Kitchen Bitchen

This is the post where I'm going to spend some time bitchin about how much I hate my kitchen. I hate the layout of my kitchen/dining area. In the 80's a guy who owned the house at that time did some really weird renovations. Like moving the basement steps to the middle of the kitchen?? Who does that? Then he put the fridge where the door to the basement steps use to be?? See the little half wall in the picture below...yup there are basement steps behind the wall. Who cuts up a space like that??

Now I know that the little half wall is there to protect me from falling down the steps...hehehehe and if you read below you will find out that I often fall down steps.... it is just such a stupid place for the stairs. Look right next to the windows and as you can see I have lots of plants and it's so hard to get to them. There's not much I can do about those stupid steps but I'm planning on doing lots to my kitchen this summer... new counter tops and backsplash... I can't wait to tile again!

Before you all start saying OMG your kitchen is soooooo cute, I would like to point out that this is by no way what Deluxeville looked like when I bought it. Someday, I will have to find and scan those original pictures I took before I touched anything! Poor Deluxeville sat vacant and abandoned for over a year before I bought it as a foreclosure property. This was many years ago when the housing boom was going on and there really weren't foreclosed homes like today. I remember coming to look at the house after work and needing a flashlight because the electricity had been turned off. I went home and called my Dad and he came with me the next day to look at it again. I knew the place was bad but oddly enough it felt really right. He looked at me and said... buy it. The blonde bombshell on the other hand thought I was crazy.....hehehehe ....now of course she doesn't but then she just couldn't see past how gross it was.

The weird thing about my house is that I keep meeting people who have either lived in the house, or who know the house because of the guy who did the renovation in the 80's. It goes like this.....I'm calling to order heating oil...the woman I talk to asks me where I live...I tell her...OMG she use to live in my house! I'm talking to the guy at the garage where I take my car.... oh you live in the loft house....I know the guy who did that...cool house. Eventually after I tell people where I live they will probably start saying...oh you live in that house with no front lawn! You're THAT girl! hehehehehehe

LAME-O

Yesterday at the end of the day, I pulled a big LAME-O and fell halfway down a cement flight of steps at work. How did I pull off this amazing feat one might ask?? Simple, I got the heel of my shoe stuck in my pant cuff. Now, I'm not normally a klutz by any means but I do suffer from klutzy episodes from time to time. I don't think I did any real damage but I took the day off anyway so I wouldn't have to be walking. There's nothing like having a little free time on a Thursday!

Vintage Partner

Some of you are married, some of you are single, some of you have steadies. What I want to know is....If you are into vintage as a lifestyle choice, is your partner also?? Do you need a vintage partner to complete you? Is it easier to live your life style when someone else understands it and has a passion for it too? I'm sure this question can be said of many interests? It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. What do you think?

I got my cd from atomic cheesecake studios and look how cute it is! And no you will never see the whole picture so don't bother asking! hehehe I'm saving it for my future vintage husband.

Clear the Calandar

Where will I be on June 27th 2009??? Yeah, I know this is like two months away and everything but that just gives me time to save my money for this auction. My Dad who also is auction addicted ( he is who I get this problem from btw) gave me the info for this one. Yes, I'm probably gonna have to save my pennies for this as I'm sure it will be well publicized and the dealers will be there in full force. But, I really, really need this lamp! It's a Continental Art Company lamp and would look great with the other two I already have. I told you about my lamp obsession right??? I seriously have a problem. I can admit I have a problem but I refuse to ever do anything about....that's right, you can't make this vintage girl give up her lamps. My friend use to joke that I could have my own airport runway.... ..hahaha... we're totally not friends anymore!

So, how much do you think this lamp will go for?? I ran across one here and it was going for $695!! My two current CAC lamps I have, I got for $40 each at an estate sale ..... something tells me that won't be happening again at this one. Now lets move on to the living room furniture! OMG sofa to die for! With a coffee table that looks very close to a Isamu Noguchi. Please tell me that's not a Moss Lamp behind the sofa....I might just die if it is.

But lets stop talking furniture for one minute to focus on the fact that I totally want the house! ( Read about the house) This house has never been touched or updated! A rare gem indeed and you just know some idiot will come in and totally rip it apart with cheesey upgrades. It needs me to buy it...a person who can truely appreciate it for the amazing arcitectual design that it is.

A lonely little ranch from the outside but come inside and POW!! A sunken living room and just look at that fire place! Wait wait is that a fiber glass bullet planter I spy!! OMG Ohhh I need that too! OMG I am so gonna have to sell one of my kidneys!

Mildred aside from all the fake plastic plants, tacky blue carpet, and strange dining room table you are my kinda woman and where ever you are right now (living or dead) I'm very sad that I couldn't have been related to you in some way!

