Our 2 “Green Tea” Thrift Chairs

Some of our weekend thrift haul

As if we don’t have a million other projects to wrap up, my chair fetish caused me drag in three more chairs this past weekend. I couldn’t pass them up. I love chairs. I love to “fix” them up. Here’s 2 chairs that we bought for under $3 each. I call these the “green tea” chairs because their color reminds me of brewed green tea. I think this shade only happens to old green things covered in tarry cigarette smoke. It’s one of my favorite colors. I really do like the damage that cigarette smoke does to furniture and paintings, haha. It’s like tea staining everything. So, yeah, these chairs are pretty darn grotty.

Does anyone know how to clean old vinyl furniture? These chairs are filthy. In the pic above, I have washed these chairs with Murphy Oil Soap twice. You would not believe how dirty the water has been both times. The pic is doing the chairs some favors. They are much dirtier in real life. Pen ink marks are on the mid-century modern chair. And the chairs are just so dirty. Any suggestions on what to use to clean these? I keep reading that people clean up these mid-century modern vinyl chairs with soap and water. That’s not really cutting it. I need your ancient vinyl cleaning secrets 🙂

I’ll scrub them again today with Murphy Oil Soap solution again and lots of elbow grease. I’m not really fretting because I like these chairs and I don’t go for perfection, I do like some imperfections.  And the price of these chairs were cheaper than 1 large green tea latte. I’m not losing much. I still need to clean up the wood, maybe coat the wood with Howard Wax to disguise visible scratches and add a nice sheen.

-Victoria

Read Full Post »

2 Bedrooms with Song Bird Print Wallpaper

House and Home birdy bedroom

I’m aware that it’s popular and it will be cliché one day, but I can’t help it. I love “bird” imagery. I love nature inspired prints and home decor. It would make sense that I would like the whimsy touch of songbirds in decorating. Here are 2 bedrooms that I’ve stumbled upon. The designers of these bedrooms love birds just as much as I do.

This first bedroom was in Canadian House and Home. It’s cute, thanks to the birds and birdcage wallpaper. I love the carefree print. I have really been craving prints lately and that is very unexpected for me. Everything in the room is “cute”. I like the pieces but together I feel they look a bit contrived. Maybe they don’t look so forced “antique” in person. Pictures are difficult like that. All of the neutral colors really let the wallpaper take center stage here. It’s a charming room.

The other room was featured on Room Envy. This room is much more colorful, but it still has the same vibe. Both rooms have beautifully printed wallpaper, white linens, and a lovely iron bed. This is a bit more “lively” version of the first bedroom shown here. I love the accents of teal. Teal is one of those colors that I

bird bedroom featured on Room Envy

have liked for such a long time. I love the mix of prints and the crisp white linens. I love the wallpaper print and would love to have that print on linens or curtains. Adorable.

Bird wallpaper in cute prints is expensive. Often retailing for about $100 a roll, so many to choose from if you type search “bird”, here. I found a nice bird print with lots of teal for $27.99 a roll here. I’ve never dealt with these companies.  I just know, that I like these prints. I’ve also learned that it pays to shop around and to “give in”. Sometimes you must have vague wants such as “blue bird wallpaper” when you’re remodeling on a budget.

Off subject…I made a plum frangipane tart yesterday and it turned out delicious! I’m really taking this cooking thing up a notch. And I purchased a rolling-pin for $5? I’ve complained for 5 years over something that is $5? Why do I not buy the kitchen items that I need? I’ve decided that if I need it then I will buy it. Having a retro kitchen has motivated me to have “retro” kitchen items such as sifters, rolling-pins, pie weights. You know those things that grandma had around but most young moderns couldn’t identify out of a line up?

-Victoria

Read Full Post »

Cute As A Button, Things To Do With Vintage Buttons

Martha Stewart Living napkin rings

I’m really attracted to vintage buttons. Currently, I have them stashed away in a few Mason jars with no clue  what I’ll do with them. I just like looking at them. They’re cute. I’ve seen lots of button crafts throughout the years, but I didn’t really like them. People glue them on picture frames (here). This doesn’t really work for my decor. It could be cute in a craft nook or sewing room. I’ve seen buttons stuck on everything from flowerpots to fridge magnets (here). I didn’t like these either. I did find 2 things that I do like. I think the napkin rings from Martha Stewart Living are cute. These look less kid’s craft to me. They are simple. I have bakelite buttons that I really do want to show off. I think this would be a great way to do so. I have buttons that are elegant enough for a dinner party 🙂 Yeah, napkin rings are silly and unnecessary but I love a nice looking place setting.  Here’s the link to make the button napkin rings above. Side note, I can’t stop laughing about the term “shank” being used in the tutorial. I didn’t think that Martha had to use those in prison. Boy, I bet she was confused.

The other DIY button idea that I liked were these cupcake toppers. I never got into the cupcake craze. I like to make fro-yo and candies/pastilles. I also like to bake big, normal size cakes. These seem a bit silly and unnecessary (like napkin rings), but I do find them cute. And it is a way to show off cute buttons at an event (birthday party, etc.) so that everybody can see how cute they are and how crafty you are. Here is the tutorial for those toppers below.

This isn’t a home DIY project, but I thought it was cute. Check out how to quickly make cute shoe embellishments using vintage buttons (here)! And I’m sure you’ve all seen button jewelry projects. Many of those don’t appeal to me either, but I love this bib necklace I found on Etsy from seller ButtonsSoupJewelry.

Button Party! From http://www.craftystylish.com

So, I don’t really have time to do such “useless” crafty projects with this renovation devouring my free time, but I can always find the time while drinking my morning coffee to waste on-line looking at what other people do with their free time. I know that if I ever get around to planning a party that it will be as cute as a button.

-Victoria

Read Full Post »