society headquarters

we finally got things put together to host the first ever meeting of the postscript society.  you know.  the postscript society?  the one for the perpetuity of forgotten things?  the one that is helping me clean out my garage so my husband will speak to me again?  right.  that postscript society.  the fun little club we made up so we could meet other amazing vintage collectors to share our things.  i have only been dreaming about this day for years and years.  and this place we have is amazing.  we are looking forward to many crafty nights and vintagey sweet goodness to come.

i would like to thank the entire staff of sweet pea's elementary school for stopping by and keeping us in business.  those ladies are experienced.  let's just say...it wasn't their first rodeo.  but they went easy on us.

we learned a valuable lesson about not for sale stickers, but still managed to hang onto the cute little metal shelf in the corner.

 there were cream puffs and cookies.  and jalapeno/ artichoke dip from costco.  my word.

incidentally...has anyone seen the vintage soda at costco?  bubble up?  anyone?

and the boys kept trying to "buy" everything in the joint.  they didn't realize that we already own it.  and that i supply them with the money they were using to "buy" things.  it was all very confusing and hard for them to understand.  but free cookies.  they could live with that.

 so much vintage typography.

and hankies.

they are my new true love.  parting is such sweet sorrow.

nebraska

when i said the thrill of the hunt, perhaps i should have said, "boy.  looking for old stuff is cool."  i just got back from the longest and shortest road trip to malcolm, nebraska.  ever.  and it was thrilling.  a little too thrilling, maybe.  it was one of those amazing find days.  we hit every estate sale, thrift, and antique store in the lincoln area.  topped off with some hand picked goodies from my aunt's basement.  it was a perfect day, right up to the point where the tornado sirens went off.  twice.  we were smack dab in tornado central.  it was pretty scary.  i'm not gonna lie.  remind me never to plan a trip to nebraska during the worst tornado run in recent history.  followed by high winds.  rain.  and then snow.  i've had enough thrill for one week.  {but, boy, we sure found some cool stuff.}

the thrill of the hunt

i told him to look for red handles.  there is a method to my madness.  usually that entails glancing over the thrift store for obvious gems.  and then following b as she does her magic.  she has a sixth sense you know.  but this time, it was just me and brad.  i kind of had to be the leader, not the follower.  so we headed over to the wall of wonders {or utensils as some like to call them}.  and we spotted this diamond in the rough.

i balked at the $5.99 price tag.  yes.  i know.  $5.99.  but it had me at made in france.  and sealed the deal with a red handle.  it spoke the language of love so well that the price tag just sort of fell away.

it had all of it's parts.  and was in working order.  it is these kind of pick ups at the local thrift store that truly make me swoon.  i've been talking about it all week.  so much so, that it warranted an entire blog post.  and now you are privy to one of my favorite little quirky quirks.  the hunt.  it's in me now.  and life will never be the same.  eee-gads.

the wood butcher - a big time update

come in, come in.  that's what my grandpa used to say when we would stop by for a visit.  somehow i'm not sure if he would be excited or dismayed at the progress we've made in the little wood shed.  it was completely stripped of all it's manhood.  all the tools were removed.  the countless bottle openers tucked away safely.  nails and screws put in their respective glass jars.  the plans my dad had been working on, carefully saved.

this is what it looked like before.

and this is what it looks like now.

we went with a coat of primer on the raw wood.  well, our friend andy went with a coat of primer.  and then we all loved the way it looked so much that we called it a day.  it looks rustic but bright.  we are planning to put a dutch door (with windows) where you see the windows now.  and a door with windows in place of the solid door.  and a chandelier.  and all of our stuff.  and my sewing machine can have a permanent home.  and a wood stove in the corner.  and...and...and...

yes, it's true.  the ceiling is open.  and swoon worthy.  and all i can think of are the pictures that my friend burgin sent me years ago of a little white house with a fantastic loft.  those very pictures plastered from here to kingdom come all over pinterest.  i digress.  and i think of my very first inspiration (follow this link to see where i'm coming from here), and the little locksmith, which gave me the courage to dream of my own space.  i will now be accepting the academy award for big drama in small spaces.  thank you very much.  i hope you will stop by soon and have a cup of coffee fresh off the  wood burning stove.  and a homemade bagel.  and stay long enough to create.  and long enough to enjoy the vintagey sweet goodness in my home away from right next to my other home.

