Scrap Happy

Do you remember awhile back when I wrote something about all those projects that keep piling up that we never get to? Well once again there is nothing like a deadline to blow the cobwebs off.


Next weekend I will participate in my first antique show since closing the shop and getting ready for it has been quite the undertaking. I am having a monumental purging moment so I literally hired movers to help me get the 10 large furniture pieces out of my house as well as half a garage full and another 18 large plastic tubs full of antiques. (and I still won't get to it all!!) There is something quite frightening about thinking you have priced the last of your stash then turning around and uncovering yet another box or suitcase full of stuff you collected from a flea market past. Egads... but what a fun sale it will be for you!


For nearly a year now I have stared at a plain, beige wing chair knowing full well what I wanted to do with it. Little by little I acquired old tablecloths, scraps of lace, embroidered doilies and finally (because of the upcoming sale)... got 'er done.


I can be a puritan when it comes to handcrafting something. Give me a needle and thread over the quick and easy glue gun any day, which was my intention in this case. But once I got started I could see a glue gun was the only way to complete this project. To be honest, hot glue holds a heck of a lot better than thread! This thing is indestructible!


Little by little rows of trim and lace were added to the base; measuring just how far a particular piece would go. Some were nice and stretchy making covering the curves easier and others were not, making it a bit more difficult to cover some areas.


I found this funky corset last year and knew immediately where it would go. And I have always been a sucker for suspenders, so why not add those too.

A large tablecloth was used to cover the entire backside.

I sewed a pocket here and there to insert a photo and every once in awhile when the pieces would not come together quite right, I camouflaged with a crocheted floret.


This will be for sale at the Schlepp Sisters Antique Event so come take a look. (But don't look too closely!) I'll post a larger, overall shot of this later but my house was filled with ugly tubs in the background!

The good side...

And while I was cleaning and pricing my own ironstone collection to sell, I finally did something else I had always wanted to do: patch a giant chip on one of my favorite bowls.

The bad side.

Occasionally I have stumbled upon a humble repair someone has done on a wooden bowl; you know the kind where they may have wrapped a piece of soft metal over a large crack and tacked it down. Or my favorite is when someone actually drills through the broken parts and wires them together- which I would have loved to do on this, but as you'll see, this is SO much easier!


I always loved this giant tureen but because of the large chip, no one ever bought it in the shop so I brought it home, turned it around on my shelves and filled it with seashells. But today, I decided to soften the broken edge with a patch of linen.


I frayed the edges on all four sides and glued down the fabric with Elmer's. Now if you want, a heavy duty clear, water resistant glue would be ideal and hold this forever, maybe even through washings- but do we really ever wash our ironstone displays much?! For me, this was just fine.


Tada! Ready for you to fill with anything your heart desires!
Hope to see you Thursday!

SHOP 24/7 at curioussofa.com or ETSY
FOLLOW on Facebook and also the Schlepp Sister Event

Catching Up to Summer

A new show Curious Sofa will be selling at; details below.

It has been almost two months since I have posted! So sorry.... Where have I been? Well, not resting as much as I would have liked to. The past month I have had a few projects going on and juggling these random events has put me in a bit of a spin. I am used to multi-tasking but it was always for one goal with the shop; now my hands seem to be in a million pots.

Signs I designed for the Estate Sale which helped to stop traffic.

- The most time consuming thing I have been involved with was managing an Estate Sale of the family home of a friend. She now lives in New York, so this winter I helped her get her father into a nursing home and then in April her mother died. Needless to say a hard time for her and many trips for us back and forth to the airport. I offered to take care of the family house; show it for the local realtor, condense and price everything for the Estate Sale, clean and prep the home for the new buyers and haul away leftovers for donations. My niece and I handled everything along with a few friends who helped during sale days. This week they close on the house so my work will be done, but it has been a l-o-n-g two months waiting for it to be over.

Piles and piles of stuff from the Estate Sale. How do people do this for a living?!!

- On May 1 I finished up a large styling job for Better Homes & Gardens Halloween Ideas magazine and a few weeks later the editor called wanting some help on their Christmas issue too. This time she needed me to prepare story boards for the cover images. I have to say I was loving this as I could sit at home, beverage and dog by my side and search online finding wonderful sources and images to help her pull the shoot together. Then in a panic she needed items made for the shoot, so as the weather hit 95 degrees outside I was buried in a sea of decorative papers, fabric and crafty notions making Christmas trees and red velvet pillows!

From Etsy, inspiration for Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas issue.

- I have also been helping a friend furnish her mid-century home as well as a few other customers ordering sofas and other items from Curious Sofa.

The famous Barcelona Chair arriving to my friends home soon.

- I started listing items on Etsy, selling the same merchandise I have on my website just to broaden my customer base. And I still manage to post a little something on Facebook now and then too. It is so much easier than blogging so I hope you are following me there.


