shop talk: vintage finds

Finding treasure is somewhat of a hobby for me.  With a little free time and a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer I feel like I can conquer the world.... well, maybe just the local thrift store, but you get the idea!  Having a vintage section in my shop is a great excuse to fulfill my junking desires without going broke or cluttering up our home.  As I prepare to reopen my shop -after an embarrassingly long extended vacation- I've been busy photographing inventory (above), measuring items, listing and of course cleaning- because so.much.damn.dust.  If you love shopping for vintage (to keep or resale) these are a few tips I've learned along the way-

• know what you want, but keep your eyes open for the unexpected
• charge your phone and be prepared to research items online quickly if needed
• be open to styles that you don't necessarily love (because someone else will!)
• visit shops farther away from the city with less picking going on
• check out places while on vacation, road trips, etc.
• figure out your local shops schedule and sale days
• go often and be prepared to dig, dig, dig
• try visiting some smaller thrift shops instead of the corporate ones 
• have sooooo much patience 
• and finally, be nice to the employees =)

I'm usually only looking for home decor types of items and avoiding higher traffic spots in the store with smaller aisles (aka clothing/shoes).  There are other tips I would have included in my list if I were on the hunt for apparel like- trying things on, inspecting the entire piece and checking what types of materials were used- but for the sake of what I spend my time searching for,  I'll stick to what I know and can quickly share with you!  Happy hunting xx

treasure finds: thrift score

I have been on a mission to find a table for one of the walls of our living room, something I can put a record player (& records), books, a plant and large print on.  I have been checking big name stores, local shops & craigslist for something that just feels like 'the one, but no luck. 

Last week while out running a few errands I drove pass the mother ship of thrift shops.  Seriously this place is huge, so huge it has a cafe in it. What?  I was surprised at how empty the store was and one of the employees told me that the entire store was 50% off the next day -well well- I like saving, but I like being in an empty store more.  I took my precious time browsing and hit the jackpot with all these goodies for $39!

Since we had previously collected so many things over the years, I promised my husband that I will be more thoughtful on my thrifting adventures and I know we can use everything.  Okay maybe everything. I won't lie, I have no idea what I need a light up telephone sign for- but really? How could I not.  

Treasure Breakdown:

side table 15

lamp 5

blanket 5 (which i turned in to a rug)

light up sign 5

hanging fruit basket 3

black wire basket 2

drawer 3 (perfect for supplies in my studio)

jar 1

Oh and if you're wondering, I still haven't found the table I'm looking for!

treasure finds: notions

Up until September of last year there were only two places to purchase fabric in our little town.  Plaza Sewing Center (owned locally) and Walmart.  When Jo-Ann Fabrics opened, it became clear that this little shop can't compete.  I try to go in once a week and grab something and say hi to the little ladies that work there.  Although it seems like its a trend to 'shop local', its a real thing.  Supporting small businesses, families, employees- their passions, their dreams and all their hard work- it feels good.

Don't get me wrong, I have to go to those big box stores or order online just like the next person.  And its not always realistic for me to pay the higher local prices for bulk orders, but to walk into a local shop where they know my name and actually care how I'm doing is one of the best feelings.  They appreciate us as customers, they value our dollars spent and I hope they don't go away anytime soon.  

Shop local.

treasure finds

Last year I loved participating in Thrifting Thursday posts and there were others doing it too (some with link ups) which made for a motivation to find new things.  However, I dont want to limit my Thursdays to just thrifting finds and instead I want to show off treasures.  From local boutiques, thrift shops, estate sales, road trips- anything.  I will share them here with you, along with where I found them.

They are all treasures and every Thursday they will find a home here.

at noun (portland, oregon)

at zupans market (portland, oregon)

at big Y swap meet (grants pass, oregon)

on closing day of the downtown bookstore (grants pass, oregon)

Please feel free to leave a link with any treasures you have found lately, I would love to visit!

In the Studio: whats on my desk

When we moved into our new house a couple months ago, one of the perks was my new studio space (a studio apt off of the upstairs of my home).  I asked for you to vote on a new decor style (#1 natural w/ hints of color won) and I've been slowly collecting and trying to get it right where I want it- all while staying insanely busy with this blog, the two shops, the new subscription service and any life I hope to have.  Today I wanted to share my main work desk, where I blog, write notes to customers, package some items.. blah blah blah =)

I'm proud to say that 95% of the items you see here have been collected at thrift and/or antique shops, yard sales or just found randomly through friends & family.  The other items that make up the remainder of the 5% are the washi tapes, gift tags and a couple of the supplies in the bottles.  Sometimes I list items here into Fawn and Flora and just let it keep me company until someone purchases it.. other times I fall in love and take it out of inventory! I can't help myself.

crafts & notions

there's a spot in my heart for vintage craft supplies

Thrifting Thursday

Thrift Shops - Yard Sales - Antique Stores

{aka my therapy}

Sometimes I leave empty handed and that's ok- I like to get out of the house and just look at things.  My favorite places are the antique shops.  They usually have old music playing and are full of memories, something about it makes me very happy.  I'm also a huge fan of yard sales, only because I like to haggle prices and I'm a nosey person so seeing other peoples homes -how they decorate, what kind of junk they have..etc- helps with that.  What about you, whats your therapy?