Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Vintage Ladder Advent Calendar

Now,  first, let me tell you I was late.

I should have started planning this in November.  
When I heard of the idea.  From a fabulous reader.  Who wanted to buy the 'other half' of my vintage ladder.  
Alas, the amazing, worn wood, metal reinforced, paint splattered,  99 inch tall ladder with years of patina was too tall for her needs.








Yet she shared her plans for the ladder with me anyway;  a Pinterest sighting of a vintage ladder used for an advent calendar.  Sweet as a candy cane, this gal!

There they were!  Vision of burlap bags, numbers, ribbons, and baker's twine dancing in my head, whenever I laid down for a short winter's nap!  You see, as November turned to December, I was preparing for the Wildhare Vintage Christmas Faire;  painting, sanding, cleaning, pricing.  (Take a peek at what I have still available, here and here).  Mid December came so quickly!





Still wanting the joy of a kiddo's excitement, I set to work!  "Burlap bags will have to wait until next year"  thought the mom with not a single gift wrapped as she spotted green gift bags with white polka dots. (I had already checked the local craft store, hoping there were some already made burlap sacks, but no luck.)  There it was, an idea as bright as Rudolph's nose!  Paper lunch sacks, left over from a craft project of Christmas past ; ).




As I secured the bags filled with small notes and surprises, I realized 25 bags would have overcrowded the ladder.  Not to mention wiped out Santa's inventory of stocking stuffers!  And today, on day 8, when the kiddo asked to open today's bag before school,  I smiled. 



I was not too late to create some excitement. 
I was not to late to add another favorite vintage find to our decor.
I was not too late to see a twinkle in my kiddo's eye with a small surprise and a message of the reason our family celebrates this time of year.




(But maybe I'll start making those burlap sacks for next year in July, someone remind me, OK?)
May your Heart be Merry and Bright!
-Jen


Saturday, December 14, 2013

Items available | You won't find at the mall!

Looking for a unique gift?

Hoping for a unique gift?

I think I can help ...

If you are hoping for edited photos of staged vignettes, I don't have those.  I do have a list of to do's for the season ... oh, you too?  So prior to packing up my booth at the Wildhare Christmas Faire, I snapped some shots of those unique gifts I mentioned.  Be sure to scroll thru my last post of available items as well.

Here's how this works.  Call or text me if you are interested in an item (208-390-8653), we can arrange a time for you to come by and see the item in person.  I can accept cash or credit card payments (thru a square).  If a certain someone in your life thinks it is strange to buy a gift from a gal in town thru her blog, just remind them I don't have crowds or lines at my house : )!




Classic styled wood bench seat -SOLD
(Seat on the bench opens for storage, very sturdy!)
Sheet music wreath - Sold
(I do have a 2 layer book sheet wreath available - see it in my last post in the full booth picture. ($30).  I also have materials to make another vintage sheet music wreath, contact me if interested.) 

 Vintage Cross-back ladder - SOLD

Christmas Sheet Music styled garland $11



  
Aubsomme Blue bench - Sold
(love the legs and curved edges for a handle, great as a side table too)

Vintage #3 Crock $40  
Postal Scale  $36
Vintage Book Stack Blue - SOLD
Short Kerr jar $6
Small vintage ticking pillow $8 



Demilune Table- SOLD



Vintage child cup set $16
(oh so sweet!)





Pink weathered wood -SOLD
This takes some vision, hang with me.  This is actually the top of a vintage child's picnic table (legs had been lost), gentleman I bought it from believed it to be from 1950's.  I would imagine it would make a fantastic jewelry organizer, statement piece above a dresser with sentimental postcards or pictures attached, or add vinyl lettering for a name or quote.  Now you see the potential, right?!
I have left this as a 'found' piece, new owner may want to seal it with polyurethane (or I could offer that for you!)  




 Ironstone set- SOLD
(3 pieces, chip in platter, small plate with lots of crazing)

Just a reminder,  keep scrolling for more awesome finds!
Now, for me to get back to my list!  
Happy Holiday's!
-Jen

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Items available | Follow up after the Wildhare Vintage Faire


The Wildhare Vintage Faire was such fun!  Participating in Old Town Pocatello Art Walk was great, even with the cold temperatures, people were strolling under the Christmas lights that evening, supporting local business and artists.  Thank you to all to came down!

