Vintage Vanity Chair Makeover

A few weeks ago I found a couple vanity chairs at an estate sale - sans cushions.

My grandmother had a little one in her bathroom when I was young, and that was just one of the things in her farmhouse that I thought was cute.

So I sanded the rust off and spray painted them white.  Spray paint fixes anything!

Jack likes to help me craft.  Here he is being super helpful by not sitting on all my fabric!

Then came the tricky part.  I tried to make a cushion...

I think it turned out pretty cute.  I made it with all vintage fabric from various estate sales... I just love the little lacy flowers...

I did make a few mistakes... aside from not being able to sew in a circle, I decided to put a zipper in after I stuffed foam into the cover and realized there was no way I would be able to sew it shut around it.  So... I took the foam out and figured out a way to sew the zipper on last...  Didn't turn out the best, but at least it closes!  I plan on making another cover and using this one to make a pillow since I am not really happy with it as a cushion.

Thanks for visiting!

My "Wallpaper for the Home" Wishlist

I recently received my Country Living magazine in the mail, and that along with all the little things I have found to sell at the upcoming Vintage Bazaar have got me thinking about how I want my new apartment to feel and look.  We I still have boxes to unpack, and I feel totally overwhelmed by the blank canvas that is currently my home.

So I am making a wishlist of more things I would like to help pull it together...

Sheila Bridges Wallpaper

Please Mr. Knickity Knack, can I have this?

Grow House Grow Wallpaper has some cute patterns as well:

Do you see a theme?  I love these animal prints!

Osborne & Little...

Foxgloves are so pretty!

Mr. KnickityKnack Bought Me Flowers...

And I put them in this cute coffee pot!

So pretty on a gloomy day...

Estate Sale Finds...

Hi!  This weekend I managed to find time for only one sale... which is ok because I felt like I needed a break anyway.  I drove all the way out to Woodstock for a sale that looked huge, but in reality was pretty darn small.  Even though the prices were a little high I did come away with a few things, plus I got fresh cake donuts from the Honey Fluff in Huntley, and I enjoyed driving around and looking at all the beautiful old homes in town.  Overall, a good morning.

How rad is this?  I just love the font things are written in on this, plus multicolored roosters are always fun too.  It is missing some piece that goes on the top. but I plan to use it as a vase anyway so it doesn't really mater.  And it looks really cool sitting in my kitchen. 

I also found an old vintage folding kitchen stool, which I plan to repaint bright red (as soon as the cloudy weather goes away I'll take more pictures!).  The woman must have been a crafter because I also found some hand woven rugs (bought 2), and a bunch of vintage fabric.

If you read my previous post about my finds at the North Shore Flea, you'd know that I am now in love with vintage wedding cake toppers.  And I found one this weekend!

 

How sweet is this?  I am still on the lookout for one that looks like Mr. KnickityKnack and I, but this is cute for now... and will probably go in the Etsy shop.

Thanks for looking!  Check out what others found this weekend at Her Library Adventures!

North Shore Flea - a Quaint Place to Be!

Last Wednesday we had perfect weather in Chicago, which made for a great visit to the North Shore Flea in Highland, IL.

Mr. KnickityKnack came with and got a hotdog from "The Mean Weaner."  Delish.

We both treated ourselves to the Popcorn Jester's caramel apple mix - also delish!

And we bought some delish tarts from the French nuns that were there!  Make sure to pay them a visit!

In addition to all the farmers' fruits and veggies, there were lots of food vendors, beverage vendors (yes beer and wine!), a bounce house, and lots of children and doggies.  A great atmosphere!

As for the flea -  I just LOVED the shared booth by Gracie's Cottage and Down Lilac Lane!

I cannot get over how charming these vintage cake toppers are!  I would love to have one for my wedding!

She had so many!

I pretty much loved everything in their booth!

Lots of cute old clocks, keys, bits and bobs...

Truth be told, there were quite a few things there that I wouldn't have minded taking home...

Love the red step stool!

I had fun trying on vintage glasses from Albie's booth...

And also saw some crafty upcycled vintage...

How cute is this idea!  Check out the Past and Present Shoppes in Aurora  for more from this vendor!

For more posts about last week's North Shore Flea, visit Gracie's Cottage, Chippy! Shabby!, and Pure Vintage Chicago.

Vintage Red Tool Box Makeover

I found a pair of chippy red tool boxes at a sale this weekend...

Tried to clean them up... and thought "Well, these would make for cute storage, but who really wants to store anything in a rusty metal box that just won't come clean?"

But then...

I covered the inside with pretty contact paper I had on hand...

And now it's a suitable home for my Dream Pets!

I may also add some red felt to the bottom of the box to prevent the sharp corners from scratching my bookshelves.  I wonder if there is a sealant I can use to prevent the paint from further flaking off?

Little Terrarium

There seems to be a bit of terrarium buzz on the internet and in the design world lately, and after seeing this post on Design Sponge I decided I wanted to make my own.

So finally, I did!

A layer of pea gravel, charcoal, spanish moss, and cactus soil. 

Finally some of the bits and bobs I find at estate sales have a home!

I bought some cacti to go inside a few planters several months ago, and when I planted them in their new containers, they didn't really fit - I had to break little bits and pieces off to fit them in the pot.  I then put rooting hormone on the pieces which seemed to have worked.  Hopefully I didn't damage their roots in replanting them into this new terrarium.  I did knock off some shoots on the little plant in the back ~uh oh.

Shabby Chic Finds...

This weekend I went to 5 estate sales, and they all had some great vintage finds!

I am really trying to bulk up my inventory before upcoming fleas this August and September, and scouting with my little four door Hyundai Accent is really not cutting it. I keep having to make multiple trips after I scratch, ding, and peel the rubber off the car doors trying to fit furniture in that just won't fit.  I am also combating my own irresistible desire to keep almost everything I find...

YAY! How adorable is this?

I just love everything in this photo, and will definitely be selling the typewriter at the Vintage Bazaar this September.  I always pick up typewriters when I find them in decent shape, and I thought the turquoise color of this one was really appealing.  I LOVE this desk and chair set!  There was an entire matching suite in this little bedroom at one of the sales I went to this weekend - including a hutch, a six drawer dresser, and a nightstand.  Sadly, this and the nightstand were all I was able to drag home...

* Which leads me to a little sidenote:

* I met the nicest people at Sassie's Glenview estate sale this weekend.  After the owner's husband tried his hardest to fit this desk into my puny car, a lady who lived somewhat near me offered to put it in her hatchback and drive it to my house for free!  How nice is that!  Not only were they extremely nice, but the people running the sale were nice to - friendly, and super helpful.  I've been to estate sales where the people won't do as much as hold a door open for you while you drag six typewriters and a chair out, let along help you carry them and put them in your car.  As a woman who goes to these sales alone when Mr. KnickityKnack can't come, I really appreciate that kind of customer service/ kindness. Thanks!

A bunch of rickrack from a hatmaker's home...

Beautiful, girly jewelry boxes and such...

Well, I pretty much want to keep all of this in my house... I would love to use the desk as my sewing stand, but right now it is next to this mid century buffet, and they look really weird together so I might need to find a way to make it work... 

Thanks for visiting... Linking up at Her Library Adventures!