One of the joys of occasional saling is finding that killer piece that you’ve never seen before, that you’ll never see again, and that you HAVE TO HAVE. Consider this gem at Linda’s Cellar in Chaska ~
Looks like an HGTV stylist’s piece to me…if you dig it, you better hurry and see if it’s still there!
-Katherine
ONE LITTLE THING: When you look around your home, do you ever get that feeling of being totally overwhelmed because your space isn’t neat/chic/inspired/organized enough? Me, too! We have to remind ourselves that often there’s one little thing we can do or add to a space to improve it. It’s that ONE LITTLE THING.
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I found today’s ONE LITTLE THING at an antiques store north of Gulfport, Mississippi. It looked cool, but I wasn’t sure what it was…
As I was inspecting it, I saw that it was made in Japan. Then I looked at the price tag, which listed the item as a “towel holder”. Hmmm. I couldn’t really see myself using it for that. For $18, I thought it was cool and would look good on my desk, so I bought it.
When I got it home, I realized the perfect use – business card holder!
I love the detailing on the hands…
I’ve never seen another piece like this, so I’m glad I snatched up when I did!
– Katherine
On the eve of this week’s sales, I thought I’d set the tone with a look from one of the world’s most drool-worthy vintage and antique markets – Isle sur la Sorgue, France.
Hope you find your treasure this week!
-Katherine
PS. While the (quite pricey) shops in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue are open year-round, the outdoor market (pictured above) takes place only one weekend each year – Assumption Weekend in August.
ONE LITTLE THING: When you look around your home, do you ever get that feeling of being totally overwhelmed because your space isn’t neat/chic/inspired/organized enough? Me, too! We have to remind ourselves that often there’s one little thing we can do or add to a space to improve it. It’s that ONE LITTLE THING.
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Today’s ONE LITTLE THING comes from the new (one month old!) shop Griffin’s Antiques in Chaska (open this Thurs-Sun!). It’s a lovely Italian alabaster chandelier. This is the kind of piece that can add some punch to a room all on its own!
And be sure to see this week’s schedule of sales at HIT THIS WEEK’S SALES!
-Katherine
Hopefully you made it out to the sales this past week. In case you didn’t, here’s some of what you missed…..
If you did stay home this past week, never fear, there will be more wonderful finds in store….
– Katherine
BEST OF THE REST: As amazing as I hope The Occasional Saler is/will be, there are a plethora of awesome resources around the web; ones that I find especially titillating, I’ll share with you!
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I recently saw a great blog post on DesignSponge featuring a new book called Bringing Nature Home, Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature by Ngoe Minh Ngo. I’m just going to give you a teaser:
The Chinoiserie commode! The vintage-Florentine-looking oil painting, the oversized fruit tree branches! To see more, see the full profile on DesignSponge here.
-Katherine
DIY: Design It Yourself All of the wonderfully refurbished pieces that I’ve seen at occasional sales have inspired me to try my hand at a few of my own. Any DIY project that I do will be super easy (I’m a newbie!) and affordable (no “Million Dollar Rooms” here!) – I hope it tempts you to try a design of your own!
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I got two cool candlesticks a few months ago at Flamingos Divine Finds in Minneapolis:
The problem? They just don’t work with my décor. The deep green and black are too DARK.
I still have a very important use for them, however. So I decided to re-design them. Here’s how you can do the same project yourself. Step 1: Gather supplies. I needed work gloves, sandpaper, protective eyewear, primer (especially important because the starting surfaces were so dark), and spray paint.
Oh, and don’t forget to set your work space. I used two collapsable saw horses (easier to store away!) and a simple wood board as my bench. I set everything up in the driveway – it’s essential to work in a well-ventilated space because of the paint fumes.
Step 2: Sand the candlestick holders.After I was finished sanding, I thought the candlestick holders looked so quaintly disheveled that I considered leaving them like this:
Step 3: Wash the sticks with soap and water. In the end, I had my heart set on a bold finished look, so I pushed on. So, I headed down to the industrial basement sink. Because the candlestick holders are wood, I didn’t soak them in the water, but simply splashed water on, and rubbed them with liquid soap. Then I splashed them with water to rinse off the soap.
Step 4: Let the candlestick holders dry. I dabbed the sticks with paper towel and let them dry for 20 minutes. (After cleaning them, I realized that the sticks were still too dark to work with my décor, so I realized that I would indeed need to paint them!)
Step 5: Prime. (Note: The instructions on the primer I used indicated that I needed to apply the paint with one hour or after 24 hours. I chose the first option – and applied the paint after letting the primer dry for about 30 minutes.)
Step 6: Paint. Hmmm….after the first coat, too much of the white primer was still visible, so I added two more coats.
Step 7: Smile. And put away your tools.
Step 8*: Add jewelry. *Optional. My intension when I bought these candlesticks was to use them as storage for my bracelets. Violà!
I’m really happy with how the candlestick holders turned out! They’re not as brassy in tone as some of the other gold items, so they tie the gold and silver pieces in the collection together nicely. Happy Designing ~ -Katherine
Yes, it’s Wednesday, and it’s time to head out to this week’s occasional sales! If you’re a regular occasional saler, then you know to get to the shops at the very beginning. In an attempt to assist in this endeavor, I’ve put together a fun map listing all of this week’s sales in the order in which they open:
For a listing of daily opening times and addresses, be sure to click on the “HIT THIS WEEK’S SALES!” tab.
I’m very curious as to what great finds YOU’VE gathered this week! Feel free to send your photos to: iamanoccasionalsaler@theoccasionalsaler.com [i am an occasional saler @ the occasional saler .com]
-katherine
An exciting event is upon us…Tomorrow The Bee Cottage in Excelsior is hosting a special event, The Bee and A Flea, bringing a Parisian-style puce (flea market) to the Twin Cities!
Throughout the house and under the tent set up especially for the flea, there will be even more to enjoy – spruced-up furniture, framed original oil paintings, French market baskets and charming “smalls” such as medicine bottles from France, gilded sconces, picture frames, Jennifleur candles and tea cups. In the meantime, take a peek at some of the goods, below.
HAPPY SHOPPING!
The Details
Where: The Bee Cottage, 441 2nd Street, Excelsior
When: Tomorrow, Wed – Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 12-5pm
Why: Because you didn’t get around to booking those flights to the City of Lights this spring.
*Tip: Be there early, or risk missing out on a treasure!
-katherine
Welcome to The Occasional Saler, the Twin Cities’ source for all things occasional sales!
Enjoy!
-katherine, founder of The Occasional Saler