Mitzi's Miscellany

Pep Talk From The Midwest

The news media might have you think that it's all doom and gloom for retailers right now.  Wrong.  I have been selling some great stuff since January both online and in the two antique malls where I rent space.  For example:  a handpainted floral fire screen from the 1920's; a stand-alone chrome hair dryer on wheels from a beauty shop with fabulous art deco flair; a beautiful Rockingham glazed pitcher; four occupational shaving mugs; and a rustic cabin chic snowshoe chair.  My brother, who specializes in Arts and Crafts antiques, recently sold a nice Morris chair.  It's hard to make a case for anyone really needing these things, but I'm glad that folks are still willing to treat themselves to something well-made and beautiful for their homes.  All of the things I mentioned could conceivably become family heirlooms some day (even the hair dryer!)  How many things do we buy at Target or WalMart that become family heirlooms?  Makes you think.......

Midwest style is going to be the next big thing, I predict.  Aren't you getting a little tired of "Paris apartment" and  "French country"?  What's so great about Paris, anyway?  OK, I know, I've been there.  But I propose that there's plenty of style right here in the good ole USA, and I'm on a mission to prove it.  I'm digging up great, affordable stuff in the "middle of the mitten", central Michigan.  Midwest style is a fun mix of vintage treasures, personal collections, candy colors, chippy paint, and make-do, up-cycled objects to use or simply to appreciate as art.  Everything from Victorian-era to art deco to postwar modern can get thrown in the mix. 

For those of us that enjoy crafting and creating, we're seeing an absolute explosion in the popularity of using vintage materials in craft projects.  Think cabinet photos, costume jewelry, cutter quilts, trade cards, game pieces, fabric trims, bottles and jars, numbers and letters, and sewing patterns.  You can make your creations unique or one of a kind by using fantastic flea market, Etsy, eBay, or antique mall finds, and the hunt is part of the fun!  And one more thing....you aren't buying churned-out made in China materials.  You're using stuff that has been on this planet for many years, so you won't have any "green guilt". 

Mulch Madness

Once sure sign of spring in mid-Michigan are mountains of mulch dropped onto lawns, ready to be spread around and cover up all of the after-winter dullness.  Today I saw two giant piles, then I saw my first robin, the more traditional sign of spring.  Pretty soon there will be garage sales, outdoor auctions, and estate sales every weekend, not to mention outdoor flea markets and antique shows. 

With the plentiful buying opportunities on the horizon, I thought I would let you know what I'm looking for, besides "good deals".  I do try to keep within certain parameters so that I present a certain "look" in my antique mall booths. 

The first thing that comes to mind are wallpaper-covered cardboard lingerie chests.  I just love vintage wallpaper from the 1920's-50's.  Sometimes I come across old hat boxes and bandboxes, which look great stacked up and can be used to store craft supplies. This one is a little worse for wear, but I loved it instantly! 

I also look for milk glass, but since it is so common, I look for pieces that are older or have an unusual shape or design.  Put any type of fruit in a milk glass bowl, and it will look fabulous.  A collection of milk glass bud vases makes a great centerpiece with a single fresh or handmade flower in each one.

Something else that pops up regularly are old picture frames.  Many times, the original glass is long gone, so these can be used for bulletin boards or chalkboards.  I always try to visualize these in a different color, because spray painting picture frames is easy and can change a common gold tone frame into something really cool, like a turquoise framed chalkboard.  Last summer my dad helped me make several chalkboards by cutting pressed particle board to fit inside some orphaned frames and painting it with chalkboard paint.

 

Start a Collection!

For those of you out there that may be new to the whole vintage/antique/collecting scene, I would like to encourage you to start collecting something.  One thing.  Have you noticed how often designers use collections of objects (pottery, glass, books, memorabilia of all sorts) in their rooms?  Collections can define who you are, or simply provide the extra ingredient in an interior that it needs to look finished. 

