...so bad, he's good...

Recognize this man?

The new season of Bravo's show "Flipping Out" started last week. I admit, I love this show - about a completely neurotic professional real estate "flipper" from California, Jeff Lewis.

Beyond the great homes, Jeff's quirks and personality (not to mention his employees) are highly entertaining.

The current real estate market has dealt Jeff some challenges in this season - making the show even more interesting....

Anyone else a fan??

.......envy.........

I love to celebrate great "finds" with friends near and far - I am weird that way. And as I move around in this world, I realize how my affection for all things vintage is only appreciated by a special few.

One of those few "appreciators" is my friend Allie. Besides being a great mom and friend, the girl has fabulous taste. (Just wait - she recently sent me pics of her home and I will be sharing them with you all soon!)

Allie sent me this picture today of these great old lab stools she scored for $62 at a Portland, Oregon antiques mall - and yes, that $62 was for BOTH of them and included the fabulous ruffled slipcover, thank you very much!

Needless to say I am inspired to find something similar....thanks Allie!

More evidence....vintage influences are everywhere!

Can you guess where these images came from?



These images are from a store/catalog that is known for their quality, but mostly contemporary furnishings (not to mention some mighty high price tags).



And while I never thought this particular store/catalog would ever give up their clean-lined contemporary point of view.....

It seems they are taking notice that design is not all about shiny new, mass produced elements.



They are acknowledging that us regular folk, like to mix it up a bit - make things interesting.



And as you know, I am always a sucker for the "real thing"....I am loving RESTORATION HARDWARE'S shiny new take on all things vintage!!!

I think I have a buyer for my current dining chairs, so those new "Madeline" chairs pictured above will be finding a home in my cottage. And the pillows....let me just say that buying new pillows is like buying a new lipstick, it provides that much needed "lift" for relatively little cost!

Anyone else loving the "new" Restoration Hardware items?

Minneapolis has Style!

Yesterday while out running some errands I allowed myself a treat.

No, I did not stop for ice cream....

Something even better!

I ventured into Minneapolis to one of my favorite sources for vintage/stylish home accessories - a store called Style Minneapolis.



The shop's owner Shayne is an energetic creative talent, with an eye for scouting great vintage wares - with a Euro influence - to stock her inspiration-filled store.

You may have even seen Shayne on an episode of HGTV's "Decorating Cents"!



She has a knack for finding pieces with "great bones" and then working her magic with her paint brush or having her fabulous seamstress make darling slipcovers with dressmaker details!



And while these pictures might look like a high-end, out of reach priced store - that is not the case! Shayne believes style does not have to cost a bundle, a gal after my own heart!



In these days of mass produced, large corporate stores I think it is so important to support our creative and unique locally owned boutiques. I was happy to do that yesterday!

If you live in the Minneapolis area or are coming to town for the Junk Bonanza - please visit Shayne's store, Style Minneapolis at 4501 Nicollet Avenue South in Minneapolis.

Simply Fabulous........

I have been very open on this blog about the void left in my life after many of my favorite decorating magazines abruptly stopped being published.

So you can only imagine how thrilled I was to learn that some of my favorites in the publishing business had gotten together to produce a new magazine.

The name of the magazine, Flea Market Style, seems to be right up my bargain hunting alley!

Now dear friends who share my love of all things vintage and home-making related, we must be patient.....this magazine will not makes it's grand debut until Spring 2010. However, in anticipation of the magazine a new blog has been established to chronicle "the makings of a magazine" - with all the behind the scenes information that us fans crave! Plus, the blog offers lots of tips and information for finding vintage treasures and using them in your home!

My new friend Ki Nassauer is one of the co-editors, along with the wonderful Matthew Mead. Blogger friends Heather Bullard and Linda MacDonald from Restyled Home are also contributors.

I hope this little bit of news makes your day brighter....

Oronoco Finds.........

Oronoco Gold Rush Days Antiques show is hard to describe. Picture a small (tiny) midwestern town turned massive antiques show - literally booths/tents set up one side and down another of every street in the town. Dealer wares ranged from the fabulous to the idustrial to the military to the practical.



