pillowhappy

Queen Mother of all Godwinks

pillowhappy — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:59:40 +0000

I’ll start by saying that, back when we bought a home in Wilmington, NC, we had a lovely real estate agent from England.

She had the most marvelous English accent. (although i never met an English accent i didn’t find marvelous).

anyway, we had found our perfect home, despite some obstacles, and she would use the word

“Godwink” to describe the little miracles that took place.

From then on, my sister-in-law, heather, and i grabbed onto that word, and now use it quite frequently (said in my own English accent)

All that to say, that as we were garaging last weekend, we stumbled upon a major “Godwink” of garage sales.

a Godwink for me in particular.

Here’s the scoop.

We walk up.

It’s kindof secluded and hidden by trees, (yet we are off a semi-busy downtown road)

and i look down at some odds and ends on a table.

I begin staring at the table itself.

It’s amazing. and I must have it.

I ask, (thinking there is NO WAY it’s for sale, and is simply for displaying the shtuff)

“is this even for sale?”

the owner says “yes! it’s 20 dollars.”

Well, i went a little crazy excited on him.

here’s why:

i love rustic, artisan made things. i think a bit of drool landed on the copper top!

yes peeps: COPPER TOP! with the aqua patina kicking in beautifully.

Cedar legs, made by an artist. sold at a boutique in Royal Oak, MI.

for 20.00.

the owners kept it outdoors, so it holds up just fine.

it was raining, so, NO, i didn’t drool THAT much. my drool is more in the center of the table (i was hugging it at the time)

Godwink.

So, i then continued shopping (in my table coma), when i looked to my right.

An arbor of glorious flowers, and through the arbor:

A Secret Garden!

complete with wooden door with latch.

Moving onto my second stage of crazy.

The man had a 13 year old daughter, so sweet, who asked me (i’m sure it was a rhetorical question)

“would you like to go in?”

I love paths and nature.

Godwink.

I love gates and secret places.

Godwink.

I love my freaking table for 20.00

Godwink.

All at a garage sale?

Total Godwink.

More like a “God-Continual-Blink”!

Had to share with you all.

and i know you’ve had some Godwinks lately.

and I want to know what they are.

launched it.

pillowhappy — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 01:59:14 +0000

FIRST:

excited to say, “i launched it!” the new vintage shop called, of all things,snugsnuggery!

the perfect name. here’s why.

(snug·ger·y) n. a cosy and comfortable dwelling

why haven’t i heard of this lovely word??

i mean…i love tree forts, tents, cozy corners, and am pretty nook obsessed.

if you follow me on

you’ll see what i’m talking about.

so, you can understand my happiness in discovering such a word as “snuggery”. turns out it’s an english word, which i will be using frequently, complete with british accent.

i’ve now combined my love for cozy spaces, and my love for thrifting and hunting for things for cozy spaces, into one wonderful little shop, dubbing it (and yes i can dub it…it’s english afterall):

snugsnuggery!

here’s a peak of what’s in the shop, and what’s to come:

mid sench magazine rack

crocheted vintage potholders

sweet crocheted granny square pillow (presley not included)

minty green cake and pie carrier.

i do love the idea of bringing older things back to life, and appreciating them again. and of course, the bargain! gotta have a bit of a bargain. (which i will pass on whenever possible!)

speaking of which, if you go to the snugsnuggery facebook page by clicking here:

and then “like” it,

you’ll see a discount code for the shop.

as a thank you for stopping by.

lastly, i’ve got to share with you the “boot find” of ALL boot finds:

yes, you are correct. FRYE boots!

my size (8)

10 bucks.

no lie.

can’t part with these just yet, i’m afraid. i love them with this dress too, which my dear friend gave me!

so let me ask you. are there any items i should be on the lookout for? let me know.

either my mom, my sisters, or myself WILL find them. oh yes we will.

my mission is to turn every home into

bonified

snuggery!

