Found! Keane print!

I was super excited today to find this Keane print at the thrift store. Soooo creepy and bizarre! The copyright on it is 1962. I want more of these around my house!

Owl Lamp is a Hoot

I finally got a my owl lamp together today! I found it last week at a top secret location and feel like the $3 bucks I paid for the base and 75 cents for the lamp shade, I feel like it was a pretty decent deal:)

Fits right in our retro-esque apartment!

I got me a Vera scarf!

I didn't even realize until today that one of the scarves I picked up was a Vera Bradley! How very cute and classy.

I thought the black, white and orange seemed very suitable for fall.

Lusting for Mid-Century Modern

Right now, I would practically give a kidney for some quality mid-century modern furniture. All you can find at Goodwill now-a-days is pissed on old floral couches from 1992 that the cat used as a scratching post. I have even been scouring craigslist in search of something halfway decent to outfit out new apartment. Where's a lady to get swank furniture?

I don't care if the furniture is uncomfortable. That is not the point. I just want it to look visually pleasing and dazzle the eye.

Give me orange, pea green, and rusty brown. Give me shag, leather, and vinyl. Give me shiny metal hardware and wood backing. I want pretty furniture, please!

$2 Dollar Mushroom Rug

Dang universe, you must have read my mind yesterday cause this rug I found at the Crowded Closet is to die for perfect and only $2 bucks! May my collection of ugly shag rugs ever expand. Amen!

Retro Mugs

Inspired by Style File's blog entry on retro mugs, I went on a search to find some retro mugs for myself. I scoured the thrift shops high and low and you can guess where I found the coolest of the cool mug...... At the Crowded Closet, of course!

Here are the mugs featured on Style Files:

And here is my bad ass horoscope mug from the Crowded Closet. It says on the bottom that it was hand painted in Japan so it has to be pretty old, I would say. I love it and I must find more!

Blog I Love: Shop Vintage Portland

As a complete narcissist, I am a big fan of anyone who is just like me and likes all of the same things that I like. When I found the blog Shop Vintage Portland, I felt instantly at home with the reviews of thrift shops and colorful photos of stuff I would love to buy.... Like pastel colored ceramic goodies and Hawaiian printed bathing suits. It must be love!

Visit Shop Vintage Portland: www.shopvintageportland.com

My Musical Strawberry Shortcake Mirror

I scored big time the other day with this adorable musical Strawberry Shortcake Mirror in perfect condition. On the back, it says it was made in 1981, and the music box still works perfectly. And best of all, it was only 50 cents at the Crowded Closet!

A Lovely Trip to Artifacts

When thinking about Iowa City, one might first think of the University of Iowa or drinking downtown, but what I think of most is the wonderful little shops we are so blessed to have! At the top of my list would be Artifacts because it is always jam packed with kitchy, cool, fabulous finds from eras past. And besides that, you gotta love whoever is behind the desk! Almost everyone who steps foot into the store for an afternoon or browsing and treasure hunting is sure to get into a lively conversation with either Todd, the owner, or Heather, the fantastic lady behind all of those great handmade signs throughout the store. Her handwriting and doodles are simply adorable!

Artifacts is located on the corner of Gilbert Street, right across from John's Grocery, the Bluebird Diner, and the Foxhead, the local watering hole favored mostly by hip grad students.

You can always find Todd behind the desk waiting to help you out.

Some of Heather's handiwork on the side of the cash register.

I have always adored Artifacts for the insane density of visual stimuli they have waiting for you at every corner. The store is packed wall to wall, floor to ceiling with interesting things waiting to be discovered.

Oh my gosh!!!! This sign is sooo cute, I just wanted to eat it up and absorb some of it's cuteness!

Goodwill Finds!

Ahhhh, Goodwill! Gotta love searching for bargains on a lovely day off. Today, I spent under $10 bucks and came away with a new dress, an embroidered peasant top, brand new slip-on style Crocs for the summer, and a few knick-knacks. Yippy!

Here we have what I am assuming is a "No dogs" sign in French or something. 38 cents.

