Bungalow Betty

It's Estate sale Thursday which usually means that I'm getting ready to brave a mob of fierce competitors on the hunt for lost treasure and vintage bliss. Well not today nothing peaked my interest enough to brave the elements (it's cold here in Michigan again) and the seasoned hunters who will do almost anything for a good buy. 

So I sit in my cozy house with a warm cuppa looking out my window to a meadow of heavy wet grasses and chilly raindrops and remember a few weeks ago when we were having unseasonably warm weather and I dressed in my usual estate hunting garb to attend a funky little sale of retro treasures and provocative art. Luckily I wasn't alone. I was accompanied by a very stealthy and sometimes ruthless hunter who unlike myself wears sensible shoes that allow her to run thru the premesis and score the coolest find of the day. Unlike my stealthy friend, that I will call Dee Dee for this article, I have a ritual or obsession with getting dressed in just the right attire for a day of treasure hunting. I say right attire but honestly there's nothing right about it. I don't know why or what it is about sale day that makes me gravitate to my chunky old  ( more like clunky) pair of clogs with 3 inch thick wooden soles and what was once cream colored suede uppers but now resembles a paint splotched mess. They look like something right out of the eighties and they're not far off I think I've had them for 15 years or more. Crazy I know but I  think it's something like carrying a lucky rabbits foot or wearing a lucky fishing hat. I don't feel ready for the sale unless I'm wearing them. 

Well now that you've witnessed one of my many quirks, or eccentricities which a little sounds better,  let me tell you why the shoes are a bad idea. It has to do with my pushy competitors and the fact that many of these sales take place in old houses with very steep stairways and rickety floors that have you walking or usually running down hill. I have been pushed down the stairs and almost trampled at some of the heavily attended sales. The shoes of course survived. 

So by now you may be asking "what does Bungalow Betty and the picture above have to do with this story?" Well, you know how I mentioned Dee Dee and her sensible shoes? She was my saving grace at the funky retro sale and the very reason Betty now has a prominent place in my "Studio Pink" office. 

Here's the story that I've been trying to tell, I am easily side tracked; Dee Dee and I arrived at the sale early and put our names on the number sheet that one of the other veteran hunters had created. We waited in line patiently, I think we were about fifth or sixth in line, when an unfamiliar competitor showed up wearing her lucky hat with a logo I can't mention for fear of being banned from a certain well loved vintage store that I haunt from time to time.  This lucky hat wearing woman that I will call #47 showed up with attitude. She was late which put her at the end of the list but after signing her name and taking a look around she placed herself in front of me in line and started complaining about how unprofessional some estate sales were run. All the while #47 rambled on I was thinking "how dare she cut me in line and act like her hat made her entitled to go first."  I was stemmed and trying to come up with something clever to say about her place in line when it hit me. She is after the very same thing that I got up extremely early for and skipped my morning shower to simply drag a comb thru my what was now a bit on the wild side hair from all the unseasonable humidity in the air. She would be headed to the basement to snag my Betty from the vintage dress form pictures I drooled over in the estate sale ad. I knew it had to be so because Betty would have fit in beautifully with all the other kitschy cool merchandise in her shop. 

I whispered to my friend who unlike me tends to speak her mind and was just about ready to blast #47 with an earful when I suggested that we not let on about our interest in Betty but instead stealthily beat her to the basement. I thought for a moment as I looked down at my shoes and realized that there was no way that I would be able to outrun even an 80 year old woman to the basement wearing these shoes let alone this forty something woman with shall I say I strong stature and a kill or be killed attitude. 

That's when I turned to my friend and said " I'm counting on you to beat her to the punch and pull Betty's tag." Dee Dee loves a challenge and because by this time she was pretty annoyed by # 47 and her audacity to cut the line. Dee Dee was ready to put #47 in her place and win the hunt. 

Well since you know that Bungalow Betty is mine you know that Dee Dee managed to throw a block in the stairway and dive in for the kill (I mean tag). It was all over in a matter of minutes and I was quite pleased to be able to stand in the check out line with Betty at my side flashing a grin over to #47 who looked rather disappointed with a measly gold frame in one hand and chunky beaded necklace in the other. 

