TYPEWRITER TABLE PROJECT

Typewriter table “before”

I don’t know about you — but I can’t resist the vintage metal ANYthing with wheels. I bought this old typewriter stand last fall + have been dreaming of tricking it out into a side table ever since.

I thought we’d have to find a stone supplier + see if they had any remnants in the highly-coveted honed marble.

Almost 4-1/2 months of procrastination later . . . + this past Monday, I walk into a huge tile outlet store in Chicago. There they were! A stack of said-same honed marble tiles in THE 18″ x 18″ size of my typewriter table!

18″ x 18″ honed marble tile.

My pal, Alan, instructed me, “Don’t say anything!” as he walked to the check-out counter. “I’d like to buy this SAMPLE,” he said, to which the tile personnel replied, “Take it!”

I KNOW!!!  This kind of thing never happens to ME (+ don’t you kind of hate me right now for bragging?)

Typewriter table in progress

Now comes the “fun” part. I’ll admit it — I have issues with tabletop display! It never looks right to me! But here are some stabs.

An old red basket on a yellow ware platter?

Maybe stacked books are better.

I love baseball!

Here it is, in place!

OSCARS 2013 RED CARPET

Halle Berry wearing Versace.

Halle’s Oscar dress from behind.

I love movies + fashion + the Oscars! More often than not, Halle Berry is at the top of my Best Dressed red carpet list, and this year she did not disappoint! Beautiful + sexy + what’s this? Long sleeves?!? Yes! Long sleeves! They were a definite trend, + I approve!

Sally’s rocking the sheer long sleeves.

Jane! At least she’s been candid about having work done recently. I’m buying her yoga DVD, stat!

Jennifer Hudson wearing another trend: navy blue.

I wonder how long it will be before we start seeing long sleeves on brides. It’s about time, don’t you think? Strapless bridal gowns have been over-done, if you ask me. What about this trend? Are you on board? I am!

My Sarah Richardson-Wannabe IKEA Kitchen

Sarah Richardson’s tricked-out IKEA kitchen . . .

… + my attempt at a Sarah-style IKEA kitchen, using Ballard Designs shelves + lots of “stuff”.

One of my design icons is Sarah Richardson, + my favorite project of hers is definitely the farmhouse she re-did for her own family. It’s so cool that she uses IKEA kitchen cabs + even cooler that she tricks them out the way she does.

She always paints them + often incorporates salvaged corbels into her design (see also: range hood + open shelves.)

As you can see, we used IKEA cabinets when we re-did. We chose these ADEL cabs because both the color + simple Shaker doors were such a great match to our bungalow’s originalwoodwork.

. . . our original woodwork.

IKEA’s farmhouse sink is affordable but has chipping issues.

I tried to trick out our IKEA kitchen like Sarah — really, I did. That stainless hood, the glass uppers + all that tile might not look like so much, but — believe it or not — I had to fight for them!

Speaking of which, there’s been a recent skirmish, + our subway tiles will soon be sporting a more vintage dark gray grout! Change is good!

It took some persuading, but G.O. is on board with the darker grout! I think it makes it look more vintage.

I collect anything that’s old, red + metal!

Awesome schoolhouse fixtures ($20-ish from Lowe’s!) + our pressed tin ceiling we ordered online.

I splurged a little + bought this (discontinued) PB pendant on eBay. The shades were Wal-Mart cheapies!

SOUP CAN OBSESSION

In my most recent post, https://redbirdv.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/andy-warhold-campbell-soup-artwork/, I mused about hanging an Andy Warhol Campbell Soup poster in my hacienda. I’m torn between 2 choices:

This one? AllPosters.com

Or this one? AllPosters.com

While the colorful one has all the ‘Kay colors’, I fear it would be too matchy matchy!  The plain Jane one is more graphic + iconic, methinks.

Meanwhile, as I was obsessively searching for Campbell Soup images online, I happily discovered that I’m not the only fan! Check it out!

I have art ledges! Point me to the grocery store! Houzz

In my world, this is the cutest kitchen! Tradtional Home Magazine

I think the red cans in the white kitchen looks particularly fab. Coincidentally, I’ve been fretting over my kitchen’s glass-front upper cabs. They’re kind of empty right now, which won’t DO. How crazy would it be to stack red + white tomato soup cans inside?>>

Maybe just the upper shelf? What say ye?

