All That Jazz Vintage

2012-01-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

February rolls around tomorrow and I have Jazz all decked out for Valentine's Day. Well, I went for the minimalist approach and just added a few hearts here and there.

It's always fun for me to shift things around and bring in new stuff.

Hope all is well in your world!

~Tara

Hello..Anyone still out there?!

2012-01-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

I'm back! Hi everyone! It's been forever since I posted, sorry. I started a Facebook

page for All That Jazz and have been doing updates there.

I worked all day today on pretties for Jazz.

I haven't really worked on anything since November, to prepare for Christmas.
It felt good to work on some projects again.

However what I'm REALLY itching to do is paint some furniture. I haven't been able to find anything to work on. I almost hand my mitts on some last weekend and it turned into a bit of a mess. I'll fill you in on the details soon.

So for now, I trudge onward and upward, working on the littlest of pretties.

But man I want some furniture! Should a asked Santa to hook me up!

~Tara

Finally, The Furniture Makeover Results!

2011-09-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased this pretty little lady. She had great lines but needed a paint job.

Out came the Antibes Green, ASP Chalk Paint, my new favorite color these days. My can is almost empty I've been using it so much.

When you add the clear and then the dark wax, the paint just pops and makes a piece glow with antique goodness. Even if it's not an antique.

Isn't this yummy. It's currently at the shop, front and center at Jazz.

Nightstand snagged at a garage sale.

After some Chalk Paint, Old White and then Duck Egg Blue followed by clear and dark wax.

Two fun vintage chairs. The one on the left is really old. Under that material was the original leather seat in great condition.

After. More green. I'm channeling Kermit, what can I say.

The twins and I took the chairs and table up a week and a half ago, moved things around and got ready for Fall. However this table sold the following week so the green desk is now in it's place. I did take pictures of the Fall redecoration and will show you in the next post!

September has been just crazy, things flying out of the shop left and right. I think it's one of the best months we've ever had. Our shop has a new owner and is now called Abundance Vintage. There have been quite a few vendor changes and I am loving the new look and feel the shop has.

To take a peek, check out our Facebook pages.

All That Jazz

Abundance Vintage

Please be sure to LIKE us if you're interested in getting updates to your Wall!

On a side note, since I finally joined into the Facebook foray, yes, I am just now jumping on the bandwagon! I will probably be phasing out the All That Jazz blog. I think it's going to be easier to give quick updates about upcoming events and new items at Jazz and quite frankly it's a lot of work doing 2 blogs. I'll keep my personal blog and keep you connected with All That Jazz through the Facebook page, so be sure to hit that LIKE button if you want to stay connected.

Thanks and have a fantastic week!

~Tara

Updates and Makeovers

2011-09-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to say, I haven't been in a blogging mood lately. I think that happens to me at the end of every Summer. I've been busy with lots of Jazz "hoopla". First, we helped my cousin Michelle pack up her stuff from Jazz and sadly said goodbye to her. It was a sorrowful parting of the ways and she will be missed. Now I have to figure out a way to fill the whole space myself AND pay the full space rent! Scary but exciting as well.

Michelle has begun a new journey making jewelery. She made both necklaces we had on in the pictures and so far is making big bucks off her family! She's doing pretty darn well selling to other customers non-related as well. You can find her Rockin' Heart Jewelry Facebook page on the sidebar to see more of her fabulous work!

So once I had the run of the whole space, I hauled in these pretties.

Then a few days later, this butcher block island sold. So I had to take something else in.

Thankfully I had another piece waiting. Not this piece. I just found this picture and got the inspiration to "dirty up" a dresser I had already painted white, because I thought it was a bit boring.

I came up with this.

Now the paint on this dresser was regular latex satin. I added a coat of my Annie Sloan clear wax and then dark wax. Learning curve~satin paint doesn't absorb the wax like the AS Chalk Paint. I figured it wouldn't. When I buffed most of the "dirt" the dark wax rubbed off and it didn't end up looking as dirty as I would have liked. Next time I'm going to get some flat white and see how that works.

Someone must have thought it was dirty enough though because I just got the word tonight that it sold today. Two days after I took it in. I also sold an ottoman I covered in a burlap sack that turned out really cool. I'm so mad I didn't get a picture! It was a last minute decision to take it in and it sold the next day. I hate it when I do that. Now I have to scramble to get something else in the dresser's place.

Good thing I found THIS over the weekend. Cute right. She already has her new paint job, I just need to add the wax. Think GREEN. Yes, my newest obsession is ASCP Antibes Green.

I think it's gonna be a hard piece to part with.

Got these two little beauties this weekend too. Makeovers already in progress.

And these two chairs. Think GREEN again. I know, I'm bad. If people hate the color I might be in trouble but so far I've been told I'm getting good feedback on it.

BTW~ I finally joined the Facebook craze and have created a page for All That Jazz. I have been trying to add updates to it as things go into the shop. Another reason I haven't been blogging. This Facebook thing is a bit complicated. If you check it out, please feel free to LIKE the page so you can get updates on your wall. Don't you just love modern technology.

Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Have a terrific week!

~Tara

August at All That Jazz

2011-08-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

I took a couple new pieces into the space last weekend!

This nightstand/dresser was a piece my Mom had and it got a makeover with AS Chalk Paint in the Duck Egg Blue color. It's a pretty little piece with a lot of character.

The little round end table on the right is the second piece I took in. I forgot to get a good picture. I hate it when that happens! It was originally and ugly shade of green with brown undertones. I painted it the same color as the previous piece, the Duck Egg Blue, then stenciled a fleur de lis pattern on all 3 shelves. It really made the piece pop and it looks oh so much better.

There are more changes than just the new furniture. My Nana has left Jazz. She wasn't making enough sales to make it worth keeping her spot. Michelle has also "officially" left but her stuff remains behind. A hectic Summer has prevented her from packing it all up but we're thinking by the end of the month she'll be able to get it all boxed up. Then I'm REALLY on my own. The twins (my Mom and Michelle's Mom) will still be my partners but truth be told I do 95% of the work. It's basically MY addiction. I just drag them along for the ride most of the time!

Also on the new changes front, the shop we have All That Jazz in has sold. The owners have moved on to a new opportunity within the space of a month and a half and we now have a new owner. Our previous owners will be greatly missed, they are wonderful people and were a tremendous help to us as new vendors but I am also excited about the new direction I think our shop may be taking!

I'll keep you updated. I have new stuff stacked up in the shed at home and have been working on some new projects. I've just been waiting for Michelle's things to fly the coop to make room. I think September will be a great time to make a fresh start. Happy Sunday and have a wonderful week!

~Tara

Antique Fest Part 2 and a Giveaway Opportunity For You!

2011-07-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

~If you haven't heard yet, Robyn Story Designs is having a Mountain of Giveaways. One lucky winner will have the chance to pick amongst a mountain of fabulous prizes like a shopping spree or 10 cans of Chalk Paint. Yep, you read it right, 10 CANS!!! So be sure and click on the button and go sign up to win!

Now on to more antique fest. Here are some random shots of the whole proceedings!

There were lots of treasures to be found but I only bought a few things for myself, nothing for resale.

That's alright, it means there's more $ left to spend next time!

~Tara

Jazz @The Antique Fest

2011-07-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

Yep, we had a big ole lovely pile of J*U*N*K for the antique fest.

See all this, it belongs to All That Jazz. I can't believe we had that much cr*p to set out. None of the other vendors were interested in putting things on the sidewalk. Go figure. When we set up I was worried we were taking up too much room but it turned out it wasn't an issue. It worked out great for us!

That little white desk was one of the first things to sell from the sidewalk.

It was bought for a little 7 year old girl.

Michelle brought a lot of really neat "vintage" rusty iron pieces from the ranch.

We had rust in abundance but didn't seem to have many buyers interested in purchasing said rust.

I didn't sell a single buoy. I had to haul half of them back home.

I may have to chuck them in the ocean.

Michelle brought these from the ranch too. Aren't they cool! She sold one!

I sold these two end tables about a half an hour before I went to move the stuff indoors. Hallelujah!!! I was so worried I was going to have to haul these home and store them again because there is no room in the booth at the moment. Crisis averted. The tall green table at the far right (with the basket on it) sold the first night along with...

FIFI

Our mannequin mascot we had when we first started All That Jazz. She'd been floating around a while and I decided it was time for her to find a new home.

We had a pretty good weekend although the crowds were a lot smaller this year than last year. I'm not sure if it's due to the economy or the fact that there was a bigger antique show an hour and a half south of us.

It was still worth the effort and I had fun with Michelle. This will be our last "Jazz" event together since she's bailing on me at the end of the month. She's moved on to greener pastures! Hence the new look to the Jazz blog. She said she was done posting for the most part so I made preparations for a makeover. I tend to like things a bit "fancier" than our girl Michelle. I also like to change things with the season, so be prepared!

I'm so happy for Michelle though and she will let us all know when she gets her Etsy shop running. I've seen some ides she has and they're cool!

Stay tuned for the next post when I'll share some pictures from other vendors at the antique fest.

Have a great one!

~Tara

Antique Fest 2011!!!

2011-07-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

My town is having it's annual Antique Fest this weekend. So if you are in the neighborhood, halfway between Portland and Seattle, come on by!

The Downtown area where we have our booth is actually called "antique row" due to all the antique shops in such a small area.

They close down two of the side streets and bring in a variety of vendors.

There are lots of goodies to be found.

Enough good junk for everyone!

All The shops also line the sidewalks with merchandise for sale.

This was our small section of sidewalk we were allotted last year. I'm not sure if it will be as fancy this year. I am NOT hauling the rug outside and it was too hard to cover all the small things at night if the wind blew the coverings around. So it will probably be mostly furniture outside.

Most of the shops have discounts for the Antique Fest, including us!

There is also a local Farmer's Market on Friday before more vintage/antique vendors set up shop for Saturday. It's lots of fun and this year the weather is promising to be perfect, in the low to mid 70's. However don't quote me on that because this IS Washington!

I'm getting ready to haul more things to the booth to sell for weekend. These table will be headed up there.

Before

After the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint treatment.

Also going is this antique walnut cabinet I bought this weekend at a garage sale...

and this chippy shabby white desk...

and this poor little old lady. She's been waiting patiently for her moment in the sun and will finally get to see if she can find a new home...

and this wrought iron plant stand. Not to mention lots of little treasures I need to get cleaned up, priced, wrapped, tagged and packed up. Ahhh, the joys of a vendor!

~Tara

All That Jazz Gets Invaded By Furniture!

2011-06-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY got this passel of furniture hauled to All That Jazz. It was beginning to look like a warehouse around here. I've never had this much to take up at one time. Usually when a piece is done it gets taken up right away but due to scheduling conflicts and just plain laziness on my part, it took forever. I hate hauling furniture around quite frankly.

It took two trips but after some finagling by my Mom and I, we got it all squeezed in.

Oops, we forgot to change that chalkboard! It's been that way since Mother's Day. Not that you shouldn't hug your Mother just because it's no longer Mother's Day!

(horrible picture alert)

I gave a sneak peek at this dresser last week on my Loveleigh Treasures blog...

Here's what she looked like after the paint, but before the distressing and wax process.

The finished product. I think this is one of my favorite pieces I've done so far.

Then there was this sweet french style nightstand from the Goodwill...

After. You can't really see the true color due to the horrible picture but it's the most beautiful blue. Annie Sloan's Louis Blue. I think it's my favorite color of Chalk Paint.

A vintage children's dresser, it's Louis Blue as well.

(horrible picture alert again)

And then we have this lonely little dresser. Sitting to the side. Watching all the action in the booth and not getting to join the fun. Why, you ask? Because it sold before we even got it in the space. It was just waiting on it's owner to finish shopping and come back and get it.

A few of you have asked me where I got my Chalk Paint. I don't live close enough to a stockist so I had to order it and have it delivered. I have placed 2 separate orders.

The first is the most local stockist to me, The Bella Bungalow, in Arlington Washington. They were very prompt with their order and I had absolutely no problems. However they only ship out on Thursdays so keep that in mind if you place an order. I think I ordered on a Friday and had to wait a whole extra week until Thursday rolled around and on top of that it was Memorial Day weekend. So I was waiting a while.

My second order was with Robyn Story Designs and Boutique. I placed an order with them because they were having a free shipping special and I just couldn't pass that up right! I ordered 2 more cans of paint and 2 wax brushes that The Bella Bungalow didn't have in stock when I ordered. This order took almost a week but it had to come all the way from Tampa, Florida so I think it made pretty good time. I have learned Robyn Story Designs has their paint about $4 cheaper per can and they also don't have a handling fee so I believe that will give you more bang for your buck. They are both a great option. I didn't have any problems with either and would place an order with them both again.

I have been informed by Miss Michelle that she won't be posting here much any more so I guess it will be left to me to keep you up on all the Jazz business. Michelle said she will pop in when she gets her Etsy shop up and running.

For now I roll with the changes. Stay tuned later in the week when I share information about a local Antique Fest coming up on July 8, 9 and 10th. The whole Centralia downtown "Antique Row" turns out with great discounts and vendors line the streets. It's tremendous fun and you can find some great junk!

