Seeing is Believing at the Madonna Inn

To go along with last week's little video tour of the Winchester Mansion, I thought you all also might get a kick out of seeing some of the rooms in the Madonna Inn, out in San Luis Obispo, California.

With 110 theme rooms all decorated in... um.... unique style-- from gaudy gilt to caveman kitsch, it's an eye-popping attraction! This is romantic decorating gone X-treme.

You can peruse the individual rooms by clicking the room names on their website here: http://www.madonnainn.com/features.php

(You might want sunglasses.)

Don't forget to check out the Caveman Room. Y'know, for all your indoor waterfall and leopard skin bedspread needs. It's where Fred and Wilma second honeymooned, don'tchaknow.

Anyway, that's what I have for you today. Sorry I'm running behind on posts this week, dear people. Sunday I was helping one of my friends assemble some large pieces of furniture and didn't get back home until it was too late and I was too unmotivated to post. 

I hope to have pics of her recent updates for you on Wednesday. Yabba dabba dooooooo!

Seeing is Believing at the Madonna Inn

To go along with last week's little video tour of the Winchester Mansion, I thought you all also might get a kick out of seeing some of the rooms in the Madonna Inn, out in San Luis Obispo, California.

With 110 theme rooms all decorated in... um.... unique style-- from gaudy gilt to caveman kitsch, it's an eye-popping attraction! This is romantic decorating gone X-treme.

You can peruse the individual rooms by clicking the room names on their website here: http://www.madonnainn.com/features.php

(You might want sunglasses.)

Don't forget to check out the Caveman Room. Y'know, for all your indoor waterfall and leopard skin bedspread needs. It's where Fred and Wilma second honeymooned, don'tchaknow.

Anyway, that's what I have for you today. Sorry I'm running behind on posts this week, dear people. Sunday I was helping one of my friends assemble some large pieces of furniture and didn't get back home until it was too late and I was too unmotivated to post. 

I hope to have pics of her recent updates for you on Wednesday. Yabba dabba dooooooo!

The Victorians Might Have Loved Thrift Shopping

As I came away with a bundle of unique goodies from the Red White and Blue thrift store this weekend, I realized: the Victorians might very well have loved thrift shopping.

I mean think about it: they enjoyed changing up things in their homes regularly, and transforming hard furnishings with layers and layers of textiles...

They were big on mixed and matched furniture-- particularly those in the middle class who couldn't afford full sets, but who still wanted their modest homes to feel elegant...

Along those lines, these were folks who, if they couldn't afford an expensive bronze statue, were able to mass-produce a similar spelter or plaster one, at a fraction of the cost. They tried to evoke a mood in their homes, and did it cleverly within their budgets.
I see careful needlework tablecloths and tablerunners, and imagine them being snapped up by Victorian ladies who loved to layer, blown away that they themselves would not have to spend hours tatting that delicate edgework.
I picture ladies in rustling skirts scoping out the furniture section and wondering whether that tea trolley, with a lick of black lacquer and some careful decoupage, would look Japaned.

Or perhaps standing there considering whether a few souvenir plates from around the country would properly display that famed Victorian love of travel.

I envision silver trays and serving pieces being bought for so-civilized future get-togethers. "Imagine all of this," they would say, "and we don't have to wait for it to arrive from the Sears Catalog!"


And then I see them getting in their carriages and popping off to somewhere like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Tuesday Morning, or even Pier One... Debating on which plaster bust to choose, what mirror, which rug.

I see them pondering things inspired by-- or made in-- countries halfway around the world. The selection! The possibilities! And so much of it so reasonable! You could travel the world and still never leave home!

Of course, today we can evoke the same decorating principles in our homes of our Victorian ancestors and not have to wear corset while we do it. Right now, those tablerunners wait for that one person who loves detail to come and give them new life...

And the silver sits in stacks, hoping someone will someday have the time and inclination to give 'em a good polish and allow them to shine once more on the dinner table.

So many folks prefer streamlined surfaces now. Most of us don't have the time to dust all the things that would go into a a Victorian home.
So for those who love romantic decor of this type, you may just find there's very little competition for the things you adore. And that's funny because given today's economy, thrift stores are busier than ever, with people in every aisle contemplating their treasures-- no matter what those treasures might be.

Even younger people seem less afraid of the stigma of buying used. I heard a couple of teenagers in line behind me yesterday talking excitedly about how they found a particular designer item of clothing that, "you couldn't even touch this in a regular store during a sale... not even during a really good sale...This is crazy!"

So while the economy may be bad, in a way, it's a fortunate time we're in, folks. Those veterans of buying secondhand finally get a chance to openly say, "Hey, I knew about the wonders of thrifting all along!" Dare I say, we might even be on the cusp of being...(gasp!) trendy.

