Saturday Bust!

Hello!

Well, I guess the weather matched the finds today. It was gloomy, kinda chilly and bit cold. The fog didn't roll away till 1:30 or so. Today's garage sales didn't yield anything for the picnic. Actually, it didn't yield much at all. I ran into one of the vendors I know from the Sunday flea market KBD and I attend and she wasn't having any luck either.

My trusty jotter with today's garage sales

Well, tomorrow is flea market day and maybe the flea market gods will smile upon us with sunny weather and a pouf or two (or a Victrola).

-HWC

An Estate in Danville

Hello!

We hit up another estate sale today. Though there was a lot of stuff we liked at reasonable prices, we didn't really need too much of it. However, we did pick up a couple of silver plated servers and a cut crystal candy dish which we'll use for a condiment keeper.

We're now on the hunt for very specific things for the picnic which hopefully the Craigslist gods will grant, but you never know what the next garage or estate sale will hold.

-HWC

It's Hattie Time!

The vintage millinery flowers & berries for my hattie arrived in the post today!  I was over the moon that they were even more exquisite in person than they were online & am super stoked to finally start working on my hat!

The flowers came carefully wrapped in jade green tissue paper.  I took this as a sign that I was designing in the right direction, as jade green is going to be the color of my day dress.  Apparently my cat, Boudicca, also approved of the tissue paper...

I selected bright orange as my accent color, because it would be vibrant against the green and I already had some vintage-inspired shoes that I scored the last time I was NYC.

Originally I had planned to just use the orange flower & berries, but I'm enjoying the contrast between the yellow daisies and the rest of the lot... 

Excited to see what makes the final cut!

xo

- K B-D

And We All Shine On - Part 1

Hello!

Below you'll find a picture of our soon to be light fixture in our tent. We happen to chance upon this little gem at an estate sale about two weeks ago. Oddly enough, I saw it when we went to the sale on the opening day and I didn't think twice about it. When KBD, Thom my partner, and I returned the next day, when everything was half off by the way, KBD picked it up and thought it was perfect for the light fixture were looking for! I didn't see it right away till she flipped it upside down (face palm).

Before

When I first saw it sitting on the floor, I thought it was neat but it obviously was a top or finial to something else so I just walked away. KBD was creative enough to see the potential. Good thing too cause now the price was much cheaper.

Anyhoo, on the car ride home, we debated about it's finish. My partner, Thom, and KBD both thought it could do with a good polish. I was a bit hesitant only because it had a nice patina and I was worried that shining it up would make it look cheap (it's solid brass). But Thom is a bit OCD about certain things and he went ahead and took polish to toothbrush and started his work.

After

Two hours and some elbow grease later, voila! You know what, I do like it a lot more polished. I think it will add a lot of ambiance to the ceiling of our tent. However, we're not done yet. To truly make it the spectacular Moroccan inspired light fixture we intended, we'll need to jazz it up a bit. More on that later.

-HWC

Have Liquor Cabinet, Will Travel - Part 1

Hello!

So, I use to work for a large housewares company here in the California bay area (I don't know why I'm being so secretive). One of the most glorious things about working at said company was the quarterly sample sales. There, employees got to battle it out for samples, inspiration pieces, and vendor freebies that the design arm of each brand didn't or doesn't want anymore. Since I worked as a designer in one of the brands at this company, I was well versed in what was a sample worth having and what was not. One such item was the mystery box below.

I saw this item on the floor and was curious to know what it was. So, I opened it and...

Lo and behold, une armoire liqueur voyage! There were slots for stemware, a place for liquor bottles and drawers for all the accoutrements one would need to create the perfect drink whilst away from home base. I picked up this item for it's uniqueness. It's not everyday you encounter a person with a traveling liquor cabinet. The bottle and glassware you see in the photo were not present when I purchased the box; these pieces I picked up later on at the sample sale.