~Tara

Little Crown

2011-06-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

I love this little crown. This is how I made it:

I hand-drew a crown pattern, around 2" wide, on a piece of construction paper.
I traced it onto an old silver shopping bag and cut out several (to make a thicker one, try using tagboard.)
I spread Elmer's glue thickly all over the top of the crown.
I sprinkled on craft glitter (wish I used German glass glitter, it's much prettier!)
After the crown was dry I added the flower detail. The little fabric flower and rhinestones were picked up from a local craft/scrapbook store, they have a variety of color combinations!
I used Tacky glue to attach the flower and the rhinestone (even though the rhinestone was an adhesive.)
Glue the little crown together to close it up.

This is a simple craft children can do! These look great on top of vintage bottles, decorating tables at parties, inside glass trinket boxes, or just as special gifts! The one I featured was on top of Spanish moss, inside a cheese plate painted tourqoise. Magical!

~michelle~

Chalkpaint...Makeovers and Thoughts

2011-06-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Now you all know my Chalk Paint came last week. I immediately got down and dirty.

*CAUTION~Long post ahead

Louis Blue and Clear Wax

Here's my first project. A vintage child's dresser I found at Goodwill. I forgot the before picture, but just picture the usual reddish stain with candle wax stuck to the top and in the inside of the drawers and you get the basic idea. I actually primed this piece. Annie Sloan does say you don't have to prime when using this paint but it was a well used little piece with quite a few stains and I had to sand due to the wax. It was quite thick in some places but smelled good when I sanded! I could smell it through my mask. Maybe that means I need a new mask.

I painted with the primer first and let it dry for about an hour. I was indoors so it dried fast. So I was soon able to add the Louis Blue. I think it actually worked quite well and don't think you can tell it's a primer underneath. Primer actually has a flatter texture like the Chalk Paint so I thought they gelled pretty well. I am also trying to save my Old White paint since it's so spendy, I want to use it on "better" pieces. This paint does dry really fast which can be good and bad. I'll explain later. I only added one coat of the blue and let it dry overnight. I distressed the next day but waited to add the wax until I had several pieces to do at once.

I also had to take the time to prime and paint (using regular latex paint) the inside of the drawers, thanks to the candle wax and other mystery stains. It just helped freshen the whole piece. No pricey Chalk Paint on the inside I am afraid!

Project #1 down!

On to project #2

Aubusson and Clear Wax

Alright. Now I know I told you primer wasn't necessary, however, when working with pressboard, that has some swelling and needs some serious sanding, I decided once again to bring out the sander and primer. I wish all my pieces could be top grade wood with no issues, but alas, it's not to be. So, I sanded, I primed and I added 2 coats of Aubusson Blue. I have read this paint is supposed to stretch really far but I had to use 1/3 of the can on this baby. It had a lot of sides and nooks and crannies to it and it just seemed an endless job.

*please excuse the cardboard and miscellaneous bits and pieces in the background! A girl has to work where she can and doesn't always have a pretty display place available. Not to mention who wants to haul this stuff around unless they have to. As for the flowers, things just look better when staged with a pretty jug of pink blooms!

But I thought it turned out pretty well, all things considered. I actually distressed after the first coat to see what it would look like but didn't like it on this particular piece. I did 2 coats of wax since it's a desk and it's possible it could see heavy use. I still need to find some new knobs before it's finished. It came fully furnished with eagle knobs. NOT my thing. I'm thinking clear glass/crystal.

Project #3

Old White undercoating, Duck Egg on top, Clear Wax, Dark Wax

This time, NO PRIMER! Just a bit of minor sanding on a couple scratches that were bugging me. I straightaway slapped on a coat of my Old White. Once again, it dried fairly quickly. I was outside this time but it was warm out. By the time I finished with the white, the first pieces were dry and I was able to paint right over it with the Duck Egg blue. I LOVE this aspect of the Chalk Paint since I can be a wee bit impatient.

The next day I added the clear wax. It dried fast again because it was warm and breezy out. I buffed it out and added the dark wax. Problem. I should have done more research before I did this step. Once it's on. It's on. I guess you're supposed to apply the clear wax, then the dark, wiping away any dark you don't want left on. Then letting it dry before buffing it out. I buffed after each wax instead of applying both waxes and only buffing once. Live and learn. I hadn't intended to make it look so heavily antiqued but am liking the look more and more as the paint settles.

Yep, I think I'm loving it.

Project #4

A WIP

Work in progress

No primer, straight paint on wood. You can see I once again had the sander working out some scratches.

Duck Egg

I'll add another coat to the legs and I'm thinking about doing the top in Old White, I haven't decided yet.
The whole thing will get distressed though and I'll probably try the dark wax again, more carefully.

Now to the nitty gritty...

The PAINT

1. The Chalk Paint went on great. It covered well and and was creamy and easy to use

2. It had NO odor. I didn't realize how great this was until I went back to the regular latex paint to cover the inside of some drawers. The stink made it apparent how nice it was not to be breathing those fumes while using the Chalk Paint

3. I read this paint doesn't leave brush strokes. It did for me. Especially when painting large surfaces like the dresser sides and top. I normally use a 1 1/2 inch angled brush and with a brush that small, it's really hard to create an even surface when the paint dries so fast. So I used the small brush for the Old White, sanded after it dried on the top and sides then when it came time to add the blue I used a big 4 inch brush. It covered much better and I will probably do that from now on. I might use the bigger brush with regular paint too from now on. I have to say I don;t actually mind the brush strokes anyway, I'm used to them and like the shabby handpainted look they give to furniture.

4. The paint does thicken if you leave the lid off, so if you're painting a lot of pieces try to keep the lid on as much as possible. It's nice that you can just add water if you need to "unthicken" it.

5. Distressing. I ran into an issue here. Annie Sloan says to wax and then distress. I don't recommend this. It is SO MUCH easier to distress BEFORE you add the wax. The paint comes off really easy, in a powder form and is easy to control. If you add the wax and then distress, it makes it harder to get the paint off. It's mostly wax that comes off on your sandpaper and you go through a LOT of it. I went through a sheet and a half on the dresser. Not fun. Another lesson learned. Distress first. Wax second.

The WAX

1. The wax was harder for me to use. I ordered the Annie Sloan Waxes in the clear and the dark. They have brushes they sell and recommend you use with their waxes. I think I agree that you should. Or buy something similar. My Stockist was out so I couldn't get one. I used a rag and I had a lot of waste with the clear wax. A LOT of waste. I used nearly half the can on 3 pieces. I am sure I coated it too heavily since I used the rag and it should have stretched much much farther.

2. I actually didn't notice much difference in the way the Annie Sloan Wax worked and the regular Johnson's Paste Wax I have used previously. I will be sticking with the Johnson's from Home Depot when the Annie Sloan Wax runs out. I can't see putting out the extra $20 plus for something I hardly notice a difference with.

3. The dark wax was trickier. I've never used it before and will have to play with it some more. I need to get a brush of some sort though. I think you have much better control of where the wax goes. This wax went much further and will last me a long long time I think. I barely broke the surface.

4. All the pieces do need to be sealed with wax or the paint will scratch up and rub right off. This does add a bit of extra time and if you don't like waxing, this may not be the paint for you. But then again, who DOES like waxing?

5.. Annie Sloan also recommends you let your wax dry overnight. I know I told you my wax dried right away but it was pretty warm outside and I was able to buff it right away. When I added my second coat to the desk it was colder and took longer but I still didn't wait overnight because my bigger pieces sit under a carport and get covered at night. I was worried the cover might mess up the wax, so I buffed it out.

Overall, I really enjoyed using this paint. It was fun to try something new and it was a breeze to use. I will probably save it for "better" pieces or things I want to heavily distress since it's expensive but it distresses so nicely. I need to make sure I can recoup the expense on my pieces I sell before I order any more. I do have my eye on a gorgeous green however and those brushes I was telling you about are mighty tempting!

I am no paint expert, just a novice, so I have a lot to learn and there are a lot of great painters out there sharing their techniques. One is Miss Mustard Seed. You can find a great wax tutorial here. Another is Shaunna from Perfectly Imperfect. She has 2 great Chalkpaint tutorial videos here. I would definitely recommend trying the Chalk Paint if you can afford the splurge!

I think it's really neat everyone is so willing to share information and tips. I hope you weren't thoroughly bored! I'm assuming if you weren't interested, you tuned out long ago.

I hope you found this helpful, or just plain entertaining. Have a wonderful week. I may take tomorrow off before I pick up another paintbrush and then... Wax on wax off. Wax on wax off...

~Tara

To The Beach We Go!

2011-06-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Jazz is gettin' beachy! I went in about 2 weeks ago and added some new things to Jazz that gave it a definite beach flair. I had plans to do a whole centerpiece in the middle but as I walked into the shop...

I discovered I had a customer in the process of buying these two beauties, I had planned to center my whole beach theme around them. Out the door they went and adjustments had to be made but my Mom and I managed to work the beach in anyway, just not in the way I had envisioned.

Things are looking a little bare around the edges, I have been working on furniture like crazy this last week and will have a bunch of new pieces to bring in, most likely in a couple weeks. Michelle mentioned I bought some fancy schmanchy paint... It's Annie Sloan Chalkpaint. I've been using it on my latest projects and plan to do a post on it this week. Not only the before and afters, but my thoughts on the paint and wax itself. I will probably post it sometime tomorrow on my Loveleigh Treasures blog and then repost it here Wednesday or Thursday if you're interested.

Hope you all have a terrific week!

~Tara

Wildflowers

2011-06-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

Spring wildflowers are gorgeous.

I came home on Friday to see that my Farmboy had picked me a small vase of wildflowers and even stuck them in a cute little green jar which he must have known I'd love!

There was balsam root (yellow) and wild lupine (purple.) I have never seen lupine before! There were several others I still have to learn the names of. So pretty! It was the perfect surprise to start of my Memorial Day weekend.

It is hard to believe that it is June. It is still feeling a bit like March around these parts. I am ready to get out the flip-flops permanently! Next weekend, I hope to get my flower pots re-planted. My lavender plants survived the winter but I do not see them attempting to sprout stems or bloom yet. I want to plant basil and chives and more lavender. And maybe some tomatoes and colorful flowers for the porch.
I hope you are all having a great week! Stay tuned, Tara got some of that fancy smancy chalk paint and will be starting some new painting projects soon, hopefully she'll stop by and share them with us!

~michelle~

Bad News, Good News and Changes

2011-05-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you come to a crossroads in your life. Some decisions are easy to make, others are not.

Dear blogger friends, I am sorry I have been amiss these days. I have a lot of exciting things happening in my life and those are going to take me away from Jazz for a while, if not indefinitely. I am definitely taking a road that I am very happy about, although for a while it means change and upheaval.

For starters- I am relocating! With this move comes a lot of packing and reorganizing, which leaves little time for blogging. Or for shop projects, for that matter.

As my new home will be several hours (even further than it is now) from our current Jazz shop, it will just not be convenient to commit to the level I want. So, I will be moving my merchandise out of the Centralia location sometime this summer.

The clubhouse. The former site of many good card games and potlucks at our annual summer family reunion. This year will be the first year in over 30 years that we have not had it at this location!

me, summer of 2008

I am not sure what I am going to do. I have some leads on some vendor spaces in my new town. This is exciting, but I need to work on some other things first (like finding a job.) Also, the range of my hunting and pecking grounds will be shrinking immensely in my new location. I might eventually just open an Etsy shop instead. I am still trying to find my niche.

Tara and my dear family will keep the All That Jazz Vintage shop and blog open and full of beautiful treasures and ideas. I am sad to be leaving the partnership we created a year ago, but I am hoping we can meet up and do some flea markets together in the coming future!

I will continue to post on this blog from time to time and let you know when I open my new shop, site, or blog.

Change is hard, but it is time for me to focus on some other things. While bittersweet for now, one of my true passions is creating and I know in time I will be back, jazzier then ever!

my sister, summer of 2008

On another note, if you can send some well-wishes my sister's way, I'd love it. She has had a continual stroke of bad luck as of late and I know the power of some positive vibes and prayers out there will help!! Thanks bunches!

~xo/michelle~

The Old Blue Chair

2011-05-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

Before we opened our Jazz booth last Spring, we had to seriously stock up on merchandise and this chair was one of the first things we bought. It was originally wood and my Aunt painted it turquoise. The poor little chair hung around a while. Possibly because a certain Aunt priced it a bit high because she loved it so and wasn't going to be devastated if it didn't sell.

It made the move with us when we went downstairs, got stashed on dressers, in nooks, featured front and center, went back home with my Aunt because she thought she might want to keep it. Then it went BACK to Jazz was finally sold to a good home a couple months ago. Or so I thought...

I was trolling the blogging airwaves, I do that from time to time, and to what do my wandering eyes should appear, the old blue chair. Someone bought it to put in their space at Monticello Marketplace in Portland. There is no mistaking it's the same chair although they shabbied up the paint job a bit.

Can you find the old blue chair?

So for now the old blue chair haunts the hall of Monticello, awaiting a real home.

Can you spot the old blue chair now?

If you have never been to Monticello Marketplace and live within driving distance, you should go, it's chalk full of the most fabulous stuff. They have a good variety of merchandise and best of all...
no tax!

I am also having a "Cottage Giveaway" on my blog if you would like to enter.
Click HERE to put your name in the hat!

Have a great weekend!

