Scrapfest at Archiver's and Mall of America!

When I'm not out hunting for vintage treasures I have a real job- running our company Epiphany Crafts. A little over a week ago we were lucky to attend Archivers' annual even,t Scrapfest at Mall of America in Minnesota. Thousands of people from all over the country attend this event for full days of make and take booths, classes, demos, and of course shopping! This was my first time attending even though our company has been going for years. We had an amazing time demoing the tools and meeting all of the ladies that support our little company! 

The day started off with our make and take booth. The lines were long but we appreciated everyone who waited.

Our make and take was so cute! It was a custom project life card that you could customize with our Shape Studio Tool Pennant!

We also demoed outside of the Mall of America Archiver's store.

Brian even made customized Scrapfest embellishments using the Shape Studio Tools and the event program!

Then it was time for Michelle to teach her "Handmade Happiness" class. This class was an entire mini album packed into forty five minutes. I think they barely got through the cover!

As if make and takes, classes, and demos weren't enough...we also hosted a crop on Saturday night. We had lots of companies who supported us by donating to our goodie bags. We stayed at the crop until 11:00. It was a long but fun day! We had a guest make and take from Newton's Nook Designs. They make the most adorable stamps!

Just check out some of their samples!

Michelle also taught a Halloween banner make and take.

We had a great time at the event and a big thank you goes out to Archiver's for hosting it! After the event was over Archiver's announced it is closing it's Mall of America store and Scrapfest is uncertain for next year. I certainly hope this isn't my one and only Scrapfest. Thank you to everyone who came by our booth and loved the tools, we can't do it without your support!

On Sunday I Found Out I'm a Little Bit Spoiled...

when it comes to prices! We headed out early to the Long Beach Flea Market on Sunday. By early, I mean we left the house at 5:00am. The flea market has early bird hours from 5:30-6:30 and regular hours start at 6:30. Admission is $6.00 per adult but parking is free. This is a good sized market, smaller then the Rose Bowl but larger then Irvine Valley. 

I learned pretty quickly that the prices were higher then I am willing to pay now. After shopping at estate sales where the dealers shop, I just couldn't bring myself to pay flea market prices even though they are still a decent price below vintage stores. The trendiest thing at the flea were globes this time around. Every booth had one...or two or three. I stopped counting at 100. Also, if anything looks to be remotely Mid Century Modern you might as well tack on an extra $100-$200 dollars to the price. 

One of the fun things about the flea are looking at the things people bring to sell. Anyone need a life sized painted horse?

Or perhaps their own creepy butler?

I found a booth full of vintage Halloween items which I love but the prices were $30-$40 a piece!

We were able to pick up a couple of things for the living room and I got a few little pieces for my next collage wall. I saw these paintings lying on the ground and loved them and loved the price- only $10 each! Turns out they are from Van Gaard which was popular studio in the 1960's. 

They fit behind our huge $40 lamp Brian found on Craigslist last week. There was a lamp I spotted at the flea and I knew I wanted it because I had seen it in the pictures of an estate sale we went to last week. When we got there the lamp was already sold, now I know who bought it. The guy at the flea told me he bought it from an estate sale in Simi Valley, yep, it was my lamp. I think he felt sorry for me so he sold it for $40, which kills be because I know the estate sale price was probably $20.00, but I had gotten swooped so I forked over my cash. It looks just as perfect as I imagined it would!

One other exciting thing happened this week! My peacock finally came! I have wanted this guy since I saw one in Portland years ago for $400...I finally found one and it arrived safe and sound!

And yes, I may have still been in my pajamas when the mail came- we call them "work pants."

So this week we will be getting ready for our work trip to Mall of America for Scrapfest. I can't wait to spend my birthday working in Minnesota (insert sarcasm here).  So no estate sales this weekend for us. Just a regular old work week around here. I hope everyone has a fabulous Monday!

-Tricia

May We Never Forget

Even starting this post was hard. How and where do I begin. We all remember that terrible morning like it was yesterday. There is nothing I can add personally to the tragedy but I think its is important that we remember. Some of us will truly never forget.

Brian and I were up early that morning as we had a new baby. I remember seeing the first tower burning and for some reason Brian and I knew already that this wasn't some random accident. As we watched the plane attack the second tower, our worst fears were confirmed. We were under attack. 

