red hen home and her bird on blue

have you discovered red hen home blog yet? if not you certainly must. I was doing a little blog surfing a couple of days ago, when i found her wonderful blog and this posting on a vintage dresser that she upcycled. she did an amazing job and gives detailed instructions on how she did her amazing project and overcame what turned out to be a bit more damage than she originally thought..

its original orangey shade

part way through the process

it's finished and fabulous

you can find all the photos and how she did it here.

now i guess i am going to have to drag out that old dresser i bought this winter, that is now sitting in the garage, and see if i can do something half as nice. 

Laura

I'm So Vintage

friday finds

some of the new finds that will be going into my shop. i also found some great cutter quilts, which i will be making into pillows this week and  tomorrow it's time to  hit some yard sales. love, love, love summer.

happy birthday to the two piece bathing suit

this year marks the 65th birthday of the two piece bathing suit.

from ehow:

"The 1940s saw the emergence of 2-piece swimsuits featuring structured halter-tops and modest bottoms that covered from above the naval to the tops of the thighs."

"In 1946, the bikini made a scandalous emergence on French beaches... The new suit received international headlines, but was considered scandalous and a bit vulgar in the United States, and most women stuck with the traditional 2-piece suit."

"In the 1960s, American women ventured into the world of the bikini...Soon, actresses like Annette Funicello and Raquel Welch wore bikinis onscreen, contributing to its popularity. Spandex and Lycra became more commonly used for swimwear design at this time."

So here's to the start of summer and a happy birthday to the two piece bathing suit.

the best bathing suit (1960s) from ursa only

yellow floral bombshell swimsuit (1940s) from simplicity is bliss

varga girl april 1948 from vintage blondes

swimsuit pattern (1940s) from savage spider

bathing beauty postcard from inspiration snapshots

Laura

I'm So Vintage

living in a cookie cutter world

photo via copper gifts

do you ever feel like you are living in a cookie cutter world and you just happen to be that leftover piece of dough that gets plopped down at the end of the baking sheet. well, that is exactly how i feel some days. you know, everyone seems to be traveling on that well planned path of life and you are definitely dancing to your own tune. i must say, i planned on having the cookie cutter life, but life itself and probably my own creative personality got in the way and despite being a crazy somewhat eccentric southern girl i manged to raise single handedly (is that a real word?) two amazing daughters who are independent, well educated, grounded, creative, and perfectly wonderful. they respect and love our earth and my older daughter is passing that love down to her two children.

so maybe my idea of what a cookie cutter life should look like needs to expand to encompass cookie cutters of all shapes and sizes and know that there are a lot of other women who are living the same type of "cookie cutter" life as me. after all we are all so uniquely awesome.

Laura

I'm So Vintage

lovely etsy finds on a tuesday

here are some lovely etsy finds for your tuesday shopping.

i think this is a great idea for those old plastic patio chairs everyone seems to have hanging around. a great cottage look.

slipcover for patio plastic chair from amberrosesgarden01

i can think of lots of uses for these natural beauties.

genuine drilled beach rocks from med beach stones

this is a great tote to carry to the market and i love that it has been upcycled from coffee bag burlap.

upcycled tote by 5th season

beautiful refinished sideboard.

light grey sideboard from poppy seed living

i hate dryer sheets, so i love this idea.

wool dryer balls by dryer balls

lovely soft shades in this batik floursack towel.

soft gray flowers floursack towel by margot bianca

Laura

I'm So Vintage

a 1950s australian beach cottage

i was digging around the blog archives on Design Sponge and came across this sneak peek of the 1950s Australian beach cottage of real living editor Deborah Bibby. She has named her cottage "Fish Shack" and says "it's not an interior i can be precious about - and that's how i love it."

it's a charming and comfortable space. i love the warm woods and slipcovered sofa.

all photos via design sponge

Laura

I'm So Vintage

new grandchicks

If you've been following my blog lately, you know that my daughter and her family have recently moved into a mid 1800s farmhouse in Atlanta. As part of their farmhouse experience, they have added some new members to their family. So.....loud drum roll please... meet my newest grandchicks.

all photos via little love blue

apparently one of them has taken quite a shine to my grandson and loves to perch on his shoulder. I must say, they are all extremely adorable.

Laura

I'm So Vintage

idea of the day

I was reading one of my favorite sites, Desire To Inspire, and came across this wonderful idea. How cute and ingenious. The idea for this creative watering can drainage system is from Max Levy, an architect from Dallas, Texas.

photo via desire to inspire from max levy

Although, this was created for a modern home, I was thinking how adorable would an idea like this be using a group of vintage watering cans for a farmhouse or cottage home. What do you think?

