Friday, August 30, 2013

Friday's Great Idea!

Use an old wheel barrow as a make shift fire pit!
How cool is this? This may be too primitive for some of you but if you follow this blog, I doubt it. Sometimes I am amazed at the comments I receive on Facebook saying, "That looks dirty, or too shabby or egads!" My response (to myself of course) is "Why do you follow this page if you don't like the vintage look??!!" I admit, I delete those comments immediately because I want people to get it and not be turned off by some of these informal ideas. My style is definitely not for the traditionalist.

Who doesn't love sitting around a fire on a chilly fall night? Pinterest is loaded with every fire pit idea you can image but I especially liked this one because it is so clever, unexpected and inexpensive! Drag the hay bales around this, get the smores ready and wait for fall!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Hurry Fall

TINY HAND ASHTRAY, $17.95
This week I have added a few more items to the website. Some have already sold so if you want to know about new items it is best to follow me on Facebook or sign up for our email list here. I post items as they come in but sometimes customers buy them before I can announce their arrival. 

The summer heat has finally reached Kansas City. This picture below reminds me of how anxious I am for the Fall and all the wonderful antique shows that make it my favorite time of year. Enjoy the Labor Day weekend and stay tuned for more goodies to come! -Deb

From my friends at THE SEED BOX ANTIQUES
VICTORIAN MIRROR, $58.00
CHUNKY PEARL NECKLACE, $22
BROWN METAL GOOSENECK LAMP, $39.95
FIVE ANTIQUE STYLE BRACELETS, SOLD OUT!
BIRDS & FLOWERS FRAME, $42.95
SET OF 3, MILK GLASS CANISTERS, $26.95
MINI BLACK FARM SCALE, $38.00
DOUBLE CROSS BANGLE, $13.95
NEW HAVEN POCKET WATCH, $12.00
RED STONE RING, SOLD
FRESHWATER PEARL EARRINGS, $22
ADJUSTABLE THREE or TWO TIER STAND, $84.00
15 BLACK & GOLD BANGLES, $24.95
SILVER FRINGE NECKLACE, SOLD OUT
PEACOCK CRYSTAL FRAME, $34.95
IVORY FLOWER NECKLACE, $23.95
FIVE HAMMERED GOLD BANGLES, $16.50
PATINA PEDESTAL FRAME, $34.95
PEARL & CRYSTAL NECKLACE, $24.00
DISTRESSED LANTERN, $26.95










Wednesday, August 28, 2013

My latest on Pinterest

A rare and lovely antique image of a Southern Belle.
From my newest board: RAW WOOD OBSESSION- because I am!
Groovy Schnauzer
Farm boy
Bohemian Jewels
Recycling at its best! Absolutely brilliant book paintings by Ekaterina Panikanova.
A white collection.
Fresh, modern & urban style.
Bohemian farmhouse kitchen.
A restaurant in Sydney.
Bohemian shoes. Makes me want to sew necklaces on my sandals!
An indoor pool.
An indoor pool.
Farmhouse kitchen clutter.
Cowgirls.
FOLLOW HERE:
http://pinterest.com/curioussofa/boards/

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Your Sunday Message


Happy Sunday everyone!

I thought I would take today to catch up on this blog and delve a little more into my new Curious Sofa life. I say "new" because my daily routine still seems new to me despite closing the store 2 years and 7 months ago. I just realized today is my third year anniversary of launching the online store (which is my new life) so this post seems fitting.

It took me almost two years but I have finally gotten into a weekly routine of diligently working the website. After all, selling products online is my #1 money maker and keeps gas in the car and the mortgage paid. Inevitably I run into other antique dealers or retailers who say, "I could never do that!" but it works well for me and I have to say I am loving it. I can still shop, buy products I love, take pictures, design graphics and be creative all in the comforts of home with my pj's on, latte on my desk and a dog at my feet; what's not to love?

Every week I head off to hunt at my favorite places for vintage, antique and one-of-a-kind goods for you. At night, I flip through catalogs or research online all the vendors I acquired over the years to find the new merchandise that I love to sell as well. Every January I head to Atlanta to discover new products to offer throughout the year but especially at Christmas. (Speaking of, all of those goodies should be arriving any day!)

After the items are found, I sort and clean and shoot them for the website. Then I repack and take to the warehouse where they are carefully stored and shipped once ordered. I return home to organize the pictures, write descriptions and post them all to the online store. Then I spend hours advertising the new goods via Facebook, this blog and through emails. This process begins all over again the next week.