This is something our generation hadn't experienced before. We didn't grow up with the threat of nuclear bombs on Cuba, or practice duck and cover drills like my parents did. 

We were safe on American soil.

I was physically ill. I can't imagine sending your spouse to work-a safe place-  like you do every morning, not to have them return. Or dropping a loved one off at the airport only to find out that their plane was hijacked and flown into the Pentagon. Really, I can't imagine it. 

It's surreal. It's unfathomable. 

But it happened and we all watched in horror.

I think what I remember most is the fear that followed. Being scared to leave the house. Not knowing if there were going to be more attacks. Looking up in the sky and not seeing a plane anywhere. Huddling in our bed at 2am as military jets flew over our house, so loud we were worried it was a bomb. And the knowledge that our world had changed forever and our daughter would be growing up in a different time. One where extra security checks would be the norm, where the word "terrorism" was learned in elementary school. 

My first trip to Ground Zero was in 2012, we took Davis back that summer. It is beautiful, but it's a solemn place. The enormity of the tragedy can be felt when you stand where the buildings once stood. We watched as the lowered the final beam on the rebuilt tower 4 and sang along with God Bless America during the ceremony. 

We cried. We paid tribute. We walked all the walls and looked at the names out of respect. We still couldn't believe it happened. 

It's a place everyone should visit. It was a solemn reminder of all of the people that gave so much on that terrible day.

May we never truly forget and may God Bless America.

-Tricia

A Few More Pieces from the Weekend

I am totally in love with our vintage clock we found on Craigslist for $40! It was down in San Diego so we were lucky that our dear friend Michelle picked it up for us! We had the perfect spot for it, so I knew we had to have it!

I have been on the look out for a 1960's style owl in orange. Random, I know. Brian, in all his Craigslist glory found a guy selling his owl collection- go figure. He didn't have exactly what I wanted but he did have this sweet picture I grabbed for $20. 

It looks like something someone won at a carnival in 1972.

We found a place for Davis' original paintings as well. It's nice to have some of her artwork in the house.

I also found a couple of little pieces for under the stairs at our friend's vintage shop. If you are ever in the Corona area make sure you stop by "Good Cents Vintage & Thrift" She has a wide variety of styles and amazing prices!

Anyone who knows me, knows I have been searching for the elusive peacock. I saw one in a vintage shop in Portland about two years ago. It was huge. Over three and a half feet and it was $400. Way too pricey for me and I had no way of getting it home anyways. I have never seen another one. Until this weekend. One popped up on Etsy and it was on sale. And it was a quarter of the price of the original. Yep, this beauty is on its way to me!

We are heading to an estate sale this morning. It's a picker's sale. Boxes and boxes of junk. I am hoping for an orange owl, lol, and a few new odd pieces for my collage wall. 

I hope everyone has a fabulous day!

-Tricia

Estate Sale Repeat

Late Friday afternoon I got a lead on a great estate sale in La Jolla. It had vintage Heywood Wakefield furniture which you don't see come up very often. Our bedroom set is Heywood Wakefield and we've been fans for nearly twenty years now.

 In the photos I saw a picture of a dining room table. Not only was it HW but it is also the last piece we needed to finish up the living room/dining room area. Now I have wanted a HW dining room set since before we were married. I have always had my heart set on what is known as the "triple wishbone." In our area a triple wishbone with chairs go for about $3000, which is precisely why I don't own one. 

So when I saw this table pop up in La Jolla I knew I had to give it a shot. There was no mention of a list and the sale opened at 8:00. Problem is that La Jolla is about two hours away from us. So we did what we always do when there is a geographically undesirable estate sale. We use Brian's Marriott points to stay right down the street. So we picked Davis up from school, packed our bags and headed south with my dream of a HW dining room table in my heart. 

We had a wonderful evening at the Marriott in La Jolla. We actually ate outside. We couldn't believe how cool it was as we have been suffering from one hundred plus degree temperatures for over a week now. It was surreal to be outside and not melt. It was impossible to sleep though because we were so excited about the sale. So at 5:00 we headed over to get in line. Once we got there there was already a list out- and wouldn't you know it, there were two names ahead of us- ugh, not again! So we patiently waited, sipping our coffee and watching the sunrise come up over La Jolla.

