A Birthday Outing

I love birthdays..especially when they are not my own. My big sissy turned the big Six-OH this week! When the sisters have a birthday, we always meet for lunch & shopping. It was a beautiful sunny day as you can see by the shadows. Today we met at Anthropologie. (The birthday girl far right, with grand daughter and daughter)



As soon as we entered the store, there sat my favorite old french table, front and center. I dream about this table...being in my kitchen! I posted about it a few weeks ago when I spotted it tucked away in the back room. Sadly, I won't be bringing it home anytime soon unless I win the lottery. It's $14,000.



They have completely revamped the displays since our last visit. Loved this mannequin with the old tripod and camera. I immediately thought of my shutterbug friend Amy.



I saw many many things I loved, but I walked out with just a bottle of Sweet Pea & Vanilla perfume. We all spritzed and sniffed for quite a while before settling on this one.



Here's my sis getting fitted with a belt by her daughter. :) My sister doesn't seem to be as enthusiastic as her daughter..heehee.

The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!
This is the cutest coat and I would sure love to win this for Jenna. :)

Check it out for yourself girls..it just might end up in your closet!

Dressing Up a Dress Form

I found this old dress form awhile back, and was planning to cover her in vintage barkcloth and lace. After I removed the old jersey knit covering, I actually liked what I saw. She has her original old iron stand which I love. I dressed her up in a bit of antique lace, but have yet to recover her. I saw quite a few of these at the California Gift Mart, as jewelry displays. The were decopauged in vintage pager from old French books and music sheets. If anyone out there has any word of advice on the easiest way to cover these, I'm all ears! In the mean time, she's at the store wearing a vintage black coat that's for sale. I may decide to keep it just as it is.

What do you think?

A New Me

I've been in desperate need of a new banner for quite some time now, so I called on my friend Amy. :) If you are searching for a new look, I highly recommend her. I chose 6 favorite photos that held a special meaning to me, and we narrowed it down to 3. My daughter of course, who is the CHIC in my Shab, along with the best doggie I've ever had. A 1940's letter that my Father received from his Mother while serving in the military, my Grandfather's pocket watch and a beautiful knob on a dresser drawer. I love it all...thanks Amy!

Pretty Product Packaging

Have you ever purchased something just for the packaging? I know I'm not the only guilty one. I was in Trader Joe's the other day and as I passed the bags of chips, pretzels and popcorn, I stopped dead in my tracks for this.

I picked it up and said to Jenna.."I have to get this!" I'm not a huge fan of packaged popcorn, but the packaging was too stinkin cute to pass up! And honestly, I would not have picked it up had it not been for the pink and cream striped bag with the old timey graphics! The back side was even cuter but I must have deleted it. :( It really was the best kettle corn I've ever tasted, and now I wish I had bought two. I think it said there was 7 servings in that bag, but I'm pretty sure they are mistaken. It was more like 4. Looks like we'll be making another trip out to Trader Joe's this weekend.

*Edit* After I had posted this, I was looking through my picture folder and came across this photo from last year. A pink Snickers bar. I'm glad I took the picture because I never saw one after that. And in case you're wondering if the pink made me buy it...no, it did not sway me. Okay...maybe just a little, but I would have picked it up in the drab brown just as quickly. :)

Valentine's Day Soiree

Lori's shoppe is so beautiful, and and when it's a holiday...watch out! Does this lady ever sleep? How does she do it? Valentine's Day was just one more soiree at Vignettes that shoppers will not soon forget. Just look at these pictures and imagine how beautiful it was in person. You may click on any photo to enlarge it.


Vintage candy boxes galore, eye candy everywhere you turned. I've said it before and I will say it again Ms. Lori..."Can I just move in here?" Yes, I am your biggest fan!




Winston was breaking hearts left & right. He's just a baby and the cutest bully ever. If only they could STAY this little. I might get two. :)
He belongs to Lucy of Paris Flea Market.

I received a fun surprise from Katie (Berkeleygirl on eBay). This sweet little sequin coin purse filled with chocolate hearts. She always makes everything so pretty in her wrapping that you almost don't want to open it. I saved the butterfly and the candy will soon disappear. The coin purse will hold my meter money. :) Thanks Katie!

Sweet Joy of The Vintage Rabbit had a darling little display that made everyone stop and smile. Her tees are really cute and can be purchased from her blog. It was so fun visiting with her and making plans for a future shopping day with lunch!



We also visited Cordelia who has a lovely shoppe across the street called Cottage Antiques. Her displays are so inspiring! I especially love the way in which she uses her architectural pieces. This large piece hangs across the center of her store. She said it took three men to hoist that baby up there, but it will never be sold unless she sells the store.

Her old windows have always been a favorite, so we picked up one that she was selling to hang at The Attic.

These marionettes made me smile...aren't they funny?