The Victorians would have liked that, too...

Though I imagine the carriage parking would be a serious pain in the bustle.

• If you missed last Treasure Box Wednesday, click here for quite a mix of fun finds.

And as for this coming Treasure Box Wednesday, I'll show you why an unusually late start in day's thrifting seems to have made absolutely no difference in my treasure-hunting success!

The Victorians Might Have Loved Thrift Shopping

As I came away with a bundle of unique goodies from the Red White and Blue thrift store this weekend, I realized: the Victorians might very well have loved thrift shopping.

I mean think about it: they enjoyed changing up things in their homes regularly, and transforming hard furnishings with layers and layers of textiles...

They were big on mixed and matched furniture-- particularly those in the middle class who couldn't afford full sets, but who still wanted their modest homes to feel elegant...

Along those lines, these were folks who, if they couldn't afford an expensive bronze statue, were able to mass-produce a similar spelter or plaster one, at a fraction of the cost. They tried to evoke a mood in their homes, and did it cleverly within their budgets.
I see careful needlework tablecloths and tablerunners, and imagine them being snapped up by Victorian ladies who loved to layer, blown away that they themselves would not have to spend hours tatting that delicate edgework.
I picture ladies in rustling skirts scoping out the furniture section and wondering whether that tea trolley, with a lick of black lacquer and some careful decoupage, would look Japaned.

Or perhaps standing there considering whether a few souvenir plates from around the country would properly display that famed Victorian love of travel.

I envision silver trays and serving pieces being bought for so-civilized future get-togethers. "Imagine all of this," they would say, "and we don't have to wait for it to arrive from the Sears Catalog!"


And then I see them getting in their carriages and popping off to somewhere like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Tuesday Morning, or even Pier One... Debating on which plaster bust to choose, what mirror, which rug.

I see them pondering things inspired by-- or made in-- countries halfway around the world. The selection! The possibilities! And so much of it so reasonable! You could travel the world and still never leave home!

Of course, today we can evoke the same decorating principles in our homes of our Victorian ancestors and not have to wear corset while we do it. Right now, those tablerunners wait for that one person who loves detail to come and give them new life...

And the silver sits in stacks, hoping someone will someday have the time and inclination to give 'em a good polish and allow them to shine once more on the dinner table.

So many folks prefer streamlined surfaces now. Most of us don't have the time to dust all the things that would go into a a Victorian home.
So for those who love romantic decor of this type, you may just find there's very little competition for the things you adore. And that's funny because given today's economy, thrift stores are busier than ever, with people in every aisle contemplating their treasures-- no matter what those treasures might be.

Even younger people seem less afraid of the stigma of buying used. I heard a couple of teenagers in line behind me yesterday talking excitedly about how they found a particular designer item of clothing that, "you couldn't even touch this in a regular store during a sale... not even during a really good sale...This is crazy!"

So while the economy may be bad, in a way, it's a fortunate time we're in, folks. Those veterans of buying secondhand finally get a chance to openly say, "Hey, I knew about the wonders of thrifting all along!" Dare I say, we might even be on the cusp of being...(gasp!) trendy.

The Victorians would have liked that, too...

Though I imagine the carriage parking would be a serious pain in the bustle.

• If you missed last Treasure Box Wednesday, click here for quite a mix of fun finds.

And as for this coming Treasure Box Wednesday, I'll show you why an unusually late start in day's thrifting seems to have made absolutely no difference in my treasure-hunting success!

From Empty to French and Shabbily Romantic in a Day

Those of us thrifty folks do ourselves a serious service by planning ahead. I knew there would come a day when the friend who was renting from me would be able to purchase a home of her own and the extra bedroom she occupied would be a blank canvas once more.

Well, almost blank, anyway...
With just a few remaining things to pick up and take to her nifty new digs, boy was I glad I had developed a plan for the blue room long ago! And even gladder was I that I'd tucked some things aside as I'd found them, to decorate it.

The theme? A shabby chic old world French feel.. A bit pastoral, a bit faded, soft and lush and relaxing... A place a person could come sit and read a book, play some music, or paint.

Here you see a last framed artwork that needs to find its way to my former housemate, and a ladder waiting for me to hang some drapes...
The stack of prints below are from my own hallway. I'd taken them down so the movers could get through easily. They'll go back to their places shortly. They won't live here.

