Gather & Collect

I can’t believe it’s been a full 4 months since my last blog post. When I realized this I was shocked and saddened because I’m not much of a slacker so I couldn’t believe I let this slide for so long. I think it was a combination of not being greatly inspired, busy and just unsure of the direction I wanted to take the blog. So, for now I’m just going to stop thinking and just do it.

Today I LOVE the color blue. To tell you the truth, I always love the color blue, in all shades possible. I love blue skies, blue eyes, vintage blue glassware, blue velvet couches and blue blue oceans. So here is an ode to blue…

The color blue helps keep me afloat during these dreary winter months. Do you find a certain color has that same effect on you?

Well, it’s my youngest’s 6th birthday today (oye!) so we’re off to get her ears pierced;) Have a great weekend and cheers to a vintage life well lived!

Last night I was having a little fun creating rooms inspired by various vintage items we have in the store.  It’s kind of a fun exercise and I found that really the options are endless.  So here’s where I found my inspiration for todays design board:

We have some really beautiful vintage tins that are great for hiding little trinkets in the bedroom, kitchen, etc.  The colors on this particular one are so lively yet comforting.  So I gave it a go and this is what I came up with:

I’m not completely sure what the wall color would be.  Maybe a beautiful pale pink, or even leaving them a creamy white while adding some long gold toned drapes on the windows. What do you think?  Could you live in this vintage tin inspired room?  Or maybe just living in a vintage tin is more your style;)  Somedays that doesn’t sound so bad.  For today I’m going to pretend I live in this room all by myself…

Cheers to a vintage life well lived.

Jessica and Julie

I came across this great house tour a week or so ago.  Some of you Apartment Therapy readers may recognize it, but I thought it was worthy of sharing for a little Monday morning inspiration.  I’m hoping that once the kids are in school a little mental space will be freed up and I’ll be blogging on a regular basis once again.  For now we’ll just take it as it comes.

Anyhow, this home has such a great feel to it.  Don’t you think?

(found here)

I think that might be my dream entryway.  I’ve always dreamed of having an entry big enough for a long bench and wide enough to not feel as if you’re in your guests face as soon as they enter your home.  And I love the sparing decor and general earthy vibe of the space.  But alas, we will not have that sort of entryway anytime soon.  And…life goes on;)  Happy Monday!

Cheers to a vintage life well lived.

Jessica and Julie

Desyrel

Like everyone else in the world, I swear I receive a bizillion catalogs every week for stores I’ve never even shopped at. One for instance is Land of Nod. Sure, I’ve thumbed through their catalogs and their stuff is cute and all, but I never find anything exciting enough to actually purchase. Last week however, was a different story.

They must have gotten a new set of merchandise designers and or stylists because I thought their latest catalog was pretty fantastic, especially since it included Camp Wandawega. The styling included loads and loads of great vintage details. Take a look, but before you do be warned that these photos are pretty horrendous! They were taken from a crumpled up catalog with an iphone. Hey, I was just working with what I had.

Talk about a feel good catalog!

I’m always a sucker for a good boys room, especially if it includes plaid or stripes, so the last 3 images absolutely killed me when I saw them. I just might have to order my son those fantastic plaid sheets. And the styling of the last few images is great!

After flipping through this catalog I was quickly reminded that a few months ago we had a customer who is a prop stylist for Land of Nod (and a few other stores) and was buying vintage props for Land of Nod window displays here in the area. I just might need to take a trip to the Oak Brook store and check out the displays.

I swear that every last vintage detail you can find in this catalog, we probably carry or have carried in our store. Basically, this catalog is Gather & Collect approved.

So, here’s a nod to the Land of Nod and cheers to a vintage life well lived.

Jessica and Julie

Isn’t this an amazing art wall? And the room, it just feels so good.

(found here)

I find images like this completely inspiring. Lovely art, lovely furniture, lovely light. And none of it is high end or precious. But everything is pulled together in just the right way.

Cheers to a vintage life well lived.

