Saturday, July 30, 2011

Rock On Baby!

So, I'm single and don't have kids of my own yet, but I have always been the maternal type and look forward with great anticipation to the day when I will have my own sweet babes.  Yesterday, the Etsy treasury that I made was inspired by a wonderful black and red Russian rocking horse I found.  Below, you will find a few of my faves from my latest collection entitled "Rock On Baby!"  Enjoy!


Vintage Russian Rocking Horse from CathodeBlue.


Great advice for a new momma found at KeepCalmShop.


A simple and adorable paper zoo animal mobile from Kidivist.


It doesn't get much cuter than this little beauty in a lace romper from Chicabootique.


And a sweet and soft baby blanket available at mollyannemake.


If you need a gift for a sweet new momma or a mom-to-be that you know, head on over to this treasury, "Rock On Baby."  You'll find some wonderful gift items!

Have a great weekend!  I'm off to visit my sister and her new husband at their new house. :-)

Blessings, Callie


Thursday, July 28, 2011

Green Is The New Black!

I'd like to give a nod to some of the wonderful shops who feature the fabulous green items I included in my treasury today - "Green Is The New Black".  Browse below . . . I think green is a pretty good contender for the black slot.

Find the inspiration for this treasury, found at EcoPrint.


Green Pendant Lamp at Hindsvik.


Gorgeous wrinkled green scarf from WhiteMoth.


A set of 6 lovely Woods Teacups from OldSchoolFarm.


An antiqued green book of poems at one of my personal favorites, TheOldRedHen.


And, this awesome green leather bag can be snatched at JMBCanada.


Find the entire treasury HERE and tell me what you think . . . is green the new black?  Happy Thursday . . . Friday is almost here!

~Callie

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Look What I Got!

Recently, I interviewed for a job in Coeur d'Alene, ID and took my mom along for the trip.  During our two days in town, among other things, we went to lunch with a new friend I made at one of the local thrift shops the first time we visited.  She also has an Etsy vintage shop.

We all went to The White House, a wonderful mediterranean restaurant that uses lots of garlic!  Mmmm.  In fact, they use so much that they keep the bathrooms supplied with a very large pitcher of mouth wash and little plastic cups so customers can freshen up after their meal.  Ha! Love it!

After a great lunch, my friend took us back to her house where we got to experience first-hand, the most wonderful stash of 30 years worth of collecting vintage silver compotes, glass cloches, wicked cool old boxes, wire baskets, and paper/stamping supplies, just to mention a few.  It was amazing to see so much wonderful stuff - the kind of stuff I search for for my own shop - in one place!  I felt like a kid in a candy shop for the first time!  It was one of those rare moments I might only dream about.  

As I looked through all the shelves and piles of great stuff, I came across the most darling silver plated shell dish wonderfully tarnished.  As I gushed over this tiny find, do you know what she said?  "You can have that."  What?!  

I love tiny dishes and containers, just small enough for little trinkets or bits of jewelry, and this shell is so precious!  This item won't be going in my shop.  She's mine.  :-)





Before I left, she also gave me a very cool ornate brass frame. It's missing it's backing and stand, so I would like to make it into something.  I would love your ideas!



It's not quite large enough to be a light switch cover, like I thought might be neat.  I have this hankering to use it for something besides it's original purpose.  Send me your thoughts, and if I use your idea, I might just send you something fun as a Thank You!  

Have a great day!

~Callie

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Enjoy A Calm, Quiet Moment

It's Sunday and I have been doing work most of the day, not usually what I let myself do today.  So, now, before the day is done, I am off to have my own calm, quiet moment.  I will leave you with a few items from the treasury I curated today, "A Calm, Quiet Moment"  as a jumping off point for you too to have your own moment of stillness, a rarity for many of us in the midst of our busy days. I invite you to be still with me . . .

Find this lovely scarf here.


Find these elegant dishes here.


Find this warm and inviting light strand here.


Find these classic white pumpkins here.


Find this gorgeous hairpiece here.


Have a wonderful Sunday evening!
~Callie

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Moving Sale!

It's official!  I am moving to Coeur d'Alene, ID!  I'll be leaving my job of three years, managing my parents' largest art gallery, to nanny three adorable little boys, and I am SO excited.  A new place, new friends, new terrain, new routine, new job, everything new! I love change (most of the time), and the hope and energy that it so often incites in me.  I've been planning, praying, and researching my new home for months now, and now that I'm really moving, it doesn't seem totally real quite yet, but I am filled with much joy and anticipation.  I also have a lot of work to do to get ready, but I've decided to enjoy all of that too!