Laura

I'm So Vintage

a vintage white decor

Some days, the inspiration for a new blog post is just not coming to me. This was one of those days, so I looked around for a photo that would spark my interest and found this.

photo via simple kind of life

I am a big fan of white. I love it's simple purity, while at the same time it can provide a warm, light, and welcoming space. In the winter it helps to lift us out of the doldrums and in the summer it provides a cool spot to escape the intense heat.  So today I thought I would devote this post to some lovely spaces, that have a background of white, touched with subtle colors.

a romantic vintage bedroom. I love the pop of pink.

photo via home interiors zone

another place to relax with a cup of tea and then dream the night away.

photo via home interiors zone

A lovely room for your guests. I love the mismatched iron beds. (hmm, they might not want to leave)

photo via Country Living

an amazingly simple kitchen with its background of white and subtle primitive pieces.

photo via livingetc

Enjoy your day.

Laura

I'm So Vintage

versatile blogger award

A big thank you to Elizabeth at  Back Home Vintage for giving me the Versatile Blogger award.

The rules of accepting this award are to share 7 things about me with you all that you may not know, and to pass on the award to 15 bloggers of my choosing.  I'll start with 7 things about me:

• I'm an American who grew up in Canada
• I have a daughter who was a Hollywood child actress
• I read everything I can get my hands on. My favorites are English mysteries. My favorite author is Martha Grimes (She isn't English, but she writes a great English mystery)
• When I was in my 40s I went back to school and got an MS in Counseling Psychology.
• I'm a closet chocolate addict (okay, people who know me know I'm pretty open about it)
• I love spending time in the mountains. The Smokey Mountains of North Carolina are my favorites.
• I would love to have a cottage on a lake, where I could sit on the dock and fish.

 Wow, picking just 15 blogs is not easy There are so many that I like, but here it goes. I hope you will visit them all.

 http://onesheepishgirl.blogspot.com

http://lulugrey.blogspot.com

http://prairieseed.blogspot.com

 http://insidemyhideaway.blogspot.com

 http://mountaingirlvintage.blogspot.com

http://www.folklureboutique.com

http://handmadenest.blogspot.com

http://jensvintage.blogspot.com

http://scribblesinink.blogspot.com

http://www.vintagejunkinmytrunk.typepad.com

http://angemalbountyhuntress.blogspot.com

http://tparty.typepad.com/the_tcozy

http://www.nickhaus.com

 http://vintagegoodness.blogspot.com

In accepting the Versatile Blogger Award, you should now write a post telling us 7 things we may not know about you.  Then, pass on the award to 15 blogs of your choosing.  Thanks!

Laura

I'm So Vintage

lovely etsy finds on a tuesday

a few etsy finds for your tuesday!

for those of you contemplating a wedding. how gorgeous is this?

the spanish gown by joanshum

who wouldn't love to step out of the bathtub into these.

turkish bath towel and slippers by all organic textiles

wonderful natural soap and lipbalm

gift set soap and lip balm by belle terre

just when you thought that old bathtub wasn't going to work for you anymore.

cast iron bathtub couch by ruffhouseart

 a sweet apron for summer gatherings.

summer roses apron by prairie seed

yummy!

concrete fruit bowl by atstuart

Laura

I'm So Vintage

Cabbages and Roses

Have you checked out the British online shop of Cabbages and Roses. not only beautiful items, but wonderful style shots, which i love as inspiration for my own decorating. yummy!!

all photos via Cabbages and Roses

I'm So Vintage is  having a customer appreciation sale now through May 31. 10%  off all purchases. please enter coupon code MAYDAYHOORAY at checkout to get the discount.

My daughters are also having a 10% off sale in Prairie Seed.

Laura

I'm So Vintage

in my secret garden

i have a spot at the back of my yard that i call my secret garden. it's a lovely place to sit and read while sipping a glass of ice tea with fresh mint, a place to plan my day, a place to ponder.....

Sammy

 hmmmm!!! it seems i am not the only one who thinks this. we have a colony of "feral" cats that we feed, and while feral usually means skinny scavengers, these feral cats are fatter and more spoiled than a normal house cat, and apparently they think this spot was made just for them.

Smokey and Sammy

 and yes, we have bird feeders, but believe me they just watch the birds with interest. they are way too well fed to think of them a s dinner.

so the three cats  (crystal  was hiding in the bushes), the birds, the raccoons, and sometimes me peacefully coexist in our little tranquil haven.

Laura

I'm So Vintage