Dee Dee and I happily pushed Betty down the sidewalk to the car and then drove off to a little diner for lunch, on me, of course!

Happy hunting,

Kelly

Nashville or Bust photo shoot

I had a blast creating this gypsy photo shoot. The girls did a great job!

What I love today

I think we made it. Made it through the winter, that is. I'm loving the sunshine of spring.  It has been much needed and anticipated. 

I'm also loving this totally awesome dream catcher necklace from Cloud 9 jewels at Etsy.com

What are you loving today?

Feeling like Spring

Did a little spring cleaning and redecorating this weekend. 

I can feel the tickle of spring as the warm sun fills the spaces inside my home. It's just a faint whisper but can definitely be heard. I need warm sun and green shoots. I need blue skies with chirping birds overhead. I need spring!

Spring brings promise of sunshine and blooming plants and it also brings opportunity to hunt for tattered treasures that beg for a breath of new life. Estate sale listings are beginning to hit my inbox.  I'm on the prowl for something with good bones or sexy legs to refinish.  

Something like this,,,,

Definitely this,,,

Or maybe this,,,,

I'm ready to work my magic with a few coats of chalk paint and a little bit of elbow grease. It's not always easy to find the right piece. I love the hunt almost as much as the repurpose. I'm looking forward to the next few Friday's scouting the tag sales. 

Happy hunting!!!

Kelly

The lust and the lure of Anthropologie and a little mystery

You had me at Anthropologie. I'm easily sucked in and swept away by the view or atmosphere. This makes me a very dangerous shopper. Unlike most of my savvy shopping buddies who look for the best deal or things they really need and can afford, I am an emotional shopper becoming hooked, more like attached to anything and everything that makes my heart skip a beat or promises to make cool or beautiful. I fall hard for good marketing and stores that have a certain dreamy or extremely cool atmosphere. I know my weaknesses but still I can't help myself. It's an addiction or what I like to call passion. I'm sure my husband calls it something else.

    Anthropologie is such a place that sucks me in the door and takes over my soul. I wander the store in lust for hours only to exit the store with a cool purchase that I love but don't need. My latest such purchase was a book titled "Gypsy a world of colour and interiors. I pour over the pages and devour images like this one...

 

I love the rawness and organic vibe of this room. From the chippy paint on the block wall to the pond sailor on the wall, I'm hooked. I can envision myself spending time sitting on that lovely blue settee or gazing out the window with the fabulous fishing net window treatment, love that!

     I am drawn to a design or piece by the emotion or memory evoked in me. I haunt swanky little decorator shops and juicy antique stores. One of my latest obsessions is vintage photos, not the posed portraits just the candid shots that make you wonder about the story behind the image. I recently designed an art piece "Lost at Sea" using some really extrodinary photos of children by the sea. I can't help but wonder who were these children, where did they live and what was their story. 

The untold story and the mystery behind the photos are intertwined with the awesomeness of each and every tiny shell and piece of garbage that gets lost and washes up on the beaches I wander. I love the mystery and the wonder of it all. I'm a curious girl who can't get enough of the romance of the sea and the lure of ambient interiors and love at first sight. Yes, you had me at Anthropologie!

Channeling Marie Antoinette

Hey, I found this really awesome Etsy listing at https://www.etsy.com/listing/224073150/channeling-marie-antoinette-art

Lost at sea

Hey, I found this really awesome Etsy listing at https://www.etsy.com/listing/224016923/lost-at-sea-altershrine

Loving the light

I felt blessed to have witnessed the magic of morning light as it danced thru the trees and kissed the frosty flowers. This photo was taken on a morning of below zero temperatures. The light sparkled brilliantly across the landscape as it warmed the earth. I love the way the light fractured thru my lens and blurred the image. It was pure magic and worth a few moments of wading thru deep snow and the feeling of frosty toes. 

Love....

Inspire me if you dare!

