Design Ambrosia

Chair Dump

2012-01-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

Just some awesome chairs I wanted to get off my desktop and onto the interworld...

sketching

2011-06-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if anyone is still following this blog, but if you are...hi! I am going to try and post my sketches on here as I practice new techniques. Here is one today from my first time trying to draw in photoshop. I've got a long way to go, and I can't wait to see the progress I'll make if I keep this up. Say hello if you happen to stop by!

My Photography

2010-09-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I've updated! I recently started a photography blog that you should all check out. It's kara-rush.blogspot.com. Since I am embarking on this new adventure of professional photography, I probably won't be updating this blog much. If you like what you see at kara-rush, add it to your reader! And don't forget to leave a comment letting me know what you think!

Free Chairs!

2010-05-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

I love a good bargain, and nothing is better than free stuff. So I was STOKED when I found two of these chairs sitting next to some trash cans on the street waiting for the trash man. It was a difficult task fitting them into an old camry along with a baby in a car seat...but I did and now they are just waiting to be redone!

Show Me Something New

2010-04-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today I found two CD's from Isaloni 2007 that contain furniture images. The designs were, at the time, completely new...but to me, they were not too impressive re-dos. Who was it that said everything that could be invented had already been invented? Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the U.S. Office of Patents in 1899. I know, it's always easy to be the critic, but see for yourself the similarities between these designs by Sintesi and the classic furniture pieces.

The original Eames lounge chair

The Sinesti version, called Hipster

The original Club Chair S 35 chair by Breuer

And the Wassily Chair, by Breuer

The Sinesti version, Iara

P.S. I definitely DON'T believe that everything has already been invented! Otherwise what's the fun of being a designer?

Chair Of The Week 14

2010-03-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some new chair designs that I'm hoping to have finalized soon. When they are all done, I'll put them on here! But for now, here are some sketches I did a couple years ago when I was working at Ricchio Design.

I did a ton of mid-century style sketches for a project we were working on. It was so much fun! That is one of my very favorite design periods (if you haven't already noticed). My dream is to one day live in an Eichler-esque home surrounded by mid-century goodness.

Chair Of The Week 13

2010-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was flipping through some of my furniture catalogues from 2006. I was drawn to this simple and clean little chair from Artifort.

For some reason, as soon as I saw it, I was motivated to start drawing some chairs of my own. I even built up a 3D model. Now I'm thinking it would be fun to start putting some of my chair designs on here for an occasional chair of the week. You can look for them in the up coming weeks.

A Colorful Touch

2010-02-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

It's time for another COLORFUL post!

I love how the simple addition of various colored vases adds so much light and cheerfulness to this kitchen.

It makes me wonder what simple things can I do to brighten up my home?

image apartment therapy

Chair Of The Week 12

2010-02-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with the work of designer Hella Jongerius when I first saw her Polder Sofa for Vitra in 2005.

I visited the Vitra booth at Isaloni in 2006 and was happy to find more of her work. This week's chair is one that made me smile 4 years ago when I saw it in Italy.

The worker chair.

Image from Unica Home

ReStore

2010-02-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

During Christmas vacation I was visiting family in California. One night I spotted a book about redecorating your bedroom that my 13 year old sister had purchased at the 99 cents store. Although I had little hope of finding anything useful, I decided to flip through it. To my surprise I found an article on bargain hunting for home diy projects and it mentioned the Habitat For Humanity ReStore. Perhaps you already know about this wonderful place, but it was news to me. Immediately I hopped on the computer and searched for the website. AMAZING! There was one right by my house in Orem, and by the description on the site, I couldn't wait to check it out.

"Habitat ReStores are outlets that accept donated goods for resale. While every ReStore is a little different, most focus on home improvement goods—furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. These donated goods are sold to the general public at a fraction of the retail price to help local affiliates fund the construction of Habitat homes within their communities."

I just visited a couple weeks ago and was not disappointed. There is a whole room full of doors; they have moulding, address numbers and even books. My favorite part was that there was TONS of paint for way cheap. I got a quart of sage green oil based paint for $2. I also saw a group of giant modern hanging lights for $35 each and large unframed oval mirrors for $10.

If you have not checked this place out you must! It is so much fun! Visit the website to find out if there is one in your area.

Art Filled Walls

2010-02-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking of ways to fill the walls in my apartment. I can't paint them but I've gotta do something. Here is the first of a few ideas I'll be sharing on here.

1. Cover with art
There is something about art that just warms up a home. It represents you and what you love. Here are some pieces of art that I've been liking lately.

I love this one from Seattle Show Posters. I think it would be awesome paired with some really colorful pieces.

Weird, I know, but I love the colors! By Remed.

Found this on Stephanie Corfee's etsy awhile ago and still love it.

Finally, here are some art filled walls for inspiration.

Emily Henson on D*S.

Denenge's House.

And Chris's living room.

Olympics Poster 1948

2010-02-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love this Olympics poster that was on the Martin Klasch blog a few days ago.

Just goes to show how graphic design usually leads the way for product design. The starburst clock came out in the 50's. The one below is from the 60's (it's sold now, but it was from Found Vintage Style's Etsy shop).

This clock style is still popular today! Even Target has a version.