Here is my old black Ikea couch, brought up from the livingroom when the red velvet vintage-style sofa I'd thrifted recently took its place. This black sofa's going to get cover-up job done to it shortly. (Apologies for the photographed spheres... too much dust there for a second!)
The cover you see below was one I bought from the Salvation Army thrift store years ago and tucked away for just this occasion. It's got an elaborate pastoral scene on it, chock filled with minstrels and courting couples. I hadn't seen anything quite like it, but thought it would come in handy...

You can se the figures up close better here, with this romantic couple...

And here, with these instrumentalists...To cover the arms, I had a vintage pink burnout velvet futon cover I'd also thrifted some time ago...
It looks a lot pinker here in the photos, for some reason. It's actually a rather faded soft pink, like the dresses in the pastoral cover.

Here you can see I put up some curtains. I'd gotten these two years ago from TJ Maxx, at $16.00 a set, valences and tasseled tie-backs included!...

Here you can see the cherub and lady painting, which had been in my entrway downstairs, got moved to an appropriate placement between the windows, against the flow of light...

The music cabinet underneath it had had an unfortunate mishap when I'd moved it. The momentum of the cabinet door swung the door right off its hinges, pulling the screws away from the soft pine piece. A sad thing, naturally, and I cursed myself a bit over it. But I think I can fix it. It's really the right height and size for the area.

This French tapestry chair was a Salvation Army find too, about four years ago. It was just waiting to come into the blue room!

And you can see it coming together so far...
This large Italian tapestry will soon hang over the couch. This was-- probably not surprising to you-- a Salvation Army find, as well!...

The frame is quite scratched, so I think I'll gold leaf it so it will match the other frames in the room.

I also have some small lyre endtables, a desk, and a couple of vintage lamps that will find a home here.

I hope you folks enjoyed the little preliminary tour. Knowing your taste, developing a plan, and having a lot of patience is a great way to decorate a room with interesting items-- and not a lot of money.

• If you missed last week's Treasure Box Wednesday, Rainy Days and Roses, click here.

If not, I should have some other goodies to share with you this coming Wednesday. I hope you'll pop by to see what awaits.

From Empty to French and Shabbily Romantic in a Day

Those of us thrifty folks do ourselves a serious service by planning ahead. I knew there would come a day when the friend who was renting from me would be able to purchase a home of her own and the extra bedroom she occupied would be a blank canvas once more.

Well, almost blank, anyway...
With just a few remaining things to pick up and take to her nifty new digs, boy was I glad I had developed a plan for the blue room long ago! And even gladder was I that I'd tucked some things aside as I'd found them, to decorate it.

The theme? A shabby chic old world French feel.. A bit pastoral, a bit faded, soft and lush and relaxing... A place a person could come sit and read a book, play some music, or paint.

Here you see a last framed artwork that needs to find its way to my former housemate, and a ladder waiting for me to hang some drapes...
The stack of prints below are from my own hallway. I'd taken them down so the movers could get through easily. They'll go back to their places shortly. They won't live here.

Here is my old black Ikea couch, brought up from the livingroom when the red velvet vintage-style sofa I'd thrifted recently took its place. This black sofa's going to get cover-up job done to it shortly. (Apologies for the photographed spheres... too much dust there for a second!)
The cover you see below was one I bought from the Salvation Army thrift store years ago and tucked away for just this occasion. It's got an elaborate pastoral scene on it, chock filled with minstrels and courting couples. I hadn't seen anything quite like it, but thought it would come in handy...

You can se the figures up close better here, with this romantic couple...

And here, with these instrumentalists...To cover the arms, I had a vintage pink burnout velvet futon cover I'd also thrifted some time ago...
It looks a lot pinker here in the photos, for some reason. It's actually a rather faded soft pink, like the dresses in the pastoral cover.

Here you can see I put up some curtains. I'd gotten these two years ago from TJ Maxx, at $16.00 a set, valences and tasseled tie-backs included!...

Here you can see the cherub and lady painting, which had been in my entrway downstairs, got moved to an appropriate placement between the windows, against the flow of light...

The music cabinet underneath it had had an unfortunate mishap when I'd moved it. The momentum of the cabinet door swung the door right off its hinges, pulling the screws away from the soft pine piece. A sad thing, naturally, and I cursed myself a bit over it. But I think I can fix it. It's really the right height and size for the area.

This French tapestry chair was a Salvation Army find too, about four years ago. It was just waiting to come into the blue room!

And you can see it coming together so far...
This large Italian tapestry will soon hang over the couch. This was-- probably not surprising to you-- a Salvation Army find, as well!...

The frame is quite scratched, so I think I'll gold leaf it so it will match the other frames in the room.

I also have some small lyre endtables, a desk, and a couple of vintage lamps that will find a home here.

