I Quit! I Give Up!

No, I haven't quit or given up blogging even though it may seem so since I haven't been here since Easter.  What I have been TRYING (VERY hard to do) is....

                                                                                        QUIT SMOKING

So, it hasn't been a picnic I tell you, since I've been smoking since I was (literally) a kid.  Back in those days no one had any idea this crappy habit could kill you.  Nupe.  Oh, I remember whispers starting in the early 60's about the lethal results but as a teenager the flip attitude was, hey, by the time I get cancer from it they'll have found a cure.  Hahahaha.  Very funny - NOT.  But that's how it was.  So, I'm giving it my best college try.  The first two weeks being near devastation with physical & emotional trauma.  I know this sounds way dramatic, but when it's embedded in your every cel since "kidhood", it's a habit that's extremely physical as well as emotional.  I can't explain it further but those who don't smoke can't know, and those who do or have, DO know.  That's all I can say for now.  I haven't reached total success yet but I am trying harder than ever before & feel quite proud of my progress, but won't call myself a winner until I am totally smoke-free.  Wish me luck & send me your best STOP SMOKING karma.

And, the "I give up" part?  I GIVE UP ON ALL SPRAY PAINTING restoration projects!  After many years of trying to master the successful use of spray paint I throw up my hands and give up!  I have no idea how to achieve a fine, smooth finish with spray.  Here's the straw that broke the camel's back......I recently had the great luck to find an Ingrid Party Ball which I was very happy about - however, some WEINER HEAD had marked on it with a permanent marking pen.  What else could one be but a WEINER HEAD to mark on plastic with a permanent marker?!  I guess one might call me a weiner head for not testing to make sure before I bought it, but honestly folks, I give people more credit than I should.  If you own a thrift store you SHOULD know NOT to use permanent marker on ANYTHING.  So okay, I decide to get some Valspar Paint For Plastic (I always buy Valspar now cause that's what Hepcat uses & HIS stuff comes out perfect every time).  So, except for the permanent marker on the back, here WAS my lovely party ball

                                                                                             Nice, eh?

And my lovely results....

Having done a couple of coats yesterday, with spatters spewing out of the can instead of spray, and paint dripping down my hand and arm, I decided to give it one more coat today to TRY to cover up the drip marks & get a nice, shiney finish.  With outside temp around 70 degrees it seemed the perfect time - not too cool, not too hot, NOT damp.  And here my friends is my wonderful results.  Crinkling!  So then, that's THE END of my restoration attempts, as well as the end of my party ball.  In the trash (recycle of course :- ) it goes.  THANK YOU WEINER HEAD, whoever you are for ruining my party ball, my day, and all hopes of ever achieving greatness at restoration.  HAH!

Are you feeling real sorry for me yet?  Thank you.  But on to other, more pleasant things - which in spite of all the above, has occurred since we last met here.  First off

                                                       A GREAT and much needed getaway to goregous Lake Tahoe

Yep, the beautiful north shore of Lake Tahoe - got to run away with Big Daddy & my darling little sis-in-law who was visiting from Maui.  We spent days PICKING Tahoe AND Reno, NV.  We picked em clean & I came home with a great booty of treasure.  Nearly had to send Big Daddy home on the bus so we could get the treasures back home.  But we squeezed him in the trunk - naw, just kidding.  All made it home safely & comfortably.  Here's a pic of one of my favorite "sites" at North Shore, which I'm sure will unfortunately be gone in the coming years

                                                                                         The Tahoe Biltmore

The once great Tahoe Biltmore hotel & casino.  Once partly owned by the Chairman of the Board, the great Old Blue Eyes himself - Frank Sinatra.  It's still open and this iconic structure still stands but it is totally built of timber & is already being anchored for safety.  Oh the glamor stories this place could tell in the glory days.  But it's days are numbered I'm sure & it will be a sad day in my life when it is shuttered and taken down.  Anyway, thought you'd like to see it if you haven't before.

Another fun place we visited was in lovely Truckee, California (did some pretty good pickin there too)

                                                                                            Jax Truckee Diner

And believe me when I say, the food is gennnuine scrumptious, 1950's artery clogging GREAT! 

So that's were I've been, what I've been up to & how I have suffered since we last met.  Oh wait, there's that treasure of GREAT booty!  Way too much to inflict upon you all right now, but here's a few of my fav finds (aside from the dearly departed Party Ball)

                                                       Dear old friends of mine, Terry & Diane did a kitchen remodel & gave me this
                                                       great gorgeous old copper light fixture!

                                                                    Found this beeeautiful vintage Lea Stein, Paris brooch                                                                     at the Hospice store in Reno, NV :- )

                                                       A very sexy 1950's pinup girl ashtray from Holland Molds from
                                                       the flea market

                                                                         An original 1950's Kit Kat Klock from my
                                                                         friend Frank

                                                                                                     AND.........

