My take home treasures...

When I'm out and about scouting for items to use for other people, I ALWAYS seem to find something to take home with me(hmm...funny how it works out that way). I think of it as a humanitarian effort, rescuing lonely objects that need a good home.

I thought you might like to see the little ditties I pick up around town and what ends up happening to them. The following finds are from my Old Towne Orange shopping adventure from a couple posts ago.

I found the above signs at Orange Circle Antique Mall, located at 118 S. Glassell St. They are from the sides of a dismantled crate. I found them stacked inconspicuously on a retro leather chair in a small stall. They caught my eye because Hunt just happens to be my Mom's maiden name, and the last name of a lot of my relatives. I thought it would be a nice gift to give one to my Mom for being the best Nana in the whole world!

Here's the sign in her kitchen bay window.

Next I found this old carpenter’s tool box tucked in the corner of a booth. I thought it would make a perfect planter box.

I removed the old icky sticky tape from the handle and planted three orchids(not live ones, are you kidding me?!) that I already had that were in some not so very attractive pots. I wedged in the pots and secured them in place with newspaper. Then I filled in all of the gaps with green moss and topped it off with reindeer moss(my FAVORITE).

Here is the result:

O-M-G. I totally scored at Antique Depot, located at 155 S. Glassell. I am so on the hunt for vintage hands, and at this place I scored three! CrAzY...I know! Do you know how hard it is to find these?

Well, here they are displayed on an antique cabinet that has been in my family a looooong time.

Oh, and let's not forget the $20.00 chairs I bought last weekend on Antique Row in Pomona.

Well, here they are now:

HA! Okay, so they aren't finished. Have you ever sanded a chair? Well, I've discovered that it ranks really high on the suck-o-meter. Man, this project wasn't as easy as I thought. But I'm learning a lot and I will share the whole experience with you when I'm done(crossing fingers)!

So there you have it. That's what happens to the little treasures I rescue while I'm out...ahem...just "window shopping" for myself.

Until next time...

Pomona's Antique Row...

Antique Row is on a picturesque street in Old Towne Pomona, California. I love how they have kept all of the buildings original, including the old signage! I was told by one of the shop owners that this street was used for the downtown scenes in the movie "Cat in the Hat" starring Mike Myers. I can see why, so cute! There is plenty of parking and the people are SUPER friendly. I struck up quite a few conversations with the shop owners, listening to the stories behind the special pieces they had on their floors.

My first stop was Autumn Leaves, located at 265 East 2nd Street. That is where owner Randy told me the story behind the above piece. This is a train seat from the Monan Railroad that used to operate in the state of Indiana from 1897-1956. This train line used to go right by Randy's neighborhood where he lived as a young boy. I wish you could see the details on the legs! Reupholstered, it would make a great love seat and a conversation piece. The back even reclines to lay flat. An old fashioned futon?!

They also has this bustle chair sitting out front. I adore the shape of these chairs. Great patina on this one!

I found this one-of-a-kind GINORMOUS cut-out of  Mary Pickford at P & P Antiques and Collectibles, located at 279 East 2nd Street. It's much larger in person and I completely fell in love with it. Owner Pat told me it's from a movie studio set from the 1920's. Fans would pose next to her and have their picture taken. This would make a great art piece on a large wall. Perfect for a media room!

Located at 200 East 2nd Street is Pomona Antique Mart, the largest of all of the stores in the row. This place has three levels of collectibles, furniture, and vintage clothing. I could imagine the above scale hanging over a kitchen island instead of the typical pot rack.

This bench would be perfect in the corner of a limited space kitchen. Great with a small scale round table. So unique!

I stumbled across this retro office chairs and had some great ideas on how to update them. When I glanced at the price, just $20.50 a piece, I grabbed them! You'll see their transformation on a future post!

How dang cute is this 1950's black and white patio set?!!

The only thing I collect are vintage hands. They are hard to find, and when you do, they are typically not for sale. Most vendors use them to display their antique and vintage jewelry and will not part with them. It makes for a quite exciting hunt I must say. I saw these adorable salt and pepper shakers and had to have them! They came home with me. Yeah!

After leaving Antique Row, I went across to the west side of 2nd Street to what is called the Arts Colony. That is where I visited La Bomba vintage clothing, located at 195 West 2nd Street. I snagged the above old cowboy boots and vintage poncho. So cool!

Despite the clouds and the chilly weather, it was an amazing day. I'm so happy with all of my great finds! Until next time...

I'm so there!

Check this out...

Behind the Picket Fence is having an antiques show on Saturday, April 30 form 9-3!

This show features over 65 vendors selling one-of-a-kind antiques, vintage goods and handmade items by local artisans. This event will be at 7561 Center Ave, Huntington Beach. It's in Old World Village, where all shops will be open along with  restaurants and wine tasting! Free admission. Let's go!!!

Visit Behind the Picket Fence's website at www.behindthepicketfencemarketplace.blogspot.com.

Floral Easter basket...

As you know from my previous post, I spent quite a bit of time in Old Towne Orange over the weekend. Another place I noticed on my way back to my car was Jen K Floral Design. She had a large banner waving outside of her building advertising floral classes. Sign me up! I have always wanted to experiment with flower arranging, and here was my opportunity. I jotted down the number and called the next day. They have weekly classes on Monday and Tuesday nights starting at 6:30. The cost for each class is $25.00. The arrangements to be created change with every week. 

As I entered, I was greeted by a cheerful petite instructor busily setting up the tables that we would be working on. About twelve of us showed up, a little bit more than they had anticipated. I would definitely call ahead to let them know you are coming so they have enough supplies for everyone!

