Delightful Dress Forms!

Walk into any shabby chic or french boutique

and you'll see a dress form in one way, shape or form!

Dress forms are made of so many different materials, they make

versatile display pieces. Scanning through my photo album over the last year, I realized I photographed many creative dress forms and I thought I'd share!

 At first glance this looks like a tumbleweed! I spotted this outside a dress shop in Biloxi, Mississippi. The dress shop owner said after Hurricane Katrina, this dress form appeared on the front lawn of the shop! The owner felt if it landed there, it was meant to be there, so she stood it up and it has welcomed her customers since then!

Some dress forms are actually working forms seamstresses 

can adjust to the size of the person they are creating a garment for -

and its my experience many shabby chic lovers do not care what condition they are in
- the shabbier the better!

Many a dress form grace shop windows to draw in customers and spark conversations.

A friend and I were window shopping in St. Helena, CA when we passed by this window -

the top half was like metal armor pieced together and the bottom skirt was made from  burlap and linen fabric pieced together!

One of the most unusual dress forms I have encountered was this striking 'mermaid' form!

The texture of the wicker top half is a great contrast to the grassy ruffled skirt, and I love how the bodice is cinched together. Seeing this form from a distance grabbed my attention and made me cross a street to check it out much closer - AND I ventured into the shop where it welcomed me!

Natural materials were also used for this 'angel' dress form 

seen outside a florist shop during the holiday season!

This shabby angel is an artistic assemblage welcoming visitors to Magnolia Pearl's space
 in Round Top, Texas.  With so many unusual details in this piece of artwork, it draws you in closer to check them out!

I love how this satin blouse is a stark contrast to the rough burlap skirt!

Dress forms are used by museums to display historical attire . . .
and 'haute couture' from all eras!

The peacock feathered skirt on this dress form takes the cake!

 
 Seen in Benicia Antique Mall,
 it's all tied up with a big red bow!

 This is one of the most beautiful draped dress forms I've seen!
Spotted in Anthropologie's window, whoever created this. . .

was an expert at draping fabric and using quilter's pins!
I just love how the pins follow the contour of the dress for
and create a design that becomes the focal point.

From elaborate dresses and high fashion to simple uses for display.
dress forms are essential to retailers, dress makers, and designers.This dress form displays multiple brooches at Cobwebs Antiques, in Bishop, CA

And sometimes they are just another cherished treasure in your home!

One Shelf - Two Ways!

It's amazing how refinishing something changes the whole personality of a piece.  

My friend, Valerie, was looking for a shelving unit 

to put in her dining room to display her platters and other dishes. 

I was looking for the same type of shelving unit 

to use for my fall and holiday displays at the store.

We each purchased one of these shelves and set to work refinishing.

Valerie removed the top scalloped board to give the shelf a more streamlined look, in keeping with her style - such a great idea!  Self - customized!!

Then Valerie painted hers a creamy light green to match her wall color 

and added a dark glaze over the paint to give a subtle antiquing effect.  

Valerie wanted a refined country look!

Now she has a beautiful shelf which enhances her white dishes 

and makes them pop on display!

I painted my shelf with Annie Sloan's Emperor's Silk (Red)
chalk paint. . .

 and then finished with dark wax to really bring out the details
in the rough finish wood.  The dark wax settled into the grooves
and pits, and added an antique look to the shelf.

I wanted a cozy hunting cabin look! 

Now I have a display shelf in my space at Fabulous Finds that will take me from the warm colors of fall to the reds and greens of the holidays! 

Even though both shelves started the same, 

they now have their own personality and style

to match the needs of the rooms in which they hang.

Isn't that what decorating is all about?!

Repurposed Bin!

My husband tries to act like he is interested in my 'pickins'!  When I got home from the Mes Amis Vintage Show this past Saturday he at least asked what I found. As I pulled this out to proudly show him,  he was about as excited as a hippo in the desert!
What could I possibly want with that old thing?!

Why couldn't he see the glory in my latest purchase?! I have plans for this!

What is it you ask?

Here's a clue!

You got it! It's the under storage bin from an old farm kitchen table!  Thanks so much to Anna Tichon from Found Vintage Rentals for letting me use this great picture!

The bin was used to store flour on one side and root vegetables,
 like potatoes and onions, on the other side.

Just look at the patina on this piece - you can't create this - 
a patina like this only happens over time . . .

Here's a close up of the underside -

If you only saw this close-up picture, you would wonder if this was bark from a tree . . .

or perhaps an aerial view of a landscape from 3,000 feet!

At a glance, the bin looks like a chunk of tree log! When I spy something like this, 

I wonder where it's been? Who used it? How long ago was it?

