Vintage Style Lights at Lamplight Design Company

Vintage Style Anchor Lamp at Lamplight Design Co 

James Brighouse out of the UK makes these gorgeous lamps made out of reclaimed and new wood, steel and LED lights. Many look like the old marquee lights you would see in movie theaters or bars back in the 50's.  These are functional lights handmade on Etsy with a vintage flair!  The store is located in the UK but shipping to the states is not expensive at all!  Above: The vintage style anchor light above would look great in a cottage or lake house, and even in Gramp's garage over his boat.  Cost is $180 USA plus $50 shipping which doesn't make the item a bad by at $230 total. 

Stunning Marquee Arrow at Lamplight Design Company

I am drawn to the arrow above, as I remember as a child the old movie theatres that still had the arrows. Even visiting Ocean City's boardwalk, I'd see these old arrows signaling to "come in" to the gaming halls or the instant photo booths. Finding them now is rare and this new item made by Lamplight Design Company has a vintage style patina and comes in different colors to match the home.  Not to mention having LED lights is safe and cost effective and can light up a room for pennies on the dollar. The arrow above retails for $113 USA and shipping to the USA East Coast runs about $51.  Certainly a worthwhile purchase for $164.

You can never have enough love....by Lamplight Design Company

My favorite of course is this stunning display of LOVE, all four letters are large and bright, measuring over will run you over $600, but perhaps for a wedding or special gathering (meant for indoor use, but you can use outside temporarily as long as you take in when finished)  would be a work of art that all your guests would adore. I think especially great for photographers staging videos.  I simply LOVE this sign.  

According to their Etsy profile, the husband and wife team James and Samantha Brighouse loves nostalgia and work from home in England. They state that lifestyle merchandising is their passion and they offer unique items for your surroundings.  All of thier lamps are made with LED battery op lights. That's not all that is in their shop , you will even find tshirts and hand painted signs. 

For all you Manilow Maniacs or Breakfast Club generation out there.................

Go crazy with this quote sign, only $126.99 handpainted.

See more here:  LAMPLIGHT DESIGN CO

Pretty Poppies Vintage on Etsy Vintage Everything

Black Rotary Phone , $38.50 on Etsy here. 

Pretty Poppies Vintage 

As a vintage seller, junkie and collector I think there's one thing that most antique lovers will tell you. They adore other seller's shops.  Pretty Poppies Vintage is one of those shops I adore. Started by Amy over a year ago curated from St. Paul, Minnesota, you never know what you may find! Great prices and must-have item photos just lure you in.  Here are some of my favorite things...

Metal Lap Trays: Quilting Trays for Breakfast or Computer....Set $26 here

Editors Pick:  Metal Quilt Lap Trays above are a Great gift idea for the Quilting Queen in your life, these metal trays can hold your book, drink, laptop, or crafting supplies not to mention breakfast or lunch!  Love them and in my travels I have never quite seen anything like this pattern before!

Vintage Washing Machine Part Great Decor Idea $62 here

A sold-by-Sears gadget looks like a giant plunger but was made for agitating your washing machine back in the turn of the century. Would make for great conversation piece in a rustic or cottage home.

Cute shelf kitty, $7.00 here.

This shop has everything from shabby to cute, antique to chic, boho to retro, and a wide selection will keep customers coming back to check new offerings.  I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite things and that you will check our Pretty Poppies Vintage for more great finds!

Canoe Lovers Keychain , $7.00 here.

Find more at PrettyPoppiesVintage.etsy.com

Boxes, Luggage and Trunks at TheGlossedAndFound

What a box, typography we love and this you can put your special things in. Only $25

How we love antique boxes, trunks and luggage! We found a great Etsy shop called TheGlossedAndFound which features trunks, luggage, bags, antiques, furniture and home decor!  We and had a chance to pull some of our favorite items while talking to the owner/curator Shelly from Boston Massachusetts.  Shelly is a transplant from Georgia and loves treasure hunting for the extroidniary !

 This way cool 9 is only 10 bucks that is, at TheGlossedAndFound

Q: How long have you been collecting vintage? 

A: I've been a treasure hunter since I could walk! I've always enjoyed seeing new and unusual things and it's really stuck with me. I have many fond memories of my great grandmother's house as a child. She was born in 1920 so you can imagine the wonderful decor in her Illinois home. I think that's where the wonder first began.

This farm trunk would make an interesting table.  GlossedandFound

Q: What are your favorite vintage things? 

