will really miss it, but excited because we're having a party tonight and i'm looking forward to seeing friends, customers, and all the wonderful Vintage Mall staff. 

so, if you're in Seattle, please join us tonight for some sale shopping (bonus discounts from 5-7) and giveaways at the Vintage Mall and then head over to Red Door for a little celebration (they have a great patio, good food and tasty bevs)! 

moving sale time!

as i've mentioned before, the mister and i are packing up and moving to California at the end of the summer. this means the Gather and Hunt space at the Fremont Vintage Mall is moving too, so we're having a big sale!

{image via}


if you're in or near Seattle, stop by our space before July 30th to find lots of great vintage goods at amazing prices! 


and make sure to mark your calendars for our Grand Finale Sale and Party on July 30th from 5-7PM! we'll have extra special sale prices on all remaining merchandise and some fun giveaways! after the Vintage Mall closes at 7, we'll head over to Red Door to celebrate and connect once more! i hope you'll join us!

how do you beat the blahs?


hi y'all. i'm gonna be honest here- i'm not in a blogging kind of mood today. i don't know if it's just the pensiveness that comes from entering deeper into my 30's (my birthday was yesterday), the fact that the rain is back, or what, but i'm feeling blah today.


as we prepare for this move to LA, the future is filled with uncertainty and i'm having a hard time grabbing ahold of the positive, adventure, side of uncertainty. instead i'm mourning the loss of the Gather and Hunt shop space (which closes at the end of the month), worrying that i won't have another chance to really do what i love, and giving myself over to the comparison trap. yuck. i know this is no way to be and i don't like it, but it's hard to fight it off. 

some days posting here is a struggle- i'm not really sure if it even matters. i strive for original content in most of my posts,  rather than only grabbing images from other blogs or sites and sharing them because they're pretty, but i wonder if it's really worth the effort. i used to think i wasn't really a blogger, but over the last 7 months or so i've discovered that i really want to be, that i enjoy putting something lovely out into the world and i love connecting with people i'll probably never meet in real life through this forum. from spending time styling every photo i post here and styling my own home in a more intentional way, i've discovered i may actually prefer styling to retailing. i think i enjoy sharing all the wonderful vintage goods i find with anyone who will look through photos and blog posts more than sharing them via a shop. all of these things really drive me to find new ways to make this blog something you'll want to come back to every day, but i don't always feel like i have it in me. i hope that i do. 

i know this is far more personal than i usually get in this space, but i hope you don't mind. though i may never meet many of you- i do feel like this is a little community and there's something helpful to me in sharing my thoughts with you here. with all the madness in the world around us (my thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this horrible shooting in Colorado), i know that my silly troubles aren't really that important, but i'm grateful to be able to share them with you. 

for those of you that comment and engage with me through various social media platforms- thank you. those comments and tweets and FB posts really make my day and keep me encouraged. i appreciate you. and now i ask for more of those comments- how do you beat the blahs? 

thanks for listening friends. i hope you have a lovely weekend! i'll be back a little later today with details on the sale at the Vintage Mall space, which starts this weekend.    

gratitude

the last few months have been busy. really busy. sometimes in these busy seasons it's hard for me to find inspiration- either because i don't have time to look for it, or i'm too preoccupied to notice. over the past couple of days i've reconnected with inspiration, so today i am grateful for inspiration. 

here a few things that have been inspiring me lately...





pretty magazines. neither House Beautiful or Marie Claire Maison are ones i would usually buy, but they are both filled with beautifully styled interiors in these issues, that have me excited for the coming opportunity to style our new home (where ever it may be).

{photo via Yahoo Movies}
{poster by Laura Perm-Jardin via Apartment Therapy}
{still via Yahoo Movies}
{still via Yahoo Movies}
{interactive character poster via Movie Talk}

moonrise kingdom. have you seen this yet? oh my goodness. it's pure delight. as usual, Wes Anderson has created a film that is an enchanting visual treat. it also happens to be great timing for me because we've been planning 'camp birthday'- my birthday party- for this upcoming weekend. we've got camp style arts and crafts planned as well as a big bonfire complete with s'mores. i found all sorts of inspiration to add to my party planning boards in this movie.  if you haven't seen it- do it. you won't regret it.