~Tara

Monday Eye Candy

2011-05-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hello! I feel like I haven't been in here in ages but Blogger ate my last post when they were down and out last week!

Just in case you missed it, I had to add the photo of my new chair~

I thought I would share a few "Things that I am loving" these days! (Photos will be credited when appropriate, some of these I do not know where I got them, they were just in my favorites file. Sorry.)

Here goes~

This dining room!

{photo: unknown source}

Flowers and blue mason jars and crocheted doilies~ be still my heart.

{photo: Pinterest}

McDonald's frozen strawberry lemonade will do in a pinch, but I am hoping to whip up the real deal this summer!

{photo: Pinterest}

Pillow from vintage fabrics that my mom and cousin made. I decided I wanted one and was unloading merchandise into the shop one Saturday when a customer picked it up and bought it! She said "Happy Mother's Day to me" as she paid for it. So cute, I'm glad she loved it! Luckily there was another smaller one still available that I got for myself.

I do not know what these purple flowers are that sprout up around my yard every spring. Are they weeds? They color is delightful!

Have a happy week everyone!

~michelle~

A Mother's Advice

2011-05-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

I remember my mom telling me several years ago that when I bought flowers for my home, to buy carnations because they last.

You might remember this post on April 20th where I featured that interesting wire stand with the carnations in the Coke bottles?

I'd gotten those carnations a week before that at a local grocery store. They were 3.99 for a small bundle.

I put some in my bathroom.

And the rest in a burlap-wrapped mason jar in my living room.

It has been nearly 17 days and the flowers are still fresh, smelling strong, and blooming. I am so happy I opted for these carnations. Until the farmer's markets open later this month, getting anything fancier is just too expensive for how long they last.

Thank you mom, for the great advice. Happy mother's day to you! xoxo

And to all the mothers out there. I hope your weekend is as fabulous as you are!!

~michelle~

A makeover and a BIG buy!

2011-05-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hi y'all! Tara here again. You get the pleasure of my company today as Michelle has been busy, but will be back in a couple of days to post for you. I needed to show you my end table makeover I teased you with last week anyway. So this was the BEFORE...

and the AFTER

I had some serious painting difficulties with these. A weird glaze color and a lack of patience on my part created a bit more work for myself than intended but I like the end result. I realize the picture is not that great and the lighting wasn't the best, blame it on this dreary NW weather.

I know this painting technique isn't for everyone, as is the color. I think it may be a love it or leave it kind of thing. I hope I'm not hauling them home in a few months to repaint! I hope SOMEONE out there loves them enough to smack down some cash! I think they have a fun beachy/summery vibe. They have yet to make it to the shop as I am waiting for someone to pick up a layaway purchase so I have the room for them.

This little vintage art deco table went in last week. It's a cute little piece. I know it's hard to tell but the color is a light aqua. Darn rotten lighting again.

And here is my BIG buy of the weekend. This dreamy, chippy old shelf. I went on the prowl at some local events and I knew I had a pretty good shot at finding a big display piece that would work with my budget. If you remember a few weeks ago I was bemoaning the fact that we were selling furniture left and right and I was wishing we had just ONE piece we didn't have to worry about losing, as we have a lot of smalls that need to be transferred each time a big piece sells. It's a bit of a hassle.

So, on the hunt I went and just as I had hoped, I found this piece at the exact place I was hoping to find something. It was a bit of a challenge because the place was packed and stuff was flying out of there left and right. I told the gal I wanted it so she would put a sold sticker on it before I had QUITE made up my mind. It was the most expensive thing I've bought for Jazz. It took me 20 minutes to make up my mind and go for it. I loved it and was pretty sure it was an excellent price.

It got moved into the Jazz booth on Saturday and we already had 2 people interested while we were setting it up. Call me crazy but I am not ready to let it go yet. Unless someone is willing to offer me a very very steep price!

So for now she sits, looking pretty and making our stuff look great, marked NFS. She can stick around for a bit and observe all our customers, the comings and goings!

The center vignette after we moved things around last weekend.

Hope you all have a super week, with some sunshine sprinkled in there SOMEWHERE!

~Tara

2011-04-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! Or should I say "Happy Royal Wedding Day?" Aren't you just dying to see how it all came together??

I've been a busy bee this week!

I wanted to share with you a few recent projects. First, I made a bunny for Farmboy's daughter. This was something I will probably never do again, goodness gracious! I had a co-worker make a pattern. She did a darling job but I had her do it again because the first one didn't allow for a seam allowance.

I have made plenty of pillows. Square shaped, simple pillows. I have never tried anything with curves! Somehow Mr. Bunny still didn't come out looking much like the pattern. This was definitely a gift made with love, not an expert's eye. But I did love the fabrics. A co-worker even commented, "It looks, very, um- Shabby Chic!" Bingo. I used fabrics that I featured in this post (second hand twin sheet and placemats.)

I filled the bunny with dried lavender along with the stuffing so it'd smell good. And I put a little heart on the front.

And a pocket on the back. I put a card inside with a special message handwritten on it.

Farmgirl's daugher really liked the bunny so I was happy! It was a fabulous Easter weekend!

Another recent project was to paint these faux ceiling tile style picture frames I found at the thrift shop.

I took some white paint to them then sanded them up a bit. Now I just need to print some photos for them! I think they will look great when grouped with my barnwood frames.

I wanted to show you our new business cards! I loved our first design but the print was so faint I don't think anyone could read it. We got our cards at Vistaprint.

Amanda from Girl In Pink got her giveaway goodies from us this week!! She posted about it here, be sure to stop by and say hello!!

I think we are finally going to see some spring sunshine this weekend! I need to figure out some free time to take some new items to Jazz, I have lots of great goodies waiting to be scooped up! Don't forget about our special coupon for 20% off any one item in our vendor space! You can print the coupon below:

See you next week!

~michelle~

New Additions To The Booth And A SURPRISE For You!

2011-04-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Wishing this was my view...

Anyone else from the Pacific Northwest as peeved as I am about the big warm weather-sunshiny TEASER we had on Saturday, then being dropped right back into the deep depths of the abnormally cold temps and RAIN?

Alright, enough of that. I'm just thankful we don't have tornados, hurricanes and wildfires at the moment.

A few new things to share with you that will be going to the booth soon. This awesome vintage Hoosier table I scouted out of a neighbor's carport! Take it where you can get it. On a side note, while loading it up I spied a couple other things I might be going back for. Negotiations are in the works!

The white paint assembly line brigade. The pictures frames are just beautiful, made of ceramic. I considered keeping them but don't have anywhere to put them. I am keeping the mirror in the middle for myself but the long mirror goes to the booth.

Now these are my latest furniture additions in my mad scramble attempt to find some replacement pieces since we are selling furniture like crazy at the moment. They nearly had me pulling my hair out at one time. Let's just say a glazing technique didn't turn out as I had hoped. It was high drama. I had to go to plan B. I finally have them meeting my approval but need to do a bit of work on the drawers, one sticks. I promise to show you the finished picture next week.

Last but not least, we are offering our readers a special coupon!

As you can see, if you print it off and hand it over when you buy something from our booth, you get a 20% discount off any one item! We really hope our readers who live close enough can take advantage of a great deal and come visit our space. Have a fabulous week and if you have sunshine where you live, send a little my way!

~Tara

Using Everyday Items in Unique Ways

2011-04-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

Tara and I wanted to share some more recent shop and merchandise photos with you. But I also wanted to talk about something that came up while reading Kate's Salvage Dior blog post today.

Kate gives some feedback to readers about "Style Inspiration: Simply Kate" (click here to read her post.)

She gave some fabulous advice on how to decorate with items from around your own home to add some style and stay on a budget.

This really got me thinking. For example, in my profession (education) I have learned that the environment we create for children to learn in is very important. For example, it should include minimal color and visual distractions, be natural in materials, be "home-like", and contain items that are interesting and provoking for exploration and inspiring ideas.

One thing we put into practice in our classroom is to "use every day items in unexpected ways" or ".....take the ordinary and make it extraordinary."

For example, layering a variety of framed photos, art, and quotes to create a unique piece of art, as was done in our Jazz space in the photo above and below.

It takes a while to get used to thinking this way. But once you do, and start shopping your home or the thrift shops and garage sales, you'll find that every time you see something, you will have a vision for it that might not be typical or for what it's intended for. You'll pulse will race and you won't believe you scored such a perfect item!

I love the way the letters in the word "ZERO" on this fan appear to be freezing.....

While layering certainly works well in a shop space that is full to the hilt, consider layering in your own home as well! Combine pieces such as silver and gold, barnwood and a pop of color.

These branches were cut off a tree behind Tara's house. Any plant form, even just a branches of green buds, looks amazing when brought inside and displayed in a pretty vase, pail, or bottle! These branches are free (if you don't have them in your yard, consider asking a friend if you can snag some from theirs!)

My recent find at a thrift shop was this white "thing." I feel like it might have once contained glass votive holders, that made a kind of table-top votive tower? There were no longer any glass pieces, but I liked it's uniqueness and was determined to find something to do with it (typical junker mentality!)

It sat empty in my home for several weeks. While browsing at a thrift shop one day I came across several green coke bottles. I thought they might fit inside the holes of the metal "thing", and they did.

I used it as a sort of vase and added some light pink carnation buds I got a bundle of for 3.99 at the grocery store.

Completely random, yet kind of fun! I can see this, along with some lavender tucked in, maybe some burlap trim, and some added glass tea-light holders in the bottom rings as a centerpiece for a table. Each and every one of you might come up with so many other possibilities, too! (I am going to end up selling this holder with the Coke bottles in the shop.)

Don't underestimate the power of your own creativity! Just try displaying something uniquely. Even if you aren't sure you like it, take photos of it. View your photos (everything looks different in a photo- it's a fresh perspective!) Create an "inspiration file" and save any photos on blogs and sites that inspire you (or cut out pictures from magazines.)

And thank you dear Kate, for being a source of inspiration!!

What is one unique way that you might have used an everyday item in an unusual way?

~michelle & tara~

p.s. Tara informed me that some of the items in the first photo have already sold since that photo was taken, including the white lattice, the blue window frame, and one of the dressers. That is why the second photo shows the same corner but different furniture!

Pink Shabby Mirror

2011-04-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well I thought for sure after all my complaining about rainy weather, ole karma would have it snow on me this weekend! But actually, Sunday was quite pleasant and I got some outside time with my horse which was much-needed!

I also had some great family time and even bought a mirror at a thrift shop and redid it! Unfortunately I did not get a "before" photo. Imagine an 1990's oak mirror with roses etched on it.

At first I thougth I'd paint it white, but then I envisioned it in a pale pink and distresesd.

I really like how it turned out. The shape of the mirror is just angular enough to take away from the feminine pink and roses.

It was hard to capture the shade of pink (I mixed it myself) with my camera. I think it'd be darling in a little girl's bedroom. The mirror will be for sale in the shop as soon as I can get a carload down there. I'm runnin' out of free time these days!

I have also recently snagged a variety of linens. They are piling up in my "to-do" pile!

I adore the pale pink striped fabric, I believe they are actually a set of placemats. I think a few pillows are in order, to possibly match the mirror. And the rose sheets might be paired with some rustic burlap and made into lavender sachets. Yep, that "to-do" list just keeps getting longer!

This vintage white linen is starting to fall a part a bit but I just love it's texture and detail. I plan to keep it myself not sure what to do with it yet. But I love it.

That's what matters, right? I'm going through a major spring cleaning stage right now (more on that later) and decided that I'm really only keeping things that are family heirlooms, special gifts, or things that I love.

Between Tara and I we hope to get some updated photos of the All That Jazz Vintage space posted later this week.

Happy Monday everyone!

~michelle~

Must Have Flowers!

2011-04-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you won't be surprised by what I am about to say. I have had enough of wintry spring weather. I don't mind rain in the fall. It's cozy after a warm summer, it means football on Sundays and crisp walks and getting out my sweaters. But in the spring, I am ready to warmer weather.

All you see around here right now is rain-pelted camelia blooms littering the yard....but such a pretty carpet of pink, don't you think?

We are still battling rain and chilly temps here. Areas in north Washington were still getting snow this week! My horse is still wearing his winter blanket! I wore a down jacket on my walk to Starbuck's yesterday! Last week I read online that the Seattle area hadn't seen a day of sun in something like 41 days.

Okay, enough of my griping. One of the projects I've been tackling while being trapped inside during foul weather is cleaning out photo files. I found a lot of flower photos that I have taken in the past few years, both with my point-and-shoot Sony and my DSLR Nikon. I thought they might cheer up those of you PAC NW'sters out there, too!!

In mid-summer these "wild daisies" grow everywhere around here. I love to pick them!

I think their sunshiney faces looked so cute in this little tarnished silver cup!

A pail I added chalkboard paint to for the shop. Funny thing, it hasn't sold in over a year! It is still there. Maybe it's priced too high. I should just bring it home and plant flowers in it for the porch!

I picked these last year from my Nana's yard. I call them little carnations, but she calls them pinks or pinkies. They smell scrumptious!

Roses from the bushes next to my house in my favorite blue-green jars and vases. These are from two years ago. I could not believe how HUGE and how fragrant they were! The neighbors who lived upstairs a few years ago planted the rose bushes.

