Tag Archives: shabby chic home decor

Great Finds: Vintage Patterns & 1970s Vogue Sewing Book

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I ran across these unique vintage patterns at two different antique shops in Wisconsin. I’m going to attempt to sew using the patterns, but if I have no luck, I’ll be glad to use them as decoration in my bedroom. Sew, Mama, Sew! has some useful tips about sewing from vintage patterns. One of them happens to be buy an “old school sewing book.” Thankfully, I picked up a 1970s (my era of choice for patterns incidentally) copy of The Vogue Sewing Book of Fitting Adjustments & Alternations at Good Will.

Total Cost?

$7.50 for the vintage patterns

$3 for the Vogue sewing book

______

$10.50 (plus whatever I end up spending fabric–don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated!)

Have you ever tried to sew using vintage patterns?

Ciao!

Sarah

 

 


Visualizing my (Home) Vision

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I think the worse mistake I can make when trying to decorate my new place is attempt to do it blindly. I like to think that I have some vision for a perfect house in my head, but until I have some way of truly visualizing it, there’s not much hope that my vision will become reality. So, as well as finding inspirational images to  get my house vision on track, I also utilized Polyvore to create my color pallet and pull  some key images to create the mood for my bedroom. I’m going to introduce pops of bright colors through a couple Venetian masks, a vase of fake flowers, and my bulletin board/jewelry organizer. I suppose I’m going for a vintage, feminine, peaceful space.

What do you think?

MiaPrimaCasa: My First Place on a Budget

Great Finds: Baroque Coasters

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Yep, the title is correct; I found Baroque style coasters complete with ultra-realistic, chiaroscuro-filled mythological and Biblical paintings. Did I mention they were $4? I picked up these treasures at a barn sale in New Hampshire, and not only did I come in under budget on coasters (I was expecting to spend more like $8), I found a coaster set that trumps any inexpensive one I could find at Target. Now if only I could find a real Caravaggio at a barn sale…

Have you had any great finds at garage and yard sales this summer?

Ciao!

Sarah

Bettina Prentice, Lots of Stuff, & My New Place

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I ran across this Vogue article about Bettina Prentice’s NYC apartment and found that her space has the essence of what I want to achieve with my bedroom (on a much smaller budget, of course). What I’m drawing inspiration from in Bettina’s apartment is the eclectic mix of lots of stuff. Having traveled Europe and having a penchant for antiquing and thrifting, I’ve collected a lot stuff, and I like the idea of displaying it all and incorporating it into your decor. I’ve chosen, for example, a pallet of purples, yellows, and blues to match my Venetian masks and vintage cameo collection. Centering the room all around these little things not only fills up space in an inexpensive way, it also keeps them from being stuffed into a box in my closet.

Images from Vogue.com

So far, I’ve created inspirational bulletin board jewelry organizer and bought a shabby chic comforter. My place isn’t like Bettina’s yet, but I hope soon enough to have an eclectic, shabby chic bedroom full of lots of stuff.

Ciao!

Sarah

Great Finds: Vintage Native American Rug

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My sister and I just moved to a new town, and we recently explored the local antique shops. For my bedroom, I had decided to find a Native American-inspired rug in subtle pastels.

Urban Outfitters offered a pretty one, which was $40 at the time (and can be found here), but then I ran across a

beautifully worn down cotton rug at the local antique shop for $30. Not only did it cost less, but to me, it felt more real and less like a trendy buy. I’m excited to incorporate it into my bedroom soon.

The cost?

$30 for a  vintage rug at local antique shop

What is a great find you’ve discovered lately?

Ciao!

Sarah

Jewelry Organizer Idea: Inspiration Bulletin Board

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I knew I wanted a bulletin board over my vanity/desk. I liked the idea of fashionable images that will help inspire my morning wardrobe choices. I also knew that my jewelry didn’t belong on my vanity (that is way too cluttery for my taste!). My sister came up with the idea of hanging necklaces and bracelets from tacks at the base of the bulletin board. The idea is simple, but I think the result is striking (not to mention extremely cheap).

The cost for this project?

Bulletin board: $4 at GoodWill

Images: Free from fashion magazines

Tacks: $3 at Target

Total cost: $7

What are some good jewelry organizer ideas you’ve ran across?

Ciao!

Sarah