So, in light of this very exciting change, NOW UNTIL AUG. 5, EVERYTHING IN THE SHOP IS  25% OFF! So, stop by, invite your friends, and enjoy some summer shopping at Dovetail Vintage. Happy Saturday!

And for your viewing enjoyment, a few pictures from one of our trips to Coeur d'Alene in May:

 Downtown Sherman Ave. is beautiful with wonderful shops and very yummy restaurants.

 Hands down, the BEST small toy store I have ever been in!  Owned by a broadway actor and named after a pickled fig recipe, Figpickels Toy Emporium.

And, because he and his little mouse friend (look at the right antler) are so stinken cute, I bring you one of the resident moose sculptures on Sherman Ave. I just love him!


Happy Saturday!
~Callie

Sunday, July 17, 2011

New Items Coming to The Shop . . .

Well, Shipwreck Day has come and gone and mom and I are already looking forward to next year!  We arrived a little later than planned, but early none-the-less, and as we hustled from our car before 7am, people were already carting wonderful treasures back to their cars.  The only unfortunate of the day was that it was raining.  Many vendors had tents over their tables, but some went without and were left for all of heaven to dampen their wares.  Even so, people took it in stride and if there was one perk, the rain possibly staved off a few early birds from getting there so early.  Nice for buyers like us.  

Mom and I jumped right in, and within minutes, I had found a wicked cool OLD iron and metal grey scale.  While I was holding it a few minutes later, this guy stopped me to see how much I had paid for it and to drool a bit over my great find.  He was a super nice older gentleman who was an avid flea market enthusiast and even tried to sell me an old army cook stove out of his truck.  The stove was cool, but I told him I would have to pass this time.  

We had a great time, and by 10:30am, when we had to leave to open our art galleries for the day, mom and I had successfully loaded our CRV to the gills.  Such fun!  So, below, as promised, I have added a few of my finds that will be hitting the shop early Monday morning.  Enjoy!

Antique Cardboard Cookie Box, $19.00

 Vintage Silver Plated Bread Basket, $23.00

Vintage Fruit Box, $27.00

Vintage Metal Flower Frogs, $16.00

Happy Sunday!

~Callie

Friday, July 15, 2011

What Do You Get When . . .?

Wow.  How quickly a week goes by!  Sorry gang - I'll be working at posting at least three times a week, but I'm a bit slow getting out of the gate.

So, what do you get when . . . you combine several hundred vendors with loads and loads of junk, antiques, and super cool finds?  A shipwreck?  Well, okay, not quite, but something close - Shipwreck Day!  A one-day annual event in the old town section of Anacortes, WA, where eight or more blocks, and every side street in between, are blocked off with shoulder to shoulder vendors and thousands of people looking through several million items.  I'm telling you, this is the event that my mom and I anticipate ALL year! Nothing gets in the way of Shipwreck Day and no matter what, we scrounge up enough money to come home with a carload of furniture and vintage/antique treasures every time.

While, there is some advertisement done for the event, Shipwreck Day has become wildly popular through sheer word of mouth because it's HUGE and incredible!  Anyone can participate as a vendor, given they sign up in time, and they can sell junk to jewels and everything in between.  And, anyone can go - it's FREE.  This is the event where all the old guys bring out their lifetime collections of tools and car parts and display them on blue tarps.  This is the event where antique dealers and vintage jewelry hounds load their tables, shelves, and boxes full of the unique, funky, and just plain cool.  And this is the event that starts at 8am, but has people shopping at 6am or before.

This is the place to be tomorrow (Saturday), July 16th.  And this is the place where I will be with my treasure-hunting and equally as excited mom, starting at 6:30am.  If you live around or close to Anacortes, WA, come on out and experience Shipwreck Day.  Buy items from a few cents to several hundred or more.  No matter what your budget, I'm sure you'll find something you just have to have!

I plan to load up on boxes, baskets, and great vintage storage items for the shop, so check in next week for new listings.  I will also try and give a sneak peak at some of my finds on this blog before they go public.  If you see anything you like here and want to reserve it before it lists, just let me know.  A fun perk to following this blog, if anyone out there is.  :-)

Have a great afternoon!
Callie

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Finding Inspiration From Martha

Okay, so today, I don't feel very inspired.  Inspired to edit photos, brainstorm ideas, search for that perfect background color for my banner on my shop (dovetailvintage.etsy.com), or really do about anything.  I hate such days, days where I feel like I spend the entire time pulling myself up by my bootstraps.  I think I'm tired.  I went to our first puppy training class with my mom and my parents' two wire-haired dachshund puppies last night after work, and man, let me tell you, that was exhausting!  I think I got as much training as the puppies.