Okay, now I've gone and done it! I am buying flowers this weekend for my house. I can't stand it anymore.

If spring won't come outside, then I'll bring it inside.

I hope you all are having a spring-y weekend where you live!

~michelle~

p.s. Thank you for your comments on my bedding post! Funny story- Farmboy hadn't read that post yet but while driving home from dinner the other night he said he'd caught up on some of my last few posts. He said that on my Pottery Barn post, he liked the white fluffy bedding, and the salvaged shelf above the bed. And I looked at him a bit surprised and said well then I can't wait for you to see the post I did today! So far, thumbs up on the white bedding!

Help Me with Bedding?

2011-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Do you all know Tausha Salat over at Simply Me? Well I'm her blog's newest ~~stalker~~ admirer. I just adore her ability to toss together a room, creating a romantic feel that makes you want to cozy up with your favorite person, book, or pet! If I could combine Tausha's home with Maria's from Dreamy Whites, I'd have my ultimate dream home!

I love how Tausha makes this room look so comfy and lived in, and the tufted brown leather couch makes a statement with a bit of masculinity.

Speaking of the word romantic, let's think about that word for a minute. It contains the word "man." Rather ironic since most "romantic" decor tends to be more frilly in nature. I am trying to find a good balance between rustic, romantic, and peaceful for the master bedroom. I will share before photos of the project later this month. The one thing I can start with is new bedding! I am trying to find an affordable duvet and shams.

Tausha and I have been emailing about some bedding she recently featured on her blog Simply Me, which I am considering for the bedroom. It is from the Rachel Ashwell Simply Shabby Chic line, made for Target. My concern was that Farmboy would think it's too girly. Picture the following bedding with a headboard made of old barn wood behind it~

Tausha also suggested this bedding, which she used for her son's room. I LOVE it but can not find it at a Target in my area:

Farmboy reads my blog (hi handsome!) so I know he'll check out these photos and give me the thumbs up or down. Or maybe he will care less. After all, that boy can sleep anywhere! I want to mix the all-white bedding with some handmade burlap pillows of my own. This is where the "rustic masculinity" comes in to even things out.

I would also greatly appreciate your opinions on these two! You can even share other suggestions for bedding you have or seen that I might like. My only conditions are that it be white, affordable, and feature unique and somewhat unexpected details (which is what I love about the two above featured duvets.)

I want to thank dear, sweet Tausha for being so willing to help me out and let me use some of the photos from her beautiful blog. If you haven't visited her already please head over there. Trust me, make yourself some tea, grab your Dr. Pepper or Vitamin Water or whatever your drink of choice, because you'll be there a while!!

~michelle~

Back From Vacation and The Giveaway Winner!

2011-04-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Howdy! I've missed you all this past week!

My Farmboy and I just returned from a sunny vacation with family in California.

It was fun to come back and see so many new blogger friends that found us through the giveaway! Between Tara and myself, we have tried to get over to your blogs and say hello.

First of all, let me tell you, it was fabulous to get out of our rainy Northwest weather and get some SUNSHINE! My sweet Aunt J hosted us at her lovely home and we got to do a lot of this~

The pool was surrounded by magenta bougainvillea bushes and night blooming jasmine. Also in the yard was a Meyer's lemon/orange tree and a grapefruit tree.

I picked this grapefruit off the tree to go with my breakfast one morning. I didn't even have to coat it in sugar!!

We got to spend some quality time playing in the backyard with my aunt's darling King Charles Cavalier puppykin, Lizzy; and her sister the cat, Lucy.

No visit with my Aunt J will be without horsin' around time!

My sister and I "cowgirling up" for the ride.

My Aunt J, our hostess with the mostest, on her dashing Quarter Horse, Jesse.

Aunt J even let me ride her beautiful bay mare, Shanna Lady!

Even though I snagged a desert yellow bloom to tuck behind my ear, of course crazy me just had to fill my cantle bags with sprigs of wild lavender!!

Well there was plenty relaxing, great home-cooked meals, and site-seeing. But enough of my vacation and on to the giveaway winner as I know you are eagerly waiting.

The winner is.........

Amanda from Girl In Pink!!!!

I had never met Amanda before but just checked out her blog and oh boy, it's delightful and pretty! And she's a Washington native, too! How cool! Amanda, be sure to send me an email I have some details to gather from you!

Have a fabulous week everyone, I hope you get a little sunshine in your corner of the world!

~michelle~

Happy Monday!

2011-04-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

The drawing is over! Thanks to each and every one of you for coming by and signing up,

spreading the word and sharing the love. Results to be announced in a couple of days.

Have yourselves a glorious Spring day!

~Tara

Giveaway Time!!

2011-03-31T20:49:00.000-07:00

All That Jazz Vintage is having a giveaway to celebrate our 1 year anniversary!

Here are the goodies~

16"x16" French inspired tote. This bag is a lightweight linen/cotton type of fabric- great for the flea market, a book and water bottle and sunscreen......or your lunch! It has a fun grain sack look with "Belle Jardiniere" stenciled on it.

A cute "soda" dish, would be darling hanging in your kitchen.

Also, a vintage bottle embellished by my cousin and Jazz partner Tara, using vintage crocheting, some bling, and pages from an old hymnal. A sprig of lavender will make everything smell wonderful, of course!

There will also be a SURPRISE gift from the Pottery Barn!

This will be based on the winner so it is "to be determined" (will take into account the winner's interests and favorite things.... this will make the giveaway even more personal and FUN!)

Okay, here is all you have to do to be entered!

1) Leave a comment on this post by Sunday April 10th by midnight. Please answer the following question: what was the very first blog you remember reading?

2) For a second entry, do a post about our giveaway on your blog. Come back and leave us a comment letting us know you did so. Feel free to use our photos from this post in your post.

If you have a blog, please make sure your email is on there so we can contact you, or include it in your comment.

Thanks for playing and thank YOU ALL for helping All That Jazz Vintage have a wonderful first year!!

~michelle & tara~

Reese's Country Wedding

2011-03-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Did you hear that Reese Witherspoon got married over the weekend? (No, I'm not ashamed that I know these things.)

I couldn't help but share the details I read on US magazine.com and OMG yahoo celebrity gossip today. I think if you read below, you'll understand why!

"Reese Witherspoon married Jim Toth early Saturday evening at her 6-acre ranch in Ojai, Calif., a rep for the actress confirms to UsMagazine.com. Located 90 miles north of Los Angeles, the Ojai ranch -- where the star gardens and keeps horses, donkeys, pigs, goats and chickens -- has been Witherspoon's rural escape for years.

Decor details of the country-themed soiree: Lanterns and chandeliers hanging from trees, mismatched antique chairs and distressed benches set throughout the property, a wood plank dance floor, antique leather sofas, jute rugs, wagon wheels and Turkish textile pillows.

Different arrangements of white, blush and lavender flowers were set up on each table in mason jars, fish catcher lanterns and antique pots. And large moss-covered pots with lavender were set up all over the estate."

They had me at mismatched antique chairs. No wait- the distressed benches. Or maybe it was the moss-covered pots with lavender. No- the lanterns and chandeliers!! Awwwww.....it was all of it! The only thing missing are pictures of how it was all put together. Although I certainly respect the privacy of celebrity weddings, I selfishly kind of hope they share just a few photos with us.......

~michelle~

Are You a Rachel or a Phoebe?

2011-03-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

I was in Pottery Barn recently. Do you remember Phoebe from that episode of Friends, where she disses PB so Rachel lies and says the apothecary table she bought is antique, along with many subsequent purchases that Phoebe falls in love with- not realizing Rachel is outfitting their whole apartment with Pottery Barn!?

Although I kind of hate to admit it, I do love the Pottery Barn. Despite my addiction to all things vintage, thrifty, and antique, when I walk into that store I always find a plethora of things I covet. They really have a pulse on what is hot right now. Their collection of white faux coral and sea shells and frosted beach glass bottles is lovely. And in their defense, they do carry old things from time to time. For example, these found wove wine bottles are actually vintage (on sale they range from $99-279.00)

They have many other "found" treasures. Wouldn't it be fun to do that for a living? Be the "finder" for Pottery Barn's limited quantity vintage goods? Are ya hiring Pottery Barn? I'll get you my resume pronto!

I saw this bedding on display in the store and fell in love. I love crisp white beds with mountains of ruffles and textures. I know it can be a bit girly, but it is also romantic and peaceful, reminding me of a vacation someplace beachy.

I think the shelf above the bed is perfectly chippy and the display on it is quite nice.

Except I have a phobia of things on the wall above my bed. I would worry they would fall on me in the middle of the night! And living in the Pacific Northwest where we have the possibility of an earthquake, I suppose that fear could be real!

I didn't see these tumblers in the store or I probably would have bought them at $36 for a set of 6. I love that the colors are varied, if you got a of couple sets you'd have blue and green beach tones for spring and summer table settings, and the red and yellow for autumn and winter settings!

Another favorite find was this drink caddy. Pottery barn took the words right out of my mouth, "With its silvery surface, riveted construction and utilitarian origin, our Galvanized Metal Collection is perfect for entertaining with farmhouse style." It was fairly priced and I almost scooped it up!

So, are you a Rachel or a Phoebe? Is Pottery Barn your thing, or no?

Happy weekend to you all! I will be back next week with our giveaway post~ we have some fun

goodies for you!!

Perhaps including something from Pottery Barn, too????

Hee!

~michelle~

All That Jazz...An Anniversary, An Evolution

2011-03-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

"Post by Tara"

Today was the one year anniversary of All That Jazz. We opened our booth for business this time last year. We started off in the same shop we are in now, The Painted Lady Vintage. We were tucked upstairs in a corner half the size of what we have now. It was half the price too!

It took us 5 hours to unpack all our boxes and set up for business. We had A LOT of smalls. We were worried we wouldn't have enough product to fill the shelves but we managed to stuff it to the gills!

I told you we had a lot of smalls! Most of these things have all sold by now. I can spot about 10 things that seem to be hanging around still. It's fun to look back and see what has sold. That's why I take tons of pictures. It's a great way for me to see what's sold. I'm a visual person so it's easier to tell from a picture what merchandise has gone out the door and our tags aren't always descriptive enough to tell us what an item is months down the road.

When we started we had several "display only" pieces too. Like the mannequin and the door and turquoise picture frame above. That has changed. Now if it's in the booth, it's pretty much for sale or don't put it in.
We were only in this space a month when a spot opened up downstairs and it was offered to us. We hesitated slightly because we didn't have any large display pieces but the shop owner offered to let us use some from the shop and we were off and running.

Downstairs! Things came downstairs much faster than they went up, let me tell you! All the furniture is borrowed except for the rocking chair and the bench. We started setting up at 10:00 and had to hurry because Girl's Night Out Started at 4:00. We made it with half an hour to spare.

SPRING 2010

EARLY SUMMER 2010

MID SUMMER 2010

LATE SUMMER 2010

AUTUMN 2010

CHRISTMAS 2010

WINTER 2010

MID WINTER 2011

LATE WINTER 2011

ALMOST SPRING! 2011

One Year Later
What a RIDE it's been!

Happy 1st Anniversary All That Jazz!!!

~Tara

That Book!

2011-03-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

You know that book? The one everyone is talking about on the blogs? Romantic Prairie Style by Fifi O'Neill? Well, I went into this cute store today and lo and behold~ there it was! One lone copy sitting on a little stand. I picked it up and began to flip the pages and began to.......

drool. drool. drool!

I love everything about the style featured in this book, it speaks to my heart of how I dream my home to be.

Did I buy it? Nope. I'd entered some giveaway drawings with no such luck. So earlier this week I finally just broke down and ordered it online at Barnes and Noble. According to them, it isn't available to ship until April 1st. It was SO hard not to buy the the copy (that was in my hands) in the store today! I guess I'll have to wait until I can look at it over and over and read it from cover to cover. They say patience is a virtue. And delaying gratification is important, right? Right??

I also found this darling little french bag at the same store. It will be perfect for hauling my lunch and odds and ends to work, or to use when I'm out shopping at the flea market.

I would love to learn to make something like this, but honestly I'm not sure I could and for $14.95 it was well-worth not going through the trouble!

I hope you are all enjoying your week. I am itching for spring and sunshine. I am in serious need for some Vitamin D! Here is an Irish Blessing I found in my idea file, I have no idea what blog I found it on, but I really liked it~

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

~michelle~

Crepes, Sea Shells, and Burlap!

2011-03-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't shared any of my adventures with Farmboy in a while. This weekend we thought it would be fun to take his daughter on a ferry boat ride.

The weather was less agreeable but the rain let up around the time we walked on (instead of driving a car across) the ferry. Or I should say ran. We parked the car just as the ferry was about to depart and we literally ran the whole way through the passenger loading area and just barely made the gate!

I'm a bit of a ferry riding expert. I grew up on the Kitsap Peninsula, and had to ride a ferry to get to college. I forget that many people have never even been on a ferry!

Once we were on the other side, my first must-stop was for coffee. Farmboy's daughter snagged us comfy chairs near a fireplace while I went to order my mocha. I have a funny story about this coffee shop which I will share later in this post.

After coffee we hit a gift shop. I found these lavender dryer sachets. I have been wanting to make some of these for myself, but honestly, for the great price on these 3 it was easier to buy them! These smell divine and I can't wait to use them next time I do laundry.

