framed embroidered art

There's something so homey and cozy about embroidered art. I find it to be so personal and such a labour of love. Growing up, my mom would always have some kind of embroidery project in hand while watching TV. And my sister and I, always wanting to do "grown-up" things, would keep her company with our own little projects, complete with kiddy, plastic needles!

Clockwise from top left:
Bluebird Needlepoint from amasattic
Vintage Cross Stitch Art Home Sweet Home from vintagerenaissance
Yarn Embroidered Butterfly Wall Art No. 2 from Olive Vintage
Vintage Cross-Stitch Embroidery Frame from luckylittledot

scandinavian-style diy pillow

I came across this really fun and simple DIY project from ReadyMade for a Scandinavian-style pillow. It would be a great way to add some folksy elements to any room.

slept in

*Sigh*. I stayed up a little too late last night and slept in this morning. I hate feeling like I've wasted my morning, it sets the mood for the rest of the day. Maybe if I had one of these babies to wake me up, I'd be a more of a morning person!




Both mechanical alarm clocks (1, 2) are available from ClockworkUniverse.

bookbook

I think this laptop cover/case by twelvesouth is one of the few that I actually see myself purchasing and using. The hardback leather cases are beautifully crafted and look like authentic vintage books.

BookBook  by twelvesouth

If only the made them for 17" Dells!

picnic weekend

I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Hopefully, we'll have a sunny one. I've been getting really anxious about staying cooped up indoors, especially when you think that you ought to be out enjoying the weather by now! And with the days getting longer, it really would be lovely to have a long and lazy picnic outdoors.

(photo sources: 1 - 2 - 3)

But if the weather's not too great where you are, you can always have an indoor picnic, courtesy of this DIY.

looking into the past

"Looking Into the Past" is a project by Jason Powell where he takes old photographs of places, prints them out, then holds the print up in the modern day location that the original photograph was taken and takes a picture.

 

Some of the changes in the locations he photographed are truly heartbreaking.

perpetual calendars

I have such a strong love for perpetual calendars. They're so eco-friendly, you get one and they last you (hopefully) a lifetime. I'm trying to avoid buying any housewares or decorative pieces until we move into our new place, less things to pack and move! But I couldn't resist rounding up some awesome calendars I spotted on Etsy and eBay.

Vintage perpetual calendars, clockwise from top left:
pinkshirtsncarwrecks
jherrmann
midnight_painter
twoartdirectors

thé dansant

I see a lot of vintage online shops set up on Etsy, but today, I was browsing through BigCartel and came across tons of vintage shops! Thé Dansant especially caught my eye because of their beautiful styling and photography. Gorgeous.

Also, check out their blog!

vintage paper ornaments

I came across these lovely ornaments by Retro Vertigo  (an Etsy vintage seller) on Flickr. They're made using vintage paper such as comics, books, and magazines. She hung them up from her chandelier, but I think they would make awesome mobiles to place in a studio corner or in a nursery. And the best part about them is they look like a really simple DIY project.

 (via Retro Vertigo's Flickr set)

mad men of midcentury modern design

An image from Playboy, July 1961 featuring George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Charles Eames and Jens Risom, some of the most famous designers and creators of midcentury modern furniture.

(via The Selvedge Yard)

A great accompaniment to the Midcentury Modern Furniture Poster I posted earlier.

a collection a day - lisa congdon

Lisa Congdon is documenting a collection a day for the whole 2010 year. I absolutely love some of the vintage collections she photographed.

(found via The Vintageholic Frog)

blue skies?

I had really thought we were done with the cold and grey weather! I was so looking forward to taking out my summer maxi dresses and wearing some sandals. But alas, the weatherman is calling for flurries this week. So here's to hoping he's wrong!

Clockwise from top left:
80s Chambray Blue Studded Shirt from VonlenskaVintage
1980s Silvertone Oval Earrings from hossyboy
Light Blue Check Linen Dress from Bows and Bandits
Large Silver Owl Pendant from Twin Hearts Vintage

the bucket tree

Beautiful vintage items for sale at the bucket tree. I'm loving the "Rubik's" cube.

spring flowers

In anticipation of the start of spring, some flowered-goodies.

Clockwise from top left:
Posy Necklace from Nest Pretty Things
Fusia - Poppy Vase from Chris Chun
1970's Hippy Floral Ceramic Cat Statue from twinheartsvintage
Crochet Embellisments - Flower Power from IttyBittyPrettyShop
Crazy Patchwork Lavender Sachet from plump pudding
Vintage 1980's Strapless Dress from The Little Deer
Total Package - Le Petit Écolier Kit from Nice Package

vhs

Retro print at 20x200 by Hollis Brown Thornton

VHS by Hollis Brown Thornton

My parents have tons of VHS tapes, most of them are movies recorded from the TV!

dining in style

The family dinner last night was great! Good food (if I do say so myself), good company, and lots of laughs. It's always challenging hosting dinners in our current apartment because it's so small. How small? So small, we can't fit any type of dining table (also, so small, we considered getting a wall-mounted ironing board). Hubby and I eat our meals at the breakfast bar, and when we have people over (no more than 6 at a time), we place side tables in strategic areas of the living room. One of the main criteria for our new place was that it had to have space for dining, and we finally found one that did.

