Archive for the ‘thrifty’ Category

PUT A BIRD ON IT

Friday, February 4th, 2011

The Boy bought this ugly little carnival style tiger on a geode slice as a joke to drive me crazy. He likes to stash it around the house for me to find and then hide away from him again. It’s a little game of rotating ugly tchotchke we torture each other with. Well, as he knows all to well, don’t be starting something you can’t finish because I will take it up a thousand notches and destroy you.

Hey there good looking. Cluck cluck cluuuuck.

So, Red McHennypants was found at The Salvation Army of all places. Marked as bric-a-brac for a whopping $2.95, after the store discount she was a great investment at $1.77.

Yes, I know. She is a taxidermy chicken. A vintage secondhand taxidermy chicken. It’s weird and gross, but now the stakes of the rotating ugly tchotchke game have gone way up.

Next time you turn on a light. BOOM. Chicken.

There she is. Waiting for you.

Maybe you want to sit down? OH NO, I put a bird on it.

Eames? Way more uncomfortable with a bird on it.

She lays giant black geodesic ceramic eggs – and looks proud to be doing it.

Where’s Chippy? There she is! Failing to hide…

I’m glad to report that it’s totally working and he immediately told me to get that disgusting thing out of the house. No way. You mess up my vignettes, I mess up your soul.

Also check out Portlandia, where you can PUT A BIRD ON IT.

FILED UNDER: thrifting, thrifty

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Thrifty!

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Whilst out thrifting with Summer, I spotted a wee bit of color poking out from behind some crappy motel style prints in the art racks. In all honesty, at first, I thought it would be some stupid motel art since the ugly crappy frame was lacking any sort of glass.

Once released from the stacks of pure suck, the piece was immediately recognizable as an Alexander Calder lithograph. Those long college years studying art is finally paying off, check me out – I can distinguish Calder from motel art.

I was shocked at the perfect condition of the litho, especially considering it had been passed along through all kinds of thrift store sorters and handlers and then wedged behind a bunch of schlock. It’s in amazing shape, only the mat is a little scratched and banged up.

The back still has the original tags and I used the DLM 141-1 NOV 63 to figure out that this was Derriere le Miroir #141 by Alexander Calder from you guessed it – 1963. Hey now!

FILED UNDER: art, thrifting, thrifty

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Thrifty + Bedroom Plans

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

I picked up a pair of these wacky ceramic Quartite Creative Corp. lamps at the local Goodwill, and have to admit I was sort of hesitant from the get go. Part of me really liked the shape and the muted colors and strange lava glaze texture and couldn’t just let them waste away at the thrift store. The other part of me, was like gggguuuuurrrrllllll – you are crazy. Those look like floppy condoms hanging from the lamp neck and these things are way too retro for the subtle shapes and clean lines of your ENTIRE HOUSE.

Even Bowie doesn’t know what to think.

Graphic chevron and cool? Way to kitsch? Pottery fun?

Apologies for Bowie overload, but unlike Iggy, he hasn’t learned how to ignore photo shoots. That big black clicking mystery box makes him angry. HULK angry. Devil dog mean wrinkle face – ACTIVATE.

So yeah.

I’m not loving it, but then sort of waffle back and forth since I do kind of love the lamps. They are in awesome condition, are very graphic and have a super sexy shape. Maybe they’re just not right in my bedroom…or house. Just like the bedding is a hot mess and not right for the room. The lamps might just have to be one of those functional things for now.

What really needs to happen is a headboard. Then lighting. Then bedding.

All of which I know precisely what I want, but are sadly waaayyy out of budget.

I want to go slabby, and obviously not like this giant awesome beast from Urban Hardwoods (since I don’t have $10K to throw down on a headboard). I do like the idea of this simple canvas bedding, although it looks like it could be very scratchy and impractical.

This knock off of the insanely expensive Potence lamp by Jean Prouvé is “the one” piece of lighting that I desperately want to install. The Potence Lamp from Atelier, at about $400 and a foot and a half too short, doesn’t look like it will be a realistic possibility.

DIY maybe? I’m not really sure where to start, but it could be a project…

FILED UNDER: bedroom, inspiration, lighting, thrifting, thrifty

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