Winter Blues

At a chilly 55 degrees with showers on the horizon winter has finally hit Los Angeles and as it always does, just in time for the holiday party season, the cold season has caught up with me. One would think after all these years fighting the dreadful little bug I'd have my routine down pat but I don't. I never remember from one year to the next what works for me, most likely because nothing ever does.

Enter the 1801 Home Remedies book that's been housed deep under my bedside table for the past several months since acquiring it from me mum.



A good reference book not because it's helped cure my ailing cold, I'm going on day four, but because I learned a thing or two I didn't already know. Let's just say good-bye hottie-tottie, hello hot lemonade! Alcohol and caffeine will dehydrate your system and make symptoms worse whereas gargling with a squeeze of lemon juice and some warm water will create a "hostile environment" for the bacteria and viruses. And mixing the juice of half a lemon with warm water and a teaspoon of honey can relieve the pain and has become my new favorite nighttime elixir.

The remedies in this book mingle between slightly strange, suck on garlic it has a natural antiseptic, to the obvious "Jewish Penicillin" aka chicken noodle soup baby!

It's down to curing this cold so I get back out there and start thrifting again, oh and let's not forget styling myself for those fancy schmancy holiday parties!

Clothing SALE This Weekend ONLY

SellingVintage is having a weekend clothing and ACCESSORIES sale. The sale will start tomorrow but for all my lovely readers it starts now! If there's anything in the store that you're eying send me an email: sellingvintage@gmail.com - 30% off for my blog readers, Facebook Fans and Twitter followers. That's more than I'll be offering once the items are marked down!

Also be sure to check the already on sale items for clothing and accessories to be marked down even further.

Because I love you!

DIY Christmas Tree

I can honestly say I've never watched the Martha Stewart Show, I mean, that is until today when I was channel surfing and writing my previous blog post. Like I said... gushing over Martha today!

I don't think you know but one of my favorite DIY projects is using pages of magazines to make CD covers for the CD's I burn and give away around the holidays. They're also great as hip wrapping paper, and now I have a new way to use my old magazines - as Christmas Tree decor.

Here's the low down I learned from Martha and her guest.

Step 1: fold each, yes each, page from the upper outer point in like below.


Step 2: now fold each page in again, the page you're folding should look like a tie. Do this to EVERY page, no one said it wasn't a time consuming project!

You're hard work is starting to payoff, once this is done you'll see the tree starting to form.


Step 3: fold each bottom up so that it's flat and then tuck it in.



Now for the easy part.

Step 4: get out your paint, I used white because it's what I have on hand but they used gold on Martha's show and it was sooo pretty. Glitter is nice too. NOW spray away!


And voila, you have a pretty little Christmas Tree for your holiday decor.


Do this while you watch TV, play online, whatever. It took me about an hour, done and done. An hour and a half if you include this blog post.

Holiday Decor & fun DIY

Admittingly it takes me a while to get into the holiday spirit, admittingly I am still NOT and so it's pretty surprising, to me anyway, that I have hosted a holiday party every year for the past three years. I love doing it but this year it just ain't happening. I'm sad about that but planning a post New Year's party instead!

So, I was putzin around my blog roll yesterday trying to get my groove back in this here blog-o-sphere when I came across this post, titled "Return of the Martha Balls" by i suwanee. This spiraled me out of control into the world wide web where I found a couple of fun DIY projects for the holiday season.


I have a vision of my living room covered in "Martha Balls" sometime after the new year. DIY instructions for these Tissue Paper Flower Pom Poms, I like the sound of Martha Balls better, can be found here on Martha Stewart's crafty little website.

Along the way I came across instructions for how to make these Japanese inspired surprise balls. What a fun gift idea for the person who has everything! As you unwind the ball little fun gifts fall out through the layers. Imagine it, you're left with a pile of confetti at your feet - FUN!

I snagged the below photo from fellow blogger Sandra Juto who received one of these as a gift, check out her site for pictures of this lovely ball as it unwinds.


In the instance that you are just too busy to sit down and make one of these or not feeling crafty you can purchase them at Kisok for $45 or at TOPS Malibu, prices vary but are significantly cheaper.

But wait, I'm not done - I told you I got lost in the World Wide Web!


I hate to say it, I really do, but I'm totally crushing on Martha Stewart today. Check out these classic "fabric balls" aka Christmas Ornaments that you can make sans sewing machine. I see in my future Mulled Wine and glue!

Anyone care to join me?!

Palm Springs Vintage

Palm Springs is a meager two hour drive from LA but it feels like another world entirely. The desert air, the sunsets on surrounding mountains, the sea of stark windmills all wax off the denseness of Los Angeles. This little desert town where the yards all have pools and the architecture transports you back in time to era of casual glitz is one of my favorite places.

Full of Mid Mod Vintage stores and gay men with fabulous taste leaves the thrift stores here either scoured or sorely expensive for a reseller but I always try my luck because you never know what may have just come in the door, and the furnishings like the architecture pang me with jealous delight.


Ever since my stay in Paris a little more than a year ago that had us holed up in the quaintest studio apartment I've been a fan of vacation home rentals vs. hotels. So when my friend Amy decided to host her birthday bash at a desert pad I was in. We stayed in 50's Palm Spring style, the way it should always be.


I was able to get away for a couple of hours on Saturday and hit up two of my go-to thrift stores, Revival and Angel View Thrift. Both are a bit over priced but I did manage to come home with some cool new decor items and some fabric for a DIY project I have lined up.




As usual readers of this blog get first dibs on items seen here. These will be posted on Etsy tomorrow so if you see something you like send me an email at: SellingVintage@Gmail.com

DIY: Paint Side Table

Supplies: Thin Grit Sand Paper, Rust-o-leum White Primer, Rust-o-leum White Gloss Spray Paint, and the ever-so-useful Rust-o-leum "Comfort Grip", Painter's Tape

BEFORE:


These pictures were taken after I sanded the table down, this took about an hour and my wrist was killing. I'm totally investing in a power sander.

You can kind of see the awful color someone had painted this pretty little table in the past, it was the most hideous beige. They failed to even take off the hardware which worked out okay against the white paint I used.


It was so easy! The whole process took about two days but that's only because I got a late start on day one. You could easily have this done within 24 hours.

AFTER:


First sand the entire unit. Prime and paint. Oh, and don't forget to use painters tape to cover the areas you don't want to change, like the mirrors on this piece. And please remove the hardware, it takes about five seconds.


One thing I'll do different on the second unit - tape up the mirror BEFORE sanding the table. I can't wait until they're both done, but I am going to wait long enough to get that electric sander!

Topanga Beach Photoshoot

For whatever reason I tend to stray from acting as my own model. I think that's why I lean toward acquiring home and kitchenware vs. clothing and accessories. One of my favorite things to do with all these items is to photograph them, to put them into some kind of look book, aka blog, that I can ogle over even after the goods have long disappeared. But my love for clothing and accessories topped by great deals has the goods piling up, and me getting in front of the camera vs. behind it.

Yesterday Scott, Lucas and I took a trip to Topanga Beach and found an opportunity to put Scott behind the camera. I dragged along a few warm weather accessories and with the beach as a backdrop we snapped some shots.


Scott was more interested in playing with Lucas than photographing me (ugh!) but he managed to get a few good shots. I went home with less than I had hopped but pleased none the less.


Do you just love these vintage Charles David's? There were my Grandma's. I wish they'd fit me but they don't. Boo Hoo.

If you're interested in any of the goodies you see here they'll be on Etsy soon but you can send me an inquiry before that at SellingVintage@Gmail.com.

*All photos taken by Scott Dudelson