Lifestyle: True Vintage Style

In the middle of helping my sister move and rearranging tons of stuff in my parents house, I stumbled upon some of the the coolest, most adorable, and truly vintage pieces of clothing I've ever seen. A pair of self-cut, hand-embroidered jean shorts, from roughly 1972. Seriously, how cute are these? And the fact that my mom cut off a pair of old jeans to make shorts and used her Brownie Scout skills to embroider all the the designs herself, just too neat! I could see the memories flooding back as she showed them to me.

So cute! It's crazy to see how popular styles of the past always make their way back around. My sister owns a couple pairs of shorts extremely similar to these, except she paid for hers to look this frayed when she bought them, and they aren't quite as customized!

And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any cuter, my mom showed me a few old school outfits from her childhood. Cue me completely GEEKING out over the little dress I'm about to show you. I mean, it's like a miniature 1959 prom dress for a toddler. I think the only think more precious than this dress would be a picture of my mom as a youngster in this dress! (I'll have to ask my grandmother to break out the old albums) Ok, maybe I should also mention that I'm totally and completely in love with the styles of the 1950's and 1960's. If I thought it was acceptable to wear Mad Men-esque dresses and my hair hived up on the top of my head every day to work, I totally would!

And here it is, the cutest little dress I've ever seen, that my future unborn little girl WILL be wearing!

So, so sweet! And pretty impressive that it's in such great condition considering its somewhere around 50 years old. If there was ever a reason to have a child, it would be this dress! Ok, ok, just kidding, but seriously, this makes me want a little girl some kind of bad. (And something tells me that our current little beagle girl, Harper just wouldn't be very happy in it)

Point Breeze finds a home in Manhattan, NY

Back in May we posted about a unique set of furniture that we found in our local Habitat for Humanity store here in Lexington Park, MD. After a couple coats of Aubusson Blue Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and a smooth coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax they were ready for their close ups.

Both pieces sparked quite a bit of interest on our Etsy Site, but some customers seemed turned off by the high shipping prices. Solid wood made it the 1970's is not exactly light, and with pieces this size, they are nearly impossible to ship for a low rate.  We considered pulling the pieces off of Etsy and trying to sell them in the local area exclusively, but with 900+ page views for both the buffet and china cabinet and dozens of inquires, we thought, let's leave them posted until the listing expires. If we still haven't found buyers at that point, we'll pull them off.

And then I met another Mindy. A conversation came through on Etsy from a woman named Mindy in Manhattan, NY who was interested in purchasing the china cabinet. It's not every day I meet someone who shares my name, so I was pretty excited and thought, maybe this is a sign, maybe she is meant to purchase this set. And after many conversations and tons of research trying to figure out how in the world we would ship such a large item to Manhattan for a reasonable price, we finally came to an agreement.

You see, Mindy was actually interested in the pieces for her daughter, Dalia. A sweet newlywed, Dalia was looking for a couple of unique pieces to furnish she and her new husbands apartment. When we work on pieces, we always try to imagine what type of person it will sell to. And after being in contact so closely with this family, I knew we had to make it work. I offered to drive halfway and meet Dalia with the China Cabinet. As bad as she wanted both pieces to complete the set, the buffet's dimensions just would not fit in her apartment. We settled on a date and location, packed up the cabinet as securely as possible on the back of Bubba's truck and hit the road.

Dalia and her new hubby found their way to our meeting spot and after some wiggling and jiggling, we finally go the cabinet loaded into their vehicle. She had also asked if we could bring another piece from our shop with us, that way if they could fit it in their car, they could purchase it too. And sure enough, we got it to fit. So not only did our beloved blue China Cabinet find a new home in Manhattan, but our funky Spanish-Inspired table/cabinet (at right) did too!

Dalia and Mindy were such great customers, if only everyone I dealt with on Etsy was so kind and appreciative. Their cooperation and determination helped make this sale a fun one and we were so happy to see two of our favorite pieces go to such a great home. Dalia was even kind enough to send us some photos of how great both of the pieces look in her new apartment. Best of luck to you and your husband, Dalia, we wish you many years of happiness and love!

Check out the pictures from Dalia's apartment - I think Point Breeze style looks pretty good in Manhattan, don't you?

The Pups of PBC

Instead of our regular “Tuesday Tips” post, I thought it was only appropriate to recognize two special ladies involved in PBC. They are both going “under the laser” this morning, so I thought I’d give them a little spotlight. Meet Harper Hill and Hillee Morris, our PBC mascots and models!



Hillee (left) and Harper (right) enjoying a trip to Rita's. Don't worry, we gave them their own Puppy Ice Cream.

 

Harper and Hillee were born on February 27, 2012 to proud parents Jasper and Lady Belle.



Close up of the lovely Lady Belle.



Bubba and Jasper.



 

Hunting dogs belonging to my in-law’s, Jasper and Belle had a lovely litter of four spunky pups, two boys and two girls. Knowing that he couldn’t keep all four for hunting dogs, my father-in-law started spreading the word that some of them would be looking for loving homes.

Since I’d never seen a newborn puppy before, I made a trip to the farm on the blustery February day and I couldn’t believe my eyes; they were so small! After that first day, I kept making excuses to drive by the farm to visit and play with them, and got particularly attached to this little lady. She was so much smaller than the other three and had a unique white diamond marking on the back of her neck, but that wasn’t the only thing that made her stand out. She was determined! While the others pushed her out of the way at feeding time, she never let that discourage her, squirming her way in between them. And as soon as they were able to start squeaking and barking, you better believe she was the most vocal. I’ve never considered myself a dog person, but this little girl stole my heart. The thought of her going away from the farm to another family made me sick, so Bubba and I decided that we’d make her one of us.

