Getting Married Today!!

After 5 years of being "married" to each other, my other half and I are finally making it official! Today at the French Quarter Wedding Chapel, we will become husband and wife! It's a very very small wedding, we didn't invite anyone! Our families are on opposite ends of the country. And of course each family wanted the wedding in THEIR state. If we did that, our friends couldn't come because who would pay for the plane tickets and hotels. Then we would have to put on a bigger wedding to cater to all of our families friends that we don't even know. All of this confusion caused me to put off my wedding for years. So finally we decided to forget all of it. We wanted a wedding that would reflect what mattered most, that the two of us loved each other and just wanted to be married. So WE are going to get married in this beautiful old New Orleans style French Quarter chapel that looks more like a Victorian Parlor but with that touch of unusual New Orleans whimsy, the ceiling is very high and filled with a collection of antique and Tiffany chandeliers. With a reverend, a violinist, champaign, a small red velvet/amaretto wedding cake, and my own bouquet that I made myself. Then we are going to up to the river and drink wine on the beach, watching the ships go by.

The 1960s Chinese Dolls are back!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! I apologize for not keeping up with posting regularly on this blog. Due to an over-packed schedule, a wedding a week away, a baby on the way, a 2 year old, 2 stores, committees, classes, volunteer stuff, appointments, goals and a newsletter combined with a long-running lack of sleep, my online presence has been less than prolific lately. But please check back, I am making it my goal to post at least a bit several times a week. So what's in store?....The Chinese dolls are back!(scroll down for photo) I know a lot of people really liked the 1st set of 1960s Chinese dolls and they sold quickly. I have not seen any others like them. The place where I got the 1st set had 2 sets. So when I saw how much people liked the 1st set, I went back and got the second set. They are slightly different from the 1st set in that they are a little bigger and their eyes are open. This is the last set though, when they are gone, they are gone and I have no idea where to find more. So if you are interested, you can contact me before I put them in the store. Coming soon.....We have a 1960s plastic bowling ball that is actually an ice bucket! a set of bowling pin salt & pepper shakers, some retro atomic dishes in the Blue Heaven pattern.(we've had some in this pattern for a long time and really love them). An orange mod style metal casserole warmer & stand, a tiki idol and more! I can't remember it all right now so you'll just have to check out our stores to see! Also, for the collectors of mid century modern..... we have something good in the works! We are doing our best to start bringing you some very swank mid century modern pottery and other ceramic decor. We'd love to hear who your favorites are! And we will keep them in mind when buying! Stop by and say Hello! We'd love to hear from you!

Etsy Vintage shop directory!

Check out the Etsy vintage shop directory for a web-catalog /image list of items from different vintage stores on Etsy!

WATCH OUT FOR STOLEN ART POTTERY!

On Monday, Feb. 25, someone stole a cargo trailer stuffed with American art pottery headed for the American Art Pottery Association convention and auction in April. Also taken were fake and reproduction pottery that was to be displayed at the show. What was stolen was one of the best educational collections ever seen. It was to be auctioned by Belhorn Auction Services of Columbus, Ohio. Profits to go to the Association. You can see a list and pictures of the stolen pieces at www.belhorn.com. Call Belhorn 614-921-9441 if you see any of the pottery. There is a reward.

What's New....

New this week....the most adorable super retro apron ever! It's even way cuter in person! The photos do not do it justice! In red & yellow with Calypso images, maracas, drums and cute little phrases. You can imagine the 50s housewife wearing this while preparing for a summer time soirée! I also got some super strong Texasware! I love it because the pattern reminds me of the floor tiles in school when I was a kid! For danish modern collectors I got two Nymolle cups by Bjorn Winblad. Some supercute vintage "kawaii" chinese dolls from the 60s in a very 60s box! And for the rest, well, you'll just have to check the our two shops over the next week!

She's Gonna Smash the Dishes!

So when I opened my vintage store on Etsy.... Obviously, I quickly became well aware that a lot of people on etsy made crafts and art or "Re-Purposed" items from vintage scraps, pieces & supplies. Great! I'm all for recycling, supporting the arts, collecting bits & pieces of odds & ends for a creation that has not yet emerged. I use to have a closet full of that stuff for my art when I used to do found object/industrial art sculptures in the 90s. And Mosaics too, I still have a bag of tiles and pieces of colored glass somewhere. I think it's great if pieces of a broken vintage item can be salvaged to make something. Better than sending it to the dump. That being said, if any of you have seen my Etsy profile.... Then you know that I go into my spiel about being "Not so much owner's of vintage things but temporary caretakers" And about "Preserving them for the next person". OK so as a vintage seller of course I've accidentally broken a few ceramic items over the years. And I can't help but feel a little guilty when I do. The Finality of it. That's it for that piece! They aren't making anymore. Sure you can probably find another like it if you search. But that doesn't change the fact that there is one less in circulation now. Kind of like an animal heading for extinction. There's only so many left and when they're gone ....They're gone!So in the back of my mind, from time to time.... I had wondered about the ethics of people who use vintage to "re-purpose". "I'm sure they only use vintage items that are broken beyond repair" I thought. Then I noticed some of my vintage dishes were sold. Which was great until I saw the buyer's user id. I won't say the exact id but it was very similar to ismashplates . WHAT!? I wasn't sure how I felt about that! I mean they're not even broken yet! I didn't know what to think. I felt a bit unsettled. I started to think of all the kittens I had given away to "good homes" over the years and imagined the possibility that all of those people had alternate agendas as well! A leather belt, furry ear muffs? stew? I guess it took me by surprise because I had just blindly assumed that all the "re-purposing" began after the original intended purpose was no longer an option. I mean, I like mosaics. And I can appreciate the joy of smashing something as much as the next girl. But I'm not going to grab a mallet and head for Granny's antiques either.Really, I know it's not a major issue. And these plates did have a small chip underneath. (UNDER-NEATH!) But it made me think. How DO I really feel about this since I am so supportive of the preservation of all antique, vintage & collectible items. Even the not so expensive ones that are easier to come across? I feel like this is the part where I wrap it up by announcing whether I've decided on left or right, A or B, but I'm still not sure. I'm usually pretty easy going, I guess I'll just take it one vintage killer at a time.

Vaudeville Vintage on Auction Wally's Podcast!

Special thanks to Mitzi of Vintage Goodness for mentioning our store on Auction Wally's Podcast! I'm flattered and delighted! In case you haven't been to Vintage Goodness on Etsy or the Vintage Goodness Flea-market on ebay, she has a universe full of vintage kitchen and housewares and all sorts of hip vintage finds and the etsy shop has some great vintage jewelry! Just follow the Vintage Goodness link in my links list over on the right side. That will take you to her blog and from there you can find links to the shops. And Auction Wally is a very experienced auctioneer with a really resourceful site called What's it worth? He does really good appraisals and he has a regular podcast that I've enjoyed listening too. And learned some things from! What's it Worth is also on my links list so if you like antiques go check it out!