- New items for the website are piling up in my house but I have been too busy to shoot them for the site; but I will! I see now web sales work great when you devote as much time to it as you do your store. Most of these goodies will be for sale at the new show I am doing first before putting them online.

- My little camper sits in the driveway still untouched by white paint and new slipcovers. I promised myself I would take her out once a month but lately I've been too busy to bother. Maybe July 4th. I have been collecting a little this and that to redecorate and every once in awhile Pearl and I sit inside and pretend we are lakeside somewhere!

The design for how I want to paint the outside, eventually!

And on top of all this, I am itching to find a studio so I can start making jewelry, sew, paint furniture, take website pictures, do framing and projects and keep my artistic mess to one area. I could makeover my garage but I like to park in it- imagine! I could redo my basement but its creepy down there so I tried to load it all in my spare bedroom but I am suffocating! Any ideas???!! If only I had an air conditioned Quanza hut in my backyard! Now, that's a thought!

Wouldn't this be the coolest studio to have?

- I am also having some fun with Pinterest. I am still not sure what the heck it is but it is an inspirational place to just look and gather pictures, which is what I love. Somewhere in my new life I would love to be a photo editor!

One of the story boards I have on Pinterest titled White.

- Curious Sofa will rear her head once more since closing the store. My niece and I are hosting an antique event July 14-16 in Westport. We call our show the Schlepp Sisters. This was the very first name we gave our business when we opened a booth at Mission Road Antique Mall in 1996! Three other dealers will be involved too so stay tuned. It will be a good one as we all have different styles to offer. I am bringing many decor items from home, discounted online merchandise and lots of new antiques I acquired this year. I will show some of our items on Facebook days before the event. (Follow us!) Don't miss it if you live in KC!

Ralph Lauren, Spring 2011

What I learned: Throw a giant textile over any coffee table for a new look.
Add giant trees to soften the corners of your room.

I came close to calling this blog post "Ralph Lauren: my personal porn" but then I thought of all the crazy Google searches that might come up. Every season I have to check out the master and see what he has been up to and this Spring, he is true to form. His home decor is open and fresh as well as the fashion and fabrics that make up the Ralph Lauren Spring 2011 collection. I did notice he has returned to his cowboy roots a little more than usual (not that there is anything wrong with that) but more importantly, so many of these styles can be easily attained by us with a little imagination and a lot of savings.

What I learned: Take an old blanket or rug and make your own cross-body
bag using straps from an older purse or thrift store belt. Notice the giant chokers,
almost belt size. Get crafting!

What I learned: Mixing a little Navajo with a little floral gives the perfect
masculine/feminine mix. (But we've always known that!)

"I've always believed one could live many lives through the way we dress and the places we travel to, even it just in our imagination. The world is open to us, and each day is an occasion to reinvent ourselves." - Ralph Lauren

What I learned: Reincarnate the butterfly chair! Making your own cover couldn't be easier.
Leather or not try sturdy denim, canvas or an old quilt with random stitching for interest.

What I learned: An ornate gilded mirror breaks up the casual, natural palette.
And I have always loved pictures hanging on a bookcase.

What I learned: It's all in the accessories!

What I learned: When blues do not match perfectly, it gives a 'collected over time' appearance.

What I learned: Western blanket and lace!
Am I crazy? Should we paint part of an old pair of boots with silver paint?

What I learned: Use a bowl for the bread, not a plate.

What I learned:
Keeping the palette neutral will make haberdashery dressing more feminine.

What I learned: Pinstripes and damask, hounds tooth and crewel!

" I like things that are worn. I don't like newness... I still wear old things. And I wear new things. And the old things that I love are non-fashion. There's a timeless quality and an unfashionable sensibility... they're utility, the things you wear to work in, they're the things that have sort of an honesty." - Ralph Lauren

What I learned: My passion for broken statuary can still be stylish.

What I learned: Add a little crochet lace to a tired old jacket sleeve.

What I learned: Patterns can blend perfectly in the right color combination.

What I learned: Fabulous clothing can be hung as art!

SHOP 24/7 at curioussofa.com

Something Fresh

Online only: the new TradHome Magazine.

I've been struggling with something lately, ever since I got back from the Round Top, Texas antique show. I think my taste is changing and I am ready to move on to a different design sense. Not surprising. It's just good to do every few years and try to stay somewhat current with the times. I hope all of us change it up now and then from hairdo's to furniture to fashion.

I emailed a friend while in Texas and said, "OK, I think I am done. I think I am done with the shabby-chippy-burlap-ironstone thing." Just how much of it can we all have anyway? I found myself not drawn to it much anymore. Tacking a piece of burlap on a chair is a cheap and quick fix but we all know it doesn't feel so good. Stenciling letters on a burlap pillow can be equally appealing but again, do you really want to lay your head on such a thing? And once you are over 40, do we really want all our furniture to wobble with drawers that are hard to open? I am ready for user friendly and well built. But don't get me wrong, I am still in love with antiques, chipped paint and worn linens but I am ready to use these items in a new way and mix them up with some unexpected elements.