{photo via The Farm Chicks}

great people. my friend (and fellow birthday girl) Serena, from The Farm Chicks, had a great post featured on BlogHer yesterday that's all about filling your 'circle' with great people (and being one yourself). such wisdom there- as i continue to build my own circles and gear up for building some brand new ones in California, i hope her advice will seep into my core and help me to both be part of, and build, circles filled with great people. i hope you'll take a minute to read Serena's post too.

what do you have gratitude for this week? i'd love to know- i think there's inspiration in that too!

finds to fancy

a few weeks back i found this great little barrel handbag at an estate sale and thought i'd share it for today's finds to fancy...





it's not in perfect shape, but i think it's adorable- the leather is such a nice color and i love the brass latches. would you fancy a barrel handbag for yourself? here are a few cute ones...

tweed and leather from Lilies Valley Vintage
silver lame from Victoria Westbury
floral silk from Reboot Vintage
tooled leather from Tea Street Vintage
needlepoint carpet from J Forney 000
faux snakeskin from Circa 19
happy weekend everyone! i've got a baby shower to attend tomorrow and then a date with the mister planned for Sunday- i'm so looking forward to that! what are you up to? whatever you do, i hope you have a lovely time!

a curated life (non-vintage edition)

today's curated life post is a little different than usual- today i'd like to share a little collection i gathered over last weekend, only it's not vintage- it's handmade!



while vending at Urban Craft Uprising, i met a bunch of cool vendors who were new to the show. one of my favorites was Oh Little Rabbit, or rather, the talent behind Oh Little Rabbit, Jason and Cara. i was immediately drawn to their booth, both because of the great way they designed it, as well as the hand drawn illustrations printed in bright colors on all their goods.





i've been needing to toss a few of our worn out dish towels anyway, (plus i'm a sucker for a good dish towel, especially if it's flour sack material) so it was a no brainer to pick up a few from Oh Little Rabbit. choosing the design was the hard part- they have so many good ones! initially the mister picked out two (the peanut and the octopus) and i picked out one, then we ro-sham-bo'd for the last one. i ended up grabbing a few more before we left as well.




aren't their designs so fun? that re-usable snack bag? it makes me smile every time i look at it! the are great- nice, soft flour sack material- just how i like them. even better- everything at Oh Little Rabbit is eco-friendly and printed by hand.  

i hope you'll stop by Oh Little Rabbit and see all the fun things they have to offer- i think you'll find something you'll love too!

gratitude


this may be the latest i have ever posted- today went by so fast i can scarcely believe it's already over. do you ever feel like life is just racing from one event to the next? i've been feeling that way lately. i hear myself say 'i'll get to that as soon as (event of the week or month) is over', but i rarely actually do get to it. with this move looming ever nearer, i've realized it's time to start getting to all of the tasks that have been placed on the back burner.

today i'm grateful for time to start tackling those tasks. my big project today and tomorrow? getting the state of our apartment back under control. between Farm chicks, going out of town shortly after, a holiday and then Urban Craft Uprising, it is a disaster around here...






eek! i almost can't believe i even showed you this. this is what Melissa would call an 'honesty hour'. i'm making progress though- today i got the living room back into shape and tonight i am tackling the bedroom. consider this a 'before' post- by this time tomorrow i hope to have everything back into it's proper place.

i'm especially eager to get things tidied up so that i can shoot our home tour before we have to start packing everything up! can you believe we have lived in this place over a year and i have yet to really share pics of it here?

so yes, today i am grateful for time. time to tidy, scrub, organize, plan and blog.

what do you have gratitude for this week?


urban craft update

we had a a great day at Urban Craft Uprising, and although i'm exhausted and ready for some downtime (which will involve a bag of Skittles and Bones reruns- fancy, i know), i wanted to share a few peeks at the booth...














while we saw a lot of goods go to new homes today, we still have many great things left- including the cool Royal typewriter (above), the big alphabet chalkboard, and that amazing green cart from the botany department at UW! tomorrow we'll be making deal too, so i hope all you Seattle readers will come, say hello and check out all the goods! there are a ton of amazing handmade vendors and other vintage vendors too- you're sure to find something to love!

if you plan to come check the show out, you might want to consider coming early to get in line for the always popular UCU swag bags. the first 100 shoppers in line receive one of these bags full of goodies from various show vendors. the G&H contribution to the swag goodness includes our sturdy canvas tote bags as well as fun little vintage notepad and mini pencil sets!
i hope to see you tomorrow!