Next stop was a walk on the beach. Ah, the familiar tangy decaying smell of the Pacific Northwest beach! The sun was actually trying to make an appearance at this point.

There was a sign warning us to watch for seals on the beach, but I don't think it was seal season. If they are smart they might be wintering someplace warmer!

We walked along looking for small pieces of beach glasses and shells. We saw many pieces of cobalt blue and green glass that weren't "ready" yet.

What is Farmboy so kindly holding under his arm for me?

Well, that is where the coffee shop story comes in. As the barista was making my coffee, I noticed a stack of burlap bags sitting near the back of the shop. I asked her if they ever sell them. She said, oh, you can just have them. They get their beans in large burlap bags and go through about three a week. So like any craft loving junky, of course I snagged those burlap sacks! She didn't have a bag for me to put them in. Luckily the nice guy at the gift shop next door gave us one of his garbage bags, but it was a bit small. Since we walked across the ferry and didn't have a car to put them in we had to haul them to the beach with us. Getting back onto the boat juggling two paper plates of crepes, an awkward bag of burlap sacks, a cup of sea shells and a 4 year old was quite entertaining! I will be making pillows for the shop out of these bags, so if you end up purchasing one just know it went on a grand adventure before it became a pillow!

After the beach jaunt we could see our ferry returning across the sound so we walked back up to town to visit this place before departing.

It has been years since I've had a proper crepe and let me tell you, it won't be years until my next one!

I was disappointed to see this display empty~

The sign at the top reads, "Fresh Cut Lavender $6." I imagine they have fresh lavender bundles in the summer. We took our crepes onto the ferry ride home to eat.

Truly, it was much better than this picture shows. I love the plain crepes with just lemon and powdered sugar!!

Farmboy's daughter organizing her beach finds. Do you remember collecting shells when you were little? I still have some beach glass from when I was a child.

I have to admit that riding the ferry and walking on a beach did make me think about Japan this weekend, and the power of water and mother nature. My heart goes out to the people of Japan right now and to any readers who might be worried about loved ones. The time right after a natural disaster, when there are so many unknowns about the whereabouts of friends and family, has to be the hardest.

On the way home, Farmboy was kind enough to indulge my need to stop in and browse at an antique mall. Interestingly there was a live auction going on! I have never witnessed one but did watch for a few minutes. Although a little intimidating I decided this is something I would like to try to participate in in the future, to find merchandise for our Jazz shop space.

One last thing~ I'm sorry to share that the goodies I shared in THIS post did not make it to the shop this weekend. The first of April will be my next haul for new merchandise.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

~michelle~

Cowgirl Up

2011-03-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take the first part of this post to send some sweet well-wishes to my Cousin B who took a spill from a horse she was riding this past week. The horse jumped sideways and she came off. She was wearing her helmet but did injure her back and has had to spend a few nights in the hospital.

Cousin Betsy and the handsome Quarter Horse Jesse (not the horse she was riding when she took a fall.)

Horses are amazingly beautiful and fun to ride. They can also be big, dangerous animals. I have been riding since I was 7 years old. I ride with more caution then I did as a teenager. I always wear a helmet. I also try to be very aware of my environment and read my horse's behavior. Last summer I took my horse out on a 3 hour trail ride to a river. Halfway into the ride my horse started getting a bit crazy and dangerous (which is very unlike him.) To make a long story short I had made a change in his equipment before this ride, which contributed to his acting up. It was a foolish mistake on my part and although all ended okay in the end, I was put into some situations in which I was very uncomfortable and could have severely injured me. Not to mention how it affected my confidence the next few times I rode my horse, after being in such a scary situation.

Me and my "stinker."

Dear B, I know that learning to ride these past years has taken a lot of courage and spirit, with which you have approached with amazing tenacity, love, and focus. I hope this doesn't cause you to have second thoughts about your dream of owning your own horse. I am thinking of you and wish that you are feeling better and back in the saddle before you know it!

On to my newest "Friday Favorite Find." My friend and I love cowboy boots and probably have a competing amount at around 9 pairs each. We recently discovered a used/vintage cowboy boot shop and I found myself a new pair! Another woman was trying on boots in my size and she had them on for a while, then gave them up.

The brand name is Boulet, they are made in Canada. I am not sure they are vintage, but they don't appear to one of their current styles. They are very comfortable. And the gray tones are unique and unlike anything I have (aren't the silver toe tips great?) I will get a lot of wear out of these boots!

Do you have a pair of cowboy boots?

~michelle~

Coming Soon!

2011-03-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

I have been busy treasure hunting, un-wrapping, cleaning, tagging, itemizing, and re-wrapping merchandise for All That Jazz Vintage. It is spring and I'm having an attraction to things that have flowers or blossoms or are wicker, metal, lettered, french-y, or silver!

I still have a few things to finish that involve painting and crafting....we'll see if I get those done before the weekend.

Here they are- a few of the new items that will be added to the shop next week ~

tall wicker vase, little rustic terracotta pots, faux blossoms in faux water (easy keepers!)

lettered canisters

a big metal letter "J" with shabby roses!

shells bowls~ I think these would be great filled with sand and tea-lights, or a shell collection! (sorry for the blurry photo)

more faux flowers.... loving rustic vases and topiaries!

silver tray, pewter pitcher and plate, and beachy green glass

wooden spool and funky metal basket

I'll be back Friday to share my favorite find of the week! Hint: it is something a cowgirl can wear!!

~michelle~

My Favorite Find Friday

2011-03-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

After work today I stopped by a great store that was closed- I was disappointed as I've been wanting to visit this shop for a while. The sign on the door said, "We are on a buying trip." How cool! That is what I want to do! How about a buying weekend?? An hour here and there just isn't cutting it! It really takes time (and good shoes and lots of snacks) to go on buying sprees!

It is one of the things I love best about this little business~ the joy of finding those great treasures for All That Jazz. It is so unexpected, seeing that perfect item that matches the style you are going for. Truly, having a vendor space is the perfect thing remedy for someone who loves to shop! However, the downfall is I struggle with what to put in the shop and what to keep. Case in point~ this week I found a new treasure that should go in the shop, but is going to stay with me. For now.

I think this pottery jug (pitcher?) is handmade, as it is not marked on the bottom. I just loved it's rustic country feel, the blue stripes on the beige remind me a bit of a grain sack. For the photo I filled it with a bouquet of dried flowers that I'd got with another vase, but I hope to fill it with big bunches of dried lavender. Or the baby's breath I am drying out from my birthday bouquet. Or wild daisies this summer. I also think it would also make a good utensil holder!

A great find for $4.99!

Have a fun weekend everyone!

~michelle~

A Chippy Blue Tray

2011-03-03T06:28:00.000-08:00

I have a dark wood tray that I got at Target around seven years ago. I decided to give it a white shabby makeover and put it in the shop.

Then I saw this photo~

LOVE! Isn't that chippy blue great? It has so much character. I want to try to make my tray somewhat resemble this....and I might just have to keep it!

I saw the blue tray on Rozmeen's blog, Pastels and Whites. She is from the Netherlands. Be sure to check her out. She has beautiful taste and I think we'd have a lot of fun shopping together!

So far, I've just put a coat of primer on my tray. Now I need to find the perfect shade of blue paint. Any suggestions?

I will be sure to show you my version of the tray when it is finished! Just give me a few weeks...I've been a bit slow on completing my projects these days!

~michelle~

Family, Friends, and Fabulous at Forty!

2011-03-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

Let me start off this post by saying that being in the center of attention can be difficult for me. You wouldn't always know it but I am inherently a very shy person. Combining 6 friends from 30 years of different walks of life with 2 cousins at a place I love was only a little worrisome for me because I wanted it to go so well. Other than a few roadblocks (literally, meaning icy roads) the weekend was amazingly special to me.

It started with a special guest~

I had joked about wanting snow for my birthday. The location of my gathering typically had snow on the ground in February, but it had all completely melted away a few weeks before my party. But it returned in all of it's frosty glory! In fact, the snow almost prevented the weekend from happening!

A beautiful herd of deer crossing the road in front of us and heading up the hill. These were 3 of around 8 total.

We stayed in a cozy log cabin at the top of a winding, steep, snowy road. Our celebration kicked off with a happy hour jewelry party in the ranch house. This large room has so much history and character! I set up the table decor for light snacks and beverages.

I made the faux grain sack runners. I'm making some for the shop later this month!

A party isn't a party without M&M's, right?

Look at the view through those doors!

The line of jewelry is called Silpada Designs. Have you heard of it? It is sterling silver and really fun, both elegant and western. Perfect for this rustic cowgirl! I can't wait to show you what I got after it's delivered. By the way, the woman who hosted got those great dress form jewelry holders on the left side of the table from Pottery Barn Teen.

I didn't get as many pictures as I liked (I was too busy snacking on goodies and trying on beautiful jewelry!) After the party my friends and I went to a nice dinner. It was a chilly snowy night most of us ordered a cozy helping of pot roast and garlic mashed potatoes and veggies.

The toast I made our first night says it all~

here's to family, friends, and fabulous at forty!

Thank you all for your sweet birthday wishes! I'll back soon to share a new project inspiration!

~michelle~

2011-02-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

First of all I'd like to wish our girl Michelle, my main partner in junkin'crime, a very Happy Happy Birthday!

I also have some pictures of the latest "rearrangement" at All That Jazz. You know me, I can't leave it alone for too long. After about 3 weeks I start itching to move things around. It needed some help anyway, there are always bare patches where things have sold. You won't see any of Michelle's fabulous new pillows here, these photos were taken a couple days before she dropped them off.

I hope you enjoyed the tour! Sorry about the "green" tint to some if the photos. The light in the shop is horrible for picture taking. I try and I try but never manage to get excellent photos in here.

Do any of you Washingtonians have much snow? I've waited and waited ALL winter for a little snow and this morning I finally got my 3 inches! Now we move into the deep freeze. That's the yucky and dangerous part. Stay safe out there and all bundled up and Happy Birthday again Michelle if you're reading this!

Next week...bring on SPRING!

~Tara

Back to the Beach

2011-02-22T00:31:00.000-08:00

I said I wouldn't have time to get off another post this week but I had such a great weekend and had to share it with you.

I hadn't been to this particular beach in nearly 5 years. I went to visit my dad (my papa) and help him settle into his new home. A home that he had previously lived in years ago. Strange circle of events.

My papa.

I helped paint the exterior of this house over five years ago. It's a lovely beachy blue.

The weather was beautiful for mid-February so we took my dad's dog Rosie to the beach. To say that she LOVES the beach is an understatement!

I think she could run the beach all day!

After my beach trip I stopped by All That Jazz Vintage. I dropped off these new pillows I made.

Something for the french girl~

Or the farm girl!

Tara sent me photos of her latest shop re-do and it is looking the best it ever has! She will share pictures with you later this week.

I hope that your week is fabulous!

~michelle~

Birthday Goodness

2011-02-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

I won't be posting over the next week as I will be busy with last minute birthday party planning and celebrations. Even though my birthday isn't until next week, I've already started getting spoiled!

I got this spring inspired bouquet of flowers. I love the baby's breath and tiny pink blossoms on the branches. I kept them in the glass vase they came in as I realize I am lacking in a nice large metal flower can! Something to put on the list the next time I go thrifting.

That was actually the "after" picture. It came with pink tulips and Gerber daisies in the bouquet but I pulled those out to try in my upholstery jute mason jar vases. These are what I will line the tables with at my party, only I will most likely only use tulips in an even paler pink color.

I also added a "40" tag on twine to the aqua mason jars. These will also line the tables and hold tea lights.

I forgot to try them together when photographing these, but I think the pink and aqua blue will be so yummy and crisp.

I promise to share photos of the completed tables after the party.

I got the sweetest gift from my darling Jazz and blog partner in crime, Tara. She got this gift for me at the flea market we went to in Oregon and gave it to me when in a gift bag when we parted ways. I couldn't resist opening it. Look at these! A chic necklace and a lavender crown pillow out of fun fabrics. Thank you sweet cousin, you know just what I like! I love you dearly!

I also bought something for my camera. I've always wanted a strap cover and couldn't resist this one from Mel{V}Designs Etsy shop.

The photo color didn't come out well as I'd lost the daylight, but you can see that it is gray/white polka dot with a hot pink ruffle.

Lastly, check out the great giveaway button I posted on the top of our sidebar!! It's fabulous just like the blog itself and the cutie who writes it, Courtney!! Check out Honeycomb Creative Company here.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. When I return, I shall be a bit older (yet much wiser, I am hoping!)

xoxo,

~michelle~

Dear Dreams: Thoughts on Blogging

2011-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

Grab a cup of coffee or tea. I have some deep thoughts to discuss with you.

~Most recent Jazz shop photo~

I have been blogging for over four years. Even though this Jazz blog is a newbie (shop open almost a year, blog since last summer) I had a blog previously which was about a different topic altogether. I found that I kept gravitating towards my love of vintage home and decor and would often feature such content on my other blog (where it didn't really fit.) Once we decided to open a vendor space in an antique shop, I eventually stopped that blog and started this one to help spread the word about our shop, as well as supporting small towns and small businesses.