Forever Things

2010-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Over the last few months, both of the Apple computers in my family have broken. One is in semi-working condition now and the other is being repaired, so I have resigned myself to the PC (ugh). In my state of disarray, I have decided to do a post on things that DON'T break (or at least don't break easily or often). Get ready to get philosophical.

I can always count on some outdoor scenery to be there for me. Even if it's rainy like today, I can still find beauty outside my window.

What about a good book? That's not going to go and break on you.

I know I can also watercolor without worrying about breakage (and if something does break, it's totally my fault)!

Then of course, there is my family; we'll be together always :)

What are some other things that don't break, things we get to enjoy for a long time?

2nd image from artsjournal

Chair Of The Week 11

2010-02-15T05:04:00.000-08:00

Tanya Aguiniga is a furniture designer/artist based in Los Angeles. Most of her furniture pieces incorporate fiber or textiles, making them appear fragile. The Zinacantan is just one example of this. Although it's shape is rigid, the yarn adds delicacy.

Colorful Bedspread

2010-02-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing so many gorgeous COLORFUL posts on my reader. I thought I'd share a few on here.

First up, this beautiful comforter used in a project by Soren Rose Studio.

I want to try and make one, it doesn't look too hard right?

Stay tuned for more colorful posts in the upcoming weeks.

$5 Lamp

2010-02-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

Is this the deal of a lifetime or what? I have been so excited about this lamp ever since my friend picked it up for me in Layton 2 weeks ago. She brought it to me today and I can't stop staring!

Finn Juhl

2010-02-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

How did I not know about Finn Juh l until yesterday?! After 5 years of studying industrial design (and working for a furniture designer for 2 of them), the glorious products of Mr. Juhl had never crossed my path. But now I know of them and I am in HEAVEN! Just look at his amazing Model 57 sofa:

It is so perfectly modern (designed in 1957)! I love all the lines and the way the cushions contrast the main body.

Here are some more of his furniture pieces.

I love almost anything that is asymmetrical, especially furniture!

All of these amazing furniture pieces are manufactured by Hansen & Sorensen in Denmark.

Images from OneCollection

Twin Chairs

2010-02-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going crazy right now trying to figure out where I got this image! (if you know, please tell so I can give credit)

However, the blogging must go on, so I will still finish this post as planned.

Those lovely chairs above caught my eye because about a year ago I saw two of them at the thrift store that look very similar.

I've had that picture in my phone ever since and I have often looked back at it and scolded myself for letting them slip away. After seeing the beautiful chairs in the top picture, my remorse really set in.

Then I found this image:

And I thought how very similar the curves are to that thrift store chair on the right.

So my advice for MYSELF and everyone else. If you see something with AWESOME potential for super cheap, just buy it.

A Working Lamp

2010-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I bought this lamp and shade at DI quite a while ago. I loved it so much that even though it flickered dangerously I just kept it unplugged on my end table. Well, thanks to The How-To Gal's post about rewiring an old lamp, I stopped procrastinating and finally fixed it (with lots of help from my husband).

I also cleaned the lampshade, which was DISGUSTING! While cleaning it I realized it had formerly been in a smoking cat lady's house (ok, maybe not but it smelled sick and was covered in cat fur). I filled my kitchen sink up with warm water and a little bit of laundry soap, dipped the shade in and used a toothbrush to scrub in between the folds and remove cat fur. I had to rinse it a few times to get the grime and soap off, but it turned out great.

One question for everybody...do you think the lampshade goes with the base? I was told that the shade was too small but I want to know what you think?

Books

2010-02-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love libraries?

Chair Of The Week 10

2010-02-08T06:16:00.000-08:00

The Thonet family is famous for pioneering bent steamed wood, in the 1830's. The results of these efforts are beautiful, practical pieces of furniture including the famous Chair 14.

And MANY other designs.

But here is a modern interpretation of the wood bending technique by Stefan Diez, titled 404.
Go to the website and click on the bottom image to sift through photos of the entire process. Very interesting!

images from chairblog.eu and Stefan Diez

The Wanty Wants

2010-02-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

So, I've been loving this ring forever and I just need to get it already! I have an internet buying phobia I think...I'm afraid to get anything that I haven't seen and tried in person.

Also, just recently discovered this shop and am in love with this ipod touch case almost as much as I'm in love with my hot pilot husband.

Beach House For Rent

2010-02-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

This gorgeous beach house in Corona Del Mar is perfect for a luxurious getaway. I wish I had taken more photos to show you but I was too busy admiring! If you or anyone you know is interested in a week or two (or longer) vacation, let me know and I'll give you all the details.

Bling Bling!

2010-02-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

All those who are fans of glitter, sparkle, jewels, rhinestones, bling and CRAZY AMAZINGNESS check this out.

B.B. Simon in Corona Del Mar, California. Bursting with glitz and glitter like you have never before seen.

Horses head: $12950

Lion statue: $16500

Baby grand piano: $95000

Although, personally I'd rather buy a house.

Why I Need To Start My Own Vintage Store

2010-02-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

It drives me crazy when an item I've seen in a thrift store shows up on a website that is selling it for 10x the thrift store price. If I didn't already regret not purchasing it, I definitely do then. My goal is to make a way to buy and store all the cool stuff I see so I can resell it!