                                                                               
Tons & bunches MORE!  (I KNOW if Heidi Ann stops by she is going to covet those MOD bed sheets I found! ;- )

But that's all I will bore you with today.  Just wanted to let the world know I did not EXPIRE, I am still amongst the living & will try to stay in touch a bit better than I have done.  I have been keeping up with all your wonderful blogs but due to evil WITHDRAWALS, a busy schedule (bringing my gorgeous back home from college in San Fran), taking care of my beautiful granddaughter, the lovely Tessa Bella, playing housekeeper to this honkin old ranch style house I call home, the store in Folsom, and Etsy, and well.........maybe I DID expire!  Haha!

Love you all & hope you won't forget me, even if I DO expire :- )

~Vic~ 

 
 

Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER to all my wonderful blog friends.  May your day be filled with LOTS of love and chocolate bunny kisses. 

And.....

Save a bunny!  Adopt a dog from your local shelter

Sending Easter ((HUGS)) from Sacto CA!

~Vic~

Hadta Share......



                                                                                          1. Boil eggs.

                                                                                          2. Crack shell.

                                                                                          3. Re-boil eggs in colored water.

                                                                                          4. Peel shell off.

I thought these were SO kewl till I recognized the egg in front as having looked just like my eyes one morning in Vegas.

Seriously though (& I'm serious about that Vegas trip!) wouldn't these be SO pretty as deviled (stuffed) eggs!

Happy Easter week & may yours be waaaaaaaaaay less frantic than mine already is!

And may you all have love & family and LOTS of See's Chocolate bunny kisses!

~Vic~ 

Weekend Find!

Geez, the weekend's not even over but look what I found already!  See if you can guess what it is....(I'm SO in love with it!)

A Bar Cart?

A Beautiful Living Room End Table?

Tah-Dah!

                                                             It's a GORGEOUS 1960's Magnavox Stereo Console!

I saw it and noted what a beautiful piece of furniture it was.  The cover, which is like a roll top desk was closed so I didn't really know what it was, so I pulled the roll top back and OMIGOSH, I threw my body over it so no one else could get it while I whistled & flailed my arms for a person to plug it in and tell me (PLEASE GOD!) that it worked.  I have a passion for these great old console stereo's.  Such a romantic time it was loading them up with LP's or 45's and listening to your favorite love songs or the great old rock & roll.  Oh, I know, you can still do that with CD's, but this is just different for those of us who marveled that more than one record could be set to play without having to change each one.  And Magnavox was simply special.  The sound on this baby is INNNNcredible!  The bass could blast you out of the house.  It is immaculate clean, absolutely no scratches and everything works!  Usually the turntables on these old consoles go ka-put first & you're left with just the radio.  This one works & only needs a needle which is a very easy fix.  It even still has the pole to load 45's.

What really blows me away about this one (besides everything!) is the size.  I've NEVER seen one like this - it is small and there is no "back side" - it is the same all the way around & the cord comes from underneath and is able to connect additional speakers if desired.  It is only 23" tall, 30" long, and 19" deep.  It could be put between two easy chairs with a small lamp on it, or a couple of "refreshing beverages".  Or used as an end table.  In my opinion it is simply exquisite.  I am so excited about this find - can you tell?  ;- ) 

Also today, after taking the stereo OF MY DREAMS to the store, we went to Home Depot to choose a color for the "new" dining room.  I made the decision to go with coral instead of the red.  We decided on this

My camera doesn't really pick up the true tone & in the darker light of the dining room it looks REALLY orange so we're going to go back & maybe try for a shade lighter.  I am HORRIBLE at choosing colors & have NO faith in myself in this regard so PLEASE wish me luck!  But coral it's going to be with new turquoise upholstered seats for the chairs.  Curtains will be a turquoise also with maybe an atomic or tropical motif & accessories as I find them.  I'm admittedly nervous about this cause once I start one room, it's going to be on to the next.  I could end up with a real CIRCUS here!  HEPCAT...I think I need you!!!!

So that was my exciting Saturday & I couldn't wait to share it with you.  I'll be working at the store all day tomorrow, listening to sweet oldie music on that gorgeous Magnavox radio - till I get the new needle and can lug all my old LP's out & listen to them!

Hope your weekend is as happy & as sweet pickin as mine!

~Vic~

To Do It Or Not???

Ok, once again I know I'm lagging here, but it's been a case of "bloggers block" (you know, like writers block only less important - no publishers deadlines), or most probably the nasty funk I've found myself in for the past couple of weeks.  Don't know what it is cause things are as fine as they can be, just funked out - blue!  *Sigh*.  But I decided to give it a whirl today & tell you the GREAT news that I sold the Grand Server cocktail table I showed you a couple of weeks ago and it was only in the shop a little over a week!  It caused quite a commotion & while I was not surprised it sold so fast, I'm SO happy it did cause it would have definitely come home to live with ME very soon if it hadn't. 

