Ready for some Local Vintage Shopping?

Well, fellow Birminghamians, how about this?



My best friend Rachael (UrbanEdenAl.blogspot.com) for the past few years has created what she calls "Roadside Relics." The name says it all. Once a year local vendors, artist, and a few friends get together and set up in her front yard, which is now located in 5 Points- Southside.
In a nutshell, it's basically a yardsale, but with a catch. It's all vintage, reclaimed, or re-purposed items with a function!

Here's a tiny portion of some fabulous finds from last year!

With that in mind, this year is going to be BIGGER and BETTER! Industrial Chic Furniture, re-purposed window art, architectural crosses, ski nostalgia, and vintage, vintage, vintage! Here's a sneak peak at some of the fantastic handmade items:



Hand made jewlery by Rebekah Blocher (rebekahblcher.blogspot.com) I mean, they are to die for... well, almost!



Taylor and Jeslyn Anderson have created chalkboards out of out windows pieced with reclaimed wooden trim, pillars, and metal!


Need some storage? How about an old card index file from Rachael's collection?


Maybe a coat rack made form old molding or a candle holder made of molding and mason jars?


Soulful Silhouettes by Yours Truely!


Vintage Books! This is a great way to add color and pattern to any room~



And my absolute favorite: Hanging Light Fixtures made of old screen doors and coffee sacks by Jay and Graham Yelton!

There are so many wonderful things that I could show you, but you will have to wait and see for yourself! Come visit Roadside Relics Saturday May 1st in Southside. Meet the local vendors and artist and support them. You might just find that special treasure you have been looking for!

Grace and Happy Hunting,
Karen

Mad Men of the Mid-century...

What do you think of when you see this picture? If you are me, then you would think of the popular TV Show "Mad Men." If you did, then you would be completely right in thinking so. That show is based off the mid-century time period (40's-60's), which is actually when these men (above) truly thrived!
Listed from left to right(sitting in their designs): George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Charles Eames, and Jens Risom, where a part of what, we designers, call the Bauhaus Period. Bauhaus was a architecture and design school where these great men lived and studied- becoming geniuses in the design world. They created what we know as the "Modern" look. To this day, their designs have influenced and changed our worlds, our homes, and the way we look at things in more ways than you have probably realized.
With that said, let me show you a little of what they have done. I bet you have seen them hundreds of times and just didn't know!

George Nelson: Bubble Lamps

Coconut Chair

And, most iconic design, The Ball Clock



Edward Wormley:


I love this next one! Check out the couple about to use the sofa bed!


Eero Saarinen: Most famous for his Tulip Chair

However, he was a fantastically influential architect

And, he designed The Gateway Arch in St. Louis!


Harry Bertoia: The Wire Chair



Charles Eames: Charles and Ray Eames- the husband/wife duo- are some of my favorite architects/designers!

The famous Eames Lounge Chair!

Pretty Pastels!


Jens Risom:

He created Prefab vacation homes. You literally bought it in a box, took it home, and built it!

The end result:

Another of his modern architectural designs:


So, there is a tiny bit of designs from a few of the Mad Men of the Mid-century Modern history! They inspire me to keep being creative. You never know who's design will make the history books?
Next time you are antiquing, thrifting, or surfing the web and come across a piece of the above furniture, think of where and who it came from and how that one design has influenced our lives in our homes and hearts for centuries(and more to come!)

Happy Hunting,
Karen