Red lamp at Deseret Industries in Provo, Utah: $5

Red lamp at Past Perfect in San Francisco: $(Not sure but more than $5, I bet)

Mid Century Modern 16" pendant light at DI (found on the same trip as red lamp): $7

Mid Century Modern 16" pendant light at Rejuvination: $215
images from Rejuvination and AtomIcindy

Feeling Loved

2010-02-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

Made by Matchgirl {hearts} Colorheart.

YAY!

See also madebymatchgirl.

Chair Of The Week 9

2010-02-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

This week's chair was spotted on an Apartment Therapy post about a shipping container city in Mexico. The chairs in their "cover" photo caught my eye.

When I looked through the comments on that post I found out I wasn't the only one interested in those cool looking chairs. Fortunately for all of us, some people were able to identify them as Acapulco chairs.
They are very common in Mexico and only cost about $30, but in the states they are $300+!

I love that they can be woven with multi-colored cords.

I just had to share this sweet background image from the innit website.

images from container city, oficina kreativa and innitimported

Me at Patina

2010-01-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a tiny peek at what Patina is like. To the left of my paintings are necklaces by Ritzy Misfit. Her necklaces have been on The Bachelorette, the Style Network and The Girls Next Door. They are really awesome, check out pictures on Ritzy Misfit's Etsy.

On the bottom right of this picture are sweet wallets by vintage fern, and under those are mason jars, each filled with a pair of scented crocheted baby booties! And those are just a tiny sample of what you'll find.

Close up of my Valentine's day painting, Heart Garland.

Chair Of The Week 8 (part 1)

2010-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

During my junior year in the Industrial Design program at Cal State Long Beach I took a furniture design class. Our professor Joe Ricchio (also, my former boss) arranged an excellent competition for the students. It was called Wilsonart Challenges, and was sponsored by Wilsonart Laminate. Grace Jeffers, who is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about laminate, traveled from New York to give us the project details and guide us through the process. She inspired us with an explanation of the company's history (including a story of how she saved this amazing house!), the many uses of laminate, the way it is manufactured and all of it's unique qualities.

Stardust Spectra Laminate

Project Brief: Design a chair that incorporates the use of laminate (as many or as few patterns as desired). Keep in mind that the winning chair will appear as a two page inside cover spread in popular design magazines. This means the chair design should be one that makes people want to keep looking.

Each student in our class designed an amazing chair! It was so fun to see all the variety. The chairs were judged by Grace and a few others, and the top 5 were displayed at the Wilsonart ICFF booth in New York.

Eric MacDonald's chair won first place. His inspiration was the shape of the sample chip itself. He ingeniously gave it dimension and rotated it, creating the seat and the back.

When I pull out my external hard drive I will do a sequel to this post, showing you the other chairs from our class.

Chair Of The Week 7 (Emeco at McDonalds?!)

2010-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

On my trek back from California, I stopped to use the restroom in a McDonald's in St. George and was shocked to find that the restaurant was using Emeco's Navy Chair! With a price tag per chair of $415 and up, you can probably understand my surprise. To me, Emeco is a high class kinda design company, not one I would expect to have fast food restaurants using their chairs.

The original navy chair was designed for navy ships in WWII and could supposedly withstand a torpedo blast. Check out some fun videos of people 'testing' the strength of this chair by dropping it from a 6 story building, catapulting it and even shooting it with a rifle!

Here are some other discussions I found about McDonald's using modern designer chairs (and even some talk about them being knock-offs *gasp*)!

Egg Chair at a MD's in Europe.

NYC McDonald's gets a modern make-over.

A flickr group of Emeco chairs found on the streets.

2 Pieces of Exciting News

2010-01-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

My new Etsy shop is up and running! You'll find my lovely watercolors, most on handmade paper. The new name is:

Second, I would like to introduce you to

Patina is a local art and craft venue where I have been invited to show my watercolors from January 20th to February 13th!

Here is a little more about Patina in the owner's words, "Patina is more than your average boutique. Our shop will feature a weekly-rotated group of local artists, small craft classes and a place for the whole neighborhood to come admire, purchase and learn about great handmade art.

Patina feels like a retail store – it’s open 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday – but with a homey, inviting touch. It has a great easy-to-find location on Main Street in Pleasant Grove.

Patina offers a variety of unique, stylish handmade items all in one place – and because the selection changes weekly, there’s always a reason to come back. Everyone who visits Patina can learn about the world of art – artists and not-yet-artists alike. Local artists/crafters/creators can gather to sell their creations AND learn from each other".

Isn't that rad?! I love the whole concept and am VERY excited to participate. Please spread the word about Patina; if you or anyone you know would like to apply to show your creative awesomeness click HERE.

Come see me and other super talented people Jan 20-Feb 14!
More pictures here.

Chair Of The Week 6

2010-01-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

I received a funny text last week from my mom's good friend Ursula.

"Since you've been on vacation, I thought you could use a little help with your chair of the week."

And attached, I found the following picture:

HOLY COW! Can you believe this chair actually exists? Haha! Thanks Ursula, I really did need the help because I hadn't prepared anything for this week :)

MCM style dishes

2010-01-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

Head on over to the Mid-Century Modernist to savor these delicious and delightful dishes by Maija Louekari. Finnish textile and clothing design company, Marimekko, has produced the pieces which are titled In Good Company.

