In need of a new cup--Etsy shopping day

In the past six months, the husband and I have gone through my large and rather intrusive collection of random vintage dishware (which was carefully selected through the years, mind you) and have narrowed it down to my late 1960's Taylorstone "Cathay" china for everyday use, our Spode "Blue Italian" for formal stuff (it's what we registered for when we got married and only have two place settings and three pieces of serveware), my grandmother's Royal Albert "Country Rose" which is on display in my office (because we don't have room for a china cabinet right now), a cabinet full of my grandparents' crystal serveware and various cups, goblets, etc., and my large (yet shrinking) collection of various sized glass jars.

I felt like I had purged myself of the unneccessary and condensed my tableware collection to the point that it would never create a large pile in the sink before we would run out of clean dishes--I thought this was a brilliant way to put a number on the dishes one should have...

Well, now I have realized that I need some new coffee cups. I am kind of displeased with what we have right now. I like an assortment of mugs so that each one can be ascribed to a mood--am I feeling tiny and delicate today? Or do I need something big and warm to cup in my hands?--but I want them to be relatively cohesive in style (we have open-fronted cabinets). Right now, I have my grandmother's thick glass mugs. There are two styles, a standard flat-bottomed cup and one that's a little more cafe-style. They are really nothing extraordinary, but they always remind me of having coffee with powdered creamer and sweet'n'low at her house. I want to keep a couple of her mugs, but I need something new.

Anyway, here are a few styles that I am liking, though I will probably end up buying a set from an estate sale!

I love the Pyrex (on the left) for its durability and whiteness despite being 30+ years old. And vintage stoneware always has a place in my heart. It just feels right in your hand. And I love the floral prints right now (because it's Spring, I suppose). Maybe I need seasonal sets of mugs...
LEFT:Vintage Pyrex Summer Impressions mugs, from sweetrice.
RIGHT: Vintage Stoneware Takahashi mugs, from jwhite2.


I love mid-century dishware with their perfect shapes and great designs. And I've also considered only having mugs with owls on them--picking a theme and going with it. The husband and I love owls, and we already happen to have a pair of mugs with the cutest little owls sitting on a tree that were gifts from our good friend Jackie over at peppermags.
LEFT: Set of 6 Temporama mugs, from TotallyJuliaRAd.
RIGHT: Owl mug, from autumnalways.


I LOVE these two sets of mugs paired together!! Maybe I will go for a collection of brilliantly colored florals and folk images against the stark white surface of good Pyrex or Corningware!!
LEFT: Scandinavian vintage by Berggren, from levintageMaison.
RIGHT: Vintage flower mugs, from VintageEye.


Isn't this set adorable?? It depicts a cute little dimestore/candy counter scene. It's ceramic Enesco, also from leVintageMaison.


Now, isn't this set WILD?! This midcentury atomic mug set comes from AustinModern, and the seller can't find any information on the production of this set other than it was made by Hall (USA) China. The holders are cast aluminum...if you know anything, I bet he/she would be interested!

Team Etsy Austin!

I signed up on Twitter a little over a week ago to keep up to the second on SXSW info--apparently, you're out of the loop if you're not on Twitter during (and leading up to) the event. Even though my phone tweets all hours of the night (I haven't figured out how to make it "sleep"), I am finding out some very cool stuff.

For example, there is a whole Etsy Austin collective, and they're going to be set up at SXSW this year selling goods and promoting Austin crafsters! I am absolutely going to stop by and say hello to them and peruse their wares. What I think is really cool about this Etsy group is that their goal is to establish these artists' names in Austin by giving support and encouragement to each other in life and in the Web. They do meetups and are really trying to help out each others' small businesses...so cool.

Here are some Etsy Austin wares...

left: silver plated horse head necklace, from brokenearproductions.
right: marigold Czech glass earrings, from polishedtwo. (I really love these.)


left: crocheted cactus plants, from fiftyacorns. (I think these are hilariously witty.)
right: oxidized cup earrings, from adornmodern.


left: recipe cards, from pairedhearts. (They come in a baker's dozen of 13!)
right: 12x12 tiny chairs pillow cover, from scarletfig. (She designed this fabric!)


left: slip painted pottery, signed and numbered, from tinalewis.
right: recycled/upcycled Coors can hat, from ultratrixie. (Perfect color combo, and only $12)


left: Winter Warlock sculpture, from spiritmama. (I am beyond impressed--she SCULPTED this!)
right: constellation pendant, from lolariera. (I named a star after my husband for Christmas several years ago...I wonder if I could send Lola a diagram of the constellation and have a pendant made...how cool would that be??)

Curious Party Idea: Masked in the Garden.

A friend and I are planning to have a masquerade dinner once Spring finally comes along. You know that scene in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette when they have that beautiful garden dinner party? That's what we're going for... all white and various shades of cream and the natural greenery surrounding us. Lots of candles. We are thinking of gourmet potluck to save the expense of having a catered thing--I mean, who really has the money or time for that?

The point is to have an effortlessly chic party, so all a guest will need is a good dish and an interesting mask.