summertime laziness

pillowhappy — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:34:09 +0000

Wow. I didn’t realize how much summers can cause severe laziness! i have so much i want to share with you, and keep putting it off! now, i’m left with “blog back up”. so, i will try to bring you up to speed as much as my summer will allow!

thrift updates: each venture is definitely a journey! so much fun. below are some amazing finds over the past couple of months:

first of all, the blue lamp in the background. the scoop: found on a high shelf at a Salvation Army thrift store. cost: 7 bucks. Moving onto the chair! the awesome chartreuse chair! the scoop: found a garage sale in Sylvan Lake. not only is the color a treat, but when you sit in this thing…you melt! i have nicknamed her “the comf of ALL comfs”!! cost? 20.00!

oh wow. this one’s a doozy! my mom and i were garaging in a mobile home park! i was getting a little snobby, that it was time to leave (yes, ironic i know. i’m scouring through other people’s “junk”, and calling myself a snob. comical) as we’re driving by, my mom spots this aqua chair. she barely stops the car, as i’m dropping and rolling to grab it. 5.00 people!! (and as an added little bonus, the pink mccoy planter! 50 cents)

is she amazing or what?? i did a little research, and found that these “basket” chairs go for approx 200? let me know if you have any more info on them! i’d love to hear.

very mid sench orange pitcher.

minnow bucket (a mom find)

and i’ll end (for now), with this happy cake carrier (another mom find). sweet!

speaking of my mom, as you will hear about her quite often, i think she will be my chief buyer. she is on a major roll with finding the best goodies. keep up the good work jules!

i’m stewing about opening up a shop for these sweet finds. stay tuned.

apparently, the summer laziness has NOT overtaken my thrift-fests. just the blogging about them. i’ll work on it i promise!

sweet home

pillowhappy — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:01:17 +0000

i’ve been wanting to share some pictures of our house, and finally took a couple of pics. we’re renting the most perfect place. perfect for us. turns out the original house was brought to this piece of land by horse and buggy! (1900). wow.

later, the owners added on. but the upstairs is all plywood. somewhat dark. but cave like. cabin lake. here’s our bedroom:

this is about as light as i could make it, being the amateur that i am with photography.

cozy!

this chair was my grandma’s. it’s small and not that comfortable. my sister had it reupholstered years ago. what’s wild is this little guy was “the” chair in my dad’s house! the main chair. i found the soft scarf at a consignment shop and the pillow is one of my designs.

okay, moving on! the front porch.

i started out with a couple of plants, and praying they don’t keel over. i’m a green thumb wannabe.

see how cabin-ish?

here’s my lovely photobomber again!

my mom found this metal bird feeder bin garaging. it really should say “squirrel feed”, because they’re the ones that lift up the top of the feeder, and dig in before the birds have a chance!

love this little corner too. vintage lawn chair and fun orange/red vase: thrift finds!

that’s it for now. wanna come over? it’s certainly not perfect, but it is happy over here!

queen mother of all before and afters

pillowhappy — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:47:39 +0000

okay, so this may be an exaggeration, but, for me….this before and after IS the queen mother. for several reasons. 1. i wanted a mid century, clean lined , sofa. something like this:

but, this one, from waverly, isn’t cheap. and i am.

2. this marvelous sofa, below, was FREEeeee! on craigslist.

oh, and the 3rd reason: i love restoring things and hunting. walking into a store, and buying a sofa is boring. which, i guess, brings me to a 4th reason: i rationalize my cheapness a lot.

here’s the end result, after sewing with this inexpensive suit fabric, and cutting off the dust ruffle thing on the bottom:

the fabric is a little stretchy, and can be easily washed. instead of zippers, i used velcro. and i do confess that i did pin the underneath part in places. as a sidenote, my wonderful dog, brandy, is the biggest photobomber i’ve ever come across.

i can’t wait to use this guy in my photo shoots for my pillows! he’s going to make everything look soooo good.

so, this is why he’s the queen mother of all befores. and the queen mother of all afters.

for me.

i’d love to know your queen mothers as well!