Chair Of The Week 5

2010-01-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

French designer Philippe Stark is well known for creating products, interiors and architecture with a unique flare. Recently Driade, an Italian manufacturer produced a new armchair by Stark. I'd love to sit in this polyethylene beauty.

Chair Of The Week 4

2009-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

To me, the name Barbara Barry is synonymous with elegance and class. Her designs are flawless, inviting and breathtaking. Just take her Script side chair for McGuire Furniture for example...beautiful.

I had the good fortune of interviewing Ms. Barry for a school assignment. Needless to say, she is an inspiration. The advice I remember most is to be a "design machine"; always create and produce new ideas. Companies want someone who they know will never dry up.

Chair Of The Week 3 (and international searches)

2009-12-21T10:00:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I like to search for things on other country's Google homepages. Lately Afghanistan has been on my mind because my brother in law is in the Marines there. So I decided to search for a chair on the Afghan Google. Here is a simple how-to so you can do your own international searches.

1. Decide what countries' Google homepage you want to use. Here are a few that have searched on before:

Italy - google.it
Czech Republic - google.cz
Germany - google.de
Iceland - google.is
and (as of today) Afghanistan - google.af

I usually just guess what the ending is, or I'll do a search for "Italy's Google". But make it easy on yourself and look here for a nice list.

I thought this one was funny. Arrrr. Um ok, back to chairs and doing international searches.

2. Decide what you want to search for and translate it into that country's native language.

3. Copy and paste the translation into the Google search bar and hit enter.

4. Examine results. I prefer to look at images because I can't understand the text! However, there is sometimes a translate option or you can always use this again.

I hope you have fun with this! I think it's a great way to search outside the box and find totally new things.

Now I have finally come to the chair of the week! This giant introduction may not be fitting of the chair I found. It is a very unusual one, not attractive in my opinion and very bird cage-esque. However, I finally present to you...

Ya I know, it's strange. But to make up for it, I'm going to give you TWO chairs this week! Now time to unveil the second...
A very luxurious Arabian style. It's kinda growing on me :)

Wow, I learned so much about Google while doing this post! It ended up being more about teaching a search method than presenting an awesome chair, but I think it was worth it. Now go experiment with those international searches!

Chair Of The Week 2

2009-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week's chair is taking us back in time...to 1899. It's a gorgeous chair in the Art Nouveau style, designed by Édouard Colonna. Read more here.

I absolutely LOVE art nouveau. The art by Alphonse Mucha is breathtaking. Here are just a few examples.
Study for The Moon, 1902; Study for The North Star, 1902

Autumn

Chair Of The Week 1

2009-12-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Starting today I will be posting an awesome looking chair each week! I love love loooove chairs, and can't wait to find some that I have never seen before. So stay tuned for all sorts of sweet seats.

To get things rolling, here is a funky little chair from edra that has always amused me. I actually got to sit in this one at the Isaloni furniture show in Milan 2 years ago. Feels pretty good. Be sure to check out their site for some unbelievably creative furniture, Italian style (click on the 'eng' link for easier navigating).

Christmas Is The Time For Wishing

2009-12-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

anthro

Ornament Coveting

2009-12-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

Some day I would love to have a white artificial tree. And when I do I will cover it in fun vintage style ornaments like these:

from Pink Grapefruit Style

from CB2

from Hannah Bella Memories
But for now I will set up my tiny tree with the ornaments I got from Savers last year!

p.s.
I also really like this set of ornaments from Crate and Barrel.

July 3rd Lamps

2009-11-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

Remember when I wrote about this? Well, I promised pictures and never followed through. I figured I'd take some with a nice camera instead of just uploading them from my phone. But after 4 months that hasn't happened, and the phone pics aren't so bad...

The golden balls have been removed from the top lamp and I'm currently searching for some attractive replacements. Any ideas?

So Good

2009-11-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

This little girl has been so good! I know it's still a little too early to know her real temperament, but if she continues to be as calm as she is now, I will be able to work on my projects! Tomorrow she will be two weeks old. I love her :)

Stina Persson

2009-10-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am loving these watercolors by Stina Persson. Here are some of my favorites.

She is so talented! Check out all of her art.

Give your lamp a lift!

2009-10-03T11:02:00.001-07:00

Here is the lamp before I did anything to it.

Prepping is the most important part! Give the lamp a really good cleaning. Be sure to scrape off any blemishes; for example this lamp had drops of paint on it that needed to be removed.

Tape up the parts that you don't want to get paint on. I find it's easy to put the cord in a zip lock bag so I only have to tape the little part that sticks out.

Now spray paint it!

Here is the lovely finished product!

New Find!

2009-10-02T10:30:00.001-07:00

I found this sweet mid century modern table at Savers in Sandy for only $4! Can you believe it? Since this picture was taken I have removed the wood stain from the top of the brass feet (which you can't see, but they are about 2 inches high at the bottom of the legs). I have also sanded it down and am deciding on the color. I am still in love with this pillow I bought almost a year ago so I might paint the table chocolate brown to coordinate.

