~FINDING THE PERFECT SHABBY COTTAGE VINTAGE BED~

 ~GORGEOUS VINTAGE BED~

I heard on the Antique Roadshow a couple of days ago that a true ANTIQUE is something over 100 years old!  For some reason I thought it was anything over 50.  I guess that means this gorgeous bed only qualifies as VINTAGE!

~LOVE THE PEDIMENT~

You may remember I've been looking for a bed for one of my upstairs bedrooms.  I first planned on getting just a twin, but ONE DAY my home will be filled with more grandchildren and so I decided to hunt for a full bed instead!  While out estate sale shopping with my friend Judy last week we eyed this fabulous 1930's bed and I decided to bring her home with me.  She will be my FALL MAKEOVER PROJECT and I'm excited about her transformation!

I know all you purist antique people are going to FAINT at the thought of me painting it...but I'm going to!

Just giving you fair warning here! :)

~LOVE THIS NEW BED~

This morning I did some looking on the computer and I found the sweet new bed above.  I like it and I'm hoping my new OLD BED will look as lovely once everything is set!  Not looking forward to painting all those spindles, but I'm sure I'll get through it!

Found this one at FOREVER PINK COTTAGE CHIC and just loved it!  You've got to check out their website.  If you love painted furniture you are going to LOVE what you see here.  I'm swooning already!

Hope your day is awesome!  I'm back in my workshop once again working on new product!  It's also time to clean up my working space after some busy, busy days!  Things are getting a bit out of hand!

Love to you...

~PLUNK de JUNQUE in de TRUNK~

~BRAVING de HEAT~

The temperature setting is STUCK ON BROIL here in Oklahoma and so far this year we've had 22 days of insufferable heat.  The uber-high-temps have successfully contributed to the killing of both our lawn and some of our shrubs...  My La Chaumière is quite a sight...

(I'm thinkin' a little bit of cheese would be quite tasty with my WHINE....)

OK...so this is the plan for today...

I'm off to estate sale and tag sale shop with my friend, Becca!  Then we will be stopping in at my FAVOR-RIGHT Antique Market in Oklahoma City!  I'm feeling some good JUNQUE comin' my way...

Despite the heat I just LOVE MY LIFE!  Nothing like SUMMERTIME SLUMMING with a 2die4 friend!!! :)  I'm searching for a twin bed for a guest room and I'm hoping against hope I can find something WONDERFUL on the cheap!  No other way to shop!

(I'll be sure to brag showoff share with you my great finds!)

Hope you are having a fabulous SUMMER DAY...

