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

What I Wore- Friday 4/27/12

Hi Everyone! TGIF!!! I hope you all had a stunning week and are excited for the weekend. With just two short weeks until Unique LA things have kicked into over-gear here and I am super excited to crank out some projects this weekend :) 

Here my outfit is composed of some pieces that have been in my closet for quite some time:

The dress I picked up at a store in Hollywood while on a shopping trip with Kevin. I really like the all over rose pattern and the colors of the floral print on black. Its got a cute strapless neckline without being a tube top, and it also has pockets!  

The top was a find at a discount dress shop during my last trip out to NYC. It is a lace crop top that has details that have a military feel to it across the bust.  

The bow necklace I found at the Melrose Trading Post Flea Market, which is one of my favorites!!! If you have never been you should totally check it out this weekend. They are having a special day this Sunday - The Slow Art Day where they are highlighting local art and artists. Check out more details here.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!! XOXO, KC

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 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 10/28/11

Last night Kevin had a work party and I worked overtime on pin cushions all day. It has been an overall productive and enjoyable end of the week/weekend so far.  I am trying to get some more work done today while Kevin goes into work-

This dress is definitely one of my top 5 of favorites finds from thrifting. I love the cut at the shoulders.  There is little black beads across the seam- I really love shoulder details. Plus, brown, black and white are my favorite colors to wear and I love to shamelessly mix brown & black.  I never quite understood why people have some rules about brown and black together. I am going to shorten it just a smidgen so it hits at the knee/ just above and then it will be perfect.

I really like the vertical stripes of varying sizes too.  This dress is an absolutely fabulous find!

I just recently busted out this necklace and I am not sure why it took me so long to wear it. My grandma gave it to me years back and I have been treasuring it and not enjoying it-which is lame of me.  I feel like somethings should be kept nice and treasured but if you don't enjoy it, what's the point of collecting so many things???

Here are some more details from the week-

What I Wore- Friday 10/21/11

Tonight Kevin and I went to Yen Sushi & Karaoke in the Westfield Culver City Mall. This was our first time checking it out- we went to celebrate our friend Cathy's birthday.

 

For the party, I wore another Jet Rag $1 dress.  I will have to add some close up details in a later post because there is great stitching detail down the front and across the skirt mid-thigh.  This picture is after the long night of karaoke which got intense and I had to roll up the sleeves. We were all rocking out hard core! My personal highlight I'd like to think was when I discovered Zombie by the Cranberries in the song book.  While I love the durability of polyester I neglected to think about what temperature it might be in the private room we were in for the party. This is definitely going to be one of my go to dresses this winter!

My staple accessory is this button covered clutch that was one of the first projects I made from a thrifted item, way back in high school.   I  found a peachy/ pink clutch and covered it with all my favorite buttons from my collection. I really need to make some more of these...  They are so much fun!

I really had a great time at Yen Sushi :)  Kevin had gone to Korea town for karaoke with the same group of friends before, and they went to two locations for dinner and then had to drive to a separate place for karaoke where the parking was almost nonexistent.  Yen Sushi is super close to our house and has unlimited amount of parking since it is in the mall- which is amazing!  The food was really good.  The prices were super reasonable and the song list/ play book was HUGE! Overall a super evening.

Hope the rest of the weekend is equally exciting for us- And even more exciting y'alls way!

XOXO, KC

What I Wore- Friday 10/14/11

Tonight I brought out a dress that was a total score from Sunday thrifting- aka, the dollar sale.  

I really love the neckline and the pockets on this dress.  It is cool enough here that the sleeves are nice, but I think if I were to decided to alter it the sleeves would be one of the first things I'd change.