Who Needs More Old Furniture?

Certainly not me. But, since when does need matter? I scored some pretty great old stuff this weekend, but we'll get to that in a little while.

I want to share a couple shops I came across today that I thought were really nice. This first one http://www.tannerglass.etsy.com/ really cheered me up this morning! I wasn't my normal cheery-silly self while I was lurking the Etsy forums and came across this shop. There's something about these vases that just make me want to smile. They're just so sweet and cheery, I can picture them sitting on my window sill in my kitchen making me smile all day long. Well, not all day long... despite popular belief I do not spend all day eating. I know that idea may not be easy to dispel after letting you all know that I split my pants. Trust me though, it's really only like 3/4 of my day.... Suzanne also makes the cutest blown glass Christmas/window ornaments, you know, the ones that look like witch balls (Not to be confused with felty balls, totally different feeling) or friendship balls, or whatever. They're just so pretty and whimsical and give you that cutey-sweet feeling all over. Love them. I will show Mr. Pretties her shop at Christmas time and let him know he can pick anything from there. He will then pick something entirely different from an entirely different shop (non-Etsy at that) that I've never in my life expressed an interest in. Men.

Another shop that made me smile today was http://www.signsbydiane.etsy.com/ Her stuff is so shabby chic, it's just exactly my style. If I had my way I'd have one of these signs in every space in my house. Okay, we all know I have no spaces in my house. But I would make one. I love things like this. I don't know what my attraction is to things that look old and worn, but they just feel 'right' and cozy. I could look at something like this everyday and never get tired of it. I think I get tired of new shiny things way too easy because they have no charm, no story, nothing. They came off a conveyor belt in China and sat on a shelf. That doesn't really sound like something that deserves a lot of attention or appreciation to me. I think you need to at least sit around for 80-100 years, get all cruddy looking, peel a bit, fall apart a bit, and then can you be appreciated. If you can't manage that, then at least pretend and go for the 'shabby' look. I can handle that.

So as I was saying. Remember that garage sale the land people were having at that ungodly hour? The one I was cursing? Yeah. Well it didn't really go so good. It went so poorly in fact that they were so fed up of carting this same stuff back and forth to the antique market that they were either chucking, or donating a lot of this stuff. Have I mentioned I like donations? I really do. Alot. So this sweet little baby has parked herself in my dining room now (I'm an idiot, if anyone knows how I can flip these pictures without photoshop or anything, please, do us all a favor and let me know). It's really beautiful and much shabbier in person. I even need to epoxy the drawer pulls because they're striped. Love it. The mirror is all nice and filmy from being old like. Who needs to see themselves?! It's actually not quite that bad. She's such a beauty... not to mention a free beauty. That makes me love her so much more. Not to mention I loved her last year at the antique market and almost bought her for $60 then which was a great deal. But I didn't. Thankfully no one else did either ;) Mr. Pretties brought her in from the rain on Saturday (Garage sale got rained on) and I just stood in the kitchen and stared in appreciation. Both of the fact that she's such a beaut, as well as the fact that I got her for free. What a great feeling!

Saturday we were supposed to be on a mission to obtain another window shaker. We got two blocks away and spotted a street sale. We pretty much stopped garage saling when we got the Buick (No, not a nice Buick. An 11 year old Buick Park Ave that's like a really big luxury thorn in my side). For some reason the Buick makers (Yes, I said Buick makers because I'm not looking up who makes them, you can though) are under the impression that persons who drive Buicks do not 'do' garage sales. Or flea markets. Or antique shows. It does however have a very nice peek-through hole thing in the back seat that would be splendid for, say, skis, or golf clubs... apparently we are not well matched with our vehicle. But, to get back on track here, we went to this street sale. As soon as we turned the corner I saw this: complete with this:

This cute pair had no price tag to be found. I do not ask prices at garage sales, it's part of my person-phobia or something. I just assume it's too expensive and move on. Mr. Pretties was feeling generous and said he'd go ask for me. Sweet. The man told him they got it from his wife's grandfather and that it was... $25. With the chair. Are you kidding me?! You had me at 'my wife's grandfather' but for a mere $25?! Clearly we need this. I especially love that it's that great pukey green colour! We of course, being the knobs we are, had no cash on hand. For some reason garage sale people don't accept debit. So we made out way up the way too crowded street to the bank where I probably walked as fast as I have in the past three months. I got my monies and we sped back to the sale. I see the man putting a sticker on it. Crap. It's sold. I was just going to walk away and assume it had been sold. I'm ambitious like that. Mr. Pretties insisted I go check. Totally not sold! Just a price tag! But there is a woman admiring it and waving over the man. Oh no. She's concerned that it appears that this piece should have a mirror on the back and doesn't... she'd give him $10 for the damaged goods with the chair since he's clearly going to have to haul it to the dump otherwise. Who is this woman?! Obviously she has no taste at all. So I pipe up with 'I have the $25, I'll take my set right now!' to which the man was very happy about and the woman gave me dirty looks. Sucks to be her. She only wishes she has this extra piece of furniture taking up valuable space in her house! My 'swank' tv stand is going to Aunt Pretty's this month so I'm going to use it as a tv stand. It'll be cute and it'll match the rest of the decor that Mr. Pretties hates so much. Love it.

I also got this really pretty satiny pale blue fabric from the land people. It's at least vintage, if not nearing antique (ignore Little Pretty's feet, they're neither vintage nor antique, although they are pretty cute). I'm not entirely sure what I will do with it. There's a fair bit there, like, five or six yards. Sweet. I think I might make some fancy pillow case dresses. Hmm... something about fancy and pillow case dresses in the same thought doesn't go well... They'd be super cute though, and I'd have to line them. I do not like lining. I'd also have to use my sewing machine because of this... on second thought I might rip it up and make some blue and brown ragamuffin flip flops instead, those would be cute. Did I mention this fabric was also free? Yup, I cleaned house this weekend. I feel so proud! I also feel so cramped since I have three large pieces of furniture dominating a very small room that already is housing a fireplace, a small wardrobe, and an arm chair. Notice this is my dining room and I have yet to mention a table or chairs. They're currently hanging in the basement. I have no room in my dining room for dining apparel currently... I can't figure out why... I wish Mr. Pretties would stop insisting we allow all these pieces of antiquated art live with us... he's such a soft heart!

I got my cupcakes today!!! Yay!!! I like that kind of mail (You know, the kind that doesn't come with the opening line 'you have a balance owing...'). I also completed three new sets of clips that I'm pretty partial too. The pictures are really bad. My camera was running out of batteries and simply did a half-rear-ended job. Then died before I could do the third set. Or get pictures of them in actual hair. I listed them anyway, I'll change the pictures later. They're actually pretty in real life.

They're both pink grosgrain on a wide chocolate brown satin ribbon. The one on the left says 'Cherish' on a shiny silver plate with clear rhinestones and the one of the right says 'Princess' on a silver metal heart with a pink rhinestone. Can't wait to get better pictures because they look really garbagy here while they're actually so cute. They're part of my 'scrapbooking' theme. I have a nice purple set too that's neat, but we'll have to wait for them. Wow. I can't believe how horrible these pictures are. They didn't look this bad when I uploaded them to Etsy. Maybe they did and I was in denial. Stupid batteries!

I didn't make cupcake clips today like I intended. It was crafting time (aka nap time) when Mr. Pretties showed back up at home... an hour after he left for work. What the?! He was supposed to work nights this week (God help us all) but switched for afternoons because he does not do nights. Plus with being in the two week wait of birthing the Little Boy Person I don't like being home alone at night (I have middle of the night babies) and the thought of bringing a newborn home while trying to keep two toddlers quiet so Mr. Pretties can sleep is even less appealing than ripping out my own toe nails. Plus, Mr. Pretties isn't so... pretty? when he works nights. In fact it's been discussed that he should remain in a hotel for the entire week since he makes the rest of us horribly miserable. So. He had switched so we could avoid this whole issue. He went to work for 2pm. Work changed the schedule and 'forgot' to inform Mr. Pretties and he is in fact on nights. Oh.My.God. So he's trying to get a few hours sleep before heading into work for the night. The Little Boy Person has been strictly informed that he absolutely cannot make his debue this week at. all. I hope he doesn't take it personally. It just wouldn't work. Mr. Pretties hasn't worked nights in over a year. We are not used to this and it has not been pleasant so far. The pretties do not understand the concept of 'quiet'.