april awakening.

etsy's taste test can be hit or miss, but they hit the nail on the head when they recommended i check out april awakening.

i am enamored with april's irreverent combinations of vintage and modern... from neon-painted lace doilies to geometric stamped victorian portraits, every single item in her shop is a winner. add it all to my wishlist!

stitchasaurus rex.

sweet hand-embroidered vintage linens from stitchasaurus rex.

friday fave finds.

1. vintage spoon garden stakes from hammermann

2. linen and lace dress by bayou salvage

3. vintage trophy from sara kate studios

4. concrete planters by a.t. designs

5. ballet-inspired sneakers by bensimon via words, a blog.

6. vintage tolix chairs via porchlight interiors

7. succulent wall via cactus blog

8. ceramic candles by astier de villatte

9. vintage horseshoe collection from laurel leaf farm

sneak peek . . . my new & improved kitchen!

here it is... your sneak peek into my freshly painted kitchen...

i know you can't tell much from this little corner, but trust me, the new paint does wonders for my little retro kitchen! the walls were previously a dingy, flat, stark white. the color we chose really warms the space up while still keeping it bright and fresh. the rest of the space is still a work in progress, but i have tons of amazing ideas.

another project i've been waiting to reveal... my chalkboard fridge! the appliances that came with our home aren't exactly what i would have chosen, but they are fully functional so i can't justify buying new ones. the one thing i really hate is the ginormous black fridge that you walk into as soon as you enter the space... so i decided to spruce it up with a coat of chalkboard paint! what do you think? très cute, no?

another fun little project... my diy mason jar soap dispensers! such a sweet detail to add to the farmhouse kitchen vibe i'm aiming for. this project was soooo easy... check out the tutorial from girl in air here.

here are some other elements i am hoping to incorporate into my new and improved kitchen....

1. adorable vintage bird egg prints i purchased from vintage foster care.

2. i really want a schoolhouse ceiling light like this one from lamps plus.

3. i've been debating over what chairs i want to use for our tiny eat in space... i think i've decided to go for a french-industrial look with these stools.

4. a pink teapot! from reston lloyd.

5. i bought this vintage street sign ages ago from bella lulu vintage, and now i finally have a place for it!

6. my sister gave me this retro clock, and it is absolutely perfect for the space.

7. i just ordered this repro holophane glass pendant for above my little eat-in table. from rejuvenation.

8. air plants! i would love to see a row of these little beauties on my window sill. these ones are from air plant supply co.

9. i've been eying this vintage metal tray from vintage now & then for a while now... and i finally have an excuse to buy it :)

flickr favorites . . . trisha brink design.

trisha brink's photostream is filled with gorgeous images of her vintage finds, crafty projects, and sweet home. trisha also has a lovely blog and etsy shop.

blogs i like . . . weird old photos.

i am strangely obsessed with old photos of strangers, so of course i was immediately smitten with the blog weird old photos.

courtney, the girl behind the blog, loves thrifting... she scours local antique shops, estate sales, and flea markets and she shares her best finds on the blog. thanks for the inspiration, courtney!

blue bernice

loving the hand painted vintage luggage over at blue bernice.

chrissy lau + gpv

love these whimsical fashion illustrations by chrissy lau for gary pepper vintage. click here to see more.

material recovery

material recovery is my new favorite etsy shop by far. the vintage suzani and ikat fabrics they use are absolutely to die for. the only problem is deciding which one of these lovelies i want on my couch!

etsy finds . . . vintage french house numbers

i am completely obsessed with vintage enamel house numbers from france. unfortunately they rarely go above the 100s, so i will probably never find one for my house... number 914. they are so beautiful, i might just have to start collecting random numbers!

1. pudding 2. la manche 3. addy's vintage 4. a cottage muse

fashion finds . . . very vintage

{bag from twin hearts vintage}

i've always loved vintage pieces... they lend an eclectic, one-of-a-kind, perfectly worn-in look to any wardrobe. click on over to papernstitch today to see some of my recent faves.

flickr favorites . . . such pretty things

jessica enig's flickr photostream such pretty things is like heaven for any collector or vintage enthusiast. she photographs all her gorgeous collections, from millinery flowers to french ribbon to pastel petticoats. i only wish i had half of these sweet finds in my home!