Favorite Find Link Party – Mad Men Edition

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Danielle

Welcome to my first ever Link Party! Grab a drink and let’s mingle.

I’ve titled this the Mad Men Edition in honor of the season 6 premiere. Did you see it? Tyson and I are huge fans of the show, but we’ve been watching it all through Netflix. We got completely caught up Saturday night, just in time for the Sunday evening premiere. But to avoid any spoilers let’s keep moving along.

This post also comes with the special edition title, since the Link Party was inspired by my friend, Victoria. She has personal connections with Don Draper and friends through her brilliant use of photoshop. If you are a fan of the show you should check out her posts here and my personal favorite here. I think SCDP would be proud.

And finally, I’m giving a shout out to the retro show because of my Favorite Find. As much as I enjoy (most of) the characters and the interesting ad campaigns, I most watch because I LOVE the style and decor. I’ve shared openly that mid-century design is one of my favorites and the show is full of it. Some time during Season 2, I started yelling at the screen, “My chair! There’s my chair!” while we watched Betty Draper enjoy an afternoon bender.

Seriously, I sometimes pay more attention to the sets than the storyline.

A while back, during some spring cleaning, Tyson made a run to donate some items to Goodwill. When he returned, he casually mentioned that he had seen a really cool chair that I would’ve loved. What do you mean “would’ve”? That is all it took for me to want ~~to check out~~ this chair for myself.

My man knows me so well. It is an amazing piece and had loads of potential. For a few bucks it came home with me and has been greatly enjoyed.

Now, I’m honestly not sure what period this chair is from. This isn’t exactly the chair that we saw on Mad Men, but it’s similar. The tag on it says that it is manufactured by Stanley Furniture and I’ve searched high and low to get more information on it. Regardless, it’s definitely unique and I’m so glad it’s ours.

One of my favorite things is the decorative iron detail on the sides.

I love the nailhead finish on the arms too.

One of my least favorite accessories was the kids bed pillow that was stuffed between the webbing and the cushion to keep the seat from falling in. Creepy. Needless to say… that was removed before the piece came into the studio.

Now, for this next part you need to know two things:

This chair is not a recent Favorite Find. We rescued it before I had a blog, but I’ve never shared the story before today. (The photos are pre-blog quality too.)
Had I been blogging, I would’ve known more people to talk to about updating it. Because folks… I painted this bad boy.

That’s right… The wood stained arms and legs got a coat of black paint.

As much as I love the look and continue to enjoy the choice that we made, I now wonder if I would’ve opted to re-stain these areas instead of using paint.

In overhauling the piece, I also gave the seat a new cushion, reinforced the seat and updated the fabric.

I picked a light blue and brown damask to go in our family room.

But the chair has made a permanent home in the studio lounge.

I replaced the nail head trim too. I went with a more decorative design that compliments the fabric.

There may or may not be a drill bit that snapped off and is permanently embedded in the arm. But just like Don Draper’s escapades, that’ll be our little secret.

So there it is… one of my all time Favorite Finds.

Now what about you? What have you found that you are eager to share? Here’s how to kick this party into high-gear:

Click on the InLinkz button below to get started.
Be sure to include a link to your Favorite Find post URL, not just the link to your blog.
Under “Name”, put the title of your blog post
Link back to me in your post so that all your friends now where the party is at.
Feel free to link-up and join the party at Victoria’s blog too.
Check out all the other Favorite Finds. Leave comments, make new friends, but above all else: HAVE FUN!

Also, if you are not a blogger, please feel free to join in on the fun by sharing your Favorite Find in the comment section below.

Now who is first in the conga line?

Business in the Front and Party in the Back

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Danielle

It’s true! This is going to be the mullet of blog posts. What can I say? When you’ve rocked a bad fashion, sometimes you have flashbacks.

Up front: The Business

The votes are in and I have lots to share.

Let me say thank you to everyone that voted in my very first poll. Tyson and I are still trying to decide on the room arrangement and we thoroughly appreciate all of your input.

The poll was split straight down the middle, but you all left some great comments of things to consider.

We are living with the T-ed out arrangement for now, but we are already brainstorming ideas of what we want to do next because of you. You guys are awesome!

I also wanted to thank everyone that voted in the Apartment Therapy Bedroom Retreat Contest.

Although I didn’t make it into the finals, it was still so fun to get to be a part of something like this. If you haven’t already, I would seriously encourage you to check out the remaining four finalists. The bedrooms are STUNNING! Some of them are in the tiniest of spaces, but they are packed with style.

And now on to The Party.

That’s right! Who doesn’t love a good party?! And I’m throwing one. My very first Link Party. I’m partnering up with Victoria from Victoria Elizabeth Barnes and a few of my blogging friends to encourage you to share your favorite finds with us.

Next Tuesday, April 9th, we are asking you to bring your favorite find and share it. Simple, right? You get to define what makes it your favorite find and it doesn’t necessarily have to be crafty or home related. Just share a discovery that has brightened your day. Tell your story.

If you’re a blogger, link up with one or all of us. You know the drill. If you’re a reader, shoot me an email (danielle@storypiece.net) and I’ll get you included in the party. We want everyone who wants to, to join in. Tweet it, Pin it, share it, invite your friends. This is gonna be the party of the year! Or a complete disaster… which always makes for a memorable party too.