{PS} joins social media

after a long winter of collecting, we are so excited to get things gussied up and ready for the spring markets.  i know it's still winter.  we are in the midst of an epic snow storm.  and although i appreciate the snow, i do pine for spring. 

we applied for the horseshoe market yesterday.  and from what i gather, they received a record number of applications.  i'm not gonna lie.  it makes me nervous.  and antsy.  and extremely urgent to get our etsy shop stocked.

we could really use your support.  would you please take the time to like our facebook page, follow us on twitter, and bookmark our etsy shop?  and if you are a local, handmade, or vintage artist...please let me know so we can like you right back. 

party on party people.  there's nothing like a snow day friday.  xoxo

{PS} thank you!

craftacular

{one of our favorite holiday items are ornaments made from vintage papers.}

at the fall horseshoe market, the ladies from operation rescrap asked us to join their show in castle rock.  for the last few weeks brit and i have been scouring pinterest, the local markets, garage sales and our favorite...estate sales.  we have been working to build up our supply of vintagey goodness.  and boy do we have some amazing things.  if you are around, please stop by the douglas county fairgrounds in castle rock on november 12th and become a member of The PostScript Society!  hope to see you there. 

{i found a pile of rulers for a steal at an estate sale.  voila!  repurposed Christmas tree.}

vintagey decorating inspiration

almost a year ago i saw this photo on parcel post.  it has been on my mind ever since.  i'm hoping to vintage up the front porch of the homestead.  oh wait.  i'm supposed to be getting rid of that stuff.  making space in the garage.  at least putting it on the front porch would accomplish one of those tasks.

our first market

thanks to so many amazing people, i would say our first ever vintage market was a huge success.  amy gave us our big break at the horseshoe.  we are fully aware that she took a chance on us.  that she made this happen for us.  and we are so amazingly thankful. 

brit and i worked about a million hours on the horseshoe project {especially in the last weeks and months}  and mikelle gave us so much creative vision and helped us tie it all together.  andy made us dinner and brad packed and unpacked us {and listened and stayed up late and dusted and tied knots and....}.  jen made sure we were hydrated and was our girl who filled in the gaps.  so many friends, family and neighbors stopped by to support us.  we received many kind words and tips from the pros.  pink attic cat and charlotte's rustic rose {swoony shops in downtown littleton} were in our row and they couldn't have been nicer.  jeanne oliver stopped by with words of encouragement.  denise from dandy social club was our first ever customer!  and erica posted about us in our first ever review!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!

our sign was a huge hit.  everyone wanted to join the not so secret society.  the more the merrier!  and do you see on our sign that we have an etsy shop?  it's not stocked yet, but it will be.  we put together handmade tags for every single item.  they were so much fun to dream up.  i saw grown men giggling while they perused.  and postcards to hand out our business information.

i was not nervous for the market. not one bit. just really, really, excited. it was the first time in my life that i did not procrastinate. we put in the hours, did research, practiced, thought about it every. second. together we poured over every piece and analyzed it. even this last week i was pirating stuff out of the "to go" pile and bringing it back in the house. i felt prepared. i felt as if it was going to be a learning experience and i had no expectations. i wasn't sure how our booth would stack up {especially considering the talent in our section}. but i didn't care. i just thought....how fun is this?

in a scale rank of things i've done in my life this kind of fits in close to the top. it was an amazing experience. from start to finish.

and the surprise, for me, was the feedback.  we had offers for wholesaling, buying, and selling.  we were given ideas about niche markets that would be right up our alley.  we were validated in our choice of items, our pricing, and our staging.  we were treated like we knew what we were doing.  we never, not once, felt less than.  we felt like a part of an amazing community of creative people.  and we were meant to be there.   

i thought when the market was over, we would take a break and assess the situation {you knew i would have to over think it, right?}  but, i kind of feel like it's under my skin now.  i think you will see great things in our etsy shop in the coming days/ weeks.  you might see us around town a bit.  and most likely, and amy permitting, you will see us next year at the horseshoe.  {now envision me leaping off into the sunset doing my happy dance}

fall market

horseshoe market on saturday.  be there or be square.

vintage market virgins {horseshoe here we come}

this is totally off the subject of the real me {collective sigh of relief} but i was not aware how incredibly difficult it is to price vintage items.  i thought it would be a challenge to pick out enough pieces to fill the space.  turns out we have more than enough.  i wonder if anyone {other than me and my grandparents} has a hard time cleaning out the attic?  will this get easier over time?