I hope you folks enjoyed the little preliminary tour. Knowing your taste, developing a plan, and having a lot of patience is a great way to decorate a room with interesting items-- and not a lot of money.

• If you missed last week's Treasure Box Wednesday, Rainy Days and Roses, click here.

If not, I should have some other goodies to share with you this coming Wednesday. I hope you'll pop by to see what awaits.

Treasure Box Wednesday: Online Treasures

Today, I thought we'd do a different kind of sharing today. We'd take a break from thrifted goodies, and instead I'd mention a few online bloggy folks doing some interesting things with romantic decorating, original vintage-influenced crafts, and food. Now, these are in no particular order. But I think each is a treasure in its own way!


Of Bluebirds and Roses
http://bluebirdroses.blogspot.com/
As soft as a cashmere sweater and as sweet as that cotton candy stuck to your upper lip, Of Bluebirds and Roses is a blog where you see the world through hazy pink lenses. Vintage ephemera, vignettes, and holiday decor, this site takes the pastels and whites of Shabby Chic and sets an outstanding example of the uber-feminine style.


Oak Rise Cottage
http://oakrisecottage.blogspot.com/
Vintage, practical, and with a flair for the sentimental, Carrie puts thought and an eye for thrifty collecting together along with discussions on literature, holidays and more.


Kitchen Retro
http://kitchenretro.blogspot.com/
If you enjoy the occasional kooky retro cookbook and decorating humor posts here on the Thrift Shop Romantic, you'll love Lidian's Kitchen Retro blog. There, every day is a look into the witty, the surprising and our gelatine-obsessed past.


Rose's Petite Maison
http://rosespetitemaison.blogspot.com/
All that glitters is, well... probably what Rosemary's up to her elbows in about now. Her papercrafts include a combination of vintage items, glitter and a romantic theme, creating unusual pieces of art for all occasions. Check out her latest craft projects, her day trips, and her flea marketing adventures. Plus, she's just a really nice lady.

White o'Morn Cottage
http://whitemorn.typepad.com/
Fly across to the Emerald Isle as blogger Pam shows us vintage decorating and photography from her home of Ireland. Learn a little about the local culture, and see vintage decor from a new perspective.


Cooking with Anne
http://cookingwithanne.blogspot.com/
And to tempt your tastebuds with some culinary treats, don't forget to stop by Anne's1 I mean, if you have an old Pyrex casserole dish that needs using, Anne can show you how to make just the right casserole for it! That and cakes, pies, breakfasts, snacks... pardon me, there's a little drool on the keyboard. Let me just get that.


Steampowered Rings
http://steampunkrings.blogspot.com/
A cool twist on the Victorian-influenced Steampunk trend can be found in Catherinette's jewelry blog. It's an unusual combination of vintage clock gears, Victorian beading and an industrial/technological feel to create these clever pieces. I have one of her rings, which is surprisingly comfortable for its striking shape.


Well, I think that's enough for this Treasure Box Wednesday-- don't want to keep you folks too glued to your computer as this Fourth of July holiday approaches!

• If you missed Sunday's post, Variety with Vignettes, you can check that out here.

Otherwise, I'll see you next on Monday of this coming week-- I myself have guests coming this holiday, so I won't have time to post until then.

Thanks muchly for visiting, folks! And for my U.S. readers, have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Online Treasures

Today, I thought we'd do a different kind of sharing today. We'd take a break from thrifted goodies, and instead I'd mention a few online bloggy folks doing some interesting things with romantic decorating, original vintage-influenced crafts, and food. Now, these are in no particular order. But I think each is a treasure in its own way!


Of Bluebirds and Roses
http://bluebirdroses.blogspot.com/
As soft as a cashmere sweater and as sweet as that cotton candy stuck to your upper lip, Of Bluebirds and Roses is a blog where you see the world through hazy pink lenses. Vintage ephemera, vignettes, and holiday decor, this site takes the pastels and whites of Shabby Chic and sets an outstanding example of the uber-feminine style.


Oak Rise Cottage
http://oakrisecottage.blogspot.com/
Vintage, practical, and with a flair for the sentimental, Carrie puts thought and an eye for thrifty collecting together along with discussions on literature, holidays and more.


Kitchen Retro
http://kitchenretro.blogspot.com/
If you enjoy the occasional kooky retro cookbook and decorating humor posts here on the Thrift Shop Romantic, you'll love Lidian's Kitchen Retro blog. There, every day is a look into the witty, the surprising and our gelatine-obsessed past.


Rose's Petite Maison
http://rosespetitemaison.blogspot.com/
All that glitters is, well... probably what Rosemary's up to her elbows in about now. Her papercrafts include a combination of vintage items, glitter and a romantic theme, creating unusual pieces of art for all occasions. Check out her latest craft projects, her day trips, and her flea marketing adventures. Plus, she's just a really nice lady.