Love to you...

~~~~ROMANTIC CROCHET LACE BED SKIRT~~~~ Such An Incredible Estate Sale Find

 ~MY ROMANTIC HOME~

Our Tiny Master Bedroom

(all I ever dreamed of)

A couple of days ago I ranted and raved about all my 2DIE4 ESTATE SALE FINDS!  Remember?  If you missed it and all the fabuloso pics of my incredible TAG SALE HAUL you can click HERE to read more about it!

~QUEEN LACE-TRIMMED BED SKIRT~

(the deal of the day???)

For those of you who caught the post here's a little bitty update on the outcome of the old queen sized bed skirt (or dust ruffle)I snagged for a mere $5 bucks! :)

~SOAKING OUT THE OLD SIZING~

(and whatever ELSE was on it!) 

On Saturday I spent most of the day finishing up some special orders for my A Gathering Place customers, but when evening came and my guy returned to focusing on his studies I got busy redoing some of my finds!  I decided to start with the bed skirt because I was actually a little curious about it's condition.  I'm not one to let a lot of time pass before I begin a makeover no matter how big or small.  When I do I always end up being "lost in the transformation".  I had only partially scanned the inside of the plastic bag at the tag sale because the lady assured me it was in great condition.

~FRESHLY SOAKED and DRIED~

 (ahh...fresh and clean!)

And it was...that is if you like dirt and filth.

(Which I don't).

 

~BEAUTIFULLY SET IN PLACE~

(loving the mix of laces)

So...after donning a pair of my trusty plastic gloves I filled my sink with the hottest water I could draw from the tap and added a couple of big scoops of OXY CLEAN.

(Probably more than I needed to use...)

~INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL and CHIC~

(layering adds such a romantic touch!)

 I soaked the skirt for several hours and then rinsed it clean.  I filled up my sink once again with fresh hot water and then added ONE TEASPOON (yes, a teaspoon) of bleach and allowed the skirt to soak for several more hours.  Then I added a 1/8th cup of TIDE and washed it gently by hand!

After air drying it I ironed it out and placed it over my existing dust ruffle.  Since the lace skirt is shorter it gave me a beautiful layered look that I absolutely love!

~MY FAVORITE BED PILLOW~

And that's it for today peeps!  Trusting you enjoyed hearing about my latest finds...

Hope your Monday is turning out awesome!

Love to you...

~SWEET VINTAGE FINDS and Rebecca Meets Ginger~

Yesterday was a jam-packed day!  After filling up my SUV with finds bound for my A Gathering Place Shoppe (a little booth space I rent in an Oklahoma City Antique Market), I was off and running! With Miss K and my Mr. AGPMan in tow I had plans to visit at least two estate sales and a wonderful antique shoppe on 10th Street.  Truly my favorite kind of day!

At sale #1 I found the amazing vintage mirror you see above.  I haven't decided if I'm going to keep this one and paint it out or offer it for sale in either my local shoppe or my soon-to-be-reopened website.  This sale was NOT great.  But I did snag some other interesting (but little) finds.  Small snippets of lace, tiny silver trays, etc.

At sale #2 I found this charming old chair.  It is sturdy and strong and in amazing shape.  This is another piece I'm not sure I will part with, but MAYBE.  It will definitely be painted cottage white and the aging seat cover will be changed to either a neutral or a soft floral.  I still have some of that fabulous reproduction Barkcloth filled with those luscious pink roses and I may end up using that.  Stay tuned for makeover pictures coming up in a few days...

I also snagged an old glove box and several pairs of vintage leather gloves and a sweet pink rose bone dish that looks perfect in my china cabinet...

But...the DELIGHT of my day was this...

A little after noon I popped into my shoppe to unload my fresh merchandise and I got the most INCREDIBLE surprise...

As I was walking back towards my shoppe-space  I spotted a pretty blond lady and a tall dark haired beauty smiling out through the doorway...

Guess who they were?????

GASP!

None other than Miss Ginger from GLITTER and ROSES and her gorgeous daughter, Tammy!  I was more excited to meet them than I can even say!  We were able to chat for a few minutes and I still feel sooo blessed to have stumbled upon their visit!  Talented Ginger has a darling blog and I hope you will take the time to visit her.  I also just found out that Tammy is going to be starting a blog of her own before long.  I'll be sure to keep you updated on that!

Now...can you believe I didn't have my camera with me?  Ginger didn't either so we were both forced to use the cameras on our phones.  Still, I am thrilled to have this picture of the four of us...into my scrapbook it goes!

I hope your weekend was full of beautiful things.  Mine was just lovely...

Blessings...

MORE OKLAHOMA SECOND HAND SHOPPING...and Miss K's 1st Grade

BIG 1ST GRADER - MISS K

