DIY: Large Vintage Prints

I'm always looking for something new to put on the walls, and large-scale art makes such a statement. Catherine of Design Editor photographed a couple of her vintage cameras, then made 24"x36" engineering prints of them for a whopping $3.29 each. Voila! Interesting DIY wall art!

Want to make your own? You can download her camera images for free right here. Or...see what kind of vintage gems you have around the house that would look good on the wall and try your own.

(Spotted on How About Orange)

Music: MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP

This song kills me. It is everything I love about thrift stores:
(don't be mad about the f-word so many times)

Favorite lyrics:

I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got $20 in my pocket
I-i-im hunttin lookin for a come up
This is f-ing awesome

Bout to go and get some compliments passin up on those moccasins
Someone else has been walkin in but me and grungie f- em in
I am stuntin' and flossin' and savin' money and I’m hella happy
thats a bargain b*&@h. Ima take your grandpa's style. Ima take your grandpa's style.
No for real - Ask your grandpa can I have his hand-me-downs?

***

They had a broken keyboard, I bought a broken keyboard
I bought a ski blanket, then I bought a knee board.

Estate Finds - Mod Tote

Sometimes the estates that I visit are orderly and clean ... but the ones I have the most fun in are those that make you dig a little bit. Don't get me wrong - I love walking into a house and seeing everything hanging perfectly in the closet, but there is something satisfying about having to work to find buried treasure as well. I went to this storage unit clean-out last week, donned a head lamp and sturdy shoes, and dove into this:

There were all sorts of gems to be found in there. One of my favorites that I brought home to my personal collection was this mod tote bag.

Complete with a matching small purse and "hidden" zippered compartment underneath for your secret feminine accessories.

So basically I have the cutest tampon holder around.

Vintage Destination - The Longest Yard Sale

One of my favorite annual traditions is the Longest Yard Sale in the World. Someone in Tennessee devised this genius idea to encourage more tourism to the area, and got everyone along little Route 127 to hold garage sales and antique fairs on the first weekend in August. Now the route stretches from Alabama to Michigan, and is full of everything from novice sellers just cleaning out their attics to big barn sales to fields full of antique dealers.

For four days straight, I rummaged and haggled and poured over old treasures, and came back with several suitcases full and even more photos:

One of my favorite old finds of the trip was a viewmaster projector. Mine came pristine and perfect in its box, with a handwritten note by the previous owner:

I'm feeling the same way about many of the treasures I brought home. I'll probably be writing the same thing on many of them.