This is kind of the mood I'm trying to capture--relaxed, intimate, bohemian, neverending...

left: I love the length of this table, the green bottles spanning the length, and the mismatched rustic chairs. Image, courtesy of Alaskan Photo Adventures.
right: Great, glowing atmosphere. Image, courtesy of LJC Blog.

left: I love the fringed tablecloth, the candles, and the lights in tree in the background. Stock photo, courtesy of Photo Search.
right: Photo, courtesy of Martha Stewart (of course).

A little lighting...

left: Photo, courtesy of Zonefred's Flickr.
right: Solar lights, courtesy of Inhabitat.

These are some fabulous masks I found on etsy that are simply exquisite and beyond perfect for the party! I'm loving the whole animal/mythological theme to the masks. Couldn't you just picture a long table packed with wolves and owls and scales and feathers, teeth and wild grins illuminated by the candle light??

left: Thetis Sea Goddess mask, from asuwish.
right: Mildly Medusa mask, also from asuwish.


left: Ooly Owl mask, also from asuwish.
right: Silver Asteria mask, also from asuwish.


Bluebell Fairy Mask, also from asuwish.
Pink Daisy Mask, also from asuwish.


left: White Fox Mask, from Merimask.
right: Unicorn Leather Mask, from Tom Banwell Leather. (I'm totally going to get this one!)


left: Big Bad Wolf Mask, by Masquefaire. (I would get this one for my husband.)
right: Lunar Fox Mask, from 1ntegral.

Going along on a shoot.

I'm so excited! Today I get to go assist on a couple photo shoots, and I am so thrilled. So since I've got cameras on the brain, here are some fun Etsy camera-themed finds!


left: Shutterbug necklace from Crumpetcake.
right: Eco-friendly tote bag from The Craft Pantry.


left: Working lamp and 1934 Cine Kodak Model 25 8mm camera, so cool. From Litterlamps85.
right: Canon SLR parts shirt, from shopshopdesigns.


I also collect old cameras, mostly things I come across at thrift stores and estate sales--35mm, medium format, even old 8mm. Shocking, I know. Anyway, here are some cool old cameras for sale on Etsy.

left: 50s Mansfield Holiday II 8mm, from Gaze of Orpheus.
right: Exacta Varex IIa, from Zortose.


left: 60s TDC Stereo Colorist Camera for taking 3-D pictures, from Nostalgic Meditations.
right: Yashica-Mat TLR twin lens reflex, from Supply Fascination.

Housewifey.

We all wear a lot of hats in life--I approve of this cliche solely because of my love of hats.
Anyway, this "housewife" thing is my latest hat.

I finished a very long, drawn out tenure at college in December with a degree in English with a concentration in Professional Writing and Public Discourse with minors in French and Sociology. I was really, really good at being a student, but how long could that really last? I needed to move on, start something new in my life, change things up, and I needed to quit bleeding money. Whoever would have thought I would graduate with a fine degree (and with high honors, mind you) and enter the worst job market since the Depression?

I also married the greatest man ever in September (after seven long years of...well, it makes for one hell of a story in itself). He's a musician and a carpenter, and we are doing well enough ("well enough"= we can pay our bills on time and buy groceries and that's about it). So right now I am not totally stressing about my jobless situation. I'm just playing housewife, which I guess I am not really playing seeing as how that's kind of what I am for now...

Oh, but I LOVE it! Aside from taking pride in caring for my home and enjoying the freedom I have to paint and blog and go take photos anytime, I've always been super fascinated with 50s/60s housewife life. It was so fabulously deluded!! I've got books and books on the subject--I collect these etiquette manuals and women's interest books from the late 1800s-1970s.

But to get to the point of my semi-rambling blog, hey I gave up caffeine three days ago and I am sitting here with a cup of decaf. I have the right to ramble...

Here's some housewife imagery...maybe it'll motivate me to get out of the office and perform the 43 chores I need to get out of the way before 4pm.







Here's some great housewife Etsy buys...

Sarah Wathen is a painter and photographer, and I really like these photos. They are part of a series...


left: It's a little quilt from extratoppings.
right: Diary of a Mad Housewife, from juliemarie23.

For the love of tea (towels)

I love old tea towels, especially those made of linen. I always keep an eye open at estate sales for great colored and patterned towels. I think they make perfect hostess gifts, or, hey, Valentine's Day is quickly approaching! Here are a couple of my favorites that I've adopted over the years and some others that I've found on Etsy...

Straight from my oven door...


And a few great finds from Etsy...

left: "Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth," from randomretro.
right: New Zealand 1984, from paisleypath.


left: Blue rooster, from VinegarAndPopVintage.
right: Owls, also from vintageJones.


left: Cuban recipe towel, from SuzisCornerBoutique. (I'm in LOVE.)
right: G. Beaumont City of York towel, from empressjade.


left: Citrus and houndstooth, from thodge62.
right: Swedish print, from souvenirsouvenir.


left: How to get a Maid, from callmejasper. (I really want this one, too!)
right: Wrought iron, from IdleHoller.