Once I got this item home, I decided it needed to have it's hardware changed. It was fine as is, but the handles were weak (made of a soft metal) and would not be able to hold a decanter full liquor and crystal stemware. I had the misfortune of dropping it once while in line at the sale due to handle failure, hey it IS a sample after all. My guess is that this item came from one of our Indonesian vendors from a sister brand. The bones were right on this piece and it had a lot of potential.

In part two, I'll show you some of the improvements I've done so far!

-HWC

Evolving Inspiration

My partner and I were running errands today when we decided to pop into the import shop behind the fabric store we frequent. Inside we found many items to inspire us.

 Colorful tiered umbrellas with gold

Just as colorful umbrellas

In the corners of the shop we found many colorful patio umbrellas from India. Since we're going to need two poles on either end of our tent for the "extensions", we thought maybe we should replace the plain poles with fanciful umbrellas. They are a bit pricey and not "found" per-se, but it's just a thought.

Pillow cases with gold in assorted colors

Color blocked pillow case

In the sale section of the shop they had many ornate pillowcases. The gold one's up top were available in many vivid colors which would add some wonderful color the tent. My personal favorite is the red and white color blocked pillow with the medallion in the center. Unfortunately there was only one left. :(

Anyhoo, maybe we'll need to start searching Craigslist for ethnic patio umbrellas???

-HWC

Today's Find

It is the weekend & that of course means - yard sales!  Sadly, we scored no major goodies today, but we did find these bottles at 6 for $5. That is over $20 in savings as we had originally planned to pick them up at the Ikea for $3.99/bottle.   After a good clean, they will be the perfect bottles to tote our mixers and non-alcoholic beverages in.  These bottles were also recommended on the Art Deco Society's website which is filled with a ton of useful pointers for newbies like ourselves.

At the next yard sale, we found 6 pewter mugs.  Of course wrong era, but I thought it was funny that there were exactly 6 of them as well.  I almost picked them up for the Renaissance Faire, as we are always in need of spares, but told myself to stay focused.

Fingers crossed for more finds at tomorrow's Flea...

Things That Make You Go Vroooom!

Hello!

Growing up I have always loved automobiles. It's probably the main reason I went into Industrial Design as a profession. One of my favorite toys as a child was a line of Matchbox cars called Models of Yesteryear from the late 1970's. They were a little larger and more detailed than your average run of the mill Matchbox car. With my small fleet of "old fashioned cars" as my mother called them, I would have car shows long before I knew about the Concours d'Elegance.

My car is still somewhere at my parents house

Odd that I've only owned two cars, so far, since getting my drivers license at the age of 16. Maybe it's because I'm not really a "gearhead". Sure, I can change oil and tune up a car or at least I could do that to my old Jeep, but I could care less about performance as long as the car was pretty (industrial designer, remember?). So my dream is to one day own a beautiful vintage car. I would drive the hell out of it. What's the point of owning such an object if not to use it and show it off?

As much as I'd love to cruise up to the Gatsby Summer Picnic in a beautiful vintage ride, it's currently not in the cards, but it did get me to day dreaming. As much as I'd love to own something that would grace the stage at the Concours d'Elegance, realistically I would probably search good ole Craigslist for my period whip. Below are a few cars I'd consider if the stars aligned and money were to fall into my lap.

1925 Nash 4-door Sedan

 

 1925 Nash 4-door Sedan

Now, sources I've found classify art deco automobiles as cars produced between the two world wars. Since my taste tends to lean towards the earlier side of those years, I thought the above 1925 Nash sedan is a great contender. I think these tall box shaped sedans are uber elegant. I can picture myself stepping out of the back seat, because the chauffeur is driving of course, in a tux with tails with a top hat, cape and cane. The Nash above is on CL now for $12K.

1928 Ford Model "A" Pick-up Truck

1928 Ford Model "A" Pick-up Truck

Practicality entered my mind when I saw this beautiful 1928 Ford Model A pick-up truck. With all the accoutrement involved with the picnic, I thought a truck would be a great choice to bring to the event. I think we'd only be able to load the tent and one trunk of the limoges in that bed. The above Ford is currently on CL for $15K.

