Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!


 Many wishes for a New Year filled with nothing but happy minutes and lots of quality time!
P.S. I have the red teapot clock pictured above!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Vote for My Retro Goddess

Super-blog Apartment Therapy is hosting the 2009 Homies awards
**Update! RetroRenovation is one of the finalists! Vote here. **

My favorite blog, RetroRenovation by Pam Kueber (my Retro Goddess) is nominated, and is one of the Top 6! She needs more votes, and she truly deserves them! If you have read RetroRenovation, you know what an amazing resource and inspiration it is for all lovers of Mid-Century Modern and Modest.

The Apartment Therapy website has this to say about the Homies:

Shelter Bloggers Rule!

There are awards for all sorts of blogs, but no one ever pays enough attention to the shelter blogs, so we started The Homies. It's our way of surveying the blogosphere each year for the best new home design blogs and sharing what we find. It's not so much a competition as a celebration of the richness and awesomeness of shelter bloggers around the world. Join us, share your favorites and check out the ones you don't know. We want to elevate good home blogs, see who you love and gain awareness for the home niche.

**Voting for this final round ends JAN 6 at 5:00 p.m. EST, so please go now and register with them (it's free, and they are safe and reputable) and VOTE!**

When I voted, this is the comment I left as to why it is one of my favorite blogs:
“Where to begin? RetroRenovation has been a daily destination for me for the past two years. It has been a resource and inspiration for projects around my last and current home, and a source of validation for my obsessions! There are really people out there who find mid-century everything just as fascinating as I do! This blog inspired me to start my own blog, to start an Etsy shop, and to make my home the best it can be. I never tire of looking at the time-capsules, estate sales, products, resources, vintage images, etc. that Pam tirelessly researches and shares with all of us. She is my Retro Goddess!”

There are so many reasons to love Pam's work:
She is a campaigner for preservation of original pastel bathrooms











 

The site is chock-full of resources like this:


She posts eye candy like these:


And this is her kitchen, for crying out loud!!




Monday, December 21, 2009

Good Thrifting

I've been collecting bits and pieces here and there since the last post I did about my thrift store finds, so I figured it was time to share.

One day, I got this great haul:

Four Pyrex refrigerator dishes, in the Butterprint pattern, mint condition with lids!
Butter dish - "Nordic" pattern by Syracuse
Cool plate - "Windblown" by Salem
Cute elephants - for my growing collection. I just keep finding them, and elephants are such amazing animals, I can't help myself.
Pyrex juice carafe in the "Butterfly Gold" pattern

From other stores, other days....

Got these starburst Miramar Melmac dessert plates, aqua and gold


The coolest little "Thermo-Serv" insulated pitcher, in aqua. Tragedy, though - the clerk dropped it when he was ringing me up, and now it's got a big crack. Oh well, he did give it to me for free.


Pyrex casserole, in the aqua Snowflake pattern I love.


These beautiful vintage wall sconces for $1.50 each!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!





Wow, it's been a while! Obviously my birthday sent me for such a loop I lost my ability to blog.
I just wanted to check in with a quick post because I loved this card on froggyboggler's Flickr photostream so much. You NEED to go look at her photos because she has a truly amazing house and collection of vintage STUFF. Start right here at her bathroom - the coolest ever!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Mine will be turkey-less, but I will enjoy it just as much as the rest of you, I promise! As long as there's pumpkin pie, I'm a happy, happy girl. :)

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

A Virtual Birthday Party for Me!

Well, times are tough and money is tight, so I thought I would give myself free reign to shop for virtual birthday presents! Off the top of my head, and with just a short time to search around the 'net, I came up with a little virtual goodie bag for myself. Here ya go!

This Fisher Price Roly Poly Chime Ball that I had as a kid:

from RetroClassics on Etsy

A pair of Wade hedgehogs (I've collected these Wade miniatures since I was in grade school! And they're hedgehogs - too cute!)

from MoonDoggie on Etsy

Yes, another bag from AtomicLivin - this one is Pretty in Pink!