Then, next Tuesday, be sure to check out the other creative finds. This is a time to mix and mingle and be inspired. Leave comments if you’re social. Ask questions if you’re curious. But most important to any good party… have fun!

So who’s in? Have you recently come across a favorite find? Have you ever hosted a party just to get friends together to hang out? What’s the worst fashion statement that you’ve sported loud and proud? Let’s be honest… I’m not the only one with photo evidence of some serious 80′s hair, right?

Bedroom Retreat

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Danielle

A few weeks ago, I noticed that Apartment Therapy was accepting submissions for their Bedroom Retreat Contest. Since the only room that I’ve shown on this blog from start to finish was Tessa’s bedroom remodel that we did last summer, I decided to throw my hat into the ring.

And when I didn’t hear back from them, I kinda assumed that it wasn’t what they were looking for and moved on.

So you can imagine my complete and utter surprise when I received an email this week saying that I was in! Now it’s time to sound the horn to all my family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, grocery store clerks, dental hygienist and anyone else:

Head to Apartment Therapy and vote for me!

Here’s the deal: You have to register to vote… but registering is easy. Voting closes April 1st at midnight EST. You should probably go cast your vote now. I can totally wait here while you do…

Getting accepted into the contest has been really cool, but the most amazing part for me has been reading the comments that people have left on there. Some of them are REALLY honest. And I love each and every one of them!

You see, as a kid it had been my dream to be an artist. But putting my art (an extension of myself) out into the world and having it critiqued was really hard. Hard enough that I decided to not chase after that as a career. I retreated. I gave it up. I continued to do things that were creative, but just for me or our family. Minimal risk? Yes, please.

But when I made the decision to start writing a blog, I knew at some point I was going to have to face that fear and be ready to not run from it. Even though the comments I received weren’t horrible, (I’ve heard some serious horror stories from bloggers) I felt a little heat. And I didn’t melt. I even kinda like the crazy pants honesty of it. Who knew?!

So even if you don’t like everything I do or if you don’t vote for me in the contest, we can still be friends. But if you DO vote, we can be BFF’s.

Okay… just kidding….

A little…

Have you ever done a u-turn in life to pursue a childhood dream? What made you take the risk? Have you ever been surprised by an experience in ways you couldn’t imagine?

Please don’t forget to vote!

Retro Revival

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Danielle

Update: When I shared this earlier, I completely forgot about the Thrift Store Challenge happening over at Young House Love today. I love a happy accident! If you are interested in seeing even more thrift store finds, you can check out the challenge here.

Last weekend my girlfriend, Trisha, invited me to go with her to check out a new store opening in Oregon City. Her friends Suzan Clough and Diana Keith own and run Retro Revival which is located in a historic home and is filled with amazing items from the 50′s, 60′s & 70′s. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to check it out.

Each room is styled in a traditional way and there is seriously cool furnishings everywhere you look. Diana generously allowed me to take photos of some of my favorites to share with you here. So let’s get to the fun stuff shall we.

We entered through the front door of the home and we were immediately greeted by this gorgeous dining table.

The gals have a talent for pulling everything together so that you can truly see how something could work in your home.

There are some really unique lamps and I love the serving bowls.

The end tables are awesome too.

Once we made our way through the living room, we headed to the kitchen. This was Retro Revival’s Grand Opening and they celebrated with what else? Retro snacks. Spam, deviled eggs and celery filled with pimento cheese…. yum!

We opted for coffee that came from a vintage carafe and enjoyed it out of Corningware cups.

We then headed to the three rooms upstairs. One has been turned into a walk-in closet and there are tons of treasures to be found.

All the clothing seemed to be in great condition and ready to wear. And if you’re interested in accessories, there is quite the selection of vintage purses and pill box hats too.

My absolute favorite was this classic muumuu. It instantly reminded me of Mrs. Roper and her bold style. Tyson was glad I didn’t buy it, but you can bet I’ll be checking to see if it’s still there on my next visit.

The next room had more household goodies including this sideboard with a marble top. $65 folks… A total steal! It is in amazing condition and I’m sad we don’t have a place for it in our home.

The Erector Set sitting on top of the sideboard is pretty neat too.

This next photo is specifically for my mom. They have one lone plate of the Corningware pattern we had when I was growing up. (Mom, they have the “new” pattern you bought too.)

I could go on and on for days about everything that I saw.

If you stop by, be sure to also check out Retro Revival’s sister store, Lavendar Hill Cottage. It’s two doors down and filled with equally great, vintage finds.

They have a sweet children’s room upstairs.

And how awesome would it be to have pink accessories in your kitchen?!

I’ll tell you… it’s SO awesome. The Pyrex came home with me and I can’t wait to use it this spring.

Have you discovered a cool new store lately? What is the most unique retro item you’ve found? Anything you’ve regretted not bringing home? I think I could totally rock that muumuu!

Retro Revival | 212 14th St., Oregon City, OR 97045 | 503-468-7090. You can find them on Facebook too.

PS. If this is the first post that you’ve seen since my Moving Day post, you may want to check out what I wrote earlier in the week here.

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Tag Archives: unexpected treasures

Favorite Find Link Party – Mad Men Edition

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Business in the Front and Party in the Back

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Bedroom Retreat

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