Mid-Century Modern Craze

2009-09-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

I have always thought mid-century modern design is the best, especially danish design. But today I spent a bunch of time browsing sites and looking at great furniture online! Check out some of the new links I posted on the right hand side, it's just the beginning of a goldmine of delicious modernness.

Here are some of the chairs I found on my google image search:

From: casasugar.com

From: ? (sorry my google image search isn't working right now so I can't find the site I got this from)

From: metroretrofurniture.com

Phone Update

2009-09-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

I just went to DI about 30 minutes ago. Once again I forgot my camera! But I found this table that is sooo awesome and I know it would look amazing if it were repainted. It's the size of an end table and costs $15. Hurry and grab it!

I know you can't see the details, but the legs have these indentations that are filled with a tiny bump texture. It's really great!

Dave's Gorgeous Bathroom

2009-08-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

This bathroom has been completely remodeled by my Mother in law's boyfriend Dave. I can't even explain to you what the bathroom looked like before, but lets just picture it something like this:

Now feast your eyes on the incredible transformation! Dave is so talented and Sheri has great taste and decorating style.

Dave bent the wood to make this cabinet as well as the white one shown above.

This ceiling used to be lower but Dave knocked it out and made it recessed for the chandelier.

I LOVE this shower with a jacuzzi tub. All the tiles have been cut and placed by Dave.

Dave carved this by hand out of a piece of walnut!!!

DI time

2009-08-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Since I slacked on posting the Savers items yesterday...I get to do 2 posts in a row! I know stuff goes really quickly at DI which is why I like to show it on here right away.

The base of this lamp is so hot! It's got white over-spray on it, but that can be easily scraped off. If you like the red crackle ceramic just leave it, otherwise paint this thing some awesome color! I'm not as stoked on the shade, but it's pretty easy to find another one. For $5 this tall (1.5-2 ft) lamp is a steal!

Ok this item is totally for art and design nerds. It's a light table! For only 7 dollars! I never had one of them, but my roommate did and it was great. It can be used for tracing drawings.

These globe hanging light fixtures were so big that I couldn't get a good picture of them. They are probably 18 inches in diameter. Oh man would they look cool over a bar in a modern home! I think they were $7.00 each, but it could have been 5 (can't remember)!

Love this Victorian style mirror!!! It was $25.00 and definitely worth it, measuring about 3 ft x 4 ft. It is breathtaking :)

What Savers Has in Store

2009-08-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I dropped by Savers in Orem to look for some lamp shades. Didn't find any of those, but here is what I did see...
A gorgeous glass bottle. I especially love it because there is this place called Gypsy Den in California where they have a ton of these stacked around. Here is a picture I found where you can kinda see the glass bottles in the top left corner.
And a close up of just one detail from the bottle. It was about a foot and a half tall and cost $5.99
I love this little elephant paper weight. The lines are so sculptural. It is only 3 inches tall and costs $3.99

A modern style wall clock. $5.99

I think this little end table would look awesome with some new paint and a fancy handle! It is $7.99, but all the furniture was 50% off when I was there yesterday.Ooo this rocking chair has some cool looking curves. It definitely needs fixing up, but the wood seems to be free of stain and probably just needs sanding, priming and painting (or staining). The upholstery is a velvety orange and pretty dirty. But I can just imagine how good this would look if someone had the time to spruce it up! $12.99 (again 1/2 off).

Painted Plate Tutorial

2009-08-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Check out this fun crafty activity! It's totally simple, all you need is:

-a plate (I got mine from the thrift store for 0.50 to 0.75 cents each)
-sticky mailing labels (I used an 8.5 x 11 full sheet transparent label from staples)
-pen or pencil
-scissors
-spray paint
-drop cloth or something to paint on

1) Clean the plate

2) Draw your design on the label. Make sure you draw on the front side so your design doesn't get flipped backwards when you stick it on the plate.

3) Cut out the design

4) Peel the adhesive and stick it on the plate in the way you like it

5) Set up your drop cloth and spray paint the plate with the color you like. Be sure to do a couple light coats so the paint doesn't pool. You don't need to cover the plate perfectly on the first coat.

6) Wait for the paint to dry. I used Rust-oleum Painters Touch from Home Depot because you only have to wait a couple minutes to re-coat and one hour until you can touch it.

7) When you feel like the paint is dry enough (2 hours to 24 hours later depending how patient you are) CAREFULLY peel stickers off the plate.
TIPS: use a safety pin to get right under the edge of the sticker then slowly move the pin along the edge. I had better luck peeling the stickers off when I waited a couple hours. On one plate I waited overnight and the paint was more brittle so it peeled off in places it wasn't supposed to. That could have been because I wasn't being as careful too so just be REALLY careful!

8) If you want extra protection add a coat of lacquer.

HAVE FUN!

WOW antique sewing machine

2009-07-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

FREE sewing machine on the provo, utahcraigslist! Here is a picture from the ad. I can't believe this person is just giving it away, it looks beautiful.

Age Cage Closing

2009-07-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

I just ran across this ad on craigslist about Age Cage going out of business. A while back I did a post about their store, which was a really great place!

