Most Recent Second-Hand Haul

As you probably already know I am a major advocate to buying things second-hand as much as possible. I say as much as possible because you never know when yard sales or Goodwill stores will have exactly what you are looking for at that particular moment. Craigslist and Freecycle can help you find things too, but you may have to drive a bit or wait around to get your items. While to some this may seem like a hassle, never fully knowing what you will find while shopping is actually my favorite part of second-hand shopping. Some things or items you may always be on the hunt for since you collect a certain type of items - like for instance in my case fun fabrics, tea pots, and turquoise or orange glass pieces. Other harder to find items makes the beauty of the hunt so exciting! The major payoff is when you find something you have been wanting AND at a great price :)

We talked about this massive yard sale in Santa Monica last weekend and I thought I would share a few pictures of my new treasures acquired from our excursion:


For my birthday Kevin re sparked my love of analogue cameras with a new film using gem the La Sardina. Now I have turned into one of those camera collectors I thought I had successfully managed to not be... Well, insert new favorite thing to acquire! Here I found two cameras, both in their original packaging for under $10! Score 1 for KC!!! (Note, yes I am aware that film will be difficult - more like impossible for the cameras, but they are still pretty rad!)


Even though I was informed by the gentleman having the yard sale the artist above is a California based, he must have had an infinity for NYC like I do. This taxi cab feels more Big Apple than Hollywood to me and I had to have it for our collection.  We almost have the artwork set in our living room and I am so glad a piece like this has made it into our collection.

Can some one say screen-printing supplies?!? I majorly scored finding a sale with art supplies priced perfect. Some of the containers are even unopened!

And the cherry topper - A new (for us) record player with a new needle and everything!!!! Major score! 

Hope this inspires you to go treasure hunting for yourself!!! We would love to see what cool things you find on Our Facebook page or in the comment section below.

XOXO, KC

Don't Miss the 3rd Annual City-Wide Yard Sale in Santa Monica 9/22/12

Mark your calenders for the BIGGEST Yard Sale EVER this Saturday 9/22 in Santa Monica, CA!!!

There is 120+ Families participating - This is going to be epic!!

Price:Free
Address:Santa Monica, CA 90404 (map)
Description: Santa Monica's 3rd Annual Citywide Yard Sale Over 120 Families Registered.

Santa Monica Resource Recovery & Recycling has additional announcements regarding items available on their Facebook page. Follow them for more details here.

Kevin and I are using this map here to plan our attack for Saturday since we must hit the sale in rapid speed before CRAFTED. The map is updated daily leading up to the big sale so there may be new additions to check up on.  If checking it out and planning your hunt isn't your thing - just travel out to Santa Monica everything should be an easy spot :)

We'd love to hear about the treasures you find if you go! Post pictures and details on our Facebook here to show off your amazing haul.

XOXO, KC & Kevin

We Found "New" Cool Vintage Stuff

We missed the boat going to Catalina Island for KC's birthday but thankfully the events led us down a road with a kick ass yard sale.  KC called me over to scour a box filled with slide carousels filled with pictures of landscapes and vacation photos. I have been looking at all of them finding my favorites for an upcoming project still in the works. Definitely something to do with lights, but not quite sure of the scale.

While we come up with a project to put these to good use check out some project ideas using slides from the web here.

Yesterday, KC took some time going to her favorite second-hand shops and found this shirt with a really great pattern:

Plus, she finally got me a typewriter for my studio!!!

The coolness  points she received with the typewriter wore off quickly when she noted that I should like the Boba Fett color palette - Nerd.

-- Kevin Sears

How-To's Day: CRAFTED Before & After - Display Case

We fixed up a second-hand display case for our cash wrap at CRAFTED and here is the Before & After.

BEFORE:

This Display Case was found at a yard sale for $40 in Lilac, CA when Sharon and I traveled down to Keys Creek Lavender Farm for a day trip. It was small enough to fit in my F.I.T. which is a necessity for all of our display items.  The case was in pretty good shape and I was really exited to find it! A total score!!!

AFTER:

When we finally got the case down to San Pedro all the glass came loose from the frame and pretty much disassembled itself. Because it fell apart there was more steps to put it back together again, but it was a blessing in disguise because I was able to completely rehab the whole case. I worked on the project along side of prepping the walls and the rest of the display so all in all it took me a full week to complete this project. If I needed to come up with a rough estimate of the time I would put it at ~15hours and under $20 for supplies to refresh the beauty back into the case.