1932 Chevrolet Woody Wagon

1932 Chevrolet Woody Wagon

Here's another contender for practicality, although this hauler has a lot of style going for it. This car exudes country outing to me. Add a roof rack to it and I think we'd be able get everything to the picnic in one haul! Asking price for this exquisite example of auto meets forest is $35K.

 

1934 Rolls Royce Limousine

 

1934 Rolls Royce Limousine

Now here's an auto that the Dowager Countess could get behind. What a stately entrance you would make in this 1934 Rolls Royce Limousine. I think I'd repaint it to something more cheerful and the interior would have mohair, yards and yards of mohair! The CL ad says it runs but needs some work. Asking price is $19,900.

 1936 Cadillac LaSalle 4-door Touring Sedan

 1936 Cadillac LaSalle 4-door Touring Sedan

Talk about the cats meow! Though I prefer the more boxy shapes the sheer mass of this car appeals to me; swoopy and robust lines. This is a car, I would imagine, any respectable American gangster would own. Imagine all the bodies, um, I mean picnic supplies you get into that trunk? And I even like the color. Asking price $26,500.

1939 Buick Special Sedan

1939 Buick Special Sedan

And finally I'll end with this beautiful Packard. What's more elegant than a rear wheel skirt? Probably it's pale yellow paint job. Couldn't you just picture a beautiful lady stepping out of those rear suicide doors in a sun dress and bonnet? Asking price, $17,500.

Ah, to dream.

-HWC

And Now For Something Completely Different

Hello!

I'm going to steer us away from decorating for a moment to touch upon, once again, appearance. While researching period appropriate facial hair for the picnic I stumbled upon the handsome man below who happens to bear an incredible resemblance to my husband (although my husband is not a redhead nor does he sport arm tattoos).

Handsome man from the internets

I got to thinking about embellishing one's outfit with a festive facial and hair style. I've always been jealous of my husbands ability to grow facial hair since I myself am of Asian/Pacific Islander decent and can't grow a beard to save my life. I only managed to grow a goatee after 12 years of trying since the age of 21. Since Thom is wanting to wear some period sportswear to the event, I thought the above bear with pointed mustache would be a grand style to wear.

How does he keep it clean?

Since I myself was flip flopping between a safari look or a sportswear look myself, I found the above photo of a grand beard befitting a safari hunter in the bush. It reminds me wile man living in khakis drinking shots of scotch while carrying a blunderbuss. I'd never be able to grow such a grand statement to my lament.

This man is my idol

And finally the gentleman above to has the most fantastical facial hair I've seen. Just the sheer amount of care he must have just to sleep at night astounds me. He is my idol.

-HWC

My Fantasy Poufs!

Hello All,

So-addict that I am, I decided to search Craigslist for more goodies instead of cleaning my workroom.  I am so glad I did, because I found these unique poufs for a steal!

Actual Craigslist photos - gotta love the big-bird yellow shag carpeting

I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect pouf/ottoman.  I love the intricate woven design against the white inner cushion-very vintage in feel, summer-y & romantic.  They will play off our wicker trunks & picnic baskets beautifully and provide more essential low-lying seating.

Now if we could only find a few of these at a deal, we would be all set!

xox -  K B-D

Infant Wear

We will be celebrating my son, Beckett's, 1st birthday at the Gatsby Summer Afternoon Picnic.  I can not think of a better way to commemorate this milestone than in period costume with fellow costume/vintage lovers!  This will also be the first (of many) anachronistic events we plan to take our son to & I am very excited to enter him into his very first costume contest!

Costume contest in mind,  I decided to begin the hunt for a period-perfect outfit for my boy. This was not such an easy task as a) he's still growing at an unpredictable rate & b) standard children's sizes from the 1920's & 30's are not the same as today's measures.