I was not looking for anything in particular - my house runneth over with LOTS of treasures from past excursions.

I went to escape my children for a day (hey, it's August and I am tired of the whining and fighting and I paid a babysitter good money for putting up with it for a day!).

I also went to meet a blogging buddy - Kim from Mimi Charmante!



I have pictured my few purchases above. The cute little vintage "Nest" stamp was meant to be mine! I love old Bingo cards - why? I could not tell you - perhaps for their graphics, black & white simplicity.... Oh, and I found a Big Ben cream colored clock with a brown face for my clock collection.

Knowing that the Junk Bonanza is coming up in September I decided to save my $$$ - I had such good luck there last year!

On a separate note - I know some of you are finding me via the Junk Bonanza Facebook post....WELCOME! I met with Ki today to show her my initial ideas/finds for the Arc Value Village table top I am doing as the Junk Bonanza's Thrifty Mom. Shopping Arc, I have found some wonderful china pieces, great vintage fabric inspiration and other fabulous table top accessories. I look forward to putting it all together. Ki, of course, had many very creative ideas to add!

Great vintage wares are all over Minnesota! Please leave me a comment if you are coming to the Junk Bonanza!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood........

I apologize for being behind on my blogging....

I promised(long ago it seems) a post with pictures of my unique neighborhood.... so here they are.

Every neighborhood is special. Perhaps what makes where we live most special are the people who we are blessed to live alongside. Many times, these same people we would never necessarily choose as friends but they become friends just by proximity.

Our family has been fortunate to live in many special neighborhoods.


I feel like I have become somewhat of a professional neighborhood-picker, given all of our moves. I have a criteria - not one I am willing to put out there, but it's there up in that crazy idea filled head of mine.

Our Minnesota neighborhood is called Cottagewood and has to be the most unique place we have lived. The store pictured above is called the Cottagewood Store and is really the center of our small community. It is a gathering place for neighbors of all ages - mostly the neighborhood children who love to ride their bike or scooter to the store for the candy, ice cream, soda, pizza and smoothies they sell. I knew that a neighborhood that had a store like this had to be a warm and fuzzy place.


Cottagewood is on a penisula on Lake Minnetonka - so it feels safe. My kids ride their bikes freely to friends houses, without adult supervision. It reminds me of how I grew up and just what a luxury that is these days. The neighborhood has two beaches where neighbors gather to swim and enjoy the lake.


The Lake Minnetonka Yacht Club is on an island right off the shore of Cottagewood so we are able to watch lots of sailing regattas! Many kids in the neighborhood attend "sailing school" in the summer and go on to compete in races.


The neighborhood park is right across the street from the store and is a wonderful spot for the kids to gather to play. Often you see kids playing a pick-up game of wiffle ball - with big kids right alongside little kids.


There is a mixture of home styles in the neighborhood - from grand to modest. The neighborhood was once a weekend destination for Minneapolis families who then called our homes "summer cottages". Some of those "cottages" remain others have been torn down to make way for modern luxury homes - most still built in a cottage style.


I love the time and effort that my neighbors put into gardening. I love going for walks and enjoying all the beautiful perennial gardens and flowering window boxes.



Now don't let these beautiful pictures fool you - many might argue with me - but summer is really the best time to be in Minnesota. Perhaps I will do a winter tour of the same spots - all will be covered in a blanket of white SNOW! That has been the difficult part for me.....oh, I know people have bigger problems than 80 inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures for days on end.....still.........



What makes your neighborhood special?

Have a wonderful Monday!

Junk Bonanaza......with yours truly "Thrifty Mom"

Happy Friday y'all!

Oh, I have so much to tell you about....

First, the reason I have been a bit distracted from my blogging.



Have you heard of the Junk Bonanza? Junk Bonanza is a fabulous juried flea market here in Minnesota. Junk Bonanza's founder is the one and only Ki Nassauer, former contributor to Country Home magazine and co-author of Junk Market Style.