First we were given a small rectangular basket with some clear cellophane and a piece of green styrofoam. We laid down the cellophane as a liner for the basket, the foam went in next. We each received a large section of wheat grass(which you can buy at Sprouts or health food stores) similar in shape to the basket. We then placed the grass on top of the foam and tucked in the sides to secure it. My grass was a little unruly, but hey, that just adds character, right?

Next we trimmed the cellophane and inserted water tubes into the grass all the way through to the foam(ignore my desperate need for a mani!).

Then we "wired" the Gerber daisies. Now I know how they get flowers to stand up perfectly in any direction! Just take thin floral wire and push it into the head of the daisy and wrap it around the stem before inserting it in the water tube, pure genius.

We placed the daisies inside the tubes and twisted and turned them gently(I fractured a few stems, so they became the shorter elements of my arrangements, not planned!).

The final touches were to add some colorful paper Easter grass, tucking it into the sides of the basket. Finishing it off, we added some wired plastic eggs around the bottom of the arrangement.

How adorable is that?!

Jen K Floral Design is located at 145 N. Lemon St, Orange. The phone number is 714-532-2518. This place would make a great GNO activity. Not to mention it is surrounded by great restaurants to hit up afterwards! 

A day in Old Towne Orange...

I was on a quest to find some unique small tables that could be used when decorating within a limited space. It's quite a task to find tables to fit in an area where there isn't a lot of room. It's an issue I had been coming across a lot lately. I decided to go to historic Old Towne Orange, California for some solution ideas. This is a place filled with antique and vintage stores along with plenty of quaint restaurants and trendy gift shops.

I approached the central plaza from the freeway, preparing for the daunting task of navigating my way through the exciting round-a-bout in the center of this small town. As I approached, I was disappointed to see that the circle was closed off, filled with pedestrians and parked cars. After my initial let down, I was thrilled to discover that there was a vintage car show going on. Yes, a 2fer! I don't know much about cars, but I can appreciate good design when I see it!

The streets were filled with proud show car owners and inspired onlookers. I was completely out of my element, but I tried to blend in and just enjoyed the scenery as I made my way to my first stop. The shops were busier than normal, filled with car enthusiasts strolling in to escape the heat. Okay Debbie...focus. Tables, small scale tables. The first place I hit was Country Roads, located at 204 W. Chapman Ave, my favorite. They never let me down. Here's what I found:

Okay, so it's technically not a table. But we need to think outside of the box here people. Above is a 20" squared, 1920's French travel chest that would make an adorable side table.

Next I found this mid-century modern 30" round brass tray table. Perfect height and size for a small scale coffee table. It even swivels!

What a clever use of an old barrel as a table base. This is tall enough to be used in a small kitchen along with counter height stools. They had used a 30" piece of glass as the topper.

Absolutely LOVED this vintage mustard colored trunk. It was custom made into a perfect sized coffee table for a small space. It was mounted on a rustic black metal base.

Next I went to the Chapman Antique Mall located at 201 E. Chapman Ave. That is where I found the above small tiled tables. Perfect height and size for accent tables. They don't come cheap, but they are interesting and add a splash of color. I was told that Diane Keaton had just been in and bought several of these.

I had really worked up a thirst by now. I decided to stop in at the most adorable tea room for some relief. Paris in a Cup is located at 119 S. Glassell. This placed was packed! They serve light lunches along with traditional tea service. Although I just stepped in for a drink, my curiosity was peaked and I will definitely go back to try out the food.

I headed across the street to Down Home Antiques, 200 E. Chapman Ave. I found this awesome vintage trunk with original iron details and leather strapping. This would make a great coffee table along with some storage to boot!

There was so much to see, I could go on and on. I defintely found some solutions to my dilemma in dealing with small areas. I did get sidetracked a few times, but I will save those details for a future blog! I have to say, Old Town Orange is one of my favorite places. The inventory is constantly being refreshed with unique, one of a kind items, making it a different experience with every visit. I hope I gave you some great ideas!

I spent almost five hours perusing through endless stalls of eye candy and I was exhausted and hungry by the end of the day. As I made my way back to my car, I decided to try out a cute little Mexican restaurant called Taco Adobe, 121 N. Lemon Ave.

What a bargain this place is. I expected it to be counter service, but I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a seat. Waiter service, chips and salsa, two authentic tacos, and a large iced tea. All for $6.50. Ole'!

Ummm...where's the bathroom?

I came across a box tucked away safely in the rafters of my garage yesterday evening. To my delight, it contained items from my childhood! A collection of random items that left me wondering why I and how I decided to keep certain things contained in this treasure of a box. As I scoured through everything with excitement, I had quite a few laughs, a few tears, and a warm feeling of nostalgia. My 14 year old daughter had a ball going through these things and poking fun at all of the letters and diary entries that only seemed to be about boys. As my daughter and I sat at the breakfast nook table, we bonded over the similarities we shared. It was proof that I went through exactly what she is knee deep in now!

I was so excited when I came across my beloved "Gnome Gnotebook"(how cute is that?). I was slightly obsessed with these spirited little beings during my early years! As I turned the pages, jogging my memories of my life in the suburbs of Milwaukee, I came across a jewel...a drawing of my very first floor plan! Although I question the layout, it's not bad for an 11 year old. Well, except for one thing, where's the bathroom? Hmmm, now that I'm looking at it, maybe the gnome is in the unlabeled bathroom?!