AtomicLivin on Etsy

A genuine Eric McGrew (aka JEM 'n' Tonic from Amidst Mod)
This is RF Sign:

Amidst Mod on Etsy

And, of course, one of my fondest wishes for some years now, a vintage Mini:

This is a 1966 Morris Downton Mini Cooper from
MiniGuy.com

Maybe I'll come up with some more fun stuff to give myself tomorrow! This is really fun - all the thrill of shopping with no bills to pay, and I can come to look at my goodies right here any time I want - and they won't clutter up my house or need to be filled with gas.

And oh yeah....I'm 41 today. Let's hear it for all the 1960's babies! Woo hoo!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

A Rooty-Tooty Fresh-n-Fruity Giveaway!

The delightful RetroModern Housewife is giving away this very Carmen Miranda-esque bracelet!

Go take a look-see at her blog to enter yourself in the contest if you'd like. She's got a fantastic blog of retro fun!


Sunday, October 4, 2009

Happy Anniversary Anthony & Tommy!

Congratulations on your first year of marriage, and 19 years as a couple. Here's to a lifetime of love and happiness! You guys are my dearest friends and darn cute to boot :)
Your wedding day was one of the happiest days of my life, as I know it was for you!



Monday, September 28, 2009

My Flickr Groups

Quite a while ago, I got pretty caught up in Flickr. Still am, actually. It's another place to link up with fellow mid-century, vintage, retro enthusiasts. Of course, Flickr has members from all over the world, and of every imaginable interest, so if you want to find a group of photos dedicated to "Geraniums of All Kinds" you can (that's an actual group).

http://www.flickr.com/groups/sealife-midcentury/



If you are interested in collecting images along a certain theme, and you don't find a group, you make one! I'm up to five groups that I started. Of course, I'm a member of many, many more. Just can't seem to stop once you've gotten started!

I'd like to share my groups with you, since they are all obviously things that interest me quite a lot, and I'm hoping they'll interest some of you, too. Oh, and if you have a "Contact" on Flickr and you're intrigued by their photos because you share common interests, you can look up their contacts, and what groups they belong to (kinda like a blogroll and followers on someone else's blog). Therefore, the length of the chain you create is probably virtually endless! It's like being a great big club where everyone likes the same weird stuff you do (especially exciting when your neighbors, friends, family, random strangers, perhaps even your spouse think you are nuts).

Without futher ado, the Groups of Tikimama (TikiLisa on Flickr):

http://www.flickr.com/groups/paint-chip-fun/


http://www.flickr.com/groups/mid-century-wood/


http://www.flickr.com/groups/atomic-tea-party/


http://www.flickr.com/groups/mid-century-hostess/

Well, it's about time!


Oh happy day! I WON Welcome to Deluxeville's giveaway of that fab clock! I never win in contests, raffles or giveaways, it seems, so I was so shocked and happy - I was totally acting the fool last night when I found out, dancing around and singing to my daughters "I won, I won, I won!" If they ever doubted that their mama was crazy, they doubt no longer.

Thank you so much, MaryDeluxe!

And, on top of that, I've reached 100 followers! Yes, the magic number where all bloggers must celebrate, it seems. So, a giveaway on Atomic Tea Party is in the works!!

(Did anyone get my clever pun in the title? ;)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

A DeluxeVille Giveaway!

I love giveaways - who doesn't? One of the first blogs I found and followed, courtesy of the mother-of-them-all, Retro Renovation, was Welcome to DeluxeVille by the gorgeous MaryDeluxe. She has the most amazing home, and her collection of lamps is stunning! She is quite the handy-woman, too - she does everything herself around the house, and I'm so impressed. She even dresses vintage, from her fantastic collection of vintage clothing. That's something I've never quite managed, and I'm so envious of the girls who do!

So, in celebration of reaching over 100 followers, Mary has decided to give away this fantastic atomic clock. Isn't it just loverly?