i love before and afters

pillowhappy — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:38 +0000

before and afters are awesome. i absolutely love taking something and sprucing it up….giving it a whole new life! and with vibrant colors like this orange and happy yellow.

these colors are so mid sench. Yes, i said ‘mid sench’, which my sister coined, for ‘mid century’. everyone should start using it!

anyway, the white can is a primer. here’s the process:

i found this metal typewriter table a few years ago. and you know i must share my bargain prices with you, so: 1.00.

it has cute little rollers, which i taped off, so as not to get any paint on them.

i also found this beige desk lamp. or almond. this color really annoys me.

again, i taped off the metal arm, and a little bit around the rim.

then, i primed with the white primer. and i’m a one coat wonder. which basically means lazy and a bit 1/2 assed. you’re going to see some blotches. but not in the end result.

let dry for about 40 minutes. and then spray the top coat. let dry for 40 minutes. apply again. look!

bright and cheery. i won’t be pairing these together, but you certainly could! the table will be going into my sewing room. not sure where the lamp will go. you want it?? what’s fun, is you can pick up ugly colored, mid sench lamps at any thrift store for next to nothing!

i can just tell that they’re happier.

you’re welcome table and lamp!

weekend update

pillowhappy — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:20:27 +0000

yay! garage sale season is upon us! those who live in michigan are real die hards. when you have a garage sale, it can begin as early as thursday and run through sunday! wow. when i was in california and north carolina, you were lucky if they stayed open (saturday only), until noon! so fun.

what is it about thrifting anyway? first, i love the hunt.

second, i love scoring that cool, and unexpected treasure.

and thirdly, i love the bargain.

a typical funday (for me, not matt), is my hunting in the morning, coming home and displaying my treasures, and telling matt how much each one was!

so, now that i’m blogging, he’s off the hook, and i’ll be sharing all my bargains with you! (he thanks you all immensely!) here’s my fave of saturday’s fun time:

the coat!! it’s a penguin!

i was going through some racks of clothes hung up. not the greatest selection….but then i came across this coat!

check out the pink feather lining! such a bonus. makes me happy looking it. and THEN…i turn around and:

pardon my booty creating a gap there. my hands were in the pockets pulling alittle too hard! but check out the detailing with the buttons! (hope they don’t pop off!) not to say this coat is a perfect fit. nothing bulky underneath!

okay and drum roll on the price…….3 bucks! i’m beyond thrilled.

and i have to mention the sun pillow in the background as it may be upstaging my coat! got it thrifting the other day. again: 3 dollars! it’s beautiful. well, i was going to list it on my etsy shop, but turns out it’s not vintage. i peeked inside and what tag do i see? drum roll again….Jonathan Adler! his pillows typically go for 100 to 165 per pillow. now i got one! (like i need a pillow, right?

also this weekend, matt got on the thrift bandwagon and went to a pawn shop. and scored this wonderful drum! below is my mom playing the “box drum” (matt’s christmas gift from me), and matty jammin on the dejembe (pronounced jimbay…had to google that one) goat skin top and a hand carved wood bottom! it’s gorgeous and quite a steal as well: 40.00

my mom kills me sometimes. she loves playing and doing things like this. i love how she’s trying to play matt’s drum too.

as i found out later in the afternoon, i probably should be doing yardwork instead of thrifting and spending money. even if the savings is a mere 3.00. i went outside and came across the HUGEST dandelion i’d ever seen. seriously. i was, at first, overjoyed that there was a mum randomly growing next to our deck. HUGE i say! nope. it’s a weed!

this dandelion bloom is about 4 inches across! and the leaves span about 2 feet. no kidding.

my theory is that the dandelion KNEW it could get away with this major growing fest ONLY in my yard. and that i would probably enjoy it and not uproot.

i’m pretending it’s a flower. why not?

how was everyone’s weekend? let me know what cha did!