I snapped some photos of items still in my booth on Saturday afternoon, it's like flea market shopping from your couch!  (And easy to show your Mr. a gift idea.)

Contact me via email, livelygrace@me.com, or call/text 208-390-8653.  I can accept cash or credit card/debit card via a square card reader.  






Vintage 4 drawer shabby dresser - sold
Cool minty green vintage scale - sold
Fantastic ladder - sold (99 inches tall!)





Vintage Suitcase with stripes - sold
Vintage fan - sold
Lidded jars in small wood crate $ 14
Silver tarnished Goblet $ 8



Sweetest pair of child metal folding chairs $ 32 - sold

Vintage book stack - sold






"Bloom" divided bulb box $24 - SOLD

As you may have noticed, it is a busy time of year!  If you see a little (or big) something in the full booth photo that catches your eye, it may still be available, and I haven't gotten it posted yet, just ask!

Contact me if interested:  
livelygrace@me.com
208-390-8653 

Thanks for visiting!
-Jen




Saturday, November 30, 2013

Wildhare Vintage Christmas Faire!

Here are the details!



I'll be offering vintage finds, painted furniture, and re-graced items such as chalkboards and vintage sheet music wreaths, plus a few holiday touches in my booth.  You can find me on the first floor. New to Lively Grace or the Wildhare events?  Need a little inspiration to temp you to come?  Here is a quick photo of my booth at the last event before the doors opened, just to give you a feel of what you may find.  The items in the photo here found new homes, but I have been filling my shelves (and trunk, and working office) with new, old finds!




Did you notice the event also coincides with First Friday Art Walk in Old Town?  What a great time to check out all the vendors at the Vintage Christmas Faire and businesses highlighting local artists!  The streets will be lit with Christmas lights, perhaps there will be a light dusting of snow (please, just light dusting in town as I think of hauling in all my goodies!),  and imagine yourself sipping on cider while strolling the streets with friends or family.  
Visit my Facebook page, LivelyGrace for a chance to enter a giveaway, for re-graced cash, $20, to spend at my booth however you would like!  Receive another entry by commenting on this post (or if you are not a face booker)  with how you might use it!  I'll announce the winner on Thursday.  
( $20 credit must be used at the event December 6th or 7th.  It can be used to purchase 1 or multiple items, or used towards the purchase of a larger item- you choose!)


I think it will be just lovely!  I do hope to see you there!
-Jen

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving

I am overflowing with all I have to be thankful for.




Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving
-Jen

Sunday, November 10, 2013



Anyone else drawn to flashcards?

Vintage, not-so vintage, words, math
     or individual letters?

Or do you find yourself drawn to old wooden windows?





I'm a 'both' kinda gal too.


As I flipped thru the cards, I was happy to see these letters hadn't sold at my last booth.  : )
Sometimes it's hard to imagine what those not-so vintage individual letter flashcards can add to a room.

Or an old chippy paint window.

Tricky to know if those little letters will surface in my next booth.

What I do know, is I have another booth I'm preparing for.

More to come.... But I'd suggest marking your calendar for December 6th and 7th.
And check back here for more details!

-Jen


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Thankful for a Sawzall


One evening last weekend, after the To-do list was as crossed off as it could get, homework was wrapped up, and the kiddo was off to the shower, I took a few minutes to treat myself to a little 'junk time'.
I've had this ladder longer than I'd like to admit.  Once used by my husband's great uncle, my mother in law snagged it for me when she saw it was in the discard pile when downsizing.  I just love the worn wood, the contrast of the metal brackets and the paint drips.  For a while I was stuck on just where to use it.  At approximately 99 inches, it is not an easy fit. I had been trying it out in my laundry room for a while, but in order to have it not protrude 2 feet from the wall ( space that is needed on a laundry room) it required a little trimming.  Hence my hesitation...enter the Sawzall.  I was ready to make this ladder work for me and took off a couple inches at the bottom.
Here's a quick photo after I got it moved back in...

It could use a few more aprons and the room some more detail, but I am so giddy with it already!

Then I logged onto Facebook and read so many lovely posts of what friends were thankful for. 

Posting about being thankful for a Sawzall seemed shallow, but here's where it lead me:

Thankful for the freedom I have to buy what others may call 'junk'.
Thankful I have a sweet husband who came out into the cold garage to help me with said Sawzall.
Thankful I have a home to haul my ladder into.
Thankful for a laundry room with appliances, power, and clean water.  
And so thankful I get to wash dirty socks for a young boy : ).