 

Num, pine cone! -Harper

 

And then there is Miss Hillee. Yes, you have to include the Miss. She is certainly a regale beagle! Hillee, obviously the other girl in the litter, was destined to be my parents pet. My dad had been talking about getting a dog for some time, but he wasn’t 100% sure it was something he was ready for. But after a couple of visits to play with them, he just couldn’t say no to their precious little faces. The more time we spent with the puppies, the more we knew Hillee was the one for him. She’d play with the other, but easily drift off to sleep while they still played. She lingered with her mother once feeding time was over, looking for one more sip, and she had the most pleasant disposition, cuddling with anyone who held her. Low-maintenance and full of love, Hillee was the girl for my parents.

  

Young Miss Hillee, so sweet and pretty!

The fact that we’ve been able to keep the sisters close to each other and give them regular play dates has been great! They may rip, run, and play fight non-stop when they’re together, but I think having each other is comforting for them as well. While they lose their “womanhood” today, I wanted to recognize them on here just because they’re so cute and they bring so much happiness to our team!

Here are a couple shots of the girls modeling our products. Funny, both of these pieces sold really quickly...maybe we should include them in every photo shoot?!

Harper modeling with the retro cabinet that was sold to a newlywed couple in Manhattan.

Hillee modeling with a vintage, pink washtub from the 1940's.

Green with Envy

Featured Product

Welcome to Monday's featured product! Today we are highlighting a vibrant, vintage, 1960-70's decanter. With thick, solid, green glass, this decanter would be the perfect accent to a home bar trying to channel the dapper fellows from Mad Men.

There isn't a single scratch on this beautiful piece and comes with a perfectly fitted stopper/top. It sparkles in the sunshine and and is sure to catch anyone's eye. Please let us know if you would like to purchase this vintage item from our shop or if you have any questions. We'd love to hear from you! [ptbreezecottage@gmail.com]

Spanish Influence

Thursday's Featured Product

What do I love best about this versatile console table? The fact that hidden on the bottom of the piece, is what we believe to be the furniture makers signature, the date, and the place: Virgil Robinson, Nov. 24, 1961, Hazelwood, North Carolina. Isn't it wonderful when you discover a little bit of history? Such a great find at the local Volunteer Rescue Squads annual yard sale, it was drab, brown, dusty, and dejected. Just sitting amongst cast-offs no one seemed to be paying any attention to. Ahhh, we were not quick to judge this old girl, we opened her doors, discovered she was sturdy and well built and we thought, maybe, just maybe, we can give her a new look for today's GLOBAL INSPIRED interiors.

Two coats of Annie Sloan Barcelona Orange, Aubusson Blue dabbed in the background of the front paneled doors, an application of Annie's Brown Wax, hand buffing and rubbing, and WOW, mission accomplished! What a transformation, this multi-functional cabinet is warm, vibrant, and brings the look of a world traveler to your home. Reminds you of a piece you might see in Turkey, Spain, or Greece. But no, made right here in the USA near the furniture capital of High Point, NC! The cabinet has one shelf inside that is adjustable. This piece is VERY heavy and solid. Could make an incredible coffee table in a smaller sized living room or apartment. Or a great night stand or end table as well!

My new puppy, Harper, modeling next to the table!

Please visit our Etsy site or send us an email if you think this table is right for you!



Out of the Blue

Thursday's Featured Product

Back in early spring our yard sale pickings were slim; The thrift shops were depleted, and craigslist was right down pitiful. It seemed there was absolutely no one with anything good to get rid of! After a disappointing Saturday morning we decided to detour and make one last stop, at the local Habitat Re-Store. There were the usual building materials, light fixtures, floor tiles, sinks, etc. and then we made our way in to the “furniture room”. Didn’t see much at first, but as we rounded a corner, there it was, an absolutely wonderful credenza/buffet straight out of a late 60’s or early 70’s dining room. Clean lines with a touch of pizazz? Check. Solid, sturdy, and well built? Check. Drawers and doors in good working order? Check. Is the price right? Well….maybe.

We all looked at each other, and nodded in approval, THIS could be the makeover piece we have been searching for.  You see, all three of us LOVE the way credenzas and buffets are being repurposed in to gorgeous places to house today’s Flat Screen T.V.’s. Storage abounds in these cabinets for DVD’s, games, puzzles, books, just about anything you would use in your family or media room.  We have also noticed a trend for using them in entryways as a place for keys, gloves, mail, purse storage, cell phone docking, etc.  We went up front and asked the very friendly clerk if we could purchase the credenza (or buffet, we still are not sure exactly which it is, although it has a silverware compartment so I guess it is technically a buffet?) She said, “Sure! If you buy the matching china cabinet I’ll give you a discount.” Hmmm we hadn’t even thought about taking on a china cabinet, but what the heck, if Sweet Bubba will pick it up and haul it for us, we’ll give it a whirl!

Bubba picked both pieces up and brought them home for us. We needed muscles, lots of muscles to wrestle them in to the shop, but boy oh boy were they worth the effort. Blue was the unanimous color choice, and not just any blue. Annie Sloan’s Aubusson Blue was what we were all drawn to. So we got to work, painting, and waxing, and waxing some more, buffing, and buffing some more, and the results are so pretty we are having a hard time parting with them. I actually had a scary moment of considering changing the entire décor of my living room just to accommodate the credenza, but sanity prevailed (and my husband Jeb’s look of disbelief kind of  brought me back to my senses), because I just repainted and refurnished my living room!

Let us know what you think of our two lovely pieces. We have enjoyed bringing a shot of color and fun to their somewhat boring original finishes.  You never know, sometimes a wonderful piece of furniture comes your way “Out of the Blue”. We certainly weren’t expecting to find these that dreary morning, but are we ever glad we did.