"Sit." "Yes!" "Good dog." "Yes!" "O.k, come." "Sit." Good dog, I mean Yes!" "Sit." "Sit."  "I said, sit."  "Why aren't you sitting?"  "Hello? I'm over here."  "Hey, stop eating the grass."  "O.k. sit."  "Sit does not mean stand."  "Sit."  "Yes!"

By the end of it, after way too much sun in the eyes, thirty-eight gulps of water out of the doggy bowl, and some last "ferocious" barks at the other classmates, my canine partner and I were way over puppy class.

( . . . Note: my mom just called and the puppies have been sleeping all day!  Every time she walks past their kennel, instead of eagerly jumping up to get her attention, they give her the wary eye as if they're thinking, "You're not going to take us to that class today, are you?  We won't do it - no way. We're exhausted!")

So, yes, tired and uninspired today.  But, it's days like these when I love to draw inspiration from good ol' Martha.  I just love her!  Check out her wonderful DIY bedding projects.  I think I unconsciously migrated to the bedding projects because I really could use a nap.  Enjoy!

This easy slipcover for a bed's head and end board.  Love how cozy and nest-like the bed looks.

This padded headboard, not only comfortable to lean on while reading in bed, but also adds a cozy feel to the room.

And finally, these lovely, and oh-so-easy trimmed pillow cases.  I have so many pretty vintage napkins - what a great use for them!

Callie

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

When Kindness Passes Through

Isn't it wonderful how one kind word, one nice gesture, one selfless act can warm the heart and encourage the soul?  Today I had one of those moments when I met with such a kindness and it meant so much to me.  

I live in the quaint and beautiful seaside village of La Conner, WA, where, by day, I manage one of our family art galleries, and by night and weekend, I scout out vintage wares, photograph them, and then upload them to my vintage shabby home accessories and decor shop Dovetail Vintage (www.dovetailvintage.etsy.com). After three years of living and working in La Conner, it's time for a change, mainly because the largely retirement area is not the best fit for a twenty-something girl looking for friends . . . or a husband, eventually.  So, currently, I am in the process of moving to the equally beautiful Coeur d'Alene, ID situated on Lake Coeur d'Alene, just minutes from the Washington/Idaho border.  Some might say it's not really official because I'm at the earliest stages of moving.  Why, I don't even have a job or a place to live yet (those things are in the works, though).  However, I know I'm moving to CDA (Coeur d'Alene).  I've even started packing.  I know because after visiting, this city with a warm, and welcoming small-town feel has already started to win my heart through its people, even without living there yet. 

During our visit about a month ago, my mom and I, while scouting out vintage goodies at a local thrift shop, met two lovely middle-aged mothers who are also Etsy vintage sellers.  A couple of days later, they both contacted me through my Etsy shop, expressing how nice it was to connect, wishing me the best of luck, and even suggesting I meet up with them if I chose to make the move to CDA.  I, being insanely busy once I arrived home and all through the month of June, didn't respond until today.  I happily shared with them that I am joyfully preparing to relocate to Coeur d'Alene in the next month or so and thanked them for their kind words.  But it was the simple gesture in the response from one of the ladies, that I received almost immediately, that encouraged my heart and got me excited once again to make this move.  It was the simple gesture put out that if there was anything that I needed help with along the way as I moved, to please let her know. Simple, said in just one sentence, but encouraging to the core.  After searching for, praying about, and finally making the decision to move to this new place, this kind gesture made all the difference today as I moved one step further in this journey, and for it, I am so grateful.  Thank you new friend. 

Have you had a kindness shown?

Pass it on;
'Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on;
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another's tears,
'Til in Heaven the deed appears -
Pass it on.
~Henry Burton, Pass It On

Monday, July 4, 2011

Hello and Welcome!

Well, here goes.  My first post!

If you have found this blog and you are reading this right now, this excites me very much! This means you have found my site at it's very birth.  This blog is meant to be an extension of my online vintage home decor shop, Dovetail Vintage (www.dovetailvintage.etsy.com), where you can get sneak peaks at upcoming vintage items and shop sales.  However, I also hope it to eventually be a place to share my design musings, daily happenings, and an occasional recipe or two.  And as in every birthing process, it is just that, a process, with painful contractions, lows and highs, tears and triumphs.  Undoubtedly, it will be me feeling most of this process as I get set up and ready to raise this blog to full health, but if you also feel some of the push from time to time, I hope you will stay with me and ride it through.

I look forward to connecting with you and hope you will comment from time to time.  Thanks so much for stopping in, and again, Welcome!  Happy 4th!

Callie