So, who wants to come to auction with me??

The Gatchellville Store Adventure

Last week I ran across this ad for The Gatchellville Store over on Craig's list. A sale on bakelite! If that doesn't make a gal want to drive off into the country looking for Gatchellville, I don't know what would! So, I did! Now, I know I probably could have taken the more direct route to Gatchellville, but I have this thing for wandering around back country roads and getting lost when you have nothing better to do! Eventually, I found Gatchellville. Actually, I drove right through Gatchellville and had to turn around! hahaha It's a tiny town, don't blink or you'll miss it and the awesome Gatchellville Store!

Linda Sarubin and Carroll Swam are the owners of the store and couldn't be more welcoming! I was in love as soon as I walked through the big, old front screen door! Of course I made a bee-line right for the lovely bakelite!

Bracelets, pins, and buttons oh my! I said buttons right! Linda has the biggest supply of bakelite buttons that I have ever seen! There are buttons every where in the store. Linda has a whole corner full of vintage buttons in old boxes! Amazing! I now know where to come if I ever need vintage buttons for a sewing project!

I settled on this fab red carved bakelite bangel!

Then I headed upstairs to the 2nd floor where everything was half off! That's where I discovered this cute little atomic drinking glass set, at half off, a deal I couldn't pass up! I also spied some vintage dressing robes from the 40's and a couple pair of side zip vintage dungarees from the 40's/50's. Not my size or I would have snagged them up too.

Linda also has a selection of vintage barkcloth. I just couldn't resist this cute tote bag made from vintage bark cloth fabric. It's very well made, has lots of pockets, and perfect for carrying my laptop and work supplies! The Gatchellville Store has lots of interesting old things and reasonable prices. Worth a drive in the country!

After leaving the Gatchellville store, I headed to New Park to check out the New Park Exchange. The store isn't as full of interesting old stuff as the previous store but I did find something for my tiki collection among the shelves! I totally needed some palm tree stir sticks and a new tiki mug! And the cute little old woman at the counter only charged me $3.18! My tropical summer drinks will taste soooo much better now with plastic palm trees in them!

Here's some other antique places to check out in the area of southern york county if you want to make a whole day of treasure hunting!
Shrewsbury, Pa has lots of interesting antique shops. There use to be a really fab vintage clothing shop there called Another Time Vintage but sadly she has closed her actual store and only sells online. She had AMAZING vintage clothing! Also try Red Lion, Pa ..... Vintage JoAnn and Hometown Antiques. Another time Vintage use to have a booth at Hometown Antiques but sadly that is gone too. I could just cry!

Have fun!
Hmmm, I wonder where I'll go tomorrow??!!

Love/Hate

Things I Love:

• Baby Duckies in the court yard at the school I work at. Every year Momma Duck has her babies out in the court yard. The kids love it for about two days and then they get totally pissed off because we won't let them go outside in the court yard again until the ducks get removed. The science teacher always takes them out to a wild life preserve. This year Momma Duck had 14 babies!!!! I have to say it's very amusing to watch the tough high school boys stand at the windows and get excited over a bunch of baby ducks! hahaha!

• My two favorite yummy new foods: Quorn with cranberries and goat cheese and Rachel's flavored cottage cheese!

This 1959 Vespa Piaggio Scooter I found for sale on Craig's List $2500 and it could be all mine! hahaha I could just imagine what the neighbor's would say about me zipping around on a scooter all over town! It's so cute....I really need it...: ) It only goes up to 40mph so it's not like I could kill myself on it or anything.

Things I Hate:

That stupid Heywood Wakefield Dealer check out his ebay auctions...... He bought that for $550 and is selling it starting at $995......

Omg that's like the only thing I'm hating right now! Not bad!

Update:
I heard from my Dr.... I have to get a follow up mammogram in Oct. What they found is probably benign. No evidence of cancer. I was told my right breast is very dense! I always knew my right breast was much, much dumber then my left one! My right breast now has a complex and is developing low breast esteem! It needs a little bit of a lift to make it feel better. hahahaha okay I'll stop now.

Road Trip!

I am so gonna go on a nostalgic Route 30 road trip this summer! I've been wanting to do this for years now and I swear....this summer I am so doing it! Road trips are the best and I have been dying to stay at the Lincoln Motor Lodge ever since I saw the PBS series on Route 30.

I am a complete sucker for documentaries done by Rick Sebak. He is my hero! He just goes on these cool little nostalgic, kitschy adventures that I want to go on too.

Have I ever told you of my weird obsession of buildings that look like everyday objects and not buildings?? Very Pop Art before it's time! Oh roadside Americana kitsch how I love thee. You can find your own quirky roadside attractions in your own state at one of my favorite sites...Roadside America! So many cool places, so little time!