The light, the yummy colors,  the earthy feel and pure organic vibe of this room makes my heart skip a beat or two! I came across this inspirational image on Pinterest (http://johanna-vintage.blogspot.nl/) and fell instantly in love. It got me thinking... if only I had a room like this. I would create, write, and  get lost in a daydream or simply just be. Inspiration and ideas would flow onto the page, the canvas, the room. This space is so raw and inviting. I could definitely spend some here. 

I pinned it, downloaded it and then shared my enthusiasm for this lovely space with my husband. He wrinkled his nose and said "huh, why?") at first I felt crushed and a little hurt but that got me thinking, why do I feel such a visceral connection to this image. After a few moments I realized that this room reminded me of the basement of my grandparents dilapidated barn. I spent hours collecting rusty old implements, making vignettes with an urban loft kind of feel ( this was way before anyone would have dreamed of living in that kind of space) running up and down the crumbling brick steps and sitting against the moss covered stone walls to eat my lunch. It was raw, magical and my secret place.

Do you have a magical space that begs your creative self to come out to play?

Hugs,

Kelly

Creative juices and hello 2015

This year I made a promise to myself. No more thoughtless gifts. This year everything I gifted would be carefully planned and creatively put together with a little piece of my soul. I'm happy to say that I was pretty successful at keeping that promise. The homemade puppet theater was creative with salvaged and newly bought materials. It came together beautifully. A star was born on Christmas Day. Princess Fairah and her friends have since debuted in many crafty productions. It was as much fun making this project as it has been watching the show. It's nice when an idea comes together and actually meets my expectations. 

       So now that 2014 is behind us and we are standing on the doorstep of a new year, new hopes, new goals, I ask myself, "what do you want to accomplish in 2015?" I don't do resolutions because I feel like that only sets me up for failure. I use the concept of goals, dreams and focus, somehow these terms seem real and more attainable to me. Hmmm, I got nothing! I guess I'm not quite ready to make a declaration for the new year. 

   Here's a fun little piece of trivia... 2015 was the year Marty Mcfly traveled to in Back to the future, I guess I will have to revisit this movie to know how much they got right about the year 2015.

Hello Mcfly I don't see kids riding around town on a hover board, " what's up with that?"

Happy New Year to all

Kelly

Warm wishes

Sending you warm wishes for a very happy holiday. Be safe and stay warm. 

Hugs,,,,  Kelly

Vintage wedding topper

I found and fell in love with this vintage wedding topper still in its Drexel box.  It's in beautiful condition with the perfect amount of patina. I filled the bottom of this terrarium jar with the vintage cotton that lined the topper box. I love the way it yellowed in some areas and stayed crisp white in others. The jar is decorated with a sea horse charm because the bride and groom are getting married in Hawaii. I found the gorgeous cake plate at Home Goods.  I'm in love and hate the thought of parting with it.  

Sigh...

Kelly

Vintage holiday

I love Christmas and one of my favorite activities of the holiday is decorating. I like to decorate with vintage ornaments. Speaking of vintage I mailed out my package this weekend for the vintage secret Santa gift exchange. I participated in an exchange hosted by chronically vintage. 

Below is My tiny little vintage tree with old ornaments from my childhood scattered around the base.

This little guy is one of my favs and always takes center stage when decorating for Christmas.

I love my vintage pieces and prefer the old christmas bulbs and decorations over the new.  I have my favorites from Pinterest pinned to my Christmas Kitsch board.  Like this...

And this...

Here is my version of the snow globe....

I added lights later. 

Well I'm off to the studio to finish the puppet theater I'm making for a special little girl.

Be warm, be safe and enjoy the Holiday!