On another subject completely, a month or so ago Jan at the wonderful blog No Pattern Required did a blog with some vintage Better Homes & Gardens magazines, entitled Decorating Problems - No Problems which showed many different examples the magazine suggested.  I simply fell head over heels in LOVE with this dining room - it is my dream dining room.  I asked her if I might "borrow" the picture to use as a POSSIBLE inspiration room & to show here.  She very kindly responded with "YES!" and I thank her.

  To me this is simply breath taking.  It was an ad to show what the wonderful Armstrong flooring could do to a room, but the room itself just sent me into orbit.

For a long time part of my brain has been saying I'm too old to start over & change out & that is why I buy & SELL instead of keep.  But doggonit, I'm not at the old folks home yet!  The other part of my brain has been telling me that I SHOULD bring my 1950's "Ranch-style" home back to it's beginnings and make it what it once was.  We did a lot of renovation when we got it nearly 30 years ago - and I WISH I'd kept a lot of what we took out.  At the time I was into the antique-ish stuff, then went to more contemporary, which looks nice, but it's NOT where this old place should be.  It should be the home of my childhood days - the 50's, and possibly a little meld over to early 60's.

I THINK I have the "bones" for a room similar to this - of course not the gorgeous furniture which I could never replicate, but I recently got a beautiful 1950's American of Martinsville dining set that might, with the right colors & decor, come close to being as pretty as above.  Here are the bones -

The table,

                                                                                      The buffet & chairs

I know it's not the gorgeous Oriental, rattan furniture shown but I think with the right colors & Oriental accessories (chandelier, artwork, etc.) it could work.  Then my thought is to paint the walls the red color shown (not sure I can do wallpaper anymore but I might try if I can find just THE right one), and hang retro aqua color panels where the sheers are currently.  Definitely add cornice boxes and a few touches of bamboo.  Another thought was to go for coral color walls with aqua bark cloth with a bit of an atomic design & not go with the Oriental theme.

So....should an old girl go for it?  Take it back to where we both came from?  Or just continue finding lovely, new places for beautiful vintage treasures to go?  To the "new" generation of those who love where we came from?

Thoughts?  Suggestions?  Ideas?  Encouragement?  Thumbs down?  Cause if I start, it's going all the way!  (where the HELL do I think I'm going to get all the energy needed for this?! ;- )

~Vic~

 





Heads Up Frock Ladies!

This is a late addition to my blog this morning but I came across this and HAVE TO share.  It's from a wonderful blog called Madam Guillotene by a writer & student in France.  Here's the tip of the iceberg

Need I say more?!  Get thyself there!

And thank you to the young lady at Madame Guillotine for this breathtaking peek at Empress Josephine's STUNNING wardrobe.

My Weekend Booty!

Funny how the definition of words changes through the years, so no, I'm not going to moon you today - that would be grounds for capital punishment - but show you instead some great recent treasures.  Some this weekend, some here & there during the week.  First is the estate sale I went to on Saturday which had this

And this...

Beg and plead as I might (and I did :- ), she would NOT let me have them!  But boy I would have come in with a wrench and unscrewed that toilet in a hot minute!  How bout that pink flocked wallpaper! 

This was a fun estate sale.  There really wasn't much left after the family treasures had been distributed but it was definitely a little walk through time.  It was a house built in the early 50's and owned by a couple who'd lived in it from day one till recently.  A cozy little home where you could see they'd lived a good life, and also each era was evident from the pink 50's to the orange 60's with this

Now this she did let me purchase!  I love the style & color & it swivels & rocks, but it's in pretty rough shape.  The "bones" are great - solid & sturdy and the fabric is not torn or very worn but the seat cushion is REALLL crunchy and the back fabric is stretched.  So I'm in a dilemma about having it reupholstered and keeping it for ME (because I really love it) or just taking it to the store, selling it for a song and letting the new owners do the reup.  Hmmm.  Gonna have to think on this for a while.

Elsewhere I found this - I'm a freak for vintage barware - it's so reminescent of days when cocktail parties meant actually wearing GLAMOUROUS cocktail dresses!  I don't know if this is actually vintage but I was taken by the amathyst color and the frosted pattern (the pattern you can't really see in the picture).  When I got home & was washing it I noticed a pretty  etching of a bee on the lid & it puzzles me.  Is it the mark of the maker or just a "pretty".  If anyone knows, please let me know.  There is no mark on the bottom so maybe the bee is the maker mark???

Also picked up this way cool phone from the 70's. 

 
And these very cute, teensy-tiny salt & pepper shakers - I LOVE em - they're poodles!

And this Mitterteich Bavaria tea/coffee set

And since it's Monday morning & we're thinking COFFEE!  How bout this I got from Frank a couple of weeks ago!  Is this THE "star" of all percolators or what?!

Not only does it have the razzle-dazzle starburst design, the darn thing lights up from the bottom of the pot while it's brewing!  What DIDN'T they think of in the 60's!  Oh it was a grand time!

So that's it for now.  A very colorful weekend "booty" I'd say! 

Now for that yummie cup of coffee - and believe me, these old percolators made one mighty fine brew!

Cheerio!  Have a great week & can't wait to see what y'all came up with!

~Vickie~