Our Miss K started 1st Grade today! Because her Momma is a 1st Grade Teacher herself and her Daddy is away on business in Southern Cali, I had the privilege of taking her to her first day of school again this year! She is growing so tall! She's going to be a lot taller her Nana! She has those long, thin, gorgeous legs on her... I knew by the time I was 8 years old that I was NEVER going to have legs like that! :(

After saying "good-bye" to my only grandchild, I decided to drive to Bethany, Oklahoma, for a visit to a junky little Antique Mall. This isn't my favorite place to shop...but have to admit that SOMETIMES I find really neat stuff there. Their prices are usually pretty good, too!

Apple Tree Antiques is housed in an aging strip mall. It's a tad-bit pitiful! The building was once the home to a TG&Y (Five and Dime). It was right across the street from the College where I met my Mr. AGPMan. I use to buy cheap dorm Towels and Cover Girl make-up there! :0 It was ALL my Pizza Hut Waitress salary would allow ($2.00 per hour!). Argh...

Now, Apple Tree Antiques is NO ORANGE CIRCLE (in Orange, California - my sweet friend Tea's favorite haunt)! But...it is interesting. And, like I said...sometimes you stumble upon some amazing finds!

You definitely have to SCAN ALL THE BOOTHS. Something wonderful can be hiding and if you're not careful YOU'LL MISS IT! "DIG" is my motto!

There wasn't one thing in this booth I wanted to spend my money on! So...I kept walking...and looking...

On to the next row of booths I found this fabulous old spice rack. Since I sold Tea-Girl my last REALLY GOOD ONE, I decided to get this one for ME! The wood will be painted and so will the lids of those amazing Milk Glass jars!

OK...see this neat old China Hutch? Well...I didn't buy it...but I'm going to! I think! I actually snapped this picture so I could show my hubby what he needed to go back and pick up for me! :) Perfect for a little nook in my formal dining room. Don't gasp...if I do end up getting the pretty little thing IT WILL BE PAINTED...(Cottage White, of course!).

Another darling old find! This delightfully sweet pair of vintage shoe forms and/or supports are 2die4. I'm going to paint them creamy white and then hand paint pink roses on the top... I'm LOVIN' them!!!

I'm always on the hunt for vintage hats. I love to display them in my La Chaumerie de Briarwood! The really good ones are getting terribly difficult to find. Today I snagged THREE! Whoo Hoo! The best of the lot is COVERED with over a dozen vintage off-white roses! Heaven!

Now...this little mirrored piece is a bit strange! But...it was only $10.00 so I just had to bring it home. It is not old old...not sure HOW NEW though! I love the chippy peeling paint. Perfect for my hubby's nightstand. He'll hate it being crowded up I'm sure...but he won't say a word. That's just his way!

OK...the finale! For those of you who don't craft or sew, well...this might APPEAR to be a boring find! They aren't to me!!! After leaving the Antique Mall I stopped on my way back home at a local Thrift Shoppe (neat Second Hand Store). I found Two FULL BOLTS of tassel fringe for $2.99. One is taupe, one is cream. They were tied up together in a plastic bag just waiting for me on a Bric-a-Brac shelf! Be still my heart!

Blessings to you as you find joy and happiness in each beautiful day...Rebecca

SIMPLE PLEASURES - Shopping For My Favorite Finds

SIMPLE PLEASURES

SHOPPING FOR THE LOOK I LOVE

I suppose my infatuation with all things vintage started when I was just a young girl. Still, I can't help but think part of the allure of shopping for old finds, by way of estate and tag sales, is the mere thrill of the hunt. I love it! In fact, I'd rather look through the aging treasures another woman has gathered during her lifetime than do most anything else on a Saturday morning...

I sometimes wonder just what I will do when my home is filled to capacity and there is no longer room for even a snippet of lace in my ever lovely, La Chaumière de Briarwood. I'm sure it will be years before that happens though. For if I was to learn anything about myself during the decade of my 40's it was simply this: I buy only what I love and I pass on everything else!

FILLED WITH ALL THINGS LOVELY

My Mr.AGPMan was going to be super busy last Saturday working on our new Pantry and so he we decided he we needed to skip our weekly treasure hunt and stay HOME (what?) for the day. Just the THOUGHT of someone stealing purchasing something that belonged to ME made me sick...

So...while my guy was working away installing new drywall... I made my ESCAPE!

SWEET PICTURE OF MY MOMMA

I didn't go far. Just out the gate, down the street, up the block, around the corner, through the tunnel, over the bridge and straight to the FRONT DOOR of a sweet little house having a TAG SALE!

BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF MY GRANDMOTHER

And just WHAT did I find, you ask? "...what to my wandering eyes should appear...?????"

This simply amazing, absolutely beautiful, 2die4 wonderful, killer fantabulous, charming little curved glass CABINET...and all for the tidy sum of FIVE BUCKS!