White o'Morn Cottage
http://whitemorn.typepad.com/
Fly across to the Emerald Isle as blogger Pam shows us vintage decorating and photography from her home of Ireland. Learn a little about the local culture, and see vintage decor from a new perspective.


Cooking with Anne
http://cookingwithanne.blogspot.com/
And to tempt your tastebuds with some culinary treats, don't forget to stop by Anne's1 I mean, if you have an old Pyrex casserole dish that needs using, Anne can show you how to make just the right casserole for it! That and cakes, pies, breakfasts, snacks... pardon me, there's a little drool on the keyboard. Let me just get that.


Steampowered Rings
http://steampunkrings.blogspot.com/
A cool twist on the Victorian-influenced Steampunk trend can be found in Catherinette's jewelry blog. It's an unusual combination of vintage clock gears, Victorian beading and an industrial/technological feel to create these clever pieces. I have one of her rings, which is surprisingly comfortable for its striking shape.


Well, I think that's enough for this Treasure Box Wednesday-- don't want to keep you folks too glued to your computer as this Fourth of July holiday approaches!

• If you missed Sunday's post, Variety with Vignettes, you can check that out here.

Otherwise, I'll see you next on Monday of this coming week-- I myself have guests coming this holiday, so I won't have time to post until then.

Thanks muchly for visiting, folks! And for my U.S. readers, have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Variety with Vignettes

If you're a clean surfaces sort of person, vignettes are probably not your style. And I absolutely respect the idea of minimalism-- nothing to move and nothing to dust.

But I've found such fun things at thrift stores, flea markets and antique malls, I do love a good sideboard vignette. It's a great way of taking many different items and connecting them together.

Today, I'll show you just a few of the nutty and colorful combos I've put together in the house.

First we'll go into my bedroom. The post is late today because I was actually doing a cleaning marathon-- trying to get some of these things tidied up as my friend Josette's coming to visit over the Fourth. This is the quirky collection that's on my 40s hamper top...

Art nouveau style frames (featuring a young Gregory Peck!) and scent bottles have been paired with a nouveau bust of Scheherezade, who's styling one of my garage sale hats. Behind her is a vintage mirror I'd painted up, to reflect light and add interest. It's weird, and way colorful, I know. But I think somehow it works.

Now this is on top of one of my dressers...


The dolls were my mother's and my great aunt's. Paired with a set of thrift store vintage figurines, and a 30s lamp, they're all from about the same time period and the colors seem to connect. That's one of the easy ways to tie different items together-- color. The right color makes all the difference.

Like here. You might remember, I got this 40s bleeding heart still-life print just a few weeks ago for a couple of bucks at a flea market. I've put it on one of the shelves of my clothes wardrobe, along with a vintage box of soaps and my grandmother's perfume bottle...


That peachy-pink connects all of them visually, I think. And so somehow they really seem to go together.

This shelf showcases a vintage dresser box I picked up at the Salvation Army, along with my great aunt's candy dish and a perfume bottle my mother had gotten me...


Again, color seems to tie in the candy dish and perfume bottle. And it's amazing what colors get brought out in a print, depending on what it's sitting next to.

The last shelf is pretty simple. Just another perfume bottle, some home-grown photography in a K-Mart frame, and a lovely little box one of my coworkers had kindly brought me from India.


Now here, this is the table I've been working on for Josette's arrival. I've been trying to work with the fairies-and-chintz theme I'd showed you a week or so ago on the mantle...


Lots of pattern here! More, actually, than I usually tend to do with things-- which is why I've gone for the shiny aluminum bowls and cups.

To tie in the chintz plates from the mantle, I fit one last plate into the centerpiece display, along with some cheery birds...


The candlesticks and central bowl, with the fairies on them, were Salvation Army and Red White and Blue finds. I'd gotten them separately over time, though they do match.


Lastly, I thought you might like to see this little vignette in the entry way. The lamp and plate seem to really go together. The colors, the general style...

I had forgotten how old the plate was... 1906! Back from when Pittsburgh didn't even have an 'h' in it!...

Well, that about wraps it up for me today. I've been working for about 7 hours straight on things here at Waterhouse and need to grab a little dinner. (Not on the plate above.)

Hope you all have a terrific remainder to your Sunday, and that I'll see you again soon!

• If you missed Wednesday's post "Ahoy, Thar Be Treasure This Wednesday" and would like a peek at my dad's unusual Father's Day gift, click here.

Otherwise, keep cool and have a great week!