The ad was posted over a week and a half ago, so it could be irrelevant by now. BUT if any one has the chance...stop by Age Cage in Sugarhouse and see if they still have vintage stuff they are selling at 50% to 70% off. I'm a little worried that its too late because no one answered the phone when I called :(

2030 South 900 East Suite F
Sugarhouse
801-486-4999

Introducing Kara Enterprises

2009-07-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

I finally started my online store. Currently, I am creating watercolors on my own handmade paper. I also find old picture frames and fix them up to hold each painting. Here are a few of the wonderful pictures Kaela of Bokeh Photography, took of my watercolors. Please stop by my Etsy site to learn more about each painting! karaenterprises.etsy.com

My First Chair

2009-07-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

I refinished this chair back in November, but I never posted about it! My friend and mentor found it for me by a dumpster so it was 100% free. I removed the seat cushion and reupholstered it with some awesome fabric from Home Fabrics in Orem. The frame of the chair is metal so I sanded it with some low grit sandpaper and gave it a fresh coat of paint.

Here it is BEFORE (I had already taken the fabric off the seat):

And AFTER:

Craigslist

2009-07-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

While searching through the baby stuff on Craigslist I found this incredible cradle. The person selling it claims it's from around 1920! What a find. The price is $75, pretty dang good for something that old.

GO NOW

2009-07-03T22:47:00.001-07:00

Velour (you know, that venue on University Avenue in Provo) is full of vintage goodies!!! TONIGHT ONLY until I don't know when. You better go because the prices are pretty good and they have clothes, some chairs, lamps, accessories, shoes and lots of owl wall decor in 1970's browns.

WHOO WHOOO.got the pic from balanced.

I bought two lamps there. SO STOKED ON THEM! One floor lamp and one ceiling lamp. I will have pictures soon. Love. me.

My Search for Fabric Pt. 2

2009-07-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

I should probably explain why I am searching for fabric...
The other day I was looking at some baby bedding and found this adorable set from Dwell Studio.
Since then, I have been hunting for modern fabric that I could get bedding made out of. I found this from JoAnn's fabric store:

Pretty cute right? But at $9 a yard I figured I could find other much cuter things with that price. I was right! After doing some searching online today I found Tonic Living and The Quilted Castle. The latter is having a sale through July 6th, making many of their designer fabrics only $7.99 a yard. I am in heaven.

My Search for Fabric Pt. 1

2009-07-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

I just found an awesome contemporary fabric website, Contemporary Cloth. So far I have just looked at some of their cotton prints. Here is one of my favorites.
Checkout the site! Their prices are very reasonable and they have great modern prints.

Success at D.I.

2009-07-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

I always have so much fun looking for hidden goodies at thrift stores! Here is what I found today at the Deseret Industries on State street in Provo. Before I forget, things go so fast in this place! One of the items I photographed was in someone's cart before I left. I hope this post is inspirational at least, if none of the items are left in the store when you go look around.

This beautiful piece of pottery is legit! I looked up the company online and found a lot of their other work for sale on antique websites. It was $1.50.

Cute little thing, only one dollar.

I realllly like this teapot! You can see the price, it's a great buy.

This vase is at least 15 inches tall. It's a great plum color so if you have plum accents in your room, pick it up...QUICK! For $1.

I guess I was into pottery today :) This is a ceramic planter, 6 inches around the widest part and 4 around the mouth. Also one buck-a-roo.

This is the one I saw in somebody's cart when I was leaving. And no wonder! It is super cute with so much potential for just $9.

Cute Table and Chair

2009-06-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Although I did have some trouble finding thrift stores on Saturday (see below), I did have success at the Savers in Sandy. I LOVE this Savers, every time I go there are sweet chairs and pieces of furniture. Here is a lovely low table with a cupboard:

It was about 25" to 30" square and about 15" tall. The price $15.

ALSO! I bought this amazing chair. The price tag said $5 but I talked them down to $3 because it was falling apart. I'm very excited to have a new project to work on!

Sorry about the picture quality in this post. Next time I will put more into the photos!

UPDATED thrift store list

2009-06-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend I tried to go to the Salvation Army and ARC that are supposedly in SLC. Well, as my friend had warned me (but I forgot) the Salvation Army address is not actually a thrift store, it's some sort of center for some thing (ants?). Haha, I hope some one else can enjoy that joke besides me :) Also, the ARC does not exist at that location, they must have gone out of business.

I'll keep you posted on whether those other stores actually exist when I visit them. But for now I'd recommend calling before you make the drive.

Thrift Store List!

2009-06-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

I have been casually searching for more thrift stores near Provo and I finally found a list today. The Thrift Store Whore blog is a goldmine of information. Here are the stores I will probably check out soon. For the rest of the list look here.

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF SALT LAKE 801-484-3401
2060 E 3300 S
Salt Lake City, Utah 84109

ARC OF UTAH 801-364-5060
155 S 300 W
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101

CROSSROADS URBAN CENTER 801-359-8837
1385 Indiana Ave
Salt Lake City, Utah 84104

THE ARC OF UTAH 800-870-9311
Spanish Fork, Utah 84660

I also found a good resource of thrift stores near Salt Lake on the Yellow Pages site.

Can't wait to start more thrift store adventures!

FINALLY back!

2009-04-28T09:36:00.001-07:00

I know it's been forever since I updated this thing! Hopefully I can get back into it and visit a bigger variety of thrift stores now that school is out. Today's thrift store is the Orem Savers.