I frickin' love my very vintage and hand embroidered peasant top. This thing fits perfectly and is in perfect condition. $3.38

The dress is mid-90's and very much reminiscent of something Brenda would wear on Beverly Hills, 90210. $5.38 The insane necklace was actually picked up at Goodwill a few weeks earlier for $1.38. Boo ya!

Thrift shopping always gives me such a thrill and a smug sense of satisfaction:)

Shopping at Ragstock

Last Friday, I spent lots of time poking around downtown Iowa City and decided to take some photos around some of the local businesses that I like, one of which is Ragstock. If you are looking for cheap, trendy clothes and accessories, Ragstock is the place to go. If you are looking for vintage galore to sift through, Ragstock is also your man. College kids like hitting up Ragstock around Halloween for costumes, as they always tend to carry excentric and one of a kind pieces.

Relax and Get Happy

I decided to make a list of things that make me happy so when I am having a rough day, I can look at this list and start to remember what exactly it feels like to be happy again. Maybe after you read this list, you can make one for yourself!


100 things that make me happy:

1. Anything pink
2. Coldstone Jellybeans
3. Cuddling
4. Good Friends
5. Hanging out with Will
6. Visits to my parent's house
7. Green grass
8. Cute shoes
9. Hello Kitty
10. Vintage anything
11. Thrift shopping
12. Cupcakes
13. Getting a Birthday card
14. Unexpected surprises
15. Watching the clouds go by
16. A nice, hot bath
17. Korean food
18. iPod
19. Teddy and Belle, the cutest dogs, ever
20. Whiskars the Cat
21. Puppies
22. Kitties
23. Sushi
24. Shrimp Tempura Rolls
25. Octopus Salad
26. A nice massage
27. Feather pillows
28. Panda Bears
29. Stickers
30. Avocado and Toast sandwiches
31. Betsey Johnson
32. Makeup
33. Anything MAC
34. Photobooths
35. Bulletin Boards
36. Facebook
37. Blogger
38. NYLON magazine
39. Tokidoki
40. The Sanrio Store
41. Urban Outfitters
42. IKEA
43. Road trips
44. Air Conditioning
45. Heating pads
46. Fuzzy blankets
47. Fuzzy socks
48. My parka
49. Gardens
50. Riding bikes
51. Hiking in the woods
52. Doing things on my own
53. Driving a car
54. Kisses
55. Receiving email
56. Receiving snail mail
57. Getting a magazine in the mail
58. Having a day off of work
59. Funny movies
60. New underwear
61. Victoria's Secret
62. Getting something for free
63. Sleeping in
64. Smiling at strangers
65. Making new friends
66. Doing well at work
67. Nice dreams
    
68. Grilling out
69. Roasting marshmallows
70. Roasting Kabobs
71. Grilled baby potatoes and mushrooms
72. Hugs
73. Visiting my brother in Ames
74. Playing on water slides
75. Go Karts
76. Rollerskating
77. Bowling
78. Trips to Fun City
79. Taking photos
80. Discovering things in Korea
81. Chicken Alfredo Pizza at the Mill
82. Falafel from Oasis
83. Poking around at Artifacts, the White Rabbit, and Revival
84. Finding awesome stuff at Goodwill, Salvation Army, or the Crowded Closet
85. Finding something that was lost
86. Getting comments on my blog
    
87. Finding old friends on Facebook
88. Birds chirping
89. Baby deer
90. A gentle breeze
91. 70 degree days
92. Spring days
93. Perfect fall days
94. The first snow
95. The first lightning bug of the year
96. The first robin of the year
97. Animal Crossing
98. Liquid eyeliner
99. Hearing "I love you"
100. Finding money

And if all else fails............................ Thank God for XANAX!!!!!!

Ha ha ha!

Cake Toppers in Nature

Today, some friends and I went to Hickory Hill Park to take some nature photos.  Seeing as I had just taken a trip to the Crowded Closet and found some amazing little cake toppers for 25 cents, I felt the need to encorporate them into nature.  Hell, anyone can take  nature photos, but cake toppers in nature?  This is much more my style!!!