In the past 3 years of reading blogs, I have seen many blogs go from zero to hero, from newbies to blogs with multiple sponsers and magazine mentions, and so on. It is very exciting as there are so very many talented individuals out there who are more than deserving of such recognition!

I realize that not everyone has this particular goal with their blog. I'm not sure I do, if I'm really honest. I worry about this as I truly ask myself, what is our goal here? I remember when one of my favorite blogs went "big time." It was weird clicking over, it wasn't the same look and felt so commercial. It wasn't home. I didn't find the connection that I'd felt as I could be one of 20 commenters per post, rather than one of 200. I eventually realized the integrity of the blog was mostly the same: that particular blogger's original content, their photos, their home, their ideas and creativity. After all, that is what attracted me to that blog (or any blog) in the first place.

As we set goals for our little hobby and our little blog, I often think about these things. I wonder where blogging is going for us, and myself. It certainly is time consuming- the energy to really put into doing a blog well is immense, as many of you know. For me, this blog will hopefully help us connect with customers and future customers, as my ultimate goal is to open a a little online shop. That is very scary, too. Who knows if others share our vision or want to buy any of our things?

I think it is about taking a risk- giving it a go. Dreams can't happen if you don't believe in them in the first place. Then you have to try to make them happen. I think back to the beginning, when Tara and I had a vision and were just selling our stuff at garage sales under my Nana's carport, talking about doing a flea market downtown, then exploring renting a vendor space. Who knew that almost a year later we'd be where we are now, with a space in a store where we sell a fair amount of treasures and get a lot of compliments on our merchandising. And we are still enjoying it! Whether this is all we ever do or more, I never want to lose the feel of just being two girls next door doing something they love.

Maybe as I approach my BIG birthday and Jazz's one year anniversary, I am just doing a lot of reflection and over-analyzing, which I am pretty good at! I've just always known I've been meant to have a lot of creativity in my life, and until this past year wasn't sure how to best express it. I think it's starting to come together.

Regardless, I'm curious to know your take. Have you met your goals, whether it's with your blog, your store, or your online shop? Was it is hard as you thought, and what key elements really helped you make it happen and keep you grounded throughout the process? Any regrets? Suggestions?

Thanks for listening, and thanks for sharing yourselves with us!! The wonderful thing about the blogging community is that we are always very supportive and inspiring of each other.

Dream on!

xoxo

~michelle~

i heart you

2011-02-14T05:47:00.000-08:00

Dear family (two-legged and four), friends, loved ones, All That Jazz Vintage readers and shoppers~

I wish you all the sweetest Valentine's Day ever!

xoxo

~michelle~

Thrift Shops, Jeans, and Lemons

2011-02-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have a lot of great activities planned for the weekend. Or not. Relaxing and being lazy is good, too!

I had a successful thrift shop trip yesterday. I think I spent more than I ever have at a thrift shop (and that was with a coupon!)

I found this bluish~green canning jar and this random bouquet of faux forsythia and purple flowers. I already have forsythia so this bunch will end up in a vase in the shop. I do love these colors together!

Here is one of my piles.

I got a cute gray and white striped cardigan sweater dress. I can't wait to wear it with leggings and boots! Also tucked in their is a little baseball tee with the number "24" on the back. A special number to me!

In that pile is a pair of jeans. I hit the jack pot of designer jeans~ so I thought. They were hemmed rather short (I'm 5'3" so that's an understatement.) Alas, they were about an inch and a half too small in the waist. They wouldn't have been last summer. And that is all I'm gonna say about that.

One pair did fit, they were Seven For All Mankind, with fun blue rhinestone detailing on the back pockets. I'll have to wear them cuffed but with flip flops or cowboy boots they'll be adorable! And they were 9.99. They probably originally retailed for over $150. I know, insane!

I also got a great new basket for the bathroom, and some great striped fabric and white napkins for sewing projects.

Lastly, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite products. I do not endorse these for any particular reason other than I love them and how they smell! I am obsessed with anything that smells like lemon verbena or lavender.

First up is this lemon sorbet body cream by L'Occitane. I got this as a gift and it's smells so yummy you want to eat it! Like the fake lemon in the photo? I didn't have any real ones~ hee!

L'Occitane products are wonderful, I use this lavender hand cream every night~

Another great lavender product is Avalon Organics shampoos (they also make skincare products which I have yet to try.) You can find these at most any drugstore and they smell really natural (contains essential oils. I'm picky about my lavender smells they can not be artificial, it is just not the same!)

They aren't full of harsh foamy detergents like a lot of shampoos, so it takes a while to get used to it. They have a lemon shampoo too, I actually like using the lemon clarifying shampoo with the lavender nourishing conditioner.

Do you have any other other lemon or lavender scented beauty products to recommend? I'm a product junky and love trying new things!

I'm off to spend a few hours making new pillows for the shop!

See you next week!

~michelle~

A Funky Junky Weekend...

2011-02-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone, Tara here! It's my turn to post about last weekend. Michelle took her camera but was too busy shopping to take many photos so I get to do it!

Saturday morning we Jazz girls loaded in the truck, brought specifically in case a piece of furniture was purchased, at the CRACK of dawn to head to Junk Salvation in Hillsboro to get our JUNK on!

Starbucks in hand, we cruised 90 miles down the road on a mission. First stop, pick up my big sister in Portland at her house and use the little girl's room before we left because that early morning coffee was kicking in! We let her chauffeur us to our junkin destination, she is familiar with the roads so she got to drive and did a pretty good job, we only took one wrong turn thanks to weird directions from Mapquest.

Tara, Jeanette, Janet, & Michelle

Here we are, looking a little worse for wear I must say. It's still early and we look ready for a nap already.
Maybe it was the photographer?! Sorry Sis!

Once we were in the door, I hit the ground running. I was disappointed when I looked back through my pictures and didn't have any photos of the girls but the one above. I hate to say it but I sorta took off on my own. I guess I didn't want them slowing me down, cramping my style, putting a hitch in my giddy-up! I have discovered I like to do a really fast once over at these types of events and then go back through slower the second time, whereas some of the others prefer to go slower at the start.

I was enthralled form the start. There was so much to see that I could hardly take it all in. And I didn't. I've seen other people's posts and they have pictures of things I don't even remember seeing! Bummer.

There were lots of pops of pink all around. Even amongst all the whites, pink is still holding it's own.

Some of that white I was talking about. I loved the chippy white metal against the worn wood.

There were several amazing mannequins but this one was my favorite. I wanted her skirt. She wouldn't let me have it, she said she didn't bring another and she didn't want to flash her skivvies to all the junk maniacs.
Go figure.

So pretty.

Ahhhhh ticking, my beautiful ticking....

Now THIS is some serious bling.

Sweet treats.

Fun and funky with a feather in her cap.

Fabulous nest! This is the vendor I bought my first purchase from. A fantastic burlap and

vintage material shopping bag.

That candelabra almost came home with me.

I eyed it several times because I made about 4 laps around the place.

More yummy chippy furniture.

There was lots of junkin love in the place. Some of the booths were PACKED.

I missed out on alot of photos I wanted because there were too many people in my way!

Man, people people everywhere!

This is the sort of sofa you could curl up and take a nap on.

There were so many beautiful things to see. It must have taken forever to set all this up.

Not to mention packaging and pricing.

There were several adorable trailers set up you could go into. I DIDN'T! I felt so weird like

I was invading someone's personal space. Now I SO wish I would have!

Those yellow corbels (is that what they are?), they are so cool! I bet they're heavy but what a statement they would make in a room.

There were lots of those blue Mason jars scattered about that Michelle posted on. I have a stash of them in the cupboard getting ready to head up to the booth this Spring. Gotta love that aqua.

There were these awesome french pillows everywhere. I need to make some of these for our booth. They're gorgeous. I just have to figure out how to do it since I don't sew. And I need stencils and they're spendy.

There was lots of sparkly too!

Spring is on the way!

More of those beautiful pillows. I bought some sweet smelling soap and a lavender sachet from this booth, Sparrow. There were so many wonderful vendors and such an extraordinary amount of talent in that one building. It was such a lot of fun and I came home filled with inspiration. Thank you Funky Junk Sisters
for putting on such a terrific show!

P.S. No furniture was purchased during the process of this shopping trip. Nevertheless we managed to fill the back of the truck half full. Could have been worse with 5 girls shopping at one time!

~Tara

Funky Junk Sisters & New Treasures

2011-02-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

I headed to Hillsboro, Oregon with some of the Jazz crew this weekend for the Junk Salvation Vintage Flea Market. It was a super great show and we all found some treasures! Everything I bought was for myself. I had a limit and kept to it.

I was too busy shopping and making decisions so I didn't take many pictures, but luckily Tara did and she'll share them with you later this week.

I thought this display was super cute with the yellow take-out carton skirt. I think we will have a t-shirts like this made for our cousins reunion in the summer, we have a group photo that will work perfect!

The Farrier's Daughter

My mom bought this fun old window.

After we left Hillsboro, we refueled over lunch, then hit Monticello in Portland. I have been wanting to go there! Many of the vendors have been at the Barn House events, and several vendors had booths at the Junk Salvation market, too!

After Monticello, my cousin took us to a few more antique stores. We were on a roll!

This cart is a antique store find, too. Too bad we hadn't found it first, we could have really used one of these at the flea market! (By the way, I think this photo looks a little like a paparazzi shot of my cousin as a celebrity out shopping, hee hee!) Check out that funny green thing in my cousin's cart.

That is a darling old "cakes" tin that Tara spotted for me, knowing I've been looking for tin canisters for storage. The red-top one was only $3 at Monticello. It's beat up but perfectly vintage to me.

Here are my other finds from the day~

~Yep, more blue/green mason jars. These had lids. Thank you Bella, my new very very favorite vendors (it's probably a good thing you are so far away......)

~A faux grain sack table runner. I debated on this as I want to try to make some for the party tables. Then I couldn't resist as I'm sure mine won't turn out as nice!

~Rusty wire basket~ I've been looking for a good basket to stack books and magazines in.

Here are a couple more photos from Bella's booth at Monticello:

My aunt bought one of their darling cattle lavender sachets~

Okay, back to the Mason jars.

Here is a sneak peek at what I am doing with the blue mason jars for my birthday party.

I just love the warm glow of a tea light in the blue jar, it reminds me of summertime. I used little battery operated candles, much easier to deal with and I can leave the lids on. I will show you soon what I plan to do for flower vases.

Lastly, I wanted to include a photo of a few Valentine's Day embellished vintage bottles that I took to the shop~

I forgot to mention that after flea markets and antique malls, we hit strip mall central. Home Goods, Marshalls....insanity. And I just couldn't get into it. I realized that there is nothing like the thrill of flea markets and antique shops and finding things with character.

I hope you all had fabulous weekends. Did you find any treasures?

~michelle~

What's Been Happenin'

2011-02-03T23:01:00.000-08:00

Hi! It's me! Sorry I've been M.I.A. this week. I really have been "in action." First, it was payday. Which means I had to run a gazillion errands.

Second, I was busy blog-hopping. DANGEROUS, let me tell you! It is just slightly addicting and I am continually amazed at all the creative peeps out there! On one of the blogs I found something new for my camera. I will share it with you when it arrives. In my defense, I have a super special BIG birthday coming up next month. So let's just say I defined this purchase as an early present for me......

Third, I am also getting ready to take a load of merchandise to the shop, so that has me frantic. I just made my last two burlap pillows for a while. So I say. Burlap is a bit messy to deal with..... but I do love how farmhouse these pea sack pillows turned out~

Once I price something I wrap it and box it up so I don't have pictures of all the other goodies now, but I will get some photos once items are in the shop.

I've also been gathering up blue mason jars.

I have a fun party planned for my birthday and I'm thinking of using these blue darlings in my table decor.
I want to do something simple and have a few ideas and inspirations in mind. I will be sure to share pictures!

I need to paint that white tray above and take it to the shop....it's only been primed. I can't decide between a beachy shade of gray or a light aqua blue....

I have been so inspired by recent posts of these two bloggers (which I know you all read and adore, if you are anything like me), Dreamy Whites and Humble Pie. Both ladies recommended Mrs. Meyer's lavender laundry detergent. Lets just say it's been a while since I've splurged on this kind of thing but I decided to give it a go as I needed detergent anyway and I'm obsessed with all things lavender. Besides, I've been buying mine at Dollar Tree for the last year so technically I've saved enough to spend $14 on this one, right? I gotta say it- this stuff leaves my laundry amazingly softer and more fragrant than that harsher, cheap detergent!!

Lastly, I am so excited to start getting organized. I seriously, seriously need to do this. It is my numero uno spring project. I have been collecting various sizes of canisters and got cute labels from Martha Stewart and once I get a good stash I will be sittin' down and going to organization town!!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! If you are in the middle of a snowstorm, please stay safe and warm!

~michelle~

Farmdog Lizzy

2011-01-31T06:56:00.000-08:00

I've been needing a Lizzy fix and thought you might, too. There is nothing better than a good farm dog, right?

Lizzy is still young but so far she's adjusting to winter on the farm.

She likes to spend time digging, digging, digging.......her face buried in the snow.

I just love her little muzzle hairs when they are sparkling in frosty ice crystals.

So, what exactly is she digging for? Well...... what is it that farmboys detest the most on their farms?