SHABBY COTTAGE LIVIN'

Before the setting of the sun the following day I had my new found pretty lightly painted, lovingly distressed and ready to hang on the wall! Just in time for my guy to walk in and say...

"Is that what you got yesterday when you went to that Tag Sale?"

:( Fail! I've said it before and I'll say it again! "Sometimes I just can't stand men."

Blessings to you as you remain truthful in all things...Rebecca

DELIGHTS OF AN ESTATE SALE JUNKIE...Loving the Hunt and Re-Purposing the Finds~

DELIGHTFUL HAUL ON A SUMMER MORNING

Yesterday morning, as is the norm around my home when the week-end cometh, my Mr. AGPM and I were up at the rack of dawn planning out the strategy of another exciting day of tag sale shopping. Sixteen separate Estate Sales were listed in the paper along with a slew of Garage Sales...my first thought was that it was going to be a busy day. Even though I tried to be optimistic about just how many places we'd actually get to, in my mind I knew it would probably only be about four. Guess what? Even with our GPS it takes time to drive both to and fro...and of course there's all the shopping...and looking...and thinking...and planning...and deciding...

MY FAVORITE CAKE STAND EVER
(Already Painted...as you can SEE!)

I shop for two reasons. The first is because I'm a seller of vintage finds and I'm in business to MAKE MONEY! The second reason is to decorate my home by being as thrifty as possible with the money I've been blessed with. I say a little prayer before I head out the door that my steps (and my choices) will be guided by the Most High. I mean~I believe God cares about all things in my life. Even those things one might think He wouldn't be interested in...

CARVED WOODEN FRAME - CIRCA 1950

Another reason I pray is because SOME of the places my hubby and I venture into are not the best of areas. On this latest hunt the neighborhoods were friendly and fine. However, some are not...and believe me when I say that is where I USUALLY discover the best stuff! Like I've told you before~I'm not afraid to go anywhere if my guy is with me (he can be pretty mean-looking if need be). Even so I always ask for protection on our journey because despite the fact he has a level head, I, in fact, do not! :(

AMAZING HANDWORK...SOON TO BE A PILLOW
(or TWO!)

When I come across the delights of another woman's hard working hands, I breathe in random thoughts of pleasure. Still, it pains me to know that so many beautifully designed treasures are left to languish alone on dusty, long-forgotten shelves for years and years at a time. The vintage piece above has been completely hand-fashioned...I placed a piece of taupe fabric (another find) underneath the cut-work so you can see the detail... GLORIOUS!

VTG VANITY BENCH...ALREADY PAINTED
(Newer Crocks for my Cottage Kitchen)

Haven't decided if I'll grace the bench with hand painted pink roses... For now I'm just happy I didn't have to paint it...

A BAG MADE FROM VINTAGE SKIRT

This lovely vintage skirt (or slip) was long ago made into a bag...maybe for laundry? It is absolutely charming. I'm lovin' that old eyelet lace.

Tell me, please!? Why is it, even with all our 'wonderful technology' can we NOT make things as good as we once did? I'm thinkin' it's because everything is thrown together overseas and NOT made in American any longer...hmmmmmm....

VINTAGE 1945 PICTURE FRAME
(Dated on the Metal)

This sweet easel-backed frame is going to hold the wedding picture of my favorite daughter-in-law (thank goodness I only have one...love you Sarah-Girl).

FAVORITE FINDS OF THE DAY
(circa 1900 European Pillow Slips)

Hiding in the back of a cob-web filled closet I discovered the two vintage Pillow Slips (Shams) above. Finely stitched with delicate monograms (SH), the edges are scalloped and the buttons are the hand covered shell type, complete with teeny, tiny buttonholes... Cost for both of these 2die4 beauties was a cool $6 bucks! I'm definitely keeping them as they already have a new place to call home (my bed)!

VINTAGE SEWING CABINET DRAWER
OLD WOODEN FILE BOX

Soon to be painted with my favorite paints and decorated with roses! Yummy! Can't wait!

My haul for yesterday was amazing. Like I said...I buy both for personal use and to resell. I didn't even wait for the sun to come up today to begin their transformation!

ANOTHER SWEET CAKE COVER

I almost passed on buying this wonderful Cake Cover because it didn't have a base. But...it kept calling out to me and I hated to leave it sitting on the kitchen counter all alone... Because it was already painted I'll probably strip off the rusty color and artwork in favor of something soft and PINK!

I waste no time getting things done. Sooo...for all of you who keep asking "Where's her finished stuff?" Well, keep watching! It's coming up this week~

Blessings to you as you continue to seek out the treasures hiding in your neighbor's house...Rebecca

~ESTATE SALE TREASURES~ Oklahoma City Style