First thing, prep the case by sanding the case down. I used a wire brush to make sure the grooves in the case were sanded down and clean.

Once everything is sanded down you can patch up any uneven or damaged surfaces with wood filler.  Let the wood filler dry and sand smooth before moving on to primer.

I think the case looks pretty slick in the grey primer in the all over one color, but I am going to use two colors for the case once everything is said and done.

Using leftover paint from  the walls I painted the main portion of the case in two coats of the turquoise paint and then painted the bottom and inside portion with the contrasting green paint.

Tah-dah! It pops very nicely! I am really glad we painted it two-colors so it will stand out in front of the wood stained wall.

The easy part was painting everything! Then we re installed the hardware and set the shelves before adding the exterior glass.

The glass is held in place with silicone glue that can also be used to glue aquariums.  It is very sturdy and bonds with the glass nicely.  We did put glue on all the top surfaces of the glass before the addition of the top piece of glass. The wooden beam that runs along the back of the case got an extra large heaping of the adhesive because that is the main place that all the case it supported by. Each case will be different. Make sure to figure out where the pressure is held in the structure before working on your case so that you have the weight distributed evenly keeping the glass help together safely. Then we clamped the back portion together with 2" clamps and laid a sheet over everything before lying down weighted objects to distribute pressure on everything as it dries over night.

The next day you can take down the weights and clamps. Our case came with mirrored doors that we placed back into the case to add the finishing touches.

Fill it will all your merchandise and you are ready for business!

Hope you enjoy this before & after. We'd love for you to see it in person at our market stall #A200 at the CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles Marketplace if you find yourself down in San Pedro ;)

XOXO, KC

What A Difference Some Paint Makes

Yesterday I rehabbed this find from the Melrose Trading Post. This wooden shelf was a steal at $15 and all it needed was a coat of paint to freshen it up. Sometimes all you need to make something new again is paint!

Speaking of paint, the CRAFTED murals and signs are finally up on the building and they are looking great!!!

On the outside walls of the market stalls there is now this sweet honeycomb pattern that got applied yesterday too.  Best part of this detail is it is chalkboard paint so it is multifunctional as well as nice to look at.

Tonight we are able to set up and work in our stores until 9PM so I am off to a long, productive, and fun day :) Hope you have a stellar day today and we look forward to seeing you at the opening this weekend!

XOXO, KC

We LOVE Earth Day 2012

Happy Earth Day friends!!

As you probably already know we love thrifting and second-hand shopping. Well, what if I told you that by donating to someone's future treasure hunt you can help Goodwill get a world record for Earth Day!!  

Check out Goodwill's site for full details here.

Happy Earth Day Everyone!!
XOXO, KC & Kevin

What I Wore: Friday 4/20/12

Here is one of my favorite "cutesy" dresses. It is a thrifty find that I tweeked a bit at the sleeves as well as the hem. I really like the tied bow detail at the neck. The asymmetry is really great and it is cut without being too much. Here the color is one that I don't purchase enough... I really should get more of these blues in my wardrobe! I think it is super flattering on me and adding more of this mid-range blue to my wardrobe would be a great depart from my favorite head to toe black. Hhhmmmm.

Speaking of colors, I like the tiny little pops of color in the pattern too! It's not too overwhelming - just enough to convey a point without stealing the show. Also of note, it is actually cotton! A lot of my vintage finds are synthetic so finding a nice cotton is always a score!!

Well, today I am wearing this outfit to a co-working session at NextSpace in Culver City with Sharon! It is always nice brainstorming with her. Plus, being able to work with someone who can look over it definitely lends to a better finished product. Gypsy (the cat)) is pretty cute but she sucks at spotting typos.  

Hope you have a super weekend and a happy Earth Day!!! 

XOXO, KC

Super Duper Thursday

Today was awesome!!! I had a meeting, then I decided to take a quick peek at my favorite Goodwill location. Good thing! I found these super sweet mini sewing machines for our workspace at CRAFTED. They are a real find :) I LOVE finding amazing things while treasure hunting.

XOXO, KC

2nd Weekend in March Recap (PHOTOS)

My Modern Librarian Outfit for This is Your Library

Hi Y'all! I am all powered up from my biscuits and cheese grits this AM... 

Haha! Not. Yes, indeed I am a proud Southerner- but I do not indulge myself with Southern Stereotypes but every so often. If you wanna talk apple butter however--I'm there!