Hugs... Kelly

The plan

The plan was perfect and well thought out or so I thought.  I was going to fill my shop with the most delicious treasures for holiday gift giving. Although I have a difficult time parting with my unique finds, I get so excited like a little girl on Christmas Day, when I share my salvaged treasures. My plan to fill the studio with as found and artfully altered items didn't turn out quite like I thought it would. The shelves of studio pink are far from full but I did find the most amazing antique mortar and pestle set. I loved it so much I decided to keep it until my hubby reminded me that I already had one and then he asked if I really needed another set. I hate it when he's right. :)

      It's simply amazing how fast time goes by and how little time is left for treasure hunting and carefully curated projects.  I have managed to get started on several Christmas gifts. They aren't completed but I have begun the process. That still counts, doesn't it? Although it gets a little crazy at times I do enjoy the holiday, decorating, shopping and spending time with family. 

   What is your secret for keeping it all together and getting everything completed in time? 

Do share!

Breath and just be...

It finally happened. A moment when I could take a deep breath and just be. As I gaze out the window my stress melts away with the morning frost.  Each and every worry is somehow like the tiny crystals intricately and beautifully packed into every flake. The morning sun glistens through every facet and highlights the uniqueness of each. Every flake mimics my thoughts, so complex and individualized. 

I need this time, this moment to melt down and slowly recompose. The rush of the holiday and the hurried ness of everyday life sometimes takes it's toll. I look forward to a little quiet solitude this morning. There is so much on my To Do list but I am taking this morning and this moment to concentrate on rest and contemplation. 

No worries, no stress, just time to savor a moment to breath in waves of calm and feelings of thankfulness for this day.

Wishing you a blissful day of calm and tranquility.

Just breath....

Secret Santa gift exchange

I've been missing from the blog world while away tending to other business this week. I've been trying all week to find a few moments to share a quick tidbit with you. I am so excited and couldn't wait to tell you about an upcoming event. Jessica over at chronicallyvintage.com is having a Secret Santa Gift Exchange. If you've never been to her world you must pay a visit to her site. She always has something incredible interesting to share. I love secrets and can't wait to find the perfect little something to share. Let the hunt begin!  Thank you Jessica for allowing me to participate in the fun. I can't wait!

Be warm,

Kelly

Love potion

I have been busy cooking up some potions from my garden herbs. I like to garden. I grow flowers and herbs and the occasional tomato or pepper. My favorite part of gardening is collecting the fresh herbs and using them in salads and other dishes. I am a mediocre cook that gets bored with the same old thing and likes to get adventurous in the kitchen. My favorite things to cook up aren't edible at all. I love to make herbal salt scrubs and lip balms but my very favorite recipe is what I call my love potion. 

         It's really just rose water made from dried roses, distiller water and citrus vodka. It's so easy to make ( shhh, don't tell anyone its my secret and now yours) and smells heavenly. I use hand fulls of dried roses from the garden (the heavily scented kind) a jug of distiller water and a few swigs, I mean drops, of citrus orange vodka. I boil the water and pour them over the roses then steep them in a covered glass bowl for about 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes are up and the water is a beautiful rose tint  I strain the water and discard or compost the rose petals. I then add the vodka and pour the mixture in decorative jars or bottles with stoppers. I seal a few bottles that won't be used for a while with melted candle wax. No need to refrigerate because the vodka acts as a preservative. It smells wonderful and it's very soothing to dry skin. I keep a tiny jar of it in my home altar as well but more on that later. 

  If you don't grow roses in your garden you can buy discarded petals from a florist and dry them yourself. You can also use fresh petals but you want to be sure they haven't been laced with pesticides. I have never used fresh roses and the  recipe is a bit different from the one I use for dried petals. 

  So even though the weather is a bit frightful here in Michigan I can still enjoy my garden. We are expecting a few more inches of snow and high winds tonight. Brrrrrr!!

Deep thoughts on a frosty morning

I can't recall when it happened but there was a moment when the thought entered my mind and cemented itself deep within like a pillar of stone refusing to move. I tried to dismiss it, walk around it and even push it aside but there was no denying the obvious. I'm talking about the moment I knew that the level I had worked for and tried to attain for so many years just didn't fit. It wasn't me. It was difficult and even a little bit painful but I had to admit that I was not the super woman I pretended to be. 