Ki was really the pioneer in the whole "junking" business. She literally made JUNK cool! Repurposing, shopping thrift and flea markets and occasional sales all became a part of the junking movement! This is a picture of the wonderful Ki!


If you read this blog, you know I have only been a resident of the great state of Minnesota for a relatively short time. However, I have been a fan of Ki Nassauer for a long time. I faithfully read her column in Country Home and even own her book. I knew she was from Minnesota so I was thrilled last year when I was able to go to the Junk Bonanza.

Recently, I had the opporutunity to meet with Ki and talk about the Junk Bonanza and her new magazine ventures.

Because I haven't quite figured out what I want to be when I grow up, I also talked to Ki about some of my interests, particularly in styling homes, vintage treasure hunting and all things related....

Long story short. One of our local thrift store will be at the Junk Bonanza promoting thrift store shopping for vintage wares. As part of their promotion, I have been chosen to be the Junk Bonanza's "Thrifty Mom" and have been challenged to style a table scape with items purchased from Arc Value Village Thrift store!

If you are so inclined - think about coming to Minnesota September 17-19 for the Junk Bonanza - it is a wonderful show. Teri and Serena (The Farm Chicks) will be there, signing copies of their new book, as will Mathew Mead (also a former Country Home contributor)....plus yours truly.

It has been a kick and a real honor to even "work" with Ki. Stay tuned for more details......

Oh, and I met the talented Kim from Mimi Charmante today at the Gold Rush Days Antiques Show in Oronoco, Minnesota - SO FUN - more on that later too!

Thank you, Mr. John Hughes.............

I am proud to say I am a girl of the 80's......

I graduated from high school in 1985 and college in 1989.....there I have come clean!

John Hughes movies defined my high school and college years, especially those starring Molly Ringwald.

John Hughes died suddenly of a heart attack last week, at the young age of 59.



This past week, I rented a few of my favorite John Hughes films and took a walk down memory lane........


Pretty in Pink is my favorite.

Even though I was a cheerleader in high school and probably part of "richies", my adult self is probably more like Andie, the character played by Molly Ringwald.


Andie gave all of us girls hope that the cute rich guy would sweep us off our feet and love us with our quirks and all.


As an adult watching this movie, I fell in love with Andie's "vintage" style wardrobe and even her bedroom - the set designers picked a great vintage look complete with a tole painted twin bed and crocheted linens. It is look that could easily translate to an current Anthropologie look!


Thank you Mr. John Hughes. You gave us so many characters to root for, characters that we saw ourselves in, flaws and all. What a great kick it was to revisit my 17 year old self this week when I watched my fav's.

Get Your Feed Bag On..........

How adorable is this burlap bag, huh?

The best thing about purchasing this bag is that 20 bucks from each purchase goes to feed one hungry child in school for one year through the UN World Food Program.

I got mine at amazon.com. The bag retails for $60.00 - besides looking oh so hip carrying this bag, you will feel great about helping out a hungry child.

How great is that?

Do I detect a theme here???

Is it just me or do I detect a vintage theme going on in home decor? The above graphic is from the Pottery Barn website and promotes their new fall line, definitely full of vintage influence.

I think it would be easy-peasy to reproduce these jars - love the number graphic on them!


Grain sack pillows - both domestic and European are BIG everywhere in decorating. Leave it to the Barn to come up with their versions!



Couldn't resist adding this beauty....genius, I tell you! Those people at the Barn should hire me for product development!! If you don't know what I am talking about, please refer to my last post.


I love galvanized anything...I have seen millions of these at flea markets....


And look what the Barn is using as "vase fillers" - yes, old fashioned clothes pins!


Grain scoops...they look great grouped together. You can find lots of old wooden spoons, scoops at your local flea markets!


The two photos below are from the traditionally contemporary catalog/store Crate & Barrel. I love, love, the industrial look of both the chair and stool! The stools look very similar to the Wisteria stools I blogged about a few months back....




Where are you seeing vintage influences? Are you ok with the reproductions or do you like the "real deal" like me? Although, I have to admit - I am guilty of shopping the Barn when I need some instant gratification. Shopping flea markets takes patience and persistence.....and many times I have neither.