Jessica and Julie

Remember this post I did last week creating this mood board around one of our red tables found in the store?

Well, I came across this room that was nearly identical in color palette and feel to that mood board, so I thought I’d share.

(via)

And take a look at that great paint by number above the bed (in the “forest” mind you;). See, EVERY room looks and feels better with a little vintage mixed in. It keeps things from looking predictable and boring. Experiment with color and pattern. Mix colors and texture you never thought would look good together. Break the rules and have fun doing it!

Cheers to a vintage life well lived.

Jessica and Julie

I decided to give myself a design challenge this week. I thought it would be fun to take a piece from our store and incorporate it into two very different bedroom mood boards.

So here’s the piece I decided to start with this week. This red side table is just so poppy, versatile and fun and I wanted to show how it could be used in very different spaces.

First, I tried incorporating the red table into a fun, lively modern yet bohemian feeling room. The room feels zesty yet mellow. I imagined snow white walls with charcoal grey floor to ceiling drapes. The rug, ceiling and headboard are modern in feel, but adding the vintage side table, art work and dresser really ground the space and make it feel warm and inviting. This might actually be my dream room (after all I did just purchase the rug for my bedroom;).

Next, I wanted to create a more sophisticated space using the same table. You’ll notice I also reused the vintage artwork and sunburst mirror since these items are solid design pieces that transfer well into the new space. The walls in this space could go dark or light, depending on the amount of natural light and millwork involved.

I really love the feel the rug gives the space. Everything else just sort of fell into place. I could very possibly obsess over this room as well.

Well that was fun, don’t you think? Let me know if there’s a specific piece you’ve seen in the store that you’d like me to play around with and if you think this should be a weekly post. That’s all I need is another interwebs obsession;)

Cheers to a vintage life well lived.

Jessica and Julie

If you’ve been to our store…ever, then you know how much we love scarves. We have them EVERYWHERE. So I thought I share some fun ideas you can explore with vintage scarves.

(All images via pinterest)

Who knew a $7 accessory could have so many uses. Yup, you read that right. Nearly all of our vintage scarves are $7. So stop on by and see what suits your fancy.

Cheers to a vintage life well lived.

Jessica and Julie

How many of you saw the photos that Julie posted on our facebook page of her amazing collections? If you haven’t already, sneak over there and have a peek. They’re pretty fun.

I’m not quite the collector that Julie is. I don’t have the tolerance for clutter although I wish I did because I do love all the beautiful vintage what nots that I find in my hunts. Instead I tend to collect things that can be put up and out of the way. My collections include vintage purses, vintage jewelry, vintage pastoral paintings, vintage paint by numbers, vintage lamps, vintage mirrors and I’ve recently started a collection of large vintage clam shells. If I can get my act together I post some photos of my collections as well.

Until then, here are some beautiful pictures of other collectors vintage collections.

(all images found on pinterest)

What do you like to collect and why?

Cheers to a vintage life well lived.

Jessica and Julie

Hasn’t this week just been glorious! I’ve really been enjoying my summer (I sound like a broken record) and am one of those who dread when it comes to an end. I love the warmth of the sun, days at the pool, going on runs with my kids and taking care of my gardens.

On that note, today we would like to say “thank-you” to all of our terrific customers!

Whether you realize it or not we appreciate your creativity, open mind and most importantly the support you have given us this past year. Actually this gratitude extends to our friends and families as well who have shown us patience, support and storage space. We are so thankful!

One of our great customers, Kelly of KellyAllison Photography, forwarded me some images from a recent photo shoot. She is a fantastic person, mother, photographer and customer and we would like to share her talent with you.

(red coffee mugs from Gather & Collect)

(Red White and Blue tablecloth from Gather & Collect)

(Full blog post here)

Kelly also did the photography for the Apartment Therapy write up a few month back, so you might recognize her name from that blog post as well. So, if you’re in the market for a family, event or commercial photographer she’s your gal! Check her out here!

Cheers to a vintage life well lived,

Jessica and Julie