As most of you who follow my BLOG know, I simply LOVE LOVE LOVE Second Hand Shoppes, Thrift Stores, Tag Sales AND....Estate Sale Shopping! If I miss a Saturday morning of "Junking Around" I feel like someone had a party and forgot to invite me. Bummer! Try as I might I can't shake the feeling that some other pink rose lovin' lady took home a treasure that was surely INTENDED to be MINE...

Come to think about it, even as a child I was never good at sharing... :)

This is what I found today...look closely! Some of these pretties you are sure to see offered up before long on my website (which I'm AGAIN working at restocking)! That is IF (and I do mean IF) I can bear to part with any of them...

I think it's that "sharing thing" again...

TODAY'S PRETTIES

"What is (my) favorite find?" you ask? Hummm! That is hard to say! I love the Slated Basket and that old wooden Paddle (great for pink rose painting)! But~ I also love the precious 1940's Coffee Pot, dainty Tin Cup and that fabulous vintage Oil Can!!! Still...I'm drawn to the thoroughly romantic vintage Dusting Powder Jar, those sweet and timeless Jingle Bells and the PINK Lefton Hands are 2die4! And of COURSE...it goes WITHOUT SAYING that I dearly love the pretty hat with that GORGEOUS PINK ROSE...

SIMPLY AMAZING PINK ROSE HAT

What do I love most....hummmm...

Maybe it is THIS...

PREMIER EDITION - VICTORIA MAGAZINE - 1987

Alone in a box with a bunch of crummy old newspapers and some fairly new diet magazines was a 1987 Premier Edition of VICTORIA MAGAZINE...

BE STILL MY HEART... I truly thought I might faint!

I gently picked up the aging beauty and held her close! I hadn't seen one like her since I loaned my ONLY COPY to my neighbor over twenty years ago (don't get me started!). Back when I was still a young Momma living on Cimmaron Road and before ANY of us knew what that Magazine would one day represent! I was too excited to faint, but I DID feel light-headed! The HTF (Hard To Find), HSA (Highly Sought After), CAHP (Commands a High Price) circa 1987 collectible was in wonderful condition! Especially for being over two decades old...

Now...before you all REALLY hate me...

Here is her price:


I'm going to sleep really well tonight! :)

Tra-la-la-la-lahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Blessings to you as you hunt for treasures in YOUR town...please stay away from mine~ (Oops...it's that sharing thing again!)... Rebecca :)

ESTATE SALE or BUST

GORGEOUS LIMOGE PLATE

Now...don't you just hate it when you make all these grandiose plans for a day out of Estate Sale, Garage Sale, Thrift Store and Second Hand Shoppe shopping and it pretty much GOES BUST? Even though my Saturday excursion wasn't a total disaster, it certainly WASN'T the event I had hoped it would be. I was really wanting to purchase some small pieces of furniture! Anyway, this furthers my belief that sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose! More and more I believe it's the SALES you stumble upon while out doing something else, and NOT the ones you plan on visiting, that bring the most excitement!

Don't get me wrong, I did return home after five long hours of driving and shopping with some wonderful old finds. I just wanted more...I always want more! The prices at two of the Estate Sales were rediculously high and I left both places with only a handful of precious vintage linens. The local resale shops proved to be the best place to uncover hidden treasures this week!

To be honest with you, it is never upsetting to me when a sale is hosted by a family and the prices appear to be a bit higher than expected. Most generally they are trying desperately to settle the estate of a loved one who has passed away and cannot afford the services of a professional team...or the percentage of sales they require for hosting the sale. Still, it is discouraging to see prices set that are higher than those in Antique Stores. That makes it impossible for those of us in the decorative business to profit on a given item! So, it seems best to visit those sales on Sunday afternoon to see what's left and offered at half price...

BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE PLATE

I did manage to pick a few charming old finds though...the last stop salvaged the entire day! I found two sweet rose plates...my favorite being the one that says "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread". Even though it's faded, it was a must have. The second one is a hand painted beauty...my favorite, Limoge. I also dragged home a delightfully sweet metal Milk Jug w/lid, a fabulous crocheted coverlet ($10 bucks!) and two vintage wooden bread paddles for painting!

OLD SECURITY MILK JUG

VINTAGE BREAD PADDLES

All in all in was a wonderful day. Since I lovingly convinced my hubbs to join me on this particular outing (he doesn't always go!), we were able to lunch together at our favorite eatery in Norman, Oklahoma (go OU!)...

Promise to share more with you soon! Another HUGE SALE is coming up next weekend and I will certainly be there...

Blessings, Rebecca