When it was time to line up, lucky for us the first two people never came back- so we were first and second! The dining room table was in my grasp! I knew from the picture that the top would need refinishing, so it had to be going for a good price. Then we were in through the door, up to the dining room, and I saw the price...(insert sad music here)...$800. Now, for a HW dining room table, that is a good price, but it was more then I was willing to pay since it needs refinishing. I was sad. We did grab a chair which also needs some love and a cabinet for my afghan collection. But I was still sad. 

All the prep and waiting and no dining room table for me. The people running the estate sale were super nice and told me that Sundays are 50% off. I was welcome to call at the end of the day and see if the table would still be available Sunday. So I crossed my fingers and we headed back home to the heathole that is Corona.

The rest of our day was spent relaxing, trying to make the time go by faster. We organized our records in this great holder I got on Friday at the SA 50% off sale for $1.

We listened to records and read the newest issue of 'Atomic Ranch" Magazine.

Even the cats seemed relaxed. They weren't sharing my anxiety about the table. Yes, that's two cats in one chair.

So finally it was time to call. Brian spoke to the seller, came in with a sad face and told me the table had been sold. Of course, in his next breathe he said "just kidding" and it would still be there Sunday- AT 50% OFF. Now, $400 is an insanely great deal. The chairs alone usually sell for $125 or more. So here we were back in the same position as the day before. We needed to be first on the list. So we got up at 4:30 Sunday morning and made the two hour drive back down to La Jolla. We were first on the list, grabbed the table, paid our cash and we were back on the road.

Once we got home we had all of the fun of moving out the old table and the new one in in the 100 degree heat. I think it looks perfect.

It's not the triple wishbone but I like this one even better. All of the chairs are stamped "1955" and the table was sold between 1955-1965. It is the "Harmonic" style and much rare then the "triple wishbone." Yay, for me. 

So after that fun weekend, it's back to the daily grind. Lots of work to get done and school for Davis. I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

-Tricia

The Trifecta- Craigslist, Thrift and an Estate Sale

Brian is a Craigslist expert. If there was a job that involved searching Craigslist they would hire him as the President. I don't know how he does it, well, maybe I do but I don't understand his complicated system, but he can find anything. 

So when we decided that no self respecting mid century decor is complete without a bar cart, I knew it would only be a matter of days before we found one. Now, bar carts are expensive. Especially MCM ones. Well into the hundreds of dollars range. Since there is no way I would pay that, I figured it might take a week or so to find one in our price range. 

It took Brian an hour or so and he found one for $20! The exact same one we had seen for $100 or more. It fits perfect next to the estate sale brawl hutch. Of course, all my vintage barware is in storage so I had to make do with what I had here until it's not a billion degrees outside and I can dig around our storage units- yes, that is plural, you read correctly. 

So here she is in all of her $20 glory.

I've had an idea for a collage wall for a while now. A wall of all the weird stuff I pick up. I've been calling it "My Wall of Oddities." We stopped by the SA and when I saw this, I knew I had the focal point for the wall.

"There's a Reason to Life" so profound. After some research we figured out it was from a novel "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" that was popular in the 1970's where a seagull discovers the meaning of life. It was hugely popular and Brian remembers his mom reading the book when he was a kid.

We went to an estate sale that was our first real "pick." Boxes and boxes of stuff that had been in sheds that you had to dig through. I found more little things for my wall. It was hot and filthy and I should have brought gloves. Of course I was wearing a dress and flip flops- not "picking" attire by any means. The tiered kidney table we bought for $15. It will be our first refinishing project. That should be interesting.

So I finally had enough oddities to finish my wall. First I laid them all out on the ground so I could get the placement right.

Then we had the big job of hanging it all. I have a great video of it that Blogger won't let me upload so here is the picture of the finished project!

 

It makes me happy every time I walk down the hall. I hope everyone is having a great Friday and looking forward to the weekend. I love these short weeks!

-Tricia

This Heat Wasn't Going to Stop Me...

from hitting the Irvine Valley Flea Market Sunday morning. We got a late start and yes, it was super hot by the time we got there. I hate getting there late because all of the good stuff is usually gone but it was a last minute decision to go as we have been cooped up in the house avoiding the heatwave for days. 