From ambrosia rush

I always think these airtight containers are such a great find. Especially a matching set of 4! Prices from shortest to tallest: $2.99, $3.99, $3.99, $4.99

From ambrosia rush

This is one of those products that doesn't look so hot at first, but it's got great potential. With a pretty coat of fresh paint around the frame and a quick clean-up of the mirror glass, this would be one sweet mirror. It's about a foot wide and I'm thinking you could bargain with the manager on the $14.99 price tag because it is a plastic frame, not wood.

From ambrosia rush

I just LOVE this alarm clock. The tiny thing is about 4 inches tall and maybe 5 or 6 wide. It's a 24 hour clock so you can see the top section is for day time and the bottom is night! Plus, it's only $2.99.

PLATE TIME!

From ambrosia rush

I'm not big into knowing what brands are worth money, all I know is this plate has a really cool vintage design and the bottom says "Fashion Manor by Franciscan". It's also $1.99. Aww man! I just noticed it has an orange tag which means it was 99 cents yesterday afternoon when I snapped these pics! Not sure if orange tags are 99 cents on Tuesdays as well as Mondays. Well, since we're on the topic...Savers has a discount on a certain color tag each week. During the majority of the week items with that color tag are 50% off, but on Monday they go down to 99 cents each! Bargain time!

From ambrosia rush

These are just cute and perfect. The colors are a little off in the picture, but the bottom side and edges are actually chocolate brown and the top is a really pretty goldenrod. There were 5 plates and at a good price! They are about 8 inches wide.

From ambrosia rush

This is the last item of the day. It is also about an 8 inch plate and I love the simple black and white look. Also only 99 cents.

CIAO! for now!

You Don't Need These

2009-01-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

I stopped by Savers in Orem today and snapped a few pics with my camera phone.

Normally, I don't post clothing or anything like it, however, these boots are GREAT and I couldn't resist. They are size 6, Italian leather, and originally from Nordstrom. Price: $5.99.

I might be the only person who appreciates these. I can totally picture this 10 inch long bushel of plastic grapes sitting on my coffee table!!! And for $4.99...who knows?

art
This painting is about a 32" square. The colors are much more vibrant than shown (the yellow is so bright and pretty). In fact the colors make me think the painting was created in the 60's. It's $17.99.

Savers Stop

2009-01-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

I know, it doesn't look like much...but this is an awesome avocado green table cloth! It is a light cotton and perfectly round. The diameter is roughly 68 inches.

Some more sweet seat covers. There were three of these for $1.99 each.

No not a shot glass, but perhaps a decorative vase? With a little polishing this contemporary piece would look terrific. Grab it for $4.99. Oh, and it's about 6 inches tall.

FAVORITE ITEM of the day!!! I love these candlestick holders. The fat guy is $3.99 and the skinny is $0.99.

Savers usually has a nice array of glasses. I especially like the colors and diverse shapes of these. Prices from left to right $2.99, $0.99, $0.99, $2.99 (and that is for each glass).

DI Stop

2009-01-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

I don't normally post things from DI because it seems like their items get sold within minutes. But here are two cute things that might not have been noticed yet.
This eight inch wide decorative tin has colorful flowers and a raised gold texture. It's very pretty and only 75¢!

I'm guessing these are ceramic candle holders. They are a dollar each and would look great somewhere, maybe in your house?

Rusty MAGNOLIA's

2008-12-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

This store is SO MUCH FUN! They have over 40 vendors with antiques plopped all over the place. From the outside it may not look so appealing, but one step inside Magnolia on 310 E. Whittier Blvd in La Habra, and you will be convinced.

There is a huge "backyard" to this store with a lot of (sadly) deteriorating treasures. The above assortment pretty much sums up the back area.

How great is this table?! Made with large chunks of wood and branches, the bottom is a little awkward, but the painting on top makes up for it.

Here is a close up of the hand-painted flowers.

I can't even stand how much I love this painting and frame. If only I had $200 for it...

I've never seen anything quite like this little guy.

Brea Goodwill

2008-12-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

Last week in Southern California, I continued my thrift store exploration. My first stop was Goodwill on Brea Blvd. in Brea. They had a lot of glass items which were pretty nice. Here are my two favorite things.

This mirror is at least 30 or 40 inches wide. It is going for 19.99.

I thought this was a cute little box. It's 2.99 and is the perfect size for files.

The PINK Post

2008-12-12T11:14:00.001-08:00

I can't remember the name of the store I found this chair and the following sofa at...when it comes to me I'll post it :)

I love the shiny satin fabric on this sofa!

I had been wanting to check out Age Cage in Sugarhouse for a while and I am so glad I finally did. They have such cute stuff! And for a vintage store the prices are pretty good. This bowl reminds me of a sea anemone (which is a really hard word to say and spell).

So cool!
A week after visiting Age Cage, I found glasses that match these plates at Savers off of 7200 S in Salt Lake. I probably should have bought them.

I'm so happy Susan could come with me! Check out the rad pink suit cases she found.

Sewing Chair (I Think)!

2008-12-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

My husband spotted this sweet little chair at Savers in Orem yesterday evening. Its in great condition, just a little wobbly, but that can be easily corrected with a slider for the leg.