If you would like to enter yourself into the giveaway, go here. But definitely check out DeluxeVille and become one of the loyal followers.

By the way, there are almost 100 followers of Atomic Tea Party, so I'm planning a little giveaway of my own. Hmmmm....what should it be?

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Sometimes the old-fashioned way is for the birds

This was me, the entire past year we have lived in this house:

Doing dishes by hand is one of my least favorite chores. Do you have any idea how many cups, bowls, spoons, etc, etc two little girls can go through in ONE DAY?!
I'm ashamed to admit I was doing a little happy dance, complete with song, this morning when our dishwasher was finally restored to working order by an angel from heaven (Sears repairman).
Of course, as I type this, there is still a sink full of dirty dishes, but one must be true to one's priorities!
I remain, as always...

Images via the brilliant Anne Taintor
making smart people smile since 1985

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Fantasy Look

This is the haircut I would love to get!

Victoria Von Hagen - New York 1952
via parisglobe's photostream on Flickr

Well.....if I looked like this divine beauty.
I haven't been able to find much about Victoria Von Hagen...anyone know more? She was certainly stunning.
Such a glamorous image, even if I don't go for smoking OR fur. Her makeup and jewelry are perfect. And I used to be able to see my collarbone like that, too...sigh.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Luau Time with Tikimama

I cohosted a monthly Supper Club with a good friend on Saturday; we decided to do a Hawaiian-themed barbeque. Everyone came dressed in their best island wear, and I decorated a bit with some of my odds and ends of Hawaiiana. I looked to some of my vintage Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks for inspiration for the vegetable shish kebabs and fruit platters that were my food contribution. You have to keep in mind that for me, this is very fancy!

Veggie kebabs, before grilling. They were yummy!

One of my table decorations. I filled some of my monkeypod wooden bowls with snacks, and others with shells. It was simple and beachy-feeling and very easy.

I made sure to have Daddy-O take a pic of me with my new glasses:

I hit 40 last year and like clockwork needed bifocals! These are the modern version, where you don't get that pesky line in the middle, and I drove the people at the eye doctor's office crazy because I didn't like any but these vintage-look frames. They had to custom sketch and cut the lenses to accomodate my prescription! But, I wear my glasses all day, every day, so I have to like them!
On another note, my hair is at that stage where it's grown out to just blah. I've already trimmed my bangs, and I'll need to recolor, but what I want everyone's opinion on is a good style for me that I could make look a bit more retro. I have very little time to spend on myself with two little girls to take care of, so it has to be simple. I'll probably end up with the chin-length flip if no one gives me any better ideas!


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Saturday, August 8, 2009

Lushpad Giveaway!


Lushpad: "The Buy and Sell Marketplace for Modern Collectors"
Or, for people like me, a great website to drool over furniture and home decor that I can't as yet afford, and a wonderful resource to get educated in all things mid-century modern.

Right now they are having a giveaway of a set of back issues AND a 2-year subscription to Modernism magazine. I guess I just lessened my chances of winning by sharing this info with all of you! I think you sign up to be a member of their site if you aren't already, subscribe to their monthly newsletter, and you get notified of their monthly giveaways. They've given away very cool, very expensive furniture pieces in the past, too.

Modernism magazine's current issue has an article on this dreamy Brazilian tropical modern house:


The house belonged to the featured Brazilian mosaic artist, Paolo Wernick. An example of his work, featured on the Modernism magazine site:


Lushpad's site offers articles as well as ad listings. This month they have a great article with helpful tips on how to restore your vintage furniture finds when they have scratches, dents, watermarks, worn leather and the like. You can find the article here.

They also highlight Mid-Century Modern Mosaic in their Trends section. I have always loved mosaic work. Check out this mural by artist B C Binning

Via chilco's Flickr photostream. You can view this photo large here. She has a website called Good Things in Vancouver, which looks interesting.

Thanks for joining me on the Blonga Line today!!