This floral bouquet was given to her after a birthday celebration. It dried naturally to perfection!. There were many more of these that nobody took home! Can you imagine that? I would have rented a truck to take them all :)
I hope you enjoyed the photos. You can always visit the stores if you are in the San Diego area.

Vignettes
4828 Newport Ave
Ocean Beach

Cottage Antiques
4873 Newport Ave

How Will You Be Celebrating?

My husband and I have never gone overboard for Valentine's Day. I've never received an expensive piece of jewelry, or had a Lexus parked in the driveway with a huge red bow, (oh wait, that's the Christmas commercial) When we were first married, we would always go out for dinner. Fast forward 25 years, and it's Chinese take out and a Netflix movie. He always brings a bouquet of flowers home for me and our daughter, which I've always found endearing. Today I will be visiting my favorite antique store, Vignettes. Lori is having a Valentine's Soiree, and I wouldn't miss it for the world! I'll take my camera along and hopefully get some good shots to share here in a few days. Tonight will be Chinese take out, which is just fine with me. :)
Hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's Day. How will you be celebrating?

Estate Sale

It's not everyday that we're invited to an estate pre-sale, so when Jane called me a few weeks ago to say we were going the next day to a great old house in Coronado, I was ecstatic! The house was wonderful, built in the early 1930's. We came away with some furniture, boxes of collectibles, jewelry, scarves, hats and more. We had to make a few trips back to get our purchases, but no complaints here! We went into the garage after we finished going through the inside, and came across a large collection of comic books, Monsters of Filmland, MAD, National Lampoon, and 60's music magazines. We really knew nothing about them, but the price was right so we took them all. As we were leaving, she mentioned to us that this was the childhood home of the late Jim Morrison of the Doors. That was probably during the late 1950's, but an interesting fact nonetheless! The house is up for sale now for a mere 1.7 Million...any takers? I was just a tad short, so I had to pass. `o)

As you enter the front door...a beautiful staircase.




I LOVED this flocked black and white wallpaper and tile. Sadly, there was not an extra roll to be found in the closet. :( I hope the new owners keep it. Nothing today compares to the charm of these old homes.



The tub was so unique..I had to take a picture. I know, I'm weird.
Can you still get a tub like this? I want one!!!



The back yard garden was small, but nice. We loved the tall Japanese pagoda lantern which is now sitting near our Koi pond.
We picked up a few smaller Japanese pagodas and garden statuary that will heading to the shoppe when we spruce up our garden area.

Student Driver...beep beep

Look over your shoulder, remember to signal, easy...easy...okay, STOP!


It seems like yesterday that she was riding a 3 wheeler, and now I'm giving her driving lessons. Yikes! If this doesn't give me more gray hairs, I don't know what will! Jenna will be 19 in April and she's finally decided it's time to get behind the wheel. I've taken her out a few times now, and after her 3rd lesson, she's feeling a bit more at ease. Still not ready to brave a busy street, but these things take time I guess. She is overly cautious, but that's a good thing, right? Her driving test will be the last week in February and unlike most teens, she's not looking forward to it. I'll be glad when the lessons are over, but that's when the real worrying will begin. :(

Timeless Memories

When I placed my bid on a lot of 40 vintage watches on eBay, I knew these were going to be repurposed into something wonderful! I kept a few to actually wear, but most went to Gina to work her magic!


I was so excited to receive my custom order of necklaces this week! The talented gal behind these creations is Gina B. She is our favorite artisan whose line we carry at The Attic.

Our daughter's high school graduation photo from 2008.


My Grandmother: 1942



A 1940's photo of my Father... 15 years before I was born.






Gina offers many styles of jewelry, including typewriter key initials and chandelier crystal earrings. Besides using photos inside the watch, she can insert a favorite word or phrase in English or French, or your initial behind the glass on your necklace. She also imprints the blade of old butter knives with French words! I Love You, I Miss You, I Adore You... are just a few. If you are interested in placing a custom order, leave a comment with your email address and I will not post it here, but will respond through email.
She can use your own personal old watch or she will choose one from her stock. I can tell you that the silver ones are harder to find than the gold toned, but send me your wishes and we'll see what she can do. The chain choices are either gun metal or bronze and can be any length you desire. Most old watches do have a scratched crystal, so she can remove the glass and replace with a resin fill if you prefer.

Life May Not Be Calm....

..but I'm certain she will carry on.

Baking Bread

This made me smile and I hope it makes your day too.

Just hit the pause button( first button )on the music player to the right so you can listen to the video. :)

Recycled Watch Necklace

I just love love love these watch necklaces! We have been carrying them at the shoppe So if you are interested in purchasing one, just let me know! They can be made up in gold or silver, although the silver watch faces are a little harder to come by. Just let me know your initial and the type of charm you would like underneath. A bird, a crown, a heart...lovingly made by a talented local artist.
I had to get two for myself because I just couldn't decide!