so, it's kind of like a sure thing visiting our booth.  we're new at this.  xoxo

the postscript society

years ago my dad and i sat in the yard overlooking the valley and he laughed as he said, "one day this will all be yours."  we've been in our inherited new/ old house for 2 years now.  and it's taken all that time to sift through the treasures.  to detach from the really cool things that have lived in boxes for so long.  i have been lucky to find some like minded creatives who are excited to help me share these amazing things.  and with encouragement i took a risk and applied to be a vendor at the fall horseshoe market in denver.  not only do i get to clear out a space in the garage for my car, i also get to start my own not so secret society.  a society based on the theory that there is value in the afterthought, the postscript, the vintage items left behind in my house.  these last few weeks before the market have been slightly nerve wracking.  because let's face it.  i've never done this before.  i've never styled a booth.  or hand picked amazing vintage items to sell.  or started a not so secret society.  i am over the moon excited to share it all.  so, check out the ps featured vendor page.  and please, oh please, come to the horseshoe market on october 1st. 

p.s.  you will not regret it.

clammy with butterflies

today was the day i needed to send off my photos for the fall horseshoe market along with the short biography of our little vintage company called The Postscript Society.  i don't know.  it seems like it has been weeks that all of this has been coming together.  ok months.  and it was all summed up in six attachments to a tiny email.  and, yes, i was so nervous to hit send i almost barfed.

new project

old school

turns out someone else was the belle of the barbeque.  in all the hustle and bustle, nary a picture was taken of granny's glider in full regalia.  little miss hawthorne apparently caught the eye of the paparazzi.  my grand dad picked her up for me when i was a girl.  i had outgrown the banana seater with the plastic basket in front.  but i was far from ready for the freedom of the road a 10 speed would have afforded.  this bike saw it's share of devilish stunts, though.  i have the scars on my knees to prove it.  i imagine she'll have a few more stories to tell before all is said and done. 

the fancified glider

my grandma used to sit with me on her glider.  no it was not a swing.  yes it rocked.  it was peaceful sitting with her looking out over the valley.  for 2.3 seconds.  until i rocked too hard {and was reminded again it was not a swing}. or i couldn't sit still long enough {i always had ants in my pants}.  or i scratched my hiney on the plastic vinyl seat cushions worn from years of use.

it was another one of those diamonds in the rough.  a gem, you know? one that i did not appreciate until i took ownership.  almost dismissed when i wasn't looking.  a piece that i had to fight for.  especially when i found it buried under the remodeling debris.  last summer i painted it {i know, shocker}.

yesterday i made the cushions and pillows out of soft, non-vinyl fabric.  i can't wait to show you how she shines.  i have a feeling she'll be the showstopper.  and the much coveted seat in the yard.  looking out over that same valley i can hear the words rolling around in my mind.  it's not a swing.  sit still.  {but it will rock!}

exhibit a

let's veer off the path here for a minute, shall we?  this weekend i was presented with an unexpected challenge.  please note exhibit a.

exhibit a

for those of you just joining the saga that is my life...here is a bit of back story.  my dad died almost three years ago.  and i am still dealing with it.  not to mention we live in his house now.  which is getting more normal by the day.  but still.  our little family had quite the sense of humor and mocking.  so, you know, i still have sad days.  but more and more the funny, happy times leak out.  here's where i'm going with this...

important piece of information #1:  imagine my dad standing in the yard {i now own} that was once his, once my grandparents, saying with a distinct chuckle and broad sweep of his hand, "one day this will all be yours."  and now, all that is mine sits in a two car garage, the wood butcher, and a potting shed.  including exhibit a.

important piece of information #2:  imagine my father and i having a very heated discussion on a very important topic.  painting wood.  imagine this conversation, "daddy, i would like to paint this table black."  and he responding, "over my dead body."

{hee hee...}

fast forward to yesterday when i pondered the aforementioned chair {marked exhibit a} that i "inherited" from my father.  i previously deemed it not worth saving.  but what do i know.  it was on its way to a craigslist near you.  until someone said, you could...PAINT IT.

{big huge smile on my face}

and i swear.  i had free time yesterday.  lo and behold.  free time.  so i ripped off the horrible upholstery and i started to...gasp...paint it.  and all the while i had an out loud conversation with my father {i was alone in the garage...and i live in the country} where i was saying, "see daddy, you selfish jerk {i say that lovingly}, you shouldn't have died."  and i laughed maniacally and then rammed my head right into the giant dolly sitting next to the chair.