And I haven't even mentioned my power sander yet ; )
-Jen

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Pallet Headboard

For my local friends, have you ever picked up a copy of Pocatello Magazine?
It is a great, local magazine with a wide array of articles, local advertisers, a great events calendar, and a highlight of interesting and fun things to do in our area.  And, it's a free publication, found in local businesses around town!  For the last year, there has also been an article from me.  Whoa, that seems amazing even as I read it!  It's quite fun, and yes, a little intimidating at the same time.  A big thank you to all who have mentioned you've read my articles, and if you haven't picked up a copy before, I encourage you to keep an eye out for the next issue which is likely to hit the stand this week!

Here's an article that was in the March/April 'Environmental' 2013 issue.  I'd love to hear what you think!
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Last summer we were expecting a raft frame being shipped to our home.  While discussing with my husband the logistics of a freight truck making a delivery to our driveway, he mentioned the frame for our 16 foot raft would likely arrive on a pallet.

Hold up.  Pallet?!



I had been hunting yard sales and thrift shops in search of a headboard for our son's room, but had not yet scored.  We had even looked in a few 'real' stores;  where there is new furniture, but my quest to find something used that we could personalize was not found in the box stores or catalogues.  My junker wheels were turning.  Having a pallet delivered to our driveway could come in quite handy, since earlier in the summer I had sold the kiddo's dresser and headboard, and it was high time we put his room back together.  his was beginning to feel like junkin' karma.

The boat frame arrived with it's shiny aluminum that we checked for precise measurements.  We were one step closer to rafting down the Main Salmon River.  The contrast of the wood and aluminum kept distracting me, I couldn't help but blurt out, "just don't get rid of the pallet" before we had the boat frame unloaded. 
Our pallet had been constructed of cedar planks, similar to what one may use for fencing.  The wood still had some of that nice scent, and was free of oil or grease;  I found these qualities in my pallet to be quite nice.  I had done a little online research, and saw mention of cleaning pallets with a bleach solution.  If you are tempted to snag yourself a pallet, please note that some could have been used for storage where rodents may be about, be mindful of your source and /or cleaning the wood well.  Our pallet measured 50 X 45 inches, excitingly similar to a full or queen sized frame.  Chalk one up for the up-cycled pallet headboard.



The kiddo was on deck with giving it a try.  The three "R"s of reduce, re-use, and recycle are present in our everyday life.  We recycle what we are unable to re-use and we have great satisfaction in catching rain run off from the roof to water the garden.  Plus, many pieces of furniture, doer, an everyday items in our home are what I refer to as 're-graced'; used pieces that are either painted, repurposed, or cleaned up to fit our needs, like this dresser for the kiddo's room.  We were about to embark on a raft trip thru the Wilderness of No Return, where " leave no trace" is of utmost importance to preserve this pristine area.  So why not give a try to re-purposing this pallet and reduce our impact at home a little also.





Since pallets are not initially constructed to become a headboard, we added an end piece on each side of the pallet to improve the aesthetics when seeing it from the side.  This was a quick honey-do project of picking up 2 pieces of cedar fending cutting them to the same length as the other slats, and screwing into place.  We chose our paint color and purchased a sample pot of paint (approximately 250ml, usually about $4) an used an older brush we had at home.  This wood has a heavy texture, so I used a technique close to dry brushing in order to avoid saturating all the wood with color.  We did not remove paint from the brush, as is usual with dry brushing, but rather applied only a small amount of paint to the brush and then worked it over a larger area to help with achieving a worn over time look.  The kiddo and I painted together, being sure to paint the cross pieces between the pallet slats.  We didn't paint the bottom area that would be covered by the mattress, a bit more paint would be needed to cover the entire pallet.  After the paint dried, I took  my power sander to it, just in areas that were quite rough to avoid splinters and snagged sheets, and to further remove a little paint.  To give the exposed wood a little more depth, I brushed on a natural colored wood stain.



Once it was dry, we hauled it upstairs and placed it against the wall, with the mattress holding it in place.  It has a happy home with other collected over time and re-graced pieces.  I guess this would be our (my) main decorating constant.  The shelf hanging above the dresser that holds all sorts of boy treasures from vacations, teams, and Lego's was an estate sale find.  