       From a very young age we are told that we can do and have it all. We can balance everything in life, the family, the career, the good, the bad and even the ugly with ease. I told myself this and even pleaded with myself to stay a working woman who was finally making her way up the ladder. I was too embarrassed to admit that I didn't want to be making my way up the ladder. The truth was I didn't want to be on that ladder at all. It took some time but eventually I admitted to myself and then to others that I wanted to leave my job. I needed time to spend with my family and reconnect with myself. Admittance came first but the letting go was key. I had to let go of the notion that I had made it and let go of the money that came along with. 

That step is behind me now and I am looking forward to time with the people I love, time to create and time to just breath. As I look out across the frosty lawn in my toasty slippers and worn out sweatshirt not fit for the public eye I take a deep breath and head for the Keurig for another cuppa. There is something about the crisp air and magic of morning light dancing across the floor that puts me in a dreamy state and gives way to a moment of reflection. Ahhhh...... So glad to be here!

Horsing around

I decided to share a little fun on a cold grey day. It's already snowing here. I shouldn't be surprised. You know what they say about Michigan weather. We'll maybe you don't, it's unpredictable and if you don't like the weather blink your eyes and it will change. Ha ha.... So true!

The air is cool and crisp and the garden has been put to bed for the season. Every season has its perks but I love the warm sunny days of summer. Fall is beautiful and the spring is magical but I am a barefoot girl already longing for the long days of summer. Not everyone or everything feels the way I do. My minnie horses love the coolness of fall and the frosty winters. This pic was taken when we still had green grass and leaves on the trees but the air was beginning to cool which inspired a little ruff housing between the boys. I wish I shared their enthusiasm for cold weather.

Cheers to the weekend.... Enjoy!

Altered junk with chalk paint DIY

I have become addicted to repurposing with chalk paint. I first started transforming out-dated pieces of furniture with name brand chalk paints, like Annie Sloan, only found in specialty stores or on the internet. They were great and came in several colors but very pricey about 40 dollars a quart.  I was limited by a small color palate and had to make a 35 mile trip to find it. I should probably clarify that chalk paint and chalk board paint are different. Chalk paint is used on furniture to leave an old world appearance similar to milk paint. It is quite often aged to give a beautifully worn patina. It's often used in shabby chic decor. Chalk board paint is used to make chalk boards.

Chalk paint allows me to take a piece that needs a little love or a major face lift and transform it into something fabulous. In the beginning I was spending a small fortune on paint and wax. Eventually I decided to take a leap of faith and start making my own paint. There are several recipes posted on- line. I have listed a couple inexpensive recipes to try. My go to mix is the plaster of Paris recipe below found on Inmyownstyle.com.

It's easy and all you need to get stated is a little paint (color and brand of your choice) plaster of Paris and a soft wax like Johnson's or Minwax paste finishing wax. There are many techniques to try depending on the finish you want in the end. Pinterest is a great resource for ideas and wonderful pics of the end result. I usually go for the more distressed look with a little sand paper at varying grits. 

The best thing about chalk painting is that you can cover almost anything and you don't have to sand or strip the piece first. I love that!

The chest above was a sad piece buried under frames and chairs in the garage of an estate sale. It was dirty (including mouse droppings) and broken but I could see the potential. After a little wood glue was applied to the drawers and trim pieces and the broken door was removed, we ( my dad) cut a piece of wood for a new top. I loved the chippy paint and aged look of the chest already so I applied only a thin layer of oatmeal colored paint. I wanted to preserve the original patina as much as possible but you can create your own with a little aging wax that's readily available at your better paint or hardware store. After achieving the color I wanted I waxed and buffed to a satin finish. I painted inside the drawers and open shelf (created by removing the door) with a pop of sunny color. Then I stacked several colorful boxes in the open space. You could also use a cute little basket for storage or stack of old books. I love how this piece turned out it was a total transformation. I wish I would have taken before and after pics. I always forget to do that. It's because I get so excited and anxious to get started and just dive right in without capturing the original piece. 

The entire project cost me less than 50 dollars. That's right I got this sexy little chest for less than fifty bucks and a couple hours of DIY.  I would love to see some of your transformations with chalk paint, hint, hint!