We are consistently blown away by the style and talent of our customers and visitors. We will occasionally hear that they will come in to be inspired or to find a component for a project, but really, we are the ones that are in awe!

This is Kyle and when he pulled up in this vintage 'stang which turns out, this was his very first car. We begged for a picture and he obliged.

Thanks Kyle.

The Weekly Six

1. A beautiful writing desk with a cream patina, paired with a stunning french louis chair.

How about a hand written letter instead of an email?

2. Our sacred space.

3. Parisian style iron chairs in a perfect faded shade of turquoise

--a setting that awaits a warm latte on a fall day.

4. It's a season for layers. Elegant little dresses with chunky cable knit sweaters.

5. A pair of tufted celedon velvet side chairs. With these lovelies, you could be queen everyday!

6. Love these for a DIY project or simply for their archetectual beauty.

Guest Post by Stacy

Confession time. My name is Stacy and I am the daughter of junkers. Every weekend we were on the road to a flea market, swap meet, antique car show, or some other event where junking was also possible.

My Mom collected California Indian baskets, Navajo rugs and blankets, and pueblo pottery. My Dad collected everything else. Seriously everything. Peddle cars, Buddy L trucks, Ford trucks and cars, slot machines, gas pump heads, enamel advertising signs, black powder rifles, pocket watches with steam trains on the back, and on and on.

When I moved away to college I didn’t take the junking bug with me, or maybe it was just dormant. I collected floaty pens and books from the art museums that I visited, but not much else. I didn’t really decorate with antiques until I started receiving things from my great grandmother and my grandparents. But still much of that went in to boxes in the garage.

I hung my grandmother’s turkey platter, The Barnyard King. And I love having my great grandmother’s autograph book. The family treasures made me start to appreciate the trips we took, the people we met and the esoteric knowledge that was still lodged in my brain.

My French-made Turkish-style rug was nice but did not compliment my 1930’s Jo Mora Cowboys and Indians prints (from my grandparents garage). I was visiting Mom and asked if she still had the Navajo rugs rolled up in the basement and if she didn’t mind I’d like one for my floor. She had started collecting in the late 1950s and by the early ’90s she was ready to move on. She said I couldn’t have just one, I had to take all that were left. Several trips up and down the basement stairs and the backseat of by vintage Prius was filled with rugs wrapped in brown paper.

Last Sunday after Stephanie and I returned from the Sunset swap meet and our trip to Sally Loo’s I decided to unwrap the rugs and see if there was one I might want in the house. But I wanted all twenty five! Every one I unwrapped was my new favorite.

I narrowed it down to eight on the living room floor and one on a chair. And one in the hall and two in my bedroom. Each one is a work of art and I was having trouble with the idea of walking on them. But Mom said they a made for using and can’t be enjoyed while rolled in brown paper. So I will use them and enjoy.

I’m sure my brother and I complained about our travels. We wanted a ‘normal’ house with ‘normal ‘furniture from ‘normal’ stores. And maybe even ‘normal’ parents. We were crazy. Thanks for the travels and priceless times Mom and Dad. Now every time I open my front door I remember another junking adventure.

Aunt Fran's Divinity Fudge by Kim

(image source)

Fall brings more than just pumpkins and leaves...it's the beginning of sweet season.

My great aunt Fran (who happened to be diabetic) used to make the best divinity fudge. Not sure how she pulled that off, but I was always delighted to eat the results. She and my grandma would pack it into large round tins with layers of wax paper in between. It's a happy memory when I think of hearing the sound of the tin lid being pried off, the rustle of the wax paper, and the delighted smiles as we all got to pick a piece of the coveted divinity. This probably explains my fondness for vintage tins.

Aunt Fran's Divinity Fudge

21/2 cups sugar
1 cup Karo.
3/4 cup water

Bring to a boil, 250 degrees on a candy thermometer, until it makes a firm ball (not brittle).

Beat 2 eggs until stiff.

Slowly stream sugar mixture into egg whites while beating on high speed.

The candy will begin to lose it's shine (about 10-15 minutes).

Quickly fold in:
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (Fran used pecans)

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper

Just remember to never make this on a rainy day...

Remodel episode #1

About a year ago, we decided to break ground on a longtime dream of ours--an attic room. The original square footage of the attic was 945 sq. feet. For a junker and dreamer, this had been a long 12 years in coming!

Because we had such a long time dreaming about this said attic room, we really didn't have that craziness that a lot of couples have during reconstruction. It helped that we were able to talk about the new addition on a frequent basis, pull pictures out of magazines for inspiration, and spend a year with an architect that we trusted with our vision.

However, there were a few things that I was adamant about (deal breakers!). The first being wood casement windows (the retro kind) to match our 1920's house. We searched high and low for them, and when it was all said and done, we found the perfect ones by Marvin. These windows were probably one of the biggest expenses, but we don't regret it--they are perfect!

Ok, here's where the story gets good. The second thing we wanted was a stairway wide enough to bring up any furniture that we fell in love with. We couldn't make it too wide, as we didnt want to loose floor space, but it had to be wide enough. Fast forward to moving days....

John: So what couch did you want upstairs?

Me: The white one.

John: I don't know, that couch is long and it's a tight corner...

(Let me just say here, the roof had just been completed and we had recieved our final inspection.)

Me: Well, maybe we could crane it in and patch the roof.

John: I don't think that's going to happen! I will ask the guys to help tomorrow.

The next morning, I woke up to find John taking about 6 inches off our wall to make the corner. I then go to work. The phone rings at work...

John: OK, it's not going to work, it won't make the corner. We tried, how's about the brown couch?

Me: The brown one is not going to work. We now have three choices--the crane, you buy us a new couch in a shorter version, or you cut the couch in half and re-assemble it.

John: Let me call you back, I'll see what I can do.

Ring ring (about an hour or two later)!

John: OK, no problem, the couch is upstairs.

Me: What?! It made it up?!

John: Yep, I cut it in half and re-assembled it! You can't even tell!

I got home that day and couldn't wait to see if he really did it...and yes, he did! He was right, you couldn't even tell! John said he figured he would try, because the other two options were going to cost him!

We are now upstairs and there is still more that we will do...in time. But for now, it is perfect! Our perfect.