I also sell items in a booth at Lone Elm Antique Mall here in Kansas City on the outskirts of town in Olathe, Kansas. It is in the complete opposite direction of Prairie Village where the old store used to be and that is ok. The clientele is a little different so I feel less pressure trying to create "the big wow" as I call it. Here I can come and go as I please, rearrange and redecorate as much or as little as I want. I am able to put bigger items out there and divide up some of the internet merchandise too.

Social networking has opened up another job opportunity for me as well as I help Lone Elm and Bottoms Up Antique Market do their photos, graphics, and advertising. I like this too since I am on my computer all the time anyway and it allows me to use my graphic design and photography skills that I went to college for. I still can't call myself a professional in this area as I have so much to learn but I tell people I know enough to be dangerous! I scored a giant, newly refurbished 24" iMac so I am in geek heaven.

My graphic design passion along with being a full-fledged online retailer is working on a new website that I will launch soon. My old system isn't as user friendly as I would like so I have wanted to change it for awhile now. If any of you have ever wanted to dive into e-commerce, let's have coffee! As with any venture, I have learned a lot. Over the past TWO YEARS I have hired, cancelled, investigated and studied more e-commerce systems, templates and programmers than I care to think about (oh to have that money back!) all for the sake of finding the perfect fit and I think I may have, although I am scared too death to launch it and have to work out all the bugs it will inevitably have.

This year my 92 year old mother (who is in near perfect health and will outlive us all) decided to move in with my oldest sister. This lead to yours truly organizing and selling all her stuff at an Estate Sale. How anyone does this for a living is beyond me; so much work and little reward but it was fun hanging with my three sisters for two weeks and going through family photos... speaking of:

Kindergarten, 2nd grade, 6th grade- YIKES!

I have also been doing some design consulting which has been fun too. I finally found a way to accommodate customers that works well for both of us. For $250 I come into your home for 3 hours and we go through every room in the house or we work on one particular project. I make suggestions on paint colors, furniture placement, construction, materials, what to toss, what to buy and then I leave! You are left to do the work and email me once in awhile for advice. It has been amazing to me how overwhelmed customers can become with their homes and belongings and how all one needs is a new pair of eyes to get them focused. I have done six customers so far and each one has been so different: from an artist in the country to a small apartment to a suburban makeover. Email me if interested for your home or business:   curiousdeb@curioussofa.com

I am not making it to the Round Top Antique Show in Texas this September as much as I would love to but driving to Shakopee, MN instead for the Junk Bonanza Show. This is SUCH a great show and I have not been for two years so I can't wait for it. This is in preparation for a big event I will be doing for the holidays.

ANNOUNCING!!
Curious Sofa returns for the Holidays! Some of you know of the First Friday Warehouse Weekends here in Kansas City. (And if you don't know YOU MUST COME!) The first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each month, the old (formerly abandoned) warehouse district of downtown Kansas City (known as the Stock Yards) has been a bustling neighborhood for the last 5 years of some of the best junkin' and antiquing you will find in the Midwest. Warehouse after warehouse, some one level some four, have been taken over by small business owners, artists, sellers and dealers offering every kind of item you can imagine. In a six block radius, every venue has their own unique style of inventory from junky to heirloom and everything in between along with indoor eateries and food trucks.

One of these premiere shops asked me to be a guest vendor during their November and December shows and I could not be more excited. Please make plans to attend:

CURIOUS SOFA at Good JuJu
1420 W 13 Terrace, Kansas City, MO

First Friday Weekend, November 1, 2, 3
First Friday Weekend December 6, 7, 8

Mark your calendars and more info to come!

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Saturday Shopping!

Every Staurday I try to load the website with new treasures I have discovered. This week I have loaded many farmhouse style items. I LOVE the photo transfer canvases i just received. One with a cow print and the other with chickens. (Only 1 of the chicken styles shown here.) These are especially great because you can hang them informally with nails but yet they are soft enough to make a pillow or cover an ottoman! I would staple mine over and old thrift store painting and hang on the wall like a real painting. (Who has to know??!)

Many items not shown here and more to come (especially jewelry!!!) this week. SEE ALL HERE

Nautical/Barn Sconce $62
BUY IT HERE
Chicken Print Canvas, $17.95 (3 other images also available)
BUY IT HERE
Iron Stove Top, $65
BUY IT HERE
Canvas Open Sign, $23.95
BUY IT HERE
Gold Shaving Mirror, $82
BUY IT HERE 
Velvet Heart Photo Album SOLD
Pair of Large Florentine Spoons, $75
BUY IT HERE
Large Farm Scene Canvas, $48.50
BUY IT HERE
Vintage Oval Gilded Mirror SOLD
Florentine Box, $16.95
BUY IT HERE
Seashell Last Supper SOLD
54" Antique Rosary SOLD
Sunday School Poster SOLD