all things wood

pillowhappy — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:32:39 +0000

i’m a texture lover. especially of wood. when we lived in North Carolina, i found a freshly cut tree in which the owners said to take whatever stumps we wanted! so, i called in the troops (i.e. my husband, matt), to haul a 200 lb stump home! i heart stumps.

later, i was garaging in Michigan (where i grew up, and btw i’m back now). anyway, of all the goodies in this one particular garage sale, i saw some stumps in the corner. not for sale, but when i asked about them, the owner said “just take one”. so i picked out a perfect stump. flat on top and bottom, and just beautiful.

oh, and what’s crazy, is i drove this michigan stump 14 hours south back to North Carolina. And hauled her back to Michigan when we moved. and i’d do it again!! this one is not near as heavy. i can pick it up quite easily. Now, she’s found more or less a permanent place next to me on the couch. where my coffee goes each morning.

coffee cup from garage sale my mom and stopped at. 50 cents!

the next piece is an old railroad tie i picked up at Habitat for Humanity in NC. the price? 1 dollar! when i went to checkout, the lady ringing me up looked at me and said, “i can’t believe they told you 1 dollar.” i know! me too!!

and lastly (for now anyway), matt surprised me with this piece of wood below from an island off the coast of Carolina Beach, NC. i’m excited about this one, for i had wanted to create a bench or coffee table with books stacked underneath as support. but i also have kids and dogs and can envision that lasting approximately 5 minutes. so, when we moved this home, i found a great nook for this idea. we had two entrances to our kitchen. i wanted to have more of a window than a doorway for one of the openings. plus, i needed more counterspace in the kitchen. so, here’s what i did:

the two middle rows can be moved easily, so i can grab different books without the whole thing tumbling down. the two side columns need to stay put, so i made sure i selected books that i probably won’t read anymore (food books and the one on “sin” for example!) the piece of wood was just a tad too long, so i took the back of the hammer and “chopped” off about one inch. then, i wedged it in!

are you as into wood pieces as me? let me know!

show me your stumps, i’ll show you mine.

pillow people

pillowhappy — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:25:59 +0000

my newest pillow: meet rita.

okay. i love her. especially this vintage bathing cap. she turned out better than i had envisioned! (i love when that happens). she took quite a while; i had to tweak and tweak her face to get her expression just right. you know, that basking-in-the-sun-enjoying-life look. the cap’s flowers are all hand cut and stitched. painstaking, but worth it!

i honestly can’t believe these swim caps were an actual style at one point….but i’m sooo glad they were!

if i can part with her, you will see her on pillowhappy in the next day or so. i just had to give you a pre-peek!

my own minnetonkas

pillowhappy — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:33:21 +0000

now that my sewing room is clean, it’s time to make new things. but first, the all-important part of the process: procrastination. or, putzing. hmmmm….what i can i do to put off doing what i really want to do? oh, i know! make my own minnetonkas! (come on. you know you’ve wanted to).

i’ve had my eye on those darn moccasins for a while now. for those of you not familiar, minnetonkas is not a city in minnesota. it’s a brand for comfy, cool, bohemian-ish slippers and shoes. but, i wanted faux fur, or sheepskin inside. AND they had to be cheap. like, thrift-store cheap. plus, i don’t need them. i have plenty of slippers/flats that are comfy. so, when i came across this pair of soft lined “minnetonkas”, (these are NO brand at all though AND brand new), for 3.00 at the thrift, well….they were destined to be mine.

later, i scored this adorable beaded coin purse. 25cents!! eye candy for me, if anything. in the meantime, i had racked my brain as to how i can put some beads on my new shoes. i’m not a bead-er, and do not work with leather or suede. well, you can imagine what dawned on me:

so….i cut this cute purse, crossing my fingers that i wasn’t going to ruin it.

i decided where to cut in between the beads, and placed onto the tops of each shoe. and glue gunned. done!

i’m super happy with these. my own minnetonkas!

no more putzing. now i can begin my new pillows (phew). i’ll be posting a pretty cool one soon. i’m so excited to share it. have a wonderful weekend!