Happy Easter

My morning was spent alone in the house.

(not intended to sound as sad as it does!)

I cooked, cleaned, drank coffee, and had a healthy portion of 'me' time.

Found.

A photo of my house from 1979.

I'm on a constant search for what my house looked like when it was built in 1898.

This summer I am making it a point to find out more.

1940's GE Range.

Thrifted from an estate sale for $20.

Just this week I purchased my missing heating element from The Old Appliance Club (a life saver for vintage appliance lovers! They carry deadstock parts and rebuild theremostats)

and OH MY, It's perfection.

...In addition...I can't stop cooking garlic brussel sprouts!

If i could (which i really can), I'd eat them everyday.

Lazy Sunday.

Spent the afternoon in the kitchen.

cleaning, organzing, and starting to fall in love with the renovation.

...so much more to do in the kitchen. But i need to live in it a bit to figure the rest out.

Classic Key Lime Walls

Vintage Farmhouse Sink

1940s appliances

(ignore the party aftermath)

Pillows

Finally puchased a few pillows for my living room.

Going Hunting Red and Cornstalk Screen Printed Pillow

BarkDecor

Since i've officially completed the collecting of items for my kitchen... on to the next big thing, my bathroom.

Yesterday i bought a claw foot tub off craiglist.  The interior is near perfect and I can't help but dream of how redo my bathroom.  The possibilities are endless really.

Here's a few things I know I want.

Simple and classic hexagon tiles

Claw foot tub with round shower rail.

For the past year I have stored up mismatched hoosier and build it cabinet parts.  I plan to refinish all of them. However, i'm overwhelmed with the posibilities of what i could do!

Natural work?

Paint?

Color stain? 

Combination of both? 

I can barely wrap my mind around the concepts.

I stumbled upon this photo and can't believe how gorgeous the light rose aged hoosier is.

indulge if you will...

(and not to mentioned hand canned peaches!)



New Floors

I finally got my kitchen floors installed!  Red Oak Hardwood.

Later this week the contractors will be installing the sink and staining the floors. 

Cant wait for the kitchen to soon become a rooooooom.

I love my city

1.

2.

3.

4.

Swoonz...

Building up images to inspire my dining room/office.

I have a room with little "useable" space.  A lot of doors and windows on every wall.

...shelving is the way to go...

oh, hi.... it's been awhile.

Usually I choose to have January and febuary my "slow" months... I usually read a few books... sleep a lot.... and generally rest up for a busybusy spring/summer.

however, this year, not so much!. I already have grand goals and high hopes for new things to come.

In the past few weeks i have.....

.... painted my living room! From mustard orange to clean navajo white. In.love. with how clean my house looks now.

.... bought a new-to-me kitchen sink, refridgerator, and stove.

.... Started prepping my Spring11 designs.

more to come on all of the above!

My favorite thing about the holiday season is hunting for vintage holiday goodies

I found this authetic 1950s aluminum Christmas Evergleam for $40 (!!!!!) on craigslist a few months ago.

7ft tall!!!!

The catch was.... they only advertised the box, and couldn't comment on the actual goods!

but I bought it anyways!

and good news..... every branch is there! it's a beauty for sure

I am currently getting my house ready for a holiday party this friday.

I have lofty goals of painting my living room and dining room (see the yellow! it must go!)

It's a vintage themed party, and i'm just a little too excited!!!!

(Evan with his nerdiest of expressions!)

If i could, i would....

...furnish my ENTIRE house in goodies from this London based antique store

Elemental Antique Vintage Furnature

Everything is jaw-dropping amazing.

And my ultimate favorite below... 

I have issues liking any kind of bedroom furniture from commercial stores these days.....

This is the perfect solution. Modern design build with vintage elements.

I'm going to start up carpentry in the near future, and someday will make my own version of this

vintage-found-drawer handmade dresser.

Truely unique, no piece could ever be the same.

I'm in love with the dark mahogany wood and distressed white combination.

They also have an inspiring blog! filled with industrial design and tutorials of restoration.

gearing up to slow down...

November is one of the busiest months of the year for me.

 I participate in Art Vs. Craft (in good ole Milwaukee) and Renegade Craft Fair (in Chicago), which are both at the end of the month.... and only a week apart!

So I tend to spend the weeks leading up to it working hard at all parts of my life- Crafting, Vintage, and Home.

I leave for Mexico the WEEK before this crazy fair season begins.  Hope it doesn't set me back too much!

After all this is done, i plan to concentrate December and January on my house. Getting it fixed up. and fiiiinally painting! I hope to have my dining room and living room painted before my Holiday Party.

I'm extremely excited to dive into my house repairs a bit more!  Can't wait to see it transform before my eyes.  A house into a home.  It's about time to stop talking and start doing.

Here are a few of my "before" pictures of my house. These are from when we first moved in.

(my awkward forced pose by my mom.  The sign says "sold" but it was way to sunny to capture)

Needless to say... the red and yellow are outta here!!! Not much sunlight comes into our house, so light colors it will be.

Trick or Treats

Bayview, Milwaukee is one of the only places in the city where they have nighttime trick or treating.

This is my first year in my house... my first trick or treat.... my first house decorating event.

I'm excited for the years to come in this crazy little house!!!

sleeps...

It's getting harder and harder to get up in the morning with such brisk weather!

My hardwood floors are ice cold.... my bed is oh so toasty....

...and my boyfriend really never has to wake up as early as i do....

I'm in hibernate mode.

Looking forward to a weekend of lazy mornings

What I love about Chicago.

Lovely Colorful Fences

Exposed Wooden Porches on Aparment Buildings

Am saddened I'm past this point in my life and never lived in a building like this.

Pretty...Pretty...Pretty Iron Gates.

This exact ones makes me swoon.

Sadly...that's the only three photos i took on my Renegade Weekend.

<3Lisa

Distractions....

Distracting my mind from freaking out about Renegade Chicago and the possibility of RAIN this weekend! *crosses fingers...knocks on wood.... does a little anti-rain dance...*

I'm going to try and not think about it.

On another note.  here are some amaaazing industrial home accessories.

I plan to FILL my house with them.

And i mean FIIIIILL.

Vintage Typing Table $48

Vintage Letterpress Blocks $57

 

Vintage Metal Fan $38

(*Secret find* There's an antique mall in my area that has vintage metal fans starting at $10!!!! Working condition too!  I keep this place on the hushhush)

 PRETTY Vintage Teal Stapler $22

all in all. i want to be a post-war secretary.