Sidetracked from the Ragnar Relay: Meet Tail of the Yak

I ran the Ragnar Relay Race from San Francisco to Napa this last weekend.  But I flew in Thursday morning, just so I could go to some of my favorite places.

Below are pictures from my favorite store ... ever.  I've been coming here for over 15 years.  And I admit that I love that one of the owners told me on my trip last year that they will never sell online. 

Gatherings from Tail of the Yak

3" moss green double faced satin ribbon, Japanese washi tape, wooden paper clips from the Philippines.

Handmade paper & foil flowers by a local paper artist

The cutest flower pins ever

Gatherings from my other favorite store in Berkeley

And of course I must go thrift shopping, I hit the Goodwill right by the U.C. Berkeley

Handmade Italian orange shoes, love.  Can you believe they fit like a glove? $7.99 price tag.

A beautiful shirt from Anthropologie, I think I paid $4.99

Cheers to Chairs at Apartment Therapy

I could write a really great Dr. Seuss book about my many chairs.  It would start off with, "Cool chairs.  Old chairs.  New chairs.  Hard chairs.  Soft chairs.  High chairs.  Low chairs.  Designer chairs.  Ten chairs, twenty chairs, thirty chairs, lots of chairs.  Three cheers for sixty chairs.   It's all about my many chairs.  These chairs need cheers, so please Matt, don't chuck the chairs."

Look what question was featured on the popular design blog, Apartment Therapy, HERE a few weeks ago.  Too bad I was typing from my iPhone and I couldn't see well enough to notice that I had spelled my last name wrong in my question that linked all A.T.'s readers to my blog!  

Matt and I laughed so hard at some of the comments that we were gasping for breath and our bellies ached, especially the commentator that recommended I throw Matt in the dumpster and keep the cool chairs.  I just have this serious addiction to chairs, not just any chair, they must date at least 1975 or older.  But if they happen to be mid-century modern, I'm ecstatic.  I have no desire to quit collecting them cold turkey, and  I won't admit myself into rehab for the multiple chair hoarders addiction either.  Whether I find the chairs in sets or as single stray cats, I can't let any of them go.  It's as though I've fed them once on the porch, and now I'm emotionally obligated to them.  So I took the time to count my chairs at the house today, just to see how ill I really am.  I have over 60.  I won't give you an exact amount, because then I would be admitting more than I want to.  All I can shout is, "A hundred cheers to my chairs!

Young Women Values Throne

One of Grandma Barbara's green velvet chairs

I have 13 of these, original Thonet's that came from a dorm in Kansas

A little D.I. find that I reupholstered.  

I love this little cutie.  Also a D.I. find for $15.

I helped some friends move and these were sadly in the D.I. pile.  Couldn't let that happen...

Confessions of a Thrifting Shopoholic: Eames Era Simmons Walnut Formica Chairs

I am busted when Matt gets home...

Matt warned me that there was no more room in the house for one more chair. But when when you find four very unique retro chairs, how do you pass up the s e t ?    

I wouldn't have passed up 1, let alone 4.   

Oh dear, I'm running out of places to hide my thrifted furniture finds.  My little sis suggested the cold storage room.

Unfortunately, I'm maxed out with the dishes I'm hiding in there.  Any other ideas?

There was a label partially peeled off under the seat of one of the chairs that read: 

S i m m o n s.

They are contructed out of a molded plywood with a Formica laquered walnut grain looking veneer.  The legs and seat frame are painted ivory and "metal protected by Bonderite (PARKER RUST PROOF CO.)", according to the label.  Does anyone know anything about these chairs, I would love to to know the specifics of the approximate date manufactured, and the designer?  If not, oh well, they are absolutely adorable and I have no idea where I'm putting them.

Confessions of a Thrifting Shopoholic: Strip, Refinish, Reupholster, Repeat

Red Poetic License rose sandals:  $3
Cream Ann Taylor mule sandals:  $4
Both brand new and showed absolutely no signs of wear, (until I wore the red ones this past weekend at our explosive dinner party).

Remember the other vase I found at D. I. similar to this one?  I think I'll use them together at some point.

Funny story:  I went to buy these cherry salad servers at my favorite kitchen store while visiting in NYC several years back.  I had purchased a set for my father-in-law the year before and he loved them so much, I wanted to buy me a set.  I walked several miles to get to the location only to find they were closed and moving to a new location that week.  I never got to buy them.  I've never seen a set quite like them since.  Until today.  I found them for $1.  Love that.

Okay, these little books are seriously treasures.  The pages are as sweet as they come, wish I could show them all to you.  These might be new additions to my Valentines candy jars.

No idea what I'll use this trim for, it's white and gold and most likely from the 70's by looking at the typeset on the side label.

These are shallow bowls that match some of the teacups I've been collecting.

The nightstand above compliments my bedroom furniture set that was once my grandparents (and extremely sentimental).  I'm deciding how to refinish it all and I fluctuate between stripping off the shiny coat of lacquer to re-stain and varnish or rather just paint it.  The wood is veneered, so not much left to sand down.  I'm thinking about all the options.  But bottom line, I love the era and I hate to just slap on a coat of paint to hide the chips and scratches.  It very well could be my next summer's tedious project, remember this?

And the chair?  Well, I love the rattan back and how lightweight it is.  I'm loving the style as well.  I'll reupholster the seat cushion and use it as my sewing chair.

There were a few more items I purchased, but won't be sharing until I unveil them at a very special birthday party for my main guy around here.  I've been collecting these for a few months now.  