The seat opens up to reveal a place for thread and other sewing goodies!

Item Of The Day

2008-12-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

These pretty birds are at Savers now! On State street just north of Center street in Orem. They are $5.99 each.

Rush! to find these treasures

2008-12-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

If you hurry along to Savers in Orem, Utah you might still be able to catch some of these sweet items.
Unique paisley place-mats: $1.99 for 4

Place-mats with gold stitching: $1.99 for 4

Ikea SÄRÖ seat covers: $3.99 each (there were 5)

Intricate glass bottle: $3.99

ADORABLE oil and vinegar flasks: $1.99 each

Festive candy dishes: $1.99 each

Assorted glass candlestick holders: $1.99-$3.99

Almost airtight containers: $3.99 and $2.99

Red mod lamp: $4.99

Clear plastic lamp stand: $5.99

Antique Findings

2008-11-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today I was visiting my 92 year old next door neighbor and she showed me a bunch of her antiques and artifacts. It inspired me to look for something to display the early stages of my antique collection. While browsing furniture on GoAntiques.com I came across this beautiful Arts and Crafts chair. The price is $2000! But since I don't have money enough to buy even a $10 chair I don't mind how expensive it is.

It's style seems to be transitioning form the organic lines of the preceding Art Nouveau movement, making it very unique.

NapaStyle

2008-11-13T17:05:00.001-08:00

How many times have we heard not to judge a book by it's cover? Yet, when I first laid eyes on the NapaStyle homepage I almost brushed it off as it didn't seem to be my style. HOWEVER, I have been pleasantly surprised and am glad to share a few of their unique products.

(But first, their homepage as I recently view it)

These lovelies are handcrafted in Spain from recycled glass and range from $35 to $98.

On the website they seem excited that this ANTIQUE silverware is available by the pound. While that is nice, I am thrilled to find a resource for something so classic and quality.

I had a similar idea with the flatware...I thought it would be fun to grab all my silverware from the local thrift store. Although it took me almost two hours to dig through the giant buckets of kitchen junk, I didn't find anything quite as beautiful as on NapaStyle!

WAIT there's more!

2008-11-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

I have searched everywhere for this wallpaper and my eyes have finally been opened. Anthro has rolls measuring 33 feet by 20.5 inches for $198. It looks like they are actually sourcing it from Cole & Son, a wonderful wallpaper company.

More Beautiful Budget Finds

2008-11-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

This silver leaf candle holder is only $6 at Anthropologie!
I LOVE these drawer/door pulls from anthropologie. They have a ton of cute styles, this particular one is called melon and goes for $8. I know that doesn't really count as a budget item because you are likely to buy more than one...but it is so great I had to post it.

Budget Vases

2008-11-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

FÄRM VASE - $1.99 from ikea

Retro Pillow

2008-11-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

I just purchased this GORGEOUS pillow from Crate & Barrel. Next Comes the fun part of designing my entire living room around this one, inspiring accessory. It's got to be design on a budget seeing as I am a poor newly married student. The other challenge is finding attractive items in Utah County. The following weeks should be interesting as I scavenge for good deals and a nice color scheme.

Or maybe I'll adapt the colors in this photo. I definitely want a happy and relaxing room so I'm thinking greens or yellows.

Audrey Kawasaki

2008-10-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

I love the paintings by Audrey because of their similarities to Art Nouveau, especially work by Mucha.

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

2008-10-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Jay Schafer has been living in an 89 square foot home since 1997. Reasons? He does less harm to the environment and doesn't waste space. These tiny houses range from 65 774 square feet and do not require a building permit because they are on wheels. The one above is Loring, 250 square feet.

Cozy nook for a bed.

Easy to transport home. See more amazing pictures on the Tumbleweed Flickr.

Turning Poetry Into Art

2008-10-09T16:42:00.001-07:00

Andrea Schaffors, Boris Müller and Florian Pfeffer teamed up with one/one (formerly jung und pfeffer) to create a program that could turn text into images. Their work was used for all the posters and a book cover that accompanied an international festival in Bremen, Germany. This festival is called Poetry on the Road. You MUST visit the site of Boris Müller to see more of his amazing work. There are interactive options so you can make your own pieces of visual poetry. Be sure to spend time looking at his other interactive creations!

The above example can be seen on the esono site where an interactive cursor shows the german words that were used to create this piece of poetic art.
Medium: Print
Year: 2006
Client: Poetry on the Road
Team: Andrea Schaffors, Boris Müller, Florian Pfeffer

Retro Sofa

2008-10-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Check out this sweet sofa from raftertales.com. I love how high the arms stick up!

Cupcakes!

2008-09-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how perfect and delicious these cupcakes look! I stumbled across them while looking for interesting ways to frost my wedding cupcakes. Thanks to Soundless Space for posting these and other great cupcake pics on her flickr.

nano inspiration

2008-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am often inspired by the most unusual things. Such is the case with the nanoparticle. It's size and capabilities amaze me, and it's shape is intriguing. Doesn't it look like coral? see HERE for more.

Hair Flare

2008-09-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Custom headpieces and hair accessories by UK company Tiaras & Fascinators. You can choose from a huge selection of colors for the fabircs, crytals and pearls.