I've noticed that darker paint colors are becoming more popular recently.  You know what looks good against dark walls?  Milk Glass!  This stuff is cheap cheap cheap so you can stock up!  Although there are pricier examples of 100+ year old milk glass in many antique stores, you can also find more recent mass-produced pieces in every antique mall, flea market, eBay, and at many garage sales.  Besides looking great against a dark background, milk glass bowls make whatever is inside of them look wonderful too!

I've also used milk glass compotes as elegant "planters" for some artificial-but-very-realistic African violets and some little nests with cute birdies.

Old celluloid or "French Ivory" is another readily available collectible.  This was a precursor to modern plastic and had the layered appearance of real ivory.  Dresser sets are very common, and some included small picture frames or trinket boxes.  I came across this great little assortment at the Williamston antique mall, and was excited to see this piano-shaped trinket box.  I've seen a lot of French ivory, but I've never seen a mini piano! 

I used to have a large collection of cake toppers, but I recently began downsizing and have saved just a few that I like best.  These are fun to collect, inexpensive, and evoke cheerful times for most folks.  I think they make a fun display, and don't take up too much space.

Auction Aftermath

Well, getting back to that auction, I ended up with lots of goodies, but none of the things I mentioned in the previous posting! That happens to me sometimes. There were a few ladies that share my tastes and I wasn’t in the mood to get in a bidding war over the perfume bottles, holiday stuff, and the quilts. I’ve had particular difficulty buying quilts at auctions. Usually there’s a collector/quilt fanatic in the audience ready to do battle and I get outbid.

The quilts offered at this auction were really fabulous, I have to say. I love the names of the old quilt patterns like "Grandmother’s Flower Garden" and "Drunkard’s Path". What a fascinating area to explore! I’m totally nuts over yo-yo quilts myself, although they didn’t have one at this auction. I also look for unfinished quilts that I can re-purpose. Individual yoyos make great embellishments for clothing or even paper crafts. I like to pile loose yoyos in milk glass bowls like potato chips!

They had a lot of great costume jewelry including Bakelite and Lucite examples that were quite nice, some in a kitchsy tropical theme. Once again, I decided to stay out of the battle and ended up with other odds and ends.

I stayed until the end of the five-hour long extravaganza and brought home some wonderful old women’s magazines from the 1940's and 50's. They are so amazing.....they really show a way of life that seems so much more wholesome, so innocent. The way women are depicted in the ads for appliances and cleaning products is just too funny. They are all dressed in their June Cleaver dresses and high heels with the required apron. 

Stuff I Like Right Now:

Jute upholstery webbing (you know, with the red stripes)

Little chenille Easter chicks (I remember how they were all attached by their little feet to a cardboard display at the store, and I would get to pick one out from the various colors offered)

Vintage flocked wallpaper

Yoyo Quilts and individual yoyos from incomplete quilts. Great for a variety of crafts. Here's a nice sampling of yoyos that I will be using for some upcoming projects:

My Favorite Movies with Old Timey Goodness:

"Sweet and Lowdown": Woody Allen’s faux-documentary about a guitar player/con man during the 1920's played by Sean Penn. Lots of great flapper fashion and swell interiors.

"O Brother Where Art Thou": The Coen brothers depression-era masterpiece. The whole film has a dusty sepia-tone look without one bright color anywhere. I love all the cloche hats the women wear.

"Chicago": Once I got over the fact that Richard Gere could sing, I noticed and appreciated the great set design including Roxie Hart’s boudoir, a great example of my favorite style....sort of a warm, cottage-style with painted furniture circa 1920's and cool old lamps. Lighting is soooo important! More on that later....

"Coal Miner's Daughter": I love the decor in the little motel room where Loretta and Doo spent their wedding night. Do you remember it? Bark cloth curtains, seafoam green walls, an iron bed and dark chenille bedspread. I'll betcha there was a tiny bar of Cameo soap on the bathroom sink....