A Dresser and Nightstand for June

So the dresser turned out a little different than originally planned.  Remember the bright lemongrass green?  I got my way because I am the mom and purchased a light buttercream yellow.  I found some different pale pink glass knobs from Anthropologie instead of the green polka dot knobs I had originally planned to use.  They match her pink hobnail glass lamp beautifully.  The second choice seemed to fit the whole ensemble of her room much better.  I absolutely love it. 

 

The nightstand is a favorite.  The orange isn't too bright.  It's from the Martha Stewart line at Home Depot.  The color is called Yam.  I painted a dresser for my little sister's son's room last summer.  It looked amazing in his room.  I thought the orange was just right.

June picked out this beautiful knob from Anthropologie.  It was $10 though.  I already had this darling flower knob in dark wood stain that I picked up for $3 on sale from the same place.  I told her I would paint it and it would match even better than the one she wanted.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  Basically this nightstand cost me about $22 from start to finish, including the free nightstand I found in someone's city clean-up pile, paint, stripper, knob and misc. supplies.

The X-7 Layer Desk: Finito!

Remember this post, well I changed my mind about the color choice.

And this post? 

I never thought I would get beyond this.

So this is why while standing in the aisle at Home Depot to buy the stain for my desk, I had my moment of panic.  I have spent who knows how many hours stripping this desk.  Hours of colorful, gooey latex paint scraped in clumps to the plastic sheeting, stuck in my nails for days, and probably sick from lead paint inhalation.  The orange, non-toxic stripper had me gagging after a few days of working with it, even with a mask.  The electric sander and the old fashioned hand sander, the razor blade, a toothbrush and wooden dowels were all used to remove paint residue from tiny corners, rounded handles and crevices.  

Basically, hours and hours of fun.  What do I want to be the forever shade of this desk?  

I loved the grain of the unknown wood, I thought it was oak, but I don't really know.  I knew I wanted a stain to show off the fabulous grain.  I originally thought onyx.  But then I looked through the glorious samples and debated between an onyx, vintage jade, orange, or a deep hot pink.

The Onyx:  A classic color, but shows dust easy.

The Fruit Punch (Orange):  A statement.  I love orange.

The Cherry Blossom (Hot Pink, the monitor on the website doesn't show it accurately, it's a beautiful pink): A way fun statement, but not very versatile to be a forever color.

The Antique Jade:  A subtle statement, works in every room in my house, my daughters love green (It's going in their room until they leave the nest), I have multiple pieces of jade-ite dishes, and it's just fun.

As on many of those game shows go, I put out a call to my friend, Nanette, the color guru.

"Okay, so go online to the color chart for Minwax water based stains.  Look at the colors, which one would you pick?",  I questioned in my desperation for choosing the perfect color to seep through ever pit, crevice and grainline of this X-7 layer desk.

She recommended the jade.  It felt right.  So I did it.

And I love it!

I think I'll do an oak chair in the cherry blossom next summer to be it's companion.

Confessions of a Thrifting Shopoholic: It's Getting Embarrassing

So yesterday Chloe came into my office and said,  

"I want to go to D.I."

And I thought, "Any excuse."  I've been there several days this week alone for this camp project I'm on, 

but I'll go again at the prompting of my teenager to look for her school clothes (she plans ahead).  

Are you kidding me?  Absolutely, I'm there.

I went to my favorite location, which I'm not tellin', and found all of this:

I know, it looks like your grandma's china cabinet.  Oh, but there are big plans, of course, for all of this glassware. And the birthday plates below, well I have no idea, because who ever just has 4 people over for cake?  It's probably the reason they got rid of these darling little Tag brand plates.  Maybe they could be turned into small pedestal cake plates for birthday gifts.  We'll see where the wind takes me with these.

Now the little set below, well, this is my thrifting miracle story.  I went to this D.I. while Em was visiting a few weeks ago.  Found all these darling snack trays in this unusual ribbed and hobnail pattern.  I see the Anchor Hocking grapes pattern everywhere.  But this one looked fun.  I didn't find just one or two, I found 24.  Now that is enough for a party wouldn't you say?  Sadly, I only found two of the little square cups with the dainty hobnail handles to go with them.  I'll search at every garage sale and thrift store until I find 22 more.  That is always what I do, wait it out.  It may take a few years, maybe by the time I'm throwing Chloe a bridal shower, I will have found enough.

So yesterday we made our way to my favorite D.I.  I went straight to the glass section, and surprise, surprise, the beam shone down and all 22 glasses were there waiting for me.  Exactly 22.  The occasion is now being sketched out in my dreams.  Probably a fall gathering, with women of course.  24 women to be exact.

Would you like to come?
 
 
It's getting embarrassing, all these trips to thrift stores.  I haven't gone in months, and now suddenly it's not just on a weekly basis, it seems daily.

Is anyone else struggling to get anything done?  With the kids out of school and this Utah weather, I am totally in La La Land.  I just want to be irresponsible, and plan and have parties all summer long.  But the darn desk, dresser and nightstand are all calling my name to just get 'em done.

Focus.

The Seven Layer Desk

First comes pink, followed by red.  I believe taupe was a light coat afterthought, because I scrape right through it to notice the bright white.  And then I get stuck at the royal blue.  At this point, another application of the stripper is needed.  The blue and green kind of go out together.  If I'm real lucky, I get the last three all in one scrape.  But usually, when I get near the base, the honey yellow layer is pretty stubborn.  Ummm, that's 7 layers.  S-E-V-E-N.  Definitely a biblical creation period.  The instructions sounded so easy.  And of course the pictures show it bubbling up and effortlessly scrape right off.

This better be one gorgeous desk in the end.

If not, $10 was a rip off.