Referencing my trusty reproduction copy of the 1927 Edition of The Sears, Roebuck Catalogue, I began by researching outfits of the day.  I came across a number of adorable styles I would love to acquire or duplicate.

I crazy love these little rompers with their puffy pants & peter pan collars.

And how cute are these Roll'c Play Suits!  A sailor collar is always irresistible on a little boy and I just can't get enough of those flared pocket pants!

A few looks in mind, I launched my search on ebay.  The first contender I came across were these fabulous vintage pants by Marx Made. 

I love that the tag reads: To be worn on his First Birthday!  Doing a little research, I discovered these were distributed as customer appreciation gifts during the late 20's/early 30's.  

I really loved the cut & quality of these pants, but wanted to find something that was more of a summer look.   September is usually hot in the San Francisco Bay Area, so wool was probably not the best of choices.

Next I found this adorable romper set.  I LOVE this romper, but at $99 or Best Offer it is a bit rich for my blood.  It is the perfect look, however, so I have added it to my Watch List for now...

I also stumbled across the below romper.  Yes, it is not as colorful as the above, but at a 10th of the price , I could make it more special by dying the shorts royal blue or red.  Or maybe orange or yellow.  Hmmm....

The hunt continues...

xox- KB-D

Behold - The Bounty!

Sorry for the long absence. Truth be told, I have been battling a bit of an addiction.

I have found myself all-consumed by the hunt for Gatsby Picnic treasures.  When not thrifting or estate-sale-ing, I have been scouring Craigslist.  I turned to Craigslist after suffering from estate sale & flea market withdraw one weekday.  It began innocently enough with a search for "wicker furniture."  That gateway search then turned to a search for middle-eastern lanterns, poufs, brass tables, picnic baskets and serve ware.  I found myself out of control, up all night, drowning in a sea of virtual bargains.  But, my new found addiction paid off!  Last week's haul included a spectacular Egyptian brass table & six pieces of antique, silver-plated serve ware for $10.  $10!  How can you pass that up?

This weekend's yield has proven just as glorious.  We started off the hunt on Friday at an estate sale in the Oakland Hills.  We had been searching for an elusive, silver plated, 3-tiered pastry tray and were tantalized by the below photo.  Arriving an hour early with coffee in hand, our diligence paid off when we scored the pastry tray and the below Art Deco relish dish.

Today all items were marked 1/2 off so we returned for the champagne bucket, but also found 11 cut glass tumblers and the below silver plated monster-vase & incredible brass decorative moment that will-with a little bedazzling-make the perfect Moroccan  lantern.  How we didn't see those two treasures the day before is a mystery to me, but I am glad we didn't, because today at 1/2 the price they were double the bargain.

The vintage Kalim lounging pillows were this weekend's big Craigslist find.  Risking life & limb in a very dodgy neighborhood, they were quite the bargain - of course we almost paid with our lives ;P 

Below is a picture of Thommy, posing with our bounty so you can see the scale of the vase and lounge pillows.  Did I say they are HUGE?!

And below is a picture of my cat, Boudicca, inspecting our finds...

Can't wait to see what treasures next week brings...

xo - K B-D

Hey Lady, You Like Baskets?

Hello!

On our way back from breakfast this morning we decided to swing by the Salvation Army store here in town. It's usually pretty much picked over by the time the employees get it on the floor, but we were in no rush to get home and thought to ourselves, why not?

But behold! Picnic goodies! We found a very nice basket for $5.00 on sale to boot. It needs new heftier handles, but it has an internal wood frame so it's very sturdy. Maybe for the dinnerware...?

We also found a Moroccan inspired pillow for $1.00. I think it's from the 70's, but it'll look good in the mix. Also found a DVD of Murder On The Orient Express. Period movie to get us in the mood, but the best find, I think, was the PBS Manor House DVD. No, not the same era as Gatsby, but since season three of Downton Abbey is not out yet, it'll give me my much needed Edwardian era fix. Plus it was only $4.00!

-HWC