A: I'm absolutely fascinated with steamer trunks. They're these gorgeous behemoths from the past that make fantastic coffee tables and storage chests. Then, once it's in your house, you imagine someone carrying this on a journey with them and being part of the industrial revolution... it just never gets old (no pun intended).

 Trunks like this are a passion of Shelly's. This one is for sale in her shop. 

Rare Asian Dowry Chest.  See it here. 

Q: What thing in your shop has the best story, or would you say is your greatest find ever?

A: We currently have a beautiful antique dowry chest, incredibly well-preserved, that was purchased in Southeast Asia over 50 years ago. Despite its near-perfect condition, this chest is estimated to be over 100 years old, sturdily crafted with daeng and teak and gilded with dovetail joints. The incredible craftsmanship and unique attributes of the piece, such as the hand-molded iron hardware, high quality materials and the unusual depictions of Buddha sitting lotus, suggest that it was produced in a remote locale by a wealthy groom’s family for his bride-to-be. 

 Simply Stunning and we must agree with Shelly, her Lacy Mannequin is our favorite thing too!

Q: What is your absolute favorite thing in your shop right now, the kind of thing that has a wonderful story and you will absolutely HATE to see go?  

A:  Oh gosh, I have that problem a lot. Right now I’m most in love with a lacy mannequin on an antique cast iron base. I’ve always wanted one for some reason!

Q: Anything special you want people to know? 

A: If there’s something in particular you’re looking for, let us know and we’ll do our best to locate it. We have new inventory weekly so be sure to check back often.

Authors Note:  We couldn't decide between featuring the awesome trunks and antique relics or the fashion items. Shelly has a lot of vintage handbags in her store, so if you are the true fashionista be sure to check them out!

 


Connect with Shelly:
On Etsy
Twitter
Facebook

Note: Updated 12.2.18 Shelly has closed her shop but her links above still remain. 

Mad Home Style Russel Wright Mid Century Modern

 

Russel Wright Iroquois Stackable Creamer $13.99

If you like mid century modern and vintage goods, and decorating your home in mad-men vintage style, we have found the place for you.  MadHomeStyle on Etsy has the best retro finds!  There is a large selection of Russel Wright presently in the shop...

MadHomeStyle on Etsy has a large selection of Russel Wright

The shop is run by Jaime, from Richmond, Virginia. She is a lover of all things vintage, most especially Mid Century and Danish Modern items, and it shows! 

Funky Abstract Bowl, $16.99

New stock is always being added, and some of the great finds include:  Vintage California Pottery, Danish Modern, items made in Holland, melmac and melamine!

CONNECT: 

Etsy MadHomeStyle

Facebook Page - MadHomeStyle

Antique Engagement Ring The Vintage Wedding Checklist Part One

Apples of Gold Engagement Ring, this one here. 

Vintage weddings are hip, trendy, and in style.  This three part checklist will give you a start to finish step by step process on how to have the perfect vintage experience from start to finish.  Your checklist is simple yet the engagement rings are the most important. This is going to be something symbolizing the love that you carry, on your finger for the rest of your life!   Simply put, here is your checklist:

1. Antique Engagement Ring
2. Proposal in a Vintage Setting.
3. Finding the best Vintage Wedding Dress
4. Costumes and or era clothing for the wedding party.
5. Venue with an "Old Feel"
6. Retro invitations.
7. Catering that's Delicious on vintage china!
8. Decorations, from vintage banners to a retro cake!
9. Wedding music set in the era.
10. The Perfect Vintage Wedding Ring.

Let's start at the beginning.


1. HOW TO BUY THE RIGHT ANTIQUE ENGAGEMENT RING

For your retro wedding, it’s probably crossed your mind to buy an antique engagement ring. Such a thought is dismissed fairly quickly when you’ve seen some the amazingly high price tags displayed in jewelry stores or online. Also many men believe that antique engagement rings are in a class of jewelry that is fit for only the rich and famous.  While this might be true in a lot of cases, you can still purchase a very good quality antique engagement ring without any serious risk of becoming bankrupt. Choosing the right antique engagement ring is just a matter of knowing some of the basics in shopping for antique jewellery.

The following is our shoppers guide for choosing the best antique engagement ring suited to your loved significant other.