Yep, you guessed it. Mice. See how proud she is of her catch? She brought it to us while we were sledding.

I certainly thought all this extra farm work had her worthy of the pink "Snuggie for Dogs" I saw on sale at the drugstore. Farmboy? Not so much.

So, no Snuggie for now. Regardless, I'm sending lots of hugs and kisses Lizzy's way.

Well, maybe not the kisses.

Mousebreath.

~michelle~

A Transformation

2011-01-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

This has been one of my best transformations in a while! I found this tray a couple weeks ago at a thrift shop. I have no idea what it is. It's heavy, appears to be real wood or at least composite. It has a felt backing, no tags, no bracket for hanging, and two handles on the sides. Was it a wall hanging at some point? Homemade? Is it old? Or new made to look old?

The only thing I knew was that it was interesting to me. And obviously abandoned, due to a pretty awful permanent pink stain that ruined the picture of roses on the tray. The black paint you see below is actually my first edge of chalkboard paint, I forgot to take a photo before I started.

However, I saw potential to do something with it. I decided that a little chalkboard paint could turn this into a fun tray.

I loved how it turned out!

The handles add a lot of character and the beaten up glazed beige-toned wood is vintage looking.

Of course, I have done some debating on whether this tray will be mine, or go to the shop. I am thinking I will enjoy it for a week, then it will go to the shop the first weekend in February.

Unless I start tearing up as I walk it out the door. In that case, it will stay.

Here is how I am using it for now. I have been wanting to buy some bunches of tulips but haven't yet....so my faux yellow tulips worked in a pinch.

I used my new milk bottle which I also got at a thrift shop for 1.99. I've seen these from $10-20 at antique shops recently so this seemed to be a deal!

I am not sure it is old though, as this dairy in California actually still uses the glass bottles. How cool is that? And the reviews I read of this dairy claim it is a pretty amazing milk product!!

What I love about this fun little biz we're in is taking something damaged or unwanted and giving it a new and beautiful purpose! It takes a while to get in the mind frame to walk into a room of junk and see the potential in items, but once you really open yourself to it (and peruse a lot of blogs and antique shows and flea markets for inspiration) you'll find it becomes easier to have an instant vision and do it yourself!

p.s. I wrote "spring is knockin" on my tray. After all, there are small signs of spring starting to pop up around here. A bit scary, as it is only January! They've been sayin' this was going to be the harshest winter we've had in a while.....old man winter has yet to live up to that claim. Mark my words- I don't believe winter is done with us yet! To those poor little bulbs which have sprouted four inches out of the soil in my yard....I'm so sorry!

~michelle~

New Treasures Under $3!!

2011-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Do you have a Michael's Craft store near you? I went there last Sunday looking for invitations. I didn't find what I was looking for, but I did find a section of inexpensive fun kitchen and stationary goodies. I walked out spending $10 on these treasures~

I don't have a recipe box to hold and organize all the recipes I print or tear out of magazines. I would love to find a vintage metal one at some point, but this colorful cute plaid and strawberry cardboard box ($3) will do for now.

Look at the darling strawberry dividers~

Of course, I needed a few recipe cards ($1)~

I couldn't pass up the rooster timer. I don't even have a kitchen timer, I use the timer on my Blackberry!

These utensils were actually labeled "cooking with mom."

However, since I practically have child-size hands, they were perfect for me. And I've been wanting a smaller sized wisk ($2) and spatula (2/$2) to use for special baking projects.

I don't mean to sound like a Michael's promoter, but I do like thrifty fun finds and thought I'd share them with you all! Michael's also has two "celebrity" lines of similar items. Check them out here~

Kitchen Goodies~
Paula Dean Fun Finds

Stationary goodies~

Treasures by Shabby Chic

Now, is it just me or does this week feel like it's just p-o-k-i-n' along after last week's 4-day work week?? I hope yours is going well!

~michelle~

Fire Bucket

2011-01-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

First of all, I wanted to thank all of you for commenting on my post about the evolution of your home decor styles. It was so fun to read what you had to share! I could go on and on and on about this topic, as is my nature to over analyze things. For example, my completely random thought of late is~ what if one day Rachel Ashwell decided she was tired of roses? Just wonderin'.

Okay, now I want to show you a new treasure that I got at an antique mall a few weekends ago. The tag said "old fire bucket- $15." I had no idea what a fire bucket was, but I loved it's red chippy patina and the letter "B" on it.

Sorry about the slightly blurry image of the pail. I got a good focus on the wood, though!

I did some research online about fire buckets. If you have more information to share, please do! What I gathered is that fire buckets were actually used for putting out fires. Earlier buckets were made of leather, often rounded at the bottom (so that they could be hung for quick retrieval.) Later years, they were used as a safety precaution in kitchens. The galvanized pails were painted red with the word "FIRE" on the side, filled with sand, and were nearby for tossing onto oil fires. I do not know why this one has a "B" on it? Perhaps it was added later or was a family name?

Here are a few links to other fire buckets I found online~

Antique red metal fire bucket

Metal Vintage Buckets Hudson Goods

For now, my fire bucket will hold scraps of wood for my fireplace and future sign projects (I'm getting low on wood!)

I even think I could put a plant inside, use it as a Christmas tree holder....the possibilities are endless!

I have a lot more goodies to share with you this week! I've been discovering soooooo many fabulous new blogs (to me) this past week! Thank you all for your inspiration, and thanks for stopping by our little blog here! It makes our day!!

Happy Monday!

~michelle~

A Booth Makeover...AGAIN!!!

2011-01-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! It's Tara again, posting on the latest booth shuffle. You know how it goes, a few weeks go by and you start getting that itch to shake things up and move things around. So what's a girl to do but go for it!

It only took 4 1/2 hours to accomplish. Which I am discovering is about the length it takes me when I do a complete makeover. This is the third one in 2 months. But one was pre~Christmas and one was post~Christmas so I don't think I'm getting compulsive about it or anything. Yet. Right?

I added a few touches of red to tie in with Valentine's Day coming up. I am with Michelle and want to add some color back into our space after all the winter whites and greens and grays. I just brought the chalkboard door back into the space. We got this when we first opened our booth and welcomed our customers comments on it. It wasn't for sale at the time. I just added a fresh coat of light aqua paint to it and it's now for sale.

If you come and shop you get FREE candy!

Another view. I think this corner turned out rather cozy. I also added a few clothing items. You can see some sweaters and blouses in the dresser and there are a couple of dresses hanging about along with a coat Michelle brought, tucked in the nook.

Nana's handmade items, she just added two quilts you see on the bottom left. The whole family got quilts like this for Christmas about 10 years ago. They're perfect to curl up for a nap or watch TV with. Mine is looking pretty ratty and has a few tears. I may be needing a new one soon. Hint hint Nana.

The Paris France trunk was previously in the space too. It was once a beautiful combo of green and orange. I wasn't having any takers so it got a major overhaul and hopefully it will find a new home now, along with the birdcage that got a coat of bronze~black paint. It was previously brass. Trust me when I tell you it looks much better.

I think I have satisfied my urge to shuffle.

For now!

Hope you enjoyed the tour and have a terrific weekend!

~Tara

The Evolution of Inspiration

2011-01-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Inspiration comes from many places. Blogs and design shows. Retail stores and catalogs. Homes of our friends and family. Flea markets and antique shops. Books and magazines. Those of "us" like-minded design and home decor nuts are bombarded with messages, ideas, and photos of amazing homes and creative decor. It can literally be overwhelming at times to decide what we want to do with and invest in for our homes. Do I keep the walls white or dark red? Should all my throw pillows be burlap? Does every bit of paint in the house really need to be chipping off? Should I combine silver and gold? What if in a year am I going to want to totally change everything in my home?

Right now, this quilt embodies inspiration for me. The colorful and torn patchwork vintage fabric, the soft flannel lining, the sightly weathered white cotton on the outside. It speaks to me, it says farmhouse and cozy cottage and baked goods and puppies lying by the wood stove.

My style, my interest in this home decor world- it has evolved over time. Twelve years ago I was into Shabby Chic, lots of pink frills, and flowers. Ten years ago I was into the modern, classic, posh New York loft look. Six years ago it was french country (a friend got married at a farm that was authentically 'french country' and set me off on a kick.)

Some of my Nana's Franciscan Desert Rose dishes.

Interestingly, no matter how eclectic I've been over the years, I always, always go back to the antique, to the vintage. It is at the heart of my soul, inspired and nurtured by family members when I was a kid who also appreciated the nostalgia and memories of "old things."

I love my home to reflect a style that is meaningful, livable, and personal. I am a sentimental person and I have a hard time letting go of things (oh yes, I still have many greeting cards from my early childhood.) I want things to be purposeful, even if that purpose is to simply look cute and make me smile. To help me feel at home. From here, I can start building a collection that I can cherish and pass on to the next generation.

How has your design style evolved and what inspires you?

~michelle~

Thrift Til You Drop

2011-01-17T17:20:00.000-08:00

My recent shopping trips for our All That Jazz vendor space aren't going so well. I keep finding treasures for myself. Oops. Do any of you thrifty junkin' shoppers find that to be a bit of a problem?

Last week I hit a few thrift shops and found some great finds~

I have needed a dish rack for a long, long time. This metal one had a handle that slides out so that it hangs over one side of my double sink. It is perfect for me as I have limited counter space!

Old books for stacking. One is a book of Shakespeare poetry.

Sonnet XII~

I have no idea what it is about, but the language of old William is quite lovely and eloquent, don't you think?

I snagged up the rustic red metal plate, it will go to the shop.

Those green plates, however, are staying with me!

This old Spaniel will be sold in the shop as well. He is so cute, a bit sad and chipped yet perfectly vintage!
I love old aprons and that red gingham one was right up my alley! I passed on it's blue partner which I might have to go back and get.....I imagine it's gone. Don't you hate it when you pass on something that calls to you later? My number one junkin' and thrifting tip: pick up anything that remotely calls to you, even if you aren't sure. Put it in your cart as you shop. If you don't, more often than not it won't be there when you decide later that you can't live without it!

I have a few more weeks to do some shopping for Jazz before we do a bit of the "blahs-of-winter" sprucing and fluffing of our space. I am excited to help Tara do a make-over, maybe with a few hints of spring color. It's about the time of year we start feeling the winter doldrums and need a bit of color and cheer in our lives!

I hope you all had wonderful weekends and found a few thrifty treasures of your own!

~michelle~

Potty Talk

2011-01-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

While playing with indoor lighting and a lens on my camera the other day, I used my bathroom as my photography playground. I did not get a shot of the whole bathroom, it is tiny with a funky 1960's retro style vanity, mismatched white paint on the walls, and peachy-pink shower tile~ you aren't missing much. But when I downloaded the photos I realized that despite the hodge-podge design of the bathroom itself, there were some cute simple touches that I've added.

I have a small white nightstand in the bathroom to hold overflow. Lots and lots of white towels, hair products, and a numbered zinc can filled with cotton balls.

I use a wire basket underneath to store rolls of TP.

This nightstand is old and chippy and I've had it since I was a little girl! I love the scroll detail.

On top of the nightstand I keep a box of Kleenex, a candle-holder-turned-make-up brush storage, and a blue vintage clock.

I have to wind the clock for it to keep time and honestly, I've given up!

This bathroom doesn't have a toilet paper holder installed on the wall, so I just use a planter pail on the back of the toilet. I recently switched to this chicken wire pail, which had been for sale in the shop for months but didn't sell. I brought it home and found the perfect place for it!

I recently acquired this sign at a thrift shop. I adore it's vintage appeal and it reminds me of the ice skating I did over Christmas. Oh, and the blue color ties in nicely with the clock!

I have a jewelry obsession (we'll have to chat about that another time....) and as I have shown in the past, I hang necklaces on a shabby metal candelabra on the wall next to the mirror.

I don't have a lot of storage in the bathroom, so I hang a straw tote bag to house my curling and flat irons.

As I'm a renter, I don't have a lot of options for re-designing the layout or painting my bathroom. However, that doesn't mean I can't add interesting details that make it practical, peaceful, and personal!

~michelle~

The Joy of Wanting to Be A Cook

2011-01-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

My whole life, I have been a cook-wannabe.

When I was ten I cut out advertisement recipes from my mom's Woman's Day and Family Circle magazines. I would glue them onto construction paper, creating a "recipe book" as her Christmas gift.

I love photo cookbooks. The photos are alluring and inspire me. I page through my cookbooks and Post-It the pages of recipes I want to try. Last year I was inspired by The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I have recently been inspired by The Farm Chicks in The Kitchen.

But the truth is, I really only cook when I try something wonderful that someone else has made. Then I am obsessive about getting the recipe from them and trying it myself! I am not bad in the kitchen. I have a lot to learn. I get by.

Whereas being a good cook is a pipe-dream for me, I do love to bake, and can bake fairly well. My baking is something I share with others which makes it more enjoyable.

This is one of my recent favorite snacks. It requires no baking or cooking! So really, it's quite perfect for me. Farmboy's mom introduced me to this over Christmas.

Buy a small pack of smoked salmon from your grocery store's seafood department. Put it in a pretty bowl (everything tastes better from a pretty bowl, right?) Then make it like you would tuna fish. I add pepper, basil, and mayo. Mix it up well. Use a pretty spreading knife and eat it on your favorite cracker (I use Keebler Multi-grain Club crackers.) Yum!