But seriously, I had no idea that somehow I would be poking fun at the GOP southern strategy, but hey- that's where my head is at today...

Back on topic. This weekend (and yesterday) was jammed packed and I wanted to highlight some of the fun to share with everyone. Did you have a stellar weekend yourself? I sure hope so!

Saturday night Sharon and I headed out to This is Your Library featuring John Salley, Colin Hanks, Mark Z. Danielewski AND design maven and creator of Unique LA Sonja Rasula!!! It was a super cool evening and I highly recommend grabbing some tickets to the next This is Your Library event. (FYI, this one sold out so nabbing them early is key!) 

One thing on the horizon the library is promoting that I found out about Saturday is The Stay Home and Read a Book Ball.  It is a pretty cool upcoming event that is a fantastic way to promote reading and support the Library. Wanna find out more? Go here.

This Sunday was the second Sunday of the month which means- Epic Flea Market at The Rose Bowl!!! With the time change and the late night the evening before, getting up to the flea market as an early bird wasn't an option... But nevertheless we were in perfect time to grab a beer and enjoy chasing down some fun finds.  We met up with our pals Klara and Tyson who just had their birthdays and were celebrating at the market. It was great trotting and weaving around the customers who bought furniture. It felt like everyone was toting wagons with their hauls for the day.

Speaking of Birthdays, when the vendors started tearing down their stalls at the Rose Bowl it was time for us to move on to higher ground for Sonja and Jon's Birthday Party Picnic at this fabulous hidden park. (Right by Dodger Stadium & the Police Academy) 

When we got up on Sunday it was FREEZING! It was cold again by around 4PM when we were hanging out at the park, but this black and red ensemble was a pretty heat retaining dress that ended up being perfect for the busy day of fun :)

Culminating all the fun was March's Monthly Monday Movie Night- CLUELESS! When fashion is just as pivotal to the plot as the funny catch phrases you have to dress up for all the fun.  Mad Props to Sonja and Hilda for their AH-Mazing Clueless Outfits! Bonus, for throwing such a fun way to celebrate Los Angeles and the Cinema that highlights its awesome-ness :) I haven't gotten a chance to sit down and watch the movie (Not on cable where is is edited more that I thought) since living in LA and the film blossomed into so much more for me last night. I think I could watch it daily and still not get tired of it! I was instantly transported back to the days when Clueless first came out and I think it was seriously one of the first movies that made me think "Where have you been all my life movies???" Shame on my dad for not being a bigger cinephile- but I can't see him sitting down to watch it with me either, lol.

AS IF (hehehe) there wasn't enough Birthday Cake eating this weekend, I definitely indulged in some Cake Bar treats and had this hella tasty Cake Pop sweetening my night into pure nirvana :)

Well, Guess its back to "normalcy" or as close to normal routine as possible. I have a BIG wedding in May that I need to get back to making bows for. Off to the grind!

Hope you enjoy! XOXO, KC

What I Wore- Friday 3/2/12

One day, when there is a big office I go into every day- I am going to enjoy Dressy Fridays. I like places that are doing that as an answer to Casual Fridays.  What's wrong with getting dressed up for no better reason than just 'cause?!? 

Here is my Dressy Friday Fun for March:

I love this outfit! It's equal parts dressy and super dance-class chic all wrapped into one. Since it is basically a tank top and leggings covered in a sheer dress it is one of those outfits I just get in the mood for and it wears me.  When I got the dress at Jet Rag it was fully lined and the sleeves were the only part sheer.  By removing the lining and re-working the top of the dress I got this fun shell that I can pair over a relaxed outfit and feel more dressed up than I am :) Plus, I like my secret love these ridiculous sequined shoes. They just make me smile. I could look for just about any reason to wear these suckers out- but I feel they need to be paired in an outfit that lets them shine.  The moment I saw these back in the good 'ol Urban days- I instantly squealed and smiled like a little girl at Christmas!!! Dorky- probably, but I just look down and it makes me want to tap my feet and smile. Its AH-Mazing!!!

 

You know what else makes me so smiley? Did you know March is National Craft Month??