I think that some midcentury modern, teak or maple furniture would look lovely in our new place.

Vintage Maple Chairs from GUFF

 

Henry Rosengren Hansen Brande Teak Sideboard from scandinavian.modern

 

Hans Wegner Teak & Oak Dining Set from lookmodern

a family dinner

Since the hubby and I are going to be moving in the next couple of weeks, I decided to have one last family dinner in our teeny-tiny apartment tonight, before the whole packing-up mess takes over. We're going to be having appetizers, soup, salad, main course, and dessert, the works! So I guess I better get cracking, huh?

Clockwise from top left:
Juicy Pyrex from AmeeliaBedelia
Vintage Handmade Crochet Doily from kristinsshop
Mini Lotus Bowls from rewindtime
Wooden Salt & Pepper Shaker Set from ChanceVintage

polaroid prints

Love the softness of these Polaroid prints by Jenny Vorwaller. She took the photos with her vintage SX-70 Polaroid camera. I can almost taste the salty and humid summer air!

a pretty awesome poster

Mid-Century Modern Furniture Poster by James Provost

For the design-nerd. I think this poster would be perfect in a home office or studio.

child's play

Came across some very cute children's items (look at those baby shoes!).

Not going baby crazy, I repeat, not going baby crazy!

Clockwise from top left:
Emma Paper Doll Pillow from Chocolate Creative
Miniature Miss Sunshine Dress from Bleubird Vintage
The Good Children - Colorful Yarn Wall Hanging from objetpetita
Wooden Bulldozer from ladiesandgentlemen
50s Floral Baby Wrap Shoes from Rummage Style

i want to go to there

Gorgeous vacation rentals in the UK by Vintage Vacations. They have Airstream trailers and cottages and cabins with beautiful, nostalgic decor. You can even book some of the rentals for wedding photos and events! As Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there!".

thrifting

This is how I was feeling for most of Saturday:

I'd Rather Be Thrifting print by Ashley Goldberg

And on Sunday, I did! I hit up a couple of my favourite thrift stores and got some awesome milk glass bud vases, perfect for displaying the soon-to-come tulips and daffodils.

rainy day inspiration

We've had beautiful, spring-like weather all this week. So today's overcast skies and rain are such a downer. It feels like fall.

Clockwise from left:
Lovely Green Austrian Floral Dress - Bows and Bandits
Vintage Bird Print Scarf - Topshop

BB Dakota Nicole Washed Leather Moto Jacket - Piperlime 

Nicole "Behave" Ankle Bootie in Sandstone - Ruche  

Clear Plastic Glasses - Topshop

vintage russian speed skaters

Now that the Winter Olympics are over, I find TV so boring! (Although, I did catch a Glee re-run last night, and that was awesome!)  I would watch any and all events, and I even watched a couple of curling matches, although I had no clue what the rules were. And I still don't!

I loved watching the speed skating events, both short and long track. They skate so fast, and you can just feel the adrenaline rush.

And I love this vintage mechanical watch. It's kind of cartoonish.

(Vintage Russian Mechanical Wristwatch from ClockworkUniverse)

cookie inspiration

So my Berggren cookies inspired me to check out some Swedish and Scandinavian vintage. I love the bright colours and folksy patterns.

Clockwise from top left: 
Berggren Little Swede Vintage Creamer from CrankHeartPony
Scandinavian Cooking 1973 cookbook from daisychainvintage
Swedish Wood Trivet from gravityfree
Swedish Westerly Hills Clogs from msthingsandstuff
Vintage Map of Norway and Sweden 1939 from StoriesDivinations 
Vintage Embroidered Huck Towels from sosovintage

berggren cookies

While I was making some tea this morning and setting aside a couple of cookies, I realized I wasn't just about to eat any old cookies, but Berggren cookies! Take a look:

Of course they're not really Berggren cookies, there's no signature ;)

(Berggren Enamelware Pot, from softesthing's Flickr stream)

The kitchen in our new place desperately needs a face lift and new appliances. I just love how this retro stove looks with the shiny black countertop and white cabinets.

(via Apartment Therapy)

Anybody know a source for energy efficient, retro-looking stoves? I hear these old ones don't hold heat well.

The hubby and I just bought a house two days ago, and we're super excited to finally have a place of our own! We've been renting for while and have never really "settled in". No picture frames up, no wall paint, it never really felt like home. So we're psyched that we'll have a place to make all pretty and really "live" in. It's a bit of a fixer-upper, but I can't wait to make it sparkle and shine.

We had such an awful time finding a place within our price range. Everything is so inflated in our city. I can't help but feel a little jealous browsing through the New York Times and seeing all the awesome homes with affordable price tags. If only it was so easy to move across the continent!

(via NY Times: A three-bedroom two-bath row house in Philadelphia for $289,000.)

Hi, I'm Gigi.
And this is my blog, vinta9e.
A collection of this and that.
Things that strike my fancy.
Things that strike a sense of nostalgia.
Pretty things.
Enjoy.