Vintage Find of the Day: Vintage sewing box

I got to run around on Saturday with the lovely Brittany Miller at Suzanna’s Antiques, a.k.a. the best hidden gem vintage market in Raleigh. Holy crap that place just keeps getting better and better (and bigger and bigger) every time I go. This perfect little sewing kit was one of the first items I stumbled upon and be still my heart it still has 14 beautiful spools of antique thread and a needle tomato! It comes equipped with a tiny key, a trap door and tons of straps and pockets for all my sewing tools. My quilting supplies are already nestled happily inside. Watch out everyone, I have become a full-fledged grandma yo-yo quilter!

****INSIDER TIP FOR ALL MY RALEIGH FLEA MARKET PEOPLE: Do you miss the flea market as much as I do? Word on the streets is that Antiques at Gresham Lake has opened up their parking lot to all Raleigh flea market vendors interested in selling while the state fair is hogging the fair grounds. Well, I was there on Saturday and I saw it with my own two eyes. It was glorious. Suck it NC State Fair!

Vintage Find of the Day: Yellow 1950’s summer dress from Father & Son Antiques in Raleigh, NC.

Very little work is being done to this dress. Its in perfect condition and only needs to be shortened a bit and taken in a little under the arms. I never thought I would be wearing yellow, but I am in love with this dress. I especially like the pleating over the chest. The hard part is finding the perfect shoes to go with this lovely piece…

Vintage Find of the Day: Small and medium-size green suitcases from Suzanne’s Antiques in Raleigh, NC.

I actually purchased these lovely cases last Thursday. My mom and I were out enjoying the sunshiny afternoon and suddenly found ourselves “junking” (vintage shopping) at one of our favorite spots in the city. Suzanne’s Antiques is part of the Vintage Flea Market on Durant Road and has always had a great selection of vintage stuff, in great condition, at reasonable prices. I have been in the market for a nice set of vintage suitcases for awhile, so I was ecstatic to find these. I paid $10 and $15 for the small and medium cases and will now officially be traveling in style. Oh and I have already discovered that the medium-size suitcase makes a great record carrying case. Yeeeessssssss.

Vintage Find of the Day: Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a new modern English prose translation by R.M. Lumiansky, 1948.

This quote by one of my favorite writers graces the first page:

“…If I dare to wish for genius, I would ask for the grace to write The Canterbury Tales…” - Aldous Huxley

Between its vibrant covers, the book’s 382 pages are wonderfully crisp, aged to a warm orange at the edges. It also comes complete with the previous owner’s neat signature, plenty of handwritten notes in the margins and numerous underlined passages. Be still my heart…I have not read this since high school. I am very excited to revisit it.

$1 at the Raleigh flea market

Vintage Find of the Day: 1950’s rainbow stripped dress from Father & Son Antiques (the best vintage store in the city).

Yesterday I had the pleasure of vintage shopping at my favorite place with one of my favorite people. This dress was hanging out waiting for me on an over-crammed rack of dresses and well…it was love at first sight. Its cute colorful stripes, puffy shoulders, and varied piping along the collar and sleeves create the perfect look for welcoming in the spring to North Carolina. The dress is big on me, but after consulting my favorite seamstress sidekick (my momma), I bought the dress and we are already elbows deep in needles, scissors, thread, and zippers altering it to perfection. Pictures of the final product to come…

Now I know why the Salvation Army’s tag line is “Doing the Most Good.”

When I was in Boulder, Colorado a couple weeks ago, I helped my sister lug this beautiful (less than $100) antique gramophone into her storage shed as a surprise for my brother-n-law. She had told me the Salvation Army in Boulder was usually chock-full of great vintage stuff, but who knew they would have an item as rad as this old gramophone? My brother-n-law, Justin, being the handyman that he is, is going to restore it to (hopefully) a working state. I’ll try to get some pictures of the finished product so you all can see the before and after. Now here is where you awesome Tumblrs come in. Can anyone tell me where we may be able to get those heavy old records that gramophones used to play?

Vintage Find of the Day (Item 2): Music booklet of the song Girl of Mine by Harold Freeman from A.J. Stasny Music, 1919.

Despite the hideous 80’s frame this piece of music came in, the booklet is beautiful and in great condition for being 90 years old. I am going to re-mat and frame the booklet to display the cover featuring a lovely young woman with porcelain skin and an oversized floral hat. This was another great (and cheap) find from Antiques at Gresham Lake.

Vintage Find of the Day (Item 1): Antique green metal flower curtain pulls

These little babies are quite rad and perfect for holding curtains to the side of the window when you want to let in a little light. Just $8 for the set at Antiques at Gresham Lake (holy crap this is one of the best antique stores I have ever set foot in in my life and that is a lot of stores - Lots and lots of quality vintage and antique items. Minimal overpriced ugly junk.)

Vintage Find of the Day: Red clutch with handle

Looky looky what I got this evening at the vintage store Moda Amiga y Rastrel Reciclatge in Valencia. I collect vintage clothing and accessories, but I have a particular weakness for le vintage clutch. This little number only cost me 10€ and it just happens to be my most favorite color.