Now, about all that snow I've been watching and waiting for??

Let it snow, let it snow!

Well, it is still not here. I have been checking out my window religiously. And by the time it gets here I'll be asleep, and when I wake up they say it will be raining. I was looking forward to a cozy day at home tomorrow, working on Jazz projects, watching movies, going for a walk in the snow, then coming inside and "making" soup~

~you know, opening the can of Campbell's can of split pea and ham.....breaking up the Saltine's on top....

Happy "cooking" everyone!

~michelle~

Whirlwind Weekend

2011-01-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

I had a fun weekend, did you? I had to work part of Saturday. Then I watched an "on your feet screaming and stomping" football playoff game with my father that made me believe dreams can come true when you believe they can.

Farmboy sold his first barnwood frame and mirror to my Auntie Jeanette. Her home is emitting fabuluous rustic charm these days and I know they will be well-placed!

I took a few items to the shop. I did not have much time to putter around. One of these days I need to devote a whole day to puttering in our space. It is so fun and relaxing. A wonderful creative challenge. I think I could teach a course on space management after trying to add more merchandise to our space!

Here are some of the goodies I brought in~

vintage barnwood frames and mirrors

chalkboard

burlap signs

numbered platter

old childrens' books

numbered cocoa mugs

wooden spools

vintage floral apron

gold Syroco shelves

This week is going to be interesting. They are saying we might, just might, get a big snowstorm mid-week. Which means I could get a snow day, and possibly tackle a couple of Jazz projects (make burlap feedsack pillows) and watch the DVD's my cousins loaned me. The titles? Marie Antoinette, Dangerous Liasons, Sense and Sensibility, (the only one I've seen before) Young Victoria, and The Age of Innocence. Sense a theme here?? Any recommendations of which one I should watch first?

~michelle~

Green With Envy

2011-01-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

I typically have two color themes throughout the year. Red in the fall and winter, and a sea/sky blue in the spring and summer. I use these colors in my accents and accessories, such as pillows, throws, flowers, etc. I always keep the base colors neutral (creamy white slip-covered couches, lots of rustic wood tones, chippy paint, and both silver and gold accents.)

However, recently I have been loving green. I am not typically a green person. But after hitting a great antique mall over the holiday break and then browsing through pictures online, I found my decor inspiration for this spring! Vintage farmhouse chic with green, here I come!!

I have a basket addiction~

I want that green wooden box the basket of apples is on top of!

Another pic of this awesome kitchen~

I'm diggin' cattle stuff these days...

.....campy ranch dishes with brands!

Fun vintage collection~

above photos source

I love everything in this photo! The way they used green in the artichokes, chippy stool, and canister on the bottom of the island.

photo source: 100 Ideas Flea Market Style magazine 2009

Part of my green obsession started with this old window I bought from my cousin in our own Jazz space last summer. I saw it and loved it but didn't buy it. I couldn't get it out of my mind (that is typically how I know I really want something) so I went back and scooped it up!

If you add color to your home, what colors are you gravitating towards these days?

~michelle~

Welcome 2011!

2011-01-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe Christmas vacation is over. It is 2011. New years are all always such exciting times. It's a time for change, to clean out, re-do, re-organize....set new goals. I have many goals in several areas of my life (you know- the old eat better, exercise more, blah blah blah) but I also have big goals for myself and this little blog and shop adventure we have going on here at Jazz!

I had a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

It included plenty of beautiful snowy mornings~

Holiday bow dog-wrestling~

Sledding with the kiddos~

Watching kids in puffy winter snowsuits navigate stairs (yep, he made it to the top!)

I received so many special gifts but one of them which you might already have or should quickly head out to get is The Farm Chicks Christmas book~

I would curl up every afternoon with hot cocoa next to the tree and pour over all it's vintage goodness from cover to cover.

Like this campy porch, so simple and festive!

And this kitchen, isn't it amazing? You see so many white kitchens out there these days, but the rich tones of this black and wood kitchen with vintage touches are just too cool.

I had limited computer access over my vacation so it will be great to be back online this week catching up with your blogs and holiday adventures!

Happy New Year everyone!

~michelle~

Anyone Wanna To Go Junkin!

2010-12-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

I just discovered this Vintage Market Sale by Junk Salvation in Oregon next month and think I'm going to try to go! Hopefully I can manage to convince my Mom and a certain Sister to accompany me.

I've seen other events done by the Funky Junk Sisters and they look like a lot of fun and cram packed full of goodies. If only Jazz could get it's act together and actually be a vendor, but with so many different schedules to work around it's hard. Plus I don't think we have enough "junk" in stock at the moment. I guess I'll just have to be a shopper this time around.

All the rewards and none of the hard work.

Hate it when that happens!

I am sure Michelle will be back to posting soon now that her winter vacation is almost up.

Bummer for her, good news for you! Now I won't have a semi-decent excuse for neglecting

my other blog to post here. Drat.

Happy New Year to you all, I hope it brings you nothing but blessings and a lot

of really really good "JUNK"!!!

~Tara

Goodbye Christmas, Hello Winter...

2010-12-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

pre~Christmas

Hi Ya'll! Tara here, from The Land of Jazz! I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Sadly, after Christmas all the pretty decorations must come down, so that's just what I did at the booth. I wasn't going to get another chance for a while so I figured I just better get in and "git r done!".

post~Christmas

Four hours later. Is it just me or does it take everyone else this long to shuffle furniture, rearrange the vignettes, dust, sweep up dead dried needles and take down a fake Christmas tree? Too bad my cohort in vintage crime was too busy playing in the snow to help poor little old me. Just teasing! I actually enjoy playing in the space and moving things around. I could easily take a pass on the dusting and sweeping though.

Now I just have to take down all the Christmas decorations at home.

I'll get right on that.

Tomorrow.

Have a terrific week and a Happy Happy Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday!

~Michelle, Tara, Jeanette, Jan, & Billye~

It's The Most Busiset Time of The Year

2010-12-22T00:40:00.000-08:00

This past week has been full of Christmas hustle-bustle! I have been shopping, making gifts, wrapping, pricing items for All That Jazz Vintage, and I already had one of my three Christmases this year. Not to mention I had been working full-time! I'm on vacation now. It has been a whirlwind but the holidays always are, aren't they?

I finally have some photos of the new barn wood frames arriving at the shop this week!

I gave this one a shabby coating of white paint~
don't you love the cut-out models from my Eddie Bauer catalog??

I didn't mess with this large frame, I love it's perfect patina!

A smaller version of the above frame did get a bit of white paint~

I am excited to hear that Farmboy has been busy making more frames (as well as mirrors) from this marvelous rustic barn wood. They will be arriving in the shop the first of the year!

I have a few other treasures to take to the shop, too.

~cozy leather and sheepskin Bearpaw boots (these have only been worn a few times!) a silver tray, a needlepoint pillow and a rusty watering can~

~life is beautiful in french burlap sign, a wooden rooster, berry candle garlands~

Tomorrow I will running around trying to finish my shopping.....just a few more gifts to pick up and wrap!!

I work best under pressure.

wishing you the merriest week,

~michelle~

Merry Christmas From My Home To Yours!

2010-12-19T23:07:00.000-08:00

Have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas and I hope the season

brings many blessings to you and yours!

Rustic Christmas

2010-12-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

I don't know if any of you have a little cowgirl spirit inside of you. I surely do (a lot, actually!) I got to have lunch at a beautiful winery this past weekend. Swiftwater Cellars is on the Suncadia Resort in the historic mountain town of Roslyn, Washington.

It is a very rustic, lodgey looking building with amazing architecture and beams to resemble the former coal mine Number 9, the property the cellar sits on.

Number 9 wine, which is very good!

The winery was decked out for the holidays and I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures on my small point and shoot camera (hence the grainy quality, sorry.)

That is one amazing fireplace!

Looking up, the beams resemble the inside of a mine shaft.

This tree was outside their upscale gift shop, Lush. It was tall and lovely!

It is hard to tell from this picture, but it was filled with long feathers and leopard print garland and gold ornaments. The Christmas balls were huge~ nearly the size of cantaloupes!

Lots of cozy throws and fancy hair-on-hide chairs~

I was "pining" for a lot of things in the gift shop......

I almost curled up in this amazing leopard print chair under this decadent faux fur throw and read a book.....(it was dumping snow outside, after all.)

These faux puppies were cute and very quiet, obviously.

I could actually see some of Farmboy's handmade barn wood frames and mirrors fitting right in and selling in this gift shop........ which reminds me, soon I will be featuring some of the frames that will be available in our space All That Jazz Vintage next week!

I hope you are staying cozy this winter, wherever you are!

~michelle~

Have Your Written Yours?

2010-12-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

I love that my mom saved these. She had them framed to hang on the wall. Here is my first letter, I am guessing I wrote this around age 6 or 7.

Okay, I have no idea why I wanted a wagon. I never remember wanting a wagon. I always wanted a pony!! I think the other item I drew was a desk and chair? I can't tell from the scribbled on drawing. But a desk would make sense, seeing how much I love furniture now, I'm sure the obsession had to start when I was a child!

Judging by the slightly better penmanship, this one was probably written several years later.

Obviously I was trying to butter up the old man in red, telling him his reindeer are beautiful and that I love him very much. But I'll admit his reindeer are beautiful!

I have no idea who Scarlett is. I never had a pet named Scarlett and by then my imaginary friend had moved on. Ah, the lost mysteries of childhood.....

Do you have any of your childhood letters to Santa? Or have you kept any of your children's? I think it is a wonderful tradition. Don't let them send Santa an email or a text message~ help them write him a letter! It not only encourages handwriting in children, even if they can only draw the pictures, you can write their words. Hand written letters seem to be a long-lost art these days. Which reminds me, I need to get my Christmas cards out......

Santa Claus is coming to town!

~michelle~

No Party Decorating

2010-12-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, the decorating is just for ourselves, right?

I am not hosting family at my place for Christmas. Nor am I having a merry shin-dig with eggnog and a jazzy holiday CD.

In fact, my holiday decor will be seen mostly by me. Regardless, I still like to surround myself with some holiday cheer!

Starting on my patio, an old pail full of greenery.

While browsing the shop Needful Things across the street from where our space is at the Painted Lady Vintage the other night, I found this piece of plaid wool fabric in a box. The owner Robin let me have it for $3, (on the honor system) because I didn't have cash. It made a perfect tree skirt!

My oven top even got a little touch of holiday red, too.

Remember these cream candle holders from my fall decor? They got dressed up with little wreaths. Around 5 years ago I cleaned out Dollar Tree's stock of these wreaths! They are real twigs and pine cones with faux greenery and berries. I LOVE them and use them every year!

I got this dome and silver plate at a flea market last fall. I frequently change out what I put inside. I tried a little tree (also from Dollar Tree) but ended up changing it to a bright red vintage Santa, which was perfect! The only thing I want to add is a little faux snow or greenery on the silver plate under his feet.

Even a decorative mirror in my bathroom get's a little burlap and wreath treatment!

Those are just a few of my favorite holiday decorations so far this year. I still have a few more ideas....but I'm off to put the finishing touches on those rustic barn wood picture frames Farmboy put together for me. Let me tell you, they are gorgeous and I'm going to have a hard time parting with any of them!!

~michelle~

All That Jazz Vintage

Hello..Anyone still out there?!

Finally, The Furniture Makeover Results!

Updates and Makeovers

August at All That Jazz

Antique Fest Part 2 and a Giveaway Opportunity For You!

Jazz @The Antique Fest

Antique Fest 2011!!!

All That Jazz Gets Invaded By Furniture!

Little Crown

Chalkpaint...Makeovers and Thoughts

To The Beach We Go!

Wildflowers

Bad News, Good News and Changes

The Old Blue Chair

Monday Eye Candy

A Mother's Advice

A makeover and a BIG buy!

New Additions To The Booth And A SURPRISE For You!

Using Everyday Items in Unique Ways

Pink Shabby Mirror

Must Have Flowers!

Help Me with Bedding?

Back From Vacation and The Giveaway Winner!

Happy Monday!

Giveaway Time!!

Reese's Country Wedding

Are You a Rachel or a Phoebe?

All That Jazz...An Anniversary, An Evolution

That Book!

Crepes, Sea Shells, and Burlap!

Cowgirl Up

Coming Soon!

My Favorite Find Friday

A Chippy Blue Tray

Family, Friends, and Fabulous at Forty!

Back to the Beach

Birthday Goodness

Dear Dreams: Thoughts on Blogging

i **heart** you

Thrift Shops, Jeans, and Lemons

A Funky Junky Weekend...

Funky Junk Sisters & New Treasures

What's Been Happenin'

Farmdog Lizzy

A Transformation

New Treasures Under $3!!

Fire Bucket

A Booth Makeover...AGAIN!!!

The Evolution of Inspiration

Thrift Til You Drop

Potty Talk

The Joy of Wanting to Be A Cook

Whirlwind Weekend

Green With Envy

Welcome 2011!

Anyone Wanna To Go Junkin!

Goodbye Christmas, Hello Winter...

Merry Christmas!

It's The Most Busiset Time of The Year

Merry Christmas From My Home To Yours!

Rustic Christmas

Have Your Written Yours?

No Party Decorating

i heart you