I pondered hooking up the camper and heading to a new antique show a few weeks ago but decided against it. Once I saw the pictures online of the show I was glad I did not make the trip. There it was again; images of rusty wire things, burlap covered whatever, chippy drawers or badly painted white something (or bright pink or turquoise!). I do hope dealers are selling these things because these shows are so much work but I want to shout to the universe of antique dealers out there and say "DO SOMETHING ELSE!"

What really prompted this blog post was the discovery of the new TradHome online mag. From the makers of LonnyMag comes a fresh look at the old Traditional Home magazine. Heck, this is so new looking, traces of Traditional Home are nowhere to be found! I was stopped in my tracks by these images from what they call the New Traditionalists designers. Enjoy.

Above, this fabulous mix of color, texture, shape and pattern.
A bit retro, a bit bohemian and fresh!

A lot of yellow but it works! I especially love how all the vintage items have been
reupholstered, cleaned and polished to look brand new.

And yes, I am still a lover of white. Mixed with black and pattern
and stone it gets an immediate 2011 update.

The blue painted cabinets turn this kitchen on its ear!
It looks designed but not untouchable.

Above; from the home of my friend and customer,
Hallmark stylist Andy Newcom. I love how he added the large
oval window making the vintage sink
and ironstone seem more regal.

Also in Andy's house, modern lighting used above an
older French table and antique accessories.

An Update

I am going to honest with you all, I am having a hard time blogging these days. I know it is because the store is closed and those hurried, everyday shop operations are what kept this blog going for so long. I'll also be honest with you and tell you 90% of my former blog posts were to keep you current on shop news but especially to show you what had just been added to the store so you would come in and buy something. When sales were down, I could blog and voila!- business would pick up for awhile.

Crystal bracelet

Yes I am selling online and when I focus on it and add new merchandise I am thrilled with the response. I have met with my tech and discussed changes I want to make: a JUST IN category and a SALE category. I am also going to add a PROVISIONS category because I find so many great garlands, wires, trims and baubles and I know that crafting has now gone to a whole new level. I found I have a lot of artistic customers out there that need unusual hardware for their creations. I also love scavenging for these items. Changing the website from an idea to fruition is one thing because website work takes forever to implement! I knew this going in and thought I would have all the time in the world to work on it, but not so. I have a stash of great items from my trip to Texas and I will post those as soon as my current project is completed.

White Silicon Watch, perfect for Spring!

Closing down the store is still not over believe it or not. Some vendors are still sending merchandise to the Prairie Village store, some customers still do not know (those that might have visited KC once or twice a year) and there are still little 'business' issues here and there.

Pearl Votive

I knew I wanted to rest up after the shop closed and because of the lousy winter weather, I certainly did, but I guess not enough for my taste! The Better Homes & Gardens shoot will happen soon and I have really been hammering down on that. I hunted for my camper so I could head to Texas and now that I am back, I just want to crash. The BHG Halloween shoot is happening next week and I am really happy with the all the props, wardrobe and food that have been found. The editor even added another day due to all the wonderful items we need to shoot.

Wire Card Holder

I wasn't sure what life would hold once the store was closed or how I would make a living (and I'm still not!). I knew I had plenty of customers and friends who needed help with this and that. Some business owner/friends are overwhelmed and need help; some friends need my advice who are in the midst of remodeling their homes; I have some personal projects I can certainly cash in on if I choose to. Getting in the groove of a freelance life again is kind of strange. I watched Eat, Pray, Love again last night and I would love to take a year off and do whatever I pleased without any 'have to's' in the way. (who wouldn't!)

Umbrella

My best friend from grade school (yes, 40 years) lives in New York now and has been in and out of town all year due to the illness of her parents. Her mother passed away last Wednesday and because of all the strange circumstances she has asked me to clean out, redecorate and stage their home to sell. And believe it or not, I am in the mood to do my own home. Because the store is closed my home (and garage and basement and porch) have become the holding ground for all things and it is making me a little nuts. Are you like me? Once every few years I just have to get rid of everything and see empty shelves and life without piles of stuff.

Butterfly Clips

I am on a list at our local antique mall to get a large booth. I decided I really want to do this to please the local customers I left behind. I also find so many great, larger items I cannot sell online and I want to offer them to Curious Sofa fans. So far, nothing is available and I just can't understand why they won't kick someone out!!! Ha. I am hoping they have a vacancy by late summer so I can do the popular Halloween and Christmas display in there.

Bird Napkins

I hope to shoot some behind the scene images of the BHG shoot. I can't give too much away as they would not like that much but it will still be fun to give you a tease. Stand by for that. In the meantime, I hope all of you are supporting your local retailers, taking a day trip to an antique show and getting ready for Spring. Open those windows and let your home breathe!

Red Rose Pillow

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