• Is The Style Suited? One of the first areas you need to address as you browse jewellery stores is to work out what antique engagement ring style is going to suit best to the tastes or preferences of your loved one. Ask yourself is this going to be something that she’ll adore for the rest of her life? 
• What about quality? Look at the design and craftsmanship of the ring rather than just focusing on the size of the gem. Consider the main aspects of the stones such as the colour, cut, clarity and then carat size. A lot of women find the actual design more important than the sizing of the stone or diamond. Also having a smaller diamond of higher quality is going to be better in some cases as it’s harder to pick up any obvious flaws. You’ll also find a lot of antique engagement rings have very decorative surrounding design it that creates an illusion of a larger size stone or diamond. 
• Focus On Time Periods You can also make some very appropriate choices in antique engagement rings if you focus on the right time period. For example if you know that your loved one is really into gemstones and not diamonds then you focus your search within the Art Deco era. This era consists predominantly of stones that are rubies or emeralds and also include sapphires and amethysts. You also can potentially find some amazing and stunning designs with the Victorian and Edwardian eras. It’s quite remarkable the level of detail and attention that has gone into the designing of rings in these eras. 

Final Steps – Checking The Authenticity 

 After using the above guidelines, chances are you will find what you consider the most suitable antique engagement ring for your loved one. However as a final step, you still must ask the jewellery store for a report or certificate of authenticity that has been done by a gemologist. This will verify if the engagement is as old as the jeweler claims.


As another added precaution you should also get the ring appraised and seek insurance from a 3rd party. This is extra way of getting verification of the quality level of both the stones and metal. Taking these necessary final steps is going to be reassuring for you and will go a long way in giving her the perfect antique engagement ring she’s always been dreaming of.   Get more information here.

 Looks like a romantic setting for a proposal , at least it did circa 1920, this from EphmeraObscura

2. THE PERFECT PROPOSAL

When you think of earlier days, romance was simplistic yet beautiful. A kiss under the moonlight, a walk in the park, sitting on the park bench holding hands, or walking together after getting the best ice cream sundae at the local pop shop.  Perhaps your soon to be hubby needs to find the perfect place to utter the words , "Will you marry me?" , even if it is in a retro car at the top of point lookout, after smooching and listening to some 50's be-bop music.

Edwardian anyone? Great for a vintage wedding. Pic: BeigeVintageCo

3. FINDING THE BEST WEDDING DRESS

Fit and fabric is very important. If you are going vintage, expect to have some minor imperfections from the previous life. You can life with a few minor tears or small rips in the fabric but the big worry is the OVERALL condition of the fabric. Make sure it's not fitting you like a glove because , if it dry rotten you will find yourself making a quick turn and your dress is blown out of the side, leaving your wedding party staring in horror.... How will you know? Make sure to test a small section of the fabric where no one will see, stretch it and pull it with your hand, is it ripping that easy, if so, as much as you'd like the dress, you may not have found the right one.

Lace is extremely fragile, and that's not the main concern, it's the fabric underneath and the seams that you must worry about, and the fabric that holds the zipper in tact.  There are plenty of vintage dresses made within the past century that will look simply lovely.!

Continue Reading: 

Vintage Wedding Checklist Part Two
Vintage Wedding Checkist Part Three 

This page last updated 12.2.18 and checked for good links. If you find a dead one please let us know!

Things I love Today: Orange Industrial and Retro

Orange you glad we have Etsy?

'Get Your Tangerine On with the Vestiesteam' by NorScott

Search "Vestiesteam" for the best in Tangerine

Metal Parts Cabinet housewarming10... $375.00	Vintage Eyelgasses Frames. O... CollectableSpe... $65.00
Vintage 60s Bright Orange Go... VINTANTHROMODE... $98.00	MINI - Vintage Orange Round ... TheBIG8s $60.00
Vintage Mid Century Modern O... modernlogic $55.00	Vintage manual orange Olivet... AnnaLouVintage $214.99
1980s Solid Orange Vinyl Sho... z2aBc $9.99	1940s hat / pumpkin orange /... RustBeltThread... $48.00
mid century melamine dinnerw... foundvintageob... $28.00	ON SALE Retro Orange Daisy S... mooiebloem $7.00
Orange and White Polka Dot S... BlackbirdAntiq... $7.00	Huge De Luxe of Amsterdam Th... linea72 $146.00
Art Deco Salem Streamline / ... SusabellaBrown... $70.00	60s Mod Tangerine Orange Org... PetticoatsPlus $36.00
Florida Oranges Salt and Pep... RetroChalet $9.00	Vintage Motorcycle Helmet oppning $60.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.