ANDY WARHOL + CAMPBELL SOUP

Andy Warhol, photographed by Carl Fischer for Esquire magazine.

Target + Allposters.com

There is a blank wall next to our postal sorter that holds our TV, + it needs an Andy Warhol Campbell Soup poster. Warhol was the artist most associated with the Pop Art movement of the 60’s. His iconic images include the soup cans, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis + other notables.

The awesome shoes are $399 on eBay.

How mod! Paper dress from Campbell Soup Co., 1967.

Grant Wood’s American Gothic (Chicago Art Institute) with a fun soup can.

Target

AllPosters.com

Source unknown

Those awesome small cans from Target were a limited edition, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Warhol’s soup can artwork. I missed it! The humanity! I can still buy my poster, though! First I must chose between the plain Jane can or something more colorful. Stay tuned for more musings about that AND another project involving real Campbell Soup cans!

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

G.O. + our dogs, Dory + Chloe

Even though my blog is still in its infancy,  I’ve already managed to poke fun at G.O. at least twice.  I mock because I love, though!

The truth is that without him, my decor is nothing.  He’s always able to do anything we (meaning I) desire, house-wise.   Am I saying he’s always on board when I think of a new project?  Sadly, no.   Even after all these years, he’s still dumbfounded by my (crazy to him) ideas.

Here it is! G.O.’s perfect choice for our vintage bath!

Actually, sometimes he does say or do something that lets me know that he’s playing for Team Kay, that he likes what I like!  In late 2006, we bought a 20’s-era bungalow + began a whirlwind re-do.  We gutted the main bathroom + re-did it in a vintage style.

While shopping for shower fixtures, we slowly scanned the selection at Home Depot.  Without a word from me, G.O.  grabbed the perfect set + placed it in our cart!  Victory!

Way back in ’06, this tile was a rare find, so we splurged. Now it’s sold at Lowes.  Chloe looks great against the floor!

I love the coordinating COLD + HOT shower curtain rings from Restoration Hardware.

REFRIGERATOR ENVY

My all-time favorite HGTV personnel is Tommy Smythe, who is the funny + cute sidekick to my HGTV lady crush, Sarah Richardson.   One day, as the two of them were refrigerator shopping, they (mostly Tommy) immediately proceeded to make disparaging remarks about the fridge handles! He even had derogatory nicknames for them, like “the bow + arrow”. OMG! OUR refrigerator has bow + arrow handles! The humanity! Silly me — I didn’t think they were important!

But I digress. Here’s the one they chose — a Kenmore. I forget if there was a nickname for its handles, but at least they weren’t the dreaded bow + arrow! I’m not sure I was listening at this point because I was totally smitten with those GAUGES! I wanted/want that refrigerator for the gauges alone!

Meanwhile, the current issue of Country Living magazine landed in my mailbox last week. Oh, look! It’s Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law) + Amanda Pays’ house in Studio City*, CA! (*Been there, loved it!) I loved their decor style — a mix of rustic modern + industrial with a lot of personal items. You’ll never guess what refrigerator they have! Yesh, it’s the one from Sears — the one with the gauges! Sadly, its price is a little over our budget, at nearly $6 grand. Buzz kill! Speaking of, what would G.O. say if he knew I’d chosen a fridge just because it had gauges?

MADE — My Gallery In Jackson Hole, WY

MADE — My Gallery In Jackson Hole, WY

I have an online etsy shop called RedBird Vintage Home (same as this blog), and this  gallery has sold my pillows for several years.  My Jackson Hole/U.S. Map pillows sell like hotcakes! Here’s one inside the gallery! Jackson Hole was profiled in the January issue of Chicago magazine, + several of my pillows made the cut. Check it out!

http://www.madejacksonhole.com/press/full/made-in-chicago-magazine

 

Have you shopped etsy? Seriously, you don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t. If nothing else, it’s highly inspirational! This funny card (G.O. laffed! Winning!) came from Butterbean Studios, in California. Check out her website; it’s awesome. http://www.butterbeanstudios.com/

MY FAVORITE RED CARPET LOOK — 2013 GRAMMY AWARDS

Kelly Rowland

My new blog will be all about everything I love, + that includes the red carpet + all the celebs who walk down it! Here’s my favorite dress from this past Sunday’s Grammy Awards. How flattering! How sexy! And Kelly Rowland is really rocking the Michelle Obama bangs, isn’t she? I love the look + just had my own bangs return, last week!