Letters that speak his nickname above the closet doors are a collection from a local vintage shop (Vain and Vintage) , and yard sale finds (I want to paint them, but he likes them as-is : ).  Although the vinyl camp sign above the headboard is not used, it is awesome, right?!  It was, however, purchased from Quotes and Quips on Etsy, a marketplace for artisans to sell their wares and a great place to support buying from a small business.  The stripped pillow was a thrift store find, new with the tags still on it.  There is also an old metal cabinet in his room that once held airline meal trays.  It has been re-graced into a Lego vault.  Because treasured things can be stored in what someone else thought was junk, it's a matter of how it can be used differently.  And re-using junk can protect precious things... like rivers.


-Jen







Sunday, October 27, 2013

Available Items | Oct 2013

Just love it?!
Call or text to purchase.  
Thanks! -Jen



Vintage 'Tiffany' typewriter stand $44 - SOLD
Sides of table can fold down, height is adjustable.  Add a great industrial vibe to your office, use as a nightstand, or side table. Love this!! But my home has only so much room : )

Vintage tablecloth $14


Vintage Underwood typewriter $40 SOLD
with case


Vintage box, great paper label on one end $14 - SOLD

Red vintage book stack $6 -  SOLD


Vintage curtain stretchers $15 each
Great typography and hardware~ I used a tall one as a long lasting growth chart for my kiddo!

              
              Vintage rolling cart $22
       Nightstand, side table, bar, plant stand...lots of possibilities!


Set of French Language instruction records, with a great case $ 22 - sold


       Set of 4 wine themed plates, 
great for cheese! $6


         Great patina wooden box - SOLD



                Vintage #3 crock $40 sold
                 very good condition 


Vintage suitcase $34 - SOLD
Solid case, with swoonable stripes & leather handle, and remnants of a shipping label!

If you are visiting from the MORE show on KPVI, thank you for the visit!!  Instructions for making your own sheet music wreath will be the topic of my article in the Nov/Dec issue of Pocatello Magazine, be sure to pick up your copy, free from local businesses!
Sheet music or book page wreaths are also available for purchase, contact me.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Spooky Mantel

Yes,  I have a rusty pitchfork, sans handle.




Coffee-dyed cheese cloth gets better with age.


Coffee-dyed cheese cloth stored with spicy fall scented candles is a plus when unpacking  Halloween decor.  Yum.



Chocolate eye balls can be effectively worked into decor.



Flashcards.  Never too many.

-Jen

Friday, October 11, 2013

Vignette of Items Available | Dresser & more









Seaglass Dresser -sold
Solid, Bassett 4 drawer dresser refinished with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, sealed with two coats of polyurethane.  All drawers slide easily, really a nicely constructed dresser!  This is a used piece, the dings and rough patches on the dresser just add to the character when painted.  Just a bit lighter in color than photo shows, it's a piece that makes a sweet statement.  Pair it with reds for a real punch, or cream and brown for a serene room!

Vintage Dress Form $80
An amazing price when compared on line!  She just needs a little loving tweeks to get her pieces aligned (too many hauls in and out of my garage)!  Each part and height is adjustable.  






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Vintage tweed suitcase reduced $20
Hard to find tweed fabric suitcase with leather trim and oh, those stripes!  The original handle had been replaced with cordage.  Initials have been stamped (?) into the fabric under the handle, on top, it appears a second owner maybe wanted to add their stamp!  Great for storage, prop, or a vintage vibe in the hall!

Vintage footlocker $35
Amazing patina - what more can I say?!






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Vintage Acme IceCream maker -sold

Vintage Sears Hatbox $17
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Old wood window frame with hardware $sold
A great chippy paint side, and wood side!  All has been sealed to protect that paint and make dusting easier! Please note, the glass is not there.  

Small Vintage Music Sheet Wreath sold
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Tarnished Silver Platter $8
Vocabulary cards not included.  Has a raised center, great for holding all sorts of stuff, or propping in a shelf or kitchen backsplash for a vintage feel!


Remember ....


Lively Grace on Facebook , for some of my favorite finds, quicks posts, quotes, & heads-up before posts!

Contact me if you are interested!  Please note, tax is included in above prices. Thanks for the visit!
-Jen
livelygrace@me.com