So many stories and visions come to mind!

But this bin is getting a new story!

 It's coming home to live in my space at Fabulous Finds as a display piece! 

Turned on it's side - it becomes a wonderful shelving unit!

 Once tossed away, but luckily discovered, it's now filled with cherished items!

A great display piece for fall and winter vignettes!

My Cow, Rhoda

We locked eyes from about twenty feet across a floor at an antique mall.  

The beauty of her ebony and cream pattern beckoned me to come closer.

I could almost hear the little bell suspended around her neck ringing, calling me to her!

One look at the perfect conformation of her Holstein hind quarters said "Grand Champion"!

And so talented! She could move her head up and down, her horns could rotate and her tail could lift - where had she come from?

Her underside provided a clue - the cog under her belly and the holes in her hooves told me she may have been the star of a point of purchase display, with perhaps a motor driving her animation from a stand she freed herself from many years ago.

It was love at first sight and I

 brought her home. 

 Her name is Rhoda and she's very glad to meet you!

Tyler Florence Store - Mill Valley, CA

This past February, my sister was visiting from Florida and we spent a day in Napa Valley visiting Food Network Chef Restaurants!  One of her favorite Food Network chefs is Tyler Florence so we visited his store and learned he had just opened a new kitchen store in Mill Valley.  Unfortunately, we never made it there during her visit - but I made it there last weekend and the next time she is in town, I am definitely taking her for a visit!

One of my favorite aspects of shopping is looking at the way the merchandise is displayed, having a love for all that is creative and beautiful.  This store is visual eye candy for anyone who loves vintage things and gourmet food items - perfect marriage of both!

Vintage display pieces are everywhere!  Imagine my surprise when I saw this display of Brown Butter Cookies from my parent's hometown, Cayucos!  Sitting atop a vintage wine barrel and in the many cubbies were boxes of these one-of-kind cookie, topped with sea salt,  made in the little beach town in central California.  These cookies attracted a national spotlight when Marla Bautista, a reporter for That Morning Show on the E! Channel, visited and did a spotlight feature on the company.  Then the New York Times ran a blurb about the cookies which had the company filling orders around the country!

This display of butter yellow enamelware stood out nicely on the vintage ladder.  

Ladders are great for display. They are so versatile I have seen them used to hang towels in bathrooms, as a shoe rack in a closet, and even suspended from a ceiling 

with hooks added to the rungs to use as a pot rack!  

Since they fold up they are easy to store when you don't need them!

These traditional shelves were stocked with jar after jar of gourmet jams 

and jellies!  They looked like jewels all lined up with the various colors beckoning for all to take a closer look.

These hand poured paraffin and beeswax candles fit perfectly in this vintage pull cart. I love the way they clipped little signs onto the displays with a simple clothespin!

This display of patisserie themed dishes, napkins, paper plates, etc., welcomed all inside the front door.  I wanted those napkins down in the basket so badly for a cupcake party I am hosting later this summer, but the $9.95 price tag for 16 napkins was just a bit too pricey for me.  The glass cloches and pedestal plates were just gorgeous and I loved the Marie Antoinette inspired "Let them eat cake!" theme of this display!

These gorgeous wreaths were hand made from vintage cookbook pages.

My friend, Diedre, makes these wreaths and sells them at local craft fairs. But these wreaths had hefty price tags! I am sure to find enough vintage cookbooks to get enough pages to make one of these add to the cost - the small wreath in the top picture, about 10" in diameter was priced at $195. and the large wreath, about 22" in diameter was even more!  Now compare them to Diedre's -

This is the wreath I bought from Diedre for $28.00!  It is about 24" in diameter, is heart shaped and has a cute little tag on it that says "Je t'aime" - a much better deal!  Diedre says she has made them from cookbook pages before and vintage pages would add to the cost of making them but not that much!!

This was a dream table!  All those little pewter salt cellars, spreading knives, crystal cordial glasses - entertaining specialty items that no one really needs but are so much fun to entertain with and so much fun to look at!!  

Beautiful, indulgent items all displayed on a simple rustic farm table.

These all cotton oven mitts are displayed in a vintage wire laundry cart on wheels.

The strawberry theme of this display took me back to my college days, when my roommate coined one of my nicknames 'strawberry' due to my red hair and freckles!  

So this farm girl made it to Mill Valley to gawk at all the vintage farm stuff Tyler Florence displays his wares in - it was a treat!  The beauty of a well lit store with its creatively displayed merchandise relaxes me as I take everything in.  So if you are ever in Mill Valley, stop in and check it out.  You may even run into Tyler Florence 

as he is often there for book signings and special events.  

I signed up to get the stores email news - I'll use any excuse to have to go back!