This was the first time we've been since they moved the location. It is now held at The Great Park in Irvine. This is my favorite flea market because it is small, lots of different vendors, and the parking and admission are free. Parking was easy at the new location and it's now next to a farmer's market if you are into that sort of thing. So even with the new location, it's still my favorite flea market to go to. If you are ever in the area you should check it out- it's always the first Sunday of every month.

We literally made it one booth before I saw stuff I had to have. I was pulled in by the rack of vintage clothes because I spied a poncho- and yes, once this heatwave is over I will be bringing the poncho back! She had shirts and dresses...all for a few dollars. 

Brian got pulled in by the Burke fiberglass chair out front that would match the tulip chair we already have. When she offered to sell it to him for $30, it was practically giving it away. I still need to decide on the fabric for the cushions but now our tulip chair has a friend.

We were looking for little items to decorate our living room and I found this. It was marked $20, she sold it to me for $5.00. I guess arriving late has it's advantages because this lady was ready to deal.

Another art piece, marked $10....bought at $5.00

And my most favorite thing I saw all day which makes no sense if you look at it- big cat, dancers, statues....no clue who painted it or what it means, but I am seriously in love with it. Davis said we should put it right inside the front door as it describes what people are getting into when they come over, lol. I love it and for $5.00 I felt like I was stealing it.

We only shopped at one other booth. we found two pieces from Belart, which normally sell for $125-$200, a steal at $40.00 for the pair. They are about three feet tall.

So after we got home we had the joy of cleaning up everything and getting it put away. The one corner of the dining room is starting to come together and I finally have a place for my Jadeite. 

Of course kitty gets a place of prominence by our $30 lamp. I think the color in the lamp really brings out her eyes.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day! We will be housebound staying out of this miserable heat. How can I bring the poncho back when it's 100 degrees outside? 

-Tricia

Sometimes it's the Little Things...

that someone does for you that shows they love you. Putting away the dishes, cleaning the cat box, making you a cup of coffee, or loading up a hundred pound planter you just have to have. 

We went to an estate sale yesterday morning. It was the third day of the sale and everything was 50% off. One of the things that are always first to go at an estate sale is tools- and plants. For some reason I always laugh at people buying used plants. Every sale I see people running to the backyard and carrying out planters full of plants. I'm not sure why I find it funny- plants are expensive and ones that are already full grown are sure to live, right? But for some reason it's our running joke- "We're here for the plants." 

So when I set my eye on a huge planter yesterday morning Brian thought I was nuts. His first response was "no way, we will never get that in the car." But once he looked into my eyes he knew resistance was futile and that somehow that planter was coming home with us. Did I mention it had a tree in it and was filled with dirt? It was so heavy even he couldn't move it. I just saw it as a challenge! And it was only $30, a screaming deal. 

So first we dug out the tree. Then we scooted it over to a wall and lifted it over and dumped out all of the dirt. A feat in itself. Luckily, we found a base with wheels to sit it on, I mean only two of the wheels worked, but it was enough to get it to the curb. The last hurtle was actually lifting it into the car. We got it in but I had to sit in the back to keep it from rolling around.

 Now it sits proudly on our patio. I'm not putting any plants in it just in case we move to Washington, you can't take plants across the border, I don't want to have to repeat the whole process again. 

Isn't it pretty?

You can kind of tell how big it is next to the chair, the sides are thick, I think that is what made it so heavy. But really, how could I pass this beauty up?

I grabbed a couple of other things-all at 50% off! A numbered piece of California Pottery.

A new set of salt and pepper shakers that match our kitchen table perfectly.

Chalkware bottles to decorate the wall going into the kitchen.

And I couldn't leave without a piece of Pyrex! These two bowls are part of the four bowl primary set. Whenever I find them individually, for cheap, I buy them to make a full set. A full set can range anywhere from $65-$100. If you can get the bowls separately for around $5, you can make your own set on the cheap.

This is the first estate sale we have been to in weeks. I have missed it! It's what we do for fun and I enjoy spending time with Brian. It's our Saturday morning "date".

Davis is still recovering from the cold she caught the first week of school so we are staying home for the holiday weekend. I hope everyone is staying safe and having fun!

-Tricia