{he always has to have the last word}

what do you think?  is exhibit a worth the effort or am i the selfish jerk in the middle of a grief cycle?

gone fishing

his last words to me were, "don't paint the kitchen chairs."  and then he walked out the door.

biding my lonely time and minding my own business i scoured the internet for some sort of consolation.  and then i saw this post.  about yellow chairs.

via the inspired room, via house beautiful {designed by ruthie summers}

in denver it will be 60 this weekend.  no telling what the weather will be like where he is.  he packed shirts sleeved long and short.  a jacket.  and some waders.   

i believe it's time to start the greens in the garden.  i wonder if he will think of me while he's fishing and i'm knee deep in dirt rows and seeds?

but i haven't painted in months.

and i wonder how hard it would be to make a chicken coop?  and i wonder, if he had a choice, would he rather i paint or acquire chickens while he is away?

he decided at the last minute not to take my baby.  my camera.  that goes everywhere i go.  so stay tuned.  a lot can happen.  you'll know before he does which way the wind was blowing this weekend.  and i'll have plenty of time to capture all the moments.  xoxo  

acceptance

it wasn't a whim really.  it was intentional.  a step forward for me, supported by good friends, into the unknown.  just wait until you hear what i did....

i have a lot of vintage things.  i want them and don't want them at the same time.  i've boxed them, unboxed them, sorted and reboxed them. 

i've spent countless hours pondering them.  i've made my friends ponder them.  and then i got an idea that i should try to sell them.  it was suggested that i sell them at a vintagey antique store like the barn.  but i had other ideas.  and i have this amazing space that is just begging to be transformed and adorned with all of this vintagey sweet goodness.  but alas, too many treasures just become burdensome. 

so back to selling.  i researched and found people having vintage markets at their houses.  and i learned that advertising home markets is best done at outdoor markets with traffic.  right.  and then i met amy.  a friend of a friend.  and i emailed her.  and she emailed back.  turns out, last year amy started the horseshoe craft and flea market.  so i applied as a vintage collector. 

and...drumroll please....

last night i was driving home and heard the email ding on my phone.  i vaguely acknowledged that there was an acceptance deadline to this market thing.  truth be told, i just dismissed the idea altogether.  i had moved to plan b. 

i was shocked to see the subject line that read - Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market ACCEPTANCE!

graphic courtesy of horseshoe craft and flea market

i pulled over.  my heart raced.  i cried. 

summary:  sounds silly, but that first step was a doozy for me.  i had to get out of my comfort zone and DO something.  i don't know what it is that i'm doing.  but i know i'm not alone.  and i know that i will have the most amazing vintage space at an outdoor market ever.  woot!

lost and found - post 5 (creativity)

over the last few years we have gone through so many life changes.  sometimes i hardly know whether i'm coming or going.  it's taken me awhile to realize that adjustments aren't just for kids.  they are for big people too.  and it takes some time to adjust.  i'm gradually easing into a new normal.  but in all that time, and all that changing, i left some baggage unpacked.  and i can see that now.  in our new/ old house, everything i used to create still lives in cardboard.  and an oh so important part of me was locked in those boxes too.  i have been missing creativity in the midst of the logistics of life.  i have started slacking on details while trying to let nothing slip.  i'm letting the moments pass with no participation.  my thoughts have been jumbled in the details of our new surroundings.  

but....you can't keep art-full cooped up too long in a cardboard box.  it starts seeping through the cracks like sunshine.  so i started unpacking.  oh, my.  you would not believe the things i'm finding and reclaiming and repurposing.  and the momentum and the good feelings that come from being active and doing and creating just wash over you.  and things start happening.  you find new inspiration.  you discover the inspiration that was there all along.  you meet inspiration in the parking lot of michaels.  or you are reminded of the inspiration that lives in you.  you put yourself out there.  and suddenly, there you are.  present in your own life.  open.  shining.  and full of possibility.  

lost and found - post 4 (national geographic)

i have a question. if you were in possession of hundreds of national geographics from the 60s, 70s and 80s what would you do with them? how would you repurpose them? what section would be of most interest to you? maps, ads, articles? would you save the covers (think anthropologie - did anyone see that display)?  please.  fill me in.

i am personally interested in the maps.  i took them all out.  i separated the ones i'm going to use in the boys room.  and the rest...well, anyone need a map?  i am unburdening myself of the ways that limit my creativity. i am starting to let go of the "things".  i am eliminating excuses. i am getting unstuck.  i am moving forward. dreaming about warmer weather and how the wood butcher is going to take form. trying to think less of business and more of art.