 

It gets me as excited as sparkly things; thinking about a month all about crafting!!! Are you doing anything fun for the month? I would love to hear what people are doing to celebrate!  If you don't already get our monthly newsletter you should subscribe to our newsletter here. We won't clog your inbox- I promise! We send out a monthly newsletter and a handful of e-blasts highlighting things we think you'd like to know about. Plus, some discounts and insights for upcoming events! There will be tips for St. Patty's, Easter, Earth Day- So many good things on the horizon! Along with projects to celebrate National Craft Month, so please stay tuned and sign up :)

 

I have some thing exciting going on tomorrow in Torrance. I will give y'all more details soon when I can, but as for now I will state that I have a craft demo to prepare for and I am really anxious and nervous for tomorrow.  I think it is a stress reaction but it has me all hopped to get stuff done so alas, I must head back to work.

XOXO, KC

What I Wore: Friday 2/3/12

I found this sweet dress thrifting in my neighborhood a couple of weeks ago and I am really loving how bright and colorful it is:

These past few days have rushed past me! Multitasking on projects- seed paper for my EcoEtsy Team, rock candy, address books, and other Valentine's Day goodies has kept me so wrapped up. Between working on multiple tasks and a ton of errands I feel like I look at the time and a huge chunk of my day has vanished. It is wonderful and frustrating at the same time :) It has been so exciting working more and I appreciate everyone's patience while I figure out my working schedule and what works relaying info on the blog.  

Recently I have been getting a ton of new tutorials in line for February and I am really excited to be working on some new ideas. Since rock candy take at least 7 days to make, a tutorial with pictures is going to be a must on Tuesday.  Plus, in the spirit of Super Bowl Sunday- I hope to have some fun ways to upcycle chip bags for all those reminders of a diet breaking day in front of the TV.  Speaking of a diet breaking day in front of the TV... Head over to our Yummy board on Pinterest to see some last minute ideas to feed the gang at your Super Bowl Party tomorrow!

Yeah.... so I definitely got sucked into Pinterest for over an hour when I went to get the link to the Yummy! Board. Dang! That wasn't good of me :( That's what happens when you find yourself working late on a Saturday. 

I guess that's all for tonight. Time for bed! 
XOXO, KC

Coming Up this Week Jan. 30th- Feb. 5th

It's almost February! Where has the time gone???

Check out this cool cat I found thrift shopping! At first I thought I would have to repaint it because this is the condition it is after scrubbing it intensely. I think she had the misfortune of living with a smoker- it was really grimy. A total score!

***********************************************************************************

Want another way to use up the hearts from last week?

With a simple Xyron Sticker maker you can make quick and easy stickers to adorn on just about anything.  
Here is another take on the hearts & the coffee sleeves to get ready for Valentine's Day-

All you have to do is slide your soon to be sticker into the slot and then gently rub the plastic top sheet. The picture above shows once you pull of the top sheet to get the stickers :)

How fun are stickers! If I ever in conversation found out someone strongly hated stickers I would give them a thumbs down and say they must hate smiling too?!? The only thing better than stickers is making stickers! 

I am still toying with what tutorial will be featured tomorrow... Guess you will have to stay tuned for that! 

Also, the rest of the week is devoted to making our Valentine's Day inventory for the Local Love show Feb 11th & 12th as well as some handmade seeded paper for the EcoEtsy Team (More details on this to come) which has a similar time frame.  I will be posting short findings and updates, but for the most part I will be working up a storm here in the studio.

Hope you have a wonderful end of January!  
XOXO, KC

What I Wore- Friday 1/27/2012 Ladies Night: BURBANK

Tonight I am off to Burbank to check out Ladies Night with my pal Dena of Freckled Pancakes and meet her sister finally too.  I am hoping to stop by the Mindful Nest and eat from some amazing food carts.  

*update- I did both! Ran into a new friend from last weeks Church of Craft Meeting in Mindful Nest which was surprising, AND I finally ate from the Grilled Cheese Truck!!! Such a great time!

I went for white! I almost NEVER wear white but the weather has been wonderful and I just felt like it was needed to finally pull out this white dress I found Jet Rag shopping. It has these faint black polka dots that make it a fun pairing with all my black accessories.

Cut to a Saturday recap since yesterday got to crazy to finish the post:

While driving towards downtown to get to Burbank I was making super time. Then from downtown to the 5 hwy I sat for 45 min! When LA traffic kicks your butt it also spits on you and laughs while you are down. But then at least it will give you a smile while stuck in a prison of automobiles-

Only in LA would I be beside a PINK "Royalty Ambulance". What does that even mean you think? I joked with everyone that it would be hilarious if it was for those pregnant in heels ladies & husbands with champagne. Whatever it is special for was fun to day dream while jamming out in my pretty much parked car.

BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!! I had a ton of fun and I didn't put 2 and 2 together & realized I knew Dena's sister and brother-in-law from SCAD. Our little SCAD community out here never ceases to amaze and impress me :)

Oh, I failed to mention my favorite touch to my outfit! These adorable owl earrings Sharon gave me for Christmas was the best touch to turn any outfit into a real hoot! (Yes, I did just do that. You secretly love that I went there!)

Hope your last January Weekend is a real hoot too!
XOXO,KC

What I Wore- Friday 11/11/11 Anna Sui + Bows

Today I had my first full wedding consultation out in Chino Hills at the McCoy Equestrian Center.  Too bad I didn't dress in equestrian theme in hindsight- that could have been quite interesting. Shucks, a missed opportunity.

Pretty much this whole outfit was my main score second-hand shopping with Alisa on her last visit.  We found the jacket at the Goodwill on Santa Monica Blvd. I picked it up for Alisa and she had one similar already which was totally lucky for me. Out here in LA everyone has a fitted faux leather jacket- preferably something rocker/ motorcycle  jacket fit to mix that hard edge into your wardrobe.  It is not quite brown, not quite black which I thought would be a bad thing- instead I think it actually makes it better. Unless I am clueless and can't tell myself how drastic it sticks out on top of black, that is totally possible too-lol.

The dress an Anna Sui dress is a find from our trip to Wasteland just after I found the jacket.  On that trip I got two dresses at Wasteland that both look great with the jacket :) For more details check out the post on our shopping trip here. 

The overall cut is one of my favorites and I like that I can wear it un belted since I usually belt all of my outfits. When I wear it loose it makes me feel like its one of those trapeze cut artist smock-like shirt. Shout out for teaching me the beauty of belts Alessandra, this is one of my only exceptions I can wear with no definition- I would have no waist ever in my silhouette if it wasn't for you Ale`;) Looking at the pictures of myself I feel like she really deserves that shout out too because defining your waste is a big help! I'll have to try and snap a picture with a belt for next time.

The dress has this awesome retro neck line with a ruffled bib and a long skinny bow at the neck. I wish the bow could be bigger/ fatter, and it could be interesting if the color was black.  I think that would be really fun.  If you are a bow fan like me, make sure you follow my Bow board on Pinterest.

Speaking of bows, I am rocking this fun bow necklace that we also got on the trip at the Melrose Trading Post included in that blog post too. Man, I am realizing Alisa is a good luck charm. Note to self- shop 'till I can't shop no more whenever I can see her!

Well, Looks like the work flow isn't letting up until mid December.  I am going to sneak a break tomorrow to go to Breaking Dawn Part 1 with Sharon and get my hair cut. I will post some fun pictures of my hair tomorrow- I know its going to be cute because my guy is awesome ;)

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend & enjoy yourselves!

XOXO, KC

What I Wore- Friday 11/4/11

Today was one of the first rainy days here in LA and I got to listen to the rain and make crafts for the bulk of the day.  What I would like to bring up today is- Why did we stop wearing house dresses as  lounge wear? I don't quite know when terrycloth jumpsuits came in and mumus went out, but the right ones are fabulous. I think they should make a comeback-

The quilted house coat was a fun find.  I don't usually collect house coats, but this one is the perfect shade of raspberry. Plus, the quilted fabric is still in really nice condition, so I can feel snugly in it.  It has exquisite costume jewelry buttons with little crystals inside and it has pockets- love it! Don't hate on my shlumpadinka picture- I am not a persona, I am a person who likes comfort and I will definitely take risks because fashion should be fun.  Do you remember when you were little and you would want to throw on everything you loved even if the pieces don't quite work together?? That is kinda my favorite.

Main project for today was finishing up these upcycled containers as packaging for our pin cushion rings.

Made from paper towel/ bathroom tissue rolls, old maps, decorative tape and sticker details. The shape and size is perfect for the rings. I really lucked out connecting that this would be a perfect fit as packaging to protect the rings.  This could be a good addition to your holiday craft fair as packaging for jewelry and other small gift items.

Hope everyone has a stellar weekend!!! Make sure to come to the Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival in Long Beach this Sunday 11/6/11 and say hi! 

If you come buy our booth & mention